Author: Hanks, Tom, author. Sikoryak, R., illustrator. Published: 2023 Call Number: F HANKS Format: Books Summary: "From the Academy Award-winning actor and best-selling author: his debut novel. The story of the making of a colossal, star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film...and the humble comic book that inspired it. PART ONE of this story takes place in 1947. A troubled soldier, returning from the war, meets his talented five-year-old nephew, leaves an indelible impression, and then disappears for 23 years. Cut to 1970: The nephew, now drawing underground comic books in Oakland, California, reconnects with his uncle and, remembering the comic book he saw when he was five, draws a new version with his uncle as a World War II fighting hero. Cut to the present day: A commercially successful director discovers the 1970 comic book and decides to turn it into a contemporary superhero movie. Cue the cast: We meet the film's extremely difficult male star, his wonderful leading lady, the eccentric writer/director, the producer, the go-fer production assistant, and everyone else on both sides of the camera. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, this is a novel not only about the making of a movie, but also about the changes in America and American culture since World War II. Bonus material: Interspersed throughout are the three comic books that are featured in the story--all created by Hanks himself--including the comic book that becomes the official tie-in to this novel's "major motion picture masterpiece.""--
Author: Baker, Jo, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F BAKER Format: Books Summary: "From the best-selling author of Longbourn, a gripping novel of one young woman's unraveling during the Blitz-a story of WWII intrigue, love, and danger. It is 1940 and bombs are falling on London. Watching from her attic window, Charlotte sees enemy planes flying in over the city and her neighbors' homes turning to rubble. Still grieving for her beloved brother who never returned from France, Charlotte has moved away from her overbearing father and built a new life for herself. She works as a typist for the Ministry of Information, rents a room in a ramshackle house, and shares gin and confidences with her best friend, Elena. Every day brings new scenes of devastation, and after each heartbreaking loss Charlotte comes to fear that something--or someone--else is responsible. Who is the shadow man that seems to be following her? Is her mind playing tricks? Her nerves increasingly frayed, she soon finds her very freedom under threat...Utterly riveting and hypnotic, The Midnight News is a love story, a war story, and an unforgettable journey into the fragile mind and fierce heart of an extraordinary young woman"--
Author: Damour, Lisa, 1970- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 155.5124 Format: Books Summary: "In teenagers, powerful emotions are the rule, not the exception. Unfortunately, many of today's parents now regard their teens' negative feelings as disruptive, dangerous, or diagnosable, thanks to the rise of the wellness industry and the widespread use of psychotropic drugs. To make matters worse, the global pandemic, academic pressure, social media stress, and a bleak environmental future have left today's teenagers feeling overwhelmed. Parents who read this book will learn: what to expect in the normal course of adolescent emotional development and when it's time to worry ; why teens (and adults) need to understand that mental health isn't about "feeling good" but about having feelings that fit the moment, even if those feelings are unwanted or painful ; strategies for supporting teens who feel at the mercy of their emotions, so they can become psychologically aware and skilled at managing their feelings ; how to approach common challenges that come with adolescence, such as friction at home, spiking anxiety, risky behavior, navigating friendships and romances, the pull of social media, and many more. With concrete, relatable explanations embedded in vibrant, real-life anecdotes, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers gives parents the science-based information they need to guide their teens through a challenging developmental phase during challenging times"--
Author: Stokes-Chapman, Susan, 1985- author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: F STOKESCH Format: Books Summary: "Dora Blake is a talented jewelry designer who lives under the thumb of her suspicious and odious uncle, who is running her late parents' beloved shop of antiquities into the ground. When he begins acting erratically after a mysterious Greek vase is delivered and locked in the basement, Dora enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar, who (unbeknownst to her) sees the vase as an opportunity to unlock his academic future. Dora hopes to restore the shop to its former glory, find a future for her own elegant, artistic designs, and escape the iniquitous plans her uncle has in store for her. But what Edward claims to discover about the vase unravels everything Dora knows about her life, her family, and the antiquities in the basement. As she begins to uncover the truth, she realizes that some mysteries are buried for a reason--and others are closer to the surface than they appear. Atmospheric and page-turning, Pandora is a story of secrets and deception, love and fulfilment, fate and hope"--
Author: Hood, Joshua, author. Ludlum, Robert, 1927-2001, creator. Published: 2023 Call Number: LP F HOOD Format: Large print Summary: "Adam Hayes promised his wife that he won't put his life on the line any more, and there's nothing that will make him break it. Well, almost nothing. With America withdrawing from Afghanistan and the Taliban closing in, Abdul Nassir reached out to his old friend. The Afghan is the only eyewitness to a massacre committed by a rouge team of CIA contractors. Not only can he identify the butcher who directed the bloodbath, he has photographic proof. He'll only be safe when those pictures are made public. Now, there's just one man he can trust to get him to safety, Adam Hayes"--
Author: Weaver, Ashley, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F WEAVER Format: Books Summary: "The third in the Electra McDonnell series from Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver, Playing It Safe is a delightful World War II mystery filled with spies, murder, romance, and wit ..."-- As the Blitz continues to ravage London, Ellie McDonnell--formerly a safecracking thief, but currently determined to stay on the straight and narrow to help her country--is approached by British Intelligence officer Major Ramsey with a new assignment. She is to travel under an assumed identity to the port city of Sunderland and there await further instructions. In his usual infuriating way, the Major has left her task as vague and mysterious as possible.
Author: Onishi, Bradley B., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 322.109 Format: Books Summary: The insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not a blip or an aberration. It was the logical outcome of years of a White evangelical subculture's preparation for war. Religion scholar and former insider Bradley Onishi maps the origins of White Christian nationalism and traces its offshoots in Preparing for War. Combining his own experiences in the youth groups and prayer meetings of the 1990s with an immersive look at the steady blending of White grievance politics with evangelicalism, Onishi crafts an engrossing account of the years-long campaign of White Christian nationalism that led to January 6. How did the rise of what Onishi calls the New Religious Right, between 1960 and 2015, give birth to violent White Christian nationalism during the Trump presidency and beyond? What propelled some of the most conservative religious communities in the country--communities of which Onishi was once a part--to ignite a cold civil war? Through chapters on White supremacy and segregationist theologies, conspiracy theories, the Christian-school movement, purity culture, and the right-wing media ecosystem, Onishi pulls back the curtain on a subculture that birthed a movement and has taken a dangerous turn. In taut and unsparing prose, Onishi traces the migration of many White Christians to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming in what is known as the American Redoubt. Learning the troubling history of the New Religious Right and the longings and logic of White Christian nationalism is deeply alarming. It is also critical for preserving the shape of our democracy for years to come.
Author: Carlson, Melody, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: LP F CARLSON Format: Large print Summary: "When empty nester Mallory Farrell inherits her grandmother's run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon, it seems the only sensible thing to do is to sell it. But when her former secret crush, Grayson Matthews, wants to buy the property in order to complete his plans to redevelop the funky town's business district into a soulless, cookie-cutter outdoor mall, Mallory digs in her heels and decides to renovate the property herself. With a lot of hard work and a little bit of help, Mallory makes incredible progress turning the store into an eclectic home décor shop called Romancing the Home--all while trying to ignore the depressing and decrepit apartment she's living in on the second floor. When the shop catches the eye of a popular renovation TV show producer, Mallory is thrilled--until it becomes clear that her apartment is to be part of the segment as well. She's tempted to abandon her dreams and the town under a cloud of shame. But perhaps there's more to Grayson than meets the eye. Can he swallow his pride, change his plans, and help Mallory romance her own home--and possibly her life?"--
Author: King, Stephen, 1947- author. O'Nan, Stewart, 1961- author. Chizmar, Richard, 1965- author. Chizmar, Richard, 1965- Longest December. King, Stephen, 1947- Face in the crowd. Published: 2023 Call Number: F KING Format: Books Summary: In "A Face in the Crowd," widower Dean Evers sees faces from his past while watching baseball; and in "The Longest December," the Howard family struggles to see their kind and gentle neighbor James Wilkinson as the violent criminal the police are investigating. "A Face in the Crowd: Dean Evers, an elderly widower, sits in front of the television with nothing better to do than waste his leftover evenings watching baseball. It's Ray/Mariners, and David Price is breezing through the line-up. Suddenly, in a seat a few rows up beyond the batter, Evers sees the face of someone from decades past, someone who shouldn't be at the ballgame, shouldn't be on the planet... The Longest December: Bob and Katy Howard are a typical middle-aged couple living the good life in the suburbs. They're happily married, have successful careers, and a grown son starting college. Their recently widowed next-door neighbor, James Wilkinson, is practically a member of the Howard family. When police show up at the Howard's doorstep one snowy December morning with the news that they have been investigating Wilkinson for a series of violent crimes, Bob and Katy are left in shock and disbelief." --Front and back jacket flaps
Author: Rosenberg, Joel C., 1967- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F ROSENBER Format: Books Summary: "The world's most wanted terrorist is dead. Marcus Ryker recommended the drone strike himself. The intelligence was rock-solid. But what if it was wrong? Abu Nakba--the man responsible for lethal attacks in Washington, D.C., London, and Jerusalem--is finally dead. Marcus Ryker has been tasked with hunting down and destroying what's left of the terror group Kairos. But before Ryker can mobilize his team of CIA operatives with their new assignment, a disturbing report from Libya suggests all may not be as it seems. The U.S. bombing that should have taken out Nakba's headquarters now appears to have been a disastrous mistake--and Ryker himself may be responsible. With Kairos gearing up for a major retaliatory strike against the U.S., time is short, and terror cells may already be inside American borders. But Ryker won't be able to stop this threat until he clears his own name, and his closest ally inside the White House can no longer help him. The Libyan diversion threatens to leave Ryker on the sidelines just when his country needs him most"--
Author: McCormick, David, 1965- author. Cunningham, James M. (Policy advisor), author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 973.934 Format: Books Summary: "If the true test of a great country is its capacity for self-renewal, the United States of America stands apart. Throughout its history, when many heralded its decline, America overcame its circumstances and forged a better future. Following the Great Depression and World War II, the United States helped shape a world of unprecedented peace and prosperity. When the launch of Sputnik signaled the Soviet Union outpacing American ingenuity, we put a man on the moon. We overcame the malaise of the 1970s to bring the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion and became the singular global power. National renewal in the face of exigent circumstances and self-doubt is an American tradition. Are we still up to the task during these tumultuous times? No one is better qualified to answer this question than David McCormick, the conservative leader and who served as CEO of Bridgewater Associates. McCormick argues America's path forward is treacherous and uncertain and will undoubtedly test our resilience and place in the world. But through a relentless commitment to innovation, McCormick explains, America's best days are ahead of us"--
Author: Dailey, Janet, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: PB DAILEY Format: Books Summary: A woman who puts down new roots in a small Alabama town finds love unexpectedly blooming. "Kelly Jenkins heads to bucolic Blue Moon Haven, Alabama, believing a new life will heal the two abandoned children in her care. Signing on to revive the drive-in theater seems like a worthy venture, until she discovers the property is in deep disrepair... Seeing Kelly take an ax to his little girl's favorite tree is like being struck in the heart--whatever heart Seth Morgan has left after losing his daughter... Seth reluctantly steps in to help Kelly, even offering her and her kids shelter in his home, a place that hasn't seen a woman's touch--or a child's joyful laughter--in far too long..." --Back cover
Author: McGill, C. E., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F MCGILL Format: Books Summary: "Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, but she doesn't know why or how... The 1850s are a time of discovery, and London is ablaze with the latest scientific theories and debates, especially when a spectacular new exhibition of dinosaur sculptures opens at the Crystal Palace. Mary is keen to make her name in this world of science alongside her geologist husband, Henry--but despite her sharp mind and sharper tongue, without wealth and connections their options are limited. When Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle's past, she thinks she may have found the key to securing her and Henry's professional and financial future. Their quest takes them to the wilds of Scotland; to Henry's intriguing but reclusive sister, Maisie; and to a deadly chase with a rival who is out to steal their secret"--
Author: Vance, Ashlee, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 621.4356 Format: Books Summary: "With the launch of the Falcon 1 rocket in 2008, Elon Musk's SpaceX became the first private company to build a low-cost rocket that could reach orbit. And that milestone carried major implications: Silicon Valley, not NASA, was suddenly cemented as the epicenter of the new Space Age. Start-ups and the wealthy investors behind them began to realize that the universe-ungoverned and infinite-was open for business. Welcome to the wild west of aerospace engineering. When the Heavens Went on Sale tells the remarkable, unfolding story of this frenzied intergalactic land grab. Through his trademark immersive reporting, Ashlee Vance follows four pioneering companies-Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs, and Rocket Lab-as they build new space systems and attempt to launch rockets into orbit. While the public fixated on the space tourism being driven by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson, these new companies arrived with a different set of goals: to make rocket and satellite launches fast and cheap, thereby opening Earth's lower orbit for business-and setting it up as the next playing field for humankind's technological evolution, where we can connect, analyze, and monitor everything on Earth. Vance has had a front row seat and singular access to this peculiar and unprecedented moment in history. When the Heavens Went on Sale travels through private company headquarters, labs, and top-secret launch locations around the world, including California, Texas, Alaska, New Zealand, Ukraine, India, and French Guiana. Vance chronicles it all in full color: the private jets, communes, gun-toting bodyguards, hallucinogens, espionage investigations, and multi-millionaires guzzling booze to dull the pain as their fortunes disappear. With the most detailed and intimate reporting of Vance's career, When the Heavens Went on Sale reveals the spectacular chaos of the new business of space, and what happens when the idealistic, ambitious minds of Silicon Valley turn their unbridled vision toward the limitless expanse of the stars. This is the most pressing and controversial technology story of our times, a tale of fascinating characters chasing unimaginable stakes as they race to space"--
Author: Stern, Seth, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: NJC 974.9 STERN Format: Books Summary: "Most of the roughly 140,000 Holocaust survivors who came to the United States in the first decade after World War II settled in big cities such as New York. But a few thousand chose an alternative way of life on American farms. More of these accidental farmers wound up raising chickens in southern New Jersey than anywhere else. Speaking Yiddish to Chickens is the first book to chronicle this little-known chapter in American Jewish history when these mostly Eastern European refugees - including the author's grandparents - found an unlikely refuge and gateway to new lives in the US on poultry farms. They gravitated to a section of south Jersey anchored by Vineland, a small rural city where previous waves of Jewish immigrants had built a rich network of cultural and religious institutions. This book relies on interviews with dozens of these refugee farmers and their children, as well as oral histories and archival records to tell how they learned to farm while coping with unimaginable grief. They built small synagogues within walking distances of their farms and hosted Yiddish cultural events more frequently found on the Lower East Side than perhaps anywhere else in rural America at the time. Like refugees today, they embraced their new American identities and enriched the community where they settled, working hard in unfamiliar jobs for often meager returns. Within a decade, falling egg prices and the rise of industrial-scale agriculture in the South would drive almost all of these novice poultry farmers out of business, many into bankruptcy. Some hated every minute here; others would remember their time on south Jersey farms as their best years in America. They enjoyed a quieter way of life and more space for themselves and their children than in the crowded New York City apartments where so many displaced persons settled. This is their remarkable story of loss, renewal, and perseverance in the most unexpected of settings"--
Author: James, Aurora, 1984- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: B JAMES Format: Books Summary: "This extraordinary memoir of struggle and perseverance offers new ways of envisioning economic equality for everyone--from a leading activist and fashion pioneer. Aurora James's story is not a "success story." Or at least, it shouldn't be told that way. Having dropped out of high school, struggled with body image, and dabbled in street racing, her eventual arrest might have been her rock bottom. But as a visionary and optimist, that experience became one of many that reshaped her way of thinking about the world. After a brief modeling stint, James discovered the real power in creating for the runway and started her own business in a flea market, a sustainable fashion line showcasing traditional African design that would become an award-winning international brand. Then she founded one of the fastest-growing social justice nonprofits, the Fifteen Percent Pledge. But none of this came from a desire to "succeed." It came from a desire to forge a new creative path--and to lift others up alongside her..."--
Author: Olia, Maria T., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 917.4404 Format: Books Summary: Discover some of Massachusetts' unique offerings with this guide: Visit a wooden-boat shop that has been in business since 1793; admire the pressed-glass galleries at the Sandwich Glass Museum, or travel back in time at the nineteenth-century Old Sturbridge Village.
Author: Harris, Joanne, 1964- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F HARRIS Format: Books Summary: Bernie Moon's ambitions and dreams have been forgotten by everyone else--including Bernie herself. At 19 she was full of promise, but now facing 50 and going through menopause, she's a fading light. Until the murder of a woman in a local park unlocks a series of childhood memories, and with them, a talent that she has hidden all her adult life. What happens when the frustrations and power of an older woman are finally given their chance to be revealed?
