Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite

The Light of Deaf Women: Inspirational Stories from Visionaries, Artists, Founders and Entrepreneurs by Deaf businesswoman and life coach Sofia Seitchik is a wonderful collection of mini-biographies accompanied by black-and-white photographs highlighting the achievements of almost 90 Deaf women. These women represent a variety of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds and life experiences and an even wider range of professions, careers, crafts, trades, and interests. Based on the theme that every person has an inner light to shine and share with others, each mini-biography is accompanied by a short quote. “Trust your flow; it is the Light of your life,” Seitchik writes. “When doubt or fear shows up, it is a sign to shift your way of thinking so your inner Light keeps flowing.” A list of the women, their occupations, and web sites is also provided along with photographic credits.

In The Light of Deaf Women, Seitchik gives us a glimpse into the lives of women whose achievements can inspire us all. The presentation is crisp and engaging. I especially liked the black and white images in which the women wore white or light clothing against white backgrounds. It focused my attention on their expressions and gave substance to their positive outlook on life. “Let’s enhance the path for a brighter, barrier-free future for young Deaf women so they can leap to new heights!” one of the women writes. As a book prepared by Deaf women to celebrate the achievements of Deaf women, it more than hits the mark and could be especially inspirational to young Deaf women. As a book featuring the accomplishments of women who might be our own mothers, sisters, daughters, neighbors, coworkers, and employers, it can appeal to readers of any sex, age, or background. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers' Favorite

The Trojan War is one of the earliest wars recorded in the history of human combat. The Iliad and the Odyssey are among the oldest extant works of western literature, written by the blind poet Homer in the eighth century. The Trojan War concerns the Achaeans of ancient Greece and the inhabitants of Ilios, the Trojans. But the story begins before that, at the wedding of the sea nymph goddess Thetis and the mortal but mighty king of the Myrmidons, Peleus. The seeds of this tragic and interminable war were sown when Eris, the goddess of strife, was not invited but arrived anyway, tossing into the company a golden apple inscribed with the words ‘to the most fair.’ Paris, the long-lost son of the Trojan King Priam, is asked to choose between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Lured by her promise of bestowing upon him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Troy, Paris chooses Aphrodite… Unfortunately, Helen is married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. And thus, the epic war begins, brought to life by the words of the poet Homer, and forever cemented in the minds of succeeding generations.

Greek mythology and the various heroes, gods, and demi gods have a solid place in modern popular culture, given the many novels and movies devoted to various mythological themes. Names like Zeus, Poseidon, Achilles, Hector, Paris, Helen, Menelaus and Agamemnon are not unfamiliar, especially the mighty Achilles, hero of the Greek forces. Achilles being the son of a goddess, Thetis, and a mighty mortal, Peleus, meant he was already special. Added to this was his legendary prowess as a warrior. When Achilles loses his armor during battle to Hector, the son of King Priam, his mother pleads with Hephaistos, the lame god, to fashion her son an incredible shield. Thetis, knowing that Achilles’ death would follow upon that of Hector, still had the shield made, bowing, one imagines, to the inevitability of the cycle of life. Hephaistos makes the shield, and the details are minutely described by Homer. These details bring us to the reconstruction of this magnificent piece of armor by Kathleen Vail, who documented this artistic project in her book, Reconstructing the Shield of Achilles.

A lifetime student of Homer’s ancient Greece, Vail has created a 'physical, artistically relevant, life-size reconstruction of the divine shield of Achilles based literally and solely on Homer’s specifications in Book 18 of the Iliad.' This is no easy feat because although many now discovered and similarly crafted and decorated Mycenaean artifacts – swords, daggers, vases, and more - prove the potential existence of this shield, Vail was working from the details in Homer’s poem and existing archaeological discoveries. The shield is described as having an awe-inspiring effect on Achilles’ enemies, notwithstanding his mighty prowess and physical attributes. However, for me, the importance of the shield is what the poet conveys in the descriptions and which Vail recreates for the reader with images of the actual reconstructed shield and the corresponding artifacts which provided the inspiration for the images.

Vail takes each section and describes it in detail, as well as the significance in Greek society at the time, starting with the centre piece, creation, and radiating outward in circles depicting levels of Greek society – civil, judicial, military, entertainment, daily and pastoral activities. Ultimately the shield depicts both earthly and heavenly cycles of life. The shield is a microcosm of civilization, depicting the values and ideals of the ancient world, and the eternal cycle of birth, death, renewal. If the shield ever existed, where could it possibly be now? Thetis held funeral games in honour of her son Achilles, offering his armor as the prize to the ‘best of the Achaeans.’ Odysseus won the armor but given his many wanderings and shipwrecks before finally reaching home and his beloved wife, Penelope, who knows what happened to the shield? Perhaps only the gods know?

Kathleen Vail offers both the interested amateur and the dedicated scholar a minutely detailed and incredibly well researched literary work, complete with meticulously referenced and labelled images and many bibliographic references. The reconstruction of the shield is, to me, more than a labor of love. There is far more to the story of Achilles, the flawed and magnificent warrior, than the war. The psychological depths, the drama, the tragic emotions, actions, and motivations of the characters, both human and divine, the merging of heavenly and earthly activities, and many grander symbolic themes make the Iliad more than just a poem. The reconstruction of the shield proves this.

Reviewed by Jessica Barbosa for Readers' Favorite

The Artist’s Journey: Bold Strokes to Spark Creativity by Nancy Hillis delves into helping artists through the common frustrations and road blocks that hinder their inner creativity. It is a map that guides the struggling, the uninspired, and the lost with unique exercises, quotes, video links to videos the author herself has done to exemplify her book’s teachings, and even a look into her journey into art. It is a book that aims to inspire, guide, and help artists through the most trying parts of their creative lives.

Nancy Hillis’ The Artist’s Journey: Bold Strokes to Spark Creativity is an unforgettable, thought-provoking read, with an inspiring and determined tone. It is peppered with the author’s anecdotes and wise advice that would do a lot of good to any artist. Hillis offers personal stories and thoughts in the book and I can see how this would help other frustrated and lost artists in the same situation. The exercises offered in the book are extensive, ranging from: questions as to the reason why you do art and what you struggle with (allowing the artist to have a good look or get an idea as to why they are struggling) to easy-to-follow art activities with creative twists.

This book is brimming with good advice and instructions punctuated with fascinating anecdotes Hillis relates to the struggles of an artist, giving the reader a unique and different view on their journey as an artist, allowing them to draw their own answers from their problems, which makes the book more engaging and infinitely more helpful in my eyes. This book is a one-of-a-kind guide and is an absolute must-read for any artists suffering from artist’s block or any sort of creative meltdown. Truly worth a read.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

No Cameras Allowed: My Career as an Outlaw Rock and Roll Photographer is a nonfiction music/entertainment book written by Julian David Stone. Stone is a photographer, filmmaker, screenplay writer and author. As a child, he had dreams of becoming a musician, but his early misadventures with a French horn inspired him to consider photography as an alternative way to be a part of the music circuit. His earliest forays were photos taken at country fairs, but he really wanted to do more. When The Ramones were scheduled to appear at the Keystone in Palo Alto, the eighteen-year-old was ready to get some live pictures with his 35mm camera. He was somewhat taken aback by the club’s security guard’s refusal to let him in. What do you mean cameras aren’t allowed? While his first instincts were to go home, he decided instead to cleverly conceal camera, lens, and film on his person. His hiding spaces evaded even the pat-down the security guard conducted and Stone was in. It would be the first of his outlaw shoots of rock concerts across the country and overseas.

Stone's pictures have intensity and power, and the black and white format works so well for his art. His photos of Sting during the August 18 concert at Shea Stadium are surprisingly detailed considering the venue, even with the lucky burst of rain, and his coverage of U2 during their 1983 concert in Dublin, and the following year in San Francisco is inspired. Stone’s candid shots make the reader feel as though they’re present at each of these amazing concerts, up close and personal, and each picture gives new insights to musicians we’ve admired from afar. He may have been an outlaw taking all these photographs under the table so to speak, but his work is monumentally good. No Cameras Allowed: My Career as an Outlaw Rock and Roll Photographer is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

The scenes and overall character of New Orleans have inspired people from around the world for generations. The buildings, particularly the houses, hold a special appeal. When devastation hit the city with the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many people around the world watched in horror and many more reached out to help in whatever way they could. Although much of the city was submerged and its buildings destroyed beyond repair, there was a good portion that remained untouched, its character and unique picturesque quality a statement of who and what the people of New Orleans are made of.

As author/photographer Alex Caemmerer points out in his amazing presentation of New Orleans architecture in his book, Houses of New Orleans, “Fortunately the virtual architectural museum of historic domestic buildings dating from the early part of the nineteenth century to its last decade survived with only limited damage from the high winds.” In these relatively unaffected areas, there was considerable loss of the old trees, but the damage to the homes from the winds was certainly repairable.

This is a marvellous coffee table book with beautiful photographs and a fascinating discussion of the history, not only of New Orleans, but most significantly the architecture of its houses. Along with the wide range of styles discussed, the photographs depict the various styles from the French Colonial Plantation house to the Creole cottages and shotgun houses with distinguishing features reflecting significant European influences like the Greek revival, Classical and Italianate. This is a book one will want to peruse at leisure, time and time again.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Relax Creatively: Fabric Painting by Margot Krekeler is an excellent guide to fabric painting which gives good access to the techniques involved in fabric painting. Fabric painting is very creative and relaxing and the book has all the information for a beginner to get started. The book helps one to access the craft of fabric painting quickly and easily, and by the time one finishes reading the book they will know if fabric painting is their thing. Fabric painting is good for relaxation and the book will encourage and motivate everyone to try out their hand at this craft.

What makes the book interesting and engaging is that the tips are simple and easy to start fabric painting immediately. The book not only gives fast and easy access to the craft of fabric painting, but also gives a good understanding of its usefulness as a creative and relaxing activity. Part two of the book answers the questions that come up while practicing fabric painting. There are a lot of images in the book that give readers ideas on how to make perfect gifts for their loved ones. It is a book for all those who want to make fabric painting their relaxation and the author handles the topic patiently and step by step, making it easy for readers to understand and try their hand at fabric painting. I like the way the author has presented the topic and it is a great book for beginners.

Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Living Mollusks is an educational book written by Charles E. Rawlings, MD, JD. Seashells are created from extracted calcium carbonate by the mollusks which live, or had at one point lived, inside the shell. Photographing a living shell (shell and mollusk in its natural habitat in the ocean) is one of the most difficult things to do, as luck needs to be on your side. Most mollusks only come out at night and everything must be precise, such as the location, night diving equipment, the right cameras, locating a living mollusk during a dive and seeing it move in its natural habitat, enabling one or more photos to be taken. The variety of living mollusks discussed and photographed in Living Mollusks includes Slit Shells, Volutes, Cowries, Cones, Murex, Harps, Moonstails, Tuns, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Nudibranchs and more. While the shells that they wear are quite beautiful, the mollusk underneath which created such beauty is not one to be toyed with, as they have many defensive mechanisms which could prove painful, toxic, and even lethal when touched. Nature’s magnificence is proven in the stunning full-color photographs provided throughout this book and I am truly left in awe of these resilient and resplendent creatures.

Charles E. Rawlings, MD, JD has proven himself a master in the field of seashells and mollusks. His knowledge and ability to identify various seashells and mollusks seems without bounds. Not only does Living Mollusks provide breath-taking photographs of never-before-seen living mollusks and living seashells within the pages, but the information of their history, habitat, and creation truly is an eye-opener for somebody like me. Whereas before, my only exposure was to an empty shell collected upon a beach, I have learned how the shells are created, the various sizes that each of the mollusks can reach, and how climate change now endangers the future of many species of these beautiful and majestic creatures. I truly enjoyed reading Living Mollusks and recommend this book to all readers who have ever found a seashell on the beach and felt curious about where it came from.