Bookshelf

(Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2024).

The author explores the psychology and philosophical significance of the ubiquitous social phenomenon known as awkwardness. “Our aversion to awkwardness mirrors our desire for inclusion. This explains its power to influence and silence us: as social creatures, we don’t want to mark ourselves as outsiders,” the publisher notes. “As a result, our fear of awkwardness inhibits critique and conversation, acting as an impediment to moral and social progress. Even the act of describing people as ‘awkward’ exacerbates existing inequities, by consigning them to a social status that gives them less access to the social goods (knowledge, confidence, social esteem) needed to navigate potentially awkward situations.”

(New York: Hachette Go, 2024).

 “How do I build a brand in today’s social media world?” That’s the question the author, the real estate broker and star of Bravo network’s Million Dollar Listing New York, answers in this, his third book. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that 50% of the workforce will be the gig economy by 2027, Serhant says no one is being taught the skills or ideas to be successful in this new marketplace. “They are being trained for the jobs of a decade ago or a world where there weren’t personal brands or so many small businesses that need to brand and market themselves,” he says.

(Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2024).

This book discusses the continuous spontaneous localization theory (CSL) the author created more than 30 years ago, saying it “changes quantum theory.” According to Pearle, when an experiment is performed, the apparatus registers one of a number of possible results. A repetition of the experiment will likely give another result. Each result occurs randomly, he says, and many repetitions of the same experiment reveal that each result has a definite probability of occurring. Though quantum theory allows one to predict the probability of occurrence for each result, it does not describe what actually happens — the occurrence of an individual result. Pearle maintains his CSL theory is an alteration of quantum theory that not only describes the occurrence of an individual result, but also explains that occurrence.

(Albany, N.Y.: King Jesus Press, 2024).

This book asks the question: “If you’re invited to the party and it’s not jumping, do you leave or stay and make the party?” Breland, the former longtime director of Hamilton’s Opportunities Programs, offers lessons for those seeking positive change to “embrace themselves, create new habits, and live the new behaviors that bring them incremental change they can believe in.” In other words, this book is a compilation of lessons to keep the party going.

(Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Special Publications, 2024).

The author, trustee professor of English emeritus at Ohio University, explores his life as a champion of the Bard and a fan of the Detroit Tigers. According to the publisher, “He saw his first Tigers game in the summer of 1950 (Hal Newhouser beat the Chicago White Sox) and his first Shakespeare play in 1953 (Alec Guinness as Richard III at Ontario’s Stratford Festival) and has spent almost 75 years enjoying and writing about the pleasures of play that each provides.

(self-published, 2022).

Written for children 7 years of age and younger, this book encourages interaction by posing questions the reader is asked to answer by drawing from their own experiences and knowledge. The story documented is true, and the characters in the book are real. The author reminds young readers not to tell anyone who is the guest, so that others will also be excited to find out “who came from nowhere.”

(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.

“As a counsel to the Vatican, Mac’s descriptive reports about Italy, its people, and their sentiments toward Fascism and America earn the attention of President Roosevelt,” notes the publisher. “Yet amidst the political tension, Mac’s heart is ensnared by two women: the mysterious Slavic spy, Sara, who vanishes as swiftly as she appears, and the enchanting Italian belle, Carla, whom he weds in a ceremony worthy of royalty. As Mac’s world is further embroiled in the war’s turmoil, their lives take unexpected turns, from the glitzy world of Broadway to the dangerous frontlines in Sicily. With vivid portrayals of iconic settings like the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Little Italy, and the glamorous steamship journeys across the Atlantic, Morelli paints an immersive tapestry of love, betrayal, and destiny.”

(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.”