Library Journal March 15, 2017 by Library Journal

CAREER NEXT STEPS

DEBUT NOVELS

Â®

March 15, 2017

Volume 142 No. 5

ISSN 0363-0277

$8.50

MOVERS & SHAKERS 2017 THE PEOPLE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES

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MARCH 15, 2017 VOLUME 142

l NO. 5

ISSN 0363-0277 ®

news + 12

Douglas County Comeback? After closures, can Oregon libraries find a plan B?

12 Public

Texas library proceeds after funds disappear

18 Academic

Sydney university offers no-cost digital texts

20 Industry

Libraries respond to new administration

commentary 8 Editorial

By Rebecca T. Miller

A Better Ladder

Office Hours

By Michael Stephens

Chaos & Caring

P. 22

features

P. 20

22 The cohort of library and information professionals who are exemplars Movers & Shakers

in innovation, application, and community obligation grows with this year’s 52 standouts to more than 800. From bike repair behind the branch to story time for prisoners and one-stop services within public housing, this year’s Movers embrace their mandate to deliver whatever their patrons need where and when they need it.

Career Next Steps 68 By Jennifer A. Dixon, April Witteveen, & Jennifer Koerber A career in libraries can take unexpected directions. In this package, advice from those in the trenches on how to climb the career ladder successfully—or gracefully climb down from a job that’s just not right.

74 By Barbara Hoffert These 44 new works by first-time novelists are as hot Great First Acts

as this fierce and early spring. From astute coming-of-age titles to high-profile pop fiction to books heard ’round the world, these will be the most talked-about debuts of the spring season.

departments 6

Index to Advertisers

10 Feedback 14

Branching Out

20 People

cover credits: Bicycle photo by Travis Jensen; all other photos by Patrick Heagney. this page: Top row, l.–r.: photos by Patrick Heagney, Faisal Abdu’Allah, Cindy Goodman, and Hannah O’Leary. Middle row, l.–r.: photos by Photo Works, Inc., Ryan Loewy, Patrick Heagney (2). Bottom row, l.–r.: photos by Hunter Wilson, Jason Sweeten, Kristin Beadle, and Patrick Heagney

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MARCH 15, 2017 VOLUME 142

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reviews media 79

Audio Reviews A well-articulated World War II romance moves From Sand to Ash

Video Reviews Tourneur’s dark entertainment Cat People will have fans purring 85/Fast Scans

95 SF/Fantasy

North pulls readers through to a beautiful End of the Day; 20 titles

Christian Fiction The Hideaway is a treat for the senses and the heart; 20 titles

102 Erotica

Games, Gamers, and Gaming

By M. Brandon Robbins

Resist with Games

Prepub Alert Literary fiction, big-ticket thrillers, plus Al Roker on the Johnstown Flood, and The Kelloggs, a clash over corn flakes

A new spell of sexy; four titles, plus Bluestockings reading

106 Fiction

Shreve’s The Stars Are Fire pops with embers of action 108/Xpress Reviews 112/Debuts

THE LATEST ONLINE

Roundup

114

Letters to a Young Writer by National Book Award winner McCann; need we say more? 131/Professional Media

The Literature of Exile

& Technology With the help of A Dog Called Hope, former Special Forces operative Morgan tells his recovery story 134/Cooking

142 The Reader’s Shelf

Past Intrigue: Historical Mysteries

143 Library Reads

The top ten books that librarians across the country love; spotlight on Caitriona Lally

144 LJ Best Sellers

Take Whitehead’s Railroad to the top of the list; we must be a mess, as Tidying Up returns

reference

138 Engage the traditions

by Celebrating Life Customs Around the World 139/eReviews from Dominguez & Verma 140/News

www.libraryjournal.com

Big Read in the Big Apple “At the end of January, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment announced One Book, One New York, a reading program that urges residents of all five boroughs to read the same book, [to start] in early March. If successful, this will form the largest reading community in the country. But can New Yorkers agree on the same book?”—from NYC Launches Reading Initiative (ow.ly/IupZ309wZLe)

111 Nicole Evelina 112 Adelia Saunders 129 Raymond Pun et al.

133 Science

Every parent of every background should read Millner’s My Brown Baby; eight titles

q&a

Discover a treasure of Impressionist and Modern Art 120/Crafts & DIY

124 Social Sciences

104 Parenting

books

117 Arts & Humanities

First Look At new Books: Xpress Reviews “Verdict: Newcomers to this award-winning series can jump right in with this installment and be eager to read about Rebekah’s earlier investigations (Invisible City; Run You Down). The unsettling coercion of a confession from a teenage suspect could make this a good suggestion for fans of the show Making a Murderer. A surefire winner for any mystery or suspense fan. [See Prepub Alert, 7/25/16.]”— from Emily Byers’s starred review of Julia Dahl’s Conviction (ow.ly/v3YR309wYZz)

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS Keep in touch with the latest news, opinions, reviews, and collection development resources from Library Journal, via our free email newsletters: LJXpress, Prepub Alert, LJ Reviews, Academic Newswire, and Audio in Advance. Subscribe today at libraryjournal.com/newsletters

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How To Reach Us Editorial Correspondence Library Journal 123 William Street, Suite 802 New York, NY 10038

Telephone 646-380-0700 Fax 646-380-0756 Email lj@mediasourceinc.com Website www.libraryjournal.com

Editor-in-Chief Rebecca T. Miller 646-380-0738 rmiller@mediasourceinc.com

LIBRARYJOURNAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ ljs editorial director MANAGING EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR EDITOR, prepub alert

LJ Editors

John N. Berry III 646-380-0760 jberry@mediasourceinc.com Mahnaz Dar (646) 380-0789 mdar@mediasourceinc.com Kate DiGirolomo 646-380-0774 kdigorolomo@mediasourceinc.com Matt Enis 646-380-0771 menis@mediasourceinc.com Bette-Lee Fox 646-380-0717 blfox@mediasourceinc.com Elizabeth French 646-380-0732 efrench@mediasourceinc.com Barbara Genco 646-380-0761 bgenco@mediasourceinc.com Barbara Hoffert 646-380-0726 bhoffert@mediasourceinc.com Stephanie Klose 646-380-0729 sklose@mediasourceinc.com Amanda Mastrull 646-380-0720 amastrull@mediasourceinc.com Kiera Parrott 646-380-0728 kparrott@mediasourceinc.com Lisa Peet 646-380-0722 lpeet@mediasourceinc.com Annalisa Pesek 646-380-0769 apesek@mediasourceinc.com Meredith Schwartz 646-380-0745 mschwartz@mediasourceinc.com Stephanie Sendaula 646-380-0723 ssendaula@mediasourceinc.com Wilda W. Williams 646-380-0755 wwilliams@mediasourceinc.com

Articles/Columns/News Review author guidelines at www.libraryjournal.com before submitting articles. For questions, contact: Features/Columns: Meredith Schwartz News: Lisa Peet Technology, digital content, ebook news: Matt Enis Library Construction Announcements: Bette-Lee Fox

About Reviewing LJ volunteer reviewers are current or former librarians and academics. If you are interested in reviewing for us, fill out the online form at www.libraryjournal.com or contact the appropriate editor listed below.

To Review/Submit Review Items Audiobooks: Stephanie Klose DVDs & Romance: Bette-Lee Fox Popular Fiction: Wilda W. Williams Graphic Novels & Self-Help: Annalisa Pesek Literary Fiction: Barbara Hoffert Arts, Memoirs, & Health and Medicine: Elizabeth French Biography, History, & Cookbooks: Stephanie Sendaula Business, Law and Crime, & Political Science: Amanda Mastrull Reference & Science: Mahnaz Dar

For a complete list of subjects, visit ow.ly/Yeic/T

Letters to the Editor 250 words or less. Send to ljfeedback@mediasourceinc.com.

Sales & Business Development Roy Futterman, 646-380-0718

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Author Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Baen Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3 Baker & Taylor Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 4 Baker Publishing Group . . . . . . . . . . 107

Ingram Content Group . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Kids, Code, and Computer Science Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 OCLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Bethany House Publishers . . . . . . . . . 89

Penguin Random House . . . . . . . C-2, 1

Credo Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Pronunciator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Diamond Book Distributors . . . . . . . 109

Recorded Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Dover Publications Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . . . 125

Firefly Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

San Jose State University . . . . . . . . . . 18

Gale Cengage Learning . . . . . . . . 66-67

TLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

Hachette Book Group . . . . . . . . . . . 113

University of Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

HarperCollins Publishers . . . . . . . . . . 78

University of Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Infogroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

University of North Carolina . . . . . . 21

This index is provided as a service.The Publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Rebecca T. Miller Bette-Lee Fox Meredith Schwartz Barbara Hoffert John N. Berry III

NEWS, TECHNOLOGY, & FEATURES senior editor, Matthew Enis technology

ASSOCIATE editor

Lisa Peet

REVIEWs LJS Reviews directoR Kiera Parrott MEDIA editor Stephanie Klose FICTION EDITOR Wilda W. Williams senior editor Elizabeth French ASSOCIATE editor Stephanie Sendaula assistant EDITOR Amanda Mastrull COLLECTION MANAGEMENT Barbara Genco EDITOR

ASSISTANT MANAGING editor ASSISTANT MANAGING editor SELF-e Community Coordinator

Annalisa Pesek Mahnaz Dar Kate DiGirolomo

ART & PRODUCTION Kevin Henegan ART DIRECTOR Irving Cumberbatch

Design DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

general manager/ GROUP PUBLISHER DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Nina Quintana

David Greenough Rosalie Schweitzer

Sales & Business Development Sales Director Roy Futterman Account Executive Cathy Hoey Account Executive Howard Katz Sales Associate Vilma Sierra AD OPERATIONS SPECIALIST Jennifer Ruzicka Integrated Marketing Roger Jarman

Director, Inbound/ Content Marketing

Senior Web Developer/ Interactive Lead Manager, Research/ Customer Insight Manager, Integrated Marketing EMAIL MARKETING Specialist Marketing Designer Director, Events & Professional Development Events Manager

Randy Heller Laura Girmscheid Bill Grover Greg Roberts Katie Goellner Krista Rafanello Inna Stolyarova

MEDIA SOURCE, INC. Steve Zales cfo Dave Myers vice president, marketing Andrew Thorne operations director Gerald Nemeth human resources Tara Marallo president and CEO

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LIBRARY JOURNAL (USPS# 508-110 ISSN 0363-0277) is published 20 times per year, semimonthly except monthly in January, July, August, and December, by Library Journals, LLC, 123 William Street, Suite 802, New York, NY 10038. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Media Source Inc. Steve Zales, President and Chief Executive Officer; Circulation records are maintained at Publisher’s Creative Services, 119 E. Grand Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LIBRARY JOURNAL, PO Box 460957, Escondido, CA 92046-9805. All editorial and advertising correspondence should be addressed to the office of publication: LIBRARY JOURNAL, 123 William Street, Suite 802, New York, NY 10038. Address circulation correspondence to: LIBRARY JOURNAL, PO Box 460957, Escondido, CA 92046-9805; telephone 1-800-588-1030; outside the US: 1-760-317-2332; e-mail:ljsubs@pcspublink.com. LIBRARY JOURNAL Copyright © 2017 by Library Journals, LLC. Subscription Prices: U.S.A., 1 year $157.99. Canada & Mexico, 1 year $199.99 (includes 7% GST); foreign: 1 year $219.99. Single copies are available for $8.50 U.S. and $12.00 foreign. Publications Mail Agreement No. 42025025. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International, Box 697 STN A, Windsor Ontario N9A 6N4. LIBRARY JOURNAL is a (registered) trademark of Library Journals, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International, Box 697 STN A, Windsor Ontario N9A 6N4. Library Journal reserves the right to make its own independent judgment as to the acceptability of advertising copy and illustrations in advertisements. Advertiser and advertising agency assume liability for all contents (including text, representation, and illustrations) of advertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher. Offers to sell products, which appear in Library Journal, are subject to all laws and regulations and are void where so prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A.

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reference reference 2014 PRINT

November 1, 2014

ONLINE

l Volume 139 No. 18 l ISSN 0363-0277

ALT-metrics are important. See inside cover for details on how to get a true picture of your scholarship.

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EDITORIAL Fostering the leaders libraries need

A Better Ladder The talent at worK IN libraries should make anyone optimistic for the future—not only of libraries but of the varied communities they serve. As the latest class of LJ Movers & Shakers (starting on p. 22) demonstrates, the field is rippling with energetic, committed, innovative people addressing issues to create ever better service. It’s important that today’s leaders guarantee an institutional dynamic that will keep up-and-coming visionaries like these happy in libraries, allow them to flourish, and enable the best to step forward into larger roles. We also need to continue to develop institutional cultures that these high achievers want to be in as they choose where to contribute their time and skills. Look within: Is your library attracting innovators, spurring their success, and offering paths to advancement and new challenges? Building out a setting that attracts and retains innovative thinkers is critical to the future of our libraries. Succession planning must happen against the org chart, yes, but also against the larger organizational design and the realities people experience on the job. People who have the chops will go where they know they are valued and can make an impact. Look at catastrophic examples from Silicon Valley to consider how distracting and gutting a toxic environment can be to the most brilliant and enthusiastic workforce. Conversely, consider how organizational culture that helps people to thrive fosters growth and dynamism. Building a better work culture could mean reexamining policies or confronting in-house politics to ensure that the environment is healthy and supportive. Ideally, such a culture ensures a nimble institution better positioned to sustain its relevance and influence. In turn, such proactivity calls for ongoing leadership development. With all the talent in our midst, we should be examining whether we are shaping the leaders of tomorrow’s libraries—institutions that are responsive, inclusive, flexible, and sustainable. We need leaders who will outlast any strategic plan, instead embodying the iterative, ongoing nature of strategic thinking in action. We’ve recently seen a strong desire in the field that librarians lead our organizations—the American Library Association (ALA) executive director search is a case in point. What do we need to do to make sure that there are plenty of librarians in the running when another generation asks the same? 8 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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We should weigh the barriers—overt and otherwise— that could impede a potentially great leader from stepping forward. Beyond training, there is internal readiness. I can’t count the numerous strong librarians I know who confess to experiencing Imposter Syndrome. We have introverts and Type Bs, and they may just be the best talent in the pipeline. I’d rather see a thoughtful skilled person who has to overcome Imposter Syndrome take charge than someone with an overblown sense of their ability because they underestimate the challenges and complexity ahead (a cognitive bias often referred to as the Dunning-Kruger effect). Taking the next step, from frontline librarian to management or from management to top leadership, can be challenging and rewarding, and it helps to have guidance along the way (see some perspectives starting on p. 68). We also need to make sure that those challenges are worth taking on—that prospective managers see firsthand that their work will be valued, both financially and emotionally, and that they will be given the chance to take initiative and make a real difference. If we want to prevent a “pipeline out” of libraries, as Dorothea Salo puts it, we must support our “tall poppies”— speak up for innovators who can feel isolated in their lone roles or see backlash as perceived self-promoters and fight a narrative that pits their efforts in competition with traditional core services. We must also battle microaggressions and institutional bias, which, however unconscious, spawn an unwelcoming environment for librarians of color. Libraries will continue to get more complex in terms of what they deliver. No doubt the problems we will be called upon to help our communities face—be they in public, academic, or school settings—will also bring unanticipated tests as our society undergoes evolution and possible radical disruption. We should be engaging in more ambitious succession planning with that in mind, to deliver library leaders who can deliver the libraries our future demands.

Rebecca T. Miller, Editor-in-Chief rmiller@mediasourceinc.com WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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FEEDBACK “Librarians may want to download ‘Indivisible’...[for] concerned staff and patrons. The approaches described will help anyone exert influence for change” “What can we do?”

Meredith Schwartz observes that this question has become pervasive in America since the recent presidential election, with its widening penumbra of bigotry (“Aspiration to Action,” LJ 12/16, p. 38–42). Seeking answers myself online, I turned up a Mother Jones article (ow.ly/zM9m309oT9m). [It] introduces a useful document entitled “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda,” which describes how Congress works and how people who want to fight xenophobic and socially destructive parts of the postelection agenda can influence Congress by appropriating techniques that worked for the Tea Party (www.indivisibleguide.com). Librarians may want to download “Indivisible” and make it available to concerned staff and patrons. The approaches described will help anyone exert inf luence for change, whether they identify as Democrat, Republican, or as “a plague on both your houses.” —Martha Cornog, Philadelphia; LJ Graphic Novels columnist

Carla Hayden action figure

I would like to rally my fellow library professionals to join me in my campaign to create a new library action figure. While many of us love and adore Nancy Pearl and her many contribuLJ welcomes letters and will publish as many as possible. Those that exceed 250 words may be excerpted by the editors. “Name withheld” refers to letters written anonymously, or in the event we could not reach the writer for authorization to publish his/her name. EMAIL ljfeedback@mediasourceinc.com WRITE TO Feedback, LJ, 123 William Street, Suite 802, New York, NY 10038; FAX 646-380-0756/0757

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tions to librarianship and literacy, let us consider the need for a companion... Carla Hayden action figure. In a time when libraries are addressing the importance of diversity in our programs offered, in the titles we...add to our public collections, and [in] creating a more inclusive community access point for all, why not celebrate the diversity that now exists in our field? As the 14th Librarian of Congress, Hayden is the first African American [and the first] woman to hold the job, and she is an actual librarian to boot! Contact Archie McPhee toys to support the need for a new librarian action figure: Ms. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress (email: mcphee@ mcphee.com, or write Archie McPhee & Co., 10915 47th Ave. W., Mukilteo, WA 98275 USA). —Sarah Potwin, Dir., LaGrange Assn. Lib., Poughkeepsie, NY

Improving salaries

I disagree with “Can’t eat it!” (Feedback, LJ 2/1/17, p. 11, a response to John Berry, “Inspired by Serving Others,” Blatant Berry, LJ 12/16, p. 10). While dedicating ourselves to customer service won’t feed our families on its own, the pay raise we could secure from doing outstanding work can. If we always strive for excellent customer service, our libraries will improve, followed by the budgets and then, in turn, our salaries. And in the process we are helping others: a win-win all around. —Abby Reiter, Reference Libn., Northbrook P.L., IL

Inspired by Higgins

“Thank you, John Berry, for sharing and celebrating the story of Nick Higgins (“Inspired by Serving Others,” LJ 12/16, p. 10). I did not write this piece

off as the platitudes of an idealist. On the contrary, it inspired me. Nick’s story is an impactful reminder of why we librarians do the work we do. It’s the people who are at the heart of our service.We are living in a time when fear, anger, and pessimism [run] rampant. Berry’s column made us reconsider the good—not just in our profession but in each other.... [Ed. note: See our profile on Mover & Shaker Higgins on p. 40.] —Renee Grassi, Youth Svcs. Mgr., Dakota Cty. Lib., Wescott Lib., Eagan, MN

Leftist librarians

A poster I saw recently reads, “You Know Things Are Messed up When Librarians Start Marching,” presumably in response to the election of a Republican president, Donald Trump, after eight years of having a lovefest with a Democrat in the White House. But in a profession whose members are, I am certain, well over 90 percent of the opposition party—read Democrats, Socialists, and a few liberals sprinkled in for good measure—it hardly surprises me that librarians are marching. As a matter of fact, as a registered Republican, I would have marched in opposition to some of Obama’s lousy policies during the past eight years, but who would have covered me? Certainly not the media, whose members are perhaps even more to the left than the library p rofession. —David Tulanian, Los Angeles

CORRECTION The reviews of two essential cooking titles—Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game and Christina Arokiasamy’s The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking (LJ 1/17, p. 122)—were intended to be starred. LJ regrets the omission.

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Public | Branching Out | Office Hours Academic | People | Industry

Photo courtesy of Douglas County Library System

Douglas County Libraries Strive To Reopen

will be to keep DCLS’s assets—furniture, shelving, computers, books, and other materials—in the county’s possession until a solution can be found. Declining timber revenue, tax district defeat lead to budget shortfall Toward that end, each branch would become a volunteerThe 11-branch Douglas County Lirun reading room rather brary System (DCLS), OR, is facing than a lending library. closure later this spring after a ballot Another goal will be to measure to create an independent tax figure how to reopen district was defeated in the NovemDCLS. ber 2016 election. The system, which Recently, the task serves an area the size of the State of force has found an ally Connecticut, has traditionally relied in Oregon Solutions, an on the county’s allocation of timber organization devoted to revenue from Western Oregon O&Cfinding sustainable soluReedsport Library, Douglas County Library System BLM (Oregon & California Bureau of tions to communityLand Management) forestlands, which based problems through has seen a sharp decline. The distribuceipts, which is spread among core de- collaborations among businesses, tion that sustained the county through government, and nonprofits. Oregon partments. According to county commost of the 20th century, at some $50 missioner Gary Leif, Douglas County’s Solutions has agreed to conduct a million per year, had shrunk by 2015 30-day assessment to see if moving coffers will only cover another three to less than ten percent of that amount. years of services. The library, budgeted forward is feasible. If so, partners will Money provided by the tax district work together on a plan over the next at $1.3 million for FY17, could not be would have generated about $4 million sustained out of the county’s general six to nine months. a year—enough to close the gap and Leif is not necessarily in favor of fund. meet the library’s funding needs. putting the tax district back on the In June 2016, the library board, Without a state sales tax, Oregon’s ballot. In a few years, Douglas County foundation, Friends, and the Save public libraries rely heavily on local will likely need to institute a safety Our Libraries political action comtaxes. But because taxes cannot be col- mittee submitted measure 10-145 levy to ensure that its emergency lected on federal lands, counties with services are funded, which would to help the library system address its a large proportion of federal forestland shortfalls. The measure, placed on the need to be a tax priority in a largely are provided with a percentage of tax-averse county. He also feels that November ballot, proposed forming timber revenue instead. Since 1937, staffing libraries with volunteers is not a countywide library district with a 50 percent of O&C-BLM timber the answer. Leif would consider a bond permanent maximum tax rate of 44¢ receipts were allocated to the 18 O&C per $1,000 of assessed property value. levy for the library, he said, and will counties scattered throughout western also look into potential privatization. It immediately saw resistance from a Oregon. As O&C’s largest shareholder, population that objected to new taxes Whatever the future holds for with some 52 percent of its land DCLS, however, it has strong support for any reason. Although the vote was devoted to timber revenue, Douglas close, the measure was defeated 25,499 in all corners, and stakeholders are County received about 25 percent of optimistic about its future.—Lisa Peet to 20,703—a 55 percent majority. that cut. Without enough funding to take the For more than half a century, the system into the next fiscal year, the Public forestland income was more than smaller ten libraries are slated to close adequate to fund county services. on April 1; the Roseburg Library will However, endangered species protecclose on May 31. tions enacted in the 1990s shrunk the EXPLORING OPTIONS areas that could be logged legally, in turn reducing funding for the counties On February 1, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved that depended on that income. the creation of a 19-member Library As the rural community of Hondo, The county currently brings in Futures Task Force. One of its missions TX, about 45 miles west of San Anabout $8.8 million in property tax re-

TX Library Proceeds After Funds Disappear

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tonio, prepares to cut the ribbon on a new $2.5 million, 12,000 square foot showpiece library, a decidedly more disheartening chapter in the new library’s evolution continues to play out. Two Hondo residents, both former officers of the nonprofit Friends of the Hondo Public Library, have been indicted over the disappearance of some $300,000 in public donations for the project. Frances Bendele, a retiree and former treasurer of the Friends group, has been charged with theft of property between $150,000 and $300,000, along with misapplication of fiduciary duty, both second-degree felonies.Victoria O’Keef, a former president of the Friends group, also faces one felony count of misapplication of fiduciary duty. She was not accused of theft, but Medina County district attorney Daniel Kindred said the charge carries equal weight under Texas law; as a representative tasked with the care and safeguarding of public money, O’Keef bears a legal responsibility for its disappearance.

The December 16, 2016, indictments against Bendele and O’Keef reveal a list of alleged stolen funds dating back to March 29, 2013, and involve contributions to the Friends group intended for the new library. Newspaper reports say a total of $304,907 has gone missing; the indictments list a series of checks totaling $169,518.05 as the amount the state says it can prove was stolen. According to a report in PRESIDENTIAL PICK On March 2, the John F. Kennedy the San Antonio Express-News, Presidential Library named former president the Friends took more than a Barack Obama as this year’s winner of the “Profile decade to raise the $304,907, in Courage” award, citing his signature healthpart of $500,000 pledged as care reforms, restored diplomatic ties with Cuba, and the Paris climate change agreement their contribution toward the long-awaited facility; the city issued $2 million in bonds to pay for 2, 2016. Bendele never arrived, but its portion. the ceremony went on as scheduled. With the new library project finally Later, it was learned the treasurer was ready to move forward, Hondo mayor involved in a one-car accident, a fact James Danner was supposed to receive not in dispute. Bendele, who suffered a $300,000 from the Friends group head injury, claimed amnesia and said ➔ CONTINUED ON P. 16 during a public event on February

Kids, Code, and Computer Science a pri nt + onl ine ma gaz ine

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NEWS+

branching out with Group 4 Architects and construction management by Shook Construction, is 50 percent larger than its predecessor. Funded through the Libraries for a Smarter Future plan approved in a 2012 ballot, the library includes a puppet theater, a popular history collection, more computers, flexible seating, multiple study rooms, a reading space with a fireplace, in-library laptop lending, an outdoor patio, and four pieces of original art. On December 8, the Pinewoods Library and Learning Center, Athens, GA, opened its new facility. The project involved

Miamisburg Branch

replacing the ten-year-old original 1,680 square foot double-wide trailer with a new 2,592 location. The work was funded through a $15,000 Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) grant from Better World Books in addition to contributions from the Athens–Clarke County Library Board of Trustees and the

Friends of Athens–Clarke County Libraries. The new facility includes two community meeting rooms, an expanded collection, a dozen public access computers, and additional outlets for patron use. A wide entrance ramp facilitates accessibility, and a community garden provides fresh produce.— Bette-Lee Fox

DISTANCE DISTANCE DISTANCE DISTANCE

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Photo © Andy Snow 2016

The 10,200 square foot Duffield Branch of the Detroit Public Library reopened following a yearlong renovation that cost $400,000. At nearly 100 years old, the Carnegie library received a new paint job, improved LED lighting, fresh flooring, updated computers, and new furnishings, according to the Detroit News. It joins the Redford, Frederick Douglass, and Laura Ingalls Wilder branches, also recently refurbished. The project was paid for with public funds. The new 15,000 square foot Miamisburg Branch of the Dayton Metro Library opened on February 20. The $6.5 million facility, designed by Levin Porter Associates, in conjunction

LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

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Office Hours

Active learning

By Michael Stephens

Chaos & Caring

’ll own this: I’ve been pretty emotional since the election in November. I spent my holiday break practicing self-care, including stepping back from social media, cuddling with my dogs Cooper and Dozer, and bingeing on old sitcoms. At a book launch I attended for a memoir set at Michigan's Traverse City State Hospital in the 1940s, held at the redeveloped and thriving former asylum, a woman stood up during the discussion and said simply what I had been feeling: “People are scared right now. We need to care for each other.” I’ve urged librarians to embrace as “much chaos as they can stand,” an approach suggested by Clay Shirky in Cognitive Surplus. That chaos was usually centered around technology and society and how difficult it seemed for librarians to keep up. No matter where you fall in the political spectrum, the last few months have been fraught with a different type of chaos, punctuated with ups and downs in the United States and beyond. So what can we do to help the people who visit our libraries who might be feeling scared? The same ways we take care of ourselves can translate into ways we take care of our users.

Open the doors Remind folks there are places people can go that might not be so scary, where someone may greet you with a smile, and that the library is one of them. In January, the Facebook group ALA Think Tank (unaffiliated with the American Library Association) lit up with strategies and signs for letting folks know the library is a place for them. Cornell University Library’s monitor displayed these stirring words: “This is a Library…

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she did not remember what became of the money. The $300,000 was now officially missing under mysterious circumstances. The Friends group removed Bendele as its treasurer. O’Keef resigned the presidency about a month later. Still, the missing $300,000 was nowhere 16 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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Championing truth against rumor…Open to all.” The Marin County Free Library, CA, featured a sign that read: “We welcome: all ages, all races, all religions, all genders, all countries of origin, all languages, all sexual orientations, all sizes, all abilities, ALL PEOPLE.” My tears are welling up as I type this. I implore you to follow these models and welcome all people into your institutions. Work with staff to understand that this is the Library Bill of Rights in action at a time when it may just be needed the most. Represent your library as a safe haven when you are out in the community.

Soup’s on My partner and I gathered with close friends a few weeks ago for “Soup Night.” Each couple brought a soup, crusty bread, cheese, and more. We cooked together, ate, and talked into the night. The friendship and support did wonders for me. Could you partner with a local restaurant or more for a soup night of your own at the library? For those libraries with a community kitchen or access to one, inviting people in to participate in cooking or serving one another or cleaning up, all while commiserating, might help to create some connectedness. Perhaps pair the event with a Human Library program, in which patrons can “check out” a person of a different race, a different religion, different political beliefs, or different sexual orientation for a brief discussion in the library space. Imagine this at your public library or in the center of your campus. Or maybe in a common area for the special library or archive. Everyone loves soup!

to be found. The Texas Rangers took charge of the investigation, although months passed with no apparent breakthrough in the case or charges filed. That changed with the indictments. O’Keef and Bendele were arraigned in January 2017 and released after separate pleas of not guilty, Kindred said. Another court date has yet to be set.

Of course, we’ll continue to educate our users. I’ve already seen excellent examples of LibGuides and infographics, coming from libraries nationwide, devoted to understanding how to decipher fake news. Librarians can lead in-person discussions/workshops on fake news/ post-truth/alternative facts. These programs can generate rich nonpartisan discussions. Let the topics and talk evolve. A library I heard from hosted two sessions in one day, one with a group of 50 retired men at the library in the afternoon and in the evening with a current events group that meets in a diner. Consider panel discussions with local and national politicians, journalists, and academics. Holding community discussions around civic education/ civic literacy is a nonpartisan path many libraries can take.

Dreaming always Consider highlighting the creative arts: painting, coloring, and music. They can calm us and bring us together. I recently recorded an episode of the Circulating Ideas podcast with Steve Thomas. At the end, he surprised me with a question related to my music fandom: “What Fleetwood Mac song would you suggest for librarians experiencing this chaotic churn to soothe their soul?” My answer was “Sara” from Tusk. Why? The last line: “All I ever wanted was to know that you were dreaming.” Isn’t that what we want for our users, in times of chaos and always? Consider any and all ways to help people explore their dreams in a safe environment: innovative programming, access to knowledge, making and sharing food, a concert, a welcoming smile. Michael Stephens (mstephens7@mac.com) is Assistant Professor at the School of Information, San José State University, CA

The next phase, the district attorney told LJ, involves private conferences with defense attorneys as part of a standard discovery phase. The women’s lawyers will be presented with details of the state’s evidence and then given additional time to analyze that material and prepare a defense. Both defendants face possible prison

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sentences of between two and 20 years, although Kindred admitted he might not seek jail time even if convictions are secured. Both women, he said, are elderly, with no prior felony offenses. “A satisfactory result would be full restitution,” the district attorney said, adding that Bendele and O’Keef are “probation eligible” if found guilty.

MOVING FORWARD

Although the funds remain missing, construction of the library continued just two blocks away from the existing terra cotta structure the library has called home since 1938. The missing money was to be spent mainly on equipment and some furnishings, Danner told LJ; additional fundraising will be necessary to make up the shortfall. The library’s official opening date is still under wraps, but Hondo Public Library (HPL) director Rachael Greve said it will definitely happen at the end of March. The spacious new facility—about twice the size of the current library—will have many more computers, comfortable furnishings,

and other amenities adult patrons have come to rely on at modern libraries. Some libraries are good, some are HPL received a great. LJ is looking for role model $125,000 grant from the institutions to vie for the honor of John L. Santikos Charibeing the 2017 LJ/Gale Library table Foundation in San of the Year. The $10,000 prize Antonio to help create celebrates the library that most the space, which evolved profoundly demonstrates service, into a home for just about creativity, and leadership. Learn every idea Greve and her more and submit your nominations staff could brainstorm: a at ow.ly/GDBU309yTLk. train-themed room, an aquarium, a costume and POSTMARK DEADLINE: APRIL 4, 2017 cosplay area, and other flourishes. There will be two 3-D printers on site at Maker stations. no way to deny or ignore the lingering The library has also recruited about pain still being processed by a commu40 middle school–aged students to serve nity she described as “heartbroken” in the wake of the arrests. young patrons as “junior docents,” as Greve called them.Their role, the library “These two people were very well director added, is to serve as “ambassadors known in the community and very well liked,” Danner said. and facilitators” for kids who want to However, said Greve, “At the end of take part in the various programs. the day, we’re Texans. There is just such Greve was enthusiastic as she described the new library’s modern a tenacity in this community.”— Bob Warburton features, although she admits there is

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NEWS+

Academic

Sydney Univ. Offers No-Cost Digital Texts Australia’s Western Sydney University (WSU), in collaboration with ProQuest, announced on February 12 that it will begin providing first-year students with no-cost access to digital textbooks through WSU’s library. The program will include e-textbooks from more than 60 academic publishers and will work with ProQuest’s new Ebook Central platform. Through Ebook Central, ProQuest will manage rights and licenses associated with these e-textbooks, which will be accessible online or downloadable onto a student’s preferred device, including smartphones or tablets. “Whilst the cost of college/university is not as great an issue in Australia as it is in the [United States], the overall cost of attending university (accommodation, food, clothes, etc.) is of great

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concern,” Michael Gonzalez, WSU associate librarian, resources and digital services, explained. “When looking at implementing an initiative to ease the burden of coming to university, student feedback overwhelmingly pointed to the cost of textbooks as being a key concern,” he added. Citing the Australian government’s Productivity Commission and the 2015 Harper Review of Australian competition law, a February 2016 article in The Age explains that academic textbooks cost an average of 35 percent more in Australia than in overseas markets, owing in large part to import restrictions. The article quotes a representative from Australia’s National Union of Students estimating that science, math, or economics majors can expect to spend $300–$800 AUD on textbooks per semester, while students in other majors, such as nursing, might face bills as high as $2,000 AUD per semester. Students in the United States can

certainly sympathize. The College Board estimates that students attending four-year universities currently spend an average of $1,250 annually on textbooks. Gonzalez said that the WSU Library had been working on a number of approaches to help mitigate the cost of textbooks. “The library has a number of ongoing initiatives including reading list management/ creation services, reader/custom book creation services, work flow alignment with campus bookstores…strategic acquisitions (direct negotiation with publishers on key titles), and librarian consultation services regarding the sourcing of learning materials from our comprehensive electronic collections,” he said. “Additionally, the library has actively worked on being able to contribute to the university’s governance processes to ensure that equitable access to material is a key consideration when selecting materials. As a result, a number of policy and guideline

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NEWS+ Mary Ann Mavrinac, Vice Provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the River Campus Libraries at Mary MacDonald, profesthe University of Rochester, sor and Head of Instructional NY, has been reappointed to a Services at the University of new five-year term. Rhode Island, KingsMark Sandler, ton, is the winner of principal at Novel the Association of Solutions Consulting, College and Research Gregory, MI, has been Libraries (ACRL) named the 2017 Instruction Secwinner of the Hugh tion’s Miriam Dudley C. Atkinson Memorial Instruction LibrarMary MacDonald Award, which recogian Award, honoring nizes an academic librarian a librarian who has made a who has made significant consignificant contribution to the tributions to the area of library advancement of instruction in automation or management. a college or research library The University of Arizona, environment.

people

initiatives have been implemented in relation to the use of publisher content in course delivery.” This program, Gonzalez added, was the result of two years of WSU investigative work on the issue of textbooks and textbook costs. “The initial process involved meeting with all major textbook providers to get an understanding of their process and where the key ‘pain points’ were in relation to making their content accessible,” Gonzales explained. Following that, WSU officials conducted an assessment of viable platforms and, beginning in 2016, began looking into the feasibility of offering students no-cost access to e-textbooks. WSU recently reassessed an initiative through which the university provided all first-year students with personal iPads, deciding to discontinue the program. The proposal was made to redirect funds for that project toward free access to textbooks instead, and WSU’s Office of the Chief Student Experience Officer, along with the library, began talks with ProQuest regarding content acquisition and delivery. In a recent Daily Telegraph article reporting on the initiative, one current WSU student described the cost of books as “overwhelming” and noted that she had already owned a tablet when she started her degree, making the university’s previous iPad program redundant for her and many other students. Students interviewed for the story sounded pleased with the new

Interim Director of Tucson, has appointTechnical Services, ed Karen Williams, became Director of most recently Interim Technical Services. VP for Information Fei Yu, previously Technology and Chief Research Assistant for Information Officer, the Health Sciences to the newly created Library (HSL) and NC position of VP for Chad Haefele Translational Science Information Strategy Institute Evaluation Team, is and University Libraries. now Health Information TechThe University of North Caronology Librarian at HSL. lina Libraries, Chapel Hill, has announced three appointments: Chad Haefele, previously InOBITUARY terim Head of User Experience Amanda Rudd, the first (UX) and a 2011 LJ Mover & woman and the first African Shaker, is now Head of UX and American to head the Chicago Assessment. Christine StachowPublic Library, 1982–85, died icz, former Head of E-Resources on February 11. She was 92 and Serials Management and years old.

program, and WSU vice chancellor and president Barney Glover suggested that the university may consider expanding the program to additional students down the road.—Matt Enis Industry

Libraries Respond to New Administration With the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, and his immediate remaking of American policy through executive orders, public and academic librarians began to mobilize. Library staff and supporters nationwide joined forces with like thinkers to do what they do best: share information where needed. The #LibrariesResist Resource List, targeted to librarians, archivists, records managers, curators, and other information management professionals, addresses potential areas of action and access to critical information, as well as an impressively comprehensive range of human and civil rights issues. Matthew Haugen, rare book cataloger, Columbia University, began compiling the list on January 29. As others expressed interest, Haugen as-

sembled a team of three more librarians to compile, vet, annotate, and organize resources, all working remotely. In their first week, the #LibrariesResist accounts had close to 900 followers; there are now several thousand. A number of libraries, both public and academic, have posted LibGuides that include lists of suggested reading and resources for immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and those in need of legal aid, health-care options, and social services. Libraries Serve Refugees, a website sponsored by the advocacy group Urban Librarians Unite, was created to help public libraries provide services to refugees in their communities. The site contains general practical information, toolkits, government resources, locations of libraries providing direct support services to refugees, and articles on the subject. The Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) is putting together its own resource list for immigration attorneys and their clients. Currently the list is a working document, including free research and management tools, translation services, lawyer referral services, research guides, and instructional materials. Not all recently created LibGuides intend to cover every aspect of the new reality. The Post-Election 2016 Recap and Resources guide, hosted by Pennsylvania State University Libraries, was created to serve as “a snapshot in

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time of what the resources were that everyone was looking at in those first few days after the election,” according to Hailley Fargo, reference and instruction librarian at the University Libraries’ Knowledge Commons. Fargo spent ten days compiling links through newsletters, article hyperlinks, and topic searches. A draft of the guide was sent to colleagues, who gave feedback and suggested additional resources, and the site launched on December 19.

FOCUSING ON VALUES

The announcement of a possible Muslim registry struck a chord for archivist Jeremy Brett. Such a database would require government records, he realized, and the cooperation of archivists. Brett, an assistant professor, processing archivist, and curator of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection at the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University, College Station, proposed that the Society of American Archivists (SAA) issue a statement on the subject.

When SAA was slow to respond, he posted his query to the SAA Listserv. Katya Hering, project archivist at the National Equal Justice Library, Georgetown Law, Washington, DC, replied. They were joined by Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, reference librarian at the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Hanna Clutterbuck-Cook, processing assistant at the Center for the History of Medicine, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and project coordinator, the Medical Heritage Library. The Concerned Archivists Alliance’s Statement to the Archival Community was posted on January 15. It said, in part, “As professionals committed to these values and as custodians of society’s historical records, we have a responsibility to ensure that what we do, and how we do it, benefits society as a whole, while holding public officials and agencies accountable.” Sarah Houghton, director of the San Rafael Public Library, CA, and a 2009 LJ Mover & Shaker (M&S), and Andy Woodworth, reference and adult

services librarian at the Cherry Hill Public Library, NJ, and a 2010 M&S, on January 2 launched Operation 451, an independent group for like-minded librarians. Operation 451 takes its name from two sets of references. The first is Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, which tells of a future where books are outlawed. In addition, the three numbers match up with the fourth and fifth articles of the Library Bill of Rights and the First Amendment to the Constitution. Participants pledge to work toward increasing information access, especially for vulnerable populations; establish their library as a place for everyone in the community; and ensure and expand the right of free speech, particularly for minorities’ voices. Although many in the library world have embraced the idea, said Woodworth, people are also clamoring for something more. To that end, Houghton and Woodworth have been working on several action items, which they will roll out during the course of the coming year.—Lisa Peet

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MOVERS & SHAKERS 2017

p. 27

THE PEOPLE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES

Now in its 16th year, LJ’s Movers & Shakers provides an annual snapshot of the transformative work being done by those in libraries of all types and sizes and across the field. At a time when individual and collective actions matter more than ever, the 52 people profiled here reflect the outsize impact librarians can have through the services and programs they deliver, their deep community connections and collaborations with partner organizations, and their one-on-one interactions with patrons. Among those with outsize impact is Sophie Maier, who made a commitment to her Louisville, KY, community after 9/11 and, as immigrant services librarian, spreads the word that the Louisville Free Public Library is a place where immigrants, refugees, and natives can share learning and experiences and the voices of all are audible. There’s Carlos Galeana at the Multnomah County Library in Portland, OR, and Brandy McNeil at the New York Public Library, who help people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds cross the digital divide, embrace new technology, and learn to code. Aiden Street at the Pioneer Library System presents programs on financial literacy and “fiscal fitness” that have become models for the state of Oklahoma, and Jesse Vieau at Wisconsin’s Madison Public Library demonstrates passion for racial and social justice by bringing Maker-based programming to court-involved and at-risk youth. These are just a few of the 2017 Movers & Shakers, whose work is changing the face of libraries everywhere. They join the more than 750 honorees named since 2002, to surpass 800 movers to date. Our congratulations to all! And thanks to everyone who sent in nominations for some 350 of your colleagues. Be sure to check out the expanded Movers & Shakers online (libraryjournal.com/movers), sponsored by OCLC, where you’ll find not only this year’s Movers but all previous Movers by category and year, as well as Movers on the Map and Movers in the News. As in past years, we’ll be celebrating the newest class of Movers and welcoming past Movers at an OCLC-sponsored afternoon reception at the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago on Friday, June 23.— Francine Fialkoff, Project Manager & Cofounder, LJ Movers & Shakers

Change Agents

p. 47

p. 38

p. 40

PAGE

Educators

PAGE

Brandy McNeil

Sandy Tharp-Thee

Jason Kucsma

Liz Phipps Soeiro

Sarah LeMire

Sophie Maier

Krista Welz

Nicholas Higgins

Laura Rogers & Emily Johansson

D. Joshua Taylor

Cynthia Mari Orozco

Amie Wright

Nancy Evans

Gina Seymour

Tyler Works

Annie Gaines

Erik Berman

Ilana Stonebraker

Chancey Fleet

Theresa Burress

Sarah Bean Thompson

Katie Johnson

Pete Barrell

Doug Baldwin

Aiden Street

Advocates

PAGE

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Francine Fialkoff

PROJECT MANAGER

Jen Pinkowski CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

STAFF WRITERS

Marta Murvosh

Ian Chant

Jennifer Dixon

Kristen Droesch

Jennifer Koerber

Henrietta Verma

April Witteveen

Sarah Bayliss

Mahnaz Dar

Bette-Lee Fox Stephanie Sendaula

p. 40

Matt Enis

Lisa Peet

Christina Vercelletto

p. 53

p. 64 p. 32

p. 28 p. 34 p. 58

p. 62

p. 64 p. 31

p. 24 PHOTO CREDITS: TOP ROW, L.–R.: steven olexa. SECOND ROW, L.–R.: nancy vallardes, adam padilla, patrick heagney, ANTHONY PROPERNICK, heather murphy. THIRD ROW, L.–R.: madison horrocks, Dino Graniello, melissa welz. FOURTH ROW, L.–R.: gregg richards, patrick heagney, kristen joy emack, patrick heagney

Digital Developers

PAGE

Community Builders

PAGE

Innovators

PAGE

Kim McNeil-Capers

Tonya Angelique Garcia

Mara Thacker

Chaitra Powell

Ann Schoenenberger

Jesse Vieau

Melissa Dease

Monica Dombrowski

Kelly McElroy

Ryan Darrow

Jennifer Johnson

Deb Koep

Linda Hofschire

Carlos Galeana

Joan Divor

Madeleine Charney

Robyn Saunders

Sara Trettin

Ann Plazek

Reginald “RB” Burnette Jr. & Anthony Propernick

Sarah Clayton

Colette Poitras

Trixie Dantis

Lindsay Cronk Rebecca Pou

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M O V E R S & S H A K E R S 2 017

CHANGE AGENTS AIDEN STREET LAURA ROGERS

JASON KUCSMA

GINA SEYMOUR

Aiden Street has all the instincts of a great librarian. “I want to know what keeps people up at night—what are they worried about and what can the library do to help them achieve their goals?” As regional coordinator for the Pioneer Library System (PLS), Norman, OK, and Moore Branch manager, she is perfectly situated to help alleviate some of those worries. In her 15 years with the system, Street has “honed her focus on community engagement, [specializing] in creating new

SOPHIE MAIER

ERIK BERMAN

EMILY JOHANSSON

KATIE JOHNSON

programs and services delivered to the right audience at the right time,” says Lisa Wells, a 2008 Mover and recently named PLS executive director. If money worries are part of the problem, Street has her patrons covered: she initiated three consecutive Smartinvesting@yourlibrary grants, sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and the FINRA Foundation, totaling more than $176,000, which funded seminars on financial literacy, as well as the overhaul of the library’s finance collections. PLS, partnering with the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Oklahoma

CURRENT POSITION

Regional Coordinator, Branch Manager

DEGREE MLIS, University of Oklahoma, 2004 FAST FACT She met her husband when both were on tour with Suncoast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps

Southmoore High School marching band birthed the concept of the One Band, One Card program for the 250 band members, band staff, and parents. As practice and competition eat up students’

Street Fighter AIDENSTREET

PIONEER LIBRARY SYSTEM, MOORE, OK

time, the campaign promotes online instruction and e-resources to help students maintain academic standards. On a personal note, Street was one of the many in her community who lost homes and possessions during the tornadoes that hit Moore in 2013. She worked with the Red Cross, FEMA, and other agencies to help residents file claims, handle insurance payments, and deal with the stress of life turned upside down, even as she dealt with her own losses. The “Resilience in the Heartland: Financial Recovery After the Storm” program gained national recognition. Her efforts with schools garnered donations of $70,000 for school libraries destroyed in the event. Street, says nominator Wells, “has the ability to take obstacles and…translate them into opportunities for growth, learning, and, ultimately, healing.” n

PHOTO BY patrick heagney

(CCCS) and employers, delivered several six-week Fiscally Fit Bootcamps. All of Street’s efforts were so successful that the State of Oklahoma was asked to apply for a grant to expand PLS’s education model statewide. Street worked with the Oklahoma Friends of Libraries on the proposal, which it won in 2016 at more than $137,000. Street’s participation in marching bands and work with the

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Impact by Design JASONKUCSMA TOLEDO LUCAS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

When Jason Kucsma arrived in February 2015 at Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) as deputy director, he already had six years under his belt repositioning the Metro New York Library Council. One of his first goals at TLCPL was to work with the library’s public service administrators to formulate a strategic plan. The library’s prior plan had recently expired, and Kucsma knew they “needed a road map for change.” But, says Kucsma, “from day one, we made the conscious decision to break from the mold of the typical library strategic planning process, [i.e.], choose an objective from column A, choose a tactic from column B, repeat....” The leadership’s desire to serve their community better is reflected in the plan. Over the seven months it took to develop, the TLCPL team worked with hundreds of community stakeholders, the general public, and more than 300 staff members. They posted a survey online to gather information from patrons and provided an email link so people could send thoughts and questions. CURRENT POSITION

Deputy Director

DEGREE MA, Information Resources and Library Science, University of Arizona, 2007; MA, American Culture Studies, Bowling Green State University, OH, 1999 FOLLOW @j450nk (Twitter); @toledolibrary; toledolibrary.org

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Kucsma’s colleagues will be the first to tell you about his exceptional work at TLCPL, from technical advancements to a facilities master plan to a collaborative approach, as well as a commitment to bringing about positive change, both for the communities TLCPL serves and for the dedicated employees. Kris Ward, assistant manager, TLCPL human resources, describes Kucsma’s work as “practical, memorable, accountable impact—by design.” n

PHOTO BY photo works, inc.

The hard work paid off. As Kucsma says, “We now have a plan that we—and our communities—own.” The crux of it boils down to three main areas, says Kucsma: “supporting essential literacies (reading, financial, digital, health and wellness, etc.), increasing our community engagement, and fostering a culture of innovation and leadership.... [W]e are in the early stages of a systemwide shift…,” he adds, “ramping up an inwternal system for aggregating, visualizing, and remixing our data to make informed decisions about how we best put public funds to use.” Kucsma also revamped the internal professional culture. That encompasses providing staff with training opportunities, including customer training; enhancing internal communications; restructuring and aligning staff selection and appraisal with plan objectives.

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Raised by activist parents, Sophie Maier has had a career defined by advocacy. After the events of 9/11 rocked the global community, Maier, who had spent time abroad and had more travel plans ahead, decided to stay in the United States and explore her hometown: Louisville, KY. “I happened to see a position available at the library. From there I learned much of the world had settled into the community.... The world had come to me,” she says. As an immigrant services librarian for the past ten years, Maier “is the face and heart” of the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL), says Director Jim Blanton. She “brings our mission to Louisville’s newest and most vulnerable residents.” Maier understood from early on that she needed to get out of the library. As Blanton notes, you’re as likely to find her at “an Iraqi grocery store, a slaughterhouse, a church basement,” as at her home

library, the Iroquois branch. “Her ubiquitous presence around town has helped Sophie develop strong, lasting relationships with our international populations, which is key to engaging them in library and community programs,” he says. As a result, Maier has been able to involve members of immigrant and refugee populations as program hosts, participants, and advisors, which “empowers them, in their own voices, [to] educate our city about their backgrounds and culture,” says Blanton. Her efforts include encouraging immigrant families to help children retain their native language while learning English and bringing together Louisville natives, immigrants, and refugees from all types of socioeconomic, religious, and linguistic backgrounds, says Blanton. “Sophie’s…inclusive approach…situates LFPL as a hub for international activity in Louisville.” One of Maier’s cornerstone programs is the long-running weekly English Conversation Club (ECC). “Newcomers and Englishlanguage learners meet with local volunteers at the library to receive help with language, homework, employment, and cultural adjustment,” says Blanton. Maier personalizes the ECC experience by pairing people who have “some element of shared experience,” CURRENT Immigrant Services POSITION Librarian DEGREE MLS, University of Kentucky, 2010

he notes. The program’s success has grown the ECC into five branches. “What is most touching to me personally is having Englishlanguage learners who came to ECC return as fluent English speakers wanting to help the most recent arrivals,” says Maier. Currently a “cadre of teenagers” who moved through the ECC are mentoring other youth, as well as planning and executing programs. Cultural showcases, film and discussion series, and language salons “preserve the heritage of our diverse city,” says Maier. “It is more important than ever to make public libraries, with our mandate for lifelong learning and community discourse, as welcoming and inclusive to all as possible.” n

PHOTO BY hunter wilson, kertis creative

Global to Local SOPHIEMAIER

IROQUOIS BRANCH. LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, KY

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Empowering Dyslexic Learners

EMILYJOHANSSON

RICHLAND LIBRARY, COLUMBIA, SC

Richland Library’s Laura Rogers remembers a morning several years ago when her then young son was struggling to read the words on a cereal box: “He sighed deeply and put his head in his hands as he said, ‘I wish I could just read what that says!’ ” After he was diagnosed with dyslexia, Rogers struggled to find accurate resources about the condition. “I thought that it was crazy that I worked in a library and answered reference em ily johansso n CURRENT Children’s Library POSITION Associate

FOLLOWrichlandlibrary.com/ user/151

l a ura rog e r s CURRENT Children’s Library POSITION Associate DEGREE Coursework in General Education and Literature, Midlands Technical College, Columbia, SC, 1995–98 FOLLOW @mslaurarogers (Twitter); richlandlibrary.com/user/97

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LAURAROGERS

RICHLAND LIBRARY, COLUMBIA, SC shared what they’d learned with their colleagues. They also began teaching a class for parents and teachers, Teach Your Child To Read. They met with children and parents in the Reading Studio by appointment and offered one-on-one guidance. Since 2014, the class has served more than 650 people. Their own education as reading specialists is ongoing, Johansson says. They attend training on evidence-based reading instruction, host programs based on that training, and maintain a collection of quality multisensory teaching methods. They also took classes at the Academy of OrtonGillingham Practitioners and

Educators, which focuses on language-related learning issues. “We love our job,” says Johansson. “I mean really love our job, and we work hard because we are passionate about putting books in the hands of children. [W]e pride ourselves on being early literacy experts and advocates.” Rogers says, “My dream is to keep changing the future of these children, to end the stigma of dyslexia, to make ‘ear-reading’ [reading an audiobook] a part of every teacher’s vocabulary, to support multisensory reading instruction for our entire community of dyslexic readers, and to increase understanding of neurodiversity.” n

PHOTOs BY steven olexa, richland library

DEGREE English Education, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 2004

questions all the time but still had so much trouble finding real answers about dyslexia,” she says. “The idea for creating a special collection for others in my situation began to blossom.” She and her colleague Emily Johansson began collaborating. In 2014, with $1,000 in seed money from the book budget, the two children’s library associates created the Reading Studio, a space dedicated to dyslexic learners, at the main branch of the Richland Library. Their goal was not only to help kids with dyslexia improve their reading skills but to teach teachers and parents how to help them, too. They expanded the collection to include soundout chapter books, Recipe for Reading workbooks, nonfiction audiobooks, instructional DVDs, literacy games, and titles such as Ben Foss’s The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. They added multisensory teaching materials: magnetic poetry sets, textured alphabet touch and trace letters, and bumpy handwriting sheets. For the 11 other Richland Library locations, they created emerging reader kits, which families can check out, and

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Gina Seymour’s grandmother was a clerk at the Queens Borough Public Library, NY, and as a kid, Seymour spent many hours there. Unlike at school, where her book selections were limited to those with the “pukey green” level label, she says, at grandma’s library she could read any book and learn about experiences different from her own. CURRENT Library Media POSITION Specialist DEGREE MLS, Queens College, CUNY, 1990 FAST FACT Seymour is currently working on a book, Makers with a Cause (Libraries Unlimited, due out in 2018) FOLLOW @ginaseymour (Twitter); @IslipHighSchoolLibrary (Facebook); GinaSeymour.com

Seymour has turned her drive to see other people’s perspectives into the Maker Care initiative, which transforms teens’ proclivity for hands-on creation into community outreach. Staff, from teachers to custodians to secretaries, have joined

with students in making blankets, sleep mats, therapeutic cushions, dresses, and toys for homeless people, breast cancer survivors, hospital patients, African school girls, and abandoned pets. A local elementary school is now modeling its character education program after Maker Care. “It gives kids experience with circumstances they may be lucky enough not to know about. That builds empathy,” says Seymour. “Design thinking requires empathy.” Seymour’s daily inspiration is “the inclusion aspect.” Many of the students participating in Maker Care are Englishlanguage learners or in special ed classes. “They’re usually the ones receiving services. They feel so good serving others. It’s those populations that drive me,” says Seymour. Seymour’s focus is “spreading the love.” She wants to show librarians, especially those in public libraries working in teen services, how to replicate her model. “Now is the time for focusing on kindness and inclusion,” she says.” n

Maker, with Care GINASEYMOUR

top photo by patrick heagney; bottom PHOTO BY adam padilla

ISLIP HIGH SCHOOL, NY

Erik Berman subscribes to a “teen run, teen led” mentality, according to senior librarian Sharon Fung at San José Public Library (SJPL). “He works tirelessly to get to know his teens, build their confidence,

and guide them into taking an active role in the library.” Hand in hand with local teens and professional designers, Berman is responsible for the creation of the new teen center, TeenHQ, in San José’s central Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr. Library. He recruited teen volunteers from around the city, originally to fill the role of advisors. The teens, who dedicated “a year and a half and over 1,000 hours” to the project, says Berman, evolved into full-fledged designers and builders, even constructing scale models to test their ideas. The resulting space includes a state-of-the art Maker space, recording studio, and print collection. Berman also facilitates the library system’s teensReach program, teen advisory boards run at several branches. At the Educational Park library, location

CURRENT Youth Services POSITION Librarian DEGREE MLIS, San José State University, 2010 FOLLOWsjpl.org/teenhq

of the first teensReach group, “[I] slowly, almost sneakily transformed the group from one that merely advised to one that actively championed the library, ran their own meetings, and planned events,” he says. Berman is currently engaged in bringing a variety of life skills programming to teens in order to prepare them for the world after graduation. n

In the Teen Zone

ERIKBERMAN

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Preschool—Plus A few years ago, then youth services manager Katie Johnson noticed that no one from Pinewood Gardens, a subsidized housing development near the Twinsburg Public Library, was coming to story time. She reached out to the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) to ask about setting up a weekly story time at the site, home to nearly 95 low-income kids under five. The answer was yes, and Johnson partnered with AMHA employee Kellie Morehouse to create Play, Learn, & Grow, an early learning and support program, in a vacant room near the leasing office.

KATIEJOHNSON

TWINSBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY, OH

CURRENT Community Outreach POSITION Librarian DEGREE MLIS, Kent State University, OH, 2006 FOLLOW @ReadwithKate (Twitter); twinsburglibrary.org

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“We see positive outcomes every week,” she says, ranging from “a child getting evaluated for a developmental delay” to “mothers getting to talk to a licensed therapist.” Having parents who loved to read “provided an incredible foundation for me and my siblings,” adds Johnson. “I’d like to work with other public libraries and housing authorities on creating [similar] programs. It’s 2017; we need to find a way to get all children to preschool.” n

PHOTO BY patrick heagney

While Johnson planned to focus on story time, crafts, and free play, she immediately “saw everything that these families lacked: employment, education, transportation, proper health care, access to preschool, even reliable phone service,” she wrote in an article in School Library Journal (“Ohio Storytime Turns into Life-Changing Program for Low-Income Families,” SLJ 2/16). Many didn’t have enough to eat. “With major stresses in their lives, our young participants weren’t going to make great strides.” Most of these kids didn’t attend any pre-K learning programs, owing to lack of busing for the local Head Start program and too many requirements for busing to the local school district. Johnson spearheaded partnerships and gathered wide-ranging support. Many children were behind on vaccinations, so she arranged for Ohio Department of Health representatives to provide them for free at story time. The local Women, Infants, and Children center opened a weekly onsite health-care clinic. A United Way grant funded lunch during story time, and Johnson arranged for a food bank to distribute fresh produce to residents. Partnering with AMHA and Ohio’s Child Guidance & Family Solutions, she homed in on maternal depression. Twice a month, the moms meet separately from the youngsters to discuss their challenges. “We remind parents that it’s okay to ask for advice, and it’s important to create a support system,” says Johnson. Currently, her team is seeking funding for a shuttle bus or to bring a pop-up preschool to the development. In the meantime,

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EDUCATORS BRANDY McNEIL TYLER WORKS

LIZ PHIPPS SOEIRO

ILANA STONEBRAKER

KRISTA WELZ

D. JOSHUA TAYLOR

THERESA BURRESS

AMIE WRIGHT

PETE BARRELL

Code Connector BRANDY McNEIL NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

PHOTO BY PATRICK HEAGnEY

Brandy McNeil knows all about libraries fulfilling a genuine community need for digital literacy and computer training. After more than a decade serving as global training analyst for a Fortune 500 company, McNeil joined the New York Public Library (NYPL) in 2011 as part of the library’s learning and development team. In short order, she was promoted to associate director of technology, education, and training, where she updated and expanded NYPL’s computer education offerings; hired more than a dozen trainers; established partnerships with Google, Codecademy, and the United Nations; branded the operation TechConnect; and more than doubled program attendance from 2013 through 2016. Last year, more than 102,000 NYPL patrons attended at least one TechConnect class, selecting from a schedule covering more than 100 topics ranging from computer basics to 3-D modeling. TechConnect has demonstrated a growing demand for more advanced courses as well. In 2014, McNeil launched Project_<code>, originally an in-depth, eight-week Associate Director of class in HTML, CSS, CURRENT POSITION Technology Education and JavaScript built on and Training the Codecademy model. It is now a ten-week, DEGREE MBA, Walden University, 2011 40-hour course that enrolls FOLLOW @Digivide (Twitter); a very diverse group of nypl.org/computers 400 students annually— more than 60 percent of attendees are female, and nearly half are black or Latinx. Almost all attendees finish the work, complete with a graduation ceremony, says nominator Luke Swarthout, NYPL director of adult education services. “In a field that is known for a lack of diversity, Brandy created a quality program with her team that looks more like the library and our city than the average Silicon Valley business,” he writes. The only drawback? Project_<code> has been such a success that 6,000 NYPL patrons are now on a waiting list. “The patron stories continue to drive me,” McNeil says, relating anecdotes that range from people getting new jobs with the help of Project_<code> or TechConnect instructors to the enthusiasm of a class of senior citizens learning photo editing on tablets. “My job is to help give New Yorkers a way to be creative contributors to society, to their communities.” McNeil is currently pursuing a doctorate in business administration from Walden University, where she earned her MBA, and she envisions continued expansion of TechConnect, both as a response to demand and as a result of remodeling projects—such as the Mid-Manhattan branch—that incorporate modern training centers, computer labs, and classrooms to facilitate the curricula. “I’m shooting for the stars,” she says. “We’re going to be able to offer so many different programs.” n

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Thanks to the efforts of school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro, students and their families at Cambridgeport School Library know that their voices matter. Through innovative programs, Phipps Soeiro builds strong and trusting relationships among students, families,

and community leaders. “Liz gives kids [and families] the opportunity to find their civic voice and use it to fight for what is right,” says Audrey Sturgis, Cambridgeport assistant principal. Her teaching makes issues come alive for students,

connecting what they read in school to their lives. Students learn about research, communication, and advocacy and have lobbied local leaders for projects such as school playground upgrades and a “little free library” in a city park. Phipps Soeiro does not preplan projects for the year, instead letting students’ interests guide their efforts. Phipps Soeiro is also the founder of the Cambridge Book Bike, a grassroots project that distributes books at city parks during the summer, with a focus on locations that serve free lunch. Over the past three summers, the program has grown from three parks to five and has given out approximately 6,000 books. The group partners with local organizations like the Cambridge Public Library and Food for Free, which provides free farmers markets. The program is “holistic,” Phipps Soeiro says, with a mantra of “full bellies, full minds.” About five years ago, she introduced a weekly program called “Coffee and Conversation,” welcoming families and caregivers to the

CURRENT POSITION

School Librarian

DEGREE MSLIS, Simmons College, Boston, 2007 FOUNDER Cambridge Book Bike FOLLOW @ReflectLibrary, @Book_Bike, @Cport_Special (Twitter); CambridgeBookBike (Facebook); cambridgebookbike.org; reflectivelibrary.blogspot.com

school library to discuss topics of current interest. About once per month, she invites guest speakers such as city councilors, district administrators, and nonprofit representatives to engage with families in casual conversation. At these meetings, “families learn [about] what is available to them and have the opportunity to make personal connections with, as Liz puts it, ‘decisionmakers,’ ” says Sturgis. One meeting with a nonprofit led to families being matched with free tablets and math apps, while another prompted construction of a new playground. The meetings let people feel they are heard on topics that make a difference in their lives, the lives of their children, and the broader community. n

Civics Lessons

LIZPHIPPSSOEIRO

PHOTO BY Kristen Joy Emack

CAMBRIDGEPORT SCHOOL LIBRARY, CAMBRIDGE, MA

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#NeverNotWorking KRISTAWELZ

NORTH BERGEN HIGH SCHOOL, NJ “I’m what you would hashtag #NeverNotWorking,” says Krista Welz, library media specialist at North Bergen High School. “I’m a 24-7 librarian.” This might sound like exaggeration, but it reflects Welz’s all-in approach. Consider her response to finding out in summer 2014 that her school district was migrating that September to Google Apps for Education (GAFE, now called G Suite for Education): she immediately studied for and passed the certification exams to become a Google educator. “I wanted to make sure I was knowledgeable in GAFE so that I could teach/assist both teachers and students,” she says. After months of training teachers, she became a Google-certified trainer.

She took this training national with a September 2015 webinar for the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) CURRENT Library Media POSITION Specialist DEGREE MLIS, Rutgers University, NJ, 2011 WINNER YALSA Teens’ Top Ten grant, 2014 and 2016; North Bergen High School Educational Services Professional of the Year award, 2016–17 Fast Fact Welz also reviews apps and books for School Library Journal FOLLOW @kristawelz (Twitter); kristawelz.com; edcampurban.org; mackintysl.com/advocates/krista-welz

PHOTO courtesy of genealogy roadshow

Family Tree Arborist

D.JOSHUATAYLOR

NEW YORK GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY

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on using G Suite apps as an everyday library management tool. (She’ll conduct another one for AASL this spring.) Locally, at the BELS (Bergen Electronic Library for Schools) library consortium, she provides website-building workshops and runs the site design mentoring program. She’s busy on social media, too, promoting the integration of educational technology in learning. One example is #NJLibChat, a twice-monthly Twitter chat she created. Recently, she launched the nonprofit Edcamp Urban, which hosts an unconference organized and facilitated by K–12 educators. “I invited every school librarian I could find, along with the county’s school teachers and

You might say that genealogy runs in the family for D. Joshua Taylor. Taylor had been studying family trees for years bfore he made his name helping to bring the study of them to PBS’s Genealogy Roadshow as one of three starring genealogists. He got his start from his grandmother when he was only eight. This lifelong hobby, and the genealogists he met along the way, led Taylor to pursue library work. “Understanding how these two worlds intersected was key for me to see opportunities for my own career,” he says. Working with different libraries on the show and in other pursuits, Taylor has helped to highlight the many ways librarians are go-to resources for all genealogists, as guides to online services CURRENT POSITION President and CEO and by leveraging their own on-site collections. DEGREE MSLIS, MA, Simmons College, “Customers need help using Boston, 2010 the subscription websites, FAST FACT As president of the Federation understanding what resources of Genealogical Societies for four years, are there, and then learning he helped raise $3 million to digitize how to access the millions of records from the War of 1812 sources not online,” says Taylor. FOLLOW @DJoshuaTaylor (Twitter); “The truth is, more than half of DJoshuaTaylor.com; my research takes place offline, newyorkfamilyhistory.org; at archives, libraries, [etc.].” genealogyroadshow.org Showcasing these collections was a big part of what made working on Genealogy Roadshow attractive. “I’ve [heard from] librarians [who] have seen consistent increases in patron visit[s]” when the show airs, he says. With Roadshow on indefinite hiatus, Taylor now heads the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society as it prepares for its 150th anniversary. “Joshua is working to use technology, media, and tradition to create a fundamental digital nonprofit for genealogy and family history in New York,” says Simmons SLIS dean Eileen Abels. n WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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top photo by melissa welz; bottom photo by patrick heagney

administrators,” she says of the inaugural event, held in October 2016. “The day was incredibly professional and engaging.” The next event is March 25. At her own library, she increased annual circulation in her first year, 2013, by 97 percent. She also updated the 1960s-era collection and upgraded the outdated PCs to new Chromebase computers. When Welz won a James Patterson/Scholastic Reading Club award in 2016, she used that $5,000 to buy an 82" HD monitor for the library. She’s now pursuing her doctorate in educational technology leadership at New Jersey City University. “Krista has a deep wealth of knowledge and is respected by the entire staff,” says George Solter, superintendent of schools at North Bergen. “The movement to blended learning has left some staff members very anxious, and Krista has supported [them in] the infusion of technology across the district.” n

In 2014, when Amie Wright became the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) manager for the MyLibraryNYC (MLNYC) school outreach program and project lead for NYPL, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), and Queens Library (QL), she quickly discovered she’d made misguided assumptions about her audience. Educators weren’t already aware of the full range of available library services, and they used but weren’t passionate about library educational collections, which were based on curricular units and sourced from educational vendors. Lessons learned, Wright diversified the teacher collections, adding graphic novels and other comics, such as John Lewis’s memoir, March, and George O’Connor’s “Olympians” series, whose circulation is now “among the highest in the special collections,” says Wright, as well as items in Chinese, French, and Braille. A Ms. Marvel fan herself, CURRENT Manager School Wright is “super-passionate about POSITION Outreach [advocating for] nontraditional DEGREE MLS, University of materials such as comics in the Western Ontario, 2009 classroom,” she says. She also moved away from FOLLOW @librarylandia (Twitter); slideshare.net/aedwright; large, unsuccessful initiatives mylibrarynyc.org like library card drives to a flexible outreach menu, letting schools choose the services that resonate with them. And she worked with partners at BPL, QL, and the NYC Department of Education to secure permanent funding and add seven dedicated outreach librarian positions. Her strategy worked: teacher collections circulation increased more than 100 percent; students with MLNYC cards checked out 16 percent more juvenile and 30–40 percent more teen materials than did students with standard library cards;

and MLNYC now serves more than 500 schools, 60,000 educators, and nearly half a million students. Another reason for the success of MLNYC, says Wright, is that the program “partners exclusively with schools with school libraries, and the school librarian is our primary point person.... I believe that schools and libraries are stronger together.” n

Ms. Marvel-ous

AMIEWRIGHT

MyLibraryNYC, NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

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Starting from Scratch

TYLERWORKS

INDIAN PRAIRIE PUBLIC LIBRARY, DARIEN, IN

top photo ©max herman; bottom photo by patrick heagney

As a youth associate at the Northlake Public Library, IL, in 2008, Tyler Works took a workshop on the programming language Scratch. “Looking back, the hour or two I spent learning Scratch was probably one of the most formative hours of my life,” he says. It sparked in him a passion for coding and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). Now assistant head of youth services for the Indian Prairie Public Library, Works has been a force for change, writing proposals

and grants for tech services and equipment (such as virtual reality gear), as well as developing ideas for programs and partnerships. He created circulating STEM kits for kids that include products like littleBits, MaKey MaKey, Sphero Robot, Scratch, and Human Brain. In 2015, he launched STEM Buddies, a six- to eight-week summer program that pairs 30 school-age kids CURRENT Assistant Head with 30 teen volunteers to POSITION of Youth Services explore a STEM concept weekly, including strawberry DEGREE MLIS, Dominican University, 2009 DNA separation, rocket aerodynamics, and FOLLOW @tcworks2 engineering for earthquakes. “The teens were able to draw on and reinforce their knowledge while developing meaningful relationships with younger children,” he says. Works also teaches pre-K–12 classes in technology, coding (including Scratch), and robotics, filling an education hole. He points to a Google survey finding that while 71 percent of teachers believe computer science is as important as other subjects, 39 percent of schools don’t offer classes. “It is a point of pride that my library is helping to address this gap,” he says. n

The Business of Justice

ILANA STONEBRAKER PURDUE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN

Purdue University’s Ilana Stonebraker is on a mission to show students that a business education can serve as a powerful tool for social justice and meaningful change.

Just five years into her career, the business information specialist has won numerous awards for her dynamic teaching and transformed the information literacy

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Theresa Burress has found the perfect combination of jobs, she believes. Since 2014, she’s been humanities librarian at the New College of Florida (NCF). And since 2011, she has spearheaded (with Howard Rutherford, CURRENT Humanities University of South POSITION Librarian Florida) Florida’s St. Petersburg DEGREE MLS, University of Maryland, Science Festival. College Park, 1996 “[T]he festival is…a FOLLOW @TheresaBurress (Twitter) fun-filled ‘carnival of science’ for families and the public to explore the excitement and wonder of hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM); to showcase the benefits of science in everyday life; and to connect the public with the local scientific community,” says Burress. The first science festival had 25 exhibits and about 6,000 visitors. The sixth, held in October 2016, saw more than 25,000 attendees and 120 exhibits, activities, and shows. At NCF, Burress is on her third round of sponsoring Wikipedia-related student independent study projects. In February 2017, she joined several colleagues at the national Music Library Association conference to discuss faculty-librarian collaborations in promoting information literacy. Also, she is working to help her humanities colleagues expand their use of technology and to build a digital humanities community of practice in Florida. “One of my professional objectives is to apply my science festival community-building expertise to library and digital humanities initiatives,” says Burress, who serves on the executive council of the Florida Digital Humanities Consortium. “I love making connections and finding new ways to contribute.” n

THERESA BURRESS

JANE BANCROFT COOK LIBRARY, NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, SARASOTA

Full STEAM Ahead CURRENT POSITION

Business Information Specialist/Assistant Professor

DEGREE MSI, School of Information, University of Michigan, 2012 FAST FACTS Created CrowdAsk (sites.lib.purdue.edu/crowdask), a crowdsourcing/reference help site at which students can answer one another’s questions FOLLOW @librarianilana (Twitter); ilanastonebraker.com; lib.purdue.edu/people/ilana

best practices, and other factors to create a proposal that would help the local area. Proposed projects have included community gardens, day-care centers, and public art in bus shelters.

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Stonebraker believes that “students must gather information in the spirit of transformation of their own actions as well as [those of] their potential firm, group, or community.” In this way,

enhanced critical business information literacy helps students understand the impact their work can have on the world around them. Her focus on crowdsourcing and on flipped courses (online lectures before class time) also encourages active participation, critical thinking, and civic-mindedness. “Too much of higher education is combative, student against student,“ says Stonebraker. “I like to see my classrooms as a participatory culture, and I hope my students see that as well.” n

PHOTO BY PATRICK HEAGNEY

curriculum at her institution. One major component of Stonebraker’s work has been the “Greater Lafayette Greater” course, which encourages students to think about how information can solve realworld problems. According to Purdue librarian Heather Howard, Stonebraker’s educational approach asks, “What if [business] students weren’t trying to solve the problems of a company but rather the problems of a whole community?” Students in this course are challenged to examine local demographics,

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Opportunity Calls PETE BARRELL

PHOTO COURTESY OF COTTAGE GROVE PL

Cottage Grove Public Library, OR

Pete Barrell believes his job as a library director is to “cultivat[e] creative, diverse, exciting, inspiring, and new opportunities…for the people of our community,” he says. “I love that I can seek out cool, amazing stuff and bring it to rural Cottage Grove.” Over the last nine years, he has undertaken an ambitious campaign of grant writing and received funding for traveling exhibits at the library every year, including the Smithsonian Human Origins Exhibit; multiple NASA exhibits and programs; and the National Endowment for the Humanities Muslim Journeys Bookshelf. These have drawn substantial crowds, with nearly 7,000 people attending the Human Origins exhibit— more impressive for a town that CURRENT only reported 6,192 residents in POSITION Director the 2010 census. Barrell has also introduced DEGREE MLA, University of Oregon, 1998 an annual Latino Festival and bilingual library services and has networked with the local Native American community— particularly the Nez Perce, Kalapuya, Siuslaw, Coos, Umpqua, Siletz, Coquille, and Tillamook—devoting each January and February to celebrating Native American history. “[T]he more that people share and interact with each other in positive and respectful

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ways, the better we will all be at welcoming diversity into our lives with understanding and compassion,” he says. Passionate about exploring and adventuring in the environment, Barrell aims to share the wonders of nature with local youth, along with an understanding that, he says, “all creatures…on Earth are truly related and interdependent.” Barrell designed a weekly “Outdoor Adventure” program for students to go on free field trips with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) components. The students benefit from partnerships Barrell has cultivated with the U.S. Forest Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, and local artists and farmers. Barrell is also part of a group of local professionals led by the University of Oregon that has developed a Child Abuse Prevention Plan dedicated to reducing child abuse by 90 percent by 2030. Throughout the year the library works on initiatives that raise awareness of child abuse–related problems and potential solutions. As a first action item, the “90 by 30” project delivers a “Welcome Baby Box” for infants to sleep in to all new local parents. The box reduces the risk of death from SIDs; each comes filled with essentials such as diapers, parenting resources, and books for the whole family. “Libraries can play a major role in helping to shape the health of the community,” says Barrell. “Promoting healthy babies and healthy families is one way we can do this, and partnership with…community groups is the only way to make it happen.” n

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Knowledge

builds bridges When the world’s information is within reach of every individual, nothing will stand in the way of a brighter future. Together as OCLC, libraries connect people to the information they need to solve problems, push boundaries and make a difference.

Because what is known must be shared.®

Celebrating this year’s Movers and Shakers and their impact on the future of libraries everywhere.

Learn more at oclc.org

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ADVOCATES SANDY THARP-THEE ANNIE GAINES

SARAH LeMIRE

CHANCEY FLEET

NICHOLAS HIGGINS

SARAH BEAN THOMPSON

CYNTHIA MARI OROZCO

DOUG BALDWIN

NANCY EVANS

When Sandy Tharp-Thee started as director at the Iowa Tribal Library in Perkins, OK, in 2009, she didn’t even have a shoestring budget. As she was introduced around the tribal offices, Tharp-Thee carried a big bag and asked for supply donations for children’s crafts. During her seven years at the library (she’s since taken a one-year job at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance [NDIA]), Tharp-Thee reached out, approaching local businesses, national foundations, and state and federal agencies. “I talked to everyone I met about what the library could do to make a difference,” Tharp-Thee says. CURRENT POSITION

Digital Inclusion Corps Member

DEGREE MA, Museum Studies, University of Oklahoma, in progress; Elementary Education, Oklahoma State University, 1996 FAST FACT Tharp-Thee is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and author of The Apple Tree (RoadRunner, 2015), a children’s story written in English and Cherokee and a finalist for the 2016 Oklahoma Center for the Book award and First Nations Community Read FOLLOW bahkhoje.com/government/library; sandytharpthee.com; digitalinclusionalliance.org

With donations and an incredible record for getting grants—more than 20—Tharp-Thee grew the library from a small room with books into a vibrant public service for the entire 2,000-resident community. The library offers homework help, summer enrichment programs, a modest digital archive, tribal cultural activities, family outreach, health literacy, and a GED program that has

SANDY THARP-THEE

NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE, COLUMBUS, OH

PHOTO BY madison horrocks

Affordable Access helped 81 people, aged 16 to 64, since 2010. “My advice is start with what you have and do what you know,” she says. However, Tharp-Thee quickly moved beyond that to dive into the unfamiliar. When a GED student told her he couldn’t read the instructions, Tharp-Thee told him not to worry; she would find him a tutor. She then called the Oklahoma Department of Libraries to ask: How do you teach someone to read? “The GED program and any literacy programs are about building success and self-esteem, seeing individuals change with their goals,” Tharp-Thee says. A few years later, after realizing that homebound tribal elders needed access to health information, Tharp-Thee applied for a federal grant to provide digital access and instruction on technology, online health resources, and social media.

This allowed elders to make informed decisions about treatment. Tharp-Thee’s work has been recognized by several agencies and she received the 2013 White House Champions of Change Award for Libraries and Museums. “I have been trying for many years now…to see if there was a way to get the Internet to be free just like phones for individuals that need it the most—handicapped, disabled, social-disadvantaged, and low income,” she says. This year, Tharp-Thee will keep moving on that path, participating in a collaboration among NDIA, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. She and a handful of other Digital Inclusion Corps members will visit rural libraries, schools, and tribes across Oklahoma to develop a plan to help underserved communities that lack access to technology and the Internet. n

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As an army veteran returning from Iraq in 2007, Sarah LeMire struggled to balance family responsibilities with her pursuit of a master’s degree in English. A few years later, in library school, she found a support network through the campus veterans office. At meetings with the student veterans group, she met people who understood what it was like to leave a war zone and attend college. “The ability to connect with other members of the veteran community made a difference for me and helped me

feel less isolated on campus,” LeMire says. Her experiences gave LeMire an insider’s perspective that she draws on to connect student veterans with library resources. The resulting work has raised local communities’ awareness of veterans’ issues, says Sean Buckner, digital preservation librarian at Texas A&M University Libraries, where LeMire is the first-year experience and outreach librarian. LeMire started working with student veterans in 2012 while employed at the University of Utah (UofU) Libraries. Through partnerships with on-campus services for veterans, she tailors outreach, presentations, events, and panels to student vets. At UofU she developed a “Recommended for Veterans” library map to highlight low-traffic, quiet areas where students can sit with their backs to a wall. Many veterans fresh from combat continue to scan the environment for risks, says LeMire. Reducing distractions makes it easier for them to concentrate. At A&M, she initiated the library’s involvement in the campus orientation

CURRENT POSITION

First-Year Experience & Outreach Librarian

DEGREE MSI-LIS, University of Michigan, 2012; MA, English, University of Utah, 2009 COAUTHOR Serving Those Who Served (Libraries Unlimited, 2017) with Kristen J. Mulvihill HONORS ALA Emerging Leader, 2015 FAST FACT LeMire enlisted in the U.S. Army three months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and worked as an army Arabic linguist, 2002–07 FOLLOW @sarah_lemire (Twitter)

sessions for veterans and rebooted librarian outreach to military cadets, reaching about 900 students. Because female veterans outnumber males on campuses but tend to be harder to reach through traditional outreach, says LeMire, she asked women to submit photographs for exhibits and to speak on panels to share their experiences in combat, as well as the challenges they faced in the military and the transition to civilian life. She organized programs at both UofU and A&M to recognize the

Veteran Librarian SARAH LeMIRE

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, COLLEGE STATION accomplishments of female veterans. LeMire plans to continue to spread the word about student veterans and to research their specific needs on campuses. “In the last few years, it seems that more and more libraries are coming to recognize student veterans and service members as a unique patron population,” she says. “I’m hoping that trend continues and that I can be of help to other librarians who are striving to connect with these students.” n

PHOTO BY patrick heagney

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M O V E R S & S H A K E R S 2 017 For most parents, reading a story aloud to their children is a bond-building experience they wouldn’t trade for anything. Not everyone, though, has that opportunity. “For parents who are incarcerated, and for their children in particular, that loss of connection can take a devastating toll that could last a lifetime,” says Nick Higgins, who spearheaded TeleStory, a program at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) to help alter this particular unhappy ending. CURRENT POSITION

Director of Outreach Services

DEGREE MLS, Pratt Institute, 2009 FOLLOW @BKLYNlibrary (Twitter); bklynlibrary.org; linkedin.com/in/ nicholas-higgins-a585825

TeleStory provides live video links between libraries in Brooklyn and parents in prison, allowing parents to talk to, tell stories to, and even sing along with their children. “TeleStory is a very simple way to increase opportunities for family and community connections,” Higgins says of the program, which began as a small pilot. Now, thanks to a nearly

$400,000 Knight Foundation grant Higgins won in 2016, TeleStory is up and running in a dozen BPL branches. Though story time is an important part of the program, it’s not where TeleStory ends. It has also become an opportunity to reach out to families with incarcerated parents and introduce them to other library services, as well as resources provided by other agencies. On the heels of this success in Brooklyn, Higgins and his colleagues are taking TeleStory on the road. After expanding to the nearby New York Public and Queens libraries, Higgins recently headed upstate to help the Albany Public Library install a video unit and begin its own similar project. Higgins is hopeful that New York’s capital will be just the first stop on TeleStory’s tour. His ultimate goal is to build the service into a model that can spread to libraries nationwide. “If public libraries are going to remain relevant, we need to be persistent and unafraid to deliver services that address specific needs of our most vulnerable neighbors,” Higgins says. n

Story Time for Everyone

NICHOLAS HIGGINS

PHOTO BY gregg richards

BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY

Universal Inclusion CYNTHIAMARI OROZCO EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE LIBRARY, MONTEREY PARK, CA

Cynthia Mari Orozco realizes asking a librarian for assistance can be intimidating. Her first and only experience asking for guidance as an undergraduate resulted in her quickly leaving the building. These days, Orozco goes out of her way to make herself approachable to students who may be experiencing library anxiety. When she served as a student services librarian at California State University–Long Beach, she relocated herself to live in dorms with students as faculty-in-residence. “Cynthia understands that her work as a librarian does not stop at the reference desk or in the classroom,” says longtime friend and UCLA librarian Annie Pho. “It is a humanitarian endeavor that she lives, day in and day out; [she builds] communities wherever she is.” In her current role as librarian for equitable services at East Los Angeles College, Orozco works primarily with nontraditional and first-generation students and is developing research projects relating to library anxiety. She even schedules her work hours on nights and weekends, because it’s easier for her students to reach out for assistance then, says Pho. Orozco is also the founder of the LIS Microaggressions blog (LISM). She defines microaggressions as “subtle insults, whether verbal, nonverbal, or visual, that are expressed toward individuals from marginalized communities, which can be based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender expression, or ability.” Launched in March 2014 on Tumblr, LISM is a safe, anonymous space for users to submit descriptions of such experiences that occur within the library and information science field. “When I first heard the word microaggression, it perfectly summed up so many confusing, alienating, and aggravating experiences of my life,” recalls Orozco. “Even as a U.S.-born, native English speaker, I would constantly be asked ‘Do you speak English?’ or ‘Where are you (really) from?’ ” In less than two years, LISM has grown into an international movement, including conference posters and presentations along with zines that are CURRENT Librarian for distributed at numerous POSITION Equitable Services conferences and used DEGREE MLIS, San José State University, in diversity training CA, 2011; MA, Latin American Studies, throughout the country. San Diego State University, 2009 “One great outcome FOLLOW @cynthinee (Twitter); of this project is learning lismicroaggressions.com to be an ally to library workers from other marginalized groups,” Orozco says. “[LISM] is about making voices of individuals from marginalized communities heard with the hope that others can see why microaggressions are harmful.” That goal is tied closely to Orozco’s “tireless” efforts, says Pho, “to create spaces of refuge and community for marginalized individuals [not only] working in this field [but] served by it.” n

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Nancy Evans, young adult librarian at New York’s Levittown Public Library, got the idea for her young adult (YA) program Strong Girls School after she shared YA author Maureen Johnson’s post “Why Do We Photoshop People?” with the girls in her writing program. They loved it, and their reaction inspired Evans to develop a program to CURRENT Young Adult support and empower girls as POSITION Librarian they deal with gender issues such as self-esteem. DEGREE MLS, Queens College, CUNY, The seeds of the program 2009 were planted, however, during AUTHOR A book for ABC-CLIO on Strong Evans’s own education. “YA Girls is due out in late 2017 isn’t a good fit if you’re wishyFOLLOW hq.yalsa.net/people/116/ washy,” says Evans. As a nancy-evans; linkedin.com/in/ second-career MLS student, nancy-evans-b6349448 Evans learned to advocate for herself and teens in library school classes with Mary K. Chelton—cofounder of VOYA magazine, GSLIS professor emerita at CUNY Queens College, and 2016 winner of NoveList’s Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award. “In a sense, Mary K. set me on the path toward developing [Strong Girls School] by being a strong feminist role model and sparking my interest in how women behave in the workplace,” says Evans.

NANCY EVANS

LEVITTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY, NY Once Evans had worked through her own fears of offering a “risky” program (“Taking a Risk,” VOYA, June 2015), she started Strong Girls School with a few sessions for a small group of middle and high school girls. When the initial program was over, the girls wanted to keep going. Now, some from that first group are coleaders and mentors, and the group still meets weekly, with Evans as facilitator. Strong Girls School has had a small, powerful impact, and for Evans that’s what matters most. “[You] don’t always have the opportunity to do the type of work that gets noticed, but that doesn’t mean that what you do isn’t meaningful,” she says. “Social change begins with individuals.” Meanwhile, to spread that impact beyond her local area, she shares the Strong Girls model at conferences (including the American Library Association 2017 annual meeting in Chicago), online at Programming Librarian, and in a forthcoming book. n

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left PHOTO BY patrick heagney; right photo by ryan loewy

Girl Power

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Open Ed Evangelist ANNIEGAINES

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO LIBRARY, MOSCOW “I can’t afford both books and food,” reads a University of Idaho student’s comment on a Change.org petition to reduce the cost of textbooks. “I have to choose to either eat or pass Scholarly CURRENT my classes.” That student Communications POSITION Librarian has a champion in Annie Gaines, who moved from a DEGREE MLIS, Drexel University, clerical position to become 2011 the University of Idaho FOLLOW @librariannies (Twitter); Library’s first scholarly @librariannie (Instagram); communications librarian. libraryrealtalk.wordpress.com Gaines advocates for open

Chancey Fleet first visited the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library on a trip from Virginia in the 1990s. “I was blown away by the browsable Braille collection,” she says. “I was ten or 11, and I checked out a bunch of choose-your-own-adventure books.” Upon returning to New York as an adult, she adds, “I already had an affinity for the library.” In 2010, Fleet and three friends who knew one another through activism work at the National Federation of the Blind, where Fleet is currently cochair of the research and development committee, launched a free computer support clinic at the library. For three hours on Saturdays, they volunteered, advising patrons on anything from screen-reading tools to using Facebook. Fleet joined the library staff in 2014. The core tech education program now

serves 50 to 55 patrons for about 130 hours a month of one-on-one coaching by staff and volunteers, five to six days a week. One of her most notable initiatives is involvement in the Blind Arduino Project. “We are partnering with the organization DIYAbility and the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute to teach youth and adults to program objects,” she says. “When the average blind person goes into a mainstream class on coding and robotics, the techniques for succeeding nonvisually are not well understood.” The project, including introductory Arduino workshops at the library for nonvisual learners, is changing that. “We’re in this moment where…coding education is being made as accessible as possible to different communities,” Fleet says, noting the predominance of new visual technologies such as maps and drag-and-drop tools. Determined that people who are blind be part of the coding revolution, she partnered with New York University grad student Claire Kearney-Volpe to develop ANDREW HEISKELL BRAILLE AND TALKING BOOK LIBRARY, NYPL tools for spatial, rather than visual, learning. Fleet is also “jump-starting the conversation around tactile literacy” and spatial learning at the library with Dimensions, an initiative for patrons to create and use accessible graphics with a 3-D printer, tactile graphics embosser, and tactile graphic software. Among other programs Fleet has spearheaded are an ACT and SAT test prep workshop for high schoolers and a summer program in which the library’s tech team coaches high school students on accessible apps for reading, note-taking, navigation, CURRENT Assistive Technology and more. Last year, she had POSITION Coordinator a leadership role in DEGREE MA, Disability Studies, School of expanding the library’s Professional Studies, CUNY, 2013 Fall Fair, focused on opportunities for blind FOLLOW @ChanceyFleet (Twitter); nypl.org/blog/author/2184 and visually impaired and print-disabled patrons, whose 35 exhibitors drew 270 attendees. The fair featured adaptive video gaming, origami, a rock climbing group, museum reps, and more. “We connect folks to possibility,” Fleet says. n

Accessibly Active top photo by racheal baker; bottom PHOTO courtesy of nypl

CHANCEY FLEET

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educational resources (OER), particularly open textbooks, for the university’s students—and, crucially, for students statewide. “Advocating for our students is a natural role for librarians,” says Gaines. “In many cases, faculty members are unaware of just how expensive the books they select are…or how much of an impact a $200 book can have on an average student. Open educational resources…[n]ot only alleviate the financial burden on students but…provide flexibility and freedom for faculty.” Gaines’s passion for OER combines her belief in open access (OA) and her commitment to making education more affordable for all. As well as serving as a spokesperson for OER statewide, Gaines is currently creating a fellowship to entice faculty to transition one of their courses to affordable and/or open educational materials and working with state groups that are considering OER for high school students who take college courses. What does it all mean for students’ wallets? “Thanks to our partnership with [OER vendor] OpenStax and after some convincing, the professor of an introductory psychology course took the leap and switched to the OpenStax psychology book,” says Gaines. “Just one faculty member was able to save students around $25,400!” n

Rockin’ the Con

SARAH BEANTHOMPSON SPRINGFIELD–GREENE COUNTY LIBRARY, SPRINGFIELD, MO

PHOTO BY patrick heagney

“Sarah Bean Thompson is a readers’ advisory [RA] rock star!” raves Jessie East, branch manager of the Library Center of the Springfield– Greene County Library District. “She has an infectious passion and incredible talent for RA, [and] every program she does leads attendees right back to books, whether it’s a mock awards session for families and educators or a Geeky Storytime for preschoolers and their caregivers.” Thompson is nationally known among publishers, authors, patrons, peers, and teachers as the Green Bean Teen CURRENT Queen for her young POSITION Youth Services Manager adult book blog. DEGREE MS, Youth Librarianship, University In 2015, Thompson of North Texas, Denton, 2011 and colleague Victoria Bogert organized and cochaired FOLLOW @greenbeanreads (Twitter); greenbeanteenqueen.com Springfield–Greene County’s first LibraryCon. Deciding they didn’t offer enough in that initial event, which had 600 attendees, they ramped up in 2016, taking over most of the library with 42 local vendor/organization tables, a draw-along with a guest illustrator, and more than 3,500 participants. Thompson kicked off the panels with librarians recommending books, positioning them as experts. “[It] showed me that our patrons want more readers’ advisory from librarians and that we can provide it in creative and unique ways,” says Thompson. As East notes, such positioning “increases community support and the opinion of the library.” Meanwhile, Thompson’s “Fandom Starts Early” story time at LibraryCon included Star Trek flannel boards, “Pokémon, Pokémon, What Do You See?,” and “V-A-D-E-R” (to the tune of “Bingo”), sharing the geeky love across generations. n

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M O V E R S & S H A K E R S 2 017 In 2016, as the second annual statewide NJ Makers Day neared, the event’s lead founder, Piscataway Public Library (PPL) emerging technologies librarian Doug Baldwin, received ten Maker kits. The good news: the kits had been paid for by a sponsor. The bad news: they arrived so late that Baldwin had to convey them himself to participating sites. “I got in my less-than-reliable car and mapped out a path to deliver all ten kits…in one day,” Baldwin says. “The fates certainly smiled on me as my car did not break down logging those miles.” The first NJ Makers Day, in 2015, drew 17,000 people to 152 participating sites—schools, libraries, museums, Maker spaces, and colleges. In 2016, it saw 40,000 people at 232 sites. The 2017 event, to be held March 24–25, has 263 locations. “Doug is the driving force [of the project],” says Pat Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. “Without him it would not have been so successful.” It all got started when Baldwin wondered aloud one day to his PPL colleagues whether a statewide Makers event could work. He had been managing PPL’s own Maker space—the first in a New Jersey public library—since 2013, along with all of the library’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programming and training. As a result, he and his coworkers reached out to organizations in and outside the library world; soon they had 150 events that offered hands-on Making of everything from textiles to robotics.

“NJ Makers Day is as much about connecting and community building as it is about STEM and the Maker movement. Connecting does not take a lot of money,” Baldwin notes. “What is needed are driven, passionate people willing to work together where they have common ground.” Makers Day is one example of the many nonlibrary collaborations Baldwin has created, says James Keehbler, director of PPL. Among them are partnerships with the career-oriented CURRENT Emerging Technologies POSITION ManufactureNJ; the Librarian manufacturing-centric DEGREE MLS, Rutgers University, 2007 NJ Dream It, Do It; and Soldering Sunday, which FOLLOW @njmakersday (Twitter); Piscatawaylibrary.org; njmakersday.org creates affordable, electronics-oriented Maker kits. This collaboration has led to one-day start-up competitions in entrepreneurship and product design for high schoolers called Build It Better, which have taken place in Piscataway and Newark. Baldwin thinks NJ Makers Day, which recently became a nonprofit organization, is replicable. “I hope people look at the model and what has been accomplished and bring this to their states,” he says. Key to that model: each event should have grassroots organization and locallevel appeal “that truly incorporate the uniqueness, flavor, talents, and resources of those communities.” n

Making It, Statewide DOUG BALDWIN

PHOTO BY bridgett baldwin

PISCATAWAY PUBLIC LIBRARY, NJ

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DIGITAL DEVELOPERS LINDSAY CRONK

REBECCA POU

JENNIFER JOHNSON

ANN SCHOENENBERGER

CARLOS GALEANA

MONICA DOMBROWSKI

SARA TRETTIN

SARAH CLAYTON

Moved by Multitudes LINDSAYCRONK

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, TX

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PHOTO BY PATRICK HEAGNEY

“I kind of thought you had to get a letter from Hogwarts to become a librarian,” says Lindsay Cronk, coordinator of online resources and collections at the University of Houston (UH). Luckily, her mother wasn’t a muggle: when she retired after three decades as a public school teacher, she turned to librarianship. Cronk soon followed suit. After years of database administration and grant writing, she was looking for a change. “We supported each other through our MLISes,” she says. “It’s been awesome to work in a profession that embraced both of us in incredibly different points in our careers.” Cronk works to extend that embrace throughout the library world as a coalition builder and tool innovator. Before coming to UH in 2015, she spent three years at LYRASIS, where, as membership manager, she worked with more CURRENT Coordinator of Online than 1,400 academic POSITION Resources & Collections libraries. In 2015, she was project lead on the DEGREE MLIS, Valdosta State University, LYRASIS eGathering, GA, 2012 a one-day online annual FOLLOW @linds_bot (Twitter); meeting for members. LindsaytheLibrarian.com; litablog.org “She reimagined an event that had become stale to participants as an unconference, featuring diverse voices,” says nominator Mary Ellin Santiago, formerly director of member engagement at LYRASIS and now a VP of sales at Gale. Cronk titled the event “Meditations in a Resurgency,” an allusion to Frank O’Hara’s poetry collection Meditations in an Emergency. Her approach to the eGathering, which in 2015 saw a surge in preregistrations and attendance, was inspired by a line from the poem “Ode”: “I am moved by the multitudes of your intelligence.” That line also influences her work at UH. She’s developed multiple data dashboards that work as both internal analytics and external marketing tools for electronic resources. “They help librarians identify user needs, and they help users better see the collection as a whole,” she says. “Seeing the collection holistically is an ongoing challenge and one I love addressing.” Cronk’s efforts to create a community of practice around e-collection development also led her to conceive a Collection Data Visualization Wiki, which currently has about 100 members, and a LibGuide to collection data visualization on the UH website. Santiago calls her work “a game-changer in library collections.” n

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Science Is Cool

ANNSCHOENENBERGER

KENTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, COVINGTON, KY Ann Schoenenberger knows the value of community and personal connections to the people of Kenton County, KY. Her partnerships with the local Maker community, web developers, and tech companies have helped almost 1,000 people learn new skills through STEAM-related (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) classes or groups on Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Python, and more that she organized at Kenton County Public Library (KCPL). Her annual idea exchange between school and public librarians has resulted in library staff teaching STEAM programs in schools and lending teachers Maker technology. “[Ann] is driven to facilitate learning environments that empower, inspire, and, ultimately, lead to happier, healthier, and more economically successful individuals,” says Nicole Frilling, digital branch librarian at KCPL.

REBECCAPOU

NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE LIBRARY

world, was born on social media—Pou was inspired by a Twitter exchange with the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) and one of its followers who was using BHL’s content for coloring. Initially, she suggested a “coloring our collections” day. “It occurred to me,” Pou says, “that this was something that would be easy to pull off, and a week would have a greater impact (and be more fun!) than a day. If we and the BHL had coloring content, I knew other collections would, too.” NYAM houses a rich collection of natural history works, which offers plentiful options for coloring and sharing. “In my role as archivist, I deal with very different materials, but as part of our social media team, I get to promote the whole collection, including the natural history books I love so much,” says Pou. Her favorite image? A woodcut of a rabbit and clover from Aldrovandi’s 1637 De quadrupedib (pictured here). #ColorOurCollections “has given the institution greater name recognition and led to relationships with other institutions we wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Pou. “We are more well connected with the special collections community on Twitter [and have] greater knowledge about the resources other[s] have.” NYAM hoped 50 institutions would participate in the first #ColorOurCollections. Instead, it had over 200 in 2016—and while the final tallies aren’t in, 2017 looks like a success, says Pou. “I hoped we’d make a little splash in the special collections social media scene, but then so many institutions joined we had a hard time keeping up. We were really excited when @FakeLibStats acknowledged the campaign with a tweet: “ ‘At this moment, 14 percent of librarians are in a coloringinduced trance.’ ” On top of that, the social media frenzy exposed largely hidden institutional assets and facilitated bonds with current and prospective patrons, democratizing special collections and demonstrating the broad public benefits enabled by digitization—and the public domain. n

PHOTO BY Jason Sweeten

Artful Archivist Back in 1847, the founders of the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) probably didn’t imagine it would one day employ an archivist who in her spare time does aerial and circus arts, or uses its material as pages in a vast, online coloring book. But they never met Rebecca Pou. Pou’s is the mind behind the hugely popular #ColorOurCollections, a social media campaign that in 2016 first invited libraries, museums, and other cultural CURRENT Archivist POSITION institutions to share images from their collections for DEGREE MSLIS, Pratt Institute, users to color. The movement New York, 2008 dovetailed perfectly with FOLLOW @nyamhistory (Twitter, Tumblr, the adult coloring craze. Instagram); nyamcenterforhistory.org; The campaign, which drew colorourcollections.org participants from all over the 46 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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In one such effort in CURRENT KCPL’s Coder & Maker POSITION Digital Librarian Club and Python Lab, Schoenenberger used DEGREE MLIS, Wayne State University, 2006 Coursera, which provides massive open online FAST FACTS Schoenenberger is one courses (MOOCs), and of the first public librarians to become tapped tech mentors a Raspberry Pi certified educator to present a free, FOLLOW @anschoen (Twitter); 12-week beginning forge_321 (Instagram); programming class that BookUs.kentonlibrary.org became an experiment in project-based learning. Participants developed BookUs, a stand-alone web application to give patrons online an easier way to contact librarians for events and recommendations. The code for BookUs is open source, so other libraries can adapt it for their own use. This year, Schoenenberger plans to use a one-year $5,000 grant for an embedded library at FORGE, a community art center. In partnership with groups such as Women Who Code, the library will offer customized resources and project-based STEAM learning. “When you meet people where they are, you have the chance to really understand [one another] and build strong and meaningful relationships,” Schoenenberger says. n

MONICADOMBROWSKI

GAIL BORDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT, ELGIN, IL

Tech Cheerleader 4,200 site visitors, from its launch on September 30, 2015, to the end of 2016. “The idea…seems simple, but it’s revolutionary,” says Carolyn Coulter, director of the PrairieCat Library Consortium/RAILS CURRENT POSITION

Director of Digital Services

DEGREE MLIS, Dominican University, 2008 FOLLOW @monmardom (Twitter); GailsToolkit.com; linkedin.com/in/ monicadombrowski

(Reaching Across Illinois Library System) network (RAILS sponsors the toolkit website). “[Now] librarians anywhere can download the materials, train themselves, and deliver a program to patrons.” For Dombrowski, the toolkit seems like a no-brainer. “How can we use our skills, talents, and resources to help those who feel intimidated by technology to feel confident and excited?” she asks. “The thing I’m most passionate about is developing people.... Everyone should have someone along the way who is cheering them on.” n

TOP PHOTO BY Michael Wilson; BOTTOM PHOTO BY Nancy Vallardes

After 15 years as a corporate trainer, says Monica Dombrowski, “I decided what I really wanted to do was teach people something… that would have a direct impact on their quality of life.” That decision took her to library school and Illinois’s Gail Borden Public Library District, where she turned her training background to educating her patrons, from beginners to the tech savvy. Dombrowski also noticed that other public librarians were in need of training and a basic tech curriculum for their own patrons. That was the impetus for her to develop Gail’s Toolkit (named for her library). It’s an online portal providing outlines, presentations, and handouts for tech classes in public libraries; the model is based on adult education theory that employs easyto-re-create lesson plans. The classes can be adapted to any library with any staff size, no matter the technology on hand. It’s become a global resource for librarians, with more than 25,000 page views and

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Digital scholarship outreach librarian Jennifer Johnson has worked with more than 40 cultural heritage organizations to create 80 digital collections since she arrived at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 2001. While working at the library, first as a GIS applications analyst and then as digital initiatives project coordinator, she also earned her library degree. In her current role since 2013, she and her small team scan historical documents, photographs, letters, scrapbooks, meeting minutes, and other artifacts and make the resulting collections freely available online to the public. “One of my favorite projects has been our collaboration with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” she says. Billed as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the Indy 500 has a legacy dating back to 1909. Now IUPUI’s University Library hosts more than

JENNIFERJOHNSON INDIANA UNIVERSITY–PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF IUPUI

The Next Dimension

21,000 images and 100 audio clips of Speedway historian Donald Davidson recounting 100 years of racing history. “This collection has become a model for other cultural heritage organizations to visualize the opportunities they have to preserve and provide access to collections,” Johnson says. What’s especially notable is how she funded these projects: by raising nearly $500,000 through a slew of small grants, from $6,515 from the Central Indiana Community Foundation (the smallest grant) to $39,533 from the Library Services and Technology Act (the largest). Setting a new benchmark—and teaching others how to meet it—is a specialty of Johnson’s. She’s made dozens of presentations and published multiple

papers. “She has developed an expertlevel reputation in academic library community engagement,” says nominator Kristi Palmer, associate dean for digital scholarship at the IUPUI library. An example of that leadership is Johnson’s role in Indiana becoming one of 21 service hubs of the Digital Public Library of America CURRENT POSITION

Digital Scholarship Outreach Librarian; Head, Digitization Services

DEGREE MLS, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, 2011 FOLLOW @jennajoh4 (Twitter); ulib.iupui.edu/digitalscholarship; ulib.iupui.edu/digitalscholarship/ digitization/cultural_heritage_collection

(DPLA), which brings together and makes freely available digitized and born-digital collections. As chair of the outreach committee for the Indiana service hub, Johnson helps to disseminate guidelines on digitizing collections. Always with an “eye toward ‘what’s next,’ ” says Palmer, Johnson has also taken a lead on 3-D digitization for libraries and other cultural institutions, currently researching and refining digitization and metadata standards for 3-D scanning. Says Johnson, “As 3-D scanners become more affordable, the processing power of computers increases, and the interest in [3-D in] libraries and museums grows, [we]...need to figure out work flows and best practices for preserving and providing access to 3-D images.” n

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Human Touch CARLOSGALEANA

MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY, PORTLAND, OR so that people can have empowering relationships with technology. The human element is key. If a person has trust and a connection with another technology explorer, then they are more likely to learn and embrace new technology.” Multnomah County Library director Vailey Oehlke concurs. “We know that those with the fewest resources, often facing instability on many fronts and language barriers, are CURRENT Spanish Regional at the highest risk of being POSITION Technology Coordinator marginalized and shut DEGREE BA, History, California State out of opportunities for University–Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, employment, housing, 2008 and human services,” FOLLOW multcolib.org; Carlos-galeana.com she says. “Carlos’s work shows how the library is meeting that need by making a trusted human connection to effect tangible positive change in people’s lives.” Galeana also produces a monthly newsletter for library staff filled with technology tips, articles, and examples of collaboration: coteaching spreadsheet skills, creating a tech help display, and brainstorming challenges ahead with Windows 10. “My peers are the superheroes that keep me motivated,” he says. “The positive impact we make with hundreds of students is astounding.” n

PHOTO BY Kristin Beadle

Carlos Galeana’s youngest student so far was an eight-year-old boy who wanted to get ebooks on his ereader. He’s helped students back up photos of their deceased relatives; gone “deep in the trenches of Microsoft Word” with a graduate student; and helped a nearly deaf woman with the notifications on her iPhone. He taught one of his longtime students, Kathy, who was stuck in an entry-level job, “almost everything I know about computers,” Galeana says. “Through her strong commitment to learn, Kathy was able to grow her skill set and secure a higher paying job,” he says. She has since cotaught a few classes with him as a volunteer instructor. These are some of the 1,086 people Galeana has worked with in one-on-one technology learning sessions in the two years he has been regional technology coordinator at the Multnomah County Library. He’s also taught more than 200 group classes and conducted numerous staff training sessions. Galeana rotates among four branches and coordinates their library labs, which see about 35 patrons a month for guidance about laptops, smartphones, tablets, operating systems, and software. Many are Spanish speakers hailing from all over Latin America, but patrons from European and Asian countries also come for help. The one-on-one appointment model gives students the chance to explore technology on their own terms, he says. “Closing the digital divide is about providing opportunities and information

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As a third grade teacher fresh out of college, Sara Trettin landed a spot at the Library of Congress (LC) Summer Teaching Institute. She credits that experience with preparing her to become a key driver of Future Ready Librarians, an initiative aimed at raising awareness among district and school leaders about the importance of the role librarians can play. The focus of the institute was on strategies for using digital resources in the classroom. Trettin was blown away by the school librarians she met there, who described how they’d been partnering with the teachers in their schools. “I wished I had a school librarian that I could work with,” recalls Trettin. Soon after, she was selected for a one-year teacher in residence program at LC. One of the topics discussed there was how to introduce iPads. “You need the right

server; the educators need to be properly trained. I [realized I] was coming at this from a librarian perspective,” says Trettin. She began pursuing a library science degree. In February 2016, Trettin pulled together library leaders at district and state levels, including public libraries, to look at how to highlight the role of librarians and how they can support learning with technology. Collaborating with Mark Ray, chief digital officer for Vancouver Public Schools, WA, “We started by examining the goals these various leaders had and drew connections,” says Trettin. Then they presented on curation to fill holes teachers had rather than buying the same standard textbook. “We got leaders to join the session, share their perspective on their districts’ approach, and ask questions,” says Trettin. After the presentation, one superintendent told Trettin, “We have amazing school librarians in our district, but somehow we never thought of including them!” Four months later, they spoke again, and, says Trettin, “He gushed about how [inviting school librarians to join the district team had] really taken off, that the librarians were spearheading summits, [professional development] for teachers, and hangouts and webinars with other districts, other states.” However, technology isn’t the be all and end all, emphasizes Trettin. “It’s one tool that can help Policy Advisor, Lead for Digital CURRENT Engagement, Open Education, POSITION and Libraries DEGREE MSLS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2013 FAST FACT She and her husband are avid adventure campers, having pitched tents in Iceland, Cairns, and Argentina FOLLOW @saratrettin (Twitter)

Future Wrangler

SARATRETTIN

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Washington, DC

PHOTO BY Paul Wood, u.s. department of education

bring about equity. A kid in a rural school can connect to an international expert or an AP course he wouldn’t ordinarily have access to.” Now, Trettin is looking across federal agencies for opportunities for librarians to lead or “plug in and play a role.” She’ll be examining community challenges such as high school graduation rates and, as always, helping the librarian role “to be seen.” Since fall 2016, Future Ready Librarians has gained 3,000 new members. What would Trettin tell them? “Change the conversation by being part of it. Place your work in the context of community needs. The lightbulb will eventually go on.” n

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Super-Synergist SARAH CLAYTON

PHOTO BY PATRICK HEAGnEY

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA LIBRARIES, NORMAN

Sarah Clayton is fearless, says Carl Grant, the University of Oklahoma’s associate dean, Knowledge Services, and CTO. That’s fortunate, because a month after starting at the university library, Clayton dove into work on the “Presidential Dream Course.” This ambitious class combined the efforts of the library and the university’s history department and is built around the question, “What sort of class would faculty members devise if money were no object?” Working on an offering called “Making Modern America: Discovering the Great Depression and New Deal,” digital scholarship specialist Clayton gathered a subject librarian, archivist, curator, and oral historian to help 48 students perform primary source research. She also designed and built an online platform that ended up hosting 950 student-created items in 11 online exhibits with videos, archival documents, interactive maps, and more. Clayton draws connections between the Presidential Dream Course and her previous work in archives and special collections, as well as an undergraduate degree in history, and grad school curricula in GIS and web development, which ties in with the tech and mapping portions of the course. In turn, she notes, she was able to use some aspects of the Dream Course in a “Software Carpentry” course—short, intensive computing workshops—also turning them into teaching materials for workshops in the university’s ResBaz (Research Bazaar) event, which promotes digital literacy emerging at the center of modern research. According to Grant, “She has proven a tremendous role model for female students who may not realize they have the capability to learn how to program or master a new digital tool.” Synergies among class materials are only the beginning, though. Clayton says she’s proudest of the collaborations that have resulted from her work, in addition to the library/faculty collaborative spirit her efforts have engendered. The library now receives multiple requests to integrate digital scholarship research projects into classes, says Clayton, and they come from all disciplines. This semester she’s working on an English and a microbiology class; geography and history are up after that.

Clayton’s office serves as a reminder of the teamwork she so values. “I have [a] Modern Times poster featuring Charlie Chaplin from a movie screening we did during the Presidential Dream Course,” she says. There’s a stack of titles from her Software Carpentry training. And she treasures an illustration of a zebra by Jacques Henri de Sève given to her by an incredibly talented student who has since died. “All these items,” says Clayton, “serve as small reminders that my work and my life are enriched collaborations.” n

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CURRENT Digital Scholarship POSITION Specialist DEGREE MSI, University of Michigan, 2015 FAST FACT One of the first individuals on campus certified as a Software Carpentry instructor, Clayton gives basic programming workshops for faculty and students so they can organize and manipulate their own data sets FOLLOW @sclayton29 (Twitter); newdeal.oucreate.com (Presidential Dream Course)

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COMMUNITY BUILDERS KIM McNEIL-CAPERS DEB KOEP

MARA THACKER

JOAN DIVOR

JESSE VIEAU

ROBYN SAUNDERS

KELLY McELROY

ANN PLAZEK

COLETTE POITRAS

Nonstop

KIMMcNEIL-CAPERS

PHOTO BY PATRICK HEAGNEY

QUEENS LIBRARY, JAMAICA, NY

Recently named director of community engagement at the Queens Library (QL) and former outreach coordinator, Kim McNeil-Capers describes her role as “a human bridge of connectivity”—to customers, external and internal stakeholders, community organizations, government officials, and more. Her outreach programs have served over 10,000 people annually, including incarcerated patrons and those living in housing projects. “Kim’s impressive…accomplishments and how she made them happen read like a veritable ‘how-to-do-outreach’ master class include the often forgotten,” says then–QL COO Kelvin Watson (Watson recently became director of Florida’s Broward County Library). Addressing the “often forgotten” is See You on the Outside, a partnership between the library and Queensboro Correctional Facility that “provides library literature, job readiness, and case management services to currently incarcerated individuals about to reenter society,” says McNeil-Capers. The program, named by inmates themselves, “was developed to address the need for inmates who have...not had the exposure to technology that will be essential for their transition [outside] prison,” she says. In addition to skill-building, participants create résumés and have access to library staff, who continue to help them after their release. The program reaches more than 1,000 inmates per year, all of whom get a library card, take at least one computer class, and complete a résumé. In 2012, McNeil-Capers launched another signature program: Reach Rockaway. In just four months, she and her team “took outreach face-to-face, door-to-door, and street-to-street,” informing over 5,000 residents in the area’s housing projects, as well as many more in schools, community centers, and local businesses, about the services and support offered by the library. The result? Program attendance went up 46 percent at several community libraries, according to Watson. Hip-hop programming has been a central theme in QL programming for the past decade, focusing on five core elements: MCing, DJing, breaking, graffiti, and cultural understanding. In 2014, McNeil-Capers “broke new ground” by leading a “31 Days of Nonstop Hip Hop” programming CURRENT Director of Community series, “which included a different POSITION Engagement hip-hop event every day,” says DEGREE MLS, Queens College, CUNY, 2015 Watson. In 2015 the program series continued with another round BOARD MEMBER BCALA, ABOS of cultural programs centered on AWARD See You on the Outside was music history, photography, MC recognized with an Innovations award and DJ performances, and family from Urban Libraries Council in 2016 days, bringing in 3,000-plus attendees. The huge success of McNeil-Capers’s work led to the creation of a hip-hop coordinator position at QL, complete with a budget allocation, now held by DJ, producer, and hip-hop pioneer Ralph McDaniels. In 2016, the library offered an entire year of hip-hop programming, with larger programs and venues, in about 30 branches, says McNeil-Capers. “The mission is to recognize, document, and celebrate the positive evolution of hip-hop culture,” she says. n 52 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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Global Comics on Campus MARA THACKER

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN LIBRARIES

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South Asian Studies CURRENT Librarian & Assistant POSITION Professor DEGREE MSLS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2010 FAST FACT Thacker studies West African dance and cofounded Midwest Mandeng, an annual West African drum and dance festival in Central Illinois FOLLOW @marathacker (Twitter); guides.library.illinois.edu/friendly. php?s=southasiancomics; guides.library. illinois.edu/friendly.php?s=chaiwai2

novel collection. While a few U.S. libraries offer a small selection of Hindi comics, says Thacker, “I realized that nobody [in the United States or India] was really collecting comics from South Asia,” partly because international travel can be a barrier. Since then, through fieldwork and research, Thacker has established cooperative collecting arrangements to make it easier to acquire Indian comics, forged relationships with vendors in South Asia, and grown the UI collection to more than 1,200 volumes from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. She hopes to develop relationships with libraries and cultural institutions in India to serve scholars there. n

PHOTO BY heather murphy

Mara Thacker’s love of Indian culture began at 18 when she watched her first Bollywood film. Captivated, she dove into South Asian literature, learned Hindi, and, ultimately, earned a degree in Indian literary and cultural studies. This gave her the tools to create a unique collection of South Asian comics and graphic novels at her library. Now a recognized leader among South Asian library specialists, according to Jo Ann Jacoby, assistant director at the University Library, University of Illinois (UI) at UrbanaChampaign, she brings new ideas and inspiration and finds opportunities for collaboration and outreach. Thacker works with scholars internationally and in the United States to ensure that academic libraries nationwide have a comprehensive collection of resources about Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. She reaches out to students, faculty, staff, and the local South Asian community to familiarize them with the resources in her library and at other institutions. “Although relatively new to the field, [she has] already begun to reshape the landscape of area studies librarianship,” says Jacoby. One of Thacker’s ideas for public engagement is Chai Wai, an event series that gives the UI community a means to explore global issues through panel discussions, exhibits, and library resources. Chai Wai means “tea, or something like that” in Hindi. Since Thacker created the template for the events in 2014, she and her colleagues at the International and Area Studies Library have offered two or three sessions a semester, drawing 25–105 attendees to each. Topics include gender-based violence, immigration, and international censorship. The South Asian comics collection came about in 2012 after Thacker was asked to suggest Hindi comics for UI’s undergraduate graphic

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Justice Maker JESSEVIEAU

MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY, WI “I’m actually happy I’m in jail right now!” is one of the statements Jesse Vieau has heard from the teens he works with through Making Justice, an outreach program for court-involved and at-risk youth in Wisconsin’s Dane County Juvenile Court Detention Center, Shelter Home, and Neighborhood Intervention Program. Under the umbrella of the Bubbler, Madison Public Library’s (MPL) arts and Maker hands-on program, Making Justice brings technology and other Maker programming to youth who might not have the opportunity to participate. “He CURRENT POSITION

Teen Services Librarian

DEGREE MLIS, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007 FOLLOW teenbubbler.org; madisonbubbler (Instagram)

is a passionate advocate for teens and for issues of racial equity and social justice,” says Tana Elias, MPL digital services and marketing manager. The projects Vieau brings weekly to teens range widely, from 3-D printing and photography to making pillows with a fabric artist. He points out that “while teen participants are focused on creating a final product, we are focused on maximizing the potential for relationship building, basic skill development, and connection to the community.” Vieau credits his ability to reach these vulnerable populations to a strong team and “over 40 community partners” who are involved with program design and evaluation, facilitation, and tech support. Vieau’s next step: finding “the right partners to engage these [courtinvolved] teens and provide a structure for successful reentry into their schools and neighborhoods.” n

Critical Mass KELLYMcELROY

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES & PRESS, CORVALLIS

PHOTO BY faisal abdu’allah

In high school, Kelly McElroy and her best friend, both daughters of librarians, made a pact that neither would follow in their mothers’ footsteps. Fortunately for her students and fellow librarians, McElroy didn’t keep her promise. Taking into account the needs of her students from marginalized communities, as well as those who are veterans, transfers, and scholars from diverse backgrounds, McElroy brings a range of creative and compassionate ideas to her work at Oregon State University (OSU). These include giving students hands-on opportunities to explore issues of human rights and equity, from OSU’s Information and Global Social Justice Study Abroad Course, which she coleads, to zine-making at the library—McElroy has been one of the key organizers of the Zine Pavilion at the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference for the past six years. McElroy recognizes that engagement in these issues is crucial for library practitioners as well. She is one of the founding creators of the critical librarianship movement, an informal online community that brings together librarians dedicated to incorporating social justice principles into their practices and discussing critical perspectives on library practice. Using the hashtag #critlib,

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When Deb Koep started asking around about how the West Vancouver Memorial Library, BC, could meet local technology needs, “a lot of folks thought all I’d hear was ‘faster Wi-Fi,’ ” says the former head of technology, CURRENT POSITION

Chief Librarian

DEGREE MLIS, University of British Columbia, 2001

communications, and collections. Instead of settling for meeting only basic immediate needs, however, she opted to dive deeper and find a way truly to understand her community’s relationship with technology. To that end, in 2016 Koep planned

priorities. The consultation included an interactive Technology Fair, so the public and other stakeholders could learn more about technology options and offer informed opinions. Rather than hiring a consultant to examine local needs, Koep kept it in-house. “We were trying to get people to push their thinking…and it was very important for us to be the ones listening and hearing what people had to say,” she explains. This helped the library to create a road map for future technology projects, including infrastructure. For 2017, the first step is creating what Koep calls an “inspirational

Internal Innovation DEBKOEP

NORTH VANCOUVER CITY LIBRARY, BC and executed a three-month Community Technology Consultation, with more than 1,700 participants, examining her community’s technology aspirations and

learning space” to support innovative technology programming. She tells others thinking of doing a similar community consult, “Don’t be afraid of what you might

hear when you ask audacious questions.” Koep plans to continue doing just that in her new job as chief librarian in North Vancouver. n

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TOp PHOTO BY Celina O’Connor; bottom photo by hannah o’leary

librarians globally have been convening on Twitter since 2014 to talk about approaches to labor solidarity, LIS education, surveillance and privacy, and much more. The two-volume Critical Library Pedagogy Handbook (ACRL) McElroy coedited in 2016 with Nicole Pagowsky, an associate librarian and instruction coordinator at the University of Arizona Libraries, just received the Student Engagement CURRENT 2017 ACRL Instruction and Community POSITION Section Ilene F. Rockman Outreach Librarian Publication of the Year Award. DEGREE MLIS, Master of Archival Studies, University of British Columbia, 2010 Also in 2016, together with Vancouver Public FOLLOW @kellymce (Twitter); critlib.org; Library, BC, librarian Cecily kellymce.info; osuitaly.weebly.com Walker, McElroy organized national LIS Mental Health Week. Now in its second year, the event incorporates Twitter chats, podcasts, blog posts, and other resources to raise awareness about mental health issues for library and information science workers. McElroy is “tirelessly fighting for the library profession not only as it is but for the vision of an inclusive future,” says former colleague (and 2015 Mover & Shaker) Colleen Theisen. The theme that carries through McElroy’s disparate work is the spirit of partnership. “Kelly is a coalition builder,” says OSU science librarian Hannah Rempel. “My work is inherently collaborative in nature,” agrees McElroy. “The ‘community’ piece of my job title is really core to the work I do, both at OSU and in librarianship.” n

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Start ’em Up JOANDIVOR

top PHOTO BY maryanne corsini/burlington cty. library; bottom photo courtesy of robyn saunders

BURLINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM, WESTAMPTON, NJ At Burlington County Library System (BCLS), Joan Divor is leading the charge on small business education and promoting entrepreneurship. “Joan is tireless in her efforts to bring relevant and substantial content to small businesses in the area,” says Michelle Martin, BCLS community engagement manager. She’s also unflagging in her promotion of libraries (and their resources) as central to the success of business communities and economic growth, according to Martin. One of her achievements is the development and execution of the CURRENT POSITION

Business Services Librarian & Coordinator, Community Partnerships

DEGREE MSIS, Drexel University, Philadelphia, 1980 FOLLOW linkedin.com/in/joan-divor-b791551; meetup.com/VentureHubBCLS

Lean Venture series, a 15-week course on the lean start-up method. With colleague Barbara Witkowski, Divor traveled to Arizona State University to learn Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Design, which informed and inspired the course, launched in 2016. Divor convinced one of the founders of Startup Storyslam to bring his unique perspective to the kickoff event. “The [Lean Venture] class built a strong entrepreneurial community that meets at the library for mutual support,” says Martin. “Joan continues to communicate regularly with more than 360 members of the Venture Hub BCLS meet-up page.” Divor has forged partnerships with numerous outside groups to complement Lean Venture. She says, “I get energized when I see a group of businesspeople…engaging each other, inspiring each other, and helping each other. We [libraries] create synergies.” n

Making Waves ROBYNSAUNDERS NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

For more than 25 years, Robyn Saunders has worked with people seeking to change their lives. That number is about equal to the number of nominations she received—from colleagues, social workers, community board members, organizations, job seekers, and others. Since 2012, she’s been senior career counselor with the New York Public Library (NYPL) and the head of

Career, Education and Information Services (CEIS) at the Bronx Library Center (BLC), the largest NYPL branch in the borough. Her department has helped more than 15,000 people gain meaningful employment, return to school, or enhance their skill sets with training. Through CEIS, patrons can book one-on-one career coaching and résumé assistance, attend career

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Ann Plazek has long believed in going where non–library users are. She developed her passion for outreach as a young page riding along on bookmobile runs, honed it as bookmobile supervisor at Medina County District Library (MCDL), OH, and today excels at it as the library’s outreach services manager. “I love opportunities to…let the community know how much has changed in the last ten years,” she says, using regularly scheduled Pop-Up CURRENT Outreach Services Libraries to do just that. POSITION Manager Building on past DEGREE MLS, Kent State University, 1993 successes in early literacy—developing Medina PRESIDENT Association of Bookmobile County ROCKS (Reading and Outreach Services, 2017 Opportunities Create FOLLOW linkedin.com/in/ Kindergarten Success) ann-plazek-40638ba/de workshops for parents and children (as well as materials to take home) through a United Way grant—Plazek spent 2016 championing Project Read Inside to Outside. During monthly sessions, she teaches inmates early literacy skills and records them reading a book they’ve selected. The book (with handwritten message), an MP3 player with the recording, and library resources are then delivered to the inmate’s child by sheriff’s deputies. Partnership was critical, says Plazek, who shepherded the program through the sheriff’s office with the help of the superintendent of the county jail, who is also a part-time security officer at MCDL. So far, 48 inmates have participated in five months, and Plazek plans to expand the program further. She’s also continuing her outreach on a national scale, as this year’s president of the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services. n

Read Outside the Walls ANNPLAZEK

MEDINA COUNTY DISTRICT LIBRARY, OH

of community concerns. She herself serves as second vice chair on the executive committee of Bronx Community Board 7. A solid example of that engagement occurred in February 2017 when Saunders organized the first annual veterans breakfast at Lehman College, CUNY, where government officials “recognized, amplified, and honored” veterans and service providers by presenting them with “Soaring Eagle Awards,” Saunders says. Many of the award winners are patrons of BLC, where she and her team work with them to transition back into the community as civilians, refer them for employment, and advocate on their behalf for access to support services. Saunders’s department also facilitates career workshops at local high schools,

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CURRENT POSITION

Senior Career Counselor, Department Head, Career, Education & Information Services (CEIS), Bronx Library Center

DEGREE MS, Public Affairs and Administration, Metropolitan College of New York, 2015 FOLLOW @robynsaunders21; nypl.org/education/ adults/career-employment/ceis

colleges, treatment facilities, homeless shelters, and correctional institutions. “Our goal is to create a ripple effect that leads to quality change in the lives of our patrons and communities,” Saunders says. “We share our experiences, abilities, and skills to help others who are often at a crossroads…and unsure about the next direction to take.” n

PHOTO BY patrick heagney

workshops, and more at branches in the Bronx and upper Manhattan. Especially noteworthy are the job fairs. The first, held in 2013 at BLC, drew more than 1,000 attendees, 20 employers, and a host of vendors. The fairs offer on-site interviews, job readiness workshops, and other services. “I try never to refuse an invitation [to a job fair] from Robyn,” says Deborah O’Connor, a recruiter for NYC Transit Authority. “Her efforts provide NYC-based employers…with in-person access to a diverse, community-based talent pool. All of the job fairs are managed with precision.” Saunders collaborates with organizations and government agencies citywide, including the mayor’s office and the Bronx borough president’s office, to promote both jobs for patrons and better representation

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First Nations Champion COLETTE POITRAS

NORTHERN LIGHTS REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM, ELK POINT, ALTA.

PHOTO BY patrick heagney

As a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Colette Poitras understands the impact library access can have for Canada’s indigenous populations— and how the smallest of obstacles can undo those benefits. For nearly 20 years, Canada’s movement for Truth and Reconciliation has been working to address the abuses of the Indian Residential School system—which removed Native children from their homes and families, often by force—and the resulting years of inequities. Yet only recently has Alberta recognized that its indigenous peoples have not had equitable access to CURRENT Public Services library services. In order to use POSITION Manager neighboring libraries, those living DEGREE MLIS, San José State University, on First Nations reserves or CA, 2014 Métis settlements needed to pay a nonresident fee of $60 per FOLLOW @NLLS_Alberta (Twitter); person per year—a financial @colette.p.oster; @Northern-LightsLibrary-System-220912134588039 hardship for most families. (Facebook); nlls.ab.ca “The barriers had always frustrated me,” says Poitras. “Throughout the years, I tried to propose some solutions, but there never seemed to be a political will for change.” In September 2016, the Alberta government, following Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, agreed to provide more than $670,000 to three large urban libraries and six regional systems to cover the fees. Poitras says she has been waiting for this news her entire career, since she began as a cataloging clerk at the Northern Lights Library System (NLLS) in 2000 after raising a family. (She then moved into public services; with the encouragement of manager Kerry Anderson, she earned her MLIS in 2014.) Because the funding arrived with few guidelines, Poitras immediately gathered a focus group of frontline NLLS staff to create a plan of service and budget for the initiative. In the six months since the grant was announced, Poitras has provided cultural awareness training to the NLLS board and staff and has brought staff to First Nation powwows and Treaty Days celebrations, where they connected with tribal officials and community members, resulting in an arrangement to provide remote services to another First Nation reserve and Métis settlement, with more in the works. She also facilitated a history “Learning Day” at the First Nations–owned and operated Blue Quills University, formerly a residential school, and has purchased culturally appropriate library materials. Since the fees were removed, more than 800 tribal members have signed up for library cards. Eventually, Poitras wants to use some of the funds to introduce indigenous programs into local libraries and hopes to bring indigenous staff and board members to NLLS. “To me, without truth…there cannot be true reconciliation,” she says, adding, “Collectively and individually we have an important voice.” n

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INNOVATORS TONYA ANGELIQUE GARCIA MADELEINE CHARNEY

CHAITRA POWELL

MELISSA DEASE

REGINALD “RB’ BURNETTE JR.

[Com] passion To Serve

LONG BRANCH FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, NJ

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RYAN DARROW

ANTHONY PROPERNICK

LINDA HOFSCHIRE

TRIXIE DANTIS

“My path to librarianship was by no means traditional,” says Tonya Garcia, whose story is a testament to her dedication to her community. A high school dropout, she married young and was a full-time mother. “I knew poverty,” she says, “I knew what it was like to search for quarters to pay for a pack of diapers to last before the next paycheck.” Seeing similar needs all around her, she responded using what she had: four sons and a kitchen table. “Team Jump Off [a nonprofit she founded to provide a safe haven for kids] was run directly out of our home and encouraged teens to take accountability for their future,” says Garcia. Weekly meetings helped 30 young adults stay motivated and focus on their lives rather than on the streets. When financial difficulties required Garcia to go back to work, she turned to the local library in Long Branch—her “favorite place to think”—and saw a Help Wanted sign. Within months of starting part-time in 2004, Garcia was encouraged by then-director Ingrid Bruck to get her MLS. Already overloaded with family, job, and Team Jump Off, she resisted until Bruck sent her to a three-day Train the Trainer session. “I came away…knowing that I wanted to do what they were doing,” she says. A two-time CURRENT recipient of the Laura POSITION Director Bush 21st Century DEGREE MLIS, Rutgers University, 2010 Diversity Recruitment Scholarship, Garcia HONORS New Jersey Library Association earned her BA and MLIS (NJLA) Librarian of the Year, 2016 and rose through the FOLLOW @SenoraLibrarian (Twitter); Long Branch library longbranchlib.org ranks to become director in 2013. Patricia Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association, raves, “[Tonya] is committed to… developing services of and for her community because coupled with her compassion is a drive for excellence and innovation.” Garcia points to three programs she believes have had the most impact: the “Get Back to Work” job-seeker support initiative (ten years running in 2017); the Fresh Start Re-Entry Program, helping previously incarcerated citizens reintegrate into the community; and 2016’s barbershop initiative, Fade to Books, supporting barbers who encourage in-the-chair reading. All three won statewide acclaim and grants to expand. Another new program, Community Connects, is a social work initiative for on-site support from 12 to 15 community agencies to help residents with health care, housing, and other necessary services. In conjunction with Monmouth University’s School of Social Work, there is also a social work intern at the library. According to Tumulty, Garcia is the first New Jersey library director to bring a social worker into the library, and her program is now a state model. n

PHOTO BY ANDREA PHOX PHOTOGRAPHY

TONYAANGELIQUE GARCIA

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At the 1964 summer Olympics in Tokyo, sprinter Marilyn White and her teammates won the silver medal in a relay event. She later became an elementary school teacher, genealogist, and motivational speaker. Nearly 50 years later, Chaitra Powell met White in Los Angeles through White’s affiliation with the California African American Genealogical Society and the Mayme A. Clayton Library

Making the CHAITRAPOWELL Invisible Visible

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA– CHAPEL HILL LIBRARIES

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNC Development Office

and Museum, where Powell was an Archivist Fellow. She was determined to organize and archive White’s collection and record her oral history. Working with both organizations, Powell launched a fundraising campaign via phone call solicitations, mailings, grant applications, and a website—all done “out of my apartment,” Powell recalls. “I believe that I am privileged to be an archivist, and I am [committed] to support[ing] people in the preservation of their stories.” That same commitment informs her work at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, where since 2014 she has been the African American collections and outreach archivist for the Southern Historical Collection (SHC), working to expand its relevance and scope. Dating to 1844, SHC has 20 million items in more than 5,000 collections. But while African Americans are mentioned, their voices have “historically been absent, marginalized, or minimized,” notes Judy Panitch, director of library communications at the university. “It is a paradox that Chaitra refers to as being ‘invisible in the archive,’ and…she has tirelessly set out to address [it].” Powell has done so by both bringing to light those voices in the collection and acquiring new materials, most notably through the African American Families African American Documentation CURRENT Collections & Outreach Initiative. POSITION Archivist, Southern An advocate of Historical Collection community-driven DEGREE MLS, University of Arizona, 2010 archiving, which encourages localities FOLLOW @chaitrapeezy (Twitter); library.unc.edu/wilson/shc; to preserve and curate afamfamilies.web.unc.edu; their own history, chaitralocksinarchivesland.blogspot.com she’s provided expert guidance to the Eastern Kentucky African American Migration Project and the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance, among others. In San Antonio, Powell organized and led a daylong charrette with stakeholders to begin charting a course for the creation of an African American History Museum and Community Archive there. She’s also leading the fundraising efforts sparked by a $500,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, awarded in 2016 to endow SHC’s archivist position and outreach. The SHC must raise $1.5 million toward a total of $2 million, Powell says. By the end of 2016, it had raised more than $508,000. “I’ve heard great metaphors about people’s stories functioning like colored paint on an easel, elements in the periodic table, or spices in a cabinet,” Powell says. “We can’t make the best painting, most useful compound, or delicious dish without access to as many perspectives as possible.” n

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Feeding Minds— and Bodies MELISSA DEASE

PHOTO BY FRANK HAMILTON

DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY

As youth services administrator for the Dallas Public Library (DPL), Melissa Dease coordinates children’s programs and initiatives at all 29 library locations. It’s a role she takes to heart. Dease began in 2013, a time of “low staff morale, depressed operating budget, and skeleton staffing levels,” says nominator Jo Giudice, DPL director. Though Dease had been a librarian for nine years, she was new to youth services. “Despite her inexperience— or perhaps because of it—she has taken a holistic approach to children’s services, identifying how the library’s children’s programming can make a difference in the community and the city,” says Giudice. DPL’s kids’ programming aims to close the opportunity gap for the 30 percent of Dallas children who live in poverty. “Some of those neighborhoods have very little of anything outside of schools, convenience stores, parks—and libraries,” Dease says. “If kids [are unable to] get to the opportunities that are out there, whether because of cost or distance or busy parents, I bring the opportunities to them.” Those programs include annual summer reading clubs, poetry competitions, and a “Discovery Faire,” at which children’s organizations from across the city provide hands-on projects and demonstrations. But it’s not just opportunity Dease provides: it’s sustenance. In 2015, she partnered with the antihunger organization Equal Heart to serve lunch at library branches through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s summer food program. That fall, the partnership brought after-school meals to nine branches and by the end of the school year had served 9,158 meals. In summer

CURRENT POSITION

DEGREE MLS, University of North Texas, Denton, 2008 FOLLOW @MelissaReads

2016, the program expanded to 20 branches, funded by Equal Heart’s Americorps grant and staffed by Americorps members, who served 17,910 lunches and 23,207 snacks. In January 2017, Dease and Equal Heart began another Americorps-funded partnership in which ten part-time Americorps members serve after-school

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Youth Services Administrator

meals and lead STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) activities with children at five locations, while five full-time members work with adults on basic job skills and readiness. Next on Dease’s administrative agenda: supporting and advocating for DPL staff who work with children. She says, “I’ve already begun inspiring them with stories of Siddie Joe Johnson,” the nationally influential children’s librarian who worked at DPL for nearly 30 years. She even has an initialism for it: WWSJD (What would Siddie Joe do)? “I hope it helps them recognize the legacy of [the] groundbreaking and community-minded work that came before them,” says Dease. n

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M O V E R S & S H A K E R S 2 017 With the launch of the Nashville Public Library’s (NPL) BoomBox service, Ryan Darrow is bringing local bands from one of the nation’s most storied music scenes to library patrons in their own homes via a Spotify-like streaming service. While the service has facilitated more than 6,000 downloads in the first three months after its October 2016 launch, BoomBox isn’t only about helping local artists get heard. It also provides the library with a chance to engage with the music community. “We are reaching an audience through NPL BoomBox that we haven’t had many inroads with in the past—the local music scene,” says Darrow. Built with the aid of music streaming service Rabble, BoomBox’s albums and artists are vetted by library staff and curators; artists receive a one-time honorarium for licensing their music. Then, anyone with Internet access— library card or not—can check out acts

CURRENT Public Technology POSITION Supervisor DEGREE MLIS, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2014 FOLLOW boomboxnashville.com; @LibrarRyan (Twitter); linkedin.com/in/ryan-darrow-545a73132

such as Daddy Issues, Chancellor Warhol, Roots of a Rebellion, and more, courtesy of the library. Darrow expects to continue to expand the BoomBox library to include more than 100 albums. He’s also hoping to take advantage of new and unexpected opportunities that emerge to work with bands, labels, and concert promoters around Music City. “I want to answer the question, ‘How might the library become the go-to stop for information about local music?’ ” says Darrow. “We’ve only just begun!” n

Maestro of Music City RYANDARROW

NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Data in Demand LINDAHOFSCHIRE LIBRARY RESEARCH SERVICE, COLORADO STATE LIBRARY

Knowing how to explain the value and impact of libraries to stakeholders is crucial, and Linda Hofschire is helping librarians nationwide sharpen those skills. “Librarians have felt increasing pressure in recent years to demonstrate their [library’s] worth from a data-based perspective, but they don’t necessarily get a lot of training for that in school,” she explains. With a background that includes chairing the American Library Association’s (ALA) Committee on Research and Statistics and an appointment on the Library Statistics Working Group, Hofschire set out to remedy this lack, working with the Colorado State Library (CSL) and the Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC) to launch the Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL) in 2015. The three-day boot camp–style event promised attendees “practical, strategic methods of gathering, analyzing, and using data for planning, management, and communicating impact.” This first event sold out in ten minutes and drew rave reviews, according to nominator Eugene Hainer, assistant commissioner, CSL. Following an equally successful event in 2016, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program awarded CLiC almost $250,000 to take the show on the road. This year, RIPL is hosting two-day regional meetings in California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, and Texas. Upstate New York follows in spring 2018, and a national RIPL event will be hosted in Atlanta next summer. “The engaging format encourages attendees to think deeply and differently CURRENT POSITION

Director

DEGREE MLIS, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, 2008; PhD in Mass Media, Michigan State University, 2003 FOLLOW lrs.org/author/linda

about what story they want to tell about their libraries, while gaining insight into what [data] to collect and how to effectively use it,” says Hainer.

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In recent years, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), has committed to economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The robust leadership skills and networking know-how of sustainability studies librarian Madeleine Charney have contributed immensely to that effort. Charney spearheaded the Library Sustainability Fund, which provides philanthropic support for faculty grants, student scholarships, programming, and more; the fund has received nearly $240,000 in donations as of January. It also financed the first three years of the Sustainability Curriculum Fellowship—a yearlong program that empowers select faculty members to integrate sustainability themes into their courses. “Seeing faculty from such diverse disciplines [as nursing, landscape architecture, Judaica, and farming] sitting elbow to CURRENT Sustainability elbow…inside the library” has been POSITION Studies Librarian extremely rewarding, she says. DEGREE MA, Sustainable Landscape So far, 39 professors across Planning and Design, Conway School 22 disciplines have been involved. of Landscape Design, 2003; MLIS, “Madeleine has become University of Rhode Island, 1991 the go-to person connecting the FOLLOW works.bepress.com/ sustainability communities across charney_madeleine campus,” says Isabel Espinal, human research services librarian at UMass. “She is always ready to collaborate, assist, connect, and demystify in order to achieve the greatest impact.” Charney isn’t just making waves at UMass: in 2013, she cofounded the American Library Association’s Sustainability Roundtable: Libraries Fostering Resilient Communities, which successfully proposed the groundbreaking Resolution on the Importance of Sustainable Libraries. Above all, Charney believes that libraries, academic and otherwise, and sustainability go hand in hand. “Every academic library should have a sustainability librarian.” n

Sustainability First

MADELEINE CHARNEY

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W.E.B. DU BOIS LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HEAGNEY

In addition to helping individual attendees gain knowledge and confidence with data and evaluation, Hofschire says that the regional format aims to build an ongoing network of librarians who can share their expertise. One of Hofschire’s strengths, notes Hainer, is her ability to guide library staff in creating infographics of library data that make it accessible and have impact. “[She] has helped shift ideas here [at CSL] and among library staff nationally,” he says. An avid photographer, Hofschire’s upcoming travels with RIPL may find her addressing the public perception of libraries. “We really need better stock images of libraries,” she says, pointing out that media organizations tend to use traditional, outdated stock photos in their coverage. “How do we get images that show what’s [really] happening in 21st century libraries?” she asks. “With something that shows engagement, interaction.” n

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M O V E R S & S H A K E R S 2 017

REGINALD “RB” BURNETTE JR. OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

REGINALD Burnette JR. Library Aide; CURRENT President, POSITION the Original Scraper Bike Team DEGREE AA, Culinary Arts, Laney College, Oakland, 2010 FAST FACT Growing up in East Oakland, says Burnette, “It was a tough time to be black male, and I was lucky enough to be influenced by peers who were in biking” FOLLOW 81stAveLibrary, ScraperBikeTeam (both Facebook); originalscraperbikes.blogspot.com

A N T H ON Y P R O PE R N I C K Senior Library CURRENT Assistant; Manager, POSITION 81st Avenue Branch DEGREE BA, Community Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz, 2003

ANTHONY PROPERNICK

LEFT PHOTO BY Dino Graniello; RIGHT PHOTO BY Nguyen Ngoc Thien

OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

FAST FACT Propernick has also worked for nonprofit organizations focused on social justice. At the 81st Avenue Branch, he started a job club, meal program, Zumba class, and digital multimedia instruction for youth FOLLOW 81stAveLibrary, opl.mlk.branch (both Facebook)

Wheels of Change When Reginald Burnette Jr. was in third grade, one of his grandfathers gave him a bicycle. “He would work on his car and do an oil change, and…I would do a tire change [on my bike],” says Burnette, who has a degree in culinary arts and goes by “Chef Boy RB” or just RB. As an adult, Burnette has put his cycling know-how to work mentoring youth living in the toughest neighborhoods of East Oakland. In this area, there are only two bicycle repair shops—both set up by Burnette and Anthony Propernick in two branches of the Oakland Public Library (OPL). According to Jamie Turbak, OPL associate director who nominated the

duo, prior to May 2014 kids in East Oakland had to pedal 30–80 blocks to reach a commercial bike shop. With half the households earning less than $30,000, many rode with broken brakes and other damaged parts and no helmets. Also an avid cyclist, Propernick manages the 81st Avenue Branch Library, a joint public/school facility that has been home to weekly basic bike clinics since 2014. Bike repair services help OPL attract youth who wouldn’t normally come to the library, Propernick says. “We are reaching a group in our community in a new way…that is relevant to them and values them by addressing

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their needs and interests.... Once they’re here, we can build relationships and offer other services.” Working with OPL administrators, Propernick and Burnette found grants to pay for tools and parts, including free helmets. Between 20 and 40 youths attend the clinics. More than 500 bikes have been repaired and 1,000 flats fixed, Turbak says. Burnette, who is also president of the Original Scraper Bike Team, a community-oriented group that works with kids 12–18 to repair, decorate, and customize their bicycles, joined the 81st Avenue Branch in December 2014. Scraper team members

are required to attend school, maintain grades, and give back to the cycling world. In 2016, when the Scraper Bike Team lost its rent-free space, Propernick and Burnette drew on their community connections to set up the Shed, a youth-run bike shop, in a 20-foot-long shipping container behind the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch. Burnette recruits and manages a cadre of Scraper Bike volunteers at both sites. “What better job can you have than to be of service to this community?” Burnette says. “You can help these kids and give them an outlet [to] get out of [the] dangerous environment they live in.” n

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Teen Transformer TRIXIEDANTIS

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MEMORIAL LIBRARY, IL It didn’t take Trixie Dantis long to make her mark on teen librarianship. Just four years after she joined the Arlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML), Dantis won the 2016 Crosman Memorial Award, given annually by the Illinois Library Association to a library professional who has accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. Her rise at the library was swift: in January 2012 she started as a part-time programs assistant, and by February 2016 she was in her current position as teen services supervisor.

Dantis was tasked with creating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programming. Interested in the Maker movement, she was a natural fit. One of her first initiatives: Print Your Head, in which teens were 3-D scanned and walked away with a small 3-D-printed plastic bust of themselves. The program caught the attention of a teacher at a local middle school, who asked the library to collaborate on 3-D-RD, a nine-week course focused on 3-D printing, research, and design. Library and school staff developed the curriculum together, which required students to complete projects in the Hub, the library’s teen space, using its resources—e.g., robots, a virtual reality headset, and a sewing machine. The class was so popular, enrollment shot up 40 percent the second year, so the library added another class section. Dantis is also deeply involved CURRENT Teen Services in the Newcomer Center, which POSITION Supervisor provides academic instruction to local high school students DEGREE MLIS, Dominican University, 2012 new to the United States. Dantis is the first U.S.-born person in FOLLOW @trixupmysleeve (Twitter); her family, so she can relate trixupmysleeve.com to the students. “English was not the primary language spoken in the home I grew up in. I was the kid translating for my mother at the grocery store or restaurant,” she says. “I think this really drives my passion to serve ESL [English as a Second Language] and ELL [English-language learner] users of the library.” “Trixie worked with staff to create a rotating library,” says nominator Jason Kuhl, executive director of AHML. “Library staff members find out the students’ interests and then personally select native-language books and popular titles from our collection to match those interests.” Dantis’s other projects include a community partnership to combat teen obesity and the Sprout Squad, a group of teens who grow and maintain their own produce at a local park. What’s the common thread? “[M]y main goal is to connect teens to resources they need [both] for education and enjoyment,” Dantis says. n

PHOTO BY PATRICK HEAGNEY

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Celebrating 25 Years

Open to All Libraries

Apply at

gale.com/loy17 Jan.indd 12

12/16/2016 2:19:42 PM

WHO IS GOING TO MAKE THEIR MARK AS 2017 LIBRARY OF THE YEAR? Does excellence, creativity, innovation in service, and dedication to outreach deďŹ ne your library? Here is your opportunity to get the recognition you deserve. As 2017 Library of the Year, your library would stand out as a model for others. With this honor comes the prestige of being a national example, broad exposure for your library, and even more accolades. To submit your nomination, visit gale.com/loy17. All types and sizes of libraries are welcome to enter. Entries are due by April 4, 2017. By calling attention to the essential services libraries like yours can provide, we believe we can help to further the discovery of knowledge and insights by all people, for all purposes. Gale. Connecting libraries to learning and learners to libraries.

Sponsored by Library Journal and Gale, a Cengage Company.

GALE A Cengage Company

ÂŠ 2016. Gale, a Cengage Company, is a registered trademark used herein under license.

Jan.indd 13

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CAREERS The Next Step: Manager Making the leap from the frontline to supervisor requires “soft skills”

Conversations

with library managers across diverse systems reveal widely varied experiences. They also surface a handful of overlapping core values that make for a truly effective library manager and offer lessons for those who aspire to the role.

Public Library and another 2016 M&S, became a manager nearly immediately after completing her graduate degree because, she explains, she had worked as a clerk in that library system since high school and “everybody was really rooting for me to be a librarian.” Heyward also describes her career path as “accidental,” noting that her early aspirations for a career in social work or counseling were useful background for her current work as a library manager focused on community support and helping others.

VARIOUS PathS

Learning beyond the library

By Jennifer A. Dixon

No single career path leads to a position as a library man- Library managers cite a wide variety of experiences that ager. Many professionals find themselves taking on these inform effective managerial styles—far beyond traditional leadership roles unexpectedly, often thanks to organic professional development workshops or classroom work. growth within their department. Tom Blake, digital proj- Erin Berman, project manager for technology and innovaects manager with the Boston Public Library and a 2014 tion at San José Public Library, CA, and a 2016 M&S, refers LJ Mover & Shaker (M&S), started out as manager of a to her stint teaching English abroad in Georgia as a major invery small digital department and over the past ten years fluence, as she learned “how to be under pressure and overhas seen his managerial responsibilities expand with the whelmed but still need to accomplish tasks—I think a lot of need for digital projects, content discovery, and technical management is thinking quickly on your feet and being able services. “I never really wanted to be a manager,” he says. to negotiate through tricky circumstances.” She notes that “It’s something you almost have to let sneak up on you.” her undergraduate theater studies increased her comfort in He encourages any aspiring putting herself out there and acmanagers to start as librarians cepting rejection. in a specialty that attracts them Blake, meanwhile, cites the and build from there. multitasking and “crisis mitigaSimilarly, Andria L. Amation” of parenting. Lisa Rosenral, young adult services manblum, a 2009 M&S and direcager with Charleston County tor and chief librarian with the Public Librar y and a 2016 Brooklyn Public Library, found LJ M&S, started as a “team of her summer jobs as a camp one” and the first young adult counselor useful for discovering librarian in South Carolina. methods for managing a group She steadily expanded the and achieving consensus. —Tom Blake, Digital Projects Manager, reach of her team duties; she Boston Public Library Communication is Key now works with two library assistants and colleagues throughout the county system. Frequent and open communication with team members is Others benefit from the support of colleagues who en- at the core of growth and success as a manager. Berman, courage them to take on greater responsibilities. Shanika for example, recommends starting a project by setting forth Heyward, community branch manager for the Indianapolis “what are our expectations from everybody and what is our end goal, so that everyone on board can understand where Jennifer A. Dixon is a librarian and recent graduate of the School we’re going” and asking questions or offering suggestions. of Information, Pratt Institute, New York This fosters an open atmosphere. Both Blake and Amaral

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PHOTO BY BAHADIR KAVLAKLI

I never really wanted to be a manager; it’s something you almost have to let sneak up on you.”

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A career in libraries can take unexpected directions. In this package, advice from those in the trenches on how to climb the career ladder successfully—or gracefully climb down from a job that’s just not right.

someone to do something that I wouldn’t want to do.” It can also pose an issue when a librarian transitions quickly from staff member to manager. According to Heyward, who experienced just that, it took time and patience to earn her team’s trust. “You have to learn about each of your staff and respect each of them [the way] they are,” she says of managing the shift. Rosenblum also notes this as a potential issue: “Don’t turn into an autocrat, and remember to respect the people you were peers with.” In addition, supervisory work benefits a great deal also advocate frequent meetings for staff to discuss their from familiarity with basic library tasks. It is much easier projects, prioritizing face-to-face contact with coworkers. to gain the trust of staff members when overseeing projects Heyward highlights “honesty and trustworthiness” as such as processing or cataloging when one has the same exkey attributes of a successful manager and encourages aspir- perience. According to Blake, “A lot of the positions I maning managers to “just ask questions” and seek out mentors age are things that I’ve done myself.” and other professionals whom they trust to learn from and Background knowledge and a willingness to get into the to whom they can vent. On a daily basis, she makes a point trenches also builds collegiality and trust. On any project, of ordering her to-do list and ensuring she contacts every Berman explains, she views herself as a teammate and makes a person who needs to hear from her—“if you neglect rela- point of taking on tasks alongside the rest of the staff; she notes tionships they start to die,” she says. that earlier in her career she appreciated a branch manager who Another challenge for managers is to understand that made an effort “to come out to the desk and work with us.” different people have dramatically different communicaDelegation can also present an opportunity for managtion styles, and supervisors ers to give staff freedom to exmust adapt. Failing to assess the plore, try new things, and take needs of individual personaliownership of their work. Berties can lead to misunderstandman recommends “having faith ing and hinder team projects. in your staff and giving them lots Rosenblum calls this process of leadership roles.” The cardinal an “environmental scan” and rule, as multiple managers tell LJ, recommends that professionals is “don’t micromanage.” Suctake steps to take stock before cessful managers are capable of leaping in to work. relinquishing control and giv“Speaking up” and quesing their staff a chance to shine. —Shanika Heyward, Community Branch Manager, Indianapolis Public Library tioning helped Berman become Says Rosenblum, “Part of my a manager. “If I ask, then I injob is to not get in the way of my crease my odds that I will get it—the worst someone can do managers. To not be an obstacle but to help them to achieve is say no,” she explains, acknowledging that many librarians their goals. They, in turn, do the same for their own staff.” can be introverted or nervous about rejection. While Amaral also acknowledges the value of passion, however, she Managers as Advocates names “pick your battles” as some of her best early career Any professionals hoping to grow into a managerial role, advice. It is a losing proposition “to tilt at every single wind- or even to establish themselves in a particular specialty area, must advocate for their own abilities. Says Rosenblum, “If mill that is out there and try to fix everything,” she says. Mentorship and professional networks can prove vital. you want to work your way up the ladder, take on projects According to Rosenblum, it is “important to get out and that other people don’t want to do—show the higher ups meet with people,” including at board meetings and con- that you can manage a project.” Taking this kind of initiaferences with peers. “Other librarians are dealing with the tive is also an excellent opportunity to develop concrete same things you are” and can offer a useful exchange of ideas professional skills. “A good management career builds on and troubleshooting. It can also be valuable to talk with previous jobs,” according to Rosenblum. Whether or not a particular manager has direct budgetary trusted individuals outside of work, for a fresh perspective. responsibility, Blake explains that “one of the most important Delegation Without Micromanaging characteristics of a manager, especially at a library, is advocacy Appropriate delegation of tasks can prove a challenge for for your department—you should never rest on your laurels.” many new managers, who may fall prey either to taking This goes hand in hand, he says, with making sure your staff on too much themselves or passing along less desirable are “mission driven,” with a clear sense of what they are doing projects. For Berman, the key to delegating is gaining trust and why. Staff members also benefit from seeing their managers from a person “so that they know I am only going to ask being vocal to obtain resources. “It’s good to always have a little them to do things that are within their time and capabili- bit of fight in you,” says Blake, listing “urgency” and “audacity” ties.” While it may be appealing to delegate “not fun” tasks, as key characteristics that can help managers prove their institusays Amaral, she keeps in mind that ultimate responsibility tions’ relevance and cope with changes in the industry. Amaral, for tasks such as scheduling should fall to her. She values similarly, says that she has been “advocating [for growth] since “participatory management” and “wouldn’t want to ask day one—if you just leave it alone, nothing will ever happen.”

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You have to learn about each of your staff and respect each of them [the way] they are.”

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CAREERS

The Next Step: Director Mentors, networks, and learning from outside the library help new leaders take on the challenge

By April Witteveen As a line on a résumé,

the title of library director looks straightforward enough: the highest administrative role a public library has to offer; one that comes with great responsibilities and challenges—but also the opportunity to map a future for the library. In reality, a director’s duties vary widely from one system to another, as do the paths that lead to the role. LJ asked directors from across the country to share insights for librarians who aspire to move up.

From operations to vision

“Being a director involves being committed to your community as a whole in a completely new way,” says Angela Semifero, director of the Marshall District Library, MI. Semifero has served in the position for six years and was assistant director for the preceding four, primarily dealing with “day-to-day operations.” With directorship, she notes, “the demands on my time completely changed.” Owing to the size of her library, serving a population of 14,900 through a single branch, she maintains a couple of hours of public service work per week but misses “other ‘librarian’ responsibilities...like planning programs, collection development, or outreach.” “Being a director isn’t about the books. It’s about the people,” Skye Patrick tells LJ. A director for three years at the Broward County Library, Fort Lauderdale, FL, she now has one year behind her as director of the County of Los Angeles Public Library. “You must have a willingness to commit yourself to the people you serve (and sometimes take them to a place they may or may not be ready to go).” Richard Kong is relatively new in his position as director at the Skokie Public Library, IL, in the “urban suburbs” of Chicago, having taken the position in July 2016. Promoted from deputy director, Kong—a 2012 LJ Mover & Shaker (M&S)—finds himself impressed by the “sheer volume of information I need to take in daily and the decisions I need to make based on that information. I’m still finding my rhythm!” Of course directors, while the top of the professional staff org chart, themselves report to the library trustees, often to city or county government, and, in a

broader sense, to the whole community. A good working relationship with the board is essential to an effective directorship. Marshall’s Semifero explains that the transition can be challenging for new directors. “There is something odd about moving from having your work evaluated by one person to having it [voted on] in a public forum,” she says. “I am also evaluated on different criteria than I have been in any other position, such as community involvement, acting as [the board’s] fiscal agent, and knowledge of building maintenance and construction.” Ultimately, she finds the similarities are greater than the differences. “It [can be] similar to working with people in the library world, as many of them...are just as passionate about what they do.... [My] main responsibility...is to find ways that the library can integrate our mission and services with [the board’s].” Eva Davis, director, Canton Public Library, MI, explains such a productive relationship can mitigate a director’s sense of going it alone. “I’m an introvert, and I hate conversation,” she says, “but focused conversations about the library’s role in the community, the library’s goals...those really excite me, and I have had some great discussions with my trustees.”

Making teamwork work

Brett Bonfield, director of the Princeton Public Library, NJ, and a 2012 M&S, models his leadership philosophy on a comment from a fellow director (who prefers to remain anonymous): “She said her job was to hire people who were smarter than she was and put them in position to succeed... my job is to give [my employees] the resources they need and ensure that workplace culture helps to promote their success.” Staff buy-in is also an important facet of the work Davis does at the Canton library, located in the suburbs between Detroit and Ann Arbor. “I find that asking the people doing the work for their ideas and opinions helps me make better operational decisions,” she says. “I suggest anyone seeking to be a director examine their personal reasons for pursuing the post,” says Jill Bourne, director of the San José Public Library, CA; a 2009 M&S; and LJ’s 2017 Librarian of the Year. “The best executives I know approach the role from the perspective of assuming the highest level of accountability and operate through influence rather than positional authority.” Bourne mirrors Bonfield in her desire to “identify talented, driven people and open doors for them to innovate, —Skye Patrick, Director, create, and improve services for County of Los Angeles PL our communities.”

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April Witteveen is a Community Librarian with the Deschutes Public Library system in Central Oregon

Being a director isn’t about the books. It’s about the people.”

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Working with a team means there are going to be tough spots as well as success stories. “I hate firing people,” shares Davis. “Nobody enjoys being the bad guy.” As a new director, Davis had to lead her library through the 2008 recession. “Having to explain that we were losing 25 percent of our revenues and therefore had to reduce our expenditures by that much did not endear me to some of my coworkers,” she says. In the end, Davis was proud to see her library board and coworkers pull together to maintain service. “That teamwork is what got us through a very tough time.” Bonfield notes that “the only aspect of my job that’s ever kept me up at night” is “not always being able to pay people what they’re worth.... Sometimes you lose great people, either by failing to make them an appropriate offer when you’re recruiting them or failing to give them the raises they deserve.... Sometimes you have a colleague with untapped potential and you want to promote them...and you can’t identify the funds to make that happen.”

specific but it helped me understand municipal finance and reporting regulations and requirements, which I did not learn in library school,” she says.

Leverage all your experience

For some directors, their current position is a culmination of experience gained both inside and outside the library field. David Leonard moved into the director role at Boston Public Library after a year as interim director. Prior to that his experience was in the realm of academia, the nonprofit sector, and technology and consulting worlds. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in library and information science. Bonfield also had “five-plus years in nonprofits and higher education” before attending library school and a lot of background in fundraising and IT. Jane Eastwood, director at Saint Paul Public Library, found that her years working for the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) opened her eyes to the possibility of a future in library administraLearning on the job tion. In her time at SMM, she Preparing for, and moving into, helped design and open a new a director position likely means building, led the marketing developing new skills and joinand communications depart—Jill Bourne, Director, San José Public Library, CA ing different networks. “No ment, oversaw a career develone is born knowing how to be opment program for youth, a library director,” says Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, coordina- helped diversify membership and visitorship, and learned tor for library sustainability at New York’s Mid-Hudson about crisis management and fundraising. Library System. She consults with new directors throughEastwood moved on to the Saint Paul mayor’s office out New York and notes that “just because you are a good for five years, gaining a beneficial municipal perspective. manager does not mean you can necessarily transition to the “There were a lot of transferable skills,” she says. When the leader of an organization.” library’s preceding director retired, the mayor appointed her Patrick recalls that in her first directorial position she to the position. “It was the perfect move for me,” says Easthired a business coach for the first two years in the role. “She wood. “This is the work I’m qualified for; I know educaworked with me on…communication, work flows, budget- tion, I’ve built critical partnerships, I’ve led big things in the ing and finance, interpersonal relationships, vision setting, past.” Now, about 16 months into the job, she fully appreciand goal achievement.... It was a great investment.” ates the nontraditional path that brought her here. Semifero attended director-focused workshops ofOne additional piece of advice? Davis says, “If you fered through the Library of Michigan, along with reading think you want to go into library management, whether “a number of books on organizational leadership, human that’s middle management or being a director, say someresources, strategic planning, and public relations,” she tells thing to your boss right now. I would never be where LJ. The connections she’s made with other directors have I am today if my previous director...hadn’t known about my been the most helpful. “It’s wonderful to have a network interests and made sure I had the experiences necessary to of people to rely on for help when you run into something be a well-rounded candidate when the opportunity arose.” you’re not familiar with,” Semifero explains. State library training also benefited Kong, who attended Rewards abound the Synergy Leadership Initiative in addition to attending Although being a director can be challenging, isolating, the Public Library Association (PLA) Leadership Acad- even frustrating, it can also be rewarding in a way that few emy. “Both helped me become more aware of my personal other library jobs can match. “you can be the best assistant leadership styles and strengths,” he says. It also helps to director in the world...but you are still not the director,” develop and maintain a professional network outside of the Bourne says. “The buck doesn’t stop at your desk.” “Every library, something that, Kong says, helps combat a sense of day, if not every hour,” will be different, says Leonard. Kong states, “I can honestly say that I look forward to goisolation. Davis “took advantage of any workshop or conference ing to work each day, and I feel like I’m able to make a real opportunities that related to management, leadership, su- difference for the people in our community and within pervision, dealing with difficult people, [and] personality our organization. Says Bonfield, “Until it became part typing, at the regional, state, and local level.” Prior to mov- of my job to serve as the face of a beloved [local] agency, ing into her director spot, she also took a workshop on how I had no idea just how much good there was in my own to read municipal financial statements. “It wasn’t library- community.”

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I suggest anyone seeking to be a director examine their personal reasons for pursuing the post.”

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CAREERS

Exit Strategies When library jobs don’t turn out as expected—or what’s expected turns out not to be the best fit—learn how to make a graceful exit

By Jennifer Koerber Library jobs change

for many reasons: community needs shift, technology automates old tasks or enables new ones, new leadership sets new priorities, or economic setbacks spur pruning. The results for those already in the job can be a challenge—and sometimes, the best course is to exit and regroup. How can librarians successfully navigate such a detour in their career trajectory? It’s not easy to attempt to change a workplace problem—or simply a bad fit—from within, decide when to part ways, offer substantive feedback without burning bridges, or explain to new potential employers what happened without casting blame. Because such topics are often little discussed, librarians in those situations may feel alone or lack examples from which to learn. To encourage frank discussion, several librarians interviewed for this article have been granted anonymity.

When the Honeymoon is Over

“In my first administrative post, I was eager to provide services that would help students, faculty, and community members succeed,” reveals Gavin Woltjer, describing his early days as dean of library services for an academic library. He understood the challenges of academic library budgets— “often the first to be cut”—and still managed to open a university archive and add research databases, creating revenue streams as needed. However, despite his advocacy, university administration kept pulling from the library to fund other projects. As administrative support waned, Woltjer realized the situation wouldn’t improve under his leadership. He planned his departure, securing budget allocations for existing projects and helping staff develop skills needed to move work forward between deans. “I acted as cheerleader,” Woltjer says. “I encouraged them to...be proactive about where they wanted the library to go.” Woltjer, now director at the Billings Public Library, MT, challenged himself to become a better administrator by enrolling in Harvard’s Library Leadership in a Digital Age program. Sometimes, the issue is closer to the front lines. One librarian who wishes to remain anonymous had just started at a recently remodeled urban library when, six months in, he “noticed something weird” about tensions between staff and Jennifer Koerber is an independent trainer and speaker on emerging technologies and the social web and coauthor (with Michael Sauers) of Emerging Technologies: A Primer for Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015)

upper management. “The [relatively new] director didn’t trust anyone to do their jobs properly,” he says. Staff always “felt uneasy” initiating public services, fearing they’d be looked down on for their ideas. “The director always talked about a ‘big picture’ view, but [it] was confusing and [contrasted sharply with] how the community used the library.” The teen librarian watched morale erode as staff realized that this was the new normal. “It was a weird moment of great opportunity and change, and it all just faded so quickly,” he continues. “Everyone was so worn down from being told what to do and that their ideas were [less clever than the director’s] that everyone just stopped going the extra mile.” Tensions between union and management exacerbated the situation, breaking down trust among staffers who feared getting “ratted out.” “I knew that if I wanted to remain positive about public libraries, I had to get away,” said the then–teen librarian, who now credits his experience with preparing him for library directorship. “I understand how important it is to lead with confidence, [respect your staff], and let them try new things…at all times.” Julie Strange found “the perfect job” right out of library school: operations manager for Maryland’s chat reference service AskUsNow! (AUN). Despite the usual challenges— organizational politics, responsibility growth, budget uncertainty, staff resistance to change—Strange loved it. Eventually, the balance shifted. Strange felt that AUN was often ignored; though highly praised, AUN wasn’t financially supported by contributing systems and had no funding to grow from pilot to statewide service. She and her staff were held to traditional work limits—“No one else teleworks here”—despite the very different nature of remote reference work. Frustrated, Strange realized that she was stuck; other states’ virtual reference services were shrinking or shuttered. “Once I knew I needed to exit...I didn’t know where to go,” admits Strange. It turns out, the answer wasn’t in libraries at all: today, Strange is owner and chief baker of Noshy, a successful start-up cookie company in Virginia.

When First Isn’t Best

Being the first in a new position can be both an opportunity and a risk. “Only one job I’ve ever had existed before I held it; this job was no exception,” explains one anonymous high-level academic librarian. “In most cases, these jobs aren’t well thought through, particularly in terms of how staff will accept ‘new’ work and…how responsibilities will shift to the new position from existing ones.” Based on interviews, she believed that the job had peer support, an engaged university librarian (UL), and a collaborative decision-making process. That didn’t last long. “In our first meeting, the UL had clearly made no effort

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to set up [an] orientation plan,” even though the academic WHEN THERE ARE Changes at the Top librarian was a first-time administrator. A few weeks later, Souring relationships with immediate supervisors or colleagues the UL reversed a top-level decision directly affecting the can make or break a library job, but conflicts with leaderlibrarian’s department, “and [they] were utterly shocked ship affect the entire organization. “Things were fine under when I expressed concern about not being…told about it my first two directors,” begins a one-time head of tech serbeforehand.” The librarian soon realized that no one had vices, “My third director was hired, and things went downactually read her position’s description, nor had stakehold- hill.” F avoritism and ill-designed restructuring followed. The ers been consulted about it. “The cumulative effect of librarian quickly found a position at another institution, as did these experiences,” combined with personality clashes and at least two colleagues. “Decades of institutional experience an unfriendly culture, “left me traumatized.... I left the walked out the door within a few months.” job after a little more than a year.” For directors, the risks are higher still Amanda McClellan’s first library job since board members can change frewas also brand new: digital services liquently. One director had held the posibrarian at a community college. “The job tion for several years when long-simmerlisting had a small percentage of time [aling issues on the board caused a dramatic lotted to] reference duties,” says McClelshift in leadership and, subsequently, lan. “It worked out to be a couple hours priorities. She chose to leave when a week, and I figured I could use it as a she saw that her vision for the library learning experience.” no longer matched the board’s. “It was the After moving halfway across the right decision for me,” she laments, “but it country, McClellan discovered she’d wasn’t easy to say goodbye to a place where I had worked so hard...and accomplished been scheduled on and off the reference —Amanda McClellan desk every few hours; she was supposed so much.” She calls her new directorship— and new board—a “platinum lining.” to overhaul the website (her primary responsibility) while also providing reference. “A couple hours a week” became four hours a day, Advice from those Who’ve Been There more if the desk was short-staffed. McClellan spoke to her The oft-repeated lesson from those we spoke to is, “Ask questions.” Kendra Jones specifies, “Ask all the questions you can, supervisor and was essentially told, “Sorry, we lied.” Hamstrung by the 2008 economic crisis, McClellan stayed even if they seem obvious. Asking questions helps [ensure] for five years. She pursued her interests and participated in that the change has been fully fleshed out and you can be a local library consortium, leveraging her connections into more prepared for anything that may come your way.” Daysuccessively more satisfying roles at other organizations; she’s to-day conditions of the work are rarely touched upon in the now head of applications and digital services at a midsize uni- interview process, yet they can make or break the experience in practice. Another librarian whose noisy office makes focusversity and an adjunct lecturer on library technology. ing impossible, adds, “Ask if you can come in and sit where When Title Changes Change Expectations you’d be working to see [what the daily environment is like].” By contrast, one second-career librarian found her first liAsk even more questions if you need to relocate in this highly brary job wonderful, overseeing a high-visibility e-learning mobile field. Moving for a job is destabilizing enough—be project at a midsize academic library. Buoyed by her initial sure the job is worth the upheaval. “I refuse to relocate for work success, she accepted another contract, this time on a team now,” says one librarian who was burned by the experience. of academic librarians. What she didn’t expect was that her McClellan stresses getting additional perspectives. “Find job shift would change her director’s opinion: “What had a mentor [whom] you can trust [not necessarily someone at started as a genuinely collegial, almost mentoring relation- your library] and reach out to librarians at nearby instituship…turned into an outright combative one,” she says. She tions.... Believe in yourself: if a job isn’t a good fit, that’s not soon shared frustrations she’d previously observed but not your fault and don’t blame the job. Just keep building your experienced. “The chief librarian found any sign of innova- skills...you’ll find a better fit.” tion or independent thinking on the librarians’ parts to be a Woltjer and another director who wishes to remain direct challenge to their leadership.” A consummate micro- anonymous offer similar advice. “Keep a positive attitude, be manager, they either quashed or took credit for staff initia- flexible, don’t compromise your personal integrity and values, tives. “I think that [my] previous career…as a leader made and always have a plan B,” says one. Woltjer’s take: “Don’t igme particularly annoyed at their inability to be a leader nore warning signs, and don’t try to ‘tough it out.’ There’s no worthy of respect,” she adds. medal for staying in a position that’s eating away at you. If it’s Fortunately, the librarian had already accepted a posi- possible, don’t be afraid to jump without an obvious landing.” tion at another institution as things came to a head. When Finally, know when and how to take that final stand. she listened to a colleague preparing for an event that had One anonymous commenter says simply, “Stand up for already been an issue, the chief librarian accused her of what’s right,” but another suggests more caution. “Decide insubordination and threatened her contract. Given con- if a given issue is the hill you want to die on, if it’s worth it fidence by her offer letter, the librarian walked out on her to you to stand on principle (including in defense of your own terms, with only some regret. “I won’t deny it was colleagues) for something that might haunt you later. Try pretty satisfying to be able to speak my mind…but the feel- to take a couple of steps back rather than letting yourself get ing is more fleeting than you’d expect,” she admits. carried along to a breaking point.” n

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If a job isn’t a good fit, that’s not your fault and don’t blame the job. Just keep building your skills...you’ll find a better fit.”

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debut novels

GREAT

First Acts

After the big-name holiday rush, spring typically

brings a host of fresh debut novels, and this year is no exception. From astute coming-of-age titles to high-profile pop fiction to books heard ’round the world, these will be the most talkedabout debuts of the spring season. Books are selected for this list based on strong reviews, media buzz, overall industry interest, and personal reading. Though a few date back to February, most are publishing from March onward, with some key July titles featured. The next edition of “Debut Novels,” slated for the July 2017 issue, will cover many more of the best debuts appearing in the summer. For now, enjoy these spring f irsts.

at home Akkad, Omar El. American War. Knopf. Apr. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780451493583. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780451493590.

In a searingly relevant work, Egyptian-born, Canadian-based journalist El Akkad imagines a second American Civil War, in which six-year-old Sarat Chestnut is herded into a displaced persons camp with her family and eventually trained as a weapon of war. “Gripping and frightening.” (LJ 3/15/17) Barbara Hoffert is Editor, Prepub Alert, LJ

These 44 new works by first-time novelists are as hot as this fierce and early spring

By Barbara Hoffert

Chancellor, Bryn. Sycamore. Harper. May 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780062661098. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062661111.

9781944211301. $24; ebk. ISBN 9781944211318.

When old bones are discovered in a nearby ravine, folks in Sycamore, AZ, assume they belong to troubled teenage newcomer Jess Winters, who disappeared 18 years ago. Edged with suspense yet really a fine meditation on small-town life; Chancellor won the 2014 Prairie Schooner Book Prize for her story collection, When Are You Coming Home?

Estranged from her white parents, Helen is shattered by the suicide of her adoptive brother, Korean-born like herself, and f lies home to find out what happened. Instead, she compellingly finds herself. A Discover Great New Writers pick; Helen’s is “a sharp, fresh voice that draws readers in.” (Xpress Reviews 3/10/17)

Cottrell, Patty Yunni. Sorry To Disrupt the Peace. McSweeney. Mar. 2017. 288p. ISBN

Fuller, Alexandra. Quiet Until the Thaw. Penguin Pr. Jun. 2017. 288p. ISBN

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9780735223349. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780735223356.

Beloved for the string of gorgeous memoirs begun with Don’t Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight, Fuller here depicts the Lakota people of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, particularly two cousins in conflict. Fluidly written, with no sanctimony and plenty of dark humor; bound to provoke.

Ko, Lisa. The Leavers. Algonquin. May 2017. 352p. ISBN 9781616206888. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781616207137.

When Deming Guo is 11 years old, his Chinese immigrant mother vanishes, and he spends a rebellious adolescence wondering what happened. Winner of the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction; “highly skillful…an emerging writer to watch.” (LJ 3/1/17)

Hartnett, Annie. Rabbit Cake. Tin House. Mar. 2017. 344p. ISBN 9781941040560. pap. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781941040577.

Minick, Jim. Fire Is Your Water. Swallow: Ohio Univ. Mar. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780804011846. $26.95.

After her mother drowns while sleepswimming, Elvis Babbitt gamely pulls herself through while shoring up her clueless father and troubled, sleep-eating sister Lizzie. “Elvis is a charmer, and the novel is as delicious as the rabbit cakes Lizzie bakes in abundance.” (Xpress Reviews 3/10/17)

After fire claims the family barn in rural 1950s Pennsylvania, Ada loses faith in God and hence her astonishing ability to heal. But a young man brings her love and, finally, renewal. “Appealing characters and an inventive plot…this belongs at the top of every spring reading list.” (LJ 3/15/17)

Heiny, Katherine. Standard Deviation. Knopf. May 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780385353816. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385353823.

Stansel, Ian. The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo. Houghton Harcourt. Jul. 2017.

In this debut novel, after the celebrated collection Single, Carefree, Mellow, Graham Cavanaugh and his highly energized second wife need his reserved first wife’s help with their middle schooler, who has

In contemporary Northern California, a man kills his brother and rides away on horseback, avidly pursed by the victim’s wife. There’s suspense, of course, but this is mainly a fierce and luminous study of sibling rivalry and complicated love, intensified by the rush of hooves. From a PEN/ Bingham finalist.

208p. ISBN 9780544963399. $23; ebk. ISBN 9780544963412.

Watts, Stephanie Powell. No One Is Coming To Save Us. Ecco: HarperCollins. Apr. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780062472984. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062473004.

Asperger’s. “Humor in the vein of Nora Ephron or Nick Hornby.” (LJ 3/15/17) Ludwig, Benjamin. The Original Ginny Moon. Park Row: Harlequin. May 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780778330165. $26.99.

The big launch title from Harlequin’s Park Row imprint, this affecting work features a gifted 14-year-old with autism who’s found love and safety in a new home with her Forever Parents but desperately wants to return to her abusive mother. “Ludwig’s stunning debut grabs his readers by the heart and refuses to let go.” (LJ 3/15/17)

Billed as an African American Great Gatsby, this work quietly but powerfully unfolds a story of dreams and disappointments in a modest North Carolina community that’s seen better days, as magnified by the reappearance of a now-rich J.J. Ferguson. “Believable and gratifying without being pat.” (LJ 2/1/17)

BRAVO BRITISH ISLES Cocozza, Paula. How To Be Human. Metropolitan: Holt. May 2017. 288p. ISBN 9781250129253. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781250129260.

Out of love and on leave from work, Mary finds comfort in the presence of a gorgeous red fox that has taken to visiting the back garden of her home in the London suburbs. But the neighbors are

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disturbed. “A compelling, unsettling, and wholly original debut.” (LJ 3/1/17) Lally, Caitriona. Eggshells. Melville House. Mar. 2017. 264p. ISBN 9781612195971. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781612195988.

Whimsically charming Vivian lives in a house inherited from her aunt and walks Dublin’s streets in search of portals to the fairy realm, as she believes that she’s a changeling. An Irish Book of the Year finalist and LibraryReads pick (see the interview with Lally, p. 143); “[a] sensational first novel.” (LJ 1/17) Rooney, Sally. Conversations with Friends. Hogarth: Crown. Jul. 2017. 304p. ISBN 9780451499059. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780451499073.

When Frances and Bobbi perform spoken-word poetry together in Dublin, they capture the attention of journalist Melissa, but Frances’s increasingly out-of-control f lirtation with Melissa’s louche actor husband threatens to upend everything. Smart, persuasive, and never self-indulgent; a London Book Fair buzz book from a rising Irish star. Spufford, Francis. Golden Hill. Scribner. Jun. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781501163876. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501163890.

A Somerset Maugham award winner in nonfiction, Spufford triumphantly tries out fiction with a tale set in 1740s New York, where a stranger arrives at the counting house with an order for a whopping £1,000. Winner of the Costa First Novel Award and a UK Sunday Times Novel of the Year.

WORLDWIDE Alyan, Hala. Salt Houses. Houghton Harcourt. May 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780544912588. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780544912380.

Palestinian American poet Alyan clarifies Middle East displacement by chronicling a family repeatedly uprooted after the Six-Day War of 1967. “By placing readers inside the hearts and minds of one Arab family scattered from Paris to Boston to Lebanon, [Alyan] beautifully illustrates the resilience of the human spirit.” (LJ 2/15/17) Atogun, Odafe. Taduno’s Song. Pantheon. Mar. 2017. 240p. ISBN 9781101871454. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101871461.

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debut novels her or support his people by challeng ing the powers that be? “Atogun’s sim ple, direct prose is the perfect vehicle for the complex questions he poses.... Thoughtful readers will be enthralled.” (LJ 2/15/17) Bassingthwaighte, Ian. Live from Cairo. Scribner. Jul. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781501146879. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501146893.

A Fulbright grantee who worked in Egypt with refugees from Iraq, Sudan, and the horn of Afr ica, Bassing thwaighte crafts the story of four people caught in Cairo as President Mubarak’s regime falls. Forthright, deeply relevant, and revelatory. Hamilton, Omar Robert. The City Always Wins. Sean McDonald: Farrar. Jun. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780374123970. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780374716332.

Cofounder of the Palestine Festival of Literature, Hamilton takes us to Cairo as his idealistic protagonist joins the battle in Tahrir Square, then lands in disillu sioned exile in New York. Forceful, as tonishing writing and a piercing insider’s look at Egypt’s failed revolution. Himes, Julie Lekstrom. Mikhail and Margarita. Europa. Mar. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9781609453756. pap. $18; ebk. ISBN 9781609453749.

In 1933, Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov bangs up against intensifying censorship and is pursued by the secret police even as he falls for brashly beautiful Margarita, who inspires his celebrated The Master and Margarita. “A whirlwind tale of ro mance and intrigue that approximates, if not exceeds, the talents of one of Russia’s most heralded authors.” (LJ 2/1/17) Kalfar, Jaroslav. Spaceman of Bohemia. Little, Brown. Mar. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9780316273435. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316273404.

In this wackily original story, Czech astronaut Jakub Procházka grabs the chance to become a hero while aton

ing for his father’s Communist past by undertaking a dangerous solo mission to Venus, during which he encounters a large and possibly imaginary spider. “A heady concoction of history, social commentary and irony; highly recom mended.” (LJ 2/1/17) Statovci, Pajtim. My Cat Yugoslavia. Pantheon. Apr. 2017. 272p. tr. from Finnish by David Hackston. ISBN 9781101871829. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101871836.

A pet boa constrictor and a talking cat? Clearly, this is a fabulist take on some very real issues, as the son of Muslims who fled Yugoslavia when it imploded faces life as an immigrant and a gay man in straitlaced Finland. “Statovci is a tremendous talent. This debut novel… has an intensity and power that demands a second reading.” (LJ 2/1/17) Trasi, Amita. The Color of Our Sky. Morrow. Apr. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9780062474070. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062474087.

Originally self-published, this novel deals intimately with the lives of women in India as it alternates between Tara’s memory of the kidnapping of Mukta, a girl her father took in, and Mukta herself, daughter of a temple prostitute. “A skillful tapestry of story telling with contemporary appeal.” (LJ 2/1/17)

Coming of Age Assadi, Hannah Lillith. Sonora. Soho. Mar. 2017. 208p. ISBN 9781616957926. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781616957933.

In this raw yet dreamily written com ing-of-age story, teenage Ahlam—of Palestinian and Israeli descent like the author—grows up alienated in Phoe nix and with like-minded friend Laura finally runs off to New York. Universal prepublication praise. Buntin, Julie. Marlena. Holt. Apr. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9781627797641. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781627797634.

Relating the story of 15-year-old Cat, new in town and drawn to dar ing, desperate Marlena, Buntin captures a destructive yet essential relationship with ongoing conse quences. A Discover Great New Writers pick; “an exceptional portrait, disturbing and precisely obser ved.” (Xpress Reviews 3/10/17) Firmani, B.G. Time’s a Thief. Doubleday. May 2017. 320p. ISBN

9780385541862. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385541879.

In Firmani’s immediately absorb ing story, working-class Barnard stu dent Francesca “Chess” Varani is en tranced by supremely self-confident and self-involved classmate Kendra Marr- Löwenstein, but involvement with Kendra’s family has its costs. “A compel ling story of youthful infatuation, love, and disillusionment.” (LJ 2/1/17) Magariel, Daniel. One of the Boys. Scribner. Mar. 2017. 176p. ISBN 9781501156168. $22; ebk. ISBN 9781501156182.

Slim and sharp as an ice pick, Magariel’s debut features teenage brothers whose father has triumphantly won them in a vicious custody battle. Readers soon realize that this might not be such a good thing. “The nerve-jarring narra tive develops unexpectedly and insight fully; a satisfying if disturbing read.” (Xpress Reviews 3/10/17) Ruby, Ryan. The Zero and the One. Twelve: Hachette. Mar. 2017. 272p. ISBN 9781455565184. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781455565191.

At Oxford, charismatic and vainglorious New Yorker Zach charms shy, book ish Owen, an English lad who’s the first in his family to attend university. But Zach is on a collision course with death. “Astute psychological insight and a sus penseful unfolding to a shocking end.” (Xpress Reviews 3/10/17) Wang, Weike. Chemistry. Knopf. May 2017. 224p. ISBN 9781524731748. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781524731755.

A graduate student in chemistry at a rig orous Boston-area university, the sharp, self-aware narrator of this engaging work is having doubts about her career aspirations and her boyfriend. Named a “Most Anticipated Novel of 2017” by Entertainment Weekly, the Millions, and Bustle, and they were right.

SPINE-TINGLERS Kies, Thomas. Random Road: A Geneva Chase Mystery. Poisoned Pen. May 2017. 318p. ISBN 9781464208003. $26.95; pap. ISBN 9781464208027. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781464208034.

Brought low by alcoholism, reporter Geneva Chase is back at her hometown newspaper, ready to redeem herself by covering the worst crime scene she’s ever seen—the savage killing of six people in a gated community. “A suspenseful story…a compelling voice.” (LJ 3/1/17)

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Love, Melissa Scrivner. Lola. Crown. Mar. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780451496102. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780451496126.

Ostensibly the dutiful girlfriend of gang leader Garcia, Lola is actually the knifesharp, tough-as-bullets brains behind the operation. And now she’s got to save her own skin. “This adrenaline-charged debut will thrill readers as they discover one of crime fiction’s most captivating protagonists yet.” (LJ 2/1/17) Obregón, Nicolás. Blue Light Yokohama. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Mar. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9781250110480. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250110497.

Newly reinstated Tokyo police inspector Iwata inherits a troublesome case: an entire family has been slaughtered and the symbol of a large black sun left behind. “This gritty story…establish[es] Obregón as a fresh, up-and-coming voice in crime fiction.” (LJ 2/1/17) Welsh, Kaite. The Wages of Sin. Pegasus Crime. Mar. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781681773322. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681773865.

A former debutante victimized by sexual assault and now one of the few brave women at a Victorian-era medical school, Sarah Gilchrist recognizes an anatomy class corpse as a working girl she met at a clinic and immediately investigates. “Sarah is a spunky but historically accurate heroine; one hopes [for] a long-running series.” (LJ 2/1/17)

SF/FANTASY Donnelly, Lara Elena. Amberlough. Tor. Feb. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9780765383815. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781466893412.

In a wildly reimagined world where social conservatives are rising, a gay double agent working for resistant Amberlough City (think the Weimar Republic) gets himself and his burlesque-performing lover in trouble. “Donnelly’s striking debut brings a complex world of politics, espionage, and cabaret life to full vision.” (LJ 2/15/17) Honeywell, Antonia. The Ship. Orbit: Hachette. Apr. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780316469852. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316469890.

The world is in ruins, and as refugees pour into Britain, the government determines to toss out those who aren’t registered. Lalla’s father has been building a ship for their escape, but it can only take so many. “A stunning debut.” (LJ 3/15/17)

James, Vic. Gilded Cage. Del Rey: Ballantine. (Dark Gifts, Bk. 1). Feb. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780425284155. $20; ebk. ISBN 9780425284131.

In a darkly fantastical world where the lower classes must serve the magically gifted upper-class rulers for ten years, a teenage boy dreams of rebellion, his sister of a better life, and a nasty young aristocrat of using his dark gifts for his own ends. A LibraryReads pick; “excellent.” (LJ 12/16) Ward, Catriona. The Girl from Rawblood. Sourcebooks Landmark. Mar. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781492637424. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781492637431.

At a gloomy early 1900s English estate, young Iris is enjoined not to form any relationship lest she set into motion a terrible family curse. Naturally, she rebels. Best Horror Novel at the British Fantasy Awards; “Ward’s layered and skillfully crafted novel pulls elements of classic Gothic and horror and weaves them together in a remarkable story.” (LJ 2/1/17)

POP FICTION Eberlen, Kate. Miss You. Harper. Apr. 2017. 448p. ISBN 9780062460226. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062460240.

When two young people repeatedly cross paths after meeting in Florence, their love looks meant to be. Publication is slated in 24 countries, the book buzzed big at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting, and LJ’s reviewer calls it “a must read for all romantics.” (forthcoming LJ review) Emmich, Val. The Reminders. Little, Brown. May 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780316316996. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316317016; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316500951.

Mourning the death of his beloved Sydney, Gavin asks Joan, a friend’s ten-yearold daughter, blessed with a remarkable memory, to relate everything she recalls about Sydney in photo-finish detail. “Emmich captures the voices of Joan and Gavin…brilliantly; quirky, touching, and addictive.” (LJ 2/15/17) Honeyman, Gail. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Pamela Dorman: Viking. May 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780735220683. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780735220706.

Socially maladroit Eleanor Oliphant bonds with her office’s bighearted IT guy, and together they heal. Short-listed for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and a buzzing book at ALA’s Midwinter;

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“exquisite, heartbreaking, funny, and irresistible.” (LJ 2/15/17) Nicorvo, Jay Baron. The Standard Grand. St. Martin’s. Apr. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9781250108944. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250108951.

In this refreshing work, an army trucker gone AWOL before her third deployment joins a Vietnam vet at his family’s seen-better-days Borscht Belt resort, now a halfway house for homeless veterans. But a nasty multinational corporation wants the land. “Nicorvo carves out something truly original.” (LJ 2/1/17) Strawser, Jessica. Almost Missed You. St. Martin’s. Mar. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9781250107602. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250107626.

If Violet and Finn have the perfect marriage, why does he abandon her on holiday and take their son to her best friend, demanding that she hide them? “Fans of smart women’s fiction mixed with a fast-paced plot should not miss this startling first novel.” (LJ 1/17) Taylor, Ann Kidd. The Shark Club. Viking. Jun. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9780735221475. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780735221499.

Coauthor with her mother of the bestselling memoir Traveling with Pomegranates, Taylor offers a first novel featuring Maeve Donnelly, who’s attacked by a shark at age 12 yet grows up to be a m arine biologist. The writing is f luid, the surface beautifully calm, and Maeve’s depths thoughtfully revealed. Winawer, Melodie. The Scribe of Siena. Touchstone. May 2017. 464p. ISBN 9781501152252. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781501152276.

Studying research on the Black Death, neurosurgeon Beatrice Trovato time travels to medieval Sienna and falls in love with a city under disastrous threat. “Lovers of meticulously researched historical fiction and time-travel narratives will be swept away.” (LJ 2/15/17) n MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 77

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still adores. Cassandra Campbell does an excellent job reading this emotional and romantic novel. She articulates the Italian, Irish, German, and American accents perfectly, while emphasizing the dilemma of each character as she captures their personality. VERDICT Highly recommended for all romance and World War II collections.—

fiction

Bauer, Belinda. The Beautiful Dead. 9 CDs. 10:30 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781520016887. $59.95. digital download. Mys

Reporting a gruesome murder places television reporter Eve Singer directly in the crosshairs of a serial killer. As the executioner continues to construct his highly stylized murders, Eve must handle not only her demanding, competitive job but also the endless demands of her demented father. In the midst of this, she becomes a pawn in the games of an obsessed, psychotic serial sadist who thrives on Eve’s reports about him. The fast-paced action only lets up as Eve gets distracted by her declining parent and is forced to play catch-up on all fronts until the final minutes. Andrew Wincott’s wonderful baritone doesn’t quite compensate for an excessively slow delivery that contrasts poorly with the speed of the plot. VERDICT A well-thought-out thriller that will appeal to fans of Sharon Bolton, Karin Slaughter, and Mo Hayder. [“A taut, psychological thriller”: LJ 1/17 review of the Atlantic Monthly hc.] —Janet Martin, formerly with Southern Pines P.L., NC

.Gordon, Alexia. Murder in G Major.

(Gethsemane Brown Mystery). 7 CDs. 8:10 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781520063850. $48. digital download. Mys

Mix a bold African American musician, the Irish countryside, and the ghost of a murdered composer, and you have the makings of a captivating mystery. Gethsemane Brown reluctantly assumes the role of music teacher and conductor of the orchestra at a boys school in rural Ireland. The position comes with the stipulation that she

Hitting the right notes: Silicon Valley success stories; a new musical murder series

prepare the orchestra to win the all-county competition. In addition to her professional challenges, Gethsemane is pressured by the ghost of the composer whose cottage she occupies to prove that he didn’t murder his wife and subsequently take his own life. As Gethsemane asks questions in the small town where everyone knows everyone and their business, there are more murders and her life is now in danger, which only compels her to work harder. London-based actress Jessica Carroll narrates with a soothing British accent, while her pitch-perfect Irish and American dialects bring the characters to life. VERDICT A pleasure for the entire family. The plot, characters, and conclusion are complicated enough for adults and simple enough for older children. [“A charming paranormal series launch with an appealing protagonist”: LJ 9/1/16 review of the Henery hc.] —Ann Weber, Los Gatos, CA

.Harmon, Amy. From Sand and Ash.

10 CDs. 13 hrs. Brilliance Audio. Dec. 2016. ISBN 9781531834692. $14.99. F

When Angelo Bianco’s mother dies, Angelo, an American Catholic, age 11, is sent to Italy to live with his grandparents and learn to manage the Rosellis’ villa. Angelo’s constant companion is Jewish Eva Roselli. As children, they grow to love each other deeply. But as Angelo matures, he rejects Eva and their relationship to become a priest. When the Germans occupy Italy, Angelo risks his life to hide Eva, whom he

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GAMING

Ilka Gordon, Beachwood, OH

Hart, Josephine. Sin. 3 CDs. 3:43 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Dec. 2016. ISBN 9781520052083. $29.99. digital download. F

For her entire life, Ruth has been consumed by the jealousy she feels toward her adopted sister, Elizabeth. Ruth believes she has always taken second place to Elizabeth, whose good nature and kindness make her the object of adoration for their parents. At a young age, Ruth’s envy warped into hate, only to be amplified over the years. In adulthood, Ruth has become obsessed with Elizabeth and with destroying her. Without any remorse, Ruth sets out to steal Elizabeth’s husband, in an attempt both to defeat her and become her. During the process, Ruth manages to ruin her own life as well. Naomi Frederick’s reading is almost eerie, as it immerses the listener in Ruth’s dark thoughts, without any distraction. Frederick gives a distinct voice to each of the many characters, making it easy to distinguish one from another and to follow the story. Verdict While this is not a story to lift the spirit, it will appeal to adults who are interested in the conflict and consequences of a complex narrator. [“A disturbing, provocative work, sure to be eagerly sought by readers of Damage”: LJ 7/92 review of the Knopf hc.] —Emma Manfredi, Glastonbury, CT Janes, J. Robert. The Little Parachute. 5 CDs. 5:30 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Dec. 2016. ISBN 9781520051659. $59.99. F

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MEDIA a panicked Angelique conceals the identity of nine-year-old Martin, posing as her child. The son of her vanished lover is mute, and this trip to Paris was to see a physician. She is pulled into a terrifying and deteriorating situation, with her history unfolding in parallel with that of another Frenchwoman working for the Nazis. Janes has written a long-running mystery series set in Nazi-occupied France and describes Paris well, but this fractured story is confused, difficult to follow, and ends abruptly, with no resolution. Narrator Philip Bond does little to differentiate the characters, exacerbating the disorder of unpredictable scenes and changes in point of view. VERDICT Recommended only for large collections with Janes’s fans or readers looking for World War II suspense fiction.—

county”). Kenni’s investigation is assisted by another surprise expert who’s invisible to everyone but Kenni and her dog—the ghost of Kenni’s deceased grandfather, the previous sheriff. Hillary Huber, Earphone awardee and AudioFile Best Voice, endows Kenni with a tweedy, no-nonsense drawl that assures us she’s as capable as any man. Only she isn’t. Kenni’s Nancy Drew–style sleuthing rises to neither true male nor female police standards. The threadbare plot, sprinkled with contrived local kookiness and folksy Southernisms, is uncomfortable listening and a cuckoo in the cozy mystery nest. A more apt niche would be dozy mysteries—for people who read casually to kill time. VERDICT Despite its series aspirations, eschewing this inaugural title won’t deprive library patrons in any way.—Judith Robinson,

Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC

Univ. at Buffalo

.Jiles, Paulette. News of the World.

.McVeigh, Jennifer. Leopard at the Door.

5 CDs. 6 hrs. Brilliance Audio. Oct. 2016. ISBN 978151135674. $19.99. digital download. F

An intriguing tale of the post–Civil War Southwest, the story concerns the travels of Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd from Wichita Falls, TX, to near San Antonio, where he hopes to return a recently recovered Indian captive to her family and reap a reward. Kidd earns meagre pay as an itinerant news reader to audiences in the small towns of Texas. Although the story is fiction, the author gives listeners some wonderful descriptions of the real Texas hill country and the dangers and rigors of frontier travel, including Indians, bandits, and would-be human traffickers. There’s also much discussion about corrupt politicians, the desire for fame in big-city newspapers, and the fine line between moral and immoral conduct. Reader Grover Gardner’s characterizations are convincing, and his timing and inflections are effective in conveying emotion. VERDICT Very highly recommended for adult audio collections. [“Not to be missed by Jiles’s fans and lovers of Texas historical fiction”; LJ 12/15 review of the Morrow hc.] —Cliff Glaviano, formerly with Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH

Kappes, Tonya. Fixin’ To Die. (Kenni Lowry Mystery). 6 CDs. 7:10 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Jan. 2017. ISBN 98779837326. $59.99. digital download. Mys

When old Doc Walton is found murdered, small-town sheriff Kenni Lowry must solve her first homicide case. Short-staffed, Kenni requests a temp from the Kentucky State Police Reserve Unit. Enter Officer Finn Vincent, a magnificent hunk with perfect teeth, materializing within minutes like an archangel (he was “in the next

10 CDs. 12 hrs. Books on Tape. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781524703523. $50. F

Set in the 1950s, this historical novel details the homecoming of Rachel Fullsmith to her father’s farm in Kenya. McVeigh (The Fever Tree) uses Rachel’s story to examine the cultural and political changes wrought by the waning of the British Empire and the impending Mau Mau rebellion. This is much more than an “issues” novel, however. It is a coming-of-age tale of a young woman who is trying to find her place in the world. Rachel was 12 when her mother died and her father sent her to an English boarding school; she is now 18 and shocked to find how dramatically things have changed in the years she has been away. Her father is living with a woman whose racist views are at odds with the values Rachel’s mother taught her, and the household no longer feels like home. Will the secrets Rachel carries—one rooted in the past, the other in her growing relationship with her former tutor—help her come to terms with the changes in her family and in her country? British actress Katherine McEwan provides a rich narration that fully renders both the individual characters and the descriptions of life in mid-20th century Kenya. VERDICT Both social commentary and an engaging story; highly recommended for all readers. [“McVeigh’s second novel may disappoint...this tale is far from heartwarming and not for those who want a happy ending”: LJ 12/16 review of the Putnam hc.] —Wendy Galgan, St. Francis Coll., Brooklyn

.Rooney, Kathleen. Lillian Boxfish Takes

a Walk. 8 CDs. 9 hrs. Macmillan Audio. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781427282378. $39.99. F

Once the highest paid female copywriter in the country, Lillian (Lily to her friends, Lils to her faithless mate) is intelligent, witty, and rather wonderful. On this New Year’s Eve of 1984, at 85 years of age, she strolls the streets of her Manhattan, recalling what it used to be like; how she made her mark on the world as a copywriter for Macy’s and writer of best-selling Dorothy Parker–like books of verse; how she fell like a boatload of bananas for a handsome heel; and how she became a loving if uneager mother. She has written well and been well paid, fought for the rights of women in the workplace, has known too much drink and her share of despair. But she survives. While her frequent perambulations reveal a New York that has changed irrevocably, Lillian lives with the hope that her greatest love, the city, will rise again. There is a melancholy behind her words, and reader Xe Sands voices poignancy, old age, wit, and youthful snark beautifully, although with a few mispronunciations VERDICT Reminiscent of Amor Towles’s Rules of Civility; listeners won’t be blamed for wanting to return to Lillian Boxfish’s New York. Magical.— Ellen Abrams, Library Journal

nonfiction

Balcombe, Jonathan. What a Fish Knows:

The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins.

7 CDs. 8:15 hrs. Recorded Bks. Oct. 2016. ISBN 9781501924040. $77.75. digital download. Sci

A fish isn’t just a fish. Fish life is complex and interesting. Jonathan Balcombe, an expert in ethology, reveals the surprising abilities among the thousands of varieties of fish. Their intelligence, diversity, and variety are astonishing; there are fish that have better vision than humans and see a wider range of light and more colors; there are fish that can hear at ranges above and below the human hearing range; there are fish that hunt in groups and use simple tools, revealing a social aspect to their underwater lives. Balcombe also discusses the ability of fish to feel emotion and urges reconsideration of human practices and policies related to fish. Balcombe is informative and passionate but also provides an edge of whimsy to his fish story. It is unfortunate that a PDF of the illustrations is not included. Michael Page, an AudioFile Earphones winner, has a crisp tone that enhances the material. VERDICT Drawing on the latest discoveries and research, this audiobook is a solid addition to most science collections. [“A lively and surprising work that makes a strong argument for sport and food fishing reform”: LJ 6/1/16 review of the Farrar hc.] —Cynthia Jensen, Plano P.L. Syst., TX

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.Collins, Phil. Not Dead Yet:

The Memoir. 10 CDs. 12 hrs. Books

on Tape. Oct. 2016. ISBN 9780735208988. $45. MUSIC

Anyone who has listened to an audiobook gets the same chill down their spine when they see the phrase “read by the author.” However, in this case, the listener will be delighted by Collins’s presentation, as he reads his memoir with skill, humor, and real emotion. The narration is performed with the dexterity of a seasoned actor. Telling his life story from his beginnings as a natural drummer to early runins with major musical inf luences, Collins delivers personal stories about being an absentee father and a less-than-perfect husband and also talks about his music. Some listeners might be put off by his “name dropping” of celebrities and musicians, but the reality is that Collins was a major musician who influenced plenty of singers, songwriters, and drummers. Avid music fans will appreciate the detailed discussions of certain recordings and who played what on which song. Moreover, Collins’s openness about his depression after his retirement in 2007 will make fans root for his comeback tour in 2017. Anyone who can sing along to his songs should listen to this audiobook. V ERDICT Fans of Collins’s music, whether from his solo work or with Genesis, will truly enjoy this wonderful story.—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

.Everitt, Anthony. The Rise of Athens:

The Story of the World’s Greatest Civilization. 13 CDs. 16:30 hrs. HighBridge Audio. Dec. 2016. ISBN 9781681684154. $49.99. Hist

Everitt, a renowned scholar of British and European culture, has turned to those contentious ancient Athenians who gave us democracy for his ninth book (The Rise of Rome; Augustus; Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome). Everitt writes this popular history about the rise of Athens in a narrative style meant for the reader to experience the events as did the Athenians and Greeks who lived through them. The style is entertaining and informative. The book can be appreciated by those with little knowledge of ancient Athens and those who would like a refresher. Michael Page, AudioFile Earphones winner, gives a formal and precise delivery appropriate to the material. V ERDICT This excellent overview of the history of ancient Greece would be a solid addition to most library collections. [“Everitt has a gift for making ancient history accessible”: LJ 9/15/16 starred review of the Random hc.] — Cynthia Jensen, Plano P.L. Syst., TX

Feasel, Cyndy with Mike Yorkey. After the Cheering Stops: An NFL Wife’s Story of Concussions, Loss, and the Faith That Saw Her Through. 6 CDs. 7 hrs. Blackstone. Nov. 2016. ISBN 9781536615548. $24.99. digital download. Memoir

In the heartbreaking story of the late Grant Feasel and the devastating role that 117 NFL games and multiple concussions played in his life and of those who loved him, his wife, Cyndy, shares, in intimate and personal detail, her husband’s transformation from a great father and compassionate man to a person hardly recognizable as the man with whom she fell in love. Grant never expected that the game he loved would destroy his marriage, rational thinking, and ultimately his life. The former NFL lineman was posthumously diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease caused by head trauma known as CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). In order to cope with the aches and pains plaguing him in retirement, Feasel turned to alcohol, exacerbating the damaged brain that was already working against him. Stories of uncharacteristic fights, arguments, irrational blowups, and other awful moments leading to Grant’s death illustrate the incredible sacrifices that players and their families still make. Narration by Michelle Lasley is clear and easy to listen to but at times is unconvincing, owing to the very personal nature of this audiobook. VERDICT A must-listen for fans of similar titles, such as Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru’s League of Denial and those following the concussion crisis in sports.— Sean Kennedy, Univ. of Akron

.Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. 7 CDs. 8:48 hrs. Brilliance Audio. Dec. 2016. ISBN 9781531865030. $19.99. digital download. Biog

Many people know Noah as the current host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show; however, one doesn’t need to be familiar with his comedy and commentary to enjoy this fascinating and funny memoir. Born during apartheid to a Swiss-German father and black Xhosa mother, Noah shares stories from his formative years when he often felt more like an outsider than the shining star he is today. His stories give insight into not only his personal history but the culture and history of South Africa. The subject matter is difficult, with violence, racism, and poverty all being part of his complex narrative. Despite his circumstances, Noah is able to find humor and love even in the worst of times, mostly owing to his strongwilled, independent, and devoutly Christian mother. VERDICT Noah is a talented

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performer, and language (he speaks several, including Zulu, Tswana, Afrikaans, and Tsonga) is such an important part of his story that it should be listened to in his own voice in order to be truly appreciated. Audio at its best.—Theresa Horn, St. Joseph Cty. P.L., South Bend, IN

.Pomfret, John. The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present. 24 CDs.

30 hrs. HighBridge Audio. Nov. 2016. ISBN 9781681682686. $54.99. Foreign Affairs

Pomfret (Chinese Lessons) has written for the Washington Post and has been a Fulbright scholar in Beijing. His research into the culture of China and the nature of the relationship between China and America is ongoing and thorough. His interest in the ways in which the history of the two countries and cultures have intersected and sometimes collided is broad. He refers to interactions between Chinese and American officials to illustrate the ways in which the cultures work for and against the best interests of each country on the world stage. He also offers insightful glimpses into the ways in which students, missionaries, and women have been treated in China and the ways in which Americans have interpreted its issues with civil rights. Tom Perkins offers a lively reading. VERDICT Recommended as interest warrants. [“Essential for anyone with an interest in the topic”: LJ 10/1/16 review of the Holt hc.] —Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence

Stone, Brad. The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World. 9 CDs. 10:30 hrs. Hachette Audio. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781478941118. $30. Bus

Stone (The Everything Store) presents a detailed account of two powerful players in the contemporary internet marketplace: Uber and Airbnb. This insider’s examination uses interviews with current and former employees, Uber drivers, Airbnb hosts, government regulators, and CEOs Travis Kalanick and Brian Chesky, respectively. Both firms started as one of many ideas that fledgling entrepreneurs launched in the mid-2000s. Although there were other ride- and space-sharing companies debuting about the same time, it was the hard work, vision, and contacts with venture capitalists that allowed Kalanick and Chesky to grow their companies, first nationally then internationally. They had to overcome the entrenched interests and political connections of the transportation and hospitality industries, along with public skepticism over the wisdom of sharing automobiles and living space with total MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 81

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MEDIA strangers. Both companies now stand as mature, successful enterprises always searching for new opportunities in the digital world. Dean Temple does a wonderful job presenting the story, changing the tone of his voice to individualize the different players. VERDICT Listeners interested in the ever-changing world of Internet commerce should enjoy this work. [“A very readable, informative history that will likely appeal...to those interested in the sharing economy and contemporary business history”: LJ 2/15/17 review of the Little, Brown hc.] —Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib.

do tobacco and alcohol.” Taubes argues that the lack of scientific research on the effects of sugar fuels that uncertainty. Although Taubes is unable to build an airtight case against sugar as a culprit that warrants government regulation, he presents a convincing argument that makes one think seriously about limiting the amount of sugar we consume. VERDICT Narrator Mike Chamberlain’s steady voice helps drive the point home without getting in the way of the information. [“This accessible book will be of particular interest to historians and health-conscious readers”: LJ 10/15/16 review of the Knopf hc.] —Gladys Alcedo, Wallingford, CT

Stubbs, John. Jonathan Swift: The Reluctant Rebel. HighBridge Audio. 25 CDs. 31 hrs. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781681584451. $75.99. LIT

Best known for Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal, Swift was a brilliant satirist who reflected the attitudes of his time on religion, class, sex, power, and poverty but also wrote critiques of his own period that have stood the test of time. A Dubliner by birth, Swift insisted that he was English and, thus, was able to write simultaneously as both an insider and an outsider about politics. An essayist, pamphleteer, poet, and cleric, he understood the vanities and egos of his own age and was sharply critical of the flaws that plagued society. Derek Perkins’s reading style brings the detailed material to life. His tone is somber, suggesting gravitas when appropriate, and temperate, suggesting irony and humor where needed. VERDICT An engaging listen for scholars and academics, particularly in literature and history. [“A generally sound if at times overlong introduction to Swift and his age, especially strong on historical and political background”: LJ 1/17 review of the Norton hc.]—Pamela Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence

Taubes, Gary. The Case Against Sugar. 9 CDs. 11:30 hrs. Books on Tape. Dec. 2016. ISBN 9781524709075. $40. Health/Sci

If The Case Against Sugar were a criminal case, it would be a case for the prosecution, Taubes writes. Like a skilled attorney, he puts on the stand a litany of expert witnesses, including doctors and scientists and their centuries of research on the relationship between sugar consumption and chronic Western diseases, such as diabetes, insulin resistance, and even gout. Taubes also debunks the arguments that sugar is harmless, by carefully laying out the history behind sugar and how it evolved, thanks to technology, marketing, and (bad) science. But he acknowledges there’s still reasonable doubt on whether the evidence “would stand up in a court of law and allow governments to regulate sugar, as they already

Treasurer, Bill. A Leadership Kick

in the Ass: How To Learn from Rough Landings, Blunders, and Missteps.

4 CDs. 4:21 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Jan. 2017. ISBN 9781520063287. $29.99. digital download. Bus

Encouragement consultant (Giant Leap Consulting) and author (Right Risk; Courage Goes to Work) Treasurer presents an enthusiastic summary of how leaders can survive and learn valuable lessons from the mistakes in their careers. Treasurer’s premise is that anyone in a leadership position will experience failures or moments of humiliation at least once in a career. He explains how the best of these leaders choose to learn from the situation and how to admit their error to others. The types of situations covered are not merely minor mistakes but significant blunders that challenge the fundamental operation and success of an organization or shatter the ego of the leader. The author shares real case studies from his consulting experience that demonstrate how leaders in different types of organizations responded to their mistakes and failures, and he highlights the few who were transformed by them. Narrator Jeff Hoyt’s extensive experience as a voice-over artist in commercials is aptly applied to this important material that actually provides new ideas instead of the typical management consultant psychobabble. This refreshing new information can help anyone in a leadership position learn how to kick-start themselves after a major failure. VERDICT Recommended for all levels of leadership. Should be required learning for the new POTUS.—Dale Farris, Groves, TX Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. A House Full of

Females: Plural Marriage and Women’s Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835–1870.

16 CDs. 20 hrs. HighBridge Audio. Jan. 2017. ISBN 978168168454. $44.99. Hist

Award winning author Ulrich (A Midwife’s Tale), employs a plethora of primary sources, including diaries, letters and al-

bums, to tell the story of women in plural marriages and their impact on society in Mormon settlements. Tracing the spread and acceptance of the marriage doctrine, Ulrich’s research reveals that women were active in organizing relief societies, supporting one another in times of illness and loneliness, and generally maintaining their voices in the evolution of the state of Utah and its constitution that gave women the right to vote and hold public office. The abundance of original quotes is an outstanding feature, although the audio version doesn’t permit readers to reference notes or sources, nor to peruse the photos and illustrations from the print version. The narration by Susan Ericksen is steady, although there are a few mispronunciations of proper names. VERDICT This volume tells the stories of a sisterhood that many readers might not be aware of, one that arguably initiated the cracks in that glass ceiling. [“Promises more insight into the relationship between plural marriage and women’s rights than it ultimately delivers…[albeit] thoroughly researched and well crafted”: LJ 12/16 review of the Knopf hc.] —Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel

Wiltz, Chris. The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld. 8 CDs. 9:30 hrs. Dreamscape Media. Nov. 2016. ISBN 9781520051307. $49.99. digital download. Memoir

Wiltz has set several novels, as well as a mystery series, in her hometown of New Orleans. Here she tells the true story of Norma Wallace (1899–1974), a notorious and very successful madam who opened her first bordello in 1920. Eventually awarded the key to the city, this powerful, savvy “landlady” (madams preferred this term) welcomed film stars, musicians, politicians, police, and mobsters to her establishments. From 1920 to 1960, Wallace’s wild whorehouses were the life of the party in the French Quarter. Taxi drivers, hotel staff, and bar owners recommended her businesses to tourists, while city fathers and the law turned a blind eye—thanks to her bribes. Shortly before she died, Wallace began to record her memories, and Wiltz wisely lets the woman speak for herself. Unfortunately, despite a fascinating subject and a solid performance from narrator Donna Postel, whose warm delivery and relaxed pace highlight Wallace’s appealing joie de vivre, the narrative is not consistently engaging—excessive detail about minor characters and government machinations disrupt the f low. VERDICT Best for New Orleans natives and others with a strong interest in the city.— Beth Farrell, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib.

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video FICTION

Blood Bath. 2 discs. b/w. 90+ min. Jack Hill & Stephanie Rothman, Arrow Films c/o MVDvisual, www.mvdb2b.com. 2016. Blu-ray UPC 760137843597. $49.95. F/Horror

Antonio Sordi (William Campbell) is an artist known to local beatniks as a hack, but among well-heeled art enthusiasts he is famous for his ghastly “Dead Red Nudes” paintings. In truth, when overcome by bloodlust, he transforms into a vampire and acts out his strange desire to kill while being taunted by ghostly images of the woman who led to his death hundreds of years ago, a woman who looks just like his current beloved (Lori Saunders). Blood Bath is a fractured gem of dime-store magnificence in the form of a horror film so surreal it’s compulsively watchable. This set has all four versions of the film as it was reshot and reedited over years while producer Roger Corman attempted to get a product that worked commercially. VERDICT Cinema students and drive-in movie aficionados will delight in this amazing look at the creative process.—Douglas Rednour, Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta

A regal series that will fascinate viewers; an “amazing” performer discredits swindlers

tor Janet King (Marta Dusseldorp). She accepts the chairmanship of a royal commission charged with scrutinizing gun violence and the source of illegal weapons flooding New South Wales (Australia). Although some members of her team (mostly the same characters from Series 1) think of her as an “ice queen,” she makes many personal sacrifices (and a few mistakes) in her search for justice. There is always the hope that the inquiry will uncover the person behind the unsolved murder of Janet’s romantic partner. And while she struggles to keep the personal and professional separate, she is often fighting those who are in a position to ruin her career. Verdict A strong cast and impressive cinematography contribute to a quality production. Viewer discretion is advised owing to strong language, violence, sexual situations, and nudity. Recommended for public libraries where legal series are popular.—

.Cat People. 2 discs. b/w. 73+ min. Jacques Tourneur, dist. by Criterion, www.criterion.com. 2016. DVD ISBN 9781681432021. $29.95; Blu-Ray ISBN 9781681432014. $39.95. F/Horror

Joan Greenberg, Warminster, PA

Lovely Irena (Simone Simon) is swept off her feet in a whirlwind affair by a wonderful guy (Kent Smith). Before long the couple are married, but this arrangement brings to light Irena’s darkest fear: owing to a family curse, if she kisses her husband, much less consummates the marriage, she will be transformed into an evil giant cat who will kill the man she loves. Director Tourneur and producer Val Lewton crafted a towering achievement in dark entertainment with Cat People, delivering excellent characterization with sophisticated fright. It also features one of the earliest examples of the now ubiquitous “jump scare,” in a powerfully spooky sequence of menace unsullied by age and overexposure of the technique. VERDICT One of the most sublime creations in the horror cannon, it works on every level as art.—Douglas Rednour,

dist. by PBS, shoppbs.org. 2016. DVD ISBN 9781627897907. $19.99. SDH subtitles. F/TV

Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta

Warminster, PA

L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. 90+ min. John Kent Harrison,

This new television adaptation of the popular 1908 L.M. Montgomery novel follows the early months of young Anne Shirley’s (Ella Ballentine) adventures at Green Gables, a small family-run farm on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. The 11-year-old orphan has been knocked around a bit by life but quickly takes to kindly Matthew (Martin Sheen) and his sister, the more demanding Marilla Cuthbert (Sara Botsford), even though farm life may not be Anne’s cup of tea. The Cuthberts had requested that the orphanage send a boy to help with the work, and Anne is a surprise in more ways than one. Verdict A lovely production, this feel-good family film is recommended for most public libraries.—Joan Greenberg,

Janet King: Series 2; The Invisible Wound.

Midsomer Murders: Series 18. 3 discs.

3 discs. 463+ min. Peter Andrikidis & others, dist. by Acorn Media, www.acornonline.com. 2016. DVD UPC 054961250196. $49.99. SDH subtitles. F/TV

557+ min. Alex Pillai & others, dist. by Acorn Media, www.acornonline.com. 2016. DVD UPC 054961251599. $49.99; Blu-ray UPC UPC 054961251698. $59.99. SDH subtitles. F/TV

It’s not easy being Senior Crown Prosecu-

In this British mystery series based on the

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novels by Caroline Graham, each case takes place in the imaginary rural English county of Midsomer, whose quaint villages host a seemingly endless variety of backdrops for murder and where Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) is tasked with making sense of the clues. To lighten the mood, ample time is provided for Barnaby to negotiate generally humorous situations revolving around his wife (Fiona Dolman) and pet dog Sykes. The current set brings the number of episodes available to 110 since its 1997 inception. Over the decades, the cast has changed and the local population has grown more diverse, with people of color and same-sex couples, but the vibrancy of the intricately constructed puzzles remains. Verdict Highly recommended escapist viewing for all fans of traditional British whodunits.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

The Park Bench. 79 min. Ann LeSchander, dist. by Dreamscape Video, www.dreamscapeab.com. 2016. DVD UPC 857326006243. $24.99; public performance $199.99. F

Emily (Nicole Hayden), a lover of literature, is hired to tutor Mateo (Walter Perez), an immigrant and first-generation college student. Although they come from dramatically different backgrounds and have little in common, their friendship gradually develops during the instruction (on a park bench) as they discuss literature, life, aspirations, family, and favorite folklore (illustrated with whimsical animated drawings). Emily, who is working on a master’s degree in library science, is engaged to a man who first and foremost provides her with stability. Mateo recognizes that his feelings for her have changed from like to love, but Emily’s single-mindedness keeps her from acknowledging the spark between them. Verdict There are few surprises as to how this story ends, but the two very likable protagonists make getting there an enjoyable experience.—Joan Greenberg, Warminster, PA

.Victoria: The Complete First Season.

3 discs. 480+ min. Tom Vaughan & others for Masterpiece, dist. by PBS, shoppbs.org. 2017. DVD UPC 841887030922. $49.99; Blu-Ray UPC 841887030939. $59.99. SDH subtitles. F/TV

Long before she was a rarely amused, dour dumpling of a monarch perpetually clad in black, Queen Victoria (1819–1901) was a young woman in love. This stellar new series, based on the historical novel by Daisy Goodwin, begins when an 18-year-old Alexandrina Victoria receives word that her uncle, the King of England, has died and she is now the new ruler of the British Empire. With help from her beloved Prime MinisMARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 83

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MEDIA ter Lord Melbourne (played to perfection by Rufus Sewell), Victoria (in a star turn by Jenna Coleman) not only learns to take the reins of command but also finds herself making the difficult choice as to whom she will ultimately give her heart. Verdict This sumptuously produced new series delivers all of the compelling characters, fascinating historical detail, expertly designed settings, and delicious drama—both upstairs and down at Windsor Castle—that viewers of period television crave and that fans of Downton Abbey miss. [See Trailers, LJ 12/16.] —

make it clear that while the rise of downloading played a role in Tower’s demise, much of the blame goes to shoddy management, loose purse strings, and overambitious international expansion. Hanks keeps the film visually interesting by supplementing the interview snippets with archival snapshots and video footage. VERDICT Informative and entertaining, a nostalgic journey through American pop culture music fans are sure to relish and a must-see cautionary tale for business-minded viewers.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

John Charles, formerly with Scottsdale P.L., AZ

ARTS & HUMANITIES

All Work All Play. 93+ min. Patrick Creadon, dist. by Kino Lorber, www.kinolorber.com. 2016. DVD UPC 738329209476. $24.95. Closed-captioned. HOBBIES/TECH

Watching someone play video games may not seem like something people would pay to do, but, surprisingly, this new endeavor, called eSports, is becoming very popular. This documentary follows one organization, Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), as it prepares for its 2015 championship. IEM is a global tour, with teams competing for trophies and prize money. Each team is owned or sponsored, and the players are paid to play video games in front of a live paying audience. The film, which includes interviews with the players and with Michal Blicharz, the man who started IEM, does a fine job of explaining eSports and why it is so in demand and might even convert viewers into caring about the outcome of the tournament. Bonus features include deleted scenes. VERDICT With eSports viewership on the rise, this engaging production is a strong purchase for libraries to pair with video game checkouts and academic libraries looking for upand-coming trends.—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

.All Things Must Pass. color & b/w. 94 min. Colin Hanks, dist. by MVDvisual, www.mvdb2b. com. 2016. DVD UPC 760137872498. $19.95. Closed-captioned. MUSIC/BUS Taking its title from a George Harrison song, actor-turned-director Hanks’s first feature-length documentary tells the story of Tower Records, the iconic chain that enjoyed much success from the 1960s through the early 2000s before filing for bankruptcy in 2006 and shuttering its American stores. While music celebrity shoppers such as David Geffen, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen contribute fond reminiscences of what made Tower so special to pop music fans, the tale is primarily told through candid interviews with founder and former president Russ Solomon and a handful of ex-upperlevel employees. These company insiders

The 78 Project Movie. color & b/w. 95+ min. Alex Steyermark, dist. by Kino Lorber, www.kinolorber.com. 2016. DVD UPC 738329209506. $29.95. Closed-captioned. MUSIC

In the depths of the 1930s Depression, folklorist Alan Lomax (1915–2002) traveled the back roads of America, collecting and recording the songs and stories of down trodden, overlooked Americans. The subject of this film is the “78 Project,” something of a Lomax tribute and re-creation, with researchers, an old Pesto direct-to-disc recorder, and one microphone capturing in a three-minute take a performance using the now obsolete 78 rpm format. Pieces range from Cajun music and gospel to folk, blues, country, even novelty songs. The video explains the original Pesto technology, while it also goes behind the scenes to the vaults of the Smithsonian Institution’s recording collection and the Library of Congress Archive of American Folksong. Modern-day performers reflect on what draws them to roots music and what it means in their lives. ERDICT Missing here is any explanation V of the project’s methodology or what was hoped to accomplish by tracking down and preserving the works of these artists. The video only comes alive during the performances. An optional purchase.—Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., PA

Soundbreaking. 3 discs. color & b/w. 425+ min. Jeff Dupre & Maro Chermayeff, dist. by Athena Learning, www.acornonline.com. 2016. DVD UPC 054961252190. $49.99; Bluray UPC 054961252695. $49.99. MUSIC

Originally broadcast as a PBS series, Soundbreaking charts the evolution of popular music innovation and experimentation and explores technology’s impact on how music is created and shared. Each of the eight nearly hourlong episodes tackles some aspect of crafting, recording, or selling popular music, including the role of an in-studio producer, multitrack recording methods, and, in the best segment, the importance of visual imagery in promoting new releases. Past and present music superstars and innova-

tors appear throughout, with everyone from Paul McCartney to David Grohl to Quincy Jones sharing anecdotes and insights. Soundbreaking also features an impressive collection of live performance clips and behindthe-scenes studio footage and just enough narration from actor Dermot Mulroney to introduce each episode. Bonus features include an amusing conversation between Elton John and legendary Beatles producer the late George Martin. VERDICT By covering many types of popular music genres from the past six decades, this well-produced and thoroughly enjoyable and informative film is sure to appeal to a broad audience of music lovers and music-makers.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

.An Honest Liar: Truth and Deception in the Life of James “the Amazing” Randi. 93 min. Justin Weinstein & Tyler Measom, dist. by Passion River, www.passionriver.com. 2016. DVD UPC 765857244310. $24.95; Blu-Ray UPC 765857244327. $31.95. PERFORMING ARTS

For more than 50 years, magician/illusionist/escape artist the Amazing (James) Randi has worked to expose and discredit the would-be psychics and snake oil salespeople who co-opt the tricks of Randi’s beloved trade to swindle and harm their audiences. In addition to entertaining on stage and TV, Randi has used his skills to perpetrate elaborate hoaxes that show that even the smartest people can be fooled; interviewees including Penn & Teller and Bill Nye testify to Randi’s mastery. Just when the film seems to be merely an admiring portrait handsomely wrought from the expected interview segments and archival footage, an unpredictable turn of events involving Randi’s partner of more than 25 years puts their life together in jeopardy. Bonus features include commentary tracks and a trailer. VERDICT Viewers will be enlightened and enthralled by An Honest Liar, with its look at the life of the singular Randi and its examination of the complexities and consequences of deception. Highly recommended.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB

The Business of Amateurs. 89 min. Bob Demars, dist. by Tugg Edu, tugg.com. 2016. DVD $12.99; streaming available. Closedcaptioned. Rated: TV-14. SPORTS/HEALTH

Director DeMars played football for the University of Southern California and received career-ending injuries in his only start. His very personal film examines several interlocking issues facing college athletics, including the long-term effects of such trauma. There has been an increase in suicides among former college and NFL players brought on by multiple concussions. The

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FASTSCANS

Top Foreign & Indie Picks

By Jeff T. Dick, Davenport, IA ljx081102media.indd 102

10/22/2008 1:15:25 PM

Cinema Paradiso. 2 discs. color. 174+ min. In Italian w/English subtitles. Arrow Video, dist. by MVDvisual. 1988. Blu-ray UPC 760137976981. $39.95. Rated: R. Screenwriter/director Giuseppe Tornatore’s semiautobiographical homage to the cinema—a beloved classic—finally debuts on Blu-ray in restored “director’s cut” form. Fifty minutes longer, this extended version shows the middleaged Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) rekindling an adolescent romance thwarted by his film-projectionist mentor Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), whose funeral has brought the native-son-made-good back to his cherished hometown. Enhanced by a telling filmmaker interview, plus the 124-minute original cut, the open question is which version is p referable.

Fatima. color. 78+ min. In French & Arabic w/English subtitles. Kino Lorber. 2015. DVD UPC 738329211837. $29.99. An Algerian-born divorced mother (Soria Zeroual) living in France works hard as a cleaning lady to provide a better life for her teen daughters—the eldest relatively respectful and going into medical school, the youngest

film also discusses the economics of student athletics. Men and women who participate in college sports provide their institutions with millions of dollars annually. However, 80 percent of athletes receiving scholarships live below the federal poverty level. In addition, academics often take a backseat, with students steered into watered-down curricula and programs intended to maintain their eligibility to compete. More than half of student athletes fail to graduate. The film includes interviews with former players, family members, physicians, and others connected to college athletics. No one from the NCAA or associated with a major university appears in the film. VERDICT Recommended to viewers interested in college sports.—Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib.

Free To Run. 104+ min. Pierre Morath, dist. by IFC Films, www.ifcfilms.com. 2016. DVD UPC 030306946993. $24.98. SDH subtitles. SPORTS

Strange as it may seem, as recently as the

insolent and floundering in class. Director Philippe Faucon delves into the frustrations of a disenfranchised immigrant by favoring quiet moments of revelation instead of the usual histrionics. Winner of the César (France’s equivalent of the Oscar) for best picture, this topical “slice of life” drama errs on the side of underplaying but is unexpectedly poignant.

The General/Three Ages. 2 discs. 143+ min. 1926/1923. DVD UPC 738329211615. $24.95; Blu-ray UPC 738329211622. $29.95. Steamboat Bill, Jr./College. 2 discs. 134+ min. 1928/1927. DVD UPC 738329212094. $24.95; Blu-ray UPC 738329212100. $29.95. ea. vol: 2 discs. b/w. Lobster Films, dist. by Kino Lorber. A pair of Buster Keaton double features debut in newly remastered editions. The top-billed four-star General finds the silent-era comic genius codirecting himself as a train engineer who “loves his engine and his girl.” During a series of hilarious misadventures, he loses, then regains, both. Steamboat shows the Great Stone Face close to the top of his game in this tale of an old ferryboat pushed aside by a newer one, presaging Keaton’s career as a silent filmmaker in the emerging era of talkies. The lesser but worthy cofeatures are icing on the cake of these delectable releases.

Ixcanul (“Volcano”). color. 91+ min. In Spanish & Kaqchikel w/English

1960s, running was not something the average person did for exercise or pleasure, at least not in public. Free To Run follows the progression of the distance running movement from those early days to the present, when every major city worldwide hosts a marathon and anyone can participate. The story features innovators such as Fred Lebow, tireless promoter and architect of the New York City Marathon as we know it today; Kathrine Switzer, who broke through the gender barrier and paved the way for women’s participation in distance running; and others such as Noël Tamini and Steve Prefontaine, who fought for the rights of runners. Director Morath’s (Chronicle of a Forgotten Death) use of sound bites along with film clips makes this a convincing testament to the joy that running brings to many peoples’ lives. VERDICT Will appeal to fans of sports history and those who love running (or want to).—Sara Holder, Univ. of Illinois Libs., Champaign

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subtitles. Kino Lorber. 2015. DVD UPC 738329211806. $29.95; Blu-ray UPC 738329211813. $34.95. A 17-year-old Guatemalan coffee plantation worker (María Mercedes Coroy) with hopes of a better life gets pushed into an engagement to an estate manager, but her awkward romantic liaison with another field laborer who shares her dreams leads to pregnancy. When superstition in the mystical power of a nearby volcano fails to provide a solution to her predicament, the young woman resorts to more desperate measures. First-time filmmaker Jayro Bustamante’s slow-burning drama unfolds at a measured pace, incrementally gathering force toward an unforeseen conclusion.

The Tree of Wooden Clogs. 2 discs. 186+ min. In Bergamasque w/English subtitles. Criterion Collection. 1978. DVD ISBN 9781681432199. $29.95; 1-disc Blu-ray ISBN 9781681432182. $39.95. Over the course of a year, several tenant farming families in fin de siècle Italy work, eat, play, procreate—but mostly work—in Ermanno Olmi’s paean to the peasant life, in which the lion’s share of the harvest goes to the landowners. Fittingly told in an unflashy style without professional actors, the largely plotless story details rituals from pig slaughter to courtship in leisurely fashion that paradoxically proves involving while taxing patience. Restored to immaculate condition, this lauded film generally earns its considerable status. [See Trailers, LJ 9/1/16] The Monkey...and Her Driver: America’s Only All Women Sidecar Road Racing Team. 23+ min. Ned Thanhouser, dist. by Dreamscape Video, www.dreamscapeab. com. 2016. DVD UPC 85736006236. $19.99; public performance $199.99. SPORTS

It is almost impossible to resist watching this video if only to discover the meaning behind its title. As it turns out, sidecar racing is akin to motorcycle racing, but this motorcycle has a platform attached to its side upon which perches the “monkey,” who leans perilously out from the side and back of the cycle to aid the driver in achieving optimal angling, balance, and corrections to win. This short film tells the story of Betty “Steady Betty” Herlocker (the driver) and Kendra “Red Fury” McDonald (the monkey)—the only all-female team in this relatively unknown high-speed sport. It follows them through the ups and downs of their 2015 racing year as they move from being novices to fully integrated members of the MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 85

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MEDIA sidecar racing community. Production and sound quality are very good; includes bonus street race footage and interviews. VERDICT Quirky and entertaining; a quick look at a little-known sport that will appeal to gearheads and racing fans.—Sara Holder, Univ. of

talk. VERDICT This realistic film helps viewers understand the depth of the problems of urban youth; recommended for any collection with an emphasis on the inner city and education.—Ernest Jaeger, formerly with North Plainfield Schs., NJ

Illinois Libs., Champaign

Building Star Trek: A New Documentary About a Series Ahead of Its Time. 92 min. Elliott Halpern & Elizabeth Trojian, dist. by Smithsonian Channel, www.smithsonianchannel. com. 2016. DVD ISBN 9781627899307. $19.99. SDH subtitles. TV/TECH

The influence that the Star Trek franchise has had and continues to have on encouraging interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) is immeasurable, even inevitable since humanity’s progress is and has been so dependent on technological innovation and advancement. This documentary shows the Smithsonian’s attempts to restore the model of the starship Enterprise from the first TV series for display, and Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum’s efforts to build a replica of the Enterprise’s bridge for exhibition. Interviews with members of casts and crews, past and present, are intercut with brief features of present-day scientists working to make the show’s fictional technology real, plus examinations of the series’ social and scientific significance. VERDICT Though the tone is congratulatory rather than critical, Building Star Trek admirably upholds Star Trek’s message: making something great requires teamwork, talent, the right tools, and, crucially, a guiding vision of what could be. Highly recommended to Trekkies and general audiences alike.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB

SOCIAL SCIENCES .Fly by Light. 83/59 min. Ellie Walton,

dist. by Video Project, www.videoproject. com. 2016. DVD $89; acad. libs. w/DSL $395. Public performance; closed-captioned. ED

A number of recent films have dealt with meaningful school experiences for dis affected city youth via in-school programs to support them. The Fly by Light effort offers a different and creative approach. Working with Washington, DC, school dropouts and troubled youngsters, Fly by Light takes small groups of adolescents out of their neighborhoods to the hills of West Virginia for peace-education training to cope with problems, move forward with their lives, and secure a future for themselves. Writing and music help these young people rise above their terrible pasts and learn to control their anger. The woodland experience is just the beginning; the kids are mentored in a nine-month program when they return home. There is no bathos here—just honest

Among the Believers. 84+ min. In English & Urdu w/English subtitles. Hemal Trivedi & Mohammed Ali Naqvi, dist. by First Run Features, www.firstrunfeatures.com. 2016. DVD UPC 720229917131. $24.95. INT AFFAIRS

The strongest virtue of this documentary is the access its makers were given to its subjects—people in Pakistan who have historically not allowed cameras to film them. One of those individuals, radical Muslim cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, presides over the controversial Red Mosque in Islamabad. His critics claim that the mosque is at the top of a network of seminaries that provide a constant flow of recruits to the Taliban and ISIS to wage jihad in the name of Allah. Aziz disagrees and lets the film crew see how the students attempt to memorize the Quran in epic, sunrise-to-sunset, trance-inducing study sessions. The students, some as young as four and from impoverished backgrounds, are given food and housing in exchange for learning the sacred text. VERDICT Among the Believers takes viewers into a rarely documented part of Pakistan and includes enough archival footage and alternate opinion to show how jihadist soldiers are created by ceaseless indoctrination. Frightening and fascinating.—Joshua Peck, Palos Verdes Lib. Dist., Rolling Hills Estates, CA

Buried Above Ground. 77 min. Ben Selkow, dist. by Passion River, www.passionriver.com. 2016. DVD UPC 602573123393. $24.95. PSYCH

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most often associated with combat. Luis’s PTSD is based in his military experience, but Erundina’s trauma comes from a long history of domestic abuse, and Ashley suffers from the loss of her home and her New Orleans community during Hurricane Katrina. Each uses drugs or alcohol to overcome depression and suicidal thoughts. Luis finds hope in veterans’ activism and a service dog. Erundina fights her addiction through Alcoholics Anonymous, psychotherapy, higher education, and finally a loving intervention that forces her into rehab. Ashley survives by giving back to the city she cannot leave and finds hope in rebuilding on higher ground. Viewers are reminded that although PTSD can’t be cured, the suffering can be relieved through timely mediation, love, and luck. VERDICT Highly recommended for adult collections.—Cliff Glaviano, formerly with Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH

Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA. color & b/w. 69 min. Rebekah WingertJabi & others, dist. by Video Project, www.videoproject.com. 2015. DVD $89; acad. libs. $295; public performance w/DSL $395. SOC SCI

Disenchanted with the growth of cookiecutter suburbs, New York architect Robert Simon (1914–2015) envisioned a planned development that would combine the best elements of city and suburb, a place that welcomed all races, creeds, and income levels. In the early 1960s, Simon bought 6,750 acres of farmland in Virginia, not a state known at the time for its inclusivity, and brought his vision to fruition. Mixing archival footage, interviews with those involved in the planning and building of Reston, as well as residents, and footage of people simply enjoying the area, the film offers a loving look at this successful attempt at designing not just housing but a community. Twenty years after he left Reston, Simon returned to help ensure that his original principles, which were being threatened, would survive. VERDICT The film would appeal to anyone interested in urban/suburban planning and those looking for a solid story about human beings seeking to live together in harmony.— Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Leopard in the Land. 59 min. James McEachen, dist. by Dreamscape Video, www.dreamscapeab.com. 2016. DVD UPC 857063005578. $24.99; public performance $199.99. ENVIRONMENT/NAT HIST

Artist and Disney designer Joe Rohde challenged himself to go to Mongolia to produce a series of paintings to raise funds for the Snow Leopard Conservancy. There, Rohde and director/cameraman McEachen trekked with guides, SUVs, horses, and camels to the Altai Mountains. This film is about that journey, the spiritual value of snow leopards, and Rohde’s artistic precision under difficult conditions. The group is fortunate to find the cats’ tracks in the snow as ibex and wild sheep, the leopards’ natural prey, are being pushed out of their home range by herds of domestic goats and sheep. After conferring with Mongolian scientists doing fieldwork, the artist is hopeful traditional taboos can protect these elusive predators from being killed by herders. The harsh life of the high steppes and mountains is well documented. Extras include a profile of Rodney Jackson, the biologist who founded the conservancy. VERDICT Rohde is a tough and engaging character on a mission. This film should please viewers interested in saving endangered species.— David R. Conn, formerly with Surrey Libs., BC

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gamES,GAMERS,& GAMING

Resist with Games By M. Brandon Robbins

hese are trying times, indeed, and no doubt patrons will come to you seeking aid and comfort, whether in the form of information or entertainment. If games are part of your library’s circulating media, then gamers might be among those looking for some distraction and understanding, and here are some games you could recommend. If they’re not part of your collection in some way—either as circulating titles or on in-house stations—then waste no time in making them so.

Understanding identity

While games are naturally competitive in nature—either pitting players against one another or a single player against his/her own limitations of skill and reflex—they can also serve as a virtual safe space. BioWare’s role-playing games, such as the “Mass Effect” and “Dragon Age” series, have always given players vast freedom in how they envision their characters, including whom they love. Many of their games present players with multiple possible love interests, and it’s completely up to the gamer to determine whom they pursue (if anyone). Some gamers purposely mirror their own sexual orientation, some role-play as the opposite of themselves, and still others simply see which characters they have the most meaningful relationship with and go from there. While this may seem a token concession, it’s significant for gamers looking for personal representation to see characters of their own identification in an accepting society— or for gamers seeking to understand how others find love. Of course, role-playing games have existed long before video games. There are any number of tabletop versions out there, with a variety of different systems and rules. Some, such as World of Darkness’s horror- and urban fantasy–themed games (Vampire and Werewolf being the most popular) are heavily focused on character development and relationships, while others, such as the classic Dungeons and Dragons, M. Brandon Robbins is Media Coordinator, Goldsboro High School, NC, and a member of the 2011 class of the American Library Association’s Emerging Leaders

favor adventures filled with daring deeds. All of them, however, allow the gamer to create any number of characters and imbue them with characteristics of their choosing. This can be extremely helpful to someone who harbors feelings of being unwanted, misunderstood, rejected by society, or anyone who is marginalized or disenfranchised.

The ways of peace

Look for games that demonstrate and promote peace and cooperation. Settlers of Catan is a perfect example of a competitive game that demands civility. As a game rooted in resource management and trading, it demands a certain amount of give-and-take from players. 7 Wonders is another great game that forces players to work together. They strive to build their own society and achieve economic and military strength, but it’s often necessary to conduct commerce with other players to do so. Any one player who tries to grind their opponent to dust will suffer for it, as it’s nearly impossible to win this game through force alone. The “Civilization” series has always been a critical and fan favorite, and the most recent entry in the series came out late last year. Like its board game cousins, this version features the player or players managing a civilization, building it from its most basic agrarian roots to a sprawling society. There are many ways to achieve victory, including through military might, but building trade relations and alliances—and maintaining them— are necessary no matter what strategy is implemented.

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The darkest time line

There’s been a spike in interest of dystopian fiction ever since the presidential inauguration, according to Amazon, most likely because people want to examine how society might fall to ruin so easily. There are games that allow players to do that as well. Of course, the most popular game series that is dystopian in nature is the “Fallout” series. Set in the wake of an all-out nuclear war, these games have players taking on the role of a survivor who must (for varying reasons) venture into a wasteland on a personal quest. While the older games are available on PC, the fourth installment in the series is readily available on modern consoles. The “Bioshock” series also explores a society gone horribly wrong and shows the dangers of a community without regulation or ethical enforcement.

Keep calm and carry on

Many gamers demand that politics stay out of games, but the truth is that politics are inescapable. Advocate for games that ask tough questions, and encourage your patrons to seek answers in those activities. When all else fails, at least you can offer your patrons games that will allow them to detach and forget about the real world for a while. Nintendo is your best friend when it comes to bright, colorful, and cheerful stories and characters. There’s never been a more important time for a supportive library community, and there’s no better way to build that community than with games. So until next time, just keep telling yourself: everything’s going to be okay. MARCH 15, 2017| LIBRARY JOURNAL | 87

2/28/2017 11:25:47 AM

[books] LIBRARYJOURNAL

prepub alert

The first word on titles and trends

literary fiction

whose increasingly risky behavior served as male rites of passage, he reveals a horrific incident that scars him still.

Abrams, David. Brave Deeds. Black Cat: Grove/Atlantic. Aug. 2017. 256p. ISBN 9780802126863. pap. $16. LITERARY

A New York Times Notable Book, Barnes & Noble pick, and finalist for the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, Abrams’s Fobbit was among the first in a long line of fiction by soldier writers of the Middle East wars. This second work features six soldiers who’ve gone AWOL to attend the funeral of their leader, with their personal flaws and deepest worries revealed as they work their way across war-shattered Baghdad. Big ALA push. Bordas, Camille. How To Behave in a Crowd. Tim Duggan: Hogarth. Aug. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780451497543. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780451497567. Downloadable: Random Audio. LITERARY

Award-winning French writer Bordas, who moved here in 2012 with her American husband and began writing in English, debuts her first English-language novel after publishing the story “Most Die Young” in The New Yorker. Her protagonist is 11-year-old Isidore Mazal, whose five older siblings are all astonishingly accomplished. Isadore isn’t so precocious, but he’s thoughtful and perceptive, and he saves the day when tragedy strikes. Dee, Jonathan. The Locals. Random. Aug. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9780812993226. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780679645016. Downloadable: Random Audio. LITERARY

Most recently the author of A Thousand

By Barbara Hoffert

Kobek, Jarett. The Future Won’t Be Long. Viking. Aug. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9780735222489. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780735222496. Downloadable: Penguin Audio. LITERARY

Having attracted a cult following (and New York Times support) with the small-press I Hate the After Fobbit, six soldiers going AWOL to attend a Internet, Kobek breaks out with funeral; the first title of the new imprint Lenny books his first big-house publication. His new work scours the 1980s– 90s social scene, as wealthy aspiring artist Pardons, 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist Dee Adeline befriends a Midwesterner named taps into the zeitgeist with a novel about a Baby she discovers in an East Village rural, working-class New England town squat. She introduces him to nightlife of that elects a New York hedge fund bildowntown Manhattan, then takes him lionaire as its mayor. After 9/11, seeking home to Los Angeles, where he clubs and safety and romanticizing the country life, Philip Hadi moved his family. But culture drugs with relish. Eventually, each comes to a crossroads that tests their friendship. and class clash are inevitable. Galera, Daniel. The Shape of Bones. Penguin Pr. Aug. 2017. 192p. ISBN 9781594205484. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781101613900. Downloadable: Penguin Audio. LITERARY

Lamprell, Mark. One Summer Day in Rome. Flatiron: Macmillan. Aug. 2017. 272p. ISBN 9781250105530. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250105554. LITERARY

One of Granta’s Best Young Brazilian Novelists, Galera got some attention here with the stylishly noirish Blood-Drenched Beard but is expected to break out with this new work. It features a young man taking a mental detour as he travels to the Andes for some mountain climbing. Recalling his coming of age in Esplanada, where he hung out with a tough bunch

As Lamprell cowrote the film Babe: Pig in the City, it’s not surprising that his fiction has a lighthearted twist; witness the title of his well-received first novel, The Full Ridiculous. That novel was written in second person, and here Rome serves not just as setting but narrator. Timid Alice travels there for a last chance at excitement before marrying; Meg and Alec are looking for

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“The romantic dance between James and Lucinda sparkles with wit, intellect, and subtle desire in defiance of societal expectations.”

“An engrossing read for fans of historical romantic suspense.”

—Publishers Weekly on A Bride for the Season

—Library Journal on Not by Sight

The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere LONDON BEGINNINGS #1

High as the Heavens by Kate Breslin

JUNE

“Demonstrating White’s excellent eye for historical detail and a deftness at creating suspense, this final book in her Edwardian series doesn’t disappoint.” —Library Journal on A Lady Unrivaled A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White SHADOWS OVER ENGLAND

JULY

“Hunter’s H AWTHORNE H OUSE series will delight fans of sweet, inspirational Regency romances with its compelling characters and flawlessly crafted setting.” —Booklist on An Uncommon Courtship An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter HAWTHORNE HOUSE

“Deering smoothly blends suspense and humor with a touch of romance.” —Publishers Weekly on Murder on the Moor

Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna Deering A DREW FARTHERING MYSTERY

NOVEMBER

SEPTEMBER

A Division of Baker Publishing Group | bethanyhouse.com Available from your sales rep or call Bethany House at (800) 877-2665 In Canada, contact David C. Cook Distribution at (800) 263-2664

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PREPUB ALERT the perfect kitchen tiles but clearly need marital repair; and close sisters-in-law Constance and Lizzie want to scatter the ashes of a beloved husband and brother.

reconcile with the burdens of the past (e.g., a grandmother’s role in the Cultural Revolution) while acknowledging family ties and their own particular strengths.

Hartsuyker is descended from Harald, called the Fair-Haired and Norway’s first king, and she’s done her research. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

MacLaverty, Bernard. Midwinter Break. Norton. Aug. 2017. 208p.

pop fiction

Keller, Sophie Chen. The Luster of Lost Things. Putnam. Aug. 2017.

ISBN 9780393609622. $24.95. LITERARY

Perhaps best known for Cal and also author of Grace Notes, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Whitbread Novel of the Year Award, veteran Belfast-born, Glasgow-based MacLaverty returns with the story of a retired Irish couple facing the holes in their marriage while vacationing in Amsterdam. Stubborn Jerry relentlessly challenges Stella’s faith, and memories of Ireland’s own troubles don’t help.

Baxter, Stephen. The Massacre of Mankind. Crown. Aug. 2017. 480p. ISBN 9781524760120. $27. SF

Winner of the British Science Fiction Award and the Locus Award, Baxter offers a sequel to H.G. Wells’s iconic The War of the Worlds, featuring Wells’s narra-

Patterson, Molly. Rebellion. Harper. Aug. 2017. 560p. ISBN 9780062574046. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062574077. LITERARY

In her highly touted debut, Pushcart Prize winner Patterson links four women over generations to show the ties that bind and how they might be loosened. In late 1950s Illinois, Hazel mourns her husband’s death and recalls her mother, Louisa, who found married life on a farm rigorously dictated. Louisa corresponds with her sister Addie, a missionary in China, who’s adventurous enough to break free but is then trapped by the Boxer Rebellion. Finally, in late 1990s China, Juanlan escapes her stultifying home life through a risky affair. With a 50,000-copy first printing. Schmidt, Sarah. See What I Have Done. Atlantic Monthly. Aug. 2017. 324p. ISBN 9780802126597. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780802189134. LITERARY/HISTORICAL

On the 125th anniversary of the Lizzie Borden murders, Australian librarian Schmidt’s retelling depicts an abusive household that includes a violent father, a mean-spirited stepmother, and two spinster sisters who want out. But was Lizzie responsible for all those whacks with an ax? Film rights sold; one of the Bookseller’s 12 hot books for 2017. Zhang, Jenny. Sour Heart: Stories. Lenny: Random. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780399589386. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780399589393. Downloadable: Random Audio. SHORT STORIES

The inaugural offering in Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner’s new imprint, this debut collection focuses on young women belonging to a community of immigrants who have abandoned dangerous lives as artists in China and Taiwan for poverty in 1990s New York City. They must 90 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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320p. ISBN 9780735210783. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9780735210806. CD/downloadable: Penguin Audio. COMING OF AGE

Keller sets her debut novel in a West Village dessert shop where the marzipan dragons breathe real fire and the featherlight angel food cake helps customers lose weight. Twelveyear-old Walter’s mother runs the shop, which is threatened when a special book behind all the magic goes missing and Walter determines to find it. Keller’s writing career took off when she won her first Glimmer Train story contest at age 15.

Next in the “Dragons Rising” trilogy, with Medea facing a fire breather; finding true love in a church

tor, Walter Jenkins. Fourteen years after the last invasion, humans complacently believe that they can defeat any threat from Mars. But Jenkins sees danger coming. With a 60,000-copy first printing. Hanson, Hart. The Driver. Dutton. Aug. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781101986363. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781101986387. Downloadable: Penguin Audio. THRILLER

If you like FOX TV’s Bones, you’ll likely love this debut thriller by its creator. Michael Skellig, an army special forces sergeant now working as a limo driver, is carting around skateboard mogul Bismark Avila when he gets an intuitive sense of danger—and saves Avila from two gunmen. Now he’s a person of interest in the murder of one of Avila’s bodyguards, which is where his enduring crush, LAPD detective Delilah Groopman, enters the picture. Great expectations. Hartsuyker, Linnea. The Half-Drowned King. Harper. Aug. 2017. 448p. ISBN 9780062563699.$27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062563712. SAGA

In this first in a trilogy based on Norse history, Ragnvald Eysteinsson fully expects to become chief of his family’s lands but is betrayed by men in his stepfather’s pay and left for dead. So he throws in his lot with Harald of Vestfold, a powerful young warrior and perhaps the king who has been foretold. In fact, first novelist

Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Dragonsworn. St. Martin’s. Aug. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9781250102652. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250102676. FANTASY

In this second book in the “Dragons Rising” trilogy, set in the DarkHunters universe that has pushed Kenyon to the top of the New York Times best sellers list many, many times, the dragon Falcyn hates Greeks for having destroyed all that he loved. Now the god Apollo is sending an army of demons to destroy the people of his granddaughter, Medea, who is not content to sit back idly. Testy Falcyn has a weapon that could save them all. With a one-day laydown on August 1.

Lapena, Shari. A Stranger in the House. Pamela Dorman: Viking. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780735221123; $26. ebk. ISBN 9780735221147. CD/downloadable: Penguin Audio. THRILLER

Lapena wrote award-winning literary fiction, then triumphed with her first thriller, The Couple Next Door. Here, a woman is found injured in a shady part of town. Neither the police nor her husband believes her explanation, and she herself isn’t sure what happened. Macomber, Debbie. Any Dream Will Do. Ballantine. Aug. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780399181191. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780399181207. CD/downloadable: Random Audio. ROMANCE

Raised in an abusive household and imprisoned after helping her no-good brother, indebted to a drug lord, with funds from the bank where she works, Shay stumbles into a church upon her re-

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Library Journal Best Reference FIREFLY 5-LANGUAGE VISUAL DICTIONARY by Igor Jourist Nancy Foran, general editor

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PREPUB ALERT lease and meets widowed pastor Andrew Douglas. We know where this is going. Percy, Benjamin. The Dark Net. Houghton Harcourt. Aug. 2017. 727p. ISBN 9780544750333. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780544750579. HORROR

The Dark Net is that dusky corner of the

Internet where movies are pirated and drugs sold, and demons are planning to use it to enter the real world. They’re up against a techno-challenged journalist, a former child evangelist, a hacker with a cause, and a 12-year-old girl with a visual aid who sees shadows around some people. With a 40,000-copy first printing.

my PICKS

Atlas, James. The Shadow in the Garden: A Biographer’s Tale. Pantheon. Aug. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9781101871690. $28.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101871706. Downloadable: Random Audio. MEMOIR/LITERATURE

Atlas is a publishing-world fixture, e.g., he founded “Lipper/ Viking Penguin Lives” series and has been a staff writer, contributor, or editor for publications such as Time and The New Yorker. But he’s likely best known to general readers as the author of the monumental Bellow and Delmore Schwartz, a National Book Award nominee. Here he looks at the biographer’s art, from the Renaissance writers of various “Lives” to James Bowell and Richard Ellmann to his own work. Boyne, John. The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Hogarth: Crown. Aug. 2017. 592p. ISBN 9781524760786. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781524760809. Downloadable: Random Audio. LITERARY FICTION

The author of the multi-award-winning and mega-best-selling children’s book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and of adult fiction like 2015’s blade-sharp A History of Loneliness, Boyne here tells the affecting story of Cyril Avery, born out of wedlock to an Irish teenager after World War II and adopted by a rich but cockeyed Dublin couple. Cyril swirls and eddies through life, trying to find out who he really is. With a 75,000-copy first printing. Crews, Frederick. Freud: The Making of an Illusion. Metropolitan: Holt. Aug. 2017. 800p. ISBN 9781627797177. $40; ebk. ISBN 9781627797184. PSYCHOLOGY/BIOGRAPHY

Revisionist isn’t the word. Crews, professor emeritus of English at Berkeley, has always challenged the mystique surrounding Sigmund Freud and here sets about to dismantle him completely, arguing that he falsified case histories, appropriated the works of others, betrayed colleagues, dealt irrationally with patients, failed to comprehend key psychological issues of the day, and hooked unfortunates on cocaine. Yet his star hangs high in the sky because he was a master of self-invention and promotion. Fagan, Kate. What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen. Little, Brown. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780316356541. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316356534; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316466455. Downloadable: Hachette Audio. PSYCHOLOGY

The January 2014 suicide of 19-year-old Maddy Holleran, a star athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, is a tragedy in itself that also highlights the escalating issue of depression among college students today. After espnW columnist Fagan profiled Maddy’s life and death, she heard from many college athletes and here expands her piece to include a consideration of the pressures on these athletes and students generally today. Fagan’s original piece drew some criticism as possibly provoking copycat suicides, but

Sternbergh, Adam. The Blinds. Ecco: HarperCollins. Aug. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9780062661340. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062661364. THRILLER

Sternbergh moves away from the New York setting of his Edgar-nominated debut, Shovel Ready, and its sequel, taking us to a remote Texas town called

one hopes this book will bring greater understanding of the problem. With a 40,000-copy first printing. Gilvarry, Alex. Eastman Was Here. Viking. Aug. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9781101981504. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781101981528. Downloadable: Penguin Audio. LITERARY FICTION

Gilvarry debuted brilliantly with From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant, a Bookspan Best New Voice and Barnes & Noble Discover pick that saw him named one of the National Book Foundation’s 5 under 35. He returns with the story of Alan Eastman, a has-been war journalist regretting the indiscretions that drove away his wife. In 1973, an invitation to return to Vietnam and chronicle the ending of the war thrills him with the promise of renewed glory, but he just brings his problems with him. Hood, Ann. Morningstar: Growing Up with Books. Norton. Aug. 2017. 160p. ISBN 9780393254815. $22.95. LITERATURE/ESSAYS

A New York Times best-selling author with a stack of awards to her name, Hood offers a collection of essays that nicely parallels her most recent fiction, The Book That Matters Most. Here she talks about growing up in a household where the love of reading was not encouraged and thus finding her own way, relishing Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar, learning about social issues from Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun, and getting bitten by the travel bug after reading Boris Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago. James, Aaron. Surfing with Sartre: An Aquatic Inquiry into a Life of Meaning. Doubleday. Aug. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780385540735. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385540742. Downloadable: Random Audio. PHILOSOPHY/SPORTS

Philosophy I adore, and though surfing is not in my skill set, the idea of having a University of California, Irvine, philosophy professor explain key concepts like freedom, being, and epistemology from a surfer’s perspective is way too cool. (Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said that “the ideal limit of aquatic sports…is waterskiing,” which explains the title.) As with his popular Assholes: A Theory, James knows how to make us think deeply in a fun way. Best comparison: Eric Kaplan’s Does Santa Exist? A Philosophical Investigation. Kurniawan, Eka. Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash. New Directions. Jul. 2017. 160p. tr. from Indonesian by Annie Tucker. ISBN 9780811225649. pap. $15.95. LITERARY FICTION

Shooting-star Indonesian author Kurniawan made his Englishlanguage debut in 2015 to considerable acclaim with the laceratingly beautiful Beauty Is a Wound, and his next work has the same raw feel. Ajo Kawir is a lower-class Javanese teenager

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the Blinds. Its citizens, who have either committed or witnessed terrible crimes, have had their memories altered, but a suicide and murder in their midst has everyone uneasy. What’s more, the sheriff has secrets to protect, especially from his new deputy. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

Wilson, Daniel H. The Clockwork Dynasty. Doubleday. Aug. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780385541787. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385541794. lrg. prnt. Downloadable: Random Audio. SF

a 300-year-old mechanical doll, showing that she’s not crazy to believe her grand father’s stories about a living race of automatons stalking the earth. Optioned for film.

The author of Robopocalypse draws on his knowledge of robotics in a tale of historically based sf. Young scientist June discovers

nonfiction

Brennan, Thomas J., USMC (Ret.) & Finbarr O’Reilly. Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine,

whose rampant interest in sex is blunted when he sees two policemen brutally rape a deranged woman and tries to channel his frustrations by fighting. Kurniawan smartly plays with pop culture tropes as he investigates male violence and political repression; sophisticated readers must check out.

young missionary priest Merrick befriends seems rather improbably to have known his grandfather. Big promotion.

Messud, Claire. The Burning Girl. Norton. Aug. 2017. 256p. ISBN 9780393635027. $25.95. LITERARY fiction

The winner of 13 Emmys, New York Times best-selling author Roker returns to the topic of David McCullough’s 1968 book, The Johnstown Flood. That flood was set off in 1889 when terrible rains swelled Pennsylvania’s Little Conemaugh River, which eventually breached the South Fork Dam. More than 2,200 people were killed in what remains the deadliest flood in U.S. history. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

Friends since nursery school, Julia and Cassie are bonded by a desire to get out of airless, noose-tight Royston, MA. But there’s only one burning girl in Messud’s title, and that’s Cassie, who ventures further and further afield during adolescence until she puts friendship with Julia—and her own life—in danger. From the New York Times best-selling The Emperor’s Children, which was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. With a six-city tour and big promotion at BEA and ALA. Muñoz Molina, Antonio. Like a Fading Shadow. Farrar. Jul. 2017. 320p. tr. from Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez. ISBN 9780374126902. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780374714161. LITERARY/HISTORICAL FICTION

Winner of the Planeta and Príncipe de Asturias prizes, Spanish author Muñoz Molina draws on recently declassified FBI files as he tracks James Earl Ray to Canada, London, and finally Lisbon after he assassinates Martin Luther King Jr. Reconstructing events allows Muñoz Molina to inject himself into the proceedings as he ponders the act of writing a novel.

Roker, Al. Ruthless Tide: The Tragic Epic of the Johnstown Flood. Morrow. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780062445513. $28.99. lrg. prnt. HISTORY

Seiffert, Rachel. A Boy in Winter. Pantheon. Aug. 2017. 224p. ISBN 9780307908834. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780307908841. Downloadable: Random Audio. LITERARY/HISTORICAL FICTION

In World War II Ukraine, Ephraim is marched with other Jews into a red brick factory and searches the crowd for his two sons, whom he suspects have disregarded German orders to line up. In fact, they’re slipping furtively through the back streets and are spotted by farmer’s daughter Yasia, who decides to offer them shelter. From one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists, whose recent powerhouse novel, The Walk Home, was long-listed for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Perrotta, Tom. Mrs. Fletcher. Scribner. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9781501144028. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501144042. CD: S. & S. Audio. LITERARY fiction

Senna, Danzy. New People. Riverhead. Aug. 2017. 240p. ISBN 9781594487095. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780698172463. Downloadable: Penguin Audio. LITERARY fiction

Beloved best seller Perrotta again digs wisely and gleefully into our social upsets with the story of quiet 46-year-old divorcée Eve Fletcher, who dutifully runs the local senior center and takes community college courses. After her only child heads off to college, she receives an anonymous text that says, “U R my MILF!” That draws her to a porn website called MILFateria.com, and soon she’s entertaining the possibility of romance. Meanwhile, her son’s privilegedwhite-guy retrosexism isn’t playing out well at college. With a seven-city tour.

Life looks good for Maria, who’s living in a black bohemian enclave in Brooklyn with her husband-to-be (they were King and Queen of the Racially Nebulous Prom) and pursuing her dissertation as he enjoys success during the first wave of dot-coms. So why is Maria daydreaming about a poet she barely knows, and what does this say about the pressures of race, class, and self-affirmation in contemporary America? From the author of the best-selling Caucasia, an Alex and Stephen Crane award winner and an IMPAC Dublin Literary Award finalist.

Pulley, Natasha. The Bedlam Stacks. Bloomsbury USA. Aug. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9781620409671. $26. FANTASY/HISTORICAL FICTION

Yoon, Paul. The Mountain. S. & S. Aug. 2017. 256p. ISBN 9781501154089. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781501154102. short stories

In this follow-up to Pulley’s extravagantly praised debut novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, former East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne is so desperate to escape Cornwall, where he’s stuck after a terrible accident that has left him lame, that he gladly accepts an India Office offer to secure quinine in Peru. Every expeditionary who’s tried has died, killed by something beyond the salt line separating the village where Merrick lands from the looming forest. Fantastical stories abound, and the

Yoon’s Once the Shore was a New York Times Notable Book and NPR Best Debut that won its author National Book Foundation 5 under 35 status, while Snow Hunters won the NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award. So smart readers will want this linked collection of short stories featuring characters worldwide left rootless and uncertain by their painful pasts, like the morphineaddicted nurse who stumbles through a ruined French countryside, looking for purpose.

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PREPUB ALERT

Big-Ticket thrillers

Brennan, Allison. Shattered. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Aug. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9781250129277. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250129284. THRILLER Brown, Sandra. Seeing Red. Grand Central. Aug. 2017. 300p. ISBN 9781455572106. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781455572076; lib. ebk. ISBN 9781455572052. CD/downloadable: Hachette Audio. THRILLER Cleave, Paul. A Killer Harvest. Atria. Aug. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781501153013. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501153037. THRILLER

Horst, Jorn Lier. Ordeal. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Aug. 2017. 352p. tr. from Norwegian by Anne Bruce. ISBN 9781250111364. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250111371. THRILLER Matthews, Jason. The Kremlin’s Candidate. Scribner. Aug. 2017. 448p. ISBN 9781501140082. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781501140105.CD: S. & S. Audio. THRILLER Neggers, Carla. Thief’s Mark. Mira: Harlequin. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780778330318. $26.99. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Cook, Robin. Charlatans. Putnam. Aug. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9780735212480. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780735212497. CD/downloadable: Penguin Audio. THRILLER

Overton, Hollie. The Walls. Redhook: Hachette. Aug. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9780316268769. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780316268783; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316268752. Downloadable: Hachette Audio. THRILLER

Gerritsen,Tess. I Know a Secret: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel. Ballantine.

Parker, T. Jefferson. The Room of White Fire. Putnam. Aug. 2017. 352p.

Aug. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780345543882. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780345543899.

ISBN 9780735212664. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780735212688. lrg. prnt. CD/downloadable: Penguin Audio. THRILLER

THRILLER

a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War. Viking. Aug. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780399562549. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780399562563. CD/ downloadable: Penguin Audio. MEMOIR/MILITARY

Injured during a Taliban ambush, marine sergeant Brennan returned home and began anguishing over what he had and hadn’t done. Meanwhile, photographer O’Reilly suffered survival guilt and worried about the people he had photographed at their neediest moments without intervening. Through friendship, they overcame these emotional burdens. Hemon, Aleksandar. Behind the Glass Wall: Inside the United Nations. Sean McDonald: Farrar. Aug. 2017. 224p. ISBN 9780374110239. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780374714277. POLITICAL SCIENCE

MacArthur Fellow Hemon, the author of multiple National Book Critics Circle Award nominees, was unhappy with the performance of the UN Protection Forces during the Bosnian wars. But now he is the UN’s first writer in residence. Rescheduled from May 2015. Lee, Jeffrey. God’s Wolf: The Life of

the Most Notorious of All Crusaders, Scourge of Saladin. Norton. Aug. 2017.

Dealing with the emotional burdens of war and the devastation of wrongful conviction

was the most savage of crusaders and remains a hated figure in Islamic history; in a 2010 terrorist plot, al-Qaeda hid a bomb in a FedEx shipment addressed to him. He’s probably best known to generalists from Ridley Scott’s 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven. Now, an award-winning broadcast journalist tells his story, acknowledging his brutality while showing him to be an effective statesman. The Sunday Times (UK) praised the “blockbuster sensibility.” Markel, Howard. The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek. Pantheon.

320p. ISBN 9780393609691. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393609707. HISTORY

Aug. 2017. 512p. ISBN 9780307907271. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780307907288. Downloadable: Random Audio. BIOGRAPHY/BUSINESS

An ordinary foot soldier who became prince of Antioch, Reynald de Chatillon

George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor of the History of Medicine and director

Patterson, James. The Store. Little, Brown. Aug. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780316395458. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316395540; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316395557. CD: Hachette Audio. THRILLER Robinson, Peter. Sleeping in the Ground. Morrow. Aug. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780062395078. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062395092. lrg. prnt. THRILLER Scottoline, Lisa. Exposed. St. Martin’s. Aug. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9781250099716. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250099730. CD: Macmillan Audio. THRILLER Slaughter, Karin. The Good Daughter. Morrow. Aug. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9780062430243. $27.99. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio. THRILLER Woods, Stuart & Parnell Hall. Barely Legal. Putnam. Aug. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780735217232. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780735217256. CD/downloadable: Penguin Audio. THRILLER

of the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan, Markel has the wherewithal to profile Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, founder of the world-famous Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1876. He also pulls in the doctor’s younger brother, Will, who founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company after the two brothers experimented with healthful blends of grain that John saw solely as a social good. The result: endless lawsuits. Who says medical history can’t be fun? Rachlin, Benjamin. Ghost of the Innocent Man: A True Story of Trial and Redemption. Little, Brown. Aug. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9780316311496. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316311489; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316501262. Downloadable: Hachette Audio. TRUE CRIME

Rachlin chronicles the case of Willie J. Grimes, wrongly convicted of a 1987 rape in North Carolina owing to mistaken identification, sloppy evidence gathering, and suspect testimony. His longtimecoming exoneration resulted from the unshakable belief of supporters who included Christine Mumma, the force behind the creation of North Carolina’s Innocence Inquiry Commission. With a 40,000-copy first printing.

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science fiction/fantasy

By Megan M. McArdle & Kristi Chadwick

The elements, whether a personal power or a force of nature, have been mainstays of sf/fantasy writing from the genre’s beginning. How humanity has dealt with these components can be either a bane or boon, focused on creation or destruction. This month’s titles highlight the strengths of such elements in both natural and magical ways. For example, the daily dealings of New Yorkers are much different when the city is partially underwater in Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140. And in Cherie Priest’s Brimstone, a World War I veteran is haunted by a ghost who hungers for fire, while Cat Spark’s debut, Lotus Blue, is set in a barren desert wasteland.—KC character Phillippe. She also fills in corners of her Parisian landscape, showing the vulnerability of life for those living outside the houses. VERDICT The large cast of characters gives this series entry less emotional heft than the initial volume, but it is still a fascinating world with a welcome diversity of cultures and sexualities.—MM

.McClellan, Brian. Sins of Empire. Orbit: Skillful worldbuilding in a series launch; chilling psychological horror

Check These Out

de Bodard, Aliette. House of Binding Thorns. Ace: Berkley. (Dominion of the Fallen, Bk. 2). Apr. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780451477392. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780698409934. FANTASY

Madeleine was forced to return to House Hawthorn, ruled by the fallen angel Asmodeus, after the destruction of House Silverspires (depicted in House of Shattered Wings). Given one last chance to pull herself out of her spiral of addiction to angel essence, she is sent on a diplomatic mission to the dragon kingdom under the river Seine. The dragons, once thought to be pure myth, are becoming a force to be reckoned with in Paris, even as the houses governed by the Fallen continue to fight among themselves. This ambitious fantasy series explores a Paris partly in ruins, dominated by fallen angels. While de Bodard touched on the dragon kingdom in the first book, here she further explores their efforts to challenge the houses above, and draws on her own Vietnamese background for the unique culture of dragons as well as immortals, such as returning Megan M. McArdle is a Collection Specialist at the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Kristi Chadwick is Advisor for the Massachusetts Library System. In addition to being a 2013 LJ Reviewer of the Year and 2014 Mover & Shaker, she was also a finalist judge for the 2015 LJ SELF-e Award in Fantasy

Hachette. (Gods of Blood & Powder, Bk. 1). Mar. 2017. 624p. ISBN 9780316407212. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316375122. FANTASY

Lady Vlora Flint leads her mercenary company as they attempt to put down Palo uprisings in rural Fatrasta. The ruler of the country summons them to the capital of Landfall where she gives Lady Flint a new assignment: find the elusive head of the Palo rebels. Her local contact is Michel Bravis, a member of the Blackhat secret police, whose real mission is to identify the culprits who have been distributing “Sins of Empire” pamphlets, which denounce the current government. Meanwhile, an aging legend of earlier wars is rotting in prison until a mysterious stranger offers him freedom if he will spy on Lady Flint. VERDICT This new opener is set in the same world as M cClellan’s “Powder Mage War” series. While it features some recurring characters from the earlier books, new readers shouldn’t have any trouble jumping in here. Still, the author’s skillful worldbuilding and nuanced characters will undoubtedly tempt them to go back to his early work.—MM Mari, Christopher. The Beachhead. 47North: Amazon. Mar. 2017. 332p. ISBN 9781503942622. pap. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9781503997622. SF

Earth has been destroyed, and the mysterious winged Orangemen have brought the last surviving humans to a strange beach. Left with basic tools and weapons, as well as a few thousand books containing many versions of the Bible, they are ordered to re-create society. Fifty years later and two

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DEBUT OF THE MONTH Honeywell, Antonia. The Ship. Orbit: Hachette. Apr. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780316469852. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316469890. SF As the daughter of a man with important government connections, Lalla Paul has grown up fairly well off in a devastated Britain that subsides on increasingly scarce food rations and is overrun with undocumented refugees. As conditions worsen, 16-year-old Lalla and her parents are ready to escape in the Ship with 500 carefully chosen other people. Throughout her young life, Lalla knew her father was preparing for the day they must flee, even if her mother stubbornly believed that things could get better. With her father’s insistence that this is their one chance for survival, Lalla will finally see the culmination of these years of planning. But will the Ship be the answer to all their difficulties, or will Lalla discover that their problems exist in the people who surround her? Taking the old adage of “best laid plans,” this debut novel creates a new world that may not necessarily be better than the old. V ERDICt Honeywell’s dystopian coming-of-age tale is challenging and intense, but the large amount of exposition and “daddy/daughter” dynamic slows the plot. Despite these flaws, this is a solid YA crossover.—KC

generations on, questions remain about how the apocalypse happened. Threatening the delicate peace is the arrival of a new family of four, a group that should not exist. As the simmering inquiries begin to boil over, two soldiers, Kendra McQueen and John Giordano, head out to the wilderness to see if any answers can be found. But their discoveries only raise more uncertainty, which could possibly destroy them all. VERDICT Mari (Ocean of Storms) has written a smart and fascinating tale about a postapocalyptic MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 95

2/28/2017 12:48:57 PM

SF/FANTASY society, built upon the juxtaposition of religious history and an advanced civilization. Readers will be guessing as much as her characters.—KC Merritt, Tom. Pilot X. Inkshares. Mar. 2017. 200p. ISBN 9781942645313. pap. $13.99; ebk. ISBN 9781942645320. SF

When we first meet the titular protagonist, he is Pilot X, but over the course of the novel, he has other names—Ambassador X, Instructor X, Citizen X. His people, the Alendans, face two adversaries in a secret struggle known as the Dimensional War. These foes are meddling with the stability of the space-time continuum, and X is the key to stopping them. If some of this setup seems familiar to fans of the long-running TV show Doctor Who, that appears to be a calculated move on the part of Merritt (cohost of the podcast Sword and Laser, and author of Citadel 32: A Tale of the Aggregate). His

SERIES LINEUP

Estep, Jennifer. Snared. Pocket. (Elemental Assassins, Bk. 16). Apr. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9781501142277. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9781501142284. FANTASY

Still hunting for clues about the mysterious underworld group called the Circle, Gin Blanco must also track a missing girl in her city. The 16th outing (after Unraveled) finds this elemental assassin as strong and deadly as ever.—KC

Fortune, Margaret. Archangel. DAW. (Spectre War, Bk. 2). Mar. 2017. 464p. ISBN 9780756412937. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780698197817. SF While 2015’s Nova focused on the story of a teen being used as a bomb to blow up a space station, this second book explores the new threats just hinted at in the first entry. Soldier Michael Sorenson is recruited into a research division developing weapons to stop the Spectres when he discovers there’s a saboteur among them.—MM

Alendans are Time Guardians rather than Time Lords, but plenty of clues sprinkled throughout the narrative wink at his influences, such as a planet that is an anagram of “Gallifrey” and X’s self-aware spaceship Verity, which holds a singularity at her heart, allowing the ship to be significantly “bigger on the inside.” VERDICT Whovians may enjoy, forgiving the sometimes unpolished prose for the sake of the adventurous plot. Others could give this one a pass.—MM Moon, Elizabeth. Cold Welcome. Del Rey: Ballantine. (Vatta’s Peace, Bk. 1). Apr. 2017. 448p. ISBN 9781101887318. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781101887325. SF

Coming home to a war hero’s welcome would please most people, but Adm. Kylara Vatta is returning to the planet where her parents and siblings were killed. However, plans are dashed when her shuttle is compromised and crashes into the ocean. Ky works on getting surviving passengers to land, not knowing if the attack was aimed at her or someone else, if they are being hunted, or if one of the group is the saboteur. As the crew finally makes land on a small arctic island, Ky discovers that their refuge holds some secrets of its own, secrets that a mysterious government faction will do anything to keep hidden. VERDICT Moon’s fresh series launch brings back the celebrated heroine of her “Vatta’s War” books, along with the Vatta family. Business and governmental exploits clash in an exciting tale of military sf that will delight fans of the genre and series alike. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.] —KC Neill, Chloe. Blade Bound. Berkley. (Chicagoland Vampires, Bk. 13). Apr. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9780451472342. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9780698180734. FANTASY

Time after time as Sentinel of Chicago’s Cadogan Houses, vampire Merit has protected her city, her House, and her liege Ethan Sullivan from danger. Now Merit faces one of the greatest challenges of undead life: her wedding to Ethan. Then a seemingly deranged vampire gets into Cadogan and attacks Merit. It turns out dark magic is infiltrating the city. Even with powerful friends by their sides, Merit and Ethan must take on a force of immeasurable power, and that still may not be enough. For it will not just be Cadogan House that falls, but the city of Chicago and its people. VERDICT With loose ends neatly tied up, this final installment (after Midnight Marked) of Neill’s consistently strong urban fantasy series will happily satisfy its many followers. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.] —KC Newman, Emma. Brother’s Ruin. Tor.com. (Industrial Magic, Bk. 1). Mar. 2017. 192p.

ISBN 9780765393968. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780765393951. FANTASY

Those with magical abilities are required to turn themselves over to the Royal Society for the Esoteric Arts, but Charlotte Gunn just wants to live a normal life and get married. In debt to dangerous people, her father tells the society that his son is a Latent, believing Charlotte’s brother was responsible for some of the abilities that Charlotte is trying to hide. Now she must decide whether her own personal freedom is worth risking her family’s safety and security. Some of the narrative could have benefitted from a longer format, as the development of the supernatural elements and the minor characters of Charlotte’s seemingly dull betrothed and the handsome Magus Hopkins need some fleshing out. VERDICT Newman (After Atlas; Between Two Thorns) uses the trope of a young woman rebelling against society’s expectations, with the enjoyable switch that this time she wants to get married. Could there be a love triangle in the future? This gaslamp novella looks to be the start of a series, so perhaps readers will find out soon enough.—MM

.North, Claire. The End of the Day. Redhook: Orbit. Apr. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9780316316743. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316316774. FANTASY

We meet Charlie as he takes on a new job as a Harbinger of Death, which—he is quick to remind the people he visits—just means that he is the one who comes before the end. Sometimes he is sent as a courtesy, sometimes as a warning. He likes the job, but he journeys to some dangerous places, and his targets are not always happy to see him. Around the narrative of Charlie and his attempts to perform his duty, North (The Sudden Appearance of Hope) inserts random snatches of conversation and emotion that are sometimes disturbing, brutally mundane, and detail the activities of the Harbingers of War, Pestilence, and Famine. At first, it’s not easy to see the purpose of these snippets, but the thread that pulls readers through is Charlie, who is remarkably willing to go with the flow. He visits brutal despots and blameless children, and tries to be what they need, whether it be confessor or witness. VERDICT This is a beautiful, if occasionally uncomfortable, read that resists being labeled with any particular genre. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.]—MM Priest, Cherie. Brimstone. Ace: Berkley. Apr. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781101990735. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781101990742. FANTASY

Clairvoyant Alice Dartle travels to the small Florida town of Cassadaga, having heard that it is a haven for spiritualists. There she

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‘‘

QUOTABLE “Four months after Charlie started as Harbinger of Death, his girlfriend dumped him.”—Claire North, The End of the Day

hopes to learn how to better control her gifts. Meanwhile, Cuban-born tailor Tomás Cordero is haunted by terrible memories of his days as a soldier during World War I. Having lost his wife, Evelyn, to the flu, Tomás first believes the fires that spontaneously combust around him are random accidents, until he sees his dead wife’s face in the ashes. He heads to Cassadaga, seeking help from Alice. But the fires seem to be the work of a spectral presence that Tomás brought back from the battlefields of Europe. Although Alice is presumably meant to be spunky and unconventional, she instead comes off as self-indulgent and lacking good sense. Tomás is a much more sympathetic character, deeply grieving and desperate to make a connection to the wife he lost. VERDICT Regardless of the flaws in one of its lead protagonists, this dark historical fantasy from Priest (Maplecroft; Boneshaker) features an intriguing setting and fascinating details about the Prohibition era that will draw in readers. [See Prepub Alert, 10/21/16.] —MM Robinson, Kim Stanley. New York 2140. Orbit: Hachette. Mar. 2017. 624p. ISBN 9780316262347. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780316262330. SF

In the 22nd century a series of climate disasters and ocean level risings have left New York City partially underwater. In Manhattan, the old Met Life building is one of the skyscrapers-turned-islands that houses residents determined to stay in the city. Robinson focuses on those residents to tell a story of real estate, finance, climate change, treasure hunting, and kidnapping. Two missing computer programmers bring an unusual mix of the Met residents together, including a financial trader, the building super, a tenants’ rights advocate, a police inspector, and two intrepid orphans. Robinson (Aurora; “Mars” trilogy) writes dense sf that often has an ecological bent. His large cast of characters provide appealing windows into his near-future world, but the cityscape itself is the most interesting protagonist, with New York ringed by superskyscrapers housing the rich as well as the lower regions of canals, collapsing buildings, and encroaching tides. The only frustration in this ambitious and impressive work is that the author relies too heavily on information dumps to fill in the details of climate change, explain the financial world, and liberally sprinkle fascinating nuggets of New York history. VERDICT

Robinson’s many admirers and sf readers who enjoy ecofiction will want this. [See Prepub Alert, 10/6/16.]—MM

.Scalzi, John. The Collapsing Empire. Tor. Mar. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780765388889. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780765388896. SF Humanity has left Earth behind and headed across the universe, with spaceships riding the Flow, an extradimensional field that allows vessels to travel immense distances in weeks or months. The Holy Empire of Interdependent States and Mercantile Guilds, or the Interdependency for short, allows farflung outposts to trade and exist successfully in this almost inexplicable time-space web. But now the entire Flow is changing, separating worlds from one another and threatening to destroy the Interdependency. Three people unite to try to save the Empire as they know it. But others see an opportunity for transferring the power to themselves. VERDICT Scalzi (Lock In) mixes science, history, and politics with sharp action and intriguing characters. Readers will be thrilled to take another wild ride across the universe with the author of the “Old Man’s War” series. [See Prepub Alert, 10/3/16.] —KC

.Skovron, Jon. Bane and Shadow.

Orbit: Hachette. (Empire of Storms, Bk. 2). Feb. 2017. 544p. ISBN 9780316268141. pap. $9.99; ebk. ISBN 9780316268172. FANTASY

After trading his freedom to save his friend Hope, Red is now being trained by the biomancers to become an assassin. A skilled thief and con man, he believes his own talents at subterfuge will keep him alive, but he soon learns that palace politics is deadlier than he expected. As the pirate Dire Bane, Hope uses her secret Venchen teachings to attack ships that support the Council of Biomancers. When Hope and Red are finally reunited, they discover that surviving may be the least of their problems. Not only do they have to deal with a vicious murderer who strikes by night, but they must stop a plot that is more horrible than the one that destroyed Hope’s home village. VERDICT Skovron’s sequel to Red and Hope brings readers back to his intricate world of military action, magic, and piracy. The adrenaline-fueled conclusion to an emotionally engrossing tale leaves one eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.—KC

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Sparks, Cat. Lotus Blue. Talos. Mar. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9781940456706. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781940456737. SF

On an Earth that has been ravaged by war and technology, traders travel by caravan across the Sand Road. Partially sentient machines and other monsters live in the desert, and humans struggle to survive. One particular caravan carries two orphaned sisters, Star and Nene. Nene has always tried to protect her younger sibling, and of course, 17-year-old Star loves and hates her for it. But Nene’s protectiveness involves secrets that Star will soon discover, when a satellite crashes to Earth, separating her from Nene and forcing her on an unexpected journey that will bring her face to face with Lotus Blue. This ancient war machine is powerful, deadly, and now awake, ready to destroy the rest of humanity. VERDICT In the spirit of the Mad Max films, Australian author Spark’s debut takes reader on a journey of the intersection of human and machine. Strong characters and a vivid desert landscape bring this postapocalyptic story to life.—KC VanderMeer, Jeff. Borne. MCD. May 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780374115241. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780374714925. SF

In the blighted landscape of a nameless city, Rachel is a scavenger who roams the land looking for useful biotech scraps, remnants of experiments done by the Company. She brings back her finds to her lover Wick, who was once an employee of the Company, before everything fell apart. On one excursion, Rachel discovers a lump that she cannot at first identify as plant, animal, or machine. She brings it home, names it Borne, and quickly grows attached. As Borne evolves into a seemingly sentient creature, he becomes a bone of contention between Rachel and Wick, who have differing opinions on Borne’s nature and possible threat. VERDICT VanderMeer (“Southern Reach” trilogy; Finch) delivers a work of dystopian ecofiction that will appeal to fans of Margaret Atwood’s “MaddAddam” trilogy, albeit with a weirder sensibility. The language is lush and playful, with surreal touches, such as the buildingsized bear that wanders a ruined landscape, attacking the sparse human population.—MM Wells, Alex. Hunger Makes the Wolf. Angry Robot. Mar. 2017. 464p. ISBN 9780857666444. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9780857666451. SF

TranRifts Inc. controls all interstellar travel, and its businesses stretch far and wide. On the planet called Tanegawa’s World, the company is in charge, but not everyone who lives there is a company man, or woman. Hob arrived ten years ago, an orphan left behind by a rift ship. Taken in by MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 97

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SF/FANTASY

Additional SF/Fantasy .Malerman, Josh. Black Mad Wheel. Ecco: HarperCollins. May 2017. 304p. ISBN 9780062259684. $26.99; pap. ISBN 9780062677136. $17.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062259707. HORROR

William Grabowski, McMechen, WV

Members of the fading 1950s rock band The Danes are approached by an agent of army intelligence to help trace an uncanny,

Writers of the Future. Galaxy. (L. Ron Hubbard Presents, Vol. 33).

In partnership with

Columbus Metropolitan Library

Apr. 2017. 400p. ed. by David Farland. illus. ISBN 9781619865297. pap. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781619865266. SF

This collection of 17 stories is the latest volume to come out of the Writers of the Future contest, which aims to showcase the work of previously unpublished sf/fantasy authors. The pieces range in subgenres, from the solidly sf (“Envoy in the Ice”) to clear fantasy (“The Dragon Killer’s Daughter”), from the futuristic mystery “Moonlight One” to the folkloric tale, “Tears for Shülna.” Some of the tales lean toward horror or even the surreal. The settings also vary widely, from a modern backyard to an African-inspired landscape to an Arabian Nights–type city. The contrasts contribute to this anthology’s success in presenting the creativity of different writers asking unique “what ifs.” This title also incorporates 14 winners of the Illustrators of the Future contest, whose visual art is paired with the literary art of the stories. Finally, there are four nonfiction essays included on research, storytelling, careers in illustration, and art direction. VERDICT Readers who are interested in discovering promising writers and who want to sample an inventive mix of speculative fiction will be likely to find something that resonates here.—Sara Schepis, Fishkill, NY

{

apparently malign (causing vomiting and extreme emotional upset), sound recorded in North Africa. Later, lead singer Philip Tonka wakes from a coma in an anonymous clinic, with nearly every bone in his body broken, cared for by Ellen—a nurse who is more forthcoming than the secretive doctors and military types. As Philip’s healing mysteriously speeds up, he struggles to untangle his confusing memories of what happened in the desert. The prevailing icy paranoia beneath the fractured time line builds tension and creates a very real feel of fear and falling into suffocating existential traps (here a genuine danger). Malerman (Bird Box) explores—and tests—the limits of psychological horror. In a genre not known for restraint, his uncluttered prose evokes awe and terror rather than horror and revulsion, and resonates with the chilling strangeness encountered in the fiction of 20th-century writers Robert Aickman and Shirley Jackson. VERDICT Readers of weird, atmospheric fiction with a conspiratorial bent will enjoy Malerman’s latest offering. [See Prepub Alert, 11/27/16.] —

Nick Ravani, she grows up as part of his gang of mercenaries known as the Ghost Wolves. When Hob and the crew discover a dead man in the desert, they are angered to find it is Nick’s brother, Phil. Even worse, they learn that his daughter, Mags, has been taken by the company elite and their mysterious Weathermen, who hunt down “witches,” people who exhibit strange powers. Hob possesses some of those abilities but has kept them hidden. Yet in the wake of continued company-sponsored hunts, she must learn to take control of her power and help her crew and the towns under control of the company. VERDICT Obvious parallels to Frank Herbert’s Dune will draw readers into this action-packed tale of tyranny and rebellion, but Wells’s character developments take the plot in new directions, leaving the possibility of a sequel.—KC

}

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christian fiction By Christine Sharbrough

The seasons are changing, and in a way, so is CF. While the “gentle reads” still dominate the market, the industry appears to be branching out into the edgier genres of mystery and suspense. Strong, independent female protagonists are more prevalent, and crises of faith involving serious issues, such as depression, are resolved in a more authentic and realistic manner. This month’s column ref lects these shifts, with selections spanning from traditional Amish romances to high-speed thrillers and bittersweet family dramas. Cameron, Barbara. Home to Paradise. Abingdon. (Coming Home, Bk. 3). Feb. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9781426769931. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781501837630. CF

A Gilded Age wallflower–turned–gossip columnist; this lawyer’s ambition may kill her

Amish Corner

Byler, Linda. The Homestead. Good. (Dakota, Bk. 1). Apr. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781680992137. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781680992120. CF

The Great Depression hit Hannah’s family hard, even though they are Lancaster County Amish. Desperate to find a way to sustain his family, Hannah’s father decides they should leave Pennsylvania and head to North Dakota. Unfortunately, their fortunes there are not much better, and 15-year-old Hannah is convinced that she needs to work. Although she is happy to find a position on a cattle ranch, Hannah is troubled by her growing attraction to ranch hand Clay. Byler (“Lizzie Searches for Love” series) draws on her Amish upbringing to create an authentic portrait of Amish life. Unlike other authors writing in this genre, Byler avoids the “Amish dialect” that can be off-putting to new readers, and pens character-driven and issue-oriented novels that are at times melancholy yet always moving. VERDICT This series launch is a good choice for curious readers interested in exploring Amish fiction and a genuine look at the Amish community. Christine Sharbrough is Head of Reader Services, Chelmsford Public Library, MA. She loves Christian fiction for the inspiration and hope it gives to readers

John Stoltzfus is proving to be a challenge for Rose Anna Zook. After her two sisters married his brothers (recounted in Return to Paradise and Seasons in Paradise respectively), Rose Anna imagined John would follow suit with her. Unfortunately, a taste of the English secular world during his rumspringa (rite of passage) makes John uncertain about returning to the traditions of his community. But stubborn Rose Anna will not be deterred. She is determined to get her man at all costs. VERDICT With its hopeful, spiritual message, likable characters, and perspective on an unfamiliar lifestyle, this final volume in Cameron’s “Coming Home” trilogy is a captivating read for fans of the series and Linda Byler. Eicher, Jerry S. Always Close to Home. Harvest House. (St. Lawrence County Amish, Bk. 3). Feb. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780736965910. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780736965927. CF

Twins Laura and Lydia Mast have always been close, but when Laura attracts John Yoder’s romantic attentions, Lydia wonders when she will find love. She’s interested in Milton Beiler, but he’s struggling with whether to remain in the community after he finishes his rumspringa. Lydia hopes that working on her uncle’s farmstead will help ease her loneliness. But then Laura and John’s engagement is threatened by an accident that leaves John blind, just as Lydia is finally gaining notice from Milton. The siblings will have to draw on their faith to make the difficult choices that now confront them. VERDICT Eicher’s trilogy finale (after A Heart Once Broken and Until I Love Again) skillfully builds tension as the Mast sisters struggle to claim what they desire in a patriarchal society. Fully fleshed-out protagonists, a homespun story line, and use of German

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debut OF THE MONTH .Denton, Lauren K. The Hideaway.

Thomas Nelson. Apr. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780718084226. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780718084240. CF Returning to Sweet Bay, AL, for the reading of her grandmother Mags’s will, Sara Jenkins finds that she has inherited a B&B and its senior residents—but only if she promises to renovate the house. Sara is unsure she can carry out the terms of the will without losing her thriving business back in New Orleans. A box found in the attic reveals a side of her grandmother she never knew existed. A land grab by a tenacious developer reveals the path she needs to walk, and it is not in New Orleans. VERDICT Inspiring in tone, with well-drawn, appealing characters, Denton’s delicious debut is a treat for the senses and the heart. Her exquisitely lyrical writing and character-driven story is a must-read, especially for those who loved Beth Moore’s The Undoing of St. Sylvanus.

patois vividly brings the Amish world to life. Aficionados of the genre will want this one. Irvin, Kelly. Upon a Spring Breeze. Zondervan. (Every Amish Season, Bk. 1). Apr. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9780310348054. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780310348092. CF

Happily married, Bess and Caleb Weaver are expecting their first child when Caleb is killed in an accident. Bess gives birth to a son but has trouble recovering after the delivery. Meanwhile, Caleb’s best friend Aidan has loved Bess for as long as he can remember and tries to suppress his guilt over Caleb’s death and his own romantic feelings for his friend’s widow. Bess takes comfort in tending the garden at a B&B but faces criticism from her in-laws, who question her faith and her ability to care for Caleb’s son. In this journey of grief and faith, Irvin (“The Amish of Bee MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 99

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CHRISTIAN FICTION County” series) thoughtfully handles the charged issues of mourning, postpartum depression, and survivor guilt. VERDICT A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.

check these out

Bradley, Patricia. Justice Delayed. Revell. (Memphis Cold Case, Bk. 1). Jan. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780800727086. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781493405978. CF

Eighteen years ago, crime reporter Andi Hollister’s sister was murdered and the killer tried and convicted. A week before the man is scheduled to be executed, Det. Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit receives a letter that indicates the real killer is still free. The clock is ticking, and a man’s life hangs in the balance; the urgency is especially acute as the man on death row is Will’s cousin. Joining forces with Andi, Will reopens the investigation. As they move closer to the truth, Will and Andi find danger—and love. VERDIct Bradley’s (Silence in the Dark; “Logan Point” series) action-packed, dialog-heavy police procedural is a quick and tense story, enthralling readers with its thrilling, high-octane plot. Fans of DiAnn Mills won’t want to miss. Cambron, Kristy. The Illusionist’s Apprentice. Thomas Nelson. Mar. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780718041502. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780718042318. CF

Illusionist acts contain many secrets, and no one knows this better than Jenny “Wren” Lockhart, unconventional assistant to the famed Harry Houdini. After Houdini’s death in 1926, she finds herself in the unexpected position of defending one of the fake spiritualists whom Houdini had debunked during his lifetime. After a public illusion goes fatally wrong, performer Horace Stapleton is charged with his client’s murder. When another victim turns up, Wren teams with FBI agent Elliot Matthews to find the killer. Cambron’s extraordinary attention to historical detail creates a 1920s Boston setting that is as real as the characters who inhabit it. The twisty plot’s palpable tension rises to an almost unbearable level before the surprise ending. VERDICT Cambron (The Ringmaster’s Wife) has written a gripping tale of suspense that will please her growing fan base. Hatcher, Robin Lee. You’ll Think of Me. Thomas Nelson. Apr. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780718085940. pap. $12.99; ebk. ISBN 9780718085957. CF

When Brooklyn Meyer’s estranged husband dies, leaving his house to their young daughter, Alycia, Brooklyn reluctantly returns to her Idaho hometown, which she f led as a 17-year-old eloping bride. Yet instead of judgement and scorn, she finds the support and help she needs to begin healing. Her new neighbor happens to be her late husband’s best friend, Derek Johnson, who had disapproved of his marriage to Brooklyn. Taking the time to get to know Brooklyn changes Derek’s initial opinion of her for the better, and the two form a bond that slowly develops into love. The smalltown setting and supportive and caring characters create a feeling of peace and serenity. The protagonists’ troubled pasts are not delved into in great detail, adding to the sense of calm that is a hallmark of the author’s writing. VERDICT Hatcher’s (Keeper of the Stars) tranquil tale of loss, love, and faith is the perfect inspirational read for those who favor gentle stories. Mentink, Dana. Paws for Love. Harvest House. (Love Unleashed, Bk. 3). Feb. 2017. 224p. ISBN 9780736966252. pap. $12.99; ebk. ISBN 9780736966269. CF

Misty Agnelli gets sweet-talked by actor Lawrence Tucker into caring for his strong-willed and naughty terrier Jellybean. It is an unhappy Misty who enters a candy store with Jellybean in tow. The shop’s owner is Bill Woodson, who’s caring for his three-year-old niece. Bill, like Misty, carries his own secret pain. But Jellybean’s mischievous antics are not only turning the town of Albatross upside down, they are shaking down the walls that have kept Bill and Misty prisoners in their own isolated lives. VERDICT Two-time Carol Award winner Mentink’s third book (after Fetching Sweetness) in this canine series is a sweet and funny delight that will amuse dog lovers and readers who are seeking a lighthearted, feel-good story. Molyneux, Daniel. Judas Son of Simon. Moriah. Mar. 2017. 282p. ISBN 9780997041743. pap. $14.95. CF

The most vilified character in the Bible, Judas Iscariot, was the only disciple whom Jesus called friend, yet his betrayal ultimately led to Jesus’s death. In Molyneux’s (The Angel of Antioch) skillful hands, the story comes alive in a new way that humanizes Judas and provides insight into the life of Jesus. Beginning with the appearance of the angel Azazel, who tells Simon Bar-Levi to name his soon-to-be born son Judah, the novel traces Judas’s life in first-century Israel, from marriage

to the high priest’s daughter and spying on John the Baptist and Jesus for his father-in-law, to following Jesus as a conf licted disciple and ultimate traitor. The author draws on his training and experience as a biblical scholar and archaeologist to present a fresh perspective on a familiar story. VERDICT Emotionally intense and intricately plotted, this provocative novel profiles Judas in unexpected ways. Putman, Cara. Beyond Justice. Thomas Nelson. Apr. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9780718083472. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780718083496. CF

Hayden McCarthy’s ambition and drive make her an excellent attorney and in line for a partnership at her firm. When a wrongful death suit lands on her desk, she hopes its successful conclusion could lead to her promotion—if she’s not killed first by forces determined to shut down the case. Meanwhile, her roommate Emily thinks Hayden’s driving herself too hard and hopes Hayden and her cousin Andrew will get together. Unfortunately for Hayden, Andrew is out of bounds. Working a lawsuit against the government does not lend itself to having a relationship with a congressman’s son. VERDICT With its menacing mood, crisp dialog, and quick pace, Putman’s (Shadowed by Grace) action-packed legal thriller highlights a complex political scene. Starring a determined female attorney who will stop at nothing to resolve her case, this title will please fans of Joel C. Rosenberg and John Grisham. Smith, Jill Eileen. Redeeming Grace: Ruth’s Story. Revell. (Daughters of the Promised Land). Feb. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780800720360. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781493405923. CF

When Naomi’s two sons die and leave her with two childless Moabite daughters-in-law, it appears that a life of hardship and poverty await the three women. Deciding to return to her homeland in Judea, Naomi is accompanied by Ruth, the daughter-in-law who chose not to go back to her family. When Ruth meets Boaz, this may be the opportunity that God has given to ensure a better life for both women. Smith’s fresh retelling of the story of Ruth and Naomi portrays these strong biblical women in a thoughtful and ref lective manner. Her impeccable research and richly detailed setting give readers a strong sense of life in ancient Israel. VERDICT Admirers of biblical historical fiction will love this uplifting third series outing (after The Crimson Cord and The Prophetess).

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Turano, Jen. Behind the Scenes. Bethany House. (Apart from the Crowd, Bk. 1). Apr. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780764217944. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781441230959. CF

SERIES LINEUP Blackstock, Terri. If I’m Found. Zondervan. (If I Run, Bk. 2). Mar. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9780310332480. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780310332510. CF In this sequel to If I Run, fugitive Casey Cox, still on the run from prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit, stumbles upon an abused child, but helping this little girl may cost her life. Blackstock’s high-octane psychological thrillers are perfect for fans of white-knuckle suspense.

A debut into New York’s high society is the dream of any girl, but what happens if you are repeatedly not chosen to be the belle of the ball? Permilia Griswold, a perpetual wallf lower, decides to write down her observations in a newspaper gossip column using the pen name of “Miss Quill.” When she overhears a threat against Asher Rutherford, a society gentleman who owns a New York department store, she tries to warn him. His disbelief leaves Permilia with no choice but to put herself at risk to save a man she barely knows. It’s not long before Asher and Permilia are working together to uncover the deadly plot against him. ERDICT Turano’s (Finding Margo) series V debut, laced with humor and populated with eccentric characters, takes an irreverent look at Gilded Age New York. Perfect for those who enjoy a light historical romance.

Chapman, Vannetta. Raging Storm. Harvest House. (Remnant, Bk. 2). Feb. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780736966559. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780736966566. CF The final entry in Chapman’s dystopian duology (after Deep Shadows) opens three weeks after a solar flare wiped out technology across the globe. Against all odds, Shelby Sparks and former high school sweetheart Max Berkman have reached Austin, TX, hoping to find the insulin her diabetic son needs. The intense roller-coaster of a plot and sharply etched characters will appeal to readers of postapocalyptic fiction.

.Turansky, Carrie. Shine Like the

Dawn. Multnomah. Feb. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9781601429407. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781601429414. CF

In Edwardian England, childhood friends Maggie Lounsbury and Nate Harcourt are abruptly separated after Maggie’s parents drown in a boating accident. Maggie and her sister are sent away to live with a distant relative, and Nate joins the Royal Navy. When his father dies, Nate returns to run his family estate and discovers M aggie working at her grandmother’s hat shop. The two friends have much hurt and anger to resolve before their friendship, let alone love, can f lourish. VERDICT Turansky’s (A Refuge at Highland Hall; “Edwardian Brides” series) beautifully written romance will sweep readers into an enchanting world, where life isn’t ideal, but where faith shines a path through the darkness. Its heartwarming and hopeful story arc, gentle prose, and charming characters will attract new readers to Turansky’s growing legion of fans. West, Catherine. The Memory of You. Thomas Nelson. Mar. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780718078768. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780718078805. CF

Natalie Mitchell needs a break. Between working for her overbearing father and the rat race of New York, she is forever on edge. Shattered by her twin sister’s death 13 years ago, she also battles depression and post-traumatic stress disorder with

Connealy, Mary. Long Time Gone. Bethany House. (Cimarron Legacy, Bk. 2). Mar. 2017. 304p. ISBN 9780764211829. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781441269577. CF The follow-up to No Way Up continues the saga of the Boden clan’s fight to keep their ranch. Justin Boden, in charge after his brother Cole is shot, is attracted to Cole’s nurse Angie DuPree.

a cocktail of medications. But when her grandfather has a heart attack, she returns to the family’s Sonoma, CA, vineyards, even though it means revisiting the scene where her sister was killed. The winery is failing, and her father wants Natalie to shut it down. However, vintner Tanner Collins, who wishes to save the business, quickly figures out why Natalie is there, and sparks between them f ly shortly after her arrival. However, the longer she’s

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However, the ranch comes first, and the Bodens must find out who wants the property so badly and why. Fans of cowboys and romance will enjoy this humorous and hopeful tale set in the Old West.

Davis, Susan Page. My Heart

Belongs in the Superstition Mountains: Carmela’s Quandary. Barbour. (My Heart

Belongs, Bk. 2). Mar. 2017. 256p. ISBN 9781683220077. pap. $12.99; ebk. ISBN 9781683222958. CF Carmela Wade is living a lie. Forced by her uncle to profit from a made-up story about being abducted by Indians, she longs to give up the ruse and live free. A stagecoach ride to Arizona Territory may provide that chance. This sophomore series outing after Erica Vetsch’s My Heart Belongs in Ft. Bliss, TX: Priscilla’s Reveille features a strong sense of place and an emotionally charged tale that is ideal for lovers of Western romances. Mills, DiAnn. Deep Extraction. Tyndale House. (FBI Taskforce, Bk. 2). Apr. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781496410986. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781496418814. CF In Mills’s (Deadly Encounter) harrowing police procedural, a petroleum magnate’s wife is suspected of killing her husband by tampering with his pacemaker. FBI special agent Tory Templeton is brought in on the case, but it’s tough to be impartial as the wife in question is her best friend. Mills’s many fans will devour.

there, sparks of another kind soon begin to ignite, making Natalie’s decision to close the winery all the more difficult. VERDICT West’s (The Things We Knew) bittersweet and stirring novel engages readers with its introspective themes of self-forgiveness and healing. Her characters’ strong faith that God’s hand will put things right will endear them to readers of inspirational fiction. Recommend to fans of Robin Lee Hatcher. MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 101

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erotica By Ashleigh Williams

Frisky Fates and Fortunes In the enchantingly erotic Witches, Princesses, and

Women at Arms fairy-tale anthology from Cleis, common millers, fighters, and farmers find their lives intertwined with ethereal wood nymphs and royal daughters in disguise. Jackie Ashenden continues the trend with Billionaire Beast, in which polar opposites Phoebe and Nero come together to create something electric. Jaded Dominatrix Amélie finds her routine thoroughly shaken up by gorgeous, unbroken alpha-sub Olivier in Kristen Ashley’s “Honey” series debut, and downtrodden Lucky’s life finally lives up to her name in Zara Cox’s seductive Beautiful Liar. We also cover an erotic reading at Bluestockings, wherein authors present excerpts from Cleis’s steamy Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Vol. 2.

Sexy spins on classic fairy tales; opposites form an unbreakable bond; love trumps a troubled past

Ashenden, Jackie. The Billionaire Beast. Swerve: St. Martin’s. (Billionaire Fairytales, Bk. 2). Mar. 2017. 176p. ebk. ISBN 9781250136770. $3.99. EROTICA

Ashley, Kristen. The Deep End. Griffin: St. Martin’s. (Honey, Bk. 1). Mar. 2017. 480p. ISBN 9781250121110. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250121127. EROTICA

Brutish billionaire hermit Nero de Santis is on the hunt yet again for an in-home assistant. He has a bad habit of driving them away quickly with his outrageous demands but is intrigued by docile Brit Phoebe Taylor, the newest candidate, who has her own tough reasons for seeking an impossible job with an equally impossible salary. The two launch into a battle of wills from the start, with Nero taking any tactic to push the envelope and break Phoebe’s patient demeanor. Phoebe finds herself intrigued by the temperamental recluse despite herself, and Nero is pleasantly puzzled to find someone who won’t run away. As their enmity grows into something much stronger, both Phoebe and Nero must face fraught personal demons and overcome their internal obstacles to love. VERDICT Recommended for readers seeking an adult perspective on “Beauty and the Beast,” with a very modern erotic twist.

Ashley’s “Honey” series opener sees seasoned Dominatrix and Bee’s Honey Club member Amélie Strand growing bored with the scene and realizing that she wants to play with a permanent partner for the first time in her life. As if on cue, in walks broad, buff alpha-sub Olivier Hawkes. Olly shores up excitement and a deeper feeling Amélie hasn’t had in a long while. Although his submissive demeanor is unpracticed, his cheeky nature makes him difficult to break, much to Amélie’s delight. Little does she know that Olly’s membership to the elite club started as a con, a shortcut into a world that had long piqued his interest. He was unprepared for stunning, commanding Amélie to enter his life, nor for the effect she has on his libido. But will their connection survive complications when it’s taken beyond the walls of Bee’s Honey? VERDICT Though the slightly lengthy prose occasionally complicates the raunchy action, overall, this latest from Ashley (Motorcycle Man) is an enjoyable title for femdom fans.

Ashleigh Williams is a New York–based freelance writer

Cox, Zara. Beautiful Liar. Forever: Grand Central. (Dark Desires, Bk. 1). Apr. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781478945383. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781478970187. Erotica

Quinn, alias Q, is a notoriously reclusive, emotionally unavailable billionaire, with a disturbing secret and an expiration date. He copes by taking solace in as many vices as possible, one of which is filming rough pornography for auction and donating the resulting small fortune to charity. Lucky, his latest costar, is a downtrodden yet feisty young woman whose experience so far has been anything but lucky. Growing up in the grips of a brothel called the Villa and mistreated by everyone in her life, she runs to the chaotic wilderness of New York City, with Villa’s ruthless boss Clay hot on her trail. When the opportunity to earn big money for a risqué job arises, she can’t say no. As she starts to fall for her billionaire boss and the enigmatic voice behind the camera, the ghosts of Lucky’s past catch up with her and begin wreaking havoc in the present. VERDICT Recommended for dark erotica fans seeking a twisted thriller à la 50 Shades.

.Witches, Princesses, and Women at Arms: Erotic Lesbian Fairy Tales.

Cleis. May 2017. 216p. ed. by Sacchi Green. ISBN 9781627782289. pap. $16.95. EROTICA

Cleis’s newest anthology casts quite a spell, with sexy spins on classic fairy-tale tropes. Poignant, touching submissions abound, including H.N. Janzen’s “The Prize of the Willow,” about a lonely farm girl’s forest foray that leads to a lifetime of happiness with a wood nymph. A.D.R. Forte’s lyrical contribution recounts a warrior’s epic quest in search of her princess, directed only by a song in the wind. Heavier entries are balanced by playful ones—in Emily L. Byrne’s “Toads, Diamonds and the Occasional Pearl,” a wannabe knight finds herself reluctantly rescuing caustic Princess Eliann, a childhood crush afflicted with a most interesting curse. Allison Wonderland’s punchy “SWF Seeks FGM” portrays courtship from the perspective of the oft-misunderstood evil stepmother, who is turning over a new leaf with a flirty Fairy Godmother. There is one creative hit after another. Familiar themes arise of butch “common” women paired with femme royalty and witches, but each tale is rendered so skillfully as to make any repetition unique. VERDICT An excellent series of Sapphic fantasies. Highly recommended.

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A NIGHT OF PASSION & PURPOSE (l.–r.) Ella Dawson, Vierra Lai, and Stella Watts Kelley; Abigail Ekue; and Rachel Kramer Bussel reading at the Bluestockings Bookstore & Café

Best Women’s Erotica Warms up Winter Crowd at Bluestockings There was quite the turnout on February 11 at Manhattan’s Bluestockings Bookstore & Café, as folks filled the indie activist venue for a night of sweets and lust out loud. The audience was treated to free cupcakes and readings from Cleis anthology veterans, including Best Women’s Erotica editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, Stella Watts Kelley, and Annabeth Leong, along with fresh faces Vierra Lai, Ella Dawson, and Abigail Ekue. Leong read from a scorching erotic piece and meditation on gender identity, “On Some Maps, but Not on Others,” while Kelley detailed a saucy spin the bottle round that holds promise of a thrilling threesome in “Teacher Appreciation.” On the newcomer front, Lai debuted “A Hint of Lime,” and Dawson’s “Serious Faces” showcased a knack for blending titillation with snarky commentary on start-up office culture. Ekue rounded out the reading portion of the evening with a sensual, smoky tale of a woman finding far more pleasure than she expected during her afternoon gift run to a cigar store in “Cigarro Tarde.” Bussel also read on behalf of absent authors, including Winter Blair’s “At the End of the World,” wherein a hopeless m/m/f find a moment of passion and peace in their deserted, postapocalyptic landscape. The reading was followed by a Q&A, the majority of which focused on the unique aspects of crafting erotica, finding sexy inspiration outside one’s own bedroom, and navigating writing for distinct genres. When asked, “How much of your writing is drawn from your own experiences?” Bussel stated that while

that was how she started out, she now plays around with scenarios and characters specifically unlike her own history, a challenge that Ekue also incorporates in her creative practice. Lai contributed valuable advice she received for the perfect steamy scene: combine three of your personal best sexual experiences, and go from there. A similar draw to the unfamiliar has spurred her newfound wanderlust; Lai cited travel as a means of writing better stories set afar. To expand one’s perspective further, Bussel encouraged technical research: heading to online message boards, exploring communities to inform one’s work. Focusing on the commonalities between herself and the character she’s creating also helps. Ekue mentioned a preference for building characters and their personality before delving into the sexual aspects of any story. Not surprisingly, most of the evening’s authors admitted to wearing multiple writing hats, with collective backgrounds in the realm of nonfiction. Bussel cited erotica as a playful break from less imaginative genres, while Dawson expressed interest in blending the political with the erotic. Ekue described her trajectory into the genre as natural; a longtime short story author and screenwriter, she found sex scenes always ended up in her work and decided to try to include them intentionally. Kelley, on the other hand, had a very practical incentive for pursuing erotica: compared to her pieces in other genres, she said these works are far more likely to be published, which serves as strong commentary on erotica’s major upswing in the past few years.

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parenting By Julianne Smith

from celebrity tell-alls to husband bashing to why we might want to remove “Good Job!” from our parenting vocabulary, there is quite the array of topics covered in this month’s column. Of special note is Denene Millner’s My Brown Baby, which should be read by every parent of every background. The common theme, of course, is to do right by our smallest citizens, from their early days of nursing to the important consideration of how the world views them when they are older.

down language that manipulates, objectifies, micromanages, distresses, invalidates, and threatens. Not all parents will agree with the author’s findings, but she provides plenty of research to support her arguments, and her approach to alternative methods is worthy of attention. Verdict Based on the goal to respect children as individuals, Lehr’s work gives much food for thought. Recommended.

.Millner, Denene. My Brown Baby: On the

Joys and Challenges of Raising African American Children. Agate. Mar. 2017. 274p.

ISBN 9781572842120. pap. $272; ebk. ISBN 9781572847934. CHILD REARING

Dividing up the child-care chores; a grounded take on parenting; how to talk to kids so they’ll listen

.Dunn, Jancee. How Not To Hate Your Husband After Kids. Little, Brown. Mar. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9780316267106. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316267113. CHILD REARING

Memoirist, essayist, and children’s author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?) offers readers a hilarious and scientific look at how men and women differ in both their workloads and feelings about child care and home chores. With intriguing insight, she travels through the decades yet maintains a focus on today’s parents and the day-today dealings of the division of labor, seamlessly weaving her personal narrative into relevant research. For example, an Ohio State University study shows that “By the time [a] baby reaches nine months, the women had picked up an average of 37 hours of childcare and housework per week, while the men did 24 hours, even as both parents clocked the same number of hours at work.” Despite that Julianne Smith received her BA in English and her MS in Information from the University of Michigan. She has been a librarian for over 20 years and an LJ reviewer for nearly ten. She currently serves as Assistant Director, Ypsilanti District Library, MI. Parenting consumes much of her time outside of work, and it’s a good thing she writes this column because her twins give her a run for her money on a daily basis

discouraging statistic, Dunn doesn’t fall into a mode of “I told you so,” but rather takes the high road, illustrating how male and female brains file neatly into evolutionary patterns. Verdict This truly fascinating text is delightful. Dunn’s stories add laugh-outloud moments, such as describing Grandma’s snack cupboard as “Gran’s bag of petroleum and animal by-products.” One of the best books on the subject. Highly recommended. Lehr, Jennifer. ParentSpeak: What’s Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children—And What To Say Instead. Workman. Jan. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9780761181514. pap. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9780761189008. CHILD REARING

Parenting writer Lehr (Ill-Equipped for a Life of Sex; GoodJobandOtherThings.com) offers some very sound, thoughtful guidance in examining parental praise, and how this well-intentioned habit can backfire, turning kids into junkies seeking their next compliment. Investigating how the way we talk to our kids “becomes their inner voice—the soundtrack they will involuntarily play back to themselves throughout their lives,” Lehr considers 14 phrases that demonstrate how our “best intentions get bungled.” Beginning with the nearly automatic “Good Job!” (setting children on a path to try not what gives the child joy but what pleases adults) to “Be Careful!” (nurtures risk aversion), she breaks

Best-selling author Millner (Dream Girls) here delivers the finest selections from her award-winning blog M yBrownBaby.com, which soulfully and hilariously depicts the delights and sorrows of child rearing from a black perspective. While few blogs on this topic make it to publication, Millner’s deserves every prize earned. Her writing is acutely on target. Holding nothing back, and speaking through raw truth, she gives a keen yet grounded take on parenting from the black viewpoint, both educating and validating readers along the way (“Unless you’re parenting a little black girl, you have absolutely no earthly idea how exhausting it is to be media whipped for not being a white girl”). Verdict Millner is on top of every political, media, and cultural front, making her one of the most relevant and aspiring writers on the issue of black parenting. Lucky is the library that lands her for a speaking engagement. Phelan, Thomas W. & Tracy M. Lee. 12-3 Magic for Kids: Helping Your Kids Understand the New Rules. 2d ed. Sourcebooks. (1-2-3 Magic). Jun. 2017. 112p. illus. ISBN 9781492647867. pap. $9.99. CHILD REARING

Psychologist Phelan’s “1-2-3 Magic” series is an esteemed and effective approach to discipline for kids of all ages. However, this second edition offering, written with educator Lee and aimed at kids themselves, is quite awful. Designed to give children the headsup that new rules are being implemented at home, it takes a beginning chapter book approach to the program with illustrations and readable text meant to inspire and explain (e.g., “If you refuse to go to your room, your parents may decide to use what we

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call a ‘time-out’ alternative…. The interesting thing about time-out alternatives is that they’re almost always worse than spending a couple of minutes in your room”). Although the book’s characters describe 1-2-3 as “a nice way for parents to get kids to behave,” young people are likely to smell the rat. This is pedantic and completely unnecessary. Kids don’t need the background to every maneuver parents make. VERDICT Feel free to apply the 1-2-3 program, but skip this edition at risk of your kids laughing you out of town. Rowland, Kelly & others. Whoa, Baby!

A Guide for New Moms Who Feel Overwhelmed and Freaked Out (And Wonder What the #*$& Just Happened). Da Capo Lifelong: Perseus. Apr. 2017. 192p. ISBN 9780738219424. $19; ebk. ISBN 9780738219431. CHILD REARING

Grammy Award–winning musician Rowland (of Destiny’s Child fame) offers first-time moms an honest and humorous look at all the odd changes and often gross repercussions that accompany childbirth. In conjunction with her obstetrician Tristan Bickman, “Dr. B.,” and writer Lauren Moser, the author addresses issues such as swelling, constipation, hemorrhoids, incontinence, and more unfortunates relevant to the birthing experience. From reactions to husbands who try to speak for their laboring wives to Dr. B.’s explanation of the common skin condition melasma as something totally normal that makes you look like “you’ve grown a mustache and been punched in the eye,” they have the 411 covered. VERDICT While there isn’t anything new about a celebrity pregnancy tell-all, Rowland is indeed very funny, and along with the medical advice of Bickman, offers a winning and entertaining sampling of how pregnancy and birth—while lovely—is sometimes just totally disgusting. Schwartz, Mireille. When Your Child

Has Food Allergies: A Parent’s Guide to Managing It All—From the Everyday to the Extreme. AMACOM. Apr. 2017. 240p. ISBN

9780814434055. pap. $17.95; ebk. ISBN 9780814434062. CHILD REARING

Today’s kids with food allergies are an entirely new—and vulnerable—demographic. Allergic reactions do not only cause discomfort, they can be deadly, within minutes. Hypervigilance is the name of the game, and Schwartz (columnist, Allergic Living), who suffers from food allergies herself, presents just that—an extremely watchful approach to life for people with these conditions, covering everything from early symptoms and diagnosis to managing family gatherings and working with schools. Of great importance is teaching kids to advocate for themselves,

but instructing young ones to decipher nutrition labels or decline the birthday cake is no easy feat. VERDICT From EpiPens to which grocery chains stock the most allergy-safe food, Schwartz presents a thorough process for safeguarding child and home. Appended recipes are a bonus. Recommended for parenting and education collections. Simpson, Alicia C. Boost Your Breast Milk:

An All-in-One Guide for Nursing Mothers To Build a Healthy Milk Supply. Experiment.

Feb. 2017. 256p. ISBN 9781615193462. pap. $18.95; ebk. ISBN 9781615193479. CHILD REARING

Board-certified lactation consultant and vegan cookbook author Simpson (Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food) provides women with a complete if scientifically heavy analysis of milk production, nutrition, supply, and more. Arguing that Western culture is “full of more misinformation than good education,” and that “low milk supply is a man-made issue born of a century of falsehoods,” the author touches on a variety of topics, from preparing to nurse to returning to work. Those dedicated to breastfeeding will find a wealth of information and context that supports their decision, although the technical nature of the text makes it rough going at times. That said, Simpson is realistic (if strict) in her guidance; for example, reminding postpartum readers wishing to lose weight that “temporary changes will get you temporary results.” Simpson closes her book with recipes deemed “breastfeeding superfoods,” such as sweet potato muffins and fried green papaya with smoky cilantro remoulade. VERDICT A solid choice for collections with deep lactation holdings.

May 31, 2017

Sugarman, Lisa. Untying Parent Anxiety: 18

Myths That Have You in Knots—And How To Get Free. Familius. Mar. 2017. 184p. ISBN

9781944822576. pap. $16.99. CHILD REARING

Writer and humorist Sugarman (Life) advises parents with kids ages five to eight to stop trying to raise perfectionists and let kids make some mistakes. In brief, readable essays, she tackles such myths as “technology is wrecking our kids” and “if I punish my kid, she’ll hate me,” and encourages parents to remember that the goal is not “to raise perfect kids but...to raise well-adjusted... people who can handle whatever life throws at them.” From moms and dads who constantly compare their child to others to those who bail little Johnny or Susie out every time they forget their lunch or mitten, Sugarman’s sane, funny advice will ring true with today’s parents. Verdict Sugarman has quite the online following with her nationally syndicated opinion column, “It Is What It Is.” Excellent for public library collections.

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fiction .Akkad, Omar El. American War. Knopf. Apr. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780451493583. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780451493590. F Award-winning journalist Akkad’s gripping and frightening debut novel takes off from current American political and environmental issues to imagine a bleak and savage not-too-distant future. During a long second American civil war, the Chestnut family, consisting of a mother, son, and twin daughters, are moved to a refugee camp in what’s left of a region of Mississippi in the year 2081. There, one of the daughters, Sarat, grows into a strong and independent soul who is recruited by a shadowy operative to conduct missions against the northern borders. She assassinates a high-ranking leader of the North’s military, leading to reprisals and her eventual capture. She is tortured by the North, then finally released and moves back south with her injured brother and his family.

secrets via gene mapping, terminal illness, and suicide, to name a few. Marin, a thirtysomething lawyer in New York, has left her businessman fiancé for a handsome partner at her firm, but is devastated when both she and her lover are fired for fraternization. That’s when an email from a mysterious person claiming to be her half sister appears in her inbox. Feeling as if she has nothing to lose, Marin agrees to accompany her newfound sibling to sunny Provincetown, MA, where the woman who is their grandmother owns a B&B with her wife on the quirky tourist town’s main drag. This intriguing setup blossoms into a whirlwind of romance, family secrets, and tragedy, involving an ever-expanding cast of characters, many of whom are related to the sisters and their grandmother. VERDICT Readers looking for a light, soap-operatic plot with trendy themes in a beach setting will not be disappointed. Most will want to hang on

Across time and place: from war-torn Cyprus to 1974 coastal Maine to 1950s Pennsylvania

Later, she’s offered the chance to perform one final deadly mission in order to sabotage the peace talks that are finally taking place between the two bitter enemy regions. VERDICT Well written, inventive, and engaging, this relentlessly dark tale introduces a fascinating character in Sarat. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 10/24/16.]—James Coan, SUNY at Oneonta Lib. Brenner, Jamie. The Forever Summer. Little, Brown. Apr. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780316394871. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316394888. F

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through the drawn-out middle section until they learn the results of Marin’s latest genetic test.—Erin O. Romanyshyn, Saskatoon P.L., Sask. Brown, James William. My Last Lament. Berkley. Apr. 2017. 352p.ISBN 9780399583407. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780399583414. F

Aliki is a self-described old crone, the last of a fading breed of lamenters: professional mourners who remember the dead by composing a poem of the deceased’s life. Using cassette tapes left by an American researcher, Aliki is supposed to be recording her laments but instead recollects the story of her tumultuous and tragic life in post–World War II Greece. Brown (Blood Dance) crafts an oral history of “three musketeers” caught

up in violent events beyond their understanding. Takis, a mentally ill boy, whom Aliki loves like a brother, and Stelios, a Jew hiding in Takis’s house during the war, are constantly at odds. Aliki, forced to grow up before her time, must choose again and again between her duty to Takis and her love for Stelios. The trio move from a rural Greek village to Athens to Crete, using the ancient Greek art of shadow theater to make a living in a country plagued by starvation and guerrilla warfare. VERDICT Fans of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief and Jenna Blum’s Those Who Save Us will appreciate the complex and intertwined story of three youths haunted by secrets and the tragedy of war. [See “Editors’ Spring Picks,” LJ 2/15/16.]—Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA Brunt, Douglas. Trophy Son. St. Martin’s. May 2017. 288p. ISBN 9781250114808. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250114815. F

Brunt’s latest novel (The Means; Ghosts of Manhattan) focuses on our U.S. sportsobsessed lifestyle, in this case, the professional tennis tour during which players’ bodies begin to deteriorate at age 18. Anton Stratis is such a player, initially an eightyear-old child phenomenon who sacrifices two decades to gain a top world ranking. Ignoring the strain of five-hour training sessions in 90-degree heat, Anton’s alpha-dog father mercilessly molds him into a successful player. “I ate, slept, played tennis and rested for more tennis.” Anton’s first-person narrative carries the story as he grows weary of his tennis-dominated adolescence. Brunt reveals the sport’s cruel expectations in his protagonist’s struggles with performanceenhancing drugs, media pressure, and seeking psychiatric help. Hovering on the edges of Anton’s isolated life is gorgeous actress Ana, a possible soul mate who also endures unrealistic expectations. VERDICT Brunt’s writing hints of a YA coming-of-age tale, with Anton battling to find his true self. However, several bedroom romps may be too intense for school library collections. Still, sports fiction fans will enjoy.— Rollie Welch, Lee Cty. P.L., Lehigh Acres, FL

Cole, Daniel. Ragdoll. Ecco: HarperCollins. Apr. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9780062653956. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062653970. F

Veteran and volatile London police detective William “Wolf” Fawkes has just been reinstated to his post after a suspension for

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FICTION

Xpress Reviews

www.libraryjournal.com

LJ’s free weekly web evaluations for the weeks ending February 10, February 17, and February 24, 2017. Go to reviews.libraryjournal.com/tag/xpress-reviews

Hickie, Amanda. Before This Is Over. Little, Brown. D Jenkins, Beverly. Breathless. Avon. Kent, Christobel. The Loving Husband. Farrar.

E-ORIGINALs

Peterson, Zoey Leigh. Next Year, for Sure. Scribner. D

Court, Jules. Hot in the City. Carina.

Prebble, Stuart. The Bridge. Mulholland: Little, Brown.

Collins, Margo Bond. Bloodborne. Boroughs. Farrell, Jamie. Her Rebel Heart. Jamie Farrell.

.Knox, Ruthie. Madly. Loveswept. Kovach, R.S. The Last Resort. Pocket Star. Lanyon, Josh. Fair Chance. Carina. Moran, Kelly. Tracking You. Lyrical. Morgan, Sophie H. Her Wish. Swerve: St. Martin’s. D Parker, Lucy. Pretty Face. Carina.

Richardson, Sara. Hometown Cowboy. Forever: Grand Central.

Walker, Ann Marie. Black Tie Optional. Swerve: St. Martin’s.

FICTION

Muradov, Roman. Jacob Bladders and the State of the Art. Uncivilized. Prince, W. Maxwell & others. One Week

in the Library. Image.

.Roca, Paco. The Lighthouse. NBM.

Shafrir, Doree. Startup. Little, Brown. D

Sikoryak, R. Terms and Conditions. D&Q.

Werner, Ursula. The Good at Heart. Touchstone: S. & S. D

Wolf, Tikva. Love, Retold. Thorntree.

.Winspear, Jacqueline. In This Grave Hour. Harper.

Dean, Cornelia. Making Sense of Science. Harvard Univ. Dumenil, Lynn. The Second Line of Defense. Univ. of North Carolina. Le Zotte, Jennifer. From Goodwill to Grunge. Univ. of North Carolina.

Cavanagh, Emily. The Bloom Girls. Lake Union: Amazon. D

A Path to Peace. S. & S.

Daniels, B.J. Renegade’s Pride. HQN: Harlequin.

.Sharpe, Leslie T. The Quarry Fox. Overlook. .Suleiman, Susan Rubin. The Némirovsky

Mitchell, George J. & Alon Sachar.

Gundar-Goshen, Ayelet. Waking Lions. Little, Brown.

Question. Yale Univ.

Heubusch, John. The Shroud Conspiracy. Howard. D

Strabbing. West Point History of World War II. Vol. 2. S. & S.

Natalie Browning, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Coll. Lib., Richmond, VA

Helfand, Lewis & others. The Industrial

Revolution. Campfire.

Sabaaneh, Mohammad. White & Black. Just World.

Appel, Jacob M. The Mask of Sanity. Permanent.

assaulting a suspect. He is called by his former partner to a brutal crime scene where the “corpse” is actually made up of the body parts of six different victims. Wolf and a team of detectives are tasked with identifying the parts of “the Ragdoll,” as the press call the cadaver, as well as finding the people named on a hit list sent by the killer to Wolf’s reporter ex-wife. The final name on the list is Wolf’s, which complicates the investigation. With a third-person omniscient narrator, the briskly paced story line allows readers into the mindsets of the various characters—from the multiple detectives to potential victims. VERDICT In portraying the real emotions and inner turmoil of its flawed protagonist, Cole’s grim yet humorous first novel offers a fresh take on British detective drama that is bound to attract admirers of Robert Galbraith and Clare Mackintosh. [See Prepub Alert, 10/24/16.]—

.Dori, Fabrizio. Gauguin. SelfMadeHero.

Rita, Carmen. Never Too Late. Kensington.

.Star, Jessie L. The Do-Gooder. Pocket Star. NONFICTION Archer, Jodie & Matthew L. Jockers. The .Swift, Parker. Royal Affair. Forever Bestseller Code. St. Martin’s.

Yours: Grand Central. D

GRAPHIC NOVELs

.U.S. Military Academy & Timothy

Crichton, Michael. Dragon Teeth. Harper. May 2017. 304p. ISBN 9780062473356. $28.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062473370. F

It’s 1876, and a bet sends Yale student William Johnson off to Colorado on a paleontological expedition with Othniel Marsh. When the paranoid Marsh suspects Johnson is a spy, he abandons him in Cheyenne, WY. Johnson joins up with another famous paleontologist, Edward Drinker Cope, and heads off to the Montana badlands. Near the end of the expedition, however, Johnson is presumed dead after a mishap. In reality, he makes his way to Deadwood along with half of the expedition’s haul. He must now make his way back East with the scientific discovery of a lifetime, yet escaping his enemies may prove difficult. This newly discovered manuscript by the late C richton, who died in 2008, returns to a dinosaur theme, this time in a historical novel based on the lives of two 19th-century paleontology gi-

AUDIOBOOKs

Austen, Jane. Lady Susan. Dreamscape. Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. Tantor. Doctorow, E.L. Ragtime. Brilliance Audio. Graham, Lauren. Talking as Fast as I Can. Books on Tape. Hayley, Elizabeth & James Patterson. Exquisite. Hachette Audio.

.Henson, Taraji P. & Deneen Miller. Around the Way Girl. S. & S. Audio.

Kendrick, Anna. Scrappy Little Nobody. S. & S. Audio. Kitfield, James. Twilight Warriors. HighBridge Audio. McLaughlin, Jen & James Patterson. A Wedding in Maine. Hachette Audio Ribowsky, Mark. Hank. HighBridge Audio. Roberts, Nora. Island of Glass. Brilliance. Sanders, Bernie. Our Revolution. Macmillan.

ants and their “Bone Wars” rivalry. VERDICT Although not on par with the author’s best works (The Andromeda Strain; Jurassic Park), this posthumously published novel is a fastpaced page-turner that showcases Crichton’s singular ability to combine action, science, and history into one fantastic story. Fans will be thrilled, while new readers will discover what makes his books so enthralling. [See Prepub Alert, 11/7/16.] —Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO

Goodman, Joanna. The Finishing School. Harper. Apr. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780062465580. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062465597. F

On the surface Kersti Kuusk is doing well, making a living as a novelist and living in Toronto with her husband, Jay. Beyond her successful facade, she’s in her mid-30s, struggling with infertility, and trying to cope with long-held insecurities. Plus she’s still

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haunted by her best friend’s mysterious fall from a fourth-floor balcony at their prestigious Swiss boarding school years ago. Then a letter arrives inviting her to speak at the school’s 100th anniversary celebration, followed by a letter from her dying former schoolmate Lille, which questions Cressida’s “accidental” fall. The letters catapult Kersti on a quest to track down her classmates and teachers who might be more forthcoming after all these years. As she digs deeper, everything indicates that the ledgers of the Helvetian Society, a secret but longbanned club at the school, hold the answers. The shocking truths that Kersti eventually uncovers lead her to a dangerous confrontation and some devastating realizations. ERDICT Goodman’s (You Made Me Love V You; H armony) novel alternates between the present and the 1990s, giving it the feel of both a coming-of-age-story and a literary mystery but ultimately culminating in an addictive read full of skillfully conveyed characters. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.] —

$25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385353823. F

Manhattan husband and father Graham Cavanaugh knows that he shouldn’t compare his second wife, Audra, to first wife, Elspeth, but the contrast is too pronounced to ignore. Audra is always socializing and insisting that Graham participate even as he wistfully yearns for his more orderly existence with Elspeth. Yet, life with Graham and Audra’s son, Matthew, a middle schooler with Asperger’s, necessitates a wide social safety net, whether with Matthew’s origami club members or with the few friends he

makes at school. Graham simply can’t revert to his Elspeth days but must jump on the crazy train with vivacious Audra and enjoy the ride. In this debut novel, (after the short story collection Single, Carefree, Mellow), Heiny handles the sensitive material with a deft, always humorous touch. V ERDICT Contemporary fiction fans fond of urban settings and humor in the vein of Nora Ephron or Nick Hornsby should appreciate this tale of city life and marriage, while those searching for characters on the Asperger’s spectrum could find young Matthew, portrayed as

Melissa DeWild, BookOps, New York P.L.

.Heighton, Steven. The Nightingale Won’t

Let You Sleep. Hamish Hamilton. Mar. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780735232563. pap. $18; ebk. ISBN 9780735232570. F

A Canadian of Greek heritage who fought in Afghanistan, Elias “Trif” Trifannis is recuperating on Cyprus, which has been divided into Greek and Turkish sectors since war there in 1974. During a romantic encounter on the beach, Trif and a prominent Turkish journalist are attacked by Turkish soldiers. She is presumably killed while he flees into the “dead zone,” which encompasses the abandoned Greek village of V arosha. There, he discovers a vibrant community of Greek Cypriots who live virtually unknown to the rest of the world but for Erkan Kaya, a Turkish colonel stationed nearby who turns a benevolent eye toward the villagers. Trif’s return to the outside world would compromise Kaya and reveal the existence of the people who have rescued and cared for him. After several unsuccessful escape attempts, Trif ultimately bonds with his “captors” and becomes a part of the community, even falling in love with one of its members. Verdict In scintillating prose and with masterly control of his plot and characters, poet and novelist Heighton (Afterlands) weaves a spellbinding tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal. This timely (press reports indicate that reunification talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are advancing) novel is highly recommended to all readers.— Edward B. Cone, New York

Heiny, Katherine. Standard Deviation. Knopf. May 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780385353816. WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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FICTION high functioning but challenging, authentic and recognizable as he navigates various connections with his parents and others. [See Prepub Alert, 11/14/16.]—Jennifer B. Stidham, Houston Community Coll. Northeast

vide her with the answers she’s looking for or only pose more questions? VERDICT Recommended for those who appreciate thought-provoking and imaginative literary fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 12/19/16.] — Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA

Herrick, Ellen. The Forbidden Garden. Morrow. Apr. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9780062659620. $25.99; pap. ISBN 9780062499950. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062499967. F

Lent, Jeffrey. Before We Sleep. Bloomsbury USA. May 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781620404997. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781620405017. F

Herrick follows up The Sparrow Sisters with another lush gardening tale. This isn’t necessarily a sequel, but Sorrel Sparrow moves on from that previous novel in this new work. The Kirkland Hall estate in England is a vast property (a mini Downton Abbey) with one black mark upon its grounds. The Shakespeare garden is cursed, and any family member who tries to improve its bleak state is harmed in some way. The lord of the estate, Graham Kirkland, hears of Sorrel’s magic-touch gardening skills and lures her from her New England home to restore the garden. Since she is no relation to the family, he assumes she will not be affected by the curse. But Graham’s brotherin-law, the broody Andrew, is thrown into the mix. He’s at a turning point in his life and is staying at Kirkland Hall to evaluate his future options. As Sorrel works wonders in the garden, the tender bud of a romance begins. As the curse is researched, secrets of the family’s past emerge. VERDICT In the spirit of the film Practical Magic, based on the novel by Alice Hoffman, mixed with a mesmerizing gardening book, this enchanted, romantic story will be savored by even amateur horticulturists.—Beth Gibbs,

In Lent’s (In the Fall) elegaic sixth novel, 17-year-old Katey Snow sneaks out of her Vermont home while her parents sleep, hitting the road in search of answers to a family secret. Armed with three years of savings and a pack of old letters, Katey embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes her from the coast of Maine to a small town in Virginia: it is the summer of 1966, and the winds of change are in the air. Chronicling Katey’s parents’ f ledgling marriage with piercing acuity, Lent devotes half the narrative to that earlier generation. For Ruth and Oliver Snow, World War II changed everything: he returns home from service unable to communicate or take pleasure in anything, save for a family tradition of repairing fiddles. But a fateful visit from an old army buddy triggers something in Oliver and sets in motion an indiscretion that forms the reason for Katey’s quest. As the past catches up with the present, Ruth and Katey, from their own vantage points, strive to find understanding in each other. V ERDICT Lent’s luxurious and deliberate writing is in no rush to deliver its ample rewards. For admirers of Emma Cline’s The Girls, here is a less sensational but worthy companion.—

Davidson, NC

Michael Pucci, South Orange P.L., NJ

Lacey, Catherine. The Answers. Farrar. Jun. 2017. 304p. ISBN 9780374100261. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780374714345. F

.Ludwig, Benjamin. The Original Ginny

Mary Parsons is a lonely young woman trying to find her way in a cold world after a terrible childhood. This is certainly a wellworn theme in fiction, but Lacey (Nobody Is Ever Missing) gives her story a fresh, Millennial spin in this quirky look at contemporary society. Struggling to make it in New York City, Mary is further hampered by crippling health problems that seem incurable. She finds relief in a treatment called Pneuma Adaptive Kinesthesia, or PAKing, but these cures are prohibitively expensive. To pay for her much-needed therapy, she discovers a job on Craigslist for a “Girlfriend Experiment.” This is a grandiose project by the self-absorbed actor Kurt Sky, who hopes to land the perfect romance by paying several women to fulfill different roles in his life. Mary is hired to be the “Emotional Girlfriend” and soon gets more than she bargained. Will this strange turn pro-

Moon. Park Row: Mira. May 2017. 368p. ISBN 9780778330165. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781460397961. F

This stunning debut novel grabs readers by the heart and doesn’t let go. Fourteen-yearold Ginny Moon chronicles her increasingly harrowing life with her Forever Parents with one of the truest voices in modern literature. On the surface, Ginny is a typical teen, her days filled with friends, sports, and music. But Ginny is autistic, and her obsessive need to retrieve her Baby Doll from her past brutal life with a dangerous mother puts her on a collision course with her adoptive parents, their new baby, a legal system that has struggled to protect Ginny for five years, and her birth mother. Ginny’s brilliant therapist unlocks one mystery, but the tension never lets up as the girl’s focus on finding her Baby Doll moves them all into ever more perilous territory. Clearly, the barriers in Ginny’s life are not just autism; the people on her support team,

while dedicated, loving, and determined, must learn a powerful lesson about really listening to what she is saying. Verdict Ludwig’s triumphant achievement is borne from his own experience as the adoptive parent of a teen with autism, and his gorgeous, wrenching portrayal of Ginny’s ability to communicate what she needs is perfection.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor, MI McNicholl, Damian. The Moment of Truth. Pegasus. Jun. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781681774268. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681774824. F

Set in the 1950s world of Mexican corridas, McNicholl’s second novel (after A Son Called Gabriel) follows 19-year-old Kathleen Boyd, a Texan with a passion for bullfighting. When she jumps into the ring in Los Pinos, Mexico, a common practice for aspiring matadors, she demonstrates courage but also inexperience, as she is nearly gored and trampled. After fleeing the arena, she’s tracked down by a businessman who places her with a retired matador. Despite the restrictive mores of the time, he agrees to train Kathleen, with the intention of profiting from her novelty, and quickly dominates every aspect of her life. Facing bulls will be only the first of her challenges. This novel brims with authenticity—so much so that some readers may flinch at the bloodier moments. The obstacles in Kathleen’s path are such that one can’t help but root for her. Inspired by the first professional female bullfighter in North America, McNicholl not only creates a convincing character, he dramatizes through her ordeals the intricate art of bullfighting. VERDICT An enjoyable read for those interested in the life of a woman determined to succeed in a man’s world.— Ron Terpening, formerly of Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

.Minick, Jim. Fire Is Your Water. Swallow. Mar. 2017. 352p. ISBN 9780804011846. $26.95. F

Twenty-year-old Ada Franklin, who works at a truck plaza Howard Johnson’s while helping on the family farm in 1950s Pennsylvania, is well known for her faith healing, a gift encouraged by her Uncle Mark. However, after a devastating fire in the Franklins’ barn, Ada cannot cure the burns on her mother’s hands. Her powers came from her strong belief in God, which the fire has challenged. Young Will Burk, an admitted agnostic who mans the plaza Esso gas station shows up to help rebuild the barn. He doubts Ada’s abilities but has had his eye on her as she goes to and from work at the restaurant. Will’s constant companion is Cicero, an injured raven he rescued after a fierce rainstorm. Cicero, who inserts pithy observations over the course of the novel,

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SELF-E spotlight

Q&A Nicole Evelina In her “Guinevere’s Tale” trilogy (Daughter of Destiny [SELF-esteem, ow.ly/PCfP309tT4G]; Camelot’s Queen; Mistress of Legend), Nicole Evelina turns the image of this iconic figure on its head and allows her to tell her own story. Below, the author discusses the importance of a character often associated with themes of a dultery and betrayal, the research required to rework a legend, and how to avoid rookie mistakes in self-publishing. Read the full interview at ow.ly/tLet309dZzR. What drew you to Guinevere, and why did you want to expand on her representation in literature? I’ve loved the character of Guinevere since I was a little girl. She was one of my mythical heroes, like Cinderella or Snow White are to some girls. As I got older and read more of the stories, I realized that most don’t give Guinevere a fair shake. The final straw for me was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon. I loved that book (it changed my life in many ways), but I hated [the author’s] weak version of Guinevere. Around the same time, I read Parke Godwin’s Beloved Exile, which made me wonder about Guinevere’s life before and after Arthur—something literature barely touches upon. You can count on one hand what tradition tells us about Guinevere; no one’s identity should be reduced to a handful of incidents. I decided to write the Guinevere I hadn’t seen yet—one who is intelligent, strong, and a worthy equal to Arthur—and tell her whole story, allowing the reader to experience her life through her own eyes. Guinevere had a childhood, a family, and dreams for her future. She was a queen and may or may not have been a mother. As for her infamous af-

becomes jealous of Ada when Will’s Aunt Amanda succeeds as matchmaker. Will and Ada’s future falters until another tragic blaze revives Ada’s powers and transforms their friendship into a deeper love despite their differences in faith. VERDICT Pulling his title from a Rumi poem, the award-winning essayist/memoirist Minick (Blueberry Years) has crafted an outstanding first novel full of appealing characters and an inventive plot based on true events. This belongs at the top of every spring reading list.—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO

fair [with her husband’s chief knight, Lancelot], every situation has a context that is important to understanding it. Guinevere had reasons for acting as she did, and she didn’t do it in a vacuum. The medieval tale of her ending her days in a convent is convenient and moral, but we all know life is messy and usually doesn’t end tied up in a nice bow. There is a wealth of published material related to King Arthur. What was your research process like? In a word: long! I spent about 15 years doing research for the first two books in the trilogy and am currently doing research for the final one. This process has included consulting nearly 100 books about Arthurian legend, Celtic history and culture, the Druid faith, plus military history and strategy, and watching about half a dozen television specials on those topics. I was fortunate to take two trips to England, one entirely dedicated to the places of Arthurian legend in the south and west of the country. There is something about being in the same place [where] your characters would have walked that really brings a story to life. Plus, during my second trip, I spent some time with internationally acclaimed

Moyes, Jojo. The Horse Dancer. Penguin. Apr. 2017. 496p. ISBN 9780143130628. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781524704445. F

Successful London attorney Natasha is finally moving forward after her marriage to Mac fell apart. Her career is taking off, her relationship with her boyfriend Conor is stable, if bland, and she has her big, beautiful house all to herself. Then Mac moves back in, and he and Natasha find themselves the guardians of troubled teenager Sarah. Sarah has been raised by her loving but strict grandfather. Known to everyone as the

WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Bradley research [her novel]. Their advice was instrumental to my books, and I fully admit to geeking out over both of them, especially with George. Why did you decide against traditional publishing? It began as a matter of timing. I had just amicably parted ways with my agent when I finished what would become my fourth book, Madame Presidentess. Because it is biographical historical fiction about Victoria Woodhull, the first woman who ran for U.S. president in 1872, I wanted to make sure it was published before the 2016 election. It wasn’t certain yet that Hillary Clinton would get the nomination, but I had a feeling she would. I was running out of time to get it published traditionally, so I decided to do it on my own because I knew I could do it faster. While I was at it, I released the other three books I had sitting on the shelf as well. As I learned more, I found that I liked the control indie publishing gave me over all aspects of my career. What have been the biggest advantages for you? I like knowing that I will not be dropped from an agent or publishing house if a book has poor sales. I am free to write the stories I choose, without the influence of an outside agenda or ideas of what will sell. I love knowing that my covers actually have something to do with what’s inside the book. Plus the support of the indie author community cannot be underestimated. That has been the biggest positive surprise. So many authors are willing to work together and share what they have learned, rather than view one another as the competition.— Kate DiGirolomo, Library Journal

Captain, he was an expert horseman who has taught Sarah the classic arts of French dressage. Strictly independent, Sarah takes her obligations to her horse, Boo, seriously, even after her grandfather has a massive stroke and ends up in long-term care. Without her grandfather’s presence, not even the guidance of Mac and Natasha can protect Sarah and Boo from a dangerous mobster and the girl’s own poor choices. Sarah’s dramas seem the most perilous, but readers might just wish for Natasha and Mac to ask the right questions and head off looming MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 111

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FICTION calamity. VERDICT Moyes (Me Before You; After You) is a master of character development, allowing each of her protagonists to stumble, shine, and surprise in all their

humanity. Recommended for fans of the author and general fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.] —Jennifer Beach, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

.Paris, B.A. The Breakdown. St. Martin’s. Jun. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781250122469. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250122483. F Would you stop to help the driver of a

DEBUT spotlight

Q&A Adelia Saunders

PHOTO BY danielle baron atkins

Adelia Saunders’s first novel, Indelible (starred review, LJ 1/17), is the wildly inventive story of Magdalena, a young woman from L ithuania, who sees people’s histories literally written on their skin. Here, the author discusses the book’s unusual plot and her previous careers. What inspired the skin-writing aspect of Indelible? My husband and I had been doing research in the Lithuanian central state archives, and I’d gotten interested in the idea of documents and how just a few bureaucratic data points were left in the official records to tell a person’s story long after they died—a birth certificate, census records, maybe a school file, a passport. That was it. Sometimes those documents hinted at a story that was much more complicated. I wondered what it would be like for a character to be confronted with all that information every time she looked at another person. From that came the idea that Magdalena would see people wearing the contents of their life’s “files” on their skin. It was important to me that the writing Magdalena sees included things that are as banal—or tragic or profound—as the things found in archival records. Much of what she sees is uninteresting, but then someone pushes up their sleeves or brushes the hair off their face and she reads the text of an arrest warrant or an autopsy report or a Valentine. Coincidences and subtle clues that do not foreshadow the story are tricky to pull off in literature. How did you make them work here so well? Well, I hope they work! I wanted to write an adventure story set in the archives. There is plenty of excitement to be found looking through dusty docu-

ments where discoveries are the accumulation of little clues. All three main characters are trying to solve a puzzle that is central to their lives, and the “clues” are there all along in files gathering dust or in their own memories. The intricacies of this book are extraordinarily bold and complex. What were some of the surprises you encountered during its construction? So much happened in my life during that time. It started as a vague idea, not a novel. It got unwieldy and had to be restarted. I didn’t know where things were going, but it was exciting to figure it out as I went along. I finished the book a more mature writer than I’d been when I started. Did your master’s degree in international relations influence your work on the novel? It made it take longer! I started it while my husband and I were living in Paris and I was getting ready to go to graduate school. Then I spent two years getting a degree that is almost completely unrelated to fiction writing, and then I had two kids, and then I finally finished it. My degree taught me the importance of understanding assumption-free facts (which became a theme in this book). My degree and the work I’ve done since have anchored me in the very real world of war and peace and economics. I hope as a fiction writer, I’ll always have my feet on the ground. How did your path from writing for a UN newswire service to teaching English in Paris bring you to fiction? I loved working at the UN. I wrote for an odd little news service that covered development in the least developed countries. I hung out at Security Council “stake-outs” where a bunch of shaggy journalists wait around underneath the Picasso mural of Guernica and then

Debut Fiction 3/15/17

.Akkad, Omar El. American War.

Knopf.................................................... 106 Cole, Daniel. Ragdoll. Ecco: HarperCollins........................................ 106 Heiny, Katherine. Standard Deviation. Knopf.....................................................109

Honeywell, Antonia. The Ship. Orbit: Hachette....................................... 95

.Ludwig, Benjamin. The Original

Ginny Moon. Park Row: Mira.................110

.Minick, Jim. Fire Is Your Water.

Swallow.................................................110 Singer, Margot. Underground Fugue. Melville House.......................................117 Sparks, Cat. Lotus Blue. Talos................ 97

shout questions to the diplomats when they come out. Some of the work I did at the UN made its way into Indelible. After the UN, my husband and I were living in Paris when I started writing this book. I was giving English lessons to several young girls, which is why some of Indelible takes place when Magdalena is very young. I had a sense from my French students of the [giddiness] and utter seriousness of being eight years old. What are some nonfiction books you’ve enjoyed recently? Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith weaves in so much history and sadness that the book itself almost has the texture of van Gogh’s paintings. I read the first volume of William Manchester’s biography of Winston Churchill [The Last Lion]. Every parent should read it. Little Winston was such a disaster; he failed at almost everything and was completely hopeless in the rigid culture of English boys’ schools. It’s a reminder that what we are as children doesn’t define us, and that sometimes a difficult kid may just need to get out of Latin class and go save the world. What are you working on now? I have a secret project; it’s about water.—Beth Andersen, formerly with Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

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stalled vehicle on an isolated wooded road during a major storm? As the morning news reveals that the stranded driver had been brutally murdered, probably minutes after Cass drove by, this is the question she repeatedly asks herself as she replays those moments from the night before. Then she starts receiving silent phone calls. Is the caller the killer? Did he see her? Already worried about early dementia (her deceased mother suffered from this) and racked with guilt, Cass starts to forget things, mix up dates, and become mired in confusion, fear, and paranoia. Thank goodness she has her loving husband and longtime best friend to support her. It’s unfortunate that the two don’t really get along, but as long as Cass has them to count on, she should be fine. VERDICT In the same vein as the author’s acclaimed debut, Behind Closed Doors, this riveting psychological thriller pulls readers into an engrossing narrative in which every character is suspect. With its wellformed protagonists, snappy, authentic dialog, and clever and twisty plot, this is one not to miss. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/17; “Editors’ Spring Picks,” LJ 2/15/17.] —

Grace Holland, a young mother of two, enjoys camaraderie with her neighbor Rosie. She feels herself relax into discussions with Rosie that she can’t have with her taciturn husband or her loving but rather rigid mother. In a time when the only advance warning for fire is the smell of smoke, residents prepare ahead of time. Grace wakes to the sound of her daughter coughing, bundles her children into the baby carriage, and carries them to the beach, where she thinks quickly enough to prepare protective wet air pockets from blankets, ordering Rosie

to do the same. As the town burns around her, Grace rises to handle each astonishing ordeal as she meets it. VERDICT Based on the harrowing true story of the largest fire to ravage the coast of Maine, this is sure to be a best seller. Shreve’s prose mirrors the action of the fire, with popping embers of action, licks of blazing rage, and the slow burn of lyrical character development. Absolutely stunning. [See Prepub Alert, 11/16/16; “Editors’ Spring Picks,” LJ 2/15/17.] — Julie Kane, Washingrton & Lee Lib., Lexington, VA

➔ CONTINUED ON P. 116

“Libraries are our future. Without them our DEMOCRACY IS LOST.” —ERIN BERMAN, SAN JOSE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Marianne F itzgerald, Severna Park H.S., MD

Scottoline, Lisa. One Perfect Lie. St. Martin’s. Apr. 2017. 384p. ISBN 9781250099563. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250099587. F

Having stabbed a man to death, a seemingly damaged, deranged Chris Brennan plans to attack a small Pennsylvania town. Or will he? This loner certainly is a liar: he lies about his name, his background, and his experience to gain a teaching and coaching position at a high school where he urgently pursues a teenage boy to assist him with his scheme. Chris succeeds in finding a ten-foot box truck that can hold 50 bags of fertilizer, enough to cause deadly destruction. After putting readers on edge with the development of this unlikable character as a would-be domestic terrorist, Scottoline (Most Wanted; Every Fifteen Minutes) slams the plot into reverse at midpoint and accelerates at full speed. Throw in sexting, cheating, drinking, and grieving to draw in the other protagonists, including teachers, three mothers, and their teenage sons. VERDICT This stand-alone suspense novel is not to be missed by Scottoline’s fans as well as other readers who relish fast-paced thrillers by Linda Fairstein and John Grisham. [See Prepub Alert, 10/24/16.] —Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN

.Shreve, Anita. The Stars Are Fire. Knopf. May 2017. 256p. ISBN 9780385350907. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385350914. F Shreve’s (Stella Bain) latest brings readers to 1947 coastal Maine. In a close-knit town, WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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A Celebration of Libraries, Communities and Access to Information. 220 portraits of librarians and their thoughts on the significance of their work. With essays from Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Nancy Pearl, Cory Doctorow, Amy Dickinson and others. #checkusout

Available May 16, 2017

DIGITAL GALLEY AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-316-39398-0 • $24.99 / $32.49 Can. Also available as an ebook WWW.BLACKDOGANDLEVENTHAL.COM

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FICTION

Giving voice to refugees, helping other Americans understand and empathize

The Literature of Exile By Barbara Hoffert On January 27, President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending entry of all refugees to the United States for 120 days, blocking Syrian refugees indefinitely, and forbidding entry for 90 days to citizens of the seven largely Muslim countries of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. After a temporary stay, a revised ban pending at press time is said to continue targeting those countries. The situation surely reminds us that current sentiment makes it especially challenging for individuals rooted in Islamic culture to settle here. Anyone wanting a visceral understanding of that experience would do well to go beyond reportage and pick up a good novel, poem, or play on the subject. For instance, Beirut-born Laila Halaby’s Once in a Promised Land (Beacon), a Discover pick, portrays a Jordanian couple struggling in post-9/11 Arizona, while Pakistani American Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer

Syria

Syria’s civil war is too current for much of a literature to have emerged, except perhaps in blogs and online magazines. But the Syrian American experience is represented by Mohja Kahf, whose The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf (PublicAffairs) portrays a young woman struggling to negotiate the line between being Muslim and being American. Also a poet, Kahf uses E-mails from Scheherazad (Univ. Pr. of Florida) to relocate a celebrated cultural figure to 21st-century Hackensack, NJ, and explores a biblical story shared by three faiths in Hagar Poems (Univ. of Arkansas). In addition, Syrian American Osama Alomar’s The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories, a collection of surreal, sharply observed fables coming from New Directions in April, captures the mood of a people used to speaking tangentially under a harsh regime. Alomar is also the author of Fullblood Arabian, a New Directions poetry pamphlet. For a better understanding of the conditions driving flight from Syria, readers can also look to three recently translated Syrian novels. Nihad Sirees’s The Silence and the Roar (Other) is the Kafkaesque tale of an author banned for refusing to write propaganda, Mustafa Khalif’s forthcoming The Shell: Memoirs of a Hidden

Prize–winning and Tony-nominated Disgraced (Back Bay: Little, Brown) features a nonobservant Muslim American encountering suspicion among New York professionals. Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Harvest), short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, features a Pakistani disenchanted with America, where the author was educated. And Yale Younger poet Fady Joudah’s The Earth in the Attic (Yale Univ.), a study of displacement and identity, is by the son of Palestinian refugees. Despite the success of these and other authors, there are still too few books available on the experience of those from largely Muslim countries, especially the seven countries affected by the ban. Many are here not as immigrants choosing to dream the American Dream but as individuals fleeing cataclysm at home, and the following titles will explain why. For forthcoming works exploring exile generally, go to ow.ly/dUog309wEgc.

Observer (Interlink) features a nominally Christian atheist mistaken for a radical Islamist and held 13 years without trial, and Khaled Khalifa’s No Knives in the Kitchens of This City (Hoopoe: American Univ. in Cairo) depicts a family in Aleppo coming to ruin under harsh rule from the 1960s to the 2000s. And don’t forget French-Syrian cartoonist Riad Sattouf’s graphic memoir series, The Arab of the Future. Vol. 1: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978–1984 and The Arab of the Future. Vol. 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984–1985, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner. The narrative moves among rural France, Syria, and Libya, and here’s the good news: The Arab of the Future. Vol. 3: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1985–1987 is coming from Metropolitan: Holt in September. Finally, PEN Pinter Prize–winning Syrian journalist Samar Yazbek, now living in exile in France, is best known here for The Crossing: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria (Ebury) and A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution (Haus), but she is also the author of novels and short stories. Cinnamon (Haus), the story of an alienated wife, is her only fiction available in this country, but her reputation and experience recommend watching for translations to come.

Iraq

Though readers interested in Iraq are encouraged to look at novelist Mahmoud

Saeed (Saddam City, Saqi) and poet Dunya Mikhail (The War Works Hard, New Directions), as well as American-born playwright Heather Raffo’s Lucille Lortel Award–winning 9 Parts of Desire (Northwestern Univ.), books directly addressing the Iraqi American experience are thin on the ground. One possibility: Pen West Award–winning poet Jack Marshall, author of the memoir From Baghdad to Brooklyn: Growing Up in a Jewish-Arabic Family in Midcentury America (Coffee House), who also touches on his complex heritage in his poetry, most recently Spiral Trace (Coffee House). Otherwise, the Iraqi American experience seems overshadowed by the surging troop of American soldier writers like Phil Klay and Kevin Powers. Those wanting a contemporary understanding of diaspora from the Iraqi perspective must turn to writers compelled to relocate to Europe. Muhsin al-Ramli’s Dates on My Fingers (American Univ. in Cairo) tells the story of an exile who unexpectedly encounters his father in a Madrid nightclub, while Finland-based Hassan Blasim (“perhaps the best writer of Arabic fiction alive,” the Guardian), nightmarishly evokes the Iraqi War and conditions for flight in The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq (Penguin).

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As Blasim’s book shows, nderstanding the Iraqi American u experience requires understanding Iraq during wartime, and for that, four books are especially recommended. Baghdadborn, German-based Amal al-Jubouri’s Hagar Before the Occupation/Hagar After the Occupation (Alice James) offers wrenchingly heartfelt poems of a country invaded, while Iranian American poet Solmaz Sharif’s National Book Award finalist, Look (Graywolf), assays the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan through raw, unsparing poems that show how Americans use language to distance themselves from the consequences of war. Both collections were LJ Best Poetry Books. Fiction readers can rely on Sinan Antoon, currently a professor of Arabic literature at New York University and cofounder of the journal Jadaliyya. In his recent The Corpse Washer (Yale Univ.), an aspiring artist must return to his family’s traditional occupation when war comes. The Baghdad Eucharist, coming from Hoopee: American Univ. in Cairo in April, features a young woman displaced by violence and, with her husband, taken in by a distant relative in the city.

Iran

After enjoying Dalia Sofer’s celebrated The Septembers of Shiraz (Ecco: HarperCollins), which focuses on a Jewish family in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, those seeking insight into the Iranian American experience can turn to works by Porochista Khakpour, Nahid Rachlin, Laleh Khadivi, and Dina Nayeri. Khakpour’s Sons and Other Flammable Objects (Grove) portrays the post-9/11 struggles of an Iranian American family, while The Last Illusion (Bloomsbury USA) limns a misfit Iranian boy in New York. Rachlin’s Jumping over Fire (City Lights) features a teenage girl of mixed Iranian and American heritage enjoying the liberal mores of America, where her family is forced to resettle, even as her brother faces tough choices of allegiance. Laleh Khadivi’s The Age of Orphans and The Walking deal with the weight of 20th-century Iranian history from a Kurdish perspective, while her forthcoming A Good Country explains how all-American teenager Alireza

Courdee, the son of strict Iranian Americans, finds himself part of jihad in Syria. (Khadivi’s books are all published by Bloomsbury USA.) Nayeri approached America differently in her much-lauded debut, A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea (Riverhead), treating it as dream and aspiration for twin sisters, one of whom vanishes with their father. The forthcoming Refuge (Riverhead) deals more broadly with exile, featuring cultured European Niloo, who left Iran as a child and now misses both father and homeland, especially as she considers the plight of the refugees flooding Europe. Coming from Algonquin in April, celebrated chef Donia Bijan’s The Last Days of Café Leila portrays a woman sent to America in the wake of the Iranian revolution. Recovering from a marital breakup, she returns to Tehran with her teenage daughter to see her family and their café. Finally, don’t miss the work of award-winning poet and translator Sholeh Wolpé, whose collections, from Rooftops of Tehran (Red Hen) to Keeping Time with Blue Hyacinths (Univ. of Arkansas), deal with love, grief, and displacement both personal and political. Readers eager to continue exploring the Iranian American experience can look to two anthologies. Published in 1999 and edited by Persis M. Karim and Mohammad Mehdi Khorrami, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories, and Essays by Iranian-Americans (Braziller) is the first-ever collection of its type in English and comes highly recommended by LJ’s reviewer. Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers (Univ. of Arkansas) appeared in 2013 and was edited by Karim and novelist Anita Amirrezvani, a much-praised writer of historical fiction.

American readers are familiar with Libya through the work of multi-award-winning novelist Hisham Matar (In the Country of Men, Viking), now living in London. But their distinguished at-home guide for all things Libyan (and an important voice in all things Arab American) remains Khaled Mattawa, an awardwinning poet, translator, and anthologist who teaches in the graduate creative writing program at the University of

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Libya

Michigan, Ann Arbor. MacArthur fellow Mattawa, who left Libya in 1979, is a contributing editor to Banipal magazine, a leading source of contemporary Arab literature translated into English, and also served as president of Radius of Arab American Writers (RAWI). Mattawa’s poetry collections, Zodiac of Echoes, Amorisco, Tocqueville, and Ismailia Eclipse, reveal an author comfortably located in two worlds; it’s invigorating to see “Date Palm Trinity” cite both Muhammad and Walt Whitman. Those less familiar with poetry can be reassured that Mattawa is a forthright and accessible writer whose work Yusef Komunyakaa describes as “novelistic in its reach and depth.” In addition, two key anthologies coedited by Mattawa include Post Gibran: Anthology of New Arab American Writing (Kitab) and Dinarzad’s Children: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Fiction (Univ. of Arkansas).

Somalia

Readers interested in literature from the remaining countries affected by the travel ban will find their options scarce. Worldrenowned Somali writer Nuruddin Farah touches on the dislocation of compatriots returning from abroad but remains focused on his country, as does London-based Nadifa Mohamed, one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. Of special interest, her second novel, The Orchard of Lost Souls (Farrar), treats the plight of women directly before the late 1980s Somali civil war that temporarily trapped her family in the UK. Also of interest: Igiaba Scego’s forthcoming Auda (New Vessel), about a Somalian in Italy who considers returning home as the civil war subsides. Novelist/journalist Scego was born in Italy to Somali refugees. A good bet for America readers interested in Somalia is Ahmed Ismail Yusuf’s Somalis in Minnesota, published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press as part of its “People of Minnesota” series. This nonfiction title traces the history of the Somali people in both Africa and Minnesota, home to a large Somali community. Significantly, Yusuf has a creative writing degree from Trinity College and writes stories, poems, and essays about his people. His work

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FICTION has appeared in venues like Bildhaan, an international journal of Somali studies, and the Arab American literary magazine Mizna.

Sudan

Another nonfiction title with literary merit, this one about Sudan, is Benjamin Ajak & others’ They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan (PublicAffairs). This book relates the story of Ajak and his cousins Benson and Alephonsion Deng, youngsters during the Sudanese civil war who endured horrific attacks on their villages, then left for America around 9/11. The book, a best seller and Christopher Award Winner, was recently reissued in a tenth anniversary edition. In addition, current U.S. poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera writes heartrendingly about Janjaweed attacks in Sudan’s Darfur region in Senegal Taxi (Univ. of Arizona).

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Singer, Margot. Underground Fugue. Melville House. Apr. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781612196282. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781612196299. F

Esther has fled New York for London, ostensibly to care for her dying mother, Lonia, but more accurately to avoid her crumbling marriage and the giant hole created when her son died. Smoking a cigarette outside her mother’s flat one evening, she glimpses a young man in a dark hoodie and boots, acting furtively near the neighbor’s door. Immediately alarmed, Esther later chides herself when she discovers it’s the neighbor’s teenage son, Amir, returning home after a late night out. Over time, Esther gets to know Amir’s father, Javad, a medical researcher originally from Iran. His gentleness and honesty about his struggles raising a sullen and moody youth gives Esther momentary hope that perhaps she could one day rebuild her life. Then terrorists bomb several tube stations, Amir disappears, and Esther has to make a call that changes their lives. Lonia’s story, as a young Jewish woman fleeing Poland during World War II, contrasts with the experiences of Javad and Amir as Muslims in London in 2005. VERDICT Award-winning short story writer Singer (The Pale Settlement) gracefully weaves the fugue motif throughout her debut novel without being heavyhanded. The result is a nuanced, realistic

Those interested in investigating the Sudan diaspora through fiction should read the works of Leila Aboulela. Now living in Scotland and writing in English, Aboulela won the Caine Prize for African Writing and the Saltire Society Scottish First Book of the Year Award, and her novels Lyrics Alley, The Translator, and Minaret (all from Grove Atlantic) were long-listed for the Orange Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Both The Translator, about a Sudanese widow working at a Scottish university and falling in love, and Minaret, featuring an African Muslim woman negotiating her new life as a maid in London, offer incisive looks at the outsider’s experience.

Yemen

A country with a proud community in America but apparently no author as yet to voice its concerns, Yemen does not have a large literary tradition in the modern

exploration of themes of loss and identity, which seem particularly relevant in these uncertain times.—Christine Perkins, Whatcom Cty. Lib. Syst., Bellingham, WA

Stone, Michel. Border Child. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Apr. 2017. 272p. ISBN 9780385541640. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385541657. F

The sequel to Stone’s acclaimed 2013 novel, The Iguana Tree, does not disappoint. The author picks up with the story of young couple Lilia and Héctor a few years after their infant daughter Alejandra vanished when the family attempted to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. They’re back in the small seaside town of Puerto Isadore; Lilia now has had a son, Fernando, and is pregnant with another child. They receive a tip about their daughter, and with the help of a local priest, they contact an orphanage where Alejandra may be. Héctor works dangerous and illegal jobs to earn money to travel to Matamoros, a very poor city on the Gulf of Mexico and the border with Texas. What he finds is a heartbreaking dilemma that challenges the selflessness of parenthood. VERDICT Stone is a great storyteller, and readers will enjoy learning about lesser-known Mexican cities. There is never a dull moment in this lyrical, engrossing novel, which is great for fans of Latin American or any fiction that deals with im-

sense. “Political Crisis and Yemen’s Literary Resurgence,” a March 23, 2015, story by Fareed Al-Homaid and Shannon Mckimmin in the English-language Yemen Times, notes, “Despite ongoing political and economic turmoil,...twenty novels were published by Yemeni authors [in 2013], and while that figure may seem insignificant in a regional or global context, it is considerably more than the eight books produced the previous year.” Not many of these titles have been translated yet, but a March 27, 2015, post on the blog Arab Literature in English highlighted several possibilities. Older titles like Mohammad Abdul-Wali’s They Die Strangers (Univ. of Texas) and Zaid Mutee’ Dammaj’s The Hostage (Interlink) clarify decades of civil strife. One striking new volume is Ali al-Muqri’s Hurma (Darf), about a repressed young woman who joins the jihadist cause. Issued by a long-standing British house specializing in Middle East literature, it is available in the States as an ebook now and in paperback in September. Barbara Hoffert is Editor, Prepub Alert, LJ

migrants. Particularly important reading in our current political climate. [See Prepub Alert, 10/10/16.] —Kate Gray, Boston P.L., MA

Short Stories .Knight, Michael. Eveningland. Atlantic.

Mar. 2017. 288p. ISBN 9780802125972. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780802189370. F

Winner of a Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award special citation, Knight (The Typist; Dogfight: And Other Stories) frequently appears in New Stories from the South: The Year’s Best, and the short stories in this new, thematically linked collection show why. Superbly drawn, all of the pieces are set in Mobile Bay, AL, on the Gulf of Mexico, and they seek to map complex, difficult, often hidden psychological and emotional truths. As suggested by the title, many of the stories feature characters in the later stages of life, confronting the passage of time, regret, and loves lost and found—all of which is handled with great humility, insight, and compassion. Two entries may turn out to be classics. “Water and Oil” is a wonderfully poignant story about first love, set at a marina on the Gulf, while “Smash and Grab” offers a remarkable take on a thief who robs homes and meets his match in the most unlikely way in a sleepy suburban community. Verdict Essential for fans of literary fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 9/12/16.] — Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

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arts & humanities Fine Arts .Impressionist and Modern Art: The A.

Jerrold Perenchio Collection. Prestel. Nov. 2016. 256p. ed. by Leah Lehmbeck. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9783791355610. $65. FINE ARTS

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACA) patron A. Jerrold Perenchio promised 47 works of art, plus a sizeable monetary pledge, to the museum in 2014, contingent on the completion of a new building to hold LACA’s permanent collection. The building, to be designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, is slated to open in 2023. This title is a wonderful preview of Perenchio’s donation. Most of these oils, works on paper, and sculptures date from the 1870s through the 1930s—including works by Pissaro, Caillebotte, Manet, Monet, D egas, Cézanne, Matisse, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard, Cassatt, as well as Picasso,

Harper’s Bazaar from 1945 to 1965. Influencing these and his other photos was Avedon’s love for and relationship with France. Accompanying an exhibition at Paris’s Bibliothèque Nationale de France, this book highlights this theme in his photography. The first essay by Rubin, a photography collector who knew Avedon, discusses Avedon’s role as visual consultant on Stanley Donen’s 1957 film Funny Face, starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. Also explored is Avedon’s relationship with his mentor and design director at Harper’s Bazaar, his images of numerous French sitters, and his work for the French magazine Egoïste. The second essay by Jacques Henri Lartigue expert Le Galliard explores Avedon’s relationship with the French 20thcentury photographer, and how Avedon’s book Diary of a Century repositioned Lartigue in the canon of modern fine art pho-

history, as reflected in their way of dress. Clothing that was once strictly regulated to maintain rule and class order became tokens to be amassed for social securement. In this way, sartorial gear remains a perpetual symbol of status, power, and collectivism above individualism. This volume also delves into Western culture’s nuanced and pervasive breadth of influence among the Chinese, with details such as Empress Dowager Cixi’s imported German Benz in 1898 that creates an intriguing juxtaposition of tradition and change. Images include black-and-white photographs of garments, accessories, family portraits, postcards, magazine covers, scripts, drawings and illustrations, plays, and fashion shows. VERDICT Highly recommended for those with an interest in Chinese culture and society as well as the Western influence on world and fashion history.—Zeying Wang, Junior Library Guild

Literature

Brooks, Peter. Flaubert in the Ruins of Paris:

The Story of a Friendship, a Novel, and a Terrible Year. Basic. Apr. 2017. 288p. notes. index. ISBN 9780465096022. $32; ebk. ISBN 9780465096077. LIT

Critics make the case for American poetry, urban bicycling infrastructure, merits of Chinese fashion

Jasper Johns, Magritte, Léger, Chagall, even a Max Ernst chess set. Brief art-historical essays, provenance, exhibition history, and bibliographic references accompany fullpage reproductions of each work and an illuminating full-page detail from the works. VERDICT What a treasure! Art lovers, collectors, and scholars will delight in this book and count the days until they can see these works in person.—Marcia G. Welsh, Dartmouth

tography. Innovative layouts of text and image, along with a compact square format make this an attractive volume. VERDICT Recommended for readers interested in Avedon, 20th-century photography, and Paris.—Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State

Coll. Lib., Hanover, NH

350p. photos. notes. ISBN 9780835102940. pap. $29.95. DEC ARTS

Rubin, Robert M. & Marianne Le Galliard.

From the collapse of the late Qing dynasty, marked by the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) and the rise of the Manchus, to the booming of a market-oriented economy and material consumption, this book sifts through ten decades’ worth of China’s tempestuous

Avedon’s France: Old World, New Look. Abrams. Mar. 2017. 792p. notes. index. ISBN 9781419726002. $40. PHOTOG

Richard Avedon (1923–2004) is best known for his fashion photographs, many taken for

Univ. Lib., MA

Ze Yuan & Yue Hu. A Century of Chinese Fashion: 1900–2000. China. Oct. 2016.

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Renowned for his 1856 novel, Madame Bovary, and the scandal it caused, French author Gustave Flaubert (1821–80) wrote several other novels, which tend to receive less attention. Here, Brooks (comparative literature, Princeton Univ.; Enigmas of Identity) examines one of these other works, the misunderstood and poorly received Sentimental Education, using the backdrop of the “Terrible Year” (1870–71) during the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris Commune. Using Flaubert’s correspondence with writer George Sand, as well as other sources, he explores Flaubert’s firm belief that a better initial reception to Sentimental Education would have prevented the destruction caused by these conflicts. He examines how these and other events influenced Flaubert’s political evolution from a hardline monarchist to a republican sympathizer. Brooks also includes chapters on photography (that documented the destruction of Paris) and the building of the Sacré-Coeur cathedral. The author’s description of 19thcentury French politics not only documents the rifts found between Parisians and the rest of France, they also resonate in today’s divisive political climate. VERDICT This work will appeal to academic readers interested in MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 117

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ARTS & HUMANITIES 19th-century French literature, history, and politics.—Erica Swenson Danowitz, Delaware Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Media, PA

Gerard, Sarah. Sunshine State: Essays. Harper Perennial. Apr. 2017. 384p. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9780062434876. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062434883. LIT

Writer Gerard (Binary Star) was born and raised in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metropolitan area, and as a teenager experimented in all the sex, drugs, techno, and nu metal music available in the midto-late 1980s and 1990s. These essays offer recollections of her escapades and renderings on homelessness and bird sanctuaries. “Mother-Father God” details her parents’ involvement in the Unity Church and her mother’s work with local police; “Going Diamond” describes her father’s career with Amway and the company’s philosophy to dream big, which Gerard acted upon during a recent visit to tour million dollar homes; “The Mayor of Williams Park” tells of the author’s acquaintance with a person named G.W., who serves Saturday morning breakfast to the homeless in St. Petersburg. The titular “Sunshine State” outlines her volunteer work at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and details efforts to save injured seabirds. While geographically focused on the westcentral coast of Florida, Gerard’s essays are not characteristic of the often-published writings on Florida as a touristy hiding place for misfits. The author genuinely writes for herself as much as for the discovery of the reader. VERDICT Writers and regional Florida readers will value this collection.— Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL

.Glück, Louise. American Originality:

Essays on Poetry. Farrar. Apr. 2017. 208p. ISBN 9780374299552. $24; ebk. ISBN 9781466875685. LIT

Celebrated poet Glück’s second book of essays is a study of contemporary American poetry. It explores the lingering and sometimes overwhelming influence of such figures as Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, as well as offering a generous introduction to several poets who are probably unknown to most readers. These introductions offer an open window on the current state of poetry and allow us the opportunity to peer inside, with the help of an intelligent and engaging guide. Glück’s originality isn’t so much in how she sees but in what she sees, and her openness permits her to observe things readers might gloss over. In particular, the essay “American Narcissism” is a masterpiece of critical insight, finding its most powerful focus in the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke in a moment of pure brilliance. Without denigrating Rilke’s many gifts, Glück 118 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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connects the voyeuristic trend in American poetry (a tendency to prize “fastidious aesthetics” and “the exposure of the secret”) to his influence. VERDICT Seemingly free of literary prejudice or poetic theory, Glück looks at poetry with open eyes, seeking that which catches her off guard or excites her soul. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 10/3/16.]—Herman Sutter, St. Agnes Acad., Houston

Kirsch, Adam. The Global Novel: Writing the World in the 21st Century. Columbia Global Reports. Apr. 2017. 112p. ISBN 9780997722901. pap. $12.99; ebk. ISBN 9780997722918. LIT

A conversation has been ongoing for years as to whether or not, with an increase in translated literature and a growing worldwide consciousness, literature can transcend national borders and traditions, and speak to and for a single global community. If such a universal literature is possible, would it be good, or would it be mediocre, devoid of intricacy and nuance, easily palatable and ready for mass consumption? Kirsch (director, master’s program in Jewish studies, Columbia Univ.; Why Trilling Matters) here argues that global novels exist, and that they are good novels. Focusing on eight books, the author demonstrates that world literature does not take on a single form but rather allows for variation, which prevents it from becoming a one-size-fits-all commodity. Owing to the small size of the book, some of Kirsch’s arguments, such as that a push for global literature means more than a push for more works translated into English, are not fully realized and remain unconvincing. VERDICT While far from a comprehensive treatise on the subject, Kirsch’s analysis thoughtfully adds to the existing conversation, making a persuasive case for the global novel. Best suited for academic libraries.— Timothy Berge, SUNY Oswego Lib.

.Safranski, Rüdiger. Goethe: Life as a

Work of Art. Liveright: Norton. May 2017. 704p. tr. from German by David Dollenmayer. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780871404909. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780871404916. LIT

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was not only Germany’s most celebrated poet, dramatist, critic, novelist, and playwright but also a statesman, scholar, and naturalist. His rich career and life spanned a period of drastic changes in German and European history. In this monumental book, German philosopher and biographer Safranski (Martin Heidegger) sets Goethe’s wide-ranging work in the context of the historical, literary, and political movements of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, giving accounts of his relationships with

the leading figures of the day, his influence on contemporary culture, and his personal reflections on historical events across Europe. Each chapter reflects a major station in Goethe’s intellectual achievements. In a highly readable translation, which incorporates original translations from Goethe’s work rather than relying on previous interpretations, D ollenmayer succeeds in giving these writings a unified, flowing voice. One of the greatest obstacles between Goethe and his American readership has quite often been his style. This biography affords readers easier access to a broad spectrum of his work and is a welcome contribution to Goethe scholarship. VERDICT Highly recommended for all literature collections. [See Prepub Alert, 10/17/16.] —Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY

Performing Arts

Bourne, Stephen. Evelyn Dove: Britain’s Black Cabaret Queen. Jacaranda. Apr. 2017. 160p. photos. index. ISBN 9781909762350. pap. $18.95. MUSIC

Forgotten performer Evelyn Dove (1902– 87) is brought to life by Bourne (Black Poppies; Ethel W aters) in this comprehensive portrait, a result of intensive research, interviews with those who knew Dove, and access to rare materials. A versatile singer of British and West African heritage, Dove launched a career that lasted from the 1920s through the 1960s and embraced a variety of musical styles—classical, jazz, ballads, spirituals, mainstream. Initially trained at London’s Royal Academy of Music, the singer branched out into theater and cabaret, performing internationally to wide acclaim. She replaced Josephine Baker at the Casino de Paris, appeared at Connie’s Inn in Harlem, and worked with Eartha Kitt on television. She was a foremother in many ways, including being the first black woman to perform on BBC Radio. Bourne provides historical background that is integral to her subject’s story, while simultaneously reflecting on the cultural and social atmosphere of her era. Rare and lavish photographs and helpful appendixes all enhance this quality work VERDICT This well-written, meticulously researched volume will appeal to readers interested in discovering a forgotten individual who made significant contributions to the performing arts.— Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

Doyle, Tom. Captain Fantastic: Elton John’s Stellar Trip Through the ’70s. Ballantine. Mar. 2017. 336p. photos. discog. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781101884188. $30; ebk. ISBN 9781101884201. MUSIC

Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947,

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ARTS & HUMANITIES Elton John grew up to be creative, talented, and shy, with a cheeky sense of humor. Along with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, he had seven consecutive No. 1 albums in America, and a staggering 14 Top Ten singles from 1970 to 1976. He became “Liberaceized,” wearing lavish costumes and living a f lamboyant lifestyle. Through interviews with John himself, as well as other major players in his life, including Taupin (who remains a

CRAFTS & DIY

ART INSTRUCTION CRAFTS DO IT YOURSELF FIBER CRAFTS INTERIOR DESIGN

Art Instruction

HEATHER HALLIDAY, American Jewish Historical Soc., New York

.Stich, Jon. Sketch Your Stuff: 200 Things To Draw and How To Draw Them. Quarry: Quarto. Dec. 2016. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 9781631592669. pap. $22.99. ART INSTRUCTION The choice to sketch everyday objects combats two of the most common obstacles to being visually creative: finding the time to draw and deciding what to draw. This guide can help readers with both issues, since quick sketches are emphasized, and illustrator Stich has already chosen subjects that most readers can easily locate. The book is organized around the home with chapters on different rooms and potential nearby streets. Lively two-page layouts, most containing several brief project ideas, comprise the whole book, sneaking in drawing basics such as perspective, form, color science, and shading. Charming puns throughout keep readers smiling and engaged. VERDICT This guide will attract both beginning and seasoned artists looking to strengthen their creative discipline.

.Zimmer, Lori. The Art of Spray Paint:

Inspirations and Techniques from Masters of Aerosol. Rockport: Quarto. Jan. 2017. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 9781631591464. pap. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781631592065. ART

INSTRUCTION

This book is part art survey and part art how-to guide on aerosol spray paint. Curator and art writer Zimmer begins with a short history of canned spray paint as an art medium and weaves additional background information, appropriately touch-

close friend), music journalist Doyle (Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s) takes us through the lows and incredible highs of the performer’s career, including touring on a private plane called the Starship, befriending movie stars, royalty, and (some) rock stars (including hilarious jibes exchanged with the late David Bowie). Issues of sexuality and “coming out” are deftly navigated, as are John’s challenges with cocaine and alcohol. Amazingly, he

ing on social contexts and the interplay between street style and “high culture” art, which developed around the form in the 1980s. Chapters focus on graffiti, murals, stencils, graphic design, figurative work, abstracts, and mixed media. Each has a “DIY” section with step-by-step projects, often featuring well-known spray paint artists at work in the field or in their studios. VERDICT This book will suit various types of readers, whether they want to learn complicated spray paint techniques, execute their own DIY projects, or just appreciate beautiful paintings.

Crafts

NANETTE DONOHUE, Champaign P.L., IL Andersen, Lauren. One Jump

Ring: Endless Possibilities for Chain Mail Jewelry. Kalmbach.

Jan. 2017. 112p. illus. ISBN 9781627003032. pap. $21.99; ebk. ISBN 9781627003049. CRAFTS

Jewelry designer Andersen’s beginnerfriendly collection of chain mail jewelry projects uses a single size jump ring—the common 3/16" (4.75 mm) in enamelcoated copper—to create an array of bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. The introductory designs focus on simple, symmetrical weaves that emphasize opening and closing jump rings (a necessary skill for chain mail), and later projects demonstrate traditional weaves such as box chain, Byzantine, “European 4-in-1,” and barrel weave. Andersen also incorporates beads and scales for added interest. Most of the projects are quick and unintimidating, and the author provides an overview of supplies, techniques, and basic wirework to produce custom findings. V ERDICT Andersen’s colorful projects

came through it all with his artistry and love of music intact. VERDICT A perfectly timely look back at the Seventies and Elton John’s career as he turns 70 years old.— Lani Smith, Ohone Coll. Lib., Fremont, CA

Marcade, Phil. Punk Avenue: Inside the New York City Underground, 1972–1982. Three Rooms. May 2017. 270p. photos. ISBN 9781941110492. pap. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781941110508. MUSIC

make the ancient art of chain mail both refreshingly modern and approachable.

Neuburger, Emily K. Journal

Sparks: Fire Up Your Creativity with Spontaneous Art, Wild Writing, and Inventive Thinking.

Storey. Mar. 2017. 160p. illus. ISBN 9781612126524. pap. $16.95. CRAFTS Neuburger (Show Me a Story) explores art journaling in this whimsical collection of prompts and projects intended to bring creativity to daily life. Unlike traditional, textfocused journals, Neuburger’s approach features everything from sketches of everyday objects close up to lists of word games to watercolor paintings of the sky. Although many of the prompts can easily be completed with simple supplies (paper and pen are often enough), paints, inks, patterned paper, and found objects add dimension and excitement. Pages from Neuburger’s journals are featured prominently, and interviews with other art journalers are included throughout the book. VERDICT Artists, scrapbookers, and other inventive types interested in finding colorful ways to document their lives will find plenty of fun ideas here.

DIY

KAREN ELLIS, Taylor P.L., TX Smith, Sally J. Fairy Houses: How To Create Whimsical Homes for Fairy Folk. Cool Springs: Quarto. Jan. 2017. 192p. illus. ISBN 9781591866725. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780760354834. DIY If you still believe in fairies, or want some imagination in your garden, this title will have appeal. Artist and author Smith presents a series of delicate constructs

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In this memoir, artist and writer Marcade (Au-delà de l’Avenue D) discusses being a French expat who became a fixture in the New York City punk scene in the late 1970s. Unlike other books of this sort, which mostly focus on legendary figures, this one features a fringe character on the scene. His 1950s rock revival band, The Senders, never attained the popular or critical recognition that Blondie, Television, or the Ramones did. As a result, Marcade’s

that blend into outdoor settings. Chapters concentrate on different architectural elements and the use of natural and artificial materials. Final designs illustrate the incorporation of elements for a complete structure. This book is thoroughly different from Katie Elzer-Peters’s Miniature Gardens and Janit Calvo’s Gardening in Miniature, both of which delve more into plantings. VERDICT While charming and sweet, the fairy houses here are not hardy enough to hold up to inclement weather and temperature. Nevertheless, this recommended title is fun and unique.

.Toht, David. Stanley Decks: A Homeowner’s Guide. Taunton. Feb. 2017. 240p. illus. index. ISBN 9781631864506. pap. $24.95. DIY Expand your outdoor space with a beautiful deck. Builder and author Toht (Stanley Easy Kitchen Upgrades) guides readers through the whole process. Kicking off with a nice gallery of designs, the topics of planning, tools, and materials are detailed. There is great instruction for safe use of power tools. Throughout are useful tips and techniques, and step-by-step instructions are accompanied by excellent illustrations. This is a great go-to for deck planning and building. It’s very similar in coverage to Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Decks, 6th ed. VERDICT This solid manual covers all the bases with skill and expertise and is highly recommended.

Fiber Crafts

NANETTE DONOHUE, Champaign P.L., IL Burhance, Linda Zemba. Big Knit Love: 20 Chunky Knit Fashions. Taunton. Jan. 2017. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 9781631864513. pap. $24.95. FIBER CRAFTS Knitting with bulky yarn and extra-large needles is growing in popularity—perhaps as a rebellion to the dominance of sock and lace yarns. The challenge is that the large stitch size makes shaping and detail difficult, resulting in boxy, oversize gar-

account is more relatable. While this volume highlights his relationships with people such as musician Johnny Thunders and photographer Nan Goldin, it’s the personal anecdotes that make this work memorable. Examples include surviving a fall from a cliff while high on LSD, adopting a cat owned by the future wife of Sid Vicious, Nancy Spungen, that is addicted to heroin, or almost getting into a fight with The Clash’s Mick Jones over a cigarette. The more solemn moments

ments. Burhance (Arm Knitting), a veteran knitwear designer, takes a crack at jumbo knitting in this collection of garments and accessories. Some of the projects make interesting use of the characteristics of giant stitches, such as the chunky-knit tunic where the style lines for shaping appear at the front and back of the garment, while others, especially those incorporating novelty yarns such as fun fur, look odd and dated. VERDICT Although the patterns are hit-and-miss, Burhance provides helpful information about working with bulky yarns and large needles that may be valuable to knitters.

Embroidered Mandalas: 25 Iron-On Mandala Designs To Stitch, Color, and Share. Lark Crafts: Sterling. Mar. 2017. 114p. illus. ISBN 9781454710417. pap. $14.95. FIBER CRAFTS

Mandala designs are popular with embroiderers—the repetitive patterns and intricate designs lend themselves to decorative stitching and innovative use of color. This collection features 25 transferrable mandala designs that can be stitched and framed in an eight-inch hoop. Each design appears on a perforated page and can be transferred via iron on or tracing. Sample pieces are only presented for a few of the mandala designs, allowing embroiderers to make their own decisions regarding stitches and floss colors. A brief guide to basics, including common embroidery stitches, is included. VERDICT Though intended to be relaxing and meditative, some of the pieces are fairly intricate and may test the skills of experienced stitchers. Still, this is an appealing, on-trend collection with plenty of choices for mandala fans.

Hoffman, Allison. AmiguruME Pets: Make Cute Crochet Animals. Lark Crafts: Sterling. Mar. 2017. 176p. illus. index. ISBN 9781454709787. pap. $17.95; ebk. ISBN 9781454709794. FIBER CRAFTS The frenzy for amigurumi—tiny crocheted stuffed figures—has calmed down

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recount his battle with heroin and the many friends he lost to drug addiction and AIDS. VERDICT Marcade’s great sense for storytelling, as well as his knack for being in the right place at the right time, make this a must-read for those interested in the history of punk.—Brian Flota, James M adison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

Sagal, Katey. Grace Notes: My Recollections. Gallery. Mar. 2017. 256p.

over the last couple of years, but crafters’ love of cute shows no sign of dying out. In this collection, Hoffman provides instructions for common, uncommon, and fanciful pets, all sized to the same scale as the human figures in her first book, AmiguruME. The dog and cat patterns are fully customizable—there are six different head, ear, body, and leg options, plus five different tails—and a handy chart shows the correct options of a variety of popular breeds. The patterns are best suited for crocheters who have an understanding of increases, decreases, and simple colorwork. VERDICT Hoffman’s attractive collection allows crocheters to craft the pet of their dreams, whether it’s a cat, a sloth, or a dinosaur.

Interior Design

gayle a. williamson, Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles Linsley, Leslie. Country Living Salvage Style: Decorate with Vintage Finds. Hearst: Sterling. Mar. 2017. 160p. photos. index. ISBN 9781588169280. $24.95. INTERIOR DESIGN Crafts and design author Linsley (Nantucket: Island Living) turns her attention to using junkyard finds in home decor. Taking examples from homes previously shown in Country Living magazine, she points out how the inhabitants have incorporated these items in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living and dining rooms. They include salvaged items that have been repurposed, such as garden trellises used as headboards, and materials that have been reclaimed, such as barn wood used for cabinets. In addition, Linsley demonstrates how to integrate flea-market finds into the mix, a common focus of many decorating guides. A list of salvage sources across the United States is included. VERDICT Country Living Rustic Homes handled a similar design theme, but since country style still rules the decorating scene, this book will be a beneficial addition to large collections. MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 121

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ARTS & HUMANITIES

Philosophy

Being Beatrix Potter

May, Todd. A Fragile Life: Accepting Our Vulnerability. Univ. of Chicago. Apr. 2017.

Dennison, Matthew. ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’: The Life of Beatrix Potter. Pegasus.

In this jargon-free and carefully reasoned book, May (philosophy, Clemson Univ.; A Significant Life) does what he does best: tackles a significant topic that sits at the heart of what it means to live a human life; spells out the options; takes a clearly enunciated position; and tells his readers why it matters and what difference it makes. Here he argues against the official view of Stoicism, Buddhism, Daoism, and ancient Epicureanism, that cultivating invulnerability is the way to end much of personal suffering. May finds such meditative practices valuable for pain caused by small matters but calls for a philosophy that affirms acceptance of vulnerability in matters of major significance, particularly relationships in which openness to hurt seems part and parcel of a meaningful life. VERDICT Readers may suspect that May’s presentation of the “official doctrines” that he challenges deserves a richer understanding. Even so, they will appreciate this moving exploration of lived philosophy.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty.

Apr. 2017. 272p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781681773506. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681773964. LIT

In exploring the life of Beatrix Potter (1866– 1943), Dennison (Behind the Mask) combines literary criticism with biography, focusing on Potter’s interest in writing and painting as an outlet for an isolated childhood. The oldest child and only daughter of apathetic parents, Potter developed a love for animals, notably mice and rabbits, maintaining a makeshift menagerie with her brother Bertram. Utilizing Potter’s copious correspondence and diaries, Dennison describes how a lack of autonomy led the reserved Potter to treat “art as an occupation and a preoccupation” while suffering bouts of illness throughout her life. The author examines recurring themes in Potter’s works such as incomplete families, flawed parenting (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Tom Kitten), and self-containment. After privately publishing Peter

Rabbit in 1901, Potter found success and a commercial publisher in 1902. The narrative continues with her ill-fated engagement to Norman Warne and later marriage to William Heelis, despite the disapproval of their families. Final chapters cover Potter’s dedication to farming and conservation in her later years. VERDICT Dennison writes a concise summary of Potter’s inspirations and legacy; fans already familiar with her life and works may want a more comprehensive retelling.—Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Hill, Michele. Stitching

with Beatrix Potter: Stitch, Sew & Give 10 Adorable Projects Featuring Peter Rabbit, Jemima PuddleDuck & Friends. C&T.

ISBN 9781476796710. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781476796734. MEMOIR

Actress and singer Sagal offers a tale of a privileged yet emotionally challenging childhood and teen years. Both fans and readers unacquainted with her work will learn a lot about the struggles of young people who are emotionally sensitive and artistically inclined. She tells of a difficult upbringing in Los Angeles in the Sixties and Seventies, raised by an immigrant father, Boris Sagal, a well-known TV director who was always worried about his next job, and an artistic songwriter mother, who struggled with depression and addiction. Sagal discovers for herself how to cope and ulti-

Feb. 2017. 64p. illus. ISBN 9781617456107. pap. $22.95; ebk. ISBN 9781617456114. FIBER CRAFTS Hill (William Morris in Appliqué) uses both embroidery and machine appliqué in this series of projects inspired by the work of English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Potter’s whimsical children’s stories featuring Peter Rabbit are classics, and her animal illustrations feature prominently in several of the projects, including a machineappliquéd baby quilt and a felt baby ball. Quilters looking for grown-up projects sans cute animals will find several, including a machine appliqué-based reproduction of a mid-19th-century wedding quilt that belonged to Potter’s parents. Appliqué templates and traceable embroidery patterns are included on pullout pages. VERDICT Hill’s designs celebrate the best-known works of Potter, while also bringing some of her lesserknown botanical illustrations to the forefront. Quilters interested in machine appliqué, as well as fans of Potter’s work, will enjoy this collection.—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL

mately gains self-confidence. The writing is at times a bit clichéd and perhaps a little too personal but honest and forthright about the importance of believing in one’s abilities. Sagal grappled with her own addictions and serious illnesses, but throughout this account, she stresses the importance of friends, work, and family in her life. Her fame, as an actress in Married…with Children, Sons of Anarchy, and other TV programs came late, and the majority of the narrative is taken up with the years of effort it took to achieve success on her own. VERDICT For fans of Sagal as well as those who want to understand the underlying battles of women artists.— Amy Lewontin, Northeastern Univ. Lib., Boston

232p. notes. index. ISBN 9780226439952. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780226440019. PHIL

Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

Poetry .McLane, Maureen N. Some Say. Farrar.

Jul. 2017. 144p. ISBN 9780374266585. $24; ebk. ISBN 9780374714802. POETRY

The imagistic touchstones of McLane’s fifth collection (after MzN: the serial)—the sun, night skies, trees—may be familiar poetic staples, but the poet is keen to “unknow” them, to see nature anew and follow wherever the reperception leads: “Let’s go to Dawn School/ and learn again to begin.” Set down in spare, flowing strands unhampered by punctuation, these poems achieve a surprising complexity, like unraveled Möbius strips of logic and epiphany: “The multiverse contracts/ to a single implacable place/ where nothing you can imagine/ will never not take place.” While mindful experience of the physical world is a prerequisite for metaphysical knowledge (“A long walk/ required to know/ the ground”), divine presence, here considered a form of nostalgia, is not (“sweet to think/ it’s all designed”). McLane’s knack for encapsulating discovery and loss in so few words (“It is never not time/ to say hello/ or goodbye”) is all too rare, not least because of the knowing humor and delicacy (“The fall/ suspends itself in the trees”) that run through them. VERDICT Highly recommended.— Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY

Shapero, Natalie. Hard Child. Copper Canyon. Apr. 2017. 96p. ISBN 9781556595097. pap. $16. POETRY

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In this follow-up to Shapero’s debut collection, No Object, you may be tempted to see a lawyer’s hand, as many of the poems are litigated with unsparing precision. Indeed, Shapero has a JD from the University of Chicago, not that there is any reason to complain. Rather, the work is searching, and in indelible language, finds connections in a random landscape, as in “Outside Less,” worth quoting at length: “I have been outside less. I have taken to saying in the days since my daughter was born—passive, as/ though it were somebody/ else who bore her. And bore her. I also have to saying, as though she were a hole/ I have witnessed a woodpecker force/ through the week, a gape in my neighbor’s barn side. I have watched as my daughter knocks,/ woodpecker-like, her searching mouth into my breast. But I don’t mean to say she instills in my body an/ absence. What nothing/ assembles within me was already there.” Overall, there is an abiding sadness in this work, as it unblinkingly explores birth and death, war and religion, and how we forever fall short. But there are hard flashes of humor, too. VERDICT The best poems here are quietly piercing in tone and language. For most collections.—Iris S. Rosenberg, New York

Spirituality & Religion

Tobolowsky, Stephen. My Adventures with God. S. & S. Apr. 2017. 368p. ISBN 9781476766461. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781476766492. REL

Sports & Recreation

DiFabio, Alicia. Women Who Tri: A Reluctant

Athlete’s Journey into the Heart of America’s Newest Obsession. Velo. Apr. 2017. 216p. bibliog. ISBN 9781937715588. pap. $18.95. SPORTS

DiFabio, a psychologist on sabbatical to raise her four children, was urged by friends to check out the local women’s triathlon club. She hadn’t exercised in years and had zero interest in participating in a race combining open-water swimming, biking, and running. In this high energy account of how she became involved in a suburban women’s triathlon club and participated in her first race at age 45, she combines a history of the triathlon with motivations of women who train for the sport. Personal stories are interwoven into the spirited narrative—of soccer moms, cancer patients, seniors, and a preteen. Some women join for the social aspect, some to get in shape and wear attractive workout clothes, and many have no intent of ever participating in an actual triathlon. Several have a fear of swimming or never learned to ride a bike. This is not a training manual, but it answers the question: Why a triathlon? V ERDICT Readers interested in women’s health, fitness, and psychology, as well as those curious about triathlons, will enjoy this upbeat and inspiring view of the women involved in the sport.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI Menzies-Pike, Catriona. The Long Run. Crown. May 2017. 240p. bibliog. ISBN 9781524759445. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781524759469. SPORTS

Thompson, Marcus. Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry. Touchstone. Apr. 2017. 272p. index. ISBN 9781501147838. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501147852. SPORTS

Sportswriter Thompson (Mercury News) recounts the ascent of basketball superstar Stephen “Steph” Curry (b. 1988), who has eclipsed many of his older peers by winning back-to-back NBA MVP awards as well as a championship with the Golden State Warriors. The son of former NBA player Dell Curry, Steph came to national attention by leading Davidson College to two NCAA tournaments. As the point guard entered the NBA, a lack of playing time and ankle injuries hindered his development and reinforced critics, who dismissed him as too undersized to compete against stronger point guards. These criticisms and struggles only motivated Curry, whose mastery of the three-pointer has allowed him to shoot over the top of defensive players from as far away as half court. Thompson credits Curry’s popularity to his everyman quality, attributing the animosity he receives to his wholesome image. The author provides insight into Curry’s Christian faith and his personal relationships, primarily with his wife, Ayesha. VERDICT Despite Curry’s popularity, this biography will quickly become out of date. Recommended for libraries where Curry and the Golden State Warriors have large fan bases.— Chris Wilkes, Tazewell Cty. P.L., VA

.Walker, Peter. How Cycling Can Save

In his new memoir, actor Tobolowsky (The Dangerous Animals Club) brings together short-story vignettes that describe his life and relationship with God along a similar arc as the five books of the Torah. First, there is the creation myth of Genesis, then the enslavement in Exodus, where we lose ourselves in work or love, escaping only to wander the desert. Next, comes the midlife crisis of Leviticus, in which we find purpose and meaning. Then we reach Numbers, where death takes friends and family alike and, finally, Deuteronomy where we share our stories with younger generations and try to make sense of our journey. Tobolowsky shares insight into his experiences with God, belief and doubt, and with renewed understanding of stories in the Torah. Of particular delight is “The Bargain,” where he almost gets caught buying marijuana but is saved by a Charlie Daniels–esque drug dealer and uses the experience to find new meaning in the account of Adam and Eve. VERDICT For anyone with an interest in Judeo-Christian religion, autobiography, or short stories. Tobolowsky is an engaging storyteller with a gift for drawing in his audience.—Crystal

A decade after her parents died in a plane crash when she was 20, Menzies-Pike (editor, Sydney Review of Books) went for a run. In a cloud of grief, she could hardly recall the beginnings of her running exploits; however, several years later she has gone from self-destructive behavior to finding a healthier way to manage her sorrow. It started out as a belief that she could run the City2Surf race on her home turf of Sydney and led to training for a marathon. Along the way, she discovered a fascinating yet tumultuous past regarding women runners (or lack thereof). Women in history were often restricted from such exercise; sweating and overexerting themselves was considered unfeminine, not to mention the dire physical consequences a female would endure from running. As recently as 1984, there wasn’t even a women’s marathon category in the Olympics. VERDICT This engaging memoir navigates the complexities, misconceptions, and the oppression of female runners in film, literature, and art throughout history. It will leave an impression on women and runners alike.—Melissa Keegan, Ela Area P.L.,

Walker, a Guardian correspondent and author of the newspaper’s bike blog, offers a fascinating read that informs, educates, and inspires. The author debunks many myths against developing and investing in urban bicycling infrastructure, especially in a world where over half of the population lives in cities. Research studies show that more cycling and less driving is a benefit for the Earth and its billions of inhabitants. Are such findings generalizable to all locales? Perhaps, not. Yet, Walker has done an amazing job of gathering and synthesizing the positive effects on human health, culture, economics, etc. The statistics are hard to deny, and readers should not be surprised by the negative consequences of a world dominated by motor vehicles. VERDICT Walker has certainly done his homework. For libraries wanting to update their sports collections as well as those seeking to foster a more bike-friendly infrastructure in urban and rural areas.—John N. Jax, Univ. of Wisconsin

Goldman, Univ. of California, San Diego Lib.

Lake Zurich, IL

Lib., La Crosse

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the World. Tarcher. Apr. 2017. 288p. notes. ISBN 9780143111771. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781101993033. SPORTS

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social sciences Biography

Ladha, Mansoor. Memoirs of a Muhindi:

The Icon Hunter: A Refugee’s Quest To Repatriate Her Stolen Cultural Heritage.

Apr. 2017. 512p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780190656454. $29.95. BIOG

Univ. of Regina. Apr. 2017. 288p. notes. ISBN 9780889774742. $21.95. memoir

Rosenberg (emerita, history, Barnard Coll.; Divided Lives: American Women in the Twentieth Century) has written a splendid definitive biography of African American lawyer and activist Pauli Murray (1910– 85). The inspiration for this latest book comes from the discovery of Murray as the precursor to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment while Rosenberg was working on Divided Lives. This thorough investigation into Murray’s life is fascinating, as the author traces the intersection among gender, race, and politics. In doing so, Rosenberg successfully covers the various aspects of Murray’s experience. From her legal scholarship on race discrimination, which encouraged Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to attack segregation as a violation of equal protection in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), to her being the first known black female Episcopal priest, exploring transsexuality in the mid-20th century. A similar study can be found in Sarah Azaransky’s The Dream Is Freedom: Pauli Murray and American Democratic Faith. VERDICT Readers interested in black history, legal history, feminism, or LGBTQ studies will find this to be a noteworthy account.—Misty Standage, Ivy Tech

Hadjitofi, Tasoula Georgiou.

Pegasus. Apr. 2017. 400p. notes. ISBN 9781681773230. $27.95; 9ebk. ISBN 9781681773810. AUTOBIOG

As a child, Hadjitofi was forced to f lee her home in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion. After taking refuge in the Netherlands, the author later became a businesswoman and Honorary Consul of Cyprus. This autobiography focuses on her diplomatic efforts to find and recover treasured religious icons, frescoes, and other valuable artworks which were looted from Orthodox churches after the attack. The author’s negotiations with Dutch art dealer and informant Michel van Rijn eventually led to a 1997 police sting operation

Fleeing East Africa for the West.

Journalist and author Ladha (A Portrait in Pluralism) traces the twisting path of his life, from his childhood years in Zanzibar, a semiautonomous part of Tanzania, to his employment in Kenya, exile in England, and immigration to Canada. This memoir illuminates the complex history of East Africans of Indian origin (Muhindis in Swahili) under British colonialism and then African independence, and explains the migration of many Muhindis to Europe, Canada, and America. Originally, Ladha’s family and the Ismaili community adapted to the racial hierarchies of colonial East Africa, which prioritized white residents first, then brown Asians, and lastly black Africans. But the author

Community Coll., Evansville, IN

Smith, Sally Bedell. Prince Charles: The

Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life. Random. Apr. 2017. 624p. photos. notes. Scholar, lawyer, activist Murray; from unemployed to worth millions; a new era of citizen policing

in Munich, where Turkish art thief Aydin Dikman was caught with a large cache of priceless stolen Cypriot artifacts. While Hadjitofi’s deep dedication to recovering the cultural heritage of her homeland is admirable, this recounting is exhaustive in detail and includes long sections of recreated conversations. Hadjitofi fails to condense her labyrinthine discussions with van Rijn into a reasonably readable form, and the larger threads of her potentially compelling narrative are often obscured by a blizzard of extraneous information. VERDICT Best suited to readers interested in Cypriot history, high-end art trafficking, and the daunting challenges of protecting cultural heritage in conf lict zones.— Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI

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and his family f led when leaders such as Idi Amin in Uganda and ultimately Julius Nyerere in Tanzania began to exclude Asian Africans from “Africa for the Africans.” Ladha shares the positive support these refugees received from their Ismaili communities, and the endurance they showed in the face of prejudice. ERDICT This honest memoir will interest V all readers, allowing them to understand the international effects of government policies that exclude refugees, along with the societal efforts that help them enter and adopt a new country as their own.— Joel Neuberg, Santa Rosa Junior Coll. Lib., CA

.Rosenberg, Rosalind. Jane Crow:

The Life of Pauli Murray. Oxford Univ.

bibliog. index. ISBN 9781400067909. $32; ebk. ISBN 9780812988437. BIOG

Born Charles Philip Arthur George in 1948, England’s Prince Charles is arguably one of the most recognizable people in the world. If asked about him, many might immediately mention his late first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, and describe the scandals and tragedy that enveloped them both in the 1990s. Or they would know about his unshakable love for Camilla ParkerBowles, Duchess of Cornwall, whom he finally married in 2005, and who seems to have brought him happiness. Readers also are familiar with Charles as the heir apparent to the throne, patiently waiting to ascend to king, but whose mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned for more than six decades. In this biography, historian and frequent biographer Smith (Elizabeth the Queen:

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SOCIAL SCIENCES The Life of a Modern Monarch) presents a multidimensional portrait of a complex, sensitive, and often visionary man (his ideas about sustainable living were once considered eccentric), who has carved out a dynamic public role as he waits his turn to govern. VERDICT Intimate but not gossipy, this highly accessible and thoroughly researched volume would do well in all collections. [See Prepub Alert, 10/17/16.] — Penelope J.M. Klein, Fayetteville, NY

Communications .McCann, Colum. Letters to a Young

Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice. Random. Apr. 2017. 192p. ISBN 9780399590801. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780399590818. COMM

National Book Award winner and creative writing lecturer McCann (Let the Great World Spin), inspired by 20 years of writing and teaching, riffs on Rainer Maria Rilke’s iconic Letters to a Young Poet (1929) like a cultural shaman blotting wounds without causing harm. Books on the writer’s craft traditionally cover practicalities— manuscript formatting, time management, obtaining agency representation, etc.— and this muscular collection of essays does, too, but in a voice charged with meaning. The author is generous with useful, hardwon knowledge, but isn’t averse to mussing the hair of precious literary myths, warning against digital hijacking of our individual moral compass, the pursuit of convenience over rebellion, and avoidance of confronting despair. If today’s writers cannot rally themselves, he argues, outside of society’s bullies, dream-killers, and “official” intimidators with blurry agendas, they dishonor literature’s living portrait of humanity, and the power of language not only to thrill and enchant but to bear witness and inspire others into honest exploration and—occasionally—transcendence. VERDICT Will appeal to aspiring and professional writers of fiction and nonfiction or readers interested in decoding the perceived mysteries of the creative process.— William Grabowski, McMechen, WV

Economics .Gallagher, Leigh. The Airbnb Story:

How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions...and Created Plenty of Controversy. Houghton

Harcourt. Feb. 2017. 256p. notes. index. ISBN 9780544952669. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780544953871. BUS

Airbnb, Inc. grew from a venture of two unemployed art school graduates from San Francisco renting out air mattresses in their apartment in 2007 to a “juggernaut today with a $30 billion private-market valuation,

some one hundred forty million ‘guest arrivals’...and an inventory that is three million listings strong.” Gallagher (assistant managing editor, Fortune) tells of Airbnb founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, and how the company achieved such phenomenal success. Airbnb brings together people who want to rent out space in their homes to travelers via its website. It takes a commission or service fee for all reservations. The growth of the business was not without obstacles, including horrific accounts of homeowners returning to find their residences trashed; scams by renters; complaints by neighbors; regulatory issues; and hotel companies seeing the start-up “as a disruptive threat.” The author also describes the management and company culture of Airbnb, and how today the founders are looking for new markets, aware of competitors such as HomeAway. VERDICT Highly recommended for researchers and students of business as well as potential entrepreneurs, and anybody interested in Airbnb’s success story.—Lucy Heckman, St. John’s Univ. Lib., Queens, NY

Sitaraman, Ganesh. The Crisis of

the Middle-Class Constitution: Why Economic Inequality Threatens Our Republic. Knopf. Mar. 2017. 432p.

notes. index. ISBN 9780451493910. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780451493927. ECON

Sitaraman (law, Vanderbilt Law Sch.; The Counterinsurgent’s Constitution) has produced an original monograph concerned with rising income inequality in the United States, arguing that a strong middle class is important to the structure of our government. The author indicates that the U.S. Constitution “assumes relative economic equality in society” and the founders made “no provision” preventing the upper class from seizing powers, as found in the constitutions of other countries. However, the author believes that wealthy Americans are currently doing exactly that, and that citizens must decide: “Will we accept oligarchy and the threat of demagogues and tyrants? Or will we work to restore the economic preconditions for our republic?” Economic fairness, according to Sitaraman, is a cardinal principle of the U.S. Constitution, and as Americans, we must not give up on that goal. Readers desiring further readings in the area of inequality might consult Thomas Piketty’s widely acclaimed Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century, which argues that the mid-20th century was economically exceptional. VERDICT This book belongs in all libraries with holdings in political science, law, and economics. It will interest scholars and, to a lesser ex-

tent, general readers. [See Prepub Alert, 9/12/16.] —Claude Ury, San Francisco

Education

Walker, Timothy D. Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms. Norton. Apr. 2017. 224p. bibliog. ISBN 9781324001256. $25.95. ED

Walker, an American teacher working in Finland, outlines his personal experiences facing the philosophical and pedagogical differences between American and Finnish schools. These differences are often touted as evidence for American failures; however, the firsthand experience needed to implement change is not always available. Walker’s text fills that gap by engaging in the conversation of differences and similarities in a practical way. Walker breaks down strategies he observes in Finnish schools into five major categories: well-being, belonging, autonomy, mastery, and mind-set. Within each category, he further develops the topic by looking at specific aspects such as learning on the move and pursuing a class dream. The overall tone is conversational, allowing the reader to join Walker on his journey of discovery. It is also very refreshing that Walker openly talks about his disagreements, revealing how he’s come to his own application of certain techniques. He provides an engaging and eye-opening vision that does not pit America against Finland, but lets us see what we can learn from each other. VERDICT For teachers and education advocates who would like to understand one instructor’s reflective quest toward educational improvement. [See Prepub Alert, 8/8/16.]—Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young Univ. Libs., Provo, UT

History

Ball, Philip. The Water Kingdom: A Secret History of China. Univ. of Chicago. Mar. 2017. 320p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780226369204. $27.50. HIST

From ancient times to the present, China’s leaders have fixated on the management of China’s rivers with projects such as the Grand Canal, built during the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE), which links the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, and the massive Three Gorges Dam completed in 2006. Science writer Ball (Patterns in Nature) argues that understanding the concept of water in Chinese mythology, philosophy, language, artistic expressions, history, and government is key to understanding Chinese civilization. This work reveals that the successful administration of water resources was an important indicator of the legitimacy of rulers; philosophers used water as a metaphor for correct behavior, and artists were infatuated with representations of water. Also included are fascinating depictions of China’s history

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of riverine warfare and the overseas explorations of Admiral Zheng He in the early 15th century. The book concludes with a chapter discussing current struggles with environmental problems such as polluted waterways and desertification. VERDICT Highly recommended for those interested in Chinese history and culture. For a more comprehensive examination of China’s ecological history, see Robert Marks’s China: Its Environment and History.—Joshua Wallace, Tarleton State Univ.

Words of War Dubbs, Chris. American Journalists in the Great War: Rewriting the Rules of Reporting. Univ. of Nebraska. Mar. 2017. 312p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780803285743. $34.95. COMM Some American journalists became experienced war correspondents while covering conflicts such as the Spanish-American War, Russo-Japanese War, and the Mexican Revolution. Since the United States was neutral at the onset of World War I in 1914, journalists were free to cover all sides of the conflict. Many of these war correspondents simply had a passport, a letter from an editor, and a gift of talking their way out of jail for spying. The correspondents sought to tell the story of the massive and destructive nature of this new type of warfare, which included machine guns, trench conditions, and staggering numbers of dead soldiers. Military historian Dubbs (America’s U-Boats) melds these stories into one coherent narrative. The reporters documented the entire war, alongside soldiers and generals from German, British, French, Belgian,

Lib. Stephenville, TX

.Faulkner, Richard S. Pershing’s

Crusaders: The American Soldier in World War I. Univ. Pr. of Kansas. Mar. 2017. 784p.

notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780700623730. $39.95; ebk. ISBN 9780700623747. HIST

Faulkner (military history, U.S. Army Command and General Staff Coll.) analyzes all facets of the American doughboys who served during World War I. Rather than a chronological study or traditional survey, Faulkner’s work is more of an “anthropological study,” looking at the interactions and motivations of junior officers and enlisted men. Chapters describe various experiences, including the selective service process and the voyage to France, along with other aspects, such as training, food, medical care, pay, clothing, equipment, weapons, and shelter. Also described is the perception of allied, enemy, and fellow American soldiers. Significant care is taken to depict the treatment of African American soldiers, including their interactions with French residents and within the U.S. Army. Overall, the portrait is objective, providing balanced accounts of the war effort. Faulkner gives readers a better understanding of the doughboys and a greater appreciation of the endeavors undertaken to fight and achieve victory. VERDICT A solid, well-researched work that should appeal to anyone interested in learning more about the American soldier during World War I.—Matthew Wayman,

and Russian armies. A chart allows for keeping track of the names listed. VERDICT Recommended for those interested in journalism, World War I, early 20th-century history, and nonfiction storytelling.— Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

Moseley, Ray. Reporting

War: How Foreign Correspondents Risked Capture, Torture and Death To Cover World War II.

Yale Univ. Feb. 2017. 440p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300224665. $32.50; ebk. ISBN 9780300226348. COMM Veteran European correspondent for the Chicago Tribune Moseley writes about the journalists who covered World War

II. With chapters on geographic location and chronology, the book begins with Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 and the first years in the European Theater, including astonishing accounts of the journalists who flew in dangerous missions over Germany. The narratives move on to Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Theater while also touching upon battles in North Africa and Russia. One of the most heart-wrenching chapters concerns the discovery of concentration camps as Germany is overrun by Allied and Russian troops. Throughout the war, journalists had to withstand harsh conditions, possible capture, torture, and even death. Moreover, the censorship they endured as they wrote their stories became increasingly frustrating as the war progressed. Moseley concludes with D-Day in 1944, the fall of Germany, and the surrender of Japan. VERDICT A thorough volume for journalism and World War II collections, and for readers interested in tales of bravery.—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

Pennsylvania State Univ. Lib., Schuylkill Haven

Moyar, Mark. Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces. Basic. Apr. 2017. 432p. notes. index. ISBN 9780465053933. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780465093014. HIST

As a consultant for the U.S. Special Operations Command and fellow at the Joint Special Operations University, Moyar (history, Cambridge Univ.; Strategic Failure) characterizes the development of U.S. Special Operations Forces as a coming-of-age story. He maintains that this tale begins with the forces being perceived as “unwanted stepchildren,” with occasionally supportive presidents as “stepfathers,” but mostly “jealous stepbrothers,” in the traditional armed

services. Building upon the early use of Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and British Commandos of World War II, special ops joined with the army’s psychological warfare elements in the 1950s Korean War and later expanded during the early 1960s with the enthusiastic support of President John F. Kennedy. Steeped in and enamored by his subject, Moyar takes readers through the ups and downs of the Vietnam War, the failed 1993 Somalia intervention by Delta Force, and the post-9/11 counterinsurgency measures in Iraq and Afghanistan. He includes the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, which he considers a “tactical success” but with negative strategic conse-

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quences that likely outweighed the benefits.

VERDICT A worthy account for those curi-

ous about modern military history and politics.—Chad Comello, Morton Grove P.L., IL Ohler, Norman. Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich. Houghton Harcourt. Mar. 2017. 304p. tr. from German by Shaun Whiteside. photos. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781328663795. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781328664099. HIST

There is no shortage of books explaining the rise and reign of the Third Reich in mid-20th-century Germany. Economic devastation, revitalized xenophobia, and cult-like nationalism are most often cited as the primary contributing factors. Do MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 127

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SOCIAL SCIENCES these tell the whole story? Journalist Ohler suggests an additional element that aided German troops, government officials, and even Adolf Hitler himself—drugs. The author tells the story of Nazi-era drug use from both the perspective of members of the military and Hitler himself. Government sanctioned and distributed medication, primarily a German-developed drug called Pervitin (a form of methamphetamine), sustained the German war machine. Hitler’s personal physician during the war years, Theodor Morell, is given extensive coverage. Although Morell is not unknown to Nazi history, descriptions of his medicating the Führer here are new and fascinating. Stories of drug use among German soldiers are culled from old letters, anecdotes, and interviews with veterans. This book is well translated from the original German. VERDICT Ohler paints a picture of the Nazi era that will enthrall World War II history buffs and all nonfiction readers alike.— Brett Rohlwing, Milwaukee P.L.

Rubin, Richard. Back Over There:

One American Time-Traveler, 100 years Since the Great War, 500 Miles of BattleScarred French Countryside, and Too Many Trenches, Shells, Legends, and Ghosts To Count. St. Martin’s. Apr. 2017. 304p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781250084323. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250084330. HIST

Many of the social, political, and financial events of the 20th century can be attributed to the aftermath of World War I, according to Rubin (The Last of the Doughboys). The author has written this folksy accounting of remnants of battles, relatives of the dead, and those who lived during this time. There are descriptions of artifacts in the Alsace-Lorraine theatre (in present-day France near the German border), including the remainders of shrapnel and spent cartridges that still litter the ground in local fields. Using his high school–learned French to communicate, Rubin visited combat sites that still contain German concrete trenches, machine gun nests, blockhouses, and opposing French trenches just deep enough to protect the men inside. He visits people in the villages, where the first man was killed in the war, and the site where the last American was killed in 1918. These bloody, gas-choked battles, which took place in the French countryside, brought about a 20-year cease-fire that spawned World War II. VERDICT Rubin succeeds in reminding readers how the Great War is the genesis of today’s political and social complexities. Recommended for amateur historians and high school history classes.—Harry Willems, Great Bend P.L., KS

Smith, Kathleen E. Moscow 1956: The Silenced Spring. Harvard Univ. Apr. 2017. 448p. illus. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9780674972001. $29.95. HIST

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s “Secret Speech” to the 20th Party Congress in February 1956, detailing the horrors of dictator Joseph Stalin’s reign, opened a brief and memorable period of freedom of thought in the Soviet Union. Smith (Sch. of Foreign Service, Georgetown Univ.; Remembering Stalin’s Victims) portrays the effects of this thaw throughout the year of 1956 using newly declassified Russian documents and memoirs of students, writers, scientists, former prisoners of the gulag, and Soviet historians. Initially causing widespread open debate, the opportunity for free thinking ended by December 1956 owing to the Soviet leadership’s fear of loss of control. Many of those who expressed independent opinions in 1956 found themselves under suspicion or sentenced to the gulag in 1957. Similar to Simon Hall’s 1956, Smith shows how openness was embraced by the public and fought by those in power. Her examination of the effects of “Lysenkoism” on Soviet advancement in science is especially pertinent. VERDICT This book will appeal to readers interested in Soviet and Soviet bloc history, and 1950s world politics.—Laurie Unger Skinner, Coll. of Lake Cty., Waukegan, IL

Starobin, Paul. Madness Rules the Hour: Charleston, 1860 and the Mania for War. PublicAffairs. Apr. 2017. 352p. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9781610396226. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781610396233. HIST

On the eve of the Civil War, Charleston, SC, long the most proslavery U.S. city, was the epicenter of the Southern secession movement. Journalist Starobin (After America) provides a vivid description of the mood and events in Charleston that would eventually lead to the Civil War. Secession fever escalated rapidly after John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859 and intensified the following year. In April 1860, several Southern delegates walked out of the Democratic Convention (by coincidence, held in Charleston) after a disagreement over slavery in the party platform. In May 1860, the Republican nomination of Abraham Lincoln for president added more fuel to the fire. By December 20, at Institute Hall in Charleston, South Carolinians voted to leave the Union. Many prominent Charlestonians were influential in the secession movement, including Robert Barnwell Rhett, owner of the pro-secession newspaper Charleston Mercury; John Ferrars Townsend, author of the pamphlet The South Alone, Should Govern the South; and Andrew Gordon Magrath, a

federal judge who resigned after Lincoln’s election. VERDICT Starobin’s narrative is readable and lively; he is skilled at creating setting and character description. Recommended for those interested in the Civil War and its causes.—Dave Pugl, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

Watson, Paul. Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition. Norton. Mar. 2017. 384p. illus. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9780393249385. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393249392. HIST

Pulitzer Prize winner Watson (Where War Lives) scores again with this vibrant and thorough history of Sir John Franklin’s (1786–1847) doomed 1845 expedition to discover the Northwest Passage. The author delves into Franklin’s background and life to explain how he came to captain this voyage, also shedding light on Jane Franklin’s relentless badgering of the Royal Navy to send rescue missions to aid her husband. Jane welcomed any and all ideas about where to search, with some of the most accurate locations coming from contacts with the “spirit” world. Also detailed is Inuit Louis Kamookak’s attempts to preserve his people’s oral history and traditional knowledge, which proved vital in locating Franklin’s ships, and Parks Canada’s expeditions that found the HMS Erebus and Terror in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Watson was aboard the vessels that discovered Franklin’s ships, which makes this reporting especially crisp. There are still plenty of mysteries surrounding the expedition, such as did the sailors abandon their ships, only to later return to them and sail on? VERDICT Watson is an excellent writer with a dry wit and concise style that makes this a must-read for Franklin aficionados as well as for researchers and readers of Polar history and exploration.— Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Lib., IN

Law & Crime .Selzer, Adam. H.H. Holmes: The True

History of the White City Devil. Skyhorse. Apr. 2017. 400p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9781510713437. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781510713468. CRIME

H.H. Holmes is widely considered to be America’s first real serial killer, thanks to books such as Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City painting him as such. Selzer (host, Mysterious Chicago podcast), however, seeks to debunk much of the fictionalized and sensational aspects of Holmes’s alleged killing spree during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair in this comprehensive and intriguing account. Many accepted estimates put his kill count at somewhere between 30 and 200; Selzer, thanks to exhaustive research of previously undiscovered and ignored primary

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Q&A Raymond Pun, Scott Collard, & Justin Parrott Librarians (l.–r.) Raymond Pun (a 2012 LJ Mover & Shaker; First Year Student Success Librarian, California State Univ., Fresno), Scott Collard (head of specialized research svcs. & social sciences, New York Univ.), and Justin Parrott (acquisitions & research svcs., New York Univ., Abu Dhabi) are the editors of Bridging Worlds: Emerging Models and Practices of U.S. Academic Libraries Around the Globe (ALA; see review on p. 131). Here, they discuss the inspiration for their new book, the role of academic libraries in global initiatives, the challenges facing librarians today, and getting started in an international career.

How did you plan the idea for your book? RP: Over the past decade, the three of us were seeing universities partner with other entities or launching full-fledged campuses abroad to create new opportunities for research and teaching, and we felt that academic libraries have also played a critical role in supporting these initiatives. At the time, Scott, Justin, and I worked at New York University [libraries] in different locations, and we wanted to include [in a new book] our experiences along with other universities’ collaborative efforts. What advice would you offer those institutions interested in building an academic library abroad? RP: I would start with [examining] the core mission of the university. Are they focusing on a specific area like liberal arts or health sciences? From there, colleges and universities can identify curriculum to focus on. More broadly, the library needs to think about basic services such as access policies, digital experiences, and specialized research needs for these groups. SC: A central component will be space planning, which presents many challenges when working abroad and often from a distance. Start early in understanding how your collections will be built and e-resource licenses configured and adjusted, as those processes have long time lines for completion. Lastly, [prepare for] staff planning, [which] is complex work. JP: Clear communication protocols are essential for creating functional and integrated services. Librarians need to tailor their work schedules to accommodate time-zone differences. Teams that will work together over long distances should spend longer periods of time

working together in person to build professional relationships. In our case, NYU’s technical services librarian spent three months in New York before permanently settling in Abu Dhabi. What are some of the challenges in building a collection abroad? SC: In most of our case studies, the library is following the larger institution’s needs and development priorities. One might start with conversations between library leadership(s) about opportunities for collaboration. Creating networks of expertise across sites via shared services for reference (for example, using a single tool for chat or email service) would allow libraries to take advantage of complementary strengths and may be achievable at lightweight scales. JP: From a technical services point of view, a decision will need to be made whether to have one catalog with a single integrated ILS system, or two separate catalogs. Based upon these decisions, libraries will need to select appropriate vendors and modes of shipment. If the abroad library intends to acquire many rare or local materials, they should keep in mind that specific expertise will be needed to properly catalog foreign-language items. Libraries need to sufficiently answer the questions of where to get materials, how to ship materials, how to adequately represent materials in the catalog, and how to circulate them—all of which relates to their relationship with the home institution. How are academic libraries supporting global initiatives? JP: Academic librarians are assisting

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a number of digitization projects that document and preserve local heritages and histories. For example, Arabic Collections Online is an initiative driven by American partner libraries that hosts open-access digitized Arabic books, making this otherwise rare material available for users globally. The challenges of these initiatives involve numerous administrative and technological decisions such as funding and staffing. SC: Libraries can play the part of connector between global locations of an institution, fostering the sensation of an interconnected university. It’s a great opportunity to broaden your reach and also comes with the challenges inherent in keeping our libraries working in concert across distances and time zones. Are library schools preparing students for global library careers? RP: Yes and no. Scholarly communication is certainly changing rapidly, and some schools are recognizing the importance of this area and data sciences; these are two key areas that are significant trends in global librarianship. Research collaboration is an essential skill as well. SC: Not particularly, but many of the same valuable skill sets are needed [for librarians] regardless of locations. Building or maintaining foreign language expertise would be useful for someone looking to have this kind of career. JP: My studies focused on librarianship in the U.S. (school, public, or academic), with little focus on international issues. I imagine an elective course or a unit within core courses on international issues would be a welcome addition to the curriculum.

What did you learn from this project? RP: As a result of technology, you can instantly collaborate with anyone. We had authors from all over the world collaborating with each other. JP: But having one editor “on the ground” in each of the three main locations (New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai) allowed for personal conversations to take place, rather than the delay that comes from electronic communication. SC: There are a lot of ways to “do” global libraries. A lot of interesting, talented people have taken this route. Though there seem to be a number of challenges in these kinds of situations, the opportunities and advantages seem very compelling.—Stephanie Sendaula MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 129

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SOCIAL SCIENCES sources, narrows that down to four confirmed murders: Holmes’s business partner, Benjamin Pitezel, and three of Pitezel’s children. Selzer sets the record straight with regard to Holmes lore—he didn’t lure young, single women into his “murder castle” in Englewood during the World’s Fair, and his “castle” never functioned as a hotel. In fact, Holmes was much more notorious for his insurance fraud schemes. According to Selzer, much of Holmes lore came from unfettered sensationalized journalism, rampant gossip, unreliable witnesses, and Holmes himself—he was a compulsive liar and probably enjoyed the notoriety before he was sentenced to death. VERDICT A thoroughly enthralling piece of history that will partner well with Martin Scorsese’s film adaptation of Devil in the White City, which releases later this year.—Tyler Hixson, School Library Journal Trillin, Calvin. Killings. Random. Apr. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780399591402. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780399591419. CRIME

In this updated and expanded edition of journalist Trillin’s book, stories unfold less like a courtroom drama and offer a window into the lives of people in particular places and the gruesome and unfortunate circumstances in which they find themselves. In fact, the stories are less about murder and loss and more a dissection of the human psyche and ego, and how and where they live, who they know, and what that means in America. Beginning with the oldest story, from 1969, about a stranger wielding a camera in the rust belt, spanning to 2009 with a man murdering teenagers near a swimming hole, Trillin’s subjects are diverse and poignant. Each story captures not only a physical setting but also the tone of the era in which it occurred. Well-crafted and thoughtfully composed, lacking judgment and admonishment, these are a true piece of quality journalism, which clearly continues to captivate audiences. Trillin introduces the collection by discussing his craft and reporting style, and ends it with a profile on a fellow reporter and writer, Edna Buchanan, to offer a distinct contrast to his unconventional view of crime stories. VERDICT This update would be a welcome addition or replacement for any collection.—Kaitlin Malixi, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Doylestown, PA

Political Science

Conroy, Scott. Vote First or Die: The New

Hampshire Primary; America’s Discerning, Magnificent, and Absurd Road to the White House. PublicAffairs. Apr. 2017. 304p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781610395816. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781610395823. POL SCI

New Hampshire (NH) takes its politics as seriously as most states take their football,

as verified by the more than 50 percent of NH voters who participated in their 2016 primary, compared to a 30 percent average of other primary state voters, says Conroy (coauthor, Sarah from Alaska), the executive producer of Embeds on Verizon’s go90 platform. This lively and gritty narrative recounts the author’s 2015 jaunts to the granite state’s diners, watering holes, and Dunkin’ Donuts while covering the primary beat for the Huffington Post. Here, Conroy interviews many citizens along with most of the candidates. These interviews convey voters’ independent streak, as the author reveals that widespread disgust with politics as usual led to victories by two game changers: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Conroy faults the media for bending to rules set by Trump because he was a ratings magnet. Not much good is said about Clinton’s presence, which was half-hearted at best. In addition to parsing the 2016 primary, Conroy also includes chapters on other recent NH primaries. VERDICT Although this lively, energetic account will appeal mostly to anti-Trumpsters, it provides special insight into how Trump hijacked and divided the Republican Party and how Sanders exposed Clinton’s weaknesses that would hound her throughout her campaign.—Karl Helicher, formerly with Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Matloff, Judith. No Friends but the

Mountains: Dispatches from the World’s Violent Highlands. Basic. Mar. 2017. 272p. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780465097883. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780465097890. POL SCI

Drawing upon her professional experience as a conflict journalist, Matloff (journalism, Columbia Univ.; Home Girl) explores the connections between contemporary mountain regions prone to conf lict and the ethos of the people who inhabit them. Through thoughtful vignettes, she weaves personal narratives alongside relevant historical and present-day circumstances to relate regional stories that consistently refer to and affirm the global tale she seeks to tell. Seemingly inf luenced by fellow political travel writer Robert D. Kaplan’s penchant for emphasizing geography to explain larger geopolitical, socioeconomic, and cultural phenomena, (e.g., his The Revenge of Geography and In Europe’s Shadow), Matloff successfully ties together disparate mountain areas and cultures into a cohesive landscape of highlander have-nots that face both internal and external pressures affecting their homeland and way of life. VERDICT Not intended to be exhaustive or overly academic, this accessible read will appeal to those interested in geography’s

ability to alter the course of human events as well as its role in explaining global trends.—Matt Gallagher, Univ. of the S ciences, Philadelphia

.Reeves, Joshua. Citizen Spies: The Long Rise of America’s Surveillance Society.

New York Univ. Mar. 2017. 256p. photos. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781479803927. $30; ebk. ISBN 9781479894901. POL SCI

Given the present political divisiveness in the United States, this comprehensive exploration of the nation’s “spy-and-snitch” culture is bound to polarize readers. Analyzing citizen-policing initiatives from “Hue and Cry” posters in 1775 to the first organized police departments, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, D.A.R.E., and Call-911 programs, author Reeves’s (new media communications, Oregon State Univ.) cutting insight deconstructs the protocols and policies of what he calls “America’s surveillance society.” Rather than presenting abstract layouts of charts and graphs, this book carefully examines historical accounts and court cases up to present day, and the withering effect of police crowdsourcing on America’s dream of security, comfort, and liberty. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “If You See Something, Say Something” program sparked 9/11-spawned paranoia into a seeming blaze of suspicion and outright perceptual errors, resulting in apprehension of innocent people going about everyday business. The American Civil Liberties Union claims that U.S. antiterrorism agencies receive roughly 8,000 tips—per day—from seeing/spying citizens. Examples of actual reports show practically all to be ludicrous, or coming from petty vindictiveness among neighbors. The underlying theme is that all are guilty until they can prove otherwise—but the negative attention can end careers and even lives. VERDICT A valuable perspective supported by copious notes and references; for readers interested in the evolution of A merican surveillance culture.—William Grabowski, McMechen, WV

Psychology

Shtulman, Andrew. Scienceblind: Why Our Intuitive Theories About the World Are So Often Wrong. Basic. Apr. 2017. 320p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780465053940. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780465094929. PSYCH

Shtulman (psychology & cognitive science, Occidental Coll., CA) argues that the common theories people have are usually wrong. These intuitive ideas, as psychologists call them, are based on behavior rather than science. He argues for these misconceptions to be changed by

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professional media Adler, Melissa. Cruising the Library:

Bridging Worlds: Emerging Models and Practices of U.S. Academic Libraries Around the Globe.

Apr. 2017. 232p. notes. index. pap. ISBN 9780823276363. $28. PRO MEDIA Adler (LIS, Univ. of Kentucky) critically examines the knowledge organization systems designed and disseminated by the U.S. Library of Congress (LOC), principally the library’s classification system and authorized subject headings. Across five topical chapters, Adler reconstructs the history of classification hierarchies that situate “perverse” subjects in relation to one another—as well as to the controlling norm—on library shelves. Chapters analyze the treatment of race and sexuality to show how complex, intersectional works disrupt, and are disrupted by, the necessity of placing a book in one single place on the shelf. The author also touches upon the genealogy of the modern subject term Paraphilias, and considers the LOC’s placement of “obscene” materials in the shadowy Delta Collection. Drawing on the work of queer theorists such as Eve Sedgwick, Donna Haraway, and Roderick Ferguson, this work renders visible the often invisible, routinized library practices that shape how we intellectually and physically relate items and ideas to one another. Cataloging, Adler argues, necessarily requires repeatedly weighing the value of access points against the violence of capturing a work within a schema that replicates social inequalities. VERDICT Library staff and humanities researchers alike will appreciate Adler’s self-aware, interdisciplinary analysis.—Anna J. Clutterbuck-Cook, Massa-

ALA. Sept. 2016. 204p. ed. by Raymond Pun & others. illus. index. pap. ISBN 9780838988428. $50. PRO MEDIA As American academic institutions build overseas campuses, develop partnerships with international institutions, and address opportunities in diversity and globalization, their libraries rise to meet the unique challenges and opportunities this provides. This collection, edited by Pun (a 2012 LJ M&S; First Year Student Success Librarian, California State Univ., Fresno) and New York University’s (NYU) Scott Collard (head, specialized research svcs. & social sciences) and Justin Parrott (technical svcs. & research librarian) presents a useful collection of case studies. Included are academic efforts surrounding the delivery of resources and services such as the development of interlibrary loan services at Northwestern University in Qatar; collection development, including the ramifications of expanding access to electronic collections at NYU’s global campuses; providing research support and instruction (e.g., a survey of information literacy instruction programs at American-style academic libraries abroad); and more. VERDICT Readers should be advised that the majority of chapters concern NYU libraries, but overall, there’s a wealth of valuable information and ideas here in an accessible, concise format. Recommended for academic librarians and information professionals. [See author Q&A, p. 129].—Jennifer Harris, Southern

Unlimited. Oct. 2016. 249p. ed. by Lynne Thomas & Beth Whittaker. index. ISBN 9781440842900. pap. $85; ebk. ISBN 9781440842917. PRO MEDIA This second collaboration by Thomas (distinctive collections, Northern Illinois Univ.) and Whittaker (distinctive collections, Univ. of Kansas) taps practitioners’ ideas about trends in special collections rather than just focusing on technological changes, as in their previous work, Special Collections 2.0. Contributors address instructional theory, print and digital acquisition and appraisal, donor relations, digital preservation, changes in reference service, and how to counter chronic understaffing with student and volunteer labor. The chapters are thoughtful in tone, often providing detailed guidance in mundane problem solving or the visionary application of technology. The authors share successes from personal experience and discuss challenges posed by new cataloging rules and other standards in the evolving shared-record milieu. One chapter contemplates the cultivation of the next generation of special collections leaders. The editors acknowledge inevitable gaps in coverage of the issues facing special collections librarianship. Some of those, including emergency planning, fundraising, and marketing, are covered in the second edition of Alison Cullingford’s The Special Collections Handbook, making that a good companion title. VERDICT Highly recommended for practitioners and students planning on a special collections career path.—Betty J.

chusetts Historical Soc.

New Hampshire Univ. Lib., Manchester

Glass, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno

Perversities in the Organization of Knowledge. Fordham Univ.

transforming them from their foundation. Shtulman organizes intuitive theories by the physical and biological world. For the physical, he devotes a chapter each to matter, energy, earth, cosmos, motion, and gravity. Shtulman discusses topics such as what the universe is made of, what makes objects move, and what causes continents to drift. For the biological, he dedicates a section each to adaptation, ancestry, growth, inheritance, life, and illness. He examines the reasons people look like their parents, how species are related, and how illness spreads. He argues that intuitive theories are developed as children, and that people must change the concepts behind

these beliefs when they become adults. Although this book is thoroughly researched with a wealth of scholarly sources cited, Shtulman reaches a broad audience by investigating topics that everyone can understand. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in cognitive science, psychology, or general science.—Tina Chan, MIT Libs., Cambridge

Social Science .Dyson, Michael Eric. Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America. St. Martin’s. Jan. 2017. 240p. ISBN 9781250135995. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250136008. SOC SCI

Activist, critic, scholar, and ordained Bap-

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New Directions for Special Collections: An Anthology of Practice. Libraries

tist minister Dyson (sociology, Georgetown Univ.; The Black Presidency) religiously lays out an order of service in hope of inspiring repentance, redemption, and reparation in a racially troubled America. Opening with a call to worship and closing with a prayer, his nine-chapter work with a central six-part sermon pleads for America to find its moral and spiritual foundations. Dyson traces the historical invention and social inheritance of whiteness, and how it has led America to ignore, discount, and dismiss black grievances. In order to make racial progress, Dyson passionately urges all Americans to reject racial revisionism and face difficult truths in addressing the disMARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 131

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SOCIAL SCIENCES order he labels Chronic H istorical E vasion and Trickery, or CHEAT. This work is both lucid in its logic and profound in its probing and wide-ranging cultural and social analysis. Dyson’s homily resonates amid personal recollection and reflection as a call to action for Americans to reach a positive future by working to cultivate empathy, develop racial literacy, and live up to the demands of justice. VERDICT A must-read for Americans who hope for a brighter day to emerge from the anguished hopelessness created by white idolatry and willful ignorance.— Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe

Engeln, Renee. Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women. Harper. Apr. 2017. 400p. notes. index. ISBN 9780062469779. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062469793. SOC SCI

Engeln teaches psychology at Northwestern University where she runs the Body and Media Lab (BAM), and became known for her 2013 TEDx talk, “An Epidemic of Beauty Sickness.” A scholar at ease with social media and popular culture, she offers compelling evidence about how women and girls have been “brainwashed” into believing stereotypes about what is “beautiful.” This never-ending quest, Engeln suggests, leaves women dispirited, unable to use their time more meaningfully, and lighter in the pocketbook each time they buy new products that promise them (however enlightened they appear to be) love and happiness. Although obviously angry, the author can also be judicious and honest about the quandaries women (including herself ) face. VERDICT There’s a world of complexity attached to the idea of being beautiful, and this wellwritten discussion about particular aspects of it should be well received in both public and academic libraries.—Ellen Gilbert, Princeton, NJ Florida, Richard. The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class—And What We Can Do About It. Basic. Apr. 2017. 336p. notes. index. ISBN 9780465079742. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780465097784. SOC SCI

There is a new urban crisis impacting cities and suburbs, maintains Florida (director, Martin Prosperity Inst., Univ. of Toronto; The Rise of the Creative Class). The author considers such issues as increasing inequality, rising housing prices, economic and racial segregation, spatial inequality, and entrenched poverty. He concludes that a “winner-take-all urbanism” is creating a growing gulf between “superstar cities” that have high concentrations of talented people and economic resources, and areas that do not. This “clustering force” is seen as cre-

ating “areas of concentrated affluence and concentrated poverty,” and leading to the shrinking of middle-class neighborhoods. Florida offers several solutions, along with supporting documentation, that will ensure growth and prosperity for a larger segment of the population. Some of these ideas include building more affordable rental housing in central locations, switching from a property tax to a land value tax, and having the minimum wage reflect the local cost of living. Social theorists may find fault with the conclusions and proposed remedies, but urban planners should consider the case being made for the need to address a new urban crisis. VERDICT A thought-provoking work for those interested in all stages of urban planning and placemaking.—Karen Venturella Malnati, Union Cty. Coll. Libs, Cranford, NJ

Kutulas, Judy. After Aquarius Dawned: How the Revolutions of the Sixties Became the Popular Culture of the Seventies. Univ. of North Carolina. Apr. 2017. 272p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781469632919. $29.95. SOC SCI

The 1970s have been a difficult decade to define by historians. Kutulas (history, Saint Olaf Coll., MN) writes a study that counters a common view of the era as a counterrevolution to the 1960s. She presents, instead, the idea that much of the popular culture of the Seventies was a normalization of many of the radical notions about family, sexuality, and authority that came out of the 1960s. Changes in clothing styles, music, television, and journalism provide glimpses into how Americans were coming to grips with concepts such as individualism and diversity. For example, Kutulas explores how The Mary Tyler Moore Show presented a different view on what a “family” is, along with previously explored roles for women on national television. While some of the chapters are a bit of a stretch in support of her thesis, the author presents an intriguing and compelling analysis that furthers our understanding of the decade. VERDICT This well-researched book is intended for an academic audience, but Kutula’s writing style makes it accessible to more casual readers. Her explorations of 1970s TV are especially strong, perhaps the best parts of the book.—Michael C. Miller, Austin P.L. & Austin History Ctr., TX

Payne, Keith. The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die. Viking. May 2017. 256p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9780525429814. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780698409378. SOC SCI

The social and economic impacts of inequality are profound, and well-documented, but what of the psychological effects? Payne (psychology, Univ. of North Carolina) makes a strong, evidence-based

case that inequality, or simply the perception of inequality, affects us individually in ways that are also profound, life-changing, and predictable. He gathers the fascinating, and sometimes unsettling, findings from an array of surveys and experiments, field observations, and socioeconomic trends that address such issues as why, evolutionarily, people who are (or feel) poor live in the moment, and why people who are (or feel) well-off prepare for the future. Touching upon implicit bias, the deepening political divide, and the accelerating concentration of wealth among the superrich, his research also looks at how stress, biologically intended as a brief reaction to an immediate crisis, became a long-term state of being; and what connects race, discrimination, and inequality. On the policy level, Payne suggests a path to reduce inequality by identifying and responding to it as a public health problem. On the individual level, he recommends shifting from a focus on comparisons with others to attention to what we most value. VERDICT This timely and accessible volume unpacks a complex problem, and points toward solutions.— Janet Ingraham Dwyer, State Lib. of Ohio, Columbus

Travel & Geography

Finch, Robert. The Outer Beach: A Thousand-Mile Walk on Cape Cod’s Atlantic Shore. Norton. May 2017. 336p. map. ISBN 9780393081305. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9781324000525. TRAV

Nature writer and NPR correspondent Finch is quick to deny the validity of his book’s subtitle; readers will note, too, that this isn’t a guide for Cape Cod walkers. Instead, it’s a love letter to life on the Cape spanning his 40 years walking “the back side of Cape Cod” via a series of episodes— some only a long paragraph, others filling pages. Finch arranges his time on the Cape by location, beginning in the South of the Outer Beaches, and, following in chronological order, from the early 1960s to the present. The lack of illustrations or photographs may disappoint readers unfamiliar with the area, while a map at the beginning means a fair amount of page f lipping. A master stylist, Finch is both a naturalist and philosopher. A 1977 essay titled “The Cape as a River of Time” illustrates the charm of his prose: “Thoreau’s beach—or most of it, or the site where it was—is more than a hundred yards out to sea. The Cape’s outer shores are a solid metaphor for the river of time, into which we can step only once.” VERDICT This beautiful book is to be savored in small bites by anyone yet to visit the Cape, and swallowed whole by those who love it as much as Finch does.—Janet N. Ross, formerly with Washoe Cty. Lib. Sys., Sparks, NV

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science & technology Agriculture

Heseltine, Michael & Anne Heseltine.

Thenford: The Creation of an English Garden. Head of Zeus. Apr. 2017. 272p. illus. maps. ISBN 9781784979737. $55. GARDENING

Former deputy prime minister of England Michael Heseltine and his coauthor/ wife, Anne, have transformed a previously overgrown estate into an English garden. Thenford defines what is uniquely English about a garden, particularly an estate garden: lakes and fountains, a walled outdoor space, the combination of formal with informal, views with intimacy and views with sweep if not grandeur, accents structural and sculptural that please and intrigue. But how many gardens boast a bust of Vladimir Lenin from a Baltic KGB headquarters? This book captures the choices and changes made to the residence. Other volumes of this type, such as HRH

photos. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9781616895549. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781616896171. GARDENING

Many gardeners divide local flora and fauna into two categories: beneficials and pests. Journalist and naturalist Lawson, author of the “Humane Backyard” column for the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, DC, challenges readers to erase this distinction. She goes beyond the usual advice to avoid pesticides, encouraging gardeners to plant native plants, let native weeds grow, and welcome all wildlife even when it eats the plants. In her garden, “Only two things are unwelcome: chemicals and invasive vegetation known to supplant wildlife habitat.” Lawson makes her case for suburban backyard as sanctuary with well-written prose that is never shrill or overly sanctimonious. More persuasive than practical, this book includes some tips for protecting and creating habitat for in-

Who Could Fly) tells his recovery story. A former Air Force Special Forces member from Texas, he suffered horrific injuries during an antinarcotics raid in Ecuador. Several months later, he regained consciousness in a U.S. military hospital and was told he would never walk again. After multiple surgeries and numerous setbacks, he was making some progress when his wife left him and their three young sons. Meanwhile, in California, wheelchair-bound Jim Siegfried was raising his third service dog, a supersmart black Labrador puppy named Napal. Siegfried knew that the intelligent and loyal Napal should be placed with a special human; through Canine Companions for Independence, Napal and Morgan became a team. Napal brought Morgan back from the brink of despair, changed his life forever, and helped heal the whole family. Morgan now participates in Paralympics sports and has raised awareness of service dogs for veterans. VERDICT Morgan’s heroic fortitude creates an upbeat narrative, and similar to Luis Carlos Montalvan’s Until Tuesday, this bittersweet memoir is truly inspiring.— Eva Lautemann, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., GA

Health & Medicine

The Reducetarian Solution: How the Surprisingly Simple Act of Reducing the Amount of Meat in Your Diet Can Transform Your Health and the Planet. Tarcher. Apr. 2017. 320p. ed. by Brian Kateman. notes. index. ISBN 9780143129714. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781101993354. HEALTH Purposeful pests in the garden; Millennials vs. the status quo; the hidden history of a ghoulish bird

the Prince of Wales’s Highgrove and Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst, use a seasonal or thematic approach. Photos reveal the original disrepair and the transformation of the grounds; lush drawings support the narrative’s evolutionary steps. A very personal story veers occasionally into family chronicle and name-dropping, perhaps the least interesting part for most gardeners. VERDICT English estate garden books are a particular species of garden books, and this large, beautifully illustrated volume is a valuable example.—Jeanette McVeigh, Univ. of the Sciences, Philadelphia

.Lawson, Nancy. The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife. Princeton Architectural. Apr. 2017. 224p.

sects, birds, and other wildlife, as well as lists of books and websites that offer more information. She also includes short profiles of gardeners who have embraced the principles she espouses. This gorgeously written, wellargued title will help backyard gardeners see all creatures, from insects to elk, as visitors to be welcomed rather than pests to be removed. VERDICT Highly recommended for gardeners at all levels in all regions.— Janet Crum, Northern Arizona Univ. Lib., Flagstaff

Morgan, Jason & Damien Lewis. A Dog Called Hope: A Wounded Warrior and the Service Dog Who Saved Him. Atria. May 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781476797007. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781476797038. PETS

Morgan, with cowriter Lewis (The Dog

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Kateman, cofounder of the Reducetarian Foundation, created the term reducetarian to describe a person whose eating habits are somewhere in the continuum between carnivore and vegetarian. This book is a collection of 60 original essays by various leaders of the meatless and less-meat society who address the idea of reducetarianism from aspects of physical health, conscious decision, and conservation of the planet. Similar to the way that Gary Taubes’s The Case Against Sugar exposes how the sugar industry shaped the nation’s love affair with the sweetener, several pieces here focus on the ways that the economy and corporations have shaped the country’s obsession with meat consumption. The plight of farm animals and livestock welfare is also highlighted. While numerous articles such as Ginny Messina’s “How To Satisfy Young Fussy Eaters” offer delightfully practical guidance, the overwhelming MARCH 15, 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 133

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

COOKING By Lisa Campbell, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor Blais, Richard. So Good: 100 Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours. Houghton Harcourt. May 2017. 256p. photos. index. ISBN 9780544663312. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780544663091. COOKING Since winning Top Chef All-Stars, chef and restaurateur Blais (Try This at Home) has appeared as a host and judge on Top Chef, MasterChef, and Iron Chef America. Here, he shares the Southern and internationally influenced foods he enjoys with his wife and two daughters. Recipes for onion rings, vegetarian beet loaf, short ribs with lemongrass, and almost-cured salmon with horseradish may call for unusual ingredients (e.g., liquid nitrogen), but Blais always provides conventional alternatives. Adventurous meat lovers will enjoy tempting preparations for pork cheeks, trotters, oxtails, and a lamb’s head. More approachable dishes include gnudi and brown butter, pickle juice-brined fried chicken, and Nutella ice cream. VERDICT Blais’s latest is more accessible than its predecessor but no less creative. Expect demand from Top Chef and Food Network fans.

Jane Baxter and John Vincent’s LEON Happy Salads, this book contains multiple categories of salad (e.g., grain and bean, fish and seafood, meat) to suit all tastes and occasions. Sixty recipes—including roasted potato salad with mustard-walnut vinaigrette, lemony Greek pasta salad, and grilled lobster salad with lemon-thyme butter—emphasize variety, drawing on flavorful components such as fresh herbs and toasted nuts for vibrancy and zest. Half are new; the rest are “greatest hits” from the Food52 community. VERDICT Use this cookbook to revive sad salads and workplace lunches. If salads are your preferred meal, consider adding it to your personal collection.

Haedrich, Ken. The Harvest

Food52 Eds. Food52 Mighty Salads: 60

Baker: 150 Sweet & Savory Recipes Celebrating the FreshPicked Flavors of Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables. Storey. Jun. 2017.

Crown. Apr. 2017. 160p. photos. index. ISBN 9780399578045. $22.99; ebk. ISBN 9780399578052. COOKING The lackluster side salad gets a mealworthy makeover in this new collection from the editors of Food52.com. Like Mindy Fox’s Salads: Beyond the Bowl and

304p. photos. index. ISBN 9781612127675. $19.95; ebk. ISBN 9781612127682. COOKING If you’re trying to eat more vegetables, why not bake them into cakes and pies? Renowned author and teacher Haedrich (Dinner Pies) returns with a new collection of hearty baked goods featuring garden and farm fresh produce. There are many excellent recipes to choose from,

New Ways To Turn Salad into Dinner—And Make-Ahead Lunches, Too. Ten Speed:

majority of the essays are focused on convincing readers to adopt a reducetarian lifestyle. Pat Crocker includes over 40 reducetarian recipes at the end of the volume. VERDICT This book will be of interest to environmentally conscious readers who wish to reexamine their dietary choices.— Crystal Renfro, Kennesaw State Univ., Marietta, GA

Weil, Andrew. Mind Over Meds: Know When

Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better—and When To Let Your Body Heal on Its Own. Little, Brown. Apr. 2017.

304p. notes. index. ISBN 9780316352970. $29; ebk. ISBN 9780316352987. HEALTH

Weil’s (Univ. of Arizona; Spontaneous Happiness, Healthy Aging) revolutionary book casts a critical eye on modern medicine, examining the very serious risks that medicine

can carry. He looks at why they are used (and their histories), questions the role that modern medicine has in our society, raises concerns about the overprescribing of drugs (looking at both the immediate side effects and the long-term impacts of overprescribing), and shares anecdotes that illustrate the potential dangers. In each section, he reveals possible natural alternatives (including food as medicine, breathwork, essential oils, Chinese medicine, massage, and herbs). Each chapter ends with a “Bottom Line,” a great summary, recommendations, tips, and alternatives. VERDICT This very user-friendly text is suitable for those with no medical background but will also be of interest to medical professionals. Those who seek to understand the ramifications of overmedicating, are interested in the impact of mod-

including butternut squash crumb muffins, tomato slab pie, cauliflower Parmesan pizza, and apple pecan pound cake with maple syrup glaze. Most can be made by hand using conventional equipment—ready some elbow grease for a few directions such as “stir vigorously for 100 strokes.” VERDICT Bakers will want to have this book on hand during summer and fall, when they’re facing surplus squash or a glut of other fruits and vegetables. Highly recommended.

Louis, Jenn & Kathleen Squires.

The Book of Greens: A Cook’s Compendium of 40 Varieties, from Arugula to Watercress, with More Than 175 Recipes.

Ten Speed: Crown. Apr. 2017. 328p. photos. index. ISBN 9781607749844. $35; ebk. ISBN 9781607749851. COOKING This informative guide to greens from chef Louis (Pasta by Hand) and freelance writer Squires (Coolhaus Ice Cream Book) has a kinship with excellent titles such as Jennifer McLagan’s Bitter, Diane Morgan’s Roots, and Michelle McKenzie’s Dandelion and Quince. These 150 recipes (e.g., radicchio hand pies with quince paste and blue cheese, sake-braised Chinese celery, and deviled eggs with dandelion greens

ern medicine, or want to learn alternative therapies and how to take an active role in their health care will appreciate this book. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.] —Cheryl Yanek, Brooklyn

Home Economics .Edge, John T. The Potlikker Papers: A

Food History of the Modern South. Penguin. May 2017. 384p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594206559. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780698195875. COOKING

Edge (director, Southern Foodways Alliance; A Gracious Plenty) writes that over the past two generations significant changes in agriculture and food cultures have transformed the American South. Included are stories of African American cooks and bakers in support of the Montgomery, AL, bus

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and cornichon) showcase dozens of plants and herbs, including lesser-known varieties of celtuce, nettles, spigarello (leaf broccoli), and water spinach. This volume is arranged alphabetically by ingredient, and a handy list near the front makes it easy to browse for individual courses, vegetarian dishes, and even butter lettuce panna cotta. VERDICT Recommended for anyone who wants to explore unfamiliar greens from grocery stores and farmers markets.

.Prescott, Dennis. Eat Delicious: 125 Recipes for Your Daily Dose of Awesome. Morrow. Apr. 2017. 368p. photos. index. ISBN 9780062456038. $27.50; ebk. ISBN 9780062456052. COOKING

Fed up with cereal for dinner, former touring musician Prescott borrowed cookbooks from the Nashville Public Library and began teaching himself to cook. Now a Food & Wine columnist and admired Instagrammer (instagram. com/dennistheprescott), he’s authored a heartfelt debut filled with bold recipes, vibrant photographs, and gentle advice on how to be your best self. The 125 dishes featured here include internationally influenced comfort foods such as salmon banh mi sandwiches, paprika-coriander chicken with apricot cous cous, Mexicanstyle grilled corn, and lemon-ricotta mini doughnuts with chocolate sauce. In a nod to Prescott’s roots, there are also many Canadian foods, including poutine, Caesar cocktails, and many things mapleflavored. VERDICT Prescott’s laid-back approach to cooking will entice readers who want to eat well and have fun in the

boycott; President Lyndon B. Johnson’s beloved family cook and unofficial advisor, Zephyr Wright; activist Fannie Lou Hamer’s call for farming cooperatives to feed the poor; and regional hippie movements that grew, consumed, and sold their own produce. The narrative also touches on chefs such as Edna Lewis and Natalie Dupree, the proliferation of fast-food franchises led by Harland Sanders, and the celebration of barbecue as a national folk food and its pit masters as folk heroes. The author’s frequent indictment of racism and class exploitation in the South stems largely from an agricultural and economic base: “If small-scale agriculture was an American ideal, largescale agriculture...was an original sin of the American south.” Edge concludes by likening the farmers in the employ of 21st-

kitchen. Try this if you enjoyed Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings.

.Punyaratabandhu, Leela. Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand. Ten Speed: Crown. May 2017. 368p. photos. index. ISBN 9780399578311. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780399578328. COOKING Punyaratabandhu (Simple Thai Food) is the creator of the award-winning Thai food blog SheSimmers.com. Her second cookbook blends vivid memories of family and travel with recipes for iconic foods from the city of Bangkok. Fragrant dishes such as watermelon with fish dip, slow-cooked chicken in coconut-galangal cream sauce, and lychee in iced syrup with young ginger and green mango invite leisurely cooking and will draw home cooks who want to advance beyond quick and easy Thai recipes. Access to an Asian grocery store is a must—otherwise, it will be challenging to obtain ingredients such as pandan leaves, durian pulp, fried tofu puffs, and pork blood cake. VERDICT Let this stunning, transporting cuisine carry you away. Purviance, Jamie. Weber’s Greatest Hits: 125 Classic Recipes for Every Grill. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2017. 320p. photos. index. ISBN 9780544952379. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9780544951631. COOKING

Grill manufacturer Weber has been publishing cookbooks since the 1950s. For this new collection, grilling guru and best-selling author Purviance (Weber’s New American Barbecue) narrowed more than 2,500 Weber recipes to 125 of the best. In course- and ingredient-based

century corporate interests as little more than serfs. VERDICT An engrossing blend of food science, regionalism, and ethnic studies. Highly recommended for Southern historians, agriculturalists, cuisine enthusiasts, professional chefs, and general readers.—John Carver Edwards, formerly with Univ. of Georgia Libs.

Lynch, Barbara. Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire. Atria. Apr. 2017. 304p. ISBN 9781476795447. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781476795461. COOKING

Lynch is a James Beard Award–winning chef and the owner of restaurant group Barbara Lynch Gruppo, which launched several Boston eateries including No. 9 Park and Sportello. This memoir is a departure from her previous work, Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition, which focused on cooking

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chapters (e.g., starters, beef and lamb, pork, desserts), the author collects foolproof favorites such as grilled oysters with four sauces, easy roasted rosemary chicken, new potato salad with bacon and onions, and skillet blueberry cobbler. Accompanied by all-new photographs and practical tips, these easy dishes will interest just about everyone. VERDICT A solid selection of everyday and classic grilling recipes with an occasional twist. Highly recommended.

Viviani, Fabio. Fabio’s 30-Minute Italian:

Over 100 Fabulous, Quick and Easy Recipes. St. Martin’s. May 2017. 288p.

photos by Matt Armendariz. index. ISBN 9781250109958. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250109965. COOKING Chef Viviani is an author, television host, and restaurateur who is well known for his appearances on Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars. His follow-up to Fabio’s American Home Kitchen aims to simplify Italian cooking, offering takes on small plates, mains, and desserts that can be whipped up in half an hour or less. Recipes such as skillet orecchiette with tarragon and lump crab, prosecco braised chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and leeks, and spiced chocolate pudding with toasted rice crisps are speedy yet sophisticated, ideal for cooks who’d rather spend more time at the table than in the kitchen. Throughout, Viviani chimes in charmingly with tips, techniques, and personal anecdotes. VERDICT Featuring satisfying recipes from a popular personality and gorgeous photographs from noted blogger Armendariz, this title is sure to be in demand.

techniques. Here, Lynch uses humor to tell her story of growing up in Boston and overcoming insecurities to achieve culinary success. Lynch’s love of food and hard scrabble Southie upbringing are blended into a rich and engaging narrative that sheds light on the different influences that helped shape her career. The narrative is evocative of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, which also chronicles a chef’s journey. VERDICT Foodies will enjoy the vivid language used to describe Lynch’s food exploits, and old neighbors will be treated to a trip around south Boston through the eyes of a local.— Desiree Thomas, Worthington Lib., OH

Sciences

Charman, Isobel. The Zoo: The Wild and

Wonderful Tale of the Founding of the

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Solar Eclipses Baron, David. American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race To Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World. Liveright: Norton. Jun. 2017. 384p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781631490163. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781631490170. SCI Instead of looking at the broader phenomenon of eclipses in general, this title focuses on a single eclipse, that of 1878. Baron (The Beast in the Garden) highlights the experiences of three observers of that event: Maria Mitchell, James Craig Watson, and Thomas Edison. Other individuals and scientific details are woven into the narrative as it moves the central figures toward the day of the eclipse. Throughout, the book depicts the United States as a young country striving to achieve parity with Europe on the intellectual stage. Many American astronomers saw the 1878 eclipse as a chance to demonstrate to the world what America could do for science. Watson was hoping to discover a new planet to win recognition for this country and himself. Mitchell led an all-female expedition to Colorado to show that women could contribute, too. And although Edison’s experiments

during the eclipse had no lasting impact on history or astronomy, Baron tells a compelling tale about the inventor. All of these figures also appear in John Dvorak’s Mask of the Sun but only briefly. V ERDICT Best for readers who are getting their technical details elsewhere yet enjoy a good story about science. [Prepub Alert, 1/9/17.] — Cate Hirschbiel, Iwasaki Lib., Emerson Coll., Boston

.Dvorak, John. Mask of

the Sun: The Science, History and Forgotten Lore of Eclipses. Pegasus.

Mar. 2017. 296p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9781681773308. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681773858. SCI

Do you have friends planning a trip to Idaho or Missouri in August? They’re probably traveling there to see the eclipse. The

London Zoo: 1824–1851. Pegasus. Apr. 2017. 358p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781681773568. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681774015. SCI

British writer, researcher, director, and producer Charman tells the story of the beginning of the London Zoo through the eyes of seven key people. During the early 1800s, little was known about how to keep wild animals healthy during captivity. Few other zoos existed, and knowledge was infrequently exchanged. At the time, no other

United States is about to enter a period of eclipse abundance, with total solar eclipses crossing large swaths of the country in 2017, 2024, and 2045. This will doubtless lead many curious readers seeking to know more. This book provides an excellent overview of how eclipses work and how people have interpreted them through time. The four-page “eclipse primer” with illustrations is especially handy and clear. Dvorak (The Last Volcano) explains complex scientific ideas succinctly and clearly without resorting to formula or jargon. Furthermore, he does an excellent job of conveying the wonder of eclipses, describing both their historical-cultural value and the inspirational effect they have on people. He mentions pivotal eclipses— such as the 1978 eclipse described in David Baron’s American Eclipse—and places them in a larger context of scientific discovery and history. Along the way we meet famous writers, from Thucydides to Virginia Woolf, and scientists, from Ptolemy to Albert Einstein. VERDICT A splendid introduction to all aspects of eclipses; for all readers interested in science.—Cate Hirschbiel, Iwasaki Lib., Emerson Coll., Boston

zoos had a primarily scientific purpose. Sadly, this meant that many animals kept in the zoo died. Charman introduces readers to a host of animals, only to deliver news of their death and subsequent dissection and preservation shortly thereafter. However, the author succeeds in meeting her intention: reflecting upon the scientific knowledge of the time and giving readers a strong sense of the frustrations and challenges involved with scientific discovery. Among the seven profiled are ornithologist John Gould,

architect Decimus Burton, and naturalist Charles Darwin. While all of the primary characters are real, Charman uses creative text and careful research to reimagine aspects of their personalities. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in zoology and the intersection of history and science.— Beth Dalton, Littleton, CO

.Dembicki, Geoff. Are We Screwed? How a New Generation Is Fighting To Survive Climate Change. Bloomsbury USA. Aug. 2017. 320p. notes. index. ISBN 9781632864819. $28. SCI

In this spirited manifesto against the status quo, journalist Dembicki highlights the stories of Millennials who are combating climate change. Covering the historic battle over the Keystone XL pipeline, the Paris climate talks, and more, the author reveals how this generation has tired of watching world leaders make decisions whose results they will not live to see. Whether quitting their jobs and going back to the land in a rejection of capitalism or running for office, many Millennials are taking a stand against the system in extremely diverse and powerful ways, such as when organizer and activist Phil Aroneanu and a small group of college students, with the help of their advisor Bill McKibben, formed 350.org, the biggest group working to stop climate change today. Dembicki deftly analyzes and critiques many organizations that claim to be effecting change, including Bernie Sanders’s election campaign, and effectively demonstrates that Millennials do care about the future, so much so, that they are willing to fight for it. VERDICT Young and old activists alike will be inspired by this hopeful call for change.— Venessa Hughes, Buffalo, NY

Dugatkin, Lee Alan & Lyudmila Trut. How To Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of JumpStarted Evolution. Univ. of Chicago. Apr. 2017. 240p. photos. notes. ISBN 9780226444185. $26. NAT HIST

How did our hunter-gatherer ancestors manage to turn the fiercely predatory wolf into a sweet-natured, loyal puppy dog? While animal (and plant) domestication is considered a crucial milestone in the advancement of human civilization, little has been understood about the initial steps involved in domesticating a wild animal— those that had to occur before deliberate breeding could begin. Dugatkin (biology, Univ. of Louisville) and Trut (evolutionary genetics, Inst. of Cytology & Genetics, Novosibirsk, Siberia) recount the remarkable story of a domestication experiment, begun in the early 1950s, to see if wild silver foxes (farmed for their fur in Siberia) could

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be tamed—the brainchild of Russian geneticist Dimitri Belyaev. Selectively breeding the least fearful and aggressive foxes, Belyaev’s research group ended up with hand-licking, tail-wagging, rub-my-belly, completely lovable fox-dogs in less than a decade. As the lead researcher of this experiment for almost 60 years and the first to rear a fox pup in her home, coauthor Trut provides unique insights into how the animals evolved and flourished over the decades. VERDICT This intriguing, well-written account of an ongoing experiment in canid domestication should delight readers interested in the origins of the human-animal bond.—Cynthia Lee Knight, Hunterdon Cty. Historical Soc., Flemington, NJ

.Fallon, Katie. Vulture: The Private

efforts to sample various peppers to understand “chili burn.” In analyzing common flavors (salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami), Holmes discovers flavor lives in the mind; an attractive presentation causes a meal to be perceived as more flavorful. Relying on interviews and primary sources, Holmes addresses the stigma of processed foods and “artificial flavors,” the resulting rise of misleading labels such as “natural,” and how premature harvesting has affected the supermarket tomato among other fruits and vegetables. VERDICT Foodies who enjoyed Mark Schatzker’s The Dorito Effect, Michael Pollan’s Cooked, and Michael Moss’s Salt Sugar Fat will gravitate toward this scientific yet accessible and humorous take on food and wine.—Stephanie Sendaula, Library

Life of an Unloved Bird. Univ. Pr. of New

Journal

England. Mar. 2017. 248p. bibliog. ISBN 9781611689716. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781512600308. NAT HIST

Technology

Naturalist and bird rehabilitator Fallon (Cerulean Blues: A Personal Search for a Vanishing Songbird) presents an entertaining, well-researched title that nominally concerns the familiar turkey vulture but ranges widely, incorporating up-to-date information on condors and vultures worldwide, especially in California, India, and southern Africa. Fallon also delves into vulture folklore and the bird’s place in history, mythology, and archaeological settings such as Sumer (modern-day southern Iraq), Native American sites, ancient Egypt, and the Battle of Gettysburg. She displays great passion and enthusiasm yet writes knowingly and dispassionately on the science of her subject in an engaging, literary style. The author describes her and her veterinarian husband’s work rehabilitating injured birds, never skimping on complex technological and medical details. VERDICT Of interest to all naturalists, veterinarians, and birders. There is much here for professional biologists, too, and even historians.—Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Holmes, Bob. Flavor: The Science of Our Most Neglected Sense. Norton. Apr. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9780393244427. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393244434. SCI

Is there anything objective about f lavor? Why are we the only species to season our food? Science journalist Holmes interviews flavor chemists, neuroscientists, sommeliers, and chefs in an attempt to learn more about our sense of taste and how it links to our sense of smell. This journey takes him to such places as University of Pennsylvania’s Smell and Taste Center and IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, but most fascinating is a tour of flavor and fragrance manufacturer Givaudan, and the author’s

Bruce, Victoria. Sellout: How Washington

Gave Away America’s Technological Soul, and One Man’s Fight To Bring It Home.

Bloomsbury USA. Jun. 2017. 304p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781632862587. $28. TECH

Journalist Bruce (No Apparent Danger) tells the story of Jim Kennedy, a retired securities portfolio manager who purchased a mining operation only to learn about China’s rare earth monopoly. Kennedy tried to convince the U.S. government to return to domestic supply chains, especially for rare earth elements, which are critical to many consumer electronics and 70 different military weapons systems. He partnered with engineer John Kutsch to lobby for a much safer alternative to nuclear power: molten salt reactor technology, which is based on thorium, a byproduct of rare earth mining. Together, they presented a win-win solution for technological and energy independence to various government staffers and the U.S. Department of Defense. Tangential narratives about the various players with whom Kennedy interacted during his quest provide helpful backstory, but their breadth and depth often take the focus unnecessarily far from him. Though the subject matter may seem daunting, Bruce manages to extract a compelling narrative from a formidable amalgam of land histories, geological surveys, patent applications, and foreign trade policies. Readers will share Kennedy’s considerable frustration with the shortsightedness of profit-driven stakeholders and the hubris of politicians. VERDICT For those interested in solving world economic and energy problems.—Ricardo Laskaris, York Univ. Lib., Toronto

The accelerating technological changes of the last few decades have left many wondering what miracles the future will bring. The Economist presents a well-organized collection of essays on the subject, compiled by its executive editor Franklin. Experts in various fields offer their predictions of what will happen over the next 30 years, including the impact of advances in various fields (computer science, communications, biology, artificial intelligence, and energy production) on aspects of life such as medical care, work, education, and social behavior. Although a couple of sf stories are appended, most of the essays are quite conservative in their approach. They concentrate on relatively natural refinements of existing technology and on current developments that will have great influence when made more widely available and/or more economical. Thus, these predictions are quite likely to be correct in general but wrong on details, as is frequently the case in such efforts. VERDICT A thought-provoking title for readers interested in technology or those seeking a helpful guide to making sound economic investment choices.—Harold D. Shane, Mathematics Emeritus, Baruch Coll. Lib., CUNY

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[reference] Political Science

Social Sciences

vols. Praeger: ABC-CLIO. Nov. 2016. 567p. ed. by Glenn W. Richardson. notes. index. ISBN 9781440839504. $164; ebk. ISBN 9781440839511. REF

Praeger: ABC-CLIO. Nov. 2016. 1080p. ed. by Edward Dunbar & others. index. ISBN 9781440839061. $194; ebk. ISBN 9781440839078. REF

Since the 2016 presidential election, there have been many questions raised regarding the role of social media in politics. How much of an inf luence did Facebook and Twitter have in the election, and how do these platforms affect how we communicate about politics? Edited by Richardson (political science, Kutztown Univ., PA), this two-volume set focuses on the use of social media in politics and social movements through a collection of academic essays and studies. Most of the chapters concentrate on American politics, but the Arab Spring in the Middle East, elections in Mexico, and communications in China are also covered. The contributors explore gender, education, the crafting of political messages, and how people engage with social media. Sections of the book sometimes feel prophetic, with descriptions of how some people’s tendency to “cocoon [themselves] against disagreeable information” creates an echo chamber in their online world, the rise of citizen journalism, the growing importance of social media, and the use of memes. With the research primarily coming from data gathered during the 2008 and 2012 elections, there is very little information on the recent election; however, this does not detract from the value of the work. The studies provide a valuable resource on the development of social media. The sometimes copious notes will be helpful to researchers seeking more on the subject. Graphs and tables provide clarity, and the indexes are helpful. VERDICT A worthwhile text for high school and college students and those interested in the growth of social media and politics.—Susanne Caro, Univ. of Montana Lib.,

Dunbar (psychology, Univ. of California, Los Angeles), Amalio Blanco (social psychology, Autonomous Univ. of Madrid), and Desiree A. Crevecoeur-MacPhail (project director, Los Angeles Cty. Evaluation Program, Univ. of California, Los Angeles) have compiled a stunning amount of research into this three-volume set. The issues examined are international in scope, including but not limited to the United States, the European Union, South America, and the Middle East. The first volume concentrates on the “who,” covering the theoretical, legal, and cultural factors that influence the perpetrators of hate crimes. Elements that cause or are related to extremism, social attitudes, human rights laws, verbal and physical hatred, and gender bias are analyzed in detail. As the focus shifts between countries and crimes, a global picture begins to emerge that illustrates the similarities and differences between hate crimes and domestic terrorism. The second volume explores the “why” of perpetrators of these crimes, providing sociodemographic, psychological, and behavioral offender profiles alongside information on victim impact and possible strategies to assess risk factors for offenders. The perspectives of both victims and offenders are studied to present both sides of the situation. The third volume considers possible solutions. Psychiatric treatment of offenders, theoretical approaches to treatment, and the importance of understanding the risks of the Jihadist mind-set are addressed. The editors of this dense, scholarly written three-volume compendium have done an excellent job of presenting multiple different facets of a complex and pressing global issue. With many in-text citations, the book offers various paths to relevant materials. VERDICT A strong choice for graduate school students or professors, this work is an ideal jumpingoff point for any number of discussion topics.—Christine Sharbrough, Tewksbury P.L., MA

Social Media and Politics: A New Way To Participate in the Political Process. 2

Missoula

Religion .The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the

United States. 5 vols. Rowman & Littlefield. Nov. 2016. 2864p. ed. by George Thomas Kurian & Mark A. Lamport. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781442244313. $495; ebk. ISBN 9781442244320. REF

The Psychology of Hate Crimes as Domestic Terrorism: U.S. and Global Issues. 3 vols.

Religion & history buffs will want this superb set; global traditions for every stage of life

Kurian (editor, The World Christian Encyclopedia) and Lamport (coeditor, Encyclopedia of Christian Education) have produced a well-written, comprehensive guide detailing the many themes and people in the history of Christianity in the United States. Their aim is “to facilitate greater ref lection on our national and personal circumstances in light of our historical awareness; to hospitably engage ideas, cultures, and practices of faith tradition beyond the normal scope of our direct experiences; and to recall the gracious, sovereign mission of God in his Church in the United States.” These five volumes of fascinating entries by numerous scholars succeed in inviting readers to browse through and actively participate in that reflection, engagement, and recollection. The entries are organized alphabetically, but indexing by themes, names, and even the author of the articles makes finding and tracing specific threads of history easy. Brief bibliographical references are included for each item as well as an overarching selected bibliography and essay in the final volume. Among the other useful features are an introductory series of essays surveying the overall history of Christianity and its impact on the United States, an appendix detailing U.S. religious trends, and a series of concise essays giving perspectives on the subject from other cultural viewpoints such as Asian, Australian, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Jewish, and even atheist. The vast cultural and religious variety within the United States is well represented here. VERDICT A superb set that will appeal to both researchers and general readers interested in religion or history. Suitable for both academic and public libraries.— Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI

.Williams, Victoria. Celebrating Life

Customs Around the World: From Baby

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Showers to Funerals. 3 vols. ABC-CLIO. Nov. 2016. 1295p. photos. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781440836589. $294; ebk. ISBN 9781440836596. REF

Williams, an independent writer and researcher based in London, provides straightforward commentary on celebrations, coming-of-age ceremonies, rites of passage, burial rituals, and more. In the introduction, the author notes that she has deliberately focused on rituals, customs, and traditions likely to be less familiar to American readers, although many are recognizable. The three volumes are di-

ereviews Oxford Research Encyclopedias

Oxford University Press; oxfordre.com Free trial available

n By Gricel Dominguez CONTENT Oxford Research Encyclopedias (ORE) bridge the gap between online resources and traditional academic publishing by providing access to both free and subscription-based collections. This review will focus on the subscription-based resources, while including a general discussion of ORE as a whole.

vided by time of life: Birth and Childhood; Adolescence and Early Adulthood; and Aging and Death. Within each book, topics are arranged alphabetically. The entries range from fairly lighthearted (“Scrogging the Holly”; “Baby Racing”) to disturbing but worthy of coverage (“Male and Female Genital Cutting”; “Shrunken Heads”). The tone is scholarly, although the writing is accessible to nonacademic readers. The bright cover and inset section of color photos in each volume will attract browsers. The comprehensive index as well as the “see-also” and further

Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

articles on both foundational and in-themoment topics in an effort to meet the demand for current and credible information on the web. Content is published regularly, and the collection aims to grow and evolve, moving beyond basic reference to engage current scholarship and contribute to the ongoing discussion. Articles are peer-reviewed and updated on a regular basis, providing access to a comprehensive body of knowledge. The resource is intended for use by scholars, researchers, graduate students, upper-division

undergraduates, faculty, professionals, and librarians. According to ORE, articles are commissioned by Oxford reference editors and produced by specialists and professionals; they are then vetted and approved by an editorial and advisory board made up of international experts. ORE is intended to serve as a starting point for serious, academic research. usability Each of the subjects referenced in the database can be accessed via its own portal. Information on the editorial process and scope of each individual collection can

reading listings at the end of each article will be helpful to those seeking deeper information on a specific topic. In a few cases, primary sources are included, such as excerpts from maternal, paternal, and parental leave policies in Australia and the UK. VERDICT Readers curious about the background of such customs as consuming a placenta after delivery, the tooth fairy, courtship whistling in Mexico, and fantasy coffins from Ghana will all have their basic questions answered. An ideal addition for all public libraries.—

Marilyn Favreau, Director of Mountainside Public Library had this to say:

Collections in ORE are curated by subject and currently include African History, American History, Asian History, Business and Management, Climate Science, Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, Encyclopedia of Social Work (subscription required), Environmental Science, Global Public Health, Latin American History, Linguistics, Literature, Natural Hazard Science, Neuroscience, Oxford Classical Dictionary (subscription required), Planetary Science, Politics, Psychology, and Religion. Published by Oxford University Press (OUP), this collection offers comprehensive WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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The training provided by ReferenceUSA was clear and simple to follow. It really excited the audience about all of the possibilities ReferenceUSA has to oﬀer like zeroing in on a particular geographic radius, extracting data about local business activity, and more.

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REFERENCE be found at oxfordre.com by selecting the Overview tab listed below each subject. While each collection resides within its own portal, the sites share the same interface, providing a seamless user experience whether accessing the free or subscriptionbased resources. Each portal is branded with the ORE logo and clearly identifies the subject of the collection in the header, making it easy to switch among collections. Researchers can explore articles by subfield, clearly marked and listed beneath the header, or by entering terms in the search bar at the top of the page. Users can further refine their search by selecting one of the subfields listed in a drop-down menu located beneath the search bar; these include specializations relevant to the field to aid in limiting results. Each collection portal highlights a featured article on the homepage, a brief bio of the editor in chief, a list of editorial board members, and a glimpse of new contributions. A video on the collection is also provided, along with information for authors and ways to connect with Oxford online. Users are invited to search documents via a Browse tab that lists articles alphabetically. Related subjects situated alongside each article enable further browsing. Published items feature the online publication date, while forthcoming pieces include an advance summary. Users exploring the browse page

can also refine results by subfield or search by keyword via the handy sidebar menu to the left side of the document listing. The subscription-based Oxford Classical Dictionary (OCD) expands its print counterpart by adding to the existing body of work on the classics to support interdisciplinary scholarship in the field through a multimedia platform. In addition to in-depth articles, the database boasts maps of the ancient world, audio, images, along with a glossary of abbreviations. As with all materials in the ORE collection, entries in the OCD are divided by subject, and articles feature a listing of related topics for additional browsing. Each article is divided into subheadings, which users can preview and access in the standard sidebar. Articles include a digital object identifier, links to related materials, bibliography, and notes for further research. Entries in the OCD can be browsed by subject, alphabetically, and include links to related content within the text, making it easy to jump from one entry to the next while exploring a particular idea. The articles are easy to read and well developed, including references to primary sources and additional research. The Encyclopedia of Social Work (subscription-based), created in partnership with the National Association of Social Workers,

newsworthy

Politics and social commentary featured prominently in the 2016 materials recognized by the American Library Association’s Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) at the Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta, held January 20–24. The Dartmouth Medal honors the creation of a reference work of outstanding quality and significance. This year’s winner is Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World, edited by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood (Bloomsbury Academic). The following websites were chosen by RUSA’s BRASS Education Committee as the best free business reference sources based on the quality of content, ease of use, and technical execution. The theme of the winners is corporate social responsibility.

follows the same model as other ORE resources. Currently housing over 900 articles, it makes available multimedia resources, infographics, and videos. The collection further includes full-text articles as well as summaries of soon-to-be-released content; the homepage features current blog posts and links to OUP’s social work blog. New and revised articles are added and updated on a monthly basis. Entries in the Encyclopedia of Social Work are presented as in-depth pieces that include abstracts and keywords and are divided into subheadings to facilitate research. Related articles are also highlighted in the sidebar. PRICING With the exception of the Encyclopedia of Social Work and the Oxford Classical Dictionary, the collections are currently accessible for free (the ORE’s FAQ page makes note of premium access options, but no further detail is provided). Please visit oxfordre.com for more information. VERDICT The free content available in the Oxford Research Encyclopedias makes a worthy addition to any library collection. Because pricing options may change, collection managers are advised to stay abreast of updates to the ORE access model. The content provided is rich in detail and goes above and beyond the information available in other free resources. While the ORE is intended as a starting point for advanced research, it’s a great tool for beginners as well. ORE is worth considering where the humanities and/or classics are supported. The Encyclopedia of Social Work will be valued where research on the subject is in high demand. Gricel Dominguez is User Engagement Librarian; Interim Head, Information & Research Services; and Assistant Professor, Florida International University, Miami. She can be reached at gdoming@fiu.edu

Ceres; ceres.org

Ceres is a nonprofit organization that works with industry partners to advocate for sustainability leadership. Its website educates users about best business practices, initiatives, sustainability, and more.

United Nations (UN) Global Compact Library; unglobalcompact.org/library

This online library houses materials related to the world’s largest sustainability initiative, which encourages businesses globally to adopt environmentally responsible practices.

The World Bank: Sustainable Development; worldbank. org/en/topic/sustainabledevelopment “The question facing countries, cities, corporations, and development organizations today is not whether to embrace sustainable development but how.” Figuring out that “how” is facilitated by the materials on this user-friendly site.

Journal of Medical Insight JoMI; jomi.com Free trial available

n By Henrietta Verma CONTENT The Journal of Medical Insight

(JoMI) describes itself as seeking “to improve outcomes through publication of videos of cutting-edge and standard of care surgical procedures.” The online-only journal presents “articles,” or videos, of fundamentals as well as of general surgery, orthopedics and orthopedic trauma, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, pediatric surgery, vascular surgery, and urology.

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JoMI’s homepage prominently presents a list of subscribers, which include top medical institutions in the United States and worldwide. The professionally edited and peerreviewed videos are chaptered and accompanied by anatomically labeled diagrams that change as appropriate. See jomi.com/ for a sample video that narrates what the archive offers. The growing database currently includes just 59 videos, which are spread across topics, so that at the moment there is shallow coverage of each surgical area. (An article index at jomi.com/index includes a listing of forthcoming videos.) The videos of operations offer the surgeon’s overview and commentary on the procedure; a clear animation explaining the entire procedure; and a close-up video of the work from the surgeon’s point of view, with the procedure performed and narrated step by step by teaching physicians who often refer to backup material in particular textbooks as they work. This latter portion is the bulk of the video and includes the surgeon discussing alternatives methods of performing the operation and why the particular method shown was chosen. They also mention certain things to watch for during this type of operation— what can go wrong as well as how to know when something is going well or badly— and practical details such as which height and what angle to place the operating table. If the surgery is laproscopic, two views are shown on the screen—the view from the surgeon and the team in the operating room and the laproscopic view of the body’s interior. Some of the work is done on cadavers, but most of it involves live patients. Apart from the introduction, chapters vary according to the work being done; the video “Closed Cephalomedullary Nailing of a Diaphyseal Femur Fracture on a Fracture Table,” for example, includes chapters “Positioning,” “Marking and Incision,” “Insert Nail,” “Proximal Locking,” “Distal Locking,” and “Closing.” The video takes up most of the screen space and at times is complemented by relevant images, such as animations of anatomical diagrams. At times the video stops, and written sets of next steps in the procedure are listed.

Some of the videos concentrate on training that is ancillary to operations. For example, one video shows a follow-up office visit by a patient who recently had ankle surgery; the surgeon who performed the procedure explains the patient’s relevant medical history and what was done during the operation, and discusses postoperative challenges and expectations. usability Usage of this database is quite straightforward; users may view videos by specialty or use the simple search box to find entries on a particular topic (there is unfortunately no advanced search option). The videos load quickly and each is a manageable length, from a few minutes to around an hour, depending on the work being described. By scrolling down the page, users can find one full-text preprint of a relevant article listed per topic (some of the articles are unavailable as they are still under review). At the bottom of a video is a list of accompanying entries—for example, the five-month patient follow-up following “Ankle-Ligament Reconstruction” is the companion to “Deltoid Ligament Repair” and two other videos, with each item in the list linked to the corresponding video. Entries list the doctor’s name and the institution where the video was filmed, such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and “other top institutions.” PRICING Anyone can temporarily access JoMI content by creating a free account. JoMI adds that, “…as residents, attendees, medical students, etc. use the resource, we will accumulate usage statistics and then negotiate a fair subscription customized for the institutions with which these users are affiliated.” JoMI has also partnered with Research4Life which offers free access to the journal through HINARI, the Access to Research in Health Programme. VERDICT This method of teaching or refreshing surgical knowledge is a valuable complement to classroom learning. The videos are of excellent quality and are indepth yet brief. As the database is enhanced, it will become more relevant outside of orthopedics, orthopedic trauma, and general surgery, but for the moment, recommendation is limited to institutions serving students in those fields. As JoMI develops, it will also be necessary for it to add advanced search capability, the availability of which prospective buyers should check for in advance of purchase.

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the reader’s shelf By Neal Wyatt

Past Intrigue: Historical Mysteries Combining two genres—historical fiction and mystery—these books offer a walk through time and crime, via well-set novels that are abundant in detail, feeling, and clever plots. The second in Elly Griffiths’s “Magic Men Mysteries” series, Smoke and Mirrors ( Houg hton Ha rcou r t. Oct. 2016. ISBN 9780544527959. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780544527980), reunites Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens with magician and actor Max Mephisto. Edgar is leading a murder investigation in Brighton, England, and Max is starring in the seaside town’s most popular theatrical production. The novel’s opening establishes an atmospheric setting of a cold winter and the tactile impression of small-town English life in the wake of World War II. At its heart, the case is particularly horrid—two grade school children have been murdered and left on view in the snow, surrounded by candy. Using fairy tales and theater, this modern reinterpretation of the Golden Age mystery quickly entangles readers in its coils. Darktown (Atria. Sept. 2016. ISBN 9781501133862 . $ 26 ; ebk. ISBN 9781501133886), Thomas Mullen’s gritty and sharp procedural, centers on three officers new to the 1948 Atlanta police department. Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith are members of the recently established “Negro Police.” The division is issued uniforms and guns but is accorded none of the other privileges of serving on the line. Meanwhile, rookie Dennis Rakestraw, a white man, is paired with one of the most brutal racists on the force (which is saying something). The four are working their beats in the dark hours of the evening when Boggs and Smith have to radio in for aid. The call triggers a cascade of death and powers a story of corruption, hate, and pure nerve as Mullen brilliantly transports readers to the seething landscape of Atlanta.

Sherry Thomas’s sprightly A Study in Scarlet Women (Berkley. Oct. 2016. ISBN 9780425281406. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9780698196353) plays on Sir Ar-

A dangerous production; til death do them part

thur Conan Doyle’s famous detective and introduces Charlotte Holmes, a woman of powerful mind and great determination. Coming to understand fully her lot in life and the constrained choices of Victorian society, Charlotte boldly removes herself from the marriage market, creating a scandal that eventually launches her career as a sleuth. Separated from her family, she finds the company of helpful characters—with nods to Conan Doyle’s original cast—and becomes a private consultant. The deaths of three aristocratic Londoners provide Charlotte with the perfect opportunity to prove her adept mind. A Terrible Beauty (Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Oct. 2016. ISBN 9781250058270. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250106407) is the 11th installment in Tasha Alexander’s “Lady Emily” mysteries. However, it could easily stand alone if librarians are looking for another way into the popular series featuring the many cases of the bright and intrepid Emily. Neatly wrapping up the intervening years with a quick summary and looping back to the day Emily attended her first husband’s funeral, Alexander has that long-lost man return from the grave. It seems he was not dead after all. With her current husband by her side, Emily must figure out what is happening. This series entry, exquisitely set in Greece, offers a tale full of great dialog and archaeological elements.

Or iginal ly published in 1994, Caleb Car r’s The Alienist (Random. 2006. I S BN 9 78 0 812 9 7614 4. p a p. $ 17; e b k . I S B N 9781588365408) is being adapted for television, making it a good time to revisit one of the best-known historical crime novels of the last 25 years. In 1896 New York City, the Gilded Age, Theodore Roosevelt has just been appointed police commissioner. To stop a killer, he turns for help to a crime reporter from the New York Times and an alienist (a forerunner to a modern-day criminal psychologist). A crew of others, including a secretary in the police department, joins them as they work to apprehend the murderer. Carr’s plot is fiendish, and his depiction of the city—and all levels of its society—is downright sumptuous. If mystery fans are just a bit worn out by the past, librarians should suggest agpie Murders (Harper. Jun. 2017. M ISBN 9780062645227. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062645241) by Anthony Horowitz. Taking place in two time periods, the novel is first presented as a manuscript of a cozy 1950s English whodunit, while the second half details a present-day parallel mystery. It is the kind of book that quickly captures one’s attention and refuses to let go. Horowitz has demonstrated his writing chops with very popular books such as his Sherlock Holmes and James Bond titles and is the creator of TV shows like Foyle’s War, proving he knows his way around well-conceived characters, a gripping narrative, and fine locales. Neal Wyatt compiles LJ’s online feature Wyatt’s World and is the author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Nonfiction

(ALA Editions, 2007). She is a collection development and readers’ advisory librarian from Virginia. Those interested in contributing to The Reader’s Shelf should contact her directly at Readers_Shelf@comcast.net

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libraryReads

The top ten books that librarians across the country love

spotlight Caitriona Lally In Caitriona Lally’s deliciously offbeat Eggshells, Vivian has inherited her aunt’s ramshackle house and wanders Dublin’s streets, making lists of words she loves and noticing street signs with missing letters. She also looks for portals to the fairy world, for Vivian believes that she is one of the changelings of Celtic myth, left behind by fairies when they make off with a human child. Yet despite its dusting of magic, Lally’s book is firmly rooted in this world. “I prefer realism, with twitches of mythology and fairy tale,” explained Lally during an interview with LJ at her publisher’s office. “I wanted to keep the fantasy element in Vivian’s head.” Readers are welcome to believe that Vivian could step through a portal, but Lally shows us that the changeling myth—used to explain why someone doesn’t fit into family or society—is emblematic of Ireland today, after the economic boom called the Celtic Tiger. As Lally explains, when the tiger sharpened its claws in the late 1990s, it left many people behind: “It was a myth that we all bought new cars, and it was harder not to have money at that time, with prices increasing hugely.” Then the tiger bounded away, leaving more people feeling marginalized in a wrecked economy. Lally herself lost her job as an abstract writer, and as she strolled Dublin’s streets she began entertaining the idea of a lost soul looking for something. Thus was her novel born. Of course, the outsider feeling embodied by the myth is personal as well as societal; Lally says she knows two people who see themselves as changelings. When Vivian is told nastily by her parents that she is one, in contrast to her diamond-perfect sister, she embraces her presumed oddness

as something positive. “Vivian is happy with herself,” declares Lally. “She has episodes when she realizes that she’s not fitting in perfectly, but it doesn’t bother her, or if it does she bounces back with the next project. I love that she doesn’t obsessively conform!” As Lally points out, Vivian’s willingness to be different makes her appealing, even enviable: “There is a part of that in a lot of us, outwardly conforming though we may be.” Whether Vivian is acting a role with the social welfare officer or puzzling over her snooty sister’s undue pride in an upmarket kitchen, there’s an underlying logic to her behavior that highlights how crazy the world really is. “Vivian does not compete, and she doesn’t care what people think of her,” explains Lally. “She’s not trying to impress but figure things out for herself.” Lally gives her heroine a friend in wacky Penelope (whose name, Vivian notes intriguingly, does not rhyme with antelope), but ultimately she is supremely self-sufficient. Throughout, Vivian makes lists of words she likes, from colors to the names of insects. Her passion for language is shared by the author, who sounds generally surprised to observe, “I hadn’t realized that not everyone plays around with words.” Making lists gives Vivian a way of organizing the world, of finding meaning in the welter of things around her. It also gives her a clear task, says Lally, so that “even when she is not looking for a portal, Vivian feels like she is achieving something.” Yet those portals still beckon; the title itself references a traditional Irish ritual for retrieving children stolen by fairies. As Lally transfers age-old rural myth to a contemporary urban setting, she reveals another Irish belief: “liminal places, like borders, doors, or windows, are where magical things are said to happen.”

March 2017 List The Twelve Lives 1of Samuel Hawley. Tinti, Hannah.

Dial. ISBN 9780812989885. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780812989892. F See LJ’s review: ow.ly/Yaus308TraD

2 Castle.

Shattuck, Jessica. The Women in the Morrow. ISBN 9780062563668. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062563682. F See LJ’s review: ow.ly/zjcL308TrmF

Howrey, Meg. The Wanderers. Putnam. ISBN 9780399574634. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780399574658. F See LJ’s review: LJ 2/15/17

Chupeco, Rin. The Bone Witch. Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN 9781492635826. $17.99. F See SLJ’s review: ow.ly/RINl308TrMr

5 of Men.

Butler, Nickolas. The Hearts Ecco: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062469687. $22.52; ebk. ISBN 9780062469700. F See LJ’s starred review: ow.ly/dbG1308TrYO

Lally, Caitriona. Eggshells. Melville House. ISBN 9781612195971. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781612195988. F See LJ’s starred review: ow.ly/yf9X308Ts9r

Parks, Brad. Say Nothing. Dutton. ISBN 9781101985595. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781101985618. F See LJ’s starred review: ow.ly/Ejnt308Tsnb

8 Woods.

Finkel, Michael. The Stranger in the Knopf. ISBN 9781101875681. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101875698. SOC SCI See LJ’s review: ow.ly/hAhm308TsDf

9 Lane.

See, Lisa. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Scribner. ISBN 9781501154829. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781501154843. F See LJ’s review: ow.ly/HiFg308TsOv

Macomber, Debbie. If Not for You. Ballantine. ISBN 9780553391961. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780553391978. ROMANCE See LJ’s review: LJ 2/15/17

ertainly, Lally’s debut is a magical thing, C and it serves as a window on a fresh new talent.—Barbara Hoffert

Created by a group of librarians, LibraryReads offers a monthly list of ten current titles culled from nominations made by librarians nationwide as their favorites. See the March 2017 list at ow.ly/wVkY3096ylV and contact libraryreads.org/for-library-staff/ to make your own nomination. WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE

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LIBR ARYJOURNAL

l March 15, 2017

The books most borrowed in U.S. libraries FICTION

LAST RANKING / TIMES ON LIST

NONFICTION

The Underground Railroad. Colson Whitehead. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385542364. $26.95.

4/5

1 2

The Whistler. John Grisham. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385541190. $28.95.

1/3

No Man’s Land. David Baldacci. Grand Central. ISBN 9781455586516. $29.

2/3

Cross the Line. James Patterson. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316407090. $29.

6/2

Small Great Things. Jodi Picoult. Ballantine. ISBN 9780345544957. $28.99.

7/3

Never Never. James Patterson & Candice Fox. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316433174. $28.

–/1

A Man Called Ove. Fredrik Backman. Washington Square: Atria. ISBN 9781476738024. $16.

The Wrong Side of Goodbye. Michael Connelly. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316225946. $29.

3/3

Commonwealth. Ann Patchett. Harper. ISBN 9780062491794. $27.99.

8/4

The Mistress. Danielle Steel. Delacorte. ISBN 9780345531117. $28.99.

–/1

Night School. Lee Child. Delacorte. ISBN 9780804178808. $28.99.

5/4

The Girl on the Train. Paula Hawkins. Riverhead. ISBN 9781594633669. $26.95.

LAST RANKING / TIMES ON LIST

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. J.D. Vance. Harper. ISBN 9780062300546. $27.99.

1/6

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. Margot Lee Shetterly. Morrow. ISBN 9780062363596. $27.99; pap. ISBN 9780062363602. $15.99.

4/2

The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. Michael Lewis. Norton. ISBN 9780393254594. $28.95.

2/2

4 5 6 7 8

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. Trevor Noah. Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 9780399588174. $28.

3/3

When Breath Becomes Air. Paul Kalanithi. Random. ISBN 9780812988406. $25.

6 / 11

The Princess Diarist. Carrie Fisher. Blue Rider. ISBN 9780399173592. $26.

5/2

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. Amy Schumer. Gallery: S. & S. ISBN 9781501139888. $28.

7/6

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers. Timothy Ferriss. Houghton Harcourt. ISBN 9781328683786. $28.

–/1

Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan. Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard. Holt. ISBN 9781627790628. $30.

9/4

10 11

Born To Run. Bruce Springsteen. S. & S. ISBN 9781501141515. $32.50.

8/4

Alexander Hamilton. Ron Chernow. Penguin Pr. ISBN 9781594200090.$35; pap. Penguin. ISBN 9780143034759. $20.

11 / 8

13 / 22

Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations. Thomas L. Friedman. Farrar. ISBN 9780374273538. $28.

13 / 2

Turbo Twenty-Three. Janet Evanovich. Bantam. ISBN 9780345543004. $28.

9/3

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Marie Kondo. Ten Speed. ISBN 9781607747307. $16.99.

– / 21

Below the Belt. Stuart Woods. Putnam. ISBN 9780399573972. $28.

–/1

Between the World and Me. Ta-Nehisi Coates. Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 9780812993547. $24.

Moonglow. Michael Chabon. Harper. ISBN 9780062225559. $28.99.

14 15

10 / 6

12 / 2

The Lost City of the Monkey God. Douglas Preston. Grand Central. ISBN 9781455540006. $28.

14 / 16 –/1

Library Journal’s Best Sellers is compiled from data on books borrowed and requested (placed on hold) at public libraries throughout the United States. It includes statistics from urban, suburban, and rural libraries. We thank the many contributing libraries as well as The Library Corporation (TLC), Polaris Library Systems, and SirsiDynix. (c) Copyright 2017 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. 144 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | MARCH 15, 2017

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3/2/2017 1:14:41 PM

It's Spring Break! Let Your Imagination Run Wild! ORIGINAL SHORT STORIES OF LAUGH WARFARE

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