Author: Wiesel, Elie, 1928-2016, author. Rosen, Alan (Alan Charles), editor. Published: 2021 Call Number: 296.1 Format: Books Summary: "Magnificent insights into the lives of biblical prophets and kings, Talmudic sages, and Hasidic rabbis, from one of the world's most honored and beloved teachers. From a multitude of sources, Elie Wiesel culls facts, legends, and anecdotes to give us fascinating portraits of notable figures throughout Jewish history -- from the Kingdom of Israel in the ninth century B.C.E. to nineteenth-century Eastern Europe. Here is the prophet Elisha, the beloved disciple of Elijah -- wonder-worker and advisor to kings, whose deep compassion for those in need is matched only by his fiery temper. Here is the renowned scholar Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, whose ingenuity in escaping from Jerusalem on the eve of its destruction by Titus's Roman legions in 70 C.E. laid the foundations for the rabbinic teachings and commentaries that both revolutionized the practice and study of Judaism and sustained the Jewish people for 2,000 years of ongoing exile. And here is Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Hasidism, languishing in a Czarist jail in St. Petersburg in 1798 for 53 days, the victim of a false accusation, engaging in theological discussions with his jailers that would form the basis for Chabad's legendary method of engagement with the world at large. The contributions to the Jewish experience made by these and other spiritual masters profiled in this book have been profound and eternal. In recounting their life stories, and in delving into the struggles of human beings trying to create meaningful lives touched with sparks of the divine, Wiesel challenges and inspires us all to find purpose and transcendence in our own lives." --
Author: Gilmore, Lucy (Romance fiction writer), author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F GILMORE Format: Books Summary: "Best in Show meets The Hating Game in this sweet, funny rom-com that takes the uber-competitiveness of dog show pageant moms to a whole new level. Ruby Taylor thought her days of high-stakes competition were over, until she joins the dog show circuit to get lazy golden retriever Wheezy into shape...and falls head over heels for a handsome veterinarian who won't stop getting under her skin"-- "Ruby Taylor gave up pageant life the day she turned eighteen and figured she'd never look back. But when an old friend begs her to show her beloved golden retriever at the upcoming West Coast Canine Classic, Ruby reluctantly straps on her heels and gets to work. If only she knew exactly what the adorably lazy lump of a dog was getting her into." --Back cover
Author: Murakami, Haruki, 1949- author. Gabriel, Philip, 1953- translator. Published: 2021 Call Number: 895.6 Format: Books Summary: "The international literary icon opens his eclectic closet: Here are photographs of Murakami's extensive and personal T-shirt collection, accompanied by essays that reveal a side of the writer rarely seen by the public. Considered "the world's most popular cult novelist" (The Guardian), Haruki Murakami's books have galvanized millions around the world. Many of his fans know about his 10,000 vinyl record collection, and his obsession with running, but few have heard about a more intimate, and perhaps more unique, passion: his T-shirt collecting habit. In Murakami T, the famously reclusive novelist shows us his T-shirts--including gems from the Springsteen on Broadway show in NYC, from The Beach Boys concert in Honolulu to the shirt that inspired the beloved short story, "Tony Takitani." Accompanied by short, frank essays that have been translated into English for the first time, these photographs reveal much about Murakami's multifaceted and wonderfully eccentric persona"--
Author: Liu, Cixin, author. Liu, Ken, 1976- translator. Hanlon, Elizabeth, translator. Haluza, Zac, translator. Lanphier, Adam, translator. Published: 2021 2013 Call Number: F LIU Format: Books Summary: "From New York Times bestselling author Cixin Liu, The Wandering Earth is a science fiction short story collection featuring the title tale--the basis for the blockbuster international film, now streaming on Netflix. These ten stories, including five Chinese Galaxy Award-winners, are a blazingly original ode to planet Earth, its pasts, and its futures. Liu's fiction takes the reader to the edge of the universe and the end of time, to meet stranger fates than we could have ever imagined. With a melancholic and keen understanding of human nature, Liu's stories show humanity's attempts to reason, navigate, and above all, survive in a desolate cosmos."--
Author: MacLean, Julianne, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F MACLEAN Format: Books Summary: After her biological father dies and leaves her a massive inheritance, Fiona arrives in Italy to solve the mystery of her mother's affair while navigating new and tense family relationships. "If Fiona has learned anything in life, it's how to keep a secret--even from the father who raised her. She is the only person who knows about her late mother's affair in Tuscany thirty years earlier, and she intends to keep it that way . . . until a lawyer calls with shocking news: her biological father has died and left her an incredible inheritance--along with two half siblings. Fiona travels to Italy, where the family is shocked to learn of her existence and desperate to contest her share of the will." --Back cover
Author: Meyer, Nicholas, 1945- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F MEYER Format: Books Summary: "In Nicholas Meyer's The Return of the Pharaoh, Sherlock Holmes returns in an adventure that takes him to Egypt in search of a missing nobleman, a previously undiscovered pharaoh's tomb, and a conspiracy that threatens his very life. With his international bestseller, The Seven Per Cent Solution, Nicholas Meyer brought to light a previously unpublished case of Sherlock Holmes that reinvigorated the world's interest in the first consulting detective. Now, many years later, Meyer is given exclusive access to Dr. Watson's unpublished journal, wherein he details a previously unknown case. In 1910, Dr. John Watson travels to Egypt with his wife Juliet. Her tuberculosis has returned and her doctor recommends a stay at a sanitarium in a dry climate. But while his wife undergoes treatment, Dr. Watson bumps into an old friend--Sherlock Holmes, in disguise and on a case. An English Duke with a penchant for Egyptology has disappeared, leading to inquiries from his wife and the Home Office. Holmes has discovered that the missing duke has indeed vanished from his lavish rooms in Cairo and that he was on the trail of a previous undiscovered and unopened tomb. And that he's only the latest Egyptologist to die or disappear under odd circumstances. With the help of Howard Carter, Holmes and Watson are on the trail of something much bigger, more important, and more sinister than an errant lord."--
Author: Collette, Abby, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: PB COLLETTE Format: Books Summary: When Koby Hill and Keaton Rutledge were orphaned at age two, they were separated, but their unbreakable connection lingered. Years later, they reunite and decide to make up for lost time and capitalize on their shared interests by opening up a well-stocked bookstore and cozy soul-food café in the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Timber Lake. But this new chapter of their lives could end on a cliffhanger after Koby's foster brother is found murdered. The murder, which occurred in public between light-rail stops, seems impossible for the police to solve. But as Keaton and Koby know, two heads are always better than one, especially when it comes to mysteries. With just a week to go before the grand opening of their new café, the twins will use their revitalized connection with each other to make sure this is the killer's final page.
Author: Quinn, Dave, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 791.4575 Format: Books Summary: "The definitive oral history of the hit television franchise The Real Housewives, from its unlikely start in the gated communities of Orange County to the pop culture behemoth it has become-spanning eight cities, hundreds of cast members, and millions of fans"-- The definitive oral history of the "Real Housewives" television franchise, from its unlikely start in the gated communities of Orange County to the pop culture behemoth it has become. Quinn provides a tell-all, in which the wives, producers, and network executives get real about the lives behind the glam squads and tabloid feuds. Unfiltered, unvarnished-- the truth is so much better, isn't it? -- adapted from publisher info and jacket
Author: DeLuca, Jen, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F DELUCA Format: Books Summary: "Single mother April Parker has lived in the small town of Willow Creek for twelve years. April is about to become an empty nester, and while she likes her quaint little town, she's decided it's time to move on. She asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvements to get her house ready to sell. Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the costume he wears to the local Renaissance Faire every summer--a kilt guaranteed to make tavern wenches swoon. He agrees to help April, on one condition: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures from his relatives about settling down. April reluctantly agrees, but when the dinner somehow turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell the difference between what's real and what's just for show. But the weekend ends and with it, so does their fake relationship. As summer begins, the Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again...something that doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists there's nothing real between them, and a heartbroken Mitch pulls away. April must figure out what she really wants before she loses the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life"--
Author: Manning, Kirsty, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F MANNING Format: Books Summary: "Fresnes Prison, 1940: A former maid at a luxury villa on the Riviera, Margot Bisset finds herself in a prison cell with writer and French Resistance fighter Joséphine Murant. Together, they are transferred to a work camp in Germany for four years, where the secrets they share will bind them for generations to come... Paris, around about now: Evie Black lives in Paris with her teenage son, Hugo, above her botanical bookshop, La Maison Rustique. Life would be so sweet if only Evie were not mourning the great love of her life." --
Author: Powers, Kirsten, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 303.6 Format: Books Summary: "The CNN senior political analyst and USA Today columnist offers a path to navigating the toxic division in our culture without compromising our convictions and emotional well-being, based on her experience as a journalist during the Trump era, interviews with experts, and research on what leads people to actually change their minds. For years, Kirsten Powers has been center stage for many of our nation's most searing political and cultural battles as a columnist, TV analyst, and one-time participant in the thunderdome of Twitter. On a good day, there will be civil disagreement. On a bad day, it's all-out trench warfare-nothing but a cycle of outrage and self-righteousness. More and more, Powers finds herself wondering, along with countless Americans: How are we to cope with this non-stop madness? In Saving Grace, Powers writes with wit and insight about our country's poisonous political discourse, chronicling the efforts she's made to stay grounded and preserve her sanity in a post-truth era that has driven many of us to the edge. She draws on lessons offered by faith leaders, therapists, theologians, social scientists, and activists working for change today. She dismantles the widespread misconception that grace means being nice, letting people get away with harmful behavior, or choosing neutrality in the name of peace. Grace, she argues, is anything but an act of surrender; instead, it is a kinetic and transformative force. Saving Grace offers a template for a different kind of America, one where we can engage with people who hold opposing views without sacrificing our values or our passionate beliefs in the causes we care about. It's a culture that embraces repentance and repair, a process through which those who have caused harm can take responsibility and work toward righting the wrongs in which they have participated. It's a place where we're empowered to see the possibility in other people, even people who are driving us nuts. Provocative, original, and filled with deep wisdom, Saving Grace is an essential read for anyone engaged in the struggle to live compassionately in an era of relentless demonization and division"--
Author: White, Gayle Jessup, 1957- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: B WHITE Format: Books Summary: Chronicling her remarkable journey to definitively understand her heritage and reclaim it, a black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings' family offers a compelling portrait to ensure the nation lives up to the ideals advocated by her legendary ancestor. "Gayle Jessup White had long heard the stories passed down from her father's family that they were direct descendants of Thomas Jefferson--lore she firmly believed, though others did not. For four decades the acclaimed journalist and genealogy enthusiast researched her connection to Thomas Jefferson, to confirm its truth once and for all. After she was named an International Center for Jefferson Studios Fellow, Jessup White confirmed her family lore was correct. Poring through photos and documents and pursuing DNA evidence, she discovered that not only was she a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, but she was also the great-great-great-granddaughter of Peter Hemings, Sally Hemings's brother." --Front jacket flap
Author: Ricca, Brad, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 933.442 Format: Books Summary: "True Raiders is The Lost City of Z meets The Da Vinci Code, from critically acclaimed author Brad Ricca. This book tells the untold true story of Monty Parker, a British rogue nobleman who, after being dared to do so by Ava Astor, the so-called "most beautiful woman in the world," headed a secret 1909 expedition to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant. This amazing tale not only inspired the blockbuster film Raiders of the Lost Ark but stands on its own as an incredible story of adventure and mystery, though it has been almost completely forgotten today. In 1908, Monty is approached by a strange Finnish scholar named Valter Juvelius who claims to have discovered a secret code in the Bible that reveals the location of the Ark. Monty assembles a ragtag group of blue blood adventurers, a renowned psychic, and a Franciscan father, to engage in a secret excavation just outside the city walls of Jerusalem. Using recently uncovered records from the original expedition and several newly translated sources, True Raider is the first retelling of this group's adventures--in the space between fact and faith, science and romance"--
Author: Castle, Jayne, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F CASTLE Format: Books Summary: When an energy Curtain opened in the vicinity of Earth, making interstellar travel practical for the first time, thousands of eager colonists headed out to create new homes. Welcome to Illusion Town, on the colony world of Harmony. Weddings are still the highlight of any social calendar, but Lucy Bell was kidnapped and drugged as she left the party. Escaping, she becomes in the alien underground maze of glowing green tunnels beneath Illusion Town. Guild Hunter Gabriel Jones rescues her, but whispers start that Lucy made it all up. When Gabriel comes back to town, he is the one person who believes Lucy-- and is determined to help clear her reputation.
Author: Heughan, Sam, 1980- author. McTavish, Graham, author. Reather, Charlotte, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 941.1 Format: Books Summary: If Clanlands was a gentle road trip through Scotland, this almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal, up and down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. An invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy camper van exploration over 12 glorious, whisky-fueled months. Mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna, with a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences thrown in. Much is explored, all is shared. It is a camper van cornucopia of all things Alba. From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to whisky lore, Sam & Graham guide readers through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events, sharing personal stories and tips as only these two chalk-and-cheese friends can. As entertaining as it is practical, The Clanlands Almanac is a light-hearted education in Scottish history and culture, told through the eyes of two passionate Scotsmen. The perfect escapist guide, The Clanlands Almanac is intended as a starting point for your own Scottish discoveries.
Author: Spitz, Bob, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: B LEDZEPPE Format: Books Summary: "From the author of the definitive New York Times bestselling history of the Beatles comes the authoritative account of the group Jack Black and many others call the greatest rock band of all time, arguably the most successful, and certainly one of the most notorious. Rock stars. Whatever those words mean to you, chances are, they owe a debt to Led Zeppelin. No one before or since has lived the dream quite like Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. In Led Zeppelin, Bob Spitz takes their full measure, for good and sometimes for ill, separating the myth from the reality with the connoisseurship and storytelling flair that are his trademarks. From the opening notes of their first album, the band announced itself as something different, a collision of grand artistic ambition and brute primal force, of delicate English folk music and hard-driving African-American blues. That record sold over 10 million copies, and it was the merest beginning; Led Zeppelin's albums have sold over 300 million certified copies worldwide, and the dust has never settled. Taken together, Led Zeppelin's discography has spent an almost incomprehensible ten-plus years on the album charts. The band is notoriously guarded, and previous books shine more heat than light. But Bob Spitz's authority is undeniable and irresistible. His feel for the atmosphere, the context--the music, the business, the recording studios, the touring life, the radio stations, the fans, the whole ecosystem of popular music--is unparalleled. His account of the melding of Page and Jones, the virtuosic London sophisticates, with Plant and Bonham, the wild men from the Midlands, into a band out of the ashes of the Yardbirds, in a scene dominated by the Beatles and the Stones but changing fast, is in itself a revelation. Spitz takes the music seriously, and brings the band's artistic journey to full and vivid life. The music is only part of the legend, however: Led Zeppelin is also the story of how the 60's became the 70's, of how playing in clubs became playing in stadiums and flying your own jet, of how innocence became decadence. Led Zeppelin may not have invented the groupie, and they weren't the first rock band to let loose on the road, but they took it to an entirely new level, as with everything else. Not all the legends are true, but in Bob Spitz's careful accounting, what is true is astonishing, and sometimes disturbing. Led Zeppelin gave no quarter, and neither has Bob Spitz. Led Zeppelin is the full and honest reckoning the band has long awaited, and richly deserves"--
Author: McLean, Robin, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F MCLEAN Format: Books Summary: Millennia ago, Ginny's family ranch was all grass and rock and wild horses. A thousand years hence, it'll all be peacefully underwater. In the matter-of-fact here and now, though, it's a hotbed of lust and resentment, and about to turn ugly, because Ginny's just cheated on her husband Dan with the man who lives next door. Out on these prairies, word travels fast: everyone seems to know everyone's business. They know what Ginny did, and they know Ginny isn't sorry. She might not be proud of what she's done, but she doesn't regret it either. To be honest, she enjoyed the hell out of it, and as far as Ginny is concerned, that should be the end of the story. Problem is, no one else seems able to let it go. The community can't bear to let a woman like Ginny off the hook. Not with an attitude like hers. With detours through time, space, and myth, not to mention into the minds of a pack of philosophical mules, Pity the Beast heralds the arrival of a major new voice in American letters. It is a novel that turns our assumptions about the West, masculinity, good and evil, and the very nature of storytelling onto their heads, with an eye to the cosmic as well as the comic. It urges us to write our stories anew--if we want to avoid becoming beasts ourselves.
Author: Hveberg, Klara, author. McCullough, Alison, translator. Published: 2021 Call Number: F HVEBERG Format: Books Summary: "Rakel has a rare talent for math, but she has never mastered the art of making friends. At nineteen, she moves to Oslo to attend university, and meets Jakob, a brilliant, older teacher. He is also working on a novel about Sofia Kovalevskaya, the first woman who became a professor in Mathematics. Just as Kovalevskaya was very close to her much older advisor, Rakel and Jakob are instantly drawn to each other and eventually become lovers, although he is already married. In the years to come, Rakel's academic career soars, but her health declines, and from her bedside she spends hours imagining the life of Sofia while trying to understand her own. With a gaze both naive and mercilessly sharp, she dissects what may be her life's only love story, looking for patterns and answers in numbers, music and literature. An extraordinarily beautiful, heartbreaking, and moving novel about finding meaning and connections when you need it the most." --
Author: Louvouezo, Chloe Dulce, editor. Published: 2021 Call Number: 305.48 LIFE Format: Books Summary: "In this stunningly illustrated essay collection inspired by the popular podcast Life, I Swear, prominent Black women reflect on self-love and healing, sharing stories of the trials and tribulations they've faced and what has helped them confront pain, heal wounds, and find connection"-- "Life, I swear is a powerful exploration of transformation and growth by and for modern-day Black women. Twenty-five of today's most influential Black female voices share their intimate stories of love, heartbreak, trials and tribulations, and offer authentic testimonies of living through pain and joy with raw honesty and unapologetic self-love. A mixture of poignant essays, gorgeous photographs, and compelling design, this stunningly illustrated essay collection, curated by Chloe Dulce Louvouezo and inspired by her popular podcast of the same name, will take readers on a journey of reflection and healing, while also providing sage advice and encouragement for all." --Back cover
Author: Cost, Jay, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: B MADISON Format: Books Summary: "How do you solve a problem like James Madison? The fourth president is one of the most confounding figures in early American history -- his political trajectory seems almost intentionally inconsistent. He was both for and against a strong federal government. He wrote about the dangers of political parties in the Federalist papers and then helped to found the Republican party just a few years later. And though he has frequently been celebrated as the "father of the constitution," his contributions to our founding document were subtler than many have supposed. This so-called "Madison problem" has occupied scholars for ages. Previous biographies have made sense of Madison's mixed record by breaking his life into discrete periods. But this approach falls short. Madison was, of course, a single person -- a brilliant thinker whose life's work was to forge a stronger Union around principles of limited government, individual rights, and above all, justice. As Jay Cost argues in this incisive new biography, we cannot comprehend Madison's legacy without understanding him as a working politician. We tend to focus on his accomplishments as a statesman and theorist -- but the same ideals that guided his thinking in these arenas shaped his practice of politics, where they were arguably more influential. Indeed, Madison was the original American politician. Whereas other founders split their time between politics and other vocations, Madison dedicated himself singularly to the work of politics and ultimately developed it into a distinctly American idiom. Bringing together the full range of his intellectual life, Cost shows us Madison as we've never seen him before: not as a man with uncertain opinions and inconstant views -- but as a coherent and unified thinker, a skilled strategist, and a key contributor to the ideals that have shaped our history. He was, in short, the first American politician."--
