Author: Macomber, Debbie, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: LP F MACOMBER Format: Large print Summary: After her husband became involved with another woman, Julia did everything she could to save their marriage. Their two daughters continue to stand by Julia in the wake of their father's behavior-- and they've had a tough time getting along with the other woman who became their stepmother. Julia moved into a condominium complex that offers the warmth and charm of a fresh start; she sold her successful interior design business but remained a consultant, and has embraced a new life that doesn't need a man in it. Then she meets fellow condo resident Heath Johnson. He's a welcome change from the disastrous dates her sister has set up for her over the years. As she and Heath begin to grow close, they soon realize that combining families, even with adult children, presents inevitable challenges. -- adapted from back cover and perusal of book
Author: Miller, Derek B., 1970- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F MILLER Format: Books Summary: "A coming-of-age story set during the rising tide of World War II, How to Find Your Way in the Dark follows Sheldon Horowitz from his humble start in a cabin in rural Massachusetts, through the trauma of his father's murder and the murky experience of assimilation in Hartford, Connecticut, to the birth of stand-up comedy in the Catskills-all while he and his friends are beset by anti-Semitic neighbors, employers, and criminals"-- He was twelve years old, recovering from the loss of his mother, when a suspicious traffic accident takes the life of Sheldon Horowitz's father. It's 1938, and Sheldon, who was a passenger in the truck as it was run off an isolated road in rural Massachusetts, emerges from the crash an orphan hell-bent on revenge. He takes that fire with him as he moves to Hartford to live with his Uncle Nate. With his eye always on vengeance for his father's murder, Sheldon must stake out his place in a world he now understands is comprised largely of crimes: right and wrong, big and small. -- adapted from front jacket flap
Author: Davidson, Ash, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F DAVIDSON Format: Books Summary: A mother and midwife inadvertently threatens the fortunes and livelihoods of her family and their neighbors after noticing an increase in local miscarriages and believes it's caused by the pesticides used by the Sanderson Timber Company, her husband's employer. An epic, immersive debut, Damnation Spring is the deeply human story of a Pacific Northwest logging town wrenched in two by a mystery that threatens to derail its way of life. --Amazon. For generations, Rich Gundersen's family has chopped a livelihood out of the redwood forest along California's rugged coast. Now Rich and his wife, Colleen, are raising their own young son near Damnation Grove, a swath of ancient redwoods on which Rich's employer, Sanderson Timber Co., plans to make a killing. In 1977, with most of the forest cleared or protected, a grove like Damnation--and beyond it 24-7 Ridge--is a logger's dream. It's dangerous work. Rich has already lived decades longer than his father, killed on the job. Rich wants better for his son, Chub, so when the opportunity arises to buy 24-7 Ridge--costing them all the savings they've squirreled away for their growing family--he grabs it, unbeknownst to Colleen. Because the reality is their family isn't growing; Colleen has lost several pregnancies. And she isn't alone. As a midwife, Colleen has seen it with her own eyes. For decades, the herbicides the logging company uses were considered harmless. But Colleen is no longer so sure. What if these miscarriages aren't isolated strokes of bad luck? As mudslides take out clear-cut hillsides and salmon vanish from creeks, her search for answers threatens to unravel not just Rich's plans for the 24-7, but their marriage too, dividing a town that lives and dies on timber along the way. Told from the perspectives of Rich, Colleen, and Chub, in prose as clear as a spring-fed creek, this intimate, compassionate portrait of a community clinging to a vanishing way of life amid the perils of environmental degradation makes Damnation Spring an essential novel for our time.
Author: Brown, Sandra, 1948- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F BROWN Format: Books Summary: "Thatcher Hutton, a war-weary soldier on the way back to his cowboy life, jumps from a moving freight train to avoid trouble . . . and lands in more than he bargained for. On the day he arrives in Foley, Texas, a local woman goes missing. Thatcher, the only stranger in town, is suspected of her abduction, and worse. Standing between him and exoneration are a corrupt mayor, a crooked sheriff, a notorious cathouse madam, a sly bootlegger, feuding moonshiners . . . and a young widow whose soft features conceal an iron will." --Front jacket flap
Author: Stevens, Chevy, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F STEVENS Format: Books Summary: "For decades, people have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Hitchhikers have vanished along it over the years, and women have been known to have their cars break down... and never be seen again. When Hailey McBride decides to run away from an unbearable living situation, she thinks that her outdoor skills will help her disappear into the Cold Creek wilderness, and she counts on people thinking that she was the victim of the killer. One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek to attend a memorial for the victims of the highway, but it might as well be one week for the amount of pain that Beth is still dealing with after her sister, Amber, was murdered the previous summer. Beth has quit university, is lying to her parents, and popping pills like Tic Tacs. Maybe this will finally bring her peace. When she gets a job at a local diner where Amber once worked, she connects with people who knew her sister. Beth wants to find who killed her sister and put her own life back together, but as she gets closer to the truth, she learns that there is more than one person lying in Cold Creek"--
Author: Slaughter, Karin, 1971- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: LP F SLAUGHTE Format: Large print Summary: "AN ORDINARY LIFE ... Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defense attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilized-her life is just as unremarkable as she'd always hoped it would be. HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST ... But Leigh's ordinary life masks a childhood which was far from average ... a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence. BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP ... Then a case lands on her desk-defending a wealthy man accused of rape. It's the highest profile case she's ever been given-a case which could transform her career, if she wins. But when she meets the accused, she realizes that it's no coincidence that he's chosen her as his attorney. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he knows what happened twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades running. AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT. If she can't get him acquitted, she'll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Callie, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice .."--
Author: Murphy, Julie, 1985- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F MURPHY Format: Books Summary: Cindy loves shoes. As a fashion-obsessed plus-size woman, she can never find designer clothes that work on her body, but a special pair of shoes always fits just right. With a shiny new design degree but no job in sight, Cindy moves back in with her stepmother, Erica Tremaine, the executive producer of the world's biggest dating reality show. When a contestant on Before Midnight bows out at the last minute, Cindy is thrust into the spotlight. Showcasing her killer shoe collection on network TV seems like a great way to jump-start her career. But being the first and only plus-size contestant on Before Midnight turns her into a viral sensation--and a body-positivity icon--overnight. To make it to the end, despite the fans, the haters, and a house full of fellow contestants she's not sure she can trust, Cindy will have to take a leap of faith and hope her heels-- and her heart--don't break in the process. --adapted from front jacket flap.
Author: Steel, Danielle, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: LP F STEEL Format: Large print Summary: After Mary Margaret Kelly's father, an Air Force pilot, died when she was nine, Maggie's family moved from one city to the next. Her mother warned her to avoid risk at all cost. Forgoing the magic of first love with a high school boyfriend who was too wild to feel safe, Maggie sought out a predictable partner, a stable home, and a regular paycheck. When tragedy strikes her conventional suburban family, Maggie decides to face her fears. Her travels reconnect her with the thrill-seeking man she spent thirty years trying to forget. Is it ever possible to outrun fears and painful memories? -- adapted from back cover
Author: Lange, Tracey, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F LANGE Format: Books Summary: "In the vein of Mary Beth Keane's Ask Again, Yes, Tracey Lange's We Are the Brennans explores the staying power of shame-and the redemptive power of love-in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets..."-- Five years after Sunday Brennan deserted her family without explanation, she is injured in a drunk driving accident. Sunday returns home to meet her resentful brothers and ex-fiancé. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family's pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect the Brennan's is to upend all their secrets. In the aftermath, the Brennans are forced to confront painful mistakes and find a way forward together. --adapted from front jacket flap
Author: Bailey, Anna, 1995- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F BAILEY Format: Books Summary: "The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets. When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn't believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail's family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences. Among those secrets: Abi's older brother Noah's passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude's feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi's father's mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother's silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God's love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders. But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark-the truth of what really happened that night-to change their community forever"--
Author: Birken, Emily Guy, author. Published: 2021 2014 Call Number: 332.024 BIRKEN Format: Books Summary: "Most people don't realize they haven't saved enough for their retirement until their sixties and by then, it's often too late to save enough for a comfortable retirement. The 5 Years Before You Retire has helped thousands of people prepare for retirement-even if they waited until the last minute. In this new and updated edition, you'll find out everything you need to do in the next five years to maximize your current savings and create a realistic plan for your future. Including recent changes in financial planning, taxes, Social Security, healthcare, insurance, and more, this book is the all-inclusive guide to each financial, medial, and familial decision. From taking advantage of the employer match your company offers for your 401k to enrolling in Medicare to discussing housing options with your family, you are completely covered on every aspect of retirement planning. These straightforward strategies explain in detail how you can make the most of your last few years in the workforce and prepare for the future you've always wanted. Whether you just started devising a plan or have been saving since your first job, The 5 Years Before You Retire, Updated Edition, will tell you exactly what you need to know to ensure you live comfortably in the years to come"--
Author: Higgins, Tim (Journalist), author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 338.7629 Format: Books Summary: "Inside the outrageous, come-from-behind story of Elon Musk and Tesla's bid to build the perfect car Elon Musk is among the most controversial titans of Silicon Valley. To some he's a genius and a visionary; to others he's a mercurial con artist. Billions of dollars have been gained and lost on his tweets; his personal exploits are the stuff of tabloids. But for all his outrageous talk of mind-uploading and space travel, his most audacious vision is the one closest to the ground: the electric car. When Tesla was founded in the mid 2000s, electric cars were novelties, trotted out and thrown on the scrapheap by carmakers for more than a century. But where most onlookers saw only failure, a small band of Silicon Valley engineers and entrepreneurs saw potential. The gas-guzzling car was in need of disruption; the world was ready for Car 2.0. So they pitted themselves against the biggest, fiercest business rivals in the world, setting out to make a car that was faster, sexier, smoother, cleaner than the competition. But as the saying goes, to make a small fortune in cars, start with a big fortune. Tesla would undergo a truly hellish fifteen years, beset by rivals, pressured by creditors, hobbled by whistleblowers, buoyed by its loyal supporters. Musk himself would often prove Tesla's worst enemy--his antics more than once took the company he had funded largely with his own money to the brink of collapse. Was he an underdog, an antihero, a conman, or some combination of the three? Wall Street Journal tech and auto reporter Tim Higgins had a front-row seat for the drama: the pileups, wrestling for control, meltdowns, and the unlikeliest outcome of all: success. A story of power, recklessness, struggle, and triumph, Power Play is an exhilarating look at how a team of eccentrics and innovators beat the odds--and changed the future"--
Author: Scott, Laura, 1961- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F SCOTT Format: Books Summary: After losing her fiancé, her clinic, and all her savings, veterinarian Ally Winter moves back to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin and becomes accidentally involved when a sleazy lawyer is murdered in his home office with his Boxer the only witness. "Ally Winter is going through a ruff patch. The thirty-something veterinarian lost her fiancé, her clinic, and her savings in rapid succession. So when Ally's grandfather undergoes hip replacement surgery, she moves back to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin, to care for him. She arrives home, tail between her legs, only to find sleazy lawyer Marty Shawlin murdered in his home office. And the only witness was Marty's faithful boxer, Roxy. Quick as a greyhound, Noah Jorgensen is on the case. The good news is, he's the best detective around. The bad news, at least the way Ally sees it, is that Noah is still just as fetching as he was back in high school. He also just happens to have witnessed every embarrassing incident that befell accident-prone Ally -- including the fire-ant attack that set tongues wagging and won her the unshakable nickname Hot Pants. Meanwhile, true-crime aficionado Gramps fancies himself a sleuth, and he is doggedly determined to sniff out the culprit himself... with Ally's reluctant help, of course. Ally has no choice but to team up with Noah -- and the irrepressible Roxy -- to solve the case while keeping Gramps on a short leash. Ally had better learn some new tricks, lickety-split. Because if she can't bring the killer to heel, she won't just be playing dead." --
Author: Shapiro, Melissa, author. Rivas, Mim Eichler, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 636.7009 Format: Books Summary: In the tradition of the 'Marley and Me' and 'Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love', 'Piglet' is a charming, inspirational memoir about empathy, resilience, kindness, and an adorable deaf blind pink dog. Connecticut veterinarian Melissa Shapiro receives a phone call about fostering a tiny deaf blind puppy rescued from a hoarding situation, and she says yes. Little did she know how much that decision would transform her, her family, and legions of admirers destined to embrace the saga of that indomitable pink pup. -- adapted from front jacket flap
Author: Kean, Sam, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 174.95 Format: Books Summary: Science is a force for good in the world--at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn't everything, it's the only thing--no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process. The Icepick Surgeon masterfully guides the reader across two thousand years of history, beginning with Cleopatra's dark deeds in ancient Egypt. The book reveals the origins of much of modern science in the transatlantic slave trade of the 1700s, as well as Thomas Edison's mercenary support of the electric chair and the warped logic of the spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project. But the sins of science aren't all safely buried in the past. Many of them, Kean reminds us, still affect us today. We can draw direct lines from the medical abuses of Tuskegee and Nazi Germany to current vaccine hesitancy, and connect icepick lobotomies from the 1950s to the contemporary failings of mental-health care. Kean even takes us into the future, when advanced computers and genetic engineering could unleash whole new ways to do one another wrong. Unflinching, and exhilarating to the last page, The Icepick Surgeon fuses the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of a true-crime tale. With his trademark wit and precision, Kean shows that, while science has done more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and when we sacrifice morals for progress, we often end up with neither.
Author: Parks, Brad, 1974- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F PARKS Format: Books Summary: Nate Lovejoy is a self-proclaimed nobody, a stay-at-home dad who doesn't believe he's important to anyone but his wife and their two daughters. So it's a shock when members of a powerful secret society kidnap and spirit Nate away to a mansion at the behest of their leader, Vanslow DeGange, who claims to know the future. He's foreseen that a billion people could die--unless Nate acts. It seems improbable, especially given what DeGange says will set this mass casualty incident in motion: a lawsuit against the biggest power company in Virginia, being brought by Nate's wife, Jenny. Nate quickly smells a scam being perpetrated by the power company. But at every turn, it becomes apparent there's more to DeGange's gift than Nate wants to acknowledge. A billion people really could die, and Nate might be the only one who can save them. All he has to do is the unthinkable.--
Author: Deutermann, P. T. (Peter T.), 1941- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: F DEUTERMA Format: Books Summary: "Based on a true story--P.T. Deutermann's Trial by Fire is a dramatic WWII novel of attack, survival, and triumph on board an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. March 19, 1945: The war in the Pacific approaches its apocalyptic climax. The largest wartime armada ever assembled, Task Force 58, is closing in on Okinawa; once taken, it will finally put American B-29 bombers in range of the home islands of Japan--and victory. At the heart of the fleet are 14 Essex-class aircraft carriers, including the USS Franklin, known as "Big Ben"--a 27,000-ton behemoth, home to 3,500 crewmen and 100 aircraft. Just after dawn, while crewmen prepare for battle, a single Japanese Yokosuka D4Y breaks through the clouds and drops two 500-pound bombs on Big Ben. The first rips through the flight deck's 3-inch armor to the hangar deck, exploding amidst two dozen planes carrying 36,000 gallons of gas and 30 tons of explosives. Rockets and bombs howl in all directions. Hundreds of men are forced to leap into the sea to escape, leaving the captain with only one third of his crew; there are more dead, wounded, and trapped men left onboard than able-bodied sailors. Trial By Fire is the gripping novelization of how, against all odds, the sailors of the Franklin were able to save their ship, after 3 agonizing days of battling the flames that ultimately claimed the lives of 832 men and injured 300 more. Readers will be astounded and humbled by the heroic actions of a few brave sailors in the face of catastrophe"--
Author: Petrocelli, John V., author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 153.4 Format: Books Summary: "Expanding upon his viral TEDx Talk, psychology professor and social scientist John V. Petrocelli reveals the critical thinking habits you can develop to recognize and combat pervasive false information that harms society in The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. Bullshit is the foundation of contaminated thinking and bad decisions leading to health consequences, financial losses, legal consequences, broken relationships, and wasted time and resources. No matter how smart we believe ourselves to be, we're all susceptible to bullshit-and we all engage in it. While we may brush it off as harmless marketing sales speak or as humorous, embellished claims, it's actually much more dangerous and insidious. It's how Bernie Madoff successfully swindled billions of dollars from even the most experienced financial experts with his Ponzi scheme. It's how the protocols of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward resulted in the deaths of 36 million people from starvation. Presented as truths by authority figures and credentialed experts, bullshit appears legitimate, and we accept their words as gospel. If we don't question the information we receive from bullshit artists to prove their thoughts and theories, we allow these falsehoods to take root in our memories and beliefs. This faulty data affects our decision making capabilities, sometimes resulting in regrettable life choices. But with a little dose of skepticism and a commitment to truth seeking, you can build your critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills to evaluate information, separate fact from fiction, and see through bullshitter spin. In The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit, experimental social psychologist John V. Petrocelli provides invaluable strategies not only to recognize and protect yourself from everyday bullshit, but to accept your own lack of knowledge about subjects and avoid in engaging in bullshit just for societal conformity. With real world examples from people versed in bullshit who work in the used car, real estate, wine, and diamond industries, Petrocelli exposes the red-flag warning signs found in the anecdotal stories, emotional language, and buzzwords used by bullshitters that persuade our decisions. By using his critical thinking defensive tactics against those motivated by profit, we will also learn how to stop the toxic misinformation spread from the social media influencers, fake news, and op-eds that permeate our culture and call out bullshit whenever we see it"--
Author: Faber, Joanna, author. King, Julie (Parent educator), author. Wimberly, Emily, illustrator. Published: 2021 Call Number: 649.1 Format: Books Summary: "An all-new guide from the mega-bestselling How To Talk series applies trusted and effective communication strategies to the toughest challenges of raising children. For forty years, readers have turned to Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, the book The Boston Globe called, "the parenting Bible," for a respectful and practical approach to communication with children. Expanding upon this work, Adele's daughter, Joanna Faber, along with Julie King, coauthored the bestselling book, How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen. Now, Faber and King have tailored How To Talk's tried and trusted communication strategies to some of the most challenging childhood moments. From tantrums to technology to talking to kids about tough topics, How To Talk When Kids Won't Listen offers concrete strategies for these and many more difficult situations. Part One introduces readers to the How To Talk "toolbox," with whimsical cartoons demonstrating the basic communication skills that will transform readers' relationships with children in their lives. In Part Two, Joanna and Julie answer specific questions and share relatable stories, offering practical tools for addressing issues such as homework hassles, sibling battles, digital dilemmas, problems with punishment, and more. Readers can turn directly to any topic of interest and find the help they need, with handy "reminder pages." Through the combination of lively stories from real parents and teachers, humorous illustrations, and entertaining exercises, How To Talk When Kids Won't Listen offers real solutions to struggles familiar to every parent, grandparent, teacher, and anyone else who lives or works with children"--
Author: Allaire, Christian, 1992- author. Leatherdale, Mary Beth, editor. Published: 2021 Call Number: 391 Format: Books Summary: "Style is not just the clothes on our backs--it is self-expression, representation, and transformation. As a fashion-obsessed Ojibwe teen, Christian Allaire rarely saw anyone that looked like him in the magazines or movies he looked to for inspiration. Now the Fashion and Style Writer for Vogue, he is working to change that--because clothes are never just clothes. Men's heels are a statement of pride in the face of LGTBQ+ discrimination, while ribbon shirts honor Indigenous ancestors and keep culture alive. Allaire takes the reader through boldly designed chapters to discuss additional topics like cosplay, make up, hijabs, and hair, probing the connections between fashion and history, culture, politics, and social justice."--
