When Bill Watkins' first memoir "A Celtic Childhood" was released almost a decade ago, the world was awash in Frank McCourt-mania, so Watkins' book might have slipped under the radar, dismissed as "just another Irish memoir." But Watkins' book, about growing up in England and Ireland with a Welsh father and Irish mother, was infused with humor and poignancy. He has now written another memoir, entitled "The Once and Future Celt," which recounts time Bill spent in his early 20s with Romany Gypsies (including his efforts to woo a forbidden girl), as well as his efforts to find employment in Birmingham, England, and his father's decision to offer up some juicy family secrets. Watkins is among the best of many people these days who are exploring the nature of Celtic - as opposed to strictly Irish - identity. ($16.95 / 344 pages / Scarletta Press)