Shelf Life – September 2015

Editor’s Notes for Issue #173

By the time you will have picked this issue up, Labour Day will likely have passed, the days are shorter, children are back in school and our thoughts are headed toward the coolness of the Fall season. But things are truly heating up in the book world with an impressive amount of titles that will be released in the months ahead, leading into 2016. You can be sure Shelf Life will be featuring many of the best, in this issue and in issues to come.  We are always doing our utmost to provide you with reviews of the top titles out there. Based on your responses we think we are doing a pretty good job. So, keep letting us know what you like about the issues and the books we feature. We listen to all your comments.

Write us as at Shelf-Life1@rogers.com. Thanks as always for picking us up, Enjoy the issue.

Paul Sutter
Editor/Publisher

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Fiction Section
Best of the September Fiction Shelf

No Fortunate Son
by Brad Taylor
(Dutton – $31.00 – 406 pages)
“Brad Taylor is certainly coming into his own with the popular PIKE LOGAN series.”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Second Life
by S.J. Watson
(Harper Collins – 416 pages)
“…first class excitement every step of the way…”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Hush
by Karen Robards
(Gallery – $32.00 – 406 pages)
“…a quality book that should be shouted about from the rooftops.”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Saint Odds
by Dean Koontz
(Bantam – $31.00 – 384 pages)
“It would be prudent to have some tissues handy because Koontz has definitely created a finale that will cause a lump in your throat.”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Cold Betrayal
by J.A. Nance
(Touchstone – $32.00 – 338 pages)
“…does not betray the reader in any manner as they certainly get more than their money’s worth…”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Rest of September Fiction on the Shelf

14th Deadly Sin
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
(Little Brown – $31.00 – 384 pages)
“…a most dynamite writing duo, keeping the series intense and worth reading…”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Land of the Blind
by Barbara Nadel
(Headline – $22.99 – 403 pages)
Reviewed by: Ron Heimpel
“…each time out, the author brings something new to appreciate”
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Death on Blackheath
by Anne Perry
(Ballantine – $32.00 – 310 pages)
“It is always uncanny the manner in which Anne Perry whisks us back to Victorian times.”
Rating: 3 1/2 bookmarks

Lacy Eye
by Jessica Treadway
(Grand Central Publishing – $29.00 – 342 pages)
“The book has so many quirky twists as the reader ponders innocence and guilt.”
Rating: 4 1/2 bookmarks

Finders Keepers
by Stephen King
(Scribner – $39.99 – 434 pages)
“Stephen King still has got what it takes to be a literary force in the world of writing.”
Rating: 4 1/2 bookmarks

Pegasus
by Danielle Steel
(Delacorte – $32.00 – 340 pages)
“…such a treat, working with a historical premise that engages the reader on every page.”
Rating: 3 1/2 bookmarks

Lies That Bind
by Maggie Barbieri
(Minotaur – $29.99 – 323 pages)
“…based on the plot and direction of the characters, one should not rule out another Maggie Barbieri thriller.”
Rating: 3 1/2 bookmarks

Motive
by Jonathan Kellerman
(Ballantine – $32.00 – 336 pages)
“No one could ever accuse Jonathan Kellerman of skimping when it comes to creating intriguing plots…”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Saving Grace
by Jane Green
(St. Martin’s Press – $31.50 – 346 pages)
“…the sort of story we have seen before…”
Rating: 3 1/2 bookmarks

Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Equation
by Douglas Corleone
(Grand Central – $31.00 – 416 pages)
“…classic Ludlum as if Ludlum had written it all himself.”
Rating: 4 1/2 bookmarks

Trust No One
by Jayne Ann Krentz
(Putnam – $31.00 – 337 pages)
“…(has) the ability to keep the reader enthralled by the book from first to last pages.”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

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Non-Fiction Section
Best of the September Non-Fiction Shelf

Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland
by Amanda Berry & Gina DeJesus with Mary Jordan & Kevin Sullivan
(Viking – $33.00 – 322 pages)
“This is one book that thankfully has a happy ending.”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Smithsonian Train: The Definitive Visual History
(DK Books – $42.00 – 320 pages)
“Smithsonian books go that extra mile in more ways than one.”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

The Secret History of Wonder Woman
by Jill Lepore
(Knopf – $35.00 – 410 pages)
“…more psychological and sociological dissertation on the creation of the character.”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Taschen’s Favourite TV Shows: The Top Shows of the Last 25 Years
by Jurgen Muller
(Taschen – $89.99 – 744 pages)
“…this is the book that any true television lover will be more than proud to add to their collection…”
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Rest of September Non-Fiction on the Shelf

Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards
(Krause – $35.99 – 696 pages)
“Every time out STANDARD CATALOG OF BASEBALL CARDS becomes more interesting.”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

The Art of Deception
by Brad Honeycutt
(Imagine – $31.95 – 224 pages)
“…the sort of book that rises above the crowd, and gives you a visual menagerie.”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Herbs & Spices: The Cook’s Reference
by Jill Norman
(DK Books – $33.00 – 338 pages)
“.. takes the guesswork out of every spice as you know precisely which one goes best…”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

The Art of Disney Pixar’s Inside Out
Forward by Amy Poehler
(Chronicle – $55.00 – 182 pages)
“…it once again reinforces the greatness of the work and the time spent to take it to new heights of perfection and greatness.”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

It’s A Long Story: My Life
by Willie Nelson with David Ritz
(Little Brown – $33.00 – 394 pages)
“The book is a treat to read, certainly solidifying the man’s place in music history.”
Rating: 4 1/2 bookmarks

Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre
by Mick Wall
(Orion – $24.99 – 502 pages)
“Wall takes us through the life and times of the band and all the moments precipitated by Morrison.”
Rating: 3 1/2 bookmarks

To The Edge of the World
by Christian Wolmar
(Public Affairs – $31.00 – 284 pages)
“…railway enthusiasts will enjoy the thoroughness of the book and the effort that went into researching it.”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Dr. Mutter’s Medical Marvel
by Christin O’Keefe Aptowicz
(Gotham – $32.00 – 372 pages)
“The book captures the dedication and spirit of this medical pioneer…”
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Another Side of Bob Dylan (A Personal History On the Road and Off the Tracks)
by Victor Maymudes and Jacob Maymuds
(St. Martin’s Press – $31.50 – 288 pages)
“At times it does it justice while other times it seems like a colourless rendering…”
Rating: 3 bookmarks

The Everyday Supermodel
by Molly Sims with Tracy O’Connor
(Dey Street – $31.00 – 328 pages)
“…she has written a book inspiring women to change their lives, turning into the person they always wanted to be.”
Rating: 3 1/2 bookmarks

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*** Best of the Rest ***

Shelf Life receives dozens of books each month. regrettably not all books received have the space for full reviews. In BEST OF THE REST, we look at a variety of titles where only much shorter reviews were given. This is so we can fit in several titles for your consideration. All the books in this section are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Because of this no bookmarks are given but are worth of adding to your reading lists and collections.

Irresistable Force
by D.D. Ayres
(St. Martin’s – $9.99 – 305 pages)
“…the sparks really fly.”

Assail
by Ian C. Esslemont
(Bantam – $21.99 – 780 pages)
“The MAZALAN EMPIRE series has been one of the most riveting in recent history.”

The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate
by Marty Chan
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside – $12.95 – 262 pages)
“This is the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a brilliant teen adventure series.”

The Exile
by C.T. Adams
(Tor – $18.50 – 318 pages)
“…certainly does a powerful job of grabbing the reader by the collar and not letting go for an instant.”

Spirit of the Sea
by Rebecca Hainnu – Illustrated by Hwei Lim
(Inhabit Media – $16.95 – 32 pages)
“This is a beautifully illustrated tale which retells one of the most famous Inuit stories.”

Bad Romeo
by Leisa Rayven
(Griffin – $17.50 – 406 pages)
“Passion is riveting here and we all cheer for happy endings.”