What's Hot What's New

The good, the bad and the ugly. You'll find them all here. Each week you'll get my take on the intriguing, and sometimes peculiar, titles to recently hit the newsstand.

Civil War Battles: Brother vs. Brother Cover Price: $4.99 Well what can I say? I live in the South. These magazines still have a place in southern history and tradition, and they keep going on and on and on. I guess somehow, somewhere, somebody wants to keep the Civil War alive. That being said, this is a title for only the most diehard Civil War buffs. While the design is somewhat attractive, it's also commonplace and doesn't stand out from the myriad of titles already available. It's also not an easygoing magazine. When you buy it, be prepared to read, because Civil War Battles is heavy on copy. In short, we've all seen this magazine's content, but under different titles. To revamp the clichÈ, there's no need to beat a dead war.

Imbibe Cover Price: $4.95 www.imbibemagazine.com I guess you have to have a drink before you can pronounce the name of this magazine or even know what is about. I've always said any magazine that requires a dictionary will hinder the immediate reaction of the people picking it up. However, once you are a few drinks in, Imbibe becomes a real treat. With an eclectic mix of stark, graphic design features and earthy, rustic colors, the layout of Imbibe is a beautiful hodgepodge of modern style and timeless sophistication. This title is the print equivalent of a few drinks with close friends: it's fun, warming and easy to get attached to.

Innovative Home Cover Price: $9.95 www.innovativehomemagazine.com/ih/ Talk about innovation. This new publication from the Institute for Home Innovation is beautiful from start to finish. Yet, somehow by labeling this a preview issue instead of a premier, it comes across feeling like they didn't trust their work enough. Bold design punctuates quality, informative copy and content. There's no trouble in flipping the pages of this new launch, and it has the potential of becoming a very collectable preview edition.