Author: May, Nikki, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F MAY Format: Books Summary: "From the acclaimed author of Wahala, a "vibrant" (Charmaine Wilkerson) decolonial retelling of Mansfield Park, exploring identity, culture, race, and love. Quiet Funke is happy in Nigeria. She loves her art teacher mother, her professor father, and even her annoying little brother (most of the time). But when tragedy strikes, she's sent to England, a place she knows only from her mother's stories. To her dismay, she finds the much-lauded estate dilapidated, the food tasteless, the weather grey. Worse still, her mother's family are cold and distant. With one exception: her cousin Liv. Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family. She becomes fiercely protective of her little cousin, and her warmth and kindness give Funke a place to heal. The two girls grow into adulthood the closest of friends. But the choices their mothers made haunt Funke and Liv and when a second tragedy occurs their friendship is torn apart. Against the long shadow of their shared family history, each woman will struggle to chart a path forward, separated by country, misunderstanding, and ambition. Moving between Somerset and Lagos over the course of two decades, This Motherless Land is a sweeping examination of identity, culture, race, and love that asks how we find belonging and whether a family's generational wrongs can be righted."--
Author: Peñaranda, Chloe C., author. Published: 2024 2023 Call Number: F PENARAND Format: Books Summary: Astraea is a prisoner of her own mind, the past sliding from her grasp like water. But she knows she must escape the tyrannical king who holds her captive and find her clouded memories once again. This quest leads her to the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark. But even winning the Libertatum will not keep Astraea safe from vampires. She's made a bargain with Nyte, the beautiful, deadly vampire who stalks her dreams and haunts her waking hours. He promises to keep her safe, but she knows she cannot trust him, cannot trust his lies, even as she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into his seductive embrace. Caught between Nyte and her own mysteries, Astraea must decide if winning the Libertatem for her kingdom is worth her life, or if protection--and the answers to her past--really are her strongest desires.
Author: Brown, Lauren Ling, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F BROWN Format: Books Summary: "When a young woman turns up dead on her college campus, her sister doesn't believe it was an accident--and when she starts to dig for answers, her investigations take her closer to home than she ever would have imagined in this thrilling debut novel from an exciting new talent. Every year, Maya loves heading back to Princeton for her reunions--she may have graduated a decade ago, but it's always fun to see old faces and take a walk through her own history. And this year is even more special because her little sister, Naomi, is about to graduate from her alma mater. But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya's worst nightmare when she gets a call no one ever wants--Naomi is dead. The police are saying it's an overdose, but Maya knows for a fact that Naomi would never touch drugs. As Maya attempts to piece together the last semester of Naomi's life, she starts to realize there might be a lot of things Naomi never told her. Like the fact that she'd joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus--the same one Maya belonged to--despite Maya warning her away. And if Maya had to guess, she'd say Naomi was also tapped for the secret society within it. The more Maya uncovers, the more terrified she becomes that Naomi's decision to follow in her footsteps might have been exactly what got her killed. Because Maya's time at Princeton wasn't as wonderful as she always pretended it was--after all, her sister wasn't the first young woman to turn up dead. And every clue keeps leading Maya back to the past, and to the people she holds nearest and dearest"--
Author: Child, Lee, author. Child, Andrew, 1968- author. Published: 2024 Call Number: LP F CHILD Format: Large print Summary: Reacher wakes up, alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a bed in a makeshift hospital room. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there. The last thing he can recall is the car he had hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed. The people who staged the attack assume Reacher was the driver's accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk.
Author: Broadbent, Carissa, author. Published: 2024 2023 Call Number: F BROADBENT Format: Books Summary: "Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation... or her damnation. Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood--the one hope for her town's salvation. But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying relization: It's dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire... and in a place already suffering a god's wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one."--
Author: Chouinard, Michelle, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F CHOUINAR Format: Books Summary: "The granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city. The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she's the granddaughter of serial killer, William 'Overkill Bill' Sanzio. She's always believed in his innocence, though she's never taken the leap to fully dive into the case. But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri's former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri's daughter's tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill--documenting the process with a podcast and a book--and hopefully earn some money. Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat's latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police's investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects."--
Author: Stavridis, James, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F STAVRIDI Format: Books Summary: "The first in a series of historical novels about the 20th century US Navy, centered around an American naval officer and his key relationships, professional and personal, set during WWII"-- Scott Bradley James arrives in Annapolis, Maryland, as a plebe in the class of 1941 without a terribly good idea why he wants to be a naval officer, other than that his father was a sailor, and he wants to see the world, whatever that means. Scott and his roommate become fast friends, and, after surviving scrapes of their own making, the two fetch up at Pearl Harbor. War is brewing, and their class has graduated early. They have been sent to battle stations. Admiral James Stavridis is an acclaimed novelist, a decorated military leader, and a great student of military history. He draws on it all to capture the experience of being storm-tossed by the bloody first years of the Second World War. Scott Bradley James is a talented young officer, but he has a lot to learn. And war will have a lot to teach him.
Author: Andrews, Donna, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F ANDREWS Format: Books Summary: "Bells are ringing and alarms are sounding in Donna Andrews' latest cheery addition in the New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow series. Meg's sister-in-law, Delaney is pregnant. Since her due date is on or around Christmas Day, this is putting a bit of a damper on the usual holiday festivities. Meg and Michael are NOT hosting the usual house full of relatives and parties. Instead, Meg, along with her mother, her grandmother, her cousin Rose Noire, and her good friend Caroline, are militantly doing everything they can think of to keep Delaney quiet and healthy. All the relatives are farmed out to friends and neighbors; all the parties are being held somewhere else, and while Delaney is bored and mutinous, she's doing well, and they're managing to maintain a serene, peaceful environment for her . . . until a body is found in Meg and Michael's yard. Can Meg still keep Delaney calm in the middle of a murder investigation, all while trying to catch the killer? Full of her usual twists and turns, paired with relatable family holiday drama and Caerphilly's traditional Christmas merriment, Donna Andrews brings readers another joyful classic"--
Author: Robbins, Lawrence (Lawyer), author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F ROBBINS Format: Books Summary: "After a long career as one of DC's most powerful litigators, Rob Jacobson is faced with the case of a lifetime: the former President of the United States, his childhood best friend, has been accused of murdering his mistress. Rob knows he's the only one who can prove his friend's innocence, but he is soon overwhelmed as he attempts to devise a strategy to defend an authoritative man with a taste for infidelity, serious anger issues, and unconventional sexual appetites. As the high-profile case unfurls, the troubled, intertwining pasts of the two men complicate Rob's efforts and soon, doubts begin to grow in his head. Could his oldest friend truly be capable of murder or is something even darker at play?"--
Author: Armstrong, Tammy, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F ARMSTRON Format: Books Summary: "New Brunswick, 1934. When a cook in a logging camp finds an orphaned baby bear, he brings it home to his wife, who names the cub Bruno and raises him alongside her newborn daughter, Pearly Everlasting. During the Great Depression, amidst severe poverty and dangerous work conditions, Pearly's family and the woodsmen form a close-knit community that embraces the tame, young bear in their camp. But when a new camp supervisor--who increasingly endangers the lives of the loggers for profit--arrives, he is less accepting of Bruno. When the supervisor is found dead, Bruno is blamed, and soon after is kidnapped and sold to an animal trader. Pearly, now a teenager, has no choice but to find Bruno and sets off on a hazardous solo journey through the forest--her first trip to "the Outside"--to rescue him. To make her way home again, Pearly will have to tramp more than fifty miles through ice and snow, elude the malevolent spirit of Jack in the Dark and confront the modern-day cruelty of villagers fearful of her family's way of life. Over those harrowing miles, Pearly will discover what it really means to be family to a bear."--
Author: Hollinghurst, Alan, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F HOLLINGH Format: Books Summary: "This piercing novel from "one of our most gifted writers" (The Boston Globe) is a portrait of modern England through the lens of one man's acutely observed and often unnerving experience, as he struggles with race and class, art and sexuality, love and the cruel shock of violence. Did I have a grievance? Most of us, without looking far, could find something that had harmed us, and oppressed us, and unfairly held us back. I tried not to dwell on it, thought it healthier not to, though I'd lived my short life so far in a chaos of privilege and prejudice. Dave Win is thirteen years old in 1961, when he first goes to stay with the wealthy Hadlows, who sponsor his scholarship at a boarding school where their son Giles is his classmate. This weekend of board games with complicated rules, multicourse meals, and conversation about theater and modern art--so different from the quiet life he and his mother share in their small apartment--opens up heady new possibilities for Dave, even as it exposes him to Giles's envy and brutality. As Our Evenings unfolds over the next sixty years, the two boys' lives will diverge dramatically, Dave a talented actor, whose queerness and Burmese heritage move him in and out of the margins, Giles an increasingly powerful and dangerous right-wing politician. This novel is Dave Win's account of his life: as a schoolboy and student, discovering love, sex, and gay culture while his single mother navigates her own secret affair with another woman; as a lovely, young actor in 1970s London and on the road with an experimental theatre company; and as a married man, whose late-life romance infuses his older years with a new sense of happiness and security, even as Giles' conservative vision for England starts to poke perilous holes in that stability. This is "one of the best novelists at work today" (The Wall Street Journal) tracing a luminous line from our past to our present through one beautiful, painful, joyful, deeply observed life."--
Author: Brands, H. W., author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 940.5373 Format: Books Summary: "Bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands narrates the fierce debate over America's role in the world in the runup to World War II through its two most important figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who advocated intervention, and his isolationist nemesis, aviator and popular hero Charles Lindbergh. Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939 launched a momentous period of decision-making for the United States. With fascism rampant abroad, should America take responsibility for its defeat? For popular hero Charles Lindbergh, saying no to another world war only twenty years after the first was the obvious answer. Lindbergh had become famous and adored around the world after his historic first flight over the Atlantic in 1927. In the years since, he had emerged as a vocal critic of American involvement overseas, rallying Americans toward isolationism as the nominal head of the America First Committee. As Hitler advanced across Europe and threatened the British Isles, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt struggled to turn the tide of public opinion. With great effort, political shrewdness and outright deception--aided by secret British disinformation efforts in America--FDR readied the country for war. He pushed the US onto the world stage where it has stayed ever since. In this gripping narrative, H.W. Brands sheds light on a crucial tipping point in American history and depicts the making of a legendary president"--
Author: Prose, Nita, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: LP F PROSE Format: Large print Summary: Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly's most joyful yet. But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential--and personal--mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?--
Author: Griffiths, Elly, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: LP F GRIGGITH Format: Books Summary: "The Man in Black includes ghost stories, cozy mysteries, tales of psychological suspense, and poignant vignettes of love and loss. In the title story, Ruth Galloway crosses paths with a mysterious man in a bookstore, setting in motion a rescue mission that hinges on the legends of lore of Norfolk. In "Justice Jones and the Etherphone," a witty girl detective investigates the dire prediction of a fortune teller in dreary poswar London. To celebrate the holidays, Ruth gets her very first Christmas tree, and her beloved cat narrates his own seasonal story in "Flint's Fireside Tale." And readers can armchair travel with stories set on the Amalfi Coast, in Capri, and in Egypt as Ruth and DCI Nelson experience their very own version of Death on the Nile." -- Back cover.
Author: Mollick, Ethan, 1975- author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 303.4834 Format: Books Summary: "From Wharton professor and author of the popular One Useful Thing Substack newsletter Ethan Mollick comes the definitive playbook for working, learning, and living in the new age of AI. The release of generative AI--from LLMs like ChatGPT to image generators like DALL-E-marks a new era. We have invented technologies that boost our physical capabilities and others that automate complex tasks, but never, until now, have we created a technology that can boost our intelligence--with an impact on work and life that researchers project will be greater than that of steam power or the internet. Mollick urges us not to turn away from AI, and instead to invite AI tools to the table. He demonstrates how AI can amplify our own capacities, acting in roles from brainstorming partner to cowriter to tutor to coach, and assesses its surprising, positive impact on business and organizations. Marshalling original research from workers and teams who are leading the rest of us in embracing and leveraging AI, Mollick cuts through the hype to make a frank and eye-opening case for the real value of AI tools. Moreover, Mollick argues that the long-term impact of AI will be different from what we expect, advantaging English majors and art history experts more than coders, and impacting knowledge workers more than blue-collar workers. Co-Intelligence shows what it means for individuals and for society to think together with smart machines, and why it's imperative that we all master that skill. Co-Intelligence challenges us to utilize AI's power without losing our identity, learn from it without being misled, and harness its gifts to create a better human future. Thought-provoking, optimistic, and lucid, Co-Intelligence reveals the promise and power of generative AI"--
Author: Rosenfelt, David, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F ROSENFEL Format: Books Summary: "Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is relieved to be headed back to Paterson, New Jersey, after a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks. He's ready to put the holly jolly season way behind him and settle in at home with his three dogs. But when they finally arrive, there is an extra dog eagerly awaiting them, as well as one anxious dog sitter. When the dog showed up on the doorstep a few days ago, the sitter knew Andy would know what to do. Indeed, Andy recognizes Murphy, who the Carpenters fostered before the dog went home with BJ Bremer and his mother. BJ wanted to learn all he could about caring for Murphy, which made Andy like him immediately. When Andy goes to take Murphy back to the Bremers, though, instead of the happy reunion he expects, he finds BJ's mother in tears. It turns out Murphy ran off...after BJ was arrested for murder. Andy had hoped for a quiet Christmas vacation, but he likes Murphy's family and his golden retriever, Tara, likes Murphy, so he can't resist getting involved. The case isn't as simple as Andy thought it would be, though, with BJ suspected of murdering one of his professors. With nothing to go on but Andy's own conviction in BJ's dog-loving character, proving his innocence would be a Christmas miracle."--
Author: Scanlon, Kyla, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 330 SCANLON Format: Books Summary: "An illustrated guide to the mad math and terrible terminology of economics, from one of the internet's favorite financial educators. The stuff you really need to know about how the economy works? It's pretty simple. Yes, even if you were bored to tears in economics class, or if you're cross-eyed from reading painfully convoluted--or straight-up misguided--financial commentary. In this particularly disorienting era, many have turned to a young economic analyst named Kyla Scanlon for answers. Now, Scanlon is writing a definitive, approachable guide to the key concepts and mechanics of economics and the most common myths and fallacies to steer clear of. Through her trademark blend of creative analogies, clever illustrations, refreshingly lucid language--and even quotes from poetry, literature, and philosophy--she answers questions such as: What is Fed cred, Fed flexing, and Fedspeak? Is our national debt really a threat? What is a "mild" recession, exactly? What's really happening in the labor market, and how do we improve it for workers? At a time when experts overcomplicate simple things loudly, choosing to generate smoke rather than clearing the air, In This Economy? shows that understanding the markets--and the systems they operate in--is easier than you think. Whether you're worried about your mortgage rate, job security, bank account balance, or the health of the broader economy, this concise and witty guide will give you the confidence to make smarter financial decisions--no matter what the headlines say"--
Author: McKinlay, Jenn, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F MCKINLAY Format: Books Summary: "During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer in residence, but her "bah humbug" attitude excludes her from the many holiday celebrations the town residents enjoy. To try to spread some Christmas cheer, library director Lindsey Norris invites the new writer in town to join her crafternoon club. Helen politely refuses, and when an altercation happens between Helen and another patron, Lindsey begins to suspect the author has been keeping to herself for a reason. Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she's visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined to meet. Having dealt with a stalker in the past, Lindsey feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie, as she suspects that Helen is unaware her "number one" fan is in town. When Jackie's body is later discovered in the town's park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen's latest manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega fan. Helen's frosty demeanor melts when Lindsey offers her help, and now the librarian and her crafternoon pals must prove the author innocent before "The End" becomes Helen's final sentence"--
Author: Loigman, Lynda Cohen, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F LOIGMAN Format: Books Summary: "It's never too late for new beginnings. On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs-an active senior community in southern Florida-she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father's old pharmacy-and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier. As a teenager growing up in 1920's Brooklyn, Augusta's role model was her father, Solomon Stern, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augusta's mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta can't help but be drawn to Esther's curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomon's customers her own advice-unconventional remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions. As Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, she is torn between loyalty to her father and fascination with her great aunt, all while navigating a budding but complicated relationship with Irving. Desperate for clarity, she impulsively uses Esther's most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esther's enchantments forever. Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago and how did her plan go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it's too late?"--
Author: Confino, Sara Goodman, author. Published: 2022 Call Number: F CONFINO Format: Books Summary: For two women generations apart, going home will change their lives. Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped. When they hit the road, Evelyn spins the tale of the star-crossed teenage romance that captured her heart more than seventy years ago and changed the course of her life. She insists the return to her hometown isn't about that at all - no matter how much she talks about Tony, her unforgettable and forbidden first love. Upon arrival, Jenna meets Tony's attentive great-nephew Joe. The new friendship and fresh ocean air give her the confidence and distance she needs to begin putting the pain of a broken marriage behind her. As the secrets and truths of Evelyn's past unfold, Jenna discovers a new side of her grandmother, and of herself, that she never knew existed - and learns that the possibilities for healing can come at the most unexpected times in a woman's life.
