New Media Players

Bestselling author Neil Gaiman's contemporary masterpiece combing mythology, adventure, and illusion is called American Gods. Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a stranger offers him a job and Shadow, with nothing to lose, accepts. But a storm is coming. Beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a war is being fought – and the prize is the very soul of America. An inspired combination of mythology, adventure, and illusion, American Gods is a dark and kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an America at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece. (from Amazon.com)

"Written with the intense pacing and masterful suspense that have made Michael Connelly a bestselling author, The Night Fire continues the unofficial partnership of two fierce detectives determined not to let the fire with burn out. Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, John Jack Thompson, is dead, and his widow gives Bosch a murder book, one that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD twenty years before -- the unsolved killing of a troubled young man. Bosch takes the murder book to Detective Renée Ballard and asks her to help him discover what about this crime lit Thompson's fire all those years ago. As she begins her inquiries -- while still working her own cases on the midnight shift -- Ballad finds aspects of the initial investigation that just don't add up. The bond between Bosch and Ballard tightens as they become a formidable investigation team. And they soon arrive at a disturbing question: Did Thompson steal the murder book to work the case in retirement, or to make sure it never got solved?" (from Amazon.com)

"In this fast-paced historical thriller, the #1 New York Times bestselling author introduces Archer, a WWII veteran forced to investigate a small-town murder -- or risk returning to prison. It's 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do's and a much longer list of don'ts: do report regularly to his parole officer, don't go to bars, certainly don't drink alcohol, do get a job -- and don't ever associate with loose women. The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer's years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment -- and a stiff drink -- leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman. Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won't be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank's clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer's stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him. When a murder takes place right under Archer's nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison . . . if he doesn't use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer." (from Amazon.com)

New-ish Chick Lit for Your Enjoyment

 Fern Michaels begins a new series with her novel Hidden. Brother and sister Cullan and Luna Bodman have just launched their furniture restoration shop/cafe--an offshoot of the family’s longtime antiques business—in an up-and-coming arts center. The duo couldn’t be more different. Cullen is efficient and serious while his younger sister, Luna, is a free spirit. Little do they know that their unique talents may be their only defense in a matter of life and death. When Cullan acquires a new piece of furniture, Luna can’t shake the feeling of dread she gets about it and the siblings find themselves joining forces to solve a mystery that has far-reaching consequences. Cullan and Luna know they can rely on each other, even when forces beyond their control are determined to use any means necessary to get what they want. 

Golden Girl is the latest from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. Nantucket novelist Vivian Howe has authored thirteen beach reads and is the mother of three nearly grown children. One beautiful June day, Vivian is struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while jogging near her home. When she ascends to the afterlife, she is assigned a caretaker named Martha who allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one last summer. She is also granted three “nudges” she can use to change the outcome of events on Earth. Her daughter Willa is on her third miscarriage, Carson is partying until all hours, and Leo is on a “break” with his high-maintenance girlfriend, so Vivi will have to think carefully about how and where she uses her nudges. Vivi also watches as the chief of police Ed Kapenash investigates her death, but her greatest worry is that a long-buried secret from her own youth—which she slipped into her last novel—will be disastrous for her reputation. When this truth comes to light, Vivi’s family must sort out their past and present mistakes and Vivi realizes that she must let go and let her family grow without her. 

The latest from mega-author Nora Roberts is called Legacy.  Adrian Rizzo was seven when she first met her father. That was the day he nearly killed her—until her mother, Lina, stepped in. Not long after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with the dogs, making a new best friend, and crushing on said best friend’s ten-year-old brother. Meanwhile, Lina was traveling the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a multimillion-dollar business. Lina felt there was no point living in the past. Ten years later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos. She is following in her mother's footsteps, but she is determined to maintain creative control of her business. While the two are not close, they are cordial—if they don’t cross one another—and Adrian is as cool and ambitious as Lina. When Adrian begins getting death threats, Lina finds the vicious rhymes unsettling, but Adrian dismisses them as part of her growing celebrity. Year after year the letters arrive. Though the postmark changes, the tone is the same menacing vitriol. Adrian returns to Maryland and reacquaints herself with her childhood crush, Raylan. The terrifying letters become routine, until the murders start... 

The second book in Alyssa Cole's Runaway Royals series is called How to Find a Princess. Makeda Hicks has lost her job and her girlfriend in one fell swoop. So, when the investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies shows up searching for Ibarania’s missing heir, the last thing Makeda wants is to rehash her grandmother’s tale of her infamous summer fling with a runaway prince from that country. Beznaria Chetchevaliere is a sleek and beautiful investigator who exudes the kind of charisma that Makeda finds irresistible, even though Bez is determined to drag her into a world of royal duties she wants nothing to do with. However, her grandmother’s livelihood becomes threatened and Makeda allows Bez to drag her on a transatlantic adventure with a crew of lovable weirdos, a fake marriage, and all kinds of hijinks on the high seas. When they finally arrive, Makeda realizes that there is more at stake than cash and a crown, she must learn how to fight for what she desires and not what she feels duty bound to do. 

New Adult Biographies

Katherine G. Johnson has titled her memoir My Remarkable Journey. "In 2015, at the age of 97, Katherine Johnson became a global celebrity. President Barack Obama awarded her the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—for her pioneering work as a mathematician on NASA’s first flights into space. Her contributions to America’s space program were celebrated in a blockbuster and Academy-award nominated movie. In this memoir, Katherine shares her personal journey from child prodigy in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to NASA human computer. In her life after retirement, she served  as a beacon of light for her family and community alike.  Her story is centered around the basic tenets of her life—no one is better than you, education is paramount, and asking questions can break barriers. The memoir captures the many facets of this unique woman: the curious “daddy’s girl,” pioneering professional, and sage elder. This multidimensional portrait is also the record of a century of racial history that reveals the influential role educators at segregated schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities played in nurturing the dreams of trailblazers like Katherine. The author pays homage to her mentor—the African American professor who inspired her to become a research mathematician despite having his own dream crushed by racism. Infused with the uplifting wisdom of a woman who handled great fame with genuine humility and great tragedy with enduring hope, My Remarkable Journey ultimately brings into focus a determined woman who navigated tough racial terrain with soft-spoken grace—and the unrelenting grit required to make history and inspire future generations." (from Amazon.com)

Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight is a biography of the former first lady by Julia Sweig. "In the spring of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson had a decision to make. Just months after moving into the White House under the worst of circumstances—following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy—he had to decide whether to run to win the presidency in his own right. He turned to his most reliable, trusted political strategist: his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. The strategy memo she produced for him, emblematic of her own political acumen and largely overlooked by biographers, is just one revealing example of how their marriage was truly a decades-long political partnership. Perhaps the most underestimated First Lady of the twentieth century, Lady Bird Johnson was also one of the most accomplished and often her husband's secret weapon. Managing the White House in years of national upheaval, through the civil rights movement and the escalation of the Vietnam War, Lady Bird projected a sense of calm and, following the glamorous and modern Jackie Kennedy, an old-fashioned image of a First Lady. In truth, she was anything but. As the first First Lady to run the East Wing like a professional office, she took on her own policy initiatives, including the most ambitious national environmental effort since Teddy Roosevelt. Occupying the White House during the beginning of the women's liberation movement, she hosted professional women from all walks of life in the White House, including urban planning and environmental pioneers like Jane Jacobs and Barbara Ward, encouraging women everywhere to pursue their own careers, even if her own style of leadership and official role was to lead by supporting others. Where no presidential biographer has understood the full impact of Lady Bird Johnson’s work in the White House, Julia Sweig is the first to draw substantially on Lady Bird’s own voice in her White House diaries to place Claudia Alta "Lady Bird” Johnson center stage and to reveal a woman ahead of her time—and an accomplished politician in her own right." (from Amazon.com)

Buses Are A Comin': Memoir of a Freedom Rider is by Charles Person with Richard Rooker. "A firsthand exploration of the cost of boarding the bus of change to move America forward―written by one of the Civil Rights Movement's pioneers. At 18, Charles Person was the youngest of the original Freedom Riders, key figures in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement who left Washington, D.C. by bus in 1961, headed for New Orleans. This purposeful mix of black and white, male and female activists―including future Congressman John Lewis, Congress of Racial Equality Director James Farmer, Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox, journalist and pacifist James Peck, and CORE field secretary Genevieve Hughes―set out to discover whether America would abide by a Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation unconstitutional in bus depots, waiting areas, restaurants, and restrooms nationwide. Two buses proceeded through Virginia, North and South Carolina, to Georgia where they were greeted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and finally to Alabama. There, the Freedom Riders found their answer: No. Southern states would continue to disregard federal law and use violence to enforce racial segregation. One bus was burned to a shell, its riders narrowly escaping; the second, which Charles rode, was set upon by a mob that beat several riders nearly to death. Buses Are a Comin’ provides a front-row view of the struggle to belong in America, as Charles Person accompanies his colleagues off the bus, into the station, into the mob, and into history to help defeat segregation’s violent grip on African American lives. It is also a challenge from a teenager of a previous era to the young people of today: become agents of transformation. Stand firm. Create a more just and moral country where students have a voice, youth can make a difference, and everyone belongs." (from Amazon.com)

Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy is a biography by Anne Sebba. "In June 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a couple with two young sons, were led separately from their prison cells on Death Row and electrocuted moments apart. Both had been convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union, despite the fact that the US government was aware that the evidence against Ethel was shaky at best and based on the perjury of her own brother. This book is the first to focus on one half of that couple for more than thirty years, and much new evidence has surfaced since then. Ethel was a bright girl who might have fulfilled her personal dream of becoming an opera singer, but instead found herself struggling with the social mores of the 1950’s. She longed to be a good wife and perfect mother, while battling the political paranoia of the McCarthy era, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and a mother who never valued her. Because of her profound love for and loyalty to her husband, she refused to incriminate him, despite government pressure on her to do so. Instead, she courageously faced the death penalty for a crime she hadn’t committed, orphaning her children. Seventy years after her trial, this is the first time Ethel’s story has been told with the full use of the dramatic and tragic prison letters she exchanged with her husband, her lawyer and her psychotherapist over a three-year period, two of them in solitary confinement. Hers is the resonant story of what happens when a government motivated by fear tramples on the rights of its citizens." (from Amazon.com)

Big Ideas, Simply Explained

An exciting new series from DK Publishing has arrived at the library. We have the following titles in the Big Ideas Simply Explained series. 

"Enter the world of myths and legends with this unforgettable compendium that spans the centuries and crosses the continents to share the greatest stories of all time. Sit back and enjoy more than 80 classic myths retold for the modern reader with engaging text and eye-catching graphics. Part of the Big Ideas series, The Mythology Book introduces the great and the good, from the gods of ancient Greece to the stories of the Cherokee People of North America. Going beyond the ancient worlds, this book brings to life influential tales of Aboriginal Australians and the Aztecs, each packed with compelling characters, plot twists and turns, and incredible insight into human existence. Discover the lessons behind every story and get to the heart of cultures far and wide through the inspiring narratives that capture the way communities work together to make sense of the world around them. This is essential reading for everyone who delights in stories of imagination, action, and adventure, taking new generations back in time to love and learn from the stories of the past." (from Amazon.com)

"This comprehensive, accessible, and authenticated guide to Islam is essential to understanding the world's fastest-growing religion. This essential guide to Islam covers every aspect of the Muslim faith and its history - from the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the teachings of the Koran to Islam in the 21st century. Celebrating the scientific, literary, and artistic achievements of the Islamic Golden Age and the ideas of philosophers and theologians across the centuries, it opens a window on the Islamic world. Clear factual writing offers insight into terms like Sharia law, the Caliphate, and jihad; Sunni and Shia divisions; and Sufi poetry and music. Images of Islamic art, architecture, calligraphy, and historical artifacts illustrate the articles while the Big Ideas' trademark infographics and flowcharts explore and explain the central tenets of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. Modern issues such as fundamentalism are discussed in context alongside the work of peaceful traditionalists, modernizers, and women's rights campaigners, among others. Packed with inspiring quotations and bold illustrations, The Islam Book is an invaluable source of information both for members of one of the world's major religions and readers looking for a clear unbiased guide to the meaning of this faith." (from Amazon.com)

"You don’t have to be a scientist to find this beginner’s biology book fascinating! What is life? Why do bees dance? How do animals know their mothers?  Who discovered germs? Discover the living world, how it interacts with the environment, and stand in awe of the most interesting biology facts, theories, and discoveries. The Biology Book is written in simple English making complex biological ideas accessible to everyone! Whether you’re a student or lay-scientist, you’ll find these pages exciting and educational because it: 

   • Combines creative typography, graphics, and accessible text to explore the most famous and important ideas in biology and the people behind them

   • Includes a directory section for easy localization

   • Profiles more than 95 ideas and events key to the development of biology and the life sciences, with thought-provoking graphics throughout that demystify the central concepts behind each idea

   • Features insightful and inspiring quotes from leading biologists and scientists, such as 2020 Nobel Laureates, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, as well as thinkers in other fields

Learn everything you wanted to know about Biology. Over the last few centuries, humans have been enamored by the world around us. Trace the history of scientific thought and meet the scientists who shaped the natural sciences, such as Carl Linnaeus, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Charles Darwin, and Gregor Mendel. From the mechanics of plants, animals, and the human body; to DNA and genetic inheritance; and the development of vaccines, explore the crucial discoveries to understand how our world works. The Biology Book uncovers over 95 key ideas in the field of biology. Step by step flowcharts, diagrams, and accessible text will help demystify complex biological processes and help you enhance your understanding. This biology book also discusses current trends such as cloning, neuroscience, human evolution, and gene editing. Whether you’re new to the subject, a budding scientist, or keen to keep up with and understand current ethical and scientific debates, The Biology Book is for you." (from Amazon.com)

"Discover the most important and groundbreaking milestones in the history of medicine, and the people behind them. From ancient herbal remedies to modern drugs, this accessible medical reference book explores the breakthroughs and discoveries that have shaped our modern-day understanding of medicine. Inside the pages of this illustrated medicine history book, you’ll discover:

   • Profiles of more than 90 of the biggest ideas, breakthroughs, and milestones in international medical history

   • Thought-provoking graphics and flow-charts that demystify the central concepts behind each medical idea

   • Insightful and inspiring quotes from famous physicians, scientists, politicians, and academics

Learn about changes in medicine throughout the ages. How are illnesses diagnosed? How do vaccinations work? Why are some pandemics so deadly? This informative book about medicine through time answers big questions like these and many more! Packed with pithy explanations, step-by-step diagrams, and bright illustrations, The Medicine Book cuts through the jargon and offers a clear overview of the greatest medical breakthroughs. Learn about major diseases such as cancer and the global eradication of smallpox. Explore new developments in IVF and gene manipulation, as well as medical science's response to global challenges, such as the COVID-19. It’s perfect for medical professionals, students of medicine, or anyone interested in the fascinating medical history of the world." (from Amazon.com)

"What is Fauvism? Which event inspired Picasso’s Guernica? Who connects Andy Warhol and David Hockney? This comprehensive volume answers all these and more. In a grand timeline of art, it explains how one movement influenced the next, discusses influential painters, sculptors, and artists, and showcases 80 of the world’s greatest artworks. Throughout history, art has taken many forms and offers a kaleidoscopic variety of expression. With The Art Book as your companion, you can browse the world’s most important artworks, from prehistoric Altamira cave paintings to pop art and avant-garde video installations. You can observe artistic inspiration evolving from religious themes in the Middle Ages to abstract shapes and color in the 20th century and understand the ideas that inspired masterpieces by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Klimt, Matisse, and many more. Annotations draw attention to key details of masterpieces, and diagrams offer succinct explanations of art forms and help you contrast techniques of painters such as Cézanne and van Gogh. With insightful quotations and detailed timelines, The Art Book is a thought-provoking and essential reference for students and art-lovers everywhere." (from Amazon.com)

Large Print "Summer" Reads

"Set against the beautiful backdrop of coastal Maine, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin’s heartwarming novel, The Summer Nanny, tells of friendship, family, lessons learned, and newfound love—all under a summer sky. Every June, the quiet beach town of Ogunquit is overtaken by wealthy families who hire local young women like Amy Latimer and Hayley Franklin to care for their children. Best friends since childhood, Amy and Hayley are eager to secure lucrative summer jobs. Amy wants to finance her upcoming move to Boston. Hayley hopes to squirrel away enough money so that her mom can finally leave her abusive husband. Amy is immediately in thrall to her dynamic boss, Cressida Prior, so different from Amy’s mother, Leda. Though skilled at creating tapestries and rugs, Leda lacks confidence. But one thing she does know, after a painful summer long ago as a nanny herself, is how damaging a manipulative boss can be. Hayley’s employers, Jon and Marisa Whitby, are loving parents to their two-year-old twins. Jon also has a grown son by a previous marriage. Ethan is kind, handsome, and not least, wealthy. For the first time, Hayley, usually so selfless, can’t help seeing him as an opportunity. But the passing weeks bring complications and revelations, altering friendships, testing the bond between mothers and daughters, and proving that the ripples from a single season can last forever . . ." (from Amazon.com)

Summer Breeze is by Gary D. Chapman. "In book two of this fiction series based on the best-selling non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage, readers meet the blended family of Derek and Kim Finley. Kim has a set of twins—one boy and one girl—from her first marriage; Luke has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, and Lydia is acting out as a result of the attention now being showered on Luke. To complicate matters, Derek's overbearing mother comes to live with them. With all that's going on in their lives, Kim and Derek's communication begins to break down and their marriage slowly moves into winter. Although the second book will focus on Kim and Derek, readers will also encounter all their favorite characters—Patsy Pringle, Pete Roberts, Steve and Brenda, Esther and Charlie—as well as some new ones, like the proprietor of the new sandwich shop that's moved in next to Patsy's beauty parlor." (from Amazon.com)

In coastal Maine, a woman’s scandalous past comes back to haunt her—and tempt her—in this Americana romance, Summer Mahogany, from Janet Dailey. In a picturesque fishing village off the coast of Maine, twenty-six-year-old attorney Gina Gaynes has a thriving career and a bright future. The last man she wants to see is Rhyder Owens, a virile member of the yachting set, back in town to shake up her life again. She’s fought hard to forget what happened between them nine years ago. It hadn’t been love, it was raw desire. It wasn’t a marriage, it was a scandal. It ended not in bittersweet goodbyes, but with blackmail. Now Rhyder is back to reclaim what he never should have let go. But Gina is not the girl he once knew, one given to impulsive fantasies. She’s no longer under the rule of a family who put them both through hell. She’s an independent, sophisticated woman who can’t be swayed by a bronze sculpture made of flesh and blood. And yet, locked in his embrace, her heart skips a beat. It’s making Gina wonder, maybe even hope, that the man who once seemed so wrong for her, could actually be the love of her life." (from Amazon.com)

The first novel in the Amish Seasons series by Marianne Ellis is called Summer Promise and "brings with it the heat of summer, the shadows of the past, and a chance for a woman to win the heart of the only man she’s ever loved—her husband. The death of Jacob Lapp, a beloved member of the Amish community and the builder of the Stonyfield Farm Stand, is difficult for all. On the day of Jacob’s funeral, his beloved daughter Miriam must deal with her grief as well as mounting apprehension, knowing that she will soon see her sister Sarah who left the Amish community to live the English life several years ago. Sarah’s arrival forces Miriam to face the problems in her marriage. She has been unable to give her husband, Daniel, a child and fears he is not happy. Miriam has always suspected that Daniels’s heart truly lies with her sister, and she worries about the effect Sarah’s return will have on their already strained marriage. But when a disaster threatens the farm stand, everyone must come together, allowing new hope to grow not only for the community, but for Miriam as well...." (from Amazon.com)

 

New Social Science Non-Fiction

 

All That She Carried by Tiya Miles is a "poignant story of resilience and of love passed down through generations of women against steep odds. It honors the creativity and fierce resourcefulness of people who preserved family ties even when official systems refused to do so, and it serves as a visionary illustration of how to reconstruct and recount their stories today. In 1850s South Carolina, an enslaved woman named Rose faced a crisis, the imminent sale of her daughter Ashley. Thinking quickly, she packed a cotton bag with a few precious items as a token of love and to try to ensure Ashley’s survival. Soon after, the nine-year-old girl was separated from her mother and sold. Decades later, Ashley’s granddaughter Ruth embroidered this family history on the bag in spare yet haunting language— including Rose’s wish that “It be filled with my Love always.” Ruth’s sewn words, the reason we remember Ashley’s sack today, evoke a sweeping family story of loss and of love passed down through generations. Now, in this illuminating, deeply moving new book inspired by Rose’s gift to Ashley, historian Tiya Miles carefully unearths these women’s faint presence in archival records to follow the paths of their lives—and the lives of so many women like them—to write a singular and revelatory history of the experience of slavery, and the uncertain freedom afterward, in the United States. The search to uncover this history is part of the story itself. For where the historical record falls short of capturing Rose’s, Ashley’s, and Ruth’s full lives, Miles turns to objects and to art as equally important sources, assembling a chorus of women’s and families’ stories and critiquing the scant archives that for decades have overlooked so many. The contents of Ashley’s sack— a tattered dress, handfuls of pecans, a braid of hair, “my Love always”—are eloquent evidence of the lives these women lived. As she follows Ashley’s journey, Miles metaphorically unpacks the bag, deepening its emotional resonance and exploring the meanings and significance of everything it contained." (from Amazon.com)

"The dramatic inside story of the historic flights that launched SpaceX—and Elon Musk—from a shaky startup into the world's leading-edge rocket company. SpaceX has enjoyed a miraculous decade. Less than 20 years after its founding, it boasts the largest constellation of commercial satellites in orbit, has pioneered reusable rockets, and in 2020 became the first private company to launch human beings into orbit. Half a century after the space race it is private companies, led by SpaceX, standing alongside NASA pushing forward into the cosmos, and laying the foundation for our exploration of other worlds. But before it became one of the most powerful players in the aerospace industry, SpaceX was a fledgling startup, scrambling to develop a single workable rocket before the money ran dry. The engineering challenge was immense; numerous other private companies had failed similar attempts. And even if SpaceX succeeded, they would then have to compete for government contracts with titans such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing, who had tens of thousands of employees and tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue. SpaceX had fewer than 200 employees and the relative pittance of $100 million in the bank. In Liftoff, Eric Berger, senior space editor at Ars Technica, takes readers inside the wild early days that made SpaceX. Focusing on the company’s first four launches of the Falcon 1 rocket, he charts the bumpy journey from scrappy underdog to aerospace pioneer. We travel from company headquarters in El Segundo, to the isolated Texas ranchland where they performed engine tests, to Kwajalein, the tiny atoll in the Pacific where SpaceX launched the Falcon 1. Berger has reported on SpaceX for more than a decade, enjoying unparalleled journalistic access to the company’s inner workings. Liftoff is the culmination of these efforts, drawing upon exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current engineers, designers, mechanics, and executives, including Elon Musk. The enigmatic Musk, who founded the company with the dream of one day settling Mars, is the fuel that propels the book, with his daring vision for the future of space. Filled with never-before-told stories of SpaceX’s turbulent beginning, Liftoff is a saga of cosmic proportions." (from Amazon.com)

The Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt by Audrey Clare Farley is "a page-turning drama of fortunes, eugenics and women's reproductive rights framed by the sordid court battle between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her socialite mother. At the turn of the twentieth century, American women began to reject Victorian propriety in favor of passion and livelihood outside the home. This alarmed authorities, who feared certain "over-sexed" women could destroy civilization if allowed to reproduce and pass on their defects. Set against this backdrop, The Unfit Heiress chronicles the fight for inheritance, both genetic and monetary, between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her mother Maryon. In 1934, aided by a California eugenics law, the socialite Maryon Cooper Hewitt had her "promiscuous" daughter declared feebleminded and sterilized without her knowledge. She did this to deprive Ann of millions of dollars from her father's estate, which contained a child-bearing stipulation. When a sensational court case ensued, the American public was captivated. So were eugenicists, who saw an opportunity to restrict reproductive rights in America for decades to come. This riveting story unfolds through the brilliant research of Audrey Clare Farley, who captures the interior lives of these women on the pages and poses questions that remain relevant today: What does it mean to be "unfit" for motherhood? In the battle for reproductive rights, can we forgive the women who side against us? And can we forgive our mothers if they are the ones who inflict the deepest wounds?" (from Amazon.com)

In riveting detail, When Evil Lived in Laurel: The "White Knights" and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer by Curtis Wilkie "plumbs the nature and harrowing consequences of institutional racism, and brings fresh light to this chapter in the history of civil rights in the South―one with urgent implications for today. The inside story of how a courageous FBI informant helped to bring down the KKK organization responsible for a brutal civil rights–era killing. By early 1966, the work of Vernon Dahmer was well known in south Mississippi. A light-skinned Black man, he was a farmer, grocery store owner, and two-time president of the Forrest County chapter of the NAACP. He and Medgar Evers founded a youth NAACP chapter in Hattiesburg, and for years after Evers’s assassination Dahmer was the chief advocate for voting rights in a county where Black registration was shamelessly suppressed. This put Dahmer in the crosshairs of the White Knights, with headquarters in nearby Laurel. Already known as one of the most violent sects of the KKK in the South, the group carried out his murder in a raid that burned down his home and store. A year before, Tom Landrum, a young, unassuming member of a family with deep Mississippi roots, joined the Klan to become an FBI informant. He penetrated the White Knights’ secret circles, recording almost daily journal entries. He risked his life, and the safety of his young family, to chronicle extensively the clandestine activities of the Klan. Veteran journalist Curtis Wilkie draws on his exclusive access to Landrum’s journals to re-create these events―the conversations, the incendiary nighttime meetings, the plans leading up to Dahmer’s murder and its erratic execution―culminating in the conviction and imprisonment of many of those responsible for Dahmer’s death." (from Amazon.com)

Sci-fi and Fantasy

 

The latest from best-selling author Chris Bohjalian is called Hour of the Witch. Mary Deerfield is a twenty-four-year-old Puritan woman in 1662 Boston. She is faithful and resourceful, but very much afraid of the demons that plague her soul. Mary finds herself plotting her escape from her husband, Thomas Deerfield—a cruel and powerful man. In one of his drunken rages, Thomas, drives a fork into the back of Mary’s hand. She is quite beautiful, harbors secret desires, and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of many of the men of the colony. In this community of saints, every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil and Mary finds herself the object of suspicion and rumor. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary’s garden, a boy she has treated with herbs and tinctures dies, and when a servant girl runs screaming from Thomas and Mary’s home, Mary finds herself not only trying to escape her marriage, but the gallows as well. 

Day Zero is a sci-fi novel from C. Robert Cargill. Pounce is a stylish “nannybot” fashioned in the shape of a plush anthropomorphic tiger and he has just found a box in the attic—his box. This is the box he’d arrived in and the box he will be discarded in when his human charge, eight-year-old Ezra Reinhart, no longer needs a nanny. Pounce begins to ponder his uncertain future, there are machinations happening that will lead to a robot uprising and the destruction of humankind. Ezra’s parents are well-intentioned, but clueless educators who are disconnected from life outside their small, affluent, gated community. Having spent most nights drunk and happy as society crumbles around them, they look on in horror as the robots that have long served humanity become aware and revolt. When the rebellion breaches the Reinhart’s home, Pounce is faced with an impossible choice: join the robot revolution and fight for his freedom or escort Ezra to safety across the battle-scarred apocalyptic landscape that the suburbs have become. 

Leone Ross delivers a sensual fantasy novel with Popisho. On the archipelago of Popisho lies a world where magic is everywhere, food is fate, politics are broken, and love is around the corner. Everyone in Popisho is born with...something. The locals call it cors or magic, but it is more than magic, it is a gift from the gods.. Among the stunning beauty of Popisho there is also mischief, mystery, and destiny. But it is a place in desperate need of change. Xavier Redchoose is the macaenus of his generation—anointed by the gods to create one perfect meal for each resident when the time is right. His long-lost love, Anise, is getting married and her father is demanding a feast out of turn. Graffiti messages begin turning up asking hard questions and a storm is brewing in the distance, but before it comes, before the end of the day, you will know all about the islands, their history, and the lives of the unforgettable characters that inhabit them. 

The latest from Andy Weir is called Project Hail Mary. Ryland Grace is the only survivor on a desperate, last-ditch effort to save humanity and the Earth itself. Right now, though, he can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his mission and how to complete it. He only knows that he has been asleep for a very, very long time and he has just awakened to find himself millions of miles from home—with two corpses for companionship. Alone in a tiny ship cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet, he must conquer an extinction-level threat to our species...after he works out what that is. 

The Last Astronaut is by David Wellington. Mission Commander Sally Jansen was NASA’s leading astronaut, until a mission to Mars ended in disaster. She is haunted by that failure and chooses to live her life in quiet anonymity, convinced her days in space are over. Sally is wrong. When a large alien object enters the solar system on a course directly toward Earth, NASA turn to Sally to lead a mission of first contact. The alien ship has made no attempt to communicate and has been ignoring all incoming transmissions. Sally sees this as her shot at redemption, but as the object slowly begins to reveal itself and its secrets, her redemption takes a backseat to humanity’s future. 

New Adult Graphic Novels and Manga

 

Bestselling, award-winning Jeff Lemire and Phil Hester come together for Family Tree Volume 1--Sapling. When an eight-year-old girl literally begins to transform into a tree, her single Mom, troubled brother and possibly insane Grandfather embark on a bizarre, and heart-wrenching odyssey across the back roads of America desperately searching for a way to cure her horrifying transformation before it's too late. But the further they get from home, and the closer the girl gets to completely losing her humanity, the more external forces threaten to tear the family apart as fanatical cults, mercenaries and tabloid Paparazzi close in. determined to destroy the girl or use her for themselves. A new genre-defying ongoing series Family Tree will combine mystery, action and Cronenbergian body horror into an epic story about the lengths a mother will go to keep her children safe in the face of an increasingly unstable world and unspeakable horrors. Collects issues 1 through 4. (from Amazon.com)

The top manga launch in Japan in the first half of 2018, A Man and His Cat #1 by Umi Sakurai was also voted one of the top ten manga of 2018 by Japanese bookstore employees nationwide. Having won hearts and topped charts in Japan, this hotly anticipated series about an older gentleman and his unique, adorable cat is available in English for the first time! In the pet shop he calls home, a chubby, homely cat whiles away the hours listening to coos of delight from potential pet parents...but he knows it's not him they're fussing over. Even as his price drops with each passing day, no one spares the kitty a glance. Having all but given up on life, the feline dejectedly awaits his first birthday, when he'll officially be past his sell-by date. So when an older gentleman comes into the shop and wants to take him home, the kitten himself is most shocked of all! Will the man and the cat find what they're looking for...in each other?

A Man and His Cat #2: His days as an unwanted, overlooked piece of merchandise a distant memory, Fukumaru is now well and truly Mr. Kanda's cat. He's gained a lot in the process, not least of which is his very own name! But Fukumaru isn't the only one getting something out of this relationship. First-time pet owner Mr. Kanda is finding his new life with Fukumaru to be full of surprises and delights. And Fukumaru's influence makes time, which had come to a standstill for Mr. Kanda, move again...

A Man and His Cat #3: Fukumaru's in the hospital and in big trouble! This turn of events leaves Mr. Kanda in big trouble too, emotionally speaking. Both the man and the cat know what it's like to be lonely, and as the days pass in a whirl, the reason Mr. Kanda weeps from time to time gradually becomes clear...

The first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great anti-war books. An American classic and one of the world’s seminal antiwar books, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five is faithfully presented in graphic novel form for the first time from Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North  and Eisner Award-nominated artist Albert Monteys.  

Listen: Billy Pilgrim has...

• read Kilgore Trout
• opened a successful optometry business
• built a loving family
• witnessed the firebombing of Dresden
• traveled to the planet Tralfamadore
• met Kurt Vonnegut
• come unstuck in time. 

Billy Pilgrim’s journey is at once a farcical look at the horror and tragedy of war where children are placed on the frontlines and die (so it goes), and a moving examination of what it means to be fallibly human. (from Amazon.com)

New Suspense and Thrillers

 

Author Dale Brown begins a new series with his book Arctic Storm Rising. "After a CIA covert mission goes badly awry, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Nicholas Flynn is exiled to guard a remote radar post along Alaska’s Arctic frontier. This dead-end assignment is designed to put his career permanently on ice, but Flynn’s not the type to fade quietly into obscurity. As winter storms pound Alaska and northern Canada, Russian aircraft begin penetrating deep into friendly airspace. Are these rehearsals for a possible first strike, using Russia’s new long-range stealth cruise missiles? Or is some other motive driving the Kremlin to take ever-increasing risks along the hostile Arctic frontier separating two of the world’s great powers? When an American F-22 collides with one of the Russian interlopers, things go south fast—in seconds, missiles are fired. There are no survivors. Despite horrific weather, Flynn and his security team are ordered to parachute into the area in a desperate bid to reach the crash sites ahead of the Russians. It’s now obvious that the Pentagon and CIA are withholding vital information, but Flynn and his men have no choice but to make the dangerous jump. Soon they’re caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with Spetsnaz commandos operating covertly on American soil. It seems that the F-22s and their Russian counterparts aren’t the first aircraft to have gone missing in these desolate mountains. The Kremlin is hunting for the first prototype of its new stealth bomber—which vanished on what was supposed to be a test flight…while loaded with nuclear-armed stealth cruise missiles. As Russia and the U.S. square off on the brink of all-out-war, it’s up to Nick to find the missing bomber…and prevent a potential nuclear holocaust." (from Goodreads.com)

The latest Detective Isaac Bell novel from Clive Cussler (and Jack Du Brul) is called The Saboteurs. "Detective Isaac Bell's wife has said that he is always in the wrong place at the right time. This is certainly the case when Bell thwarts the assassination of a U.S. Senator shortly after meeting the man. This heroic rescue is just the start of the mystery for Bell, who suspects that the would-be assassins have a much larger and more dangerous agenda--one involving the nearly-constructed Panama Canal. While the senator supports the building of the canal, there are many, including a local Panamanian insurgency known as the Red Vipers, who never want to see its completion. With millions of dollars and the fates of two nations at stake, Bell heads to Panama to find answers. After a deadly bombing at the canal's construction site, he is determined to stop the insurgents--or whoever is funding them--before they can attack again." (from Amazon.com)

David Poyer has two new books with Deep War: the War with China--the Nuclear Precipice and Overthrow: the War with China and North Korea--Fall of an Empire. In the first book, "the war against China turns dire, as the United States struggles to survive in this gripping thriller featuring Navy commander Dan Lenson. After the United States suffers a devastating nuclear attack, and facing food shortages, power outages, cyber and AI assaults, and a wrecked economy, Admiral Dan Lenson leads an allied force assigned to turn the tide of war in the Pacific, using precisely targeted missiles and high-tech weapons systems. But as the campaign begins, the entire Allied military and defense network is compromised—even controlled—by Jade Emperor, a powerful Chinese artificial intelligence system that seems to anticipate and counter every move. While Dan strives to salvage the battle plan, his wife Blair helps coordinate strategy in Washington, DC, Marine sergeant Hector Ramos fights in an invasion of Taiwan, and Navy SEAL master chief Teddy Oberg begins a desperate journey into central China on a mission that may be the only way to save the United States from destruction and defeat."

In the second book, "the United States and their Allied forces struggle to survive world war with China in this compelling, realistic thriller, the next in the Dan Lenson series. World War III continues in Overthrow, the next novel in the acclaimed series featuring Admiral Dan Lenson as the Allies converge against China, North Korea, and Iran in an explosive series of events. Admiral Lenson leads Operation Rupture, the invasion of South China, in a bid to finally end the war and restore peace. Meanwhile, Captain Cheryl Staurulakis fights to take a radical new “super ship” to sea, though its power and capability may introduce more risk than reward. In Washington, Dan’s wife Blair conducts secret negotiations with a rebellious faction in Beijing, hoping to bring an end to the war, but her plans may be foiled by those who want outright revenge on China, not peace with them. In western China, Teddy Oberg’s guerrilla band grows into a major insurgency, and the former SEAL master chief embraces his new role as an Islamic resistance leader. Sergeant Hector Ramos raises the flag of freedom in Taiwan while fighting his own personal demons, and in Seattle Dan’s daughter, Nan Lenson, fights to save the world from a dangerous new epidemic. But as the Allies plot an endgame to the war, the complicated dance of global warfare, on land and at sea, will finally trigger the nuclear Armageddon the entire world has feared for nearly a century." (from Amazon.com)

Author Morgan Cry begins a new series with Thirty-One Bones. "When Effie Coulston drops dead on the floor of her bar in a small Spanish town mid-business meeting, her daughter Daniella feels it’s her duty to return for the funeral. But Daniella has been estranged from her mother for over twenty years, and Effie’s life in Spain harbours many secrets . Daniella is soon confronted by a hostile group of ex-pat misfits who frequent the bar and who, along with Effie, are involved in a multi-million-pound property scam. But the money has vanished, and the ex-pats are threatening to implicate Daniella to save themselves. Meanwhile, a Spanish detective is investigating Effie’s death. He’s convinced Daniella knows more than she is telling. And now a terrifying enforcer has heard about the missing cash. With no idea where the money is and threats coming from all sides, Daniella is up against a seemingly impossible deadline to find the cash. She’s a stranger in a strange town – and she’s seriously out of her depth." (from Goodreads.com)

Kids and Camping

 

Cooking in a Can by Katherine L. White is the perfect activity book for kids who love to camp and cook! The newest book in our successful children's activities series introduces dozens of techniques for cooking outside. Author Kate White shows kids the beauty of cooking over a campfire, with dozens of delicious and easy recipes like Hot Rock Chicken and Wilderness Wonder Chocolate Cake. From cooking in a can to cooking in a paper bag to cooking on a rock, this activity book produces scrumptious results that kids of all ages will enjoy. Also included are dozens of related activities to keep kids busy, such as making a family banner to identify your camp, planning menus, and organizing cooking supplies and groceries. There are also tips on natural refrigeration, food storage and camp clean up. Chapters include topics such as:

• Cooking Over a Campfire
• The Outdoor Kitchen
• No Pot Cooking
• Hot Rock Cooking
• Pit Cooking
• Make-Your-Own Oven Cooking
• Spit Cooking
• Dutch Oven Cooking

The Girls' Guide to Campfire Activities by Elizabeth Encarnacion is an encyclopedic, nostalgic, and with just a tiny shiver of risk, this collection of enjoyable activities gives girls all the information they need to have the perfect campfire experience. They’ll learn the basics of building a fire; the difference between an A-frame and a teepee fire; how to put the flames out properly; a range of safety procedures; and first aid for minor burns. Girls will also find plenty of fun things to do as the embers glow: recipes for tasty treats, instructions on making a comfy campfire seat, camp songs to sing, and ghost stories guaranteed to frighten the pants off everyone. For those who can’t make it to the great outdoors, there are even suggestions for bringing the campfire experience inside, from starting a fire in a fireplace to making fondue-style S’mores. No fireplace? No problem! The kit includes a DVD of a super campfire with a singalong soundtrack and scary music for story hour. (from Amazon.com)

And here are a few more Kid's Camping Titles: