Beachglass by Wendy Blackburn, St. Martin’s Press, Fiction. Set against the backdrop of West Hollywood in the late 1980s, this gritty and uplifting story presents a fresh look at the struggle to go into recovery and stay there. More about the book at www.wendyblackburn.com   Polyglot, Stories of the West’s wet edge, by Wendy Marcus, Beth Am Press, 2009. These lovingly crafted stories chronicle lives between Vancouver, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia—the wet edge of North America. The stories, linked by the advice of a gay Gypsy columnist, reflect Marcus’ years in the Northwest’s musical, newspaper and Jewish communities, resulting in wry and poignant perspectives. Winner of the 2009 Serena McDonald Kennedy Award.   O'Sullivan's Odyssey by Rick Spier, Moon Donkey Press, LLC, 2004, Historical Fiction. This novel examines the dynamics and consequences of family dysfunction against the backdrop of the Irish Potato Famine and the American Civil War.   The Killing Frost by Scott Gamboe, Medallion Press, coming, Science Fiction. Captain Arano Lakeland, motivated by revenge, leads an elite military team to bring the renegade Bromidian empire to its knees and prevent cataclysmic galactic war. More about the book at www.scottgamboe.net.   What Does It All Mean: A Humanistic Account of Human Experience by William A. Adams, Imprint Academic, 2005, Philosophy. Adams sets out a new reasoned argument, based on his experience as a cognitive psychologist, to show why Socrates was right: the purpose of life is to recognize ourselves in each other and in all things. (Edited by Gary Anderson for New Leaf Editing.)   Nri Warriors of Peace by Chikodi Anunobi, Zenith Publishers, 2006. This novel about the Nri Kingdom of southeastern Nigeria, the cradle of Igbo culture, chronicles several generations of Nri in the eleventh century, illuminating a civilization whose immutable spirit has endured and thrived for more than a millennium.