Bookshelf

(Los Angeles: TKO Studios, 2023)
This colorful and engaging hardcover graphic novel by Orlando and Andrés, a chef and humanitarian, shares stories of the people involved with World Central Kitchen, an organization that has provided over 300 million meals to communities in times of crisis. Dynamic illustrations by Alberto Ponticelli bring to life the work of World Central Kitchen as its people travel into natural disasters across the world to bring food and hope to those most affected by natural disasters, man-made crises, and humanitarian emergencies.

(North Charleston, S.C.: Palmetto Publishing, 2023)
In this, his first novel, the author crafts a compelling tale of intrigue and romance set in pre-World War II New York, Italy, and The Vatican. The protagonist, Tommy “Mac” McCabe Martin — who has something in common with Morelli: they are both lawyers — finds himself plucked from his Wall Street law firm and thrust into the world of international espionage.

(self-published, 2023)
Writing under the pen name George Garcia, the author spins this heartwarming tale about inclusivity and friendship. Young readers will “wriggle, squiggle and laugh” as the Taliaferro’s niece Clementine convinces a new little friend to go with her to school. 

(New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024)
The latest from the New York Times bestselling author — and the third book in the Crescent City series — House of Flame and Shadow continues the story of Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar, whose relationship is forced to the brink and their world on the verge of destruction as they fight to pull their realm back from ruin. Entertainment Weekly has called the series, “A dizzying, suspenseful whirl that surprises at every turn.”

(New York: Poets of Queens, 2023)
According to the publisher, “Moving between narrative and reflection, and reveling in the genre of the long poem, Robert Kaplan uses detailed imagery to invite the reader into a slice of 1980s New York City: the urban landscape, the national politics, gay exuberance and loss, and, weaving throughout, the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. The title poem, “Past/Present,” which is the first half of the book, sprawls through layers of time, failed romance, geographic movement, and growing self-awareness as the narrator sheds multiple selves to find his core. The poems in the second half of the book (re)create a sensory and personal landscape which becomes a metaphorical and meditative platform upon which to address questions of memory, identity, relationships, and how to navigate through an increasingly unstable world.”

(self-published, 2023)
Bringing us closer to our natural environment, this book chronicles life in the forest through stunning photos and artful poetry. Its authors are a highly acclaimed team of photographers and poets from Europe and the United States. According to the author, “… explore the metamorphoses of bugs transforming bygone life into new creations, find solace and guidance from the river's secrets, unlock natural therapies from ancient trees talking with fungi, or take a deep breath of fresh air as leaves breathe and flowers speak.”

  (New York: Del Rey, 2023)
“A rebellious young heroine begins a voyage of self-discovery in the third novel of an epic fantasy series set in the world of Viridian Deep, from the legendary author of the Shannara saga.” So says the publisher of Brooks’ latest work, which tells the story of Char, a girl who runs away from home a month before her 15th birthday to join a Human pirate crew. Her new life leads to love, a daring rescue attempt and “an adventure that will uncover secrets she never suspected about herself, one that will maybe, finally, teach her to look before she leaps.”

(Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2023)
The author, Carleton College’s William H. Laird Professor of German and the Liberal Arts, Emeritus, shares this three-volume catalog of a major collection of books he assembled over the past four decades. According to the publisher: “This catalog of an unparalleled private collection of Rubaiyat-related books and materials describes more than 7,000 items and includes color illustrations of over 2,000 book covers. Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam — first published anonymously in 1859 — was by the early 20th century the most popular literary work in the English language. Only the Bible was printed more frequently. The Rubaiyat became such an integral part of the very fabric of English-speaking culture that by 1900 people were speaking generally of a veritable Omar cult.

(Baker Academic, Ada, Mich. 2023)
“One reason the Bible has endured for millennia is its ability to reach our common humanness and give uplifting insights about struggle, resilience, and hope,” notes the book jacket. Inside, readers find candid, personal insights from the author, an Old Testament scholar, that “help readers engage biblical texts with both mind and heart — to learn the Bible’s stories, explore theological ideas, question common assumptions, develop interpretive skills, and grow in their own faith.” According to Publishers Weekly, this book “Tackles scripture from a broad-thinking, feminist perspective. ... Smart and impressive.”

(self-published, 2023)
This is the fourth in an anatomical series of books focusing on human endeavors. Like in the three previous, the author demonstrates methods of how various world cultures have handled some of life’s most common and difficult challenges. This book explores the funeral rituals that most of the societies around the world had to handle. The book discusses the needs and methods in looking for a path to the afterlife. In addition, a section on funerals of the rich and famous is included. Other works, also published in 2023, include The Anatomy of Religions of the World: Seeking God’s Grace, Anatomy of Marriages from Ancient to Modern Times, and Anatomy of Parenting Throughout the Ages: Cultural Differences of Raising Children from Ancient to Modern Times. The author, who enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a pediatrician/pediatric allergist, is the author of several other books.