Author: Ortberg, Daniel Mallory, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: 814 Format: Books Summary: "Daniel Mallory Ortberg is known for blending genres, forms, and sources to develop fascinating new hybrids--from lyric rants to horror recipes to pornographic scripture. In his most personal work to date, he turns his attention to the essay, offering vigorous and laugh-out-loud funny accounts of both popular and highbrow culture while mixing in meditations on gender transition, family dynamics, and the many meanings of faith. From a thoughtful analysis of the beauty of William Shatner to a sinister reimagining of HGTV's House Hunters, and featuring figures as varied as Anne of Green Gables, Columbo, Nora Ephron, Apollo, and the cast of Mean Girls, Something That May Shock and Discredit You is a hilarious and emotionally exhilarating compendium that combines personal history with cultural history to make you see yourself and those around you entirely anew. It further establishes Ortberg as one of the most innovative and engaging voices of his generation--and it may just change the way you think about Lord Byron forever."--Amazon.com.
Author: Larson, Edward J. (Edward John), author. Published: 2020 Call Number: 973.3092 Format: Books Summary: "From the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian comes a masterful, first-of-its-kind dual biography of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, illuminating their partnership's enduring importance. Theirs was a three-decade-long bond that, more than any other pairing, would forge the United States. Vastly different men, Benjamin Franklin--an abolitionist freethinker from the urban north--and George Washington--a slavehold­ing general from the agrarian south--were the indispensable authors of American independence and the two key partners in the attempt to craft a more perfect union at the Constitutional Convention, held in Franklin's Philadelphia and presided over by Washington. And yet their teamwork has been little remarked upon in the centuries since. Illuminating Franklin and Washington's relationship with striking new detail and energy, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson shows that theirs was truly an intimate working friendship that amplified the talents of each for collective advancement of the American project. During the French and Indian War, Franklin supplied the wagons for General Edward Braddock's ill-fated assault on Fort Duquesne, and Washington buried the general's body under the dirt road traveled by those retreating wagons. After long sup­porting British rule, both became key early proponents of inde­pendence. Rekindled during the Second Continental Congress in 1775, their friendship gained historical significance during the American Revolution, when Franklin led America's diplomatic mission in Europe (securing money and an alliance with France) and Washington commanded the Continental Army. Victory required both of these efforts to succeed, and success, in turn, required their mutual coordination and cooperation. In the 1780s, the two sought to strengthen the union, leading to the framing and ratification of the Constitution, the founding document that bears their stamp. Franklin and Washington--the two most revered figures in the early republic--staked their lives and fortunes on the American experiment in liberty and were committed to its preservation. Today the United States is the world's great super­power, and yet we also wrestle with the government Franklin and Washington created more than two centuries ago--the power of the executive branch, the principle of checks and balances, the electoral college--as well as the wounds of their compromise over slavery. Now, as the founding institutions appear under new stress, it is time to understand their origins through the fresh lens of Larson's Franklin & Washington, a major addition to the literature of the founding era."--Publisher's website.
Author: McLemore, Anna-Marie, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: Y MCLEMORE Format: Books Summary: "Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves. Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva's feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever's history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there's more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes." -- Publisher annotation.
Author: Rehm, Diane, interviewer. Grisham, John, writer of foreword. Published: 2020 Call Number: 179.7 REHM Format: Books Summary: "A series of interviews on the topics of end-of-life care and the right-to-die movement"--
Author: Peterson, Tracie, author. Woodhouse, Kimberley, 1973- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: LP F PETERSON Format: Large print Summary: When her grandfather's health begins to decline, Havyn is determined to keep her family together. But everyone has secrets--including John, the hired stranger who recently arrived on their farm. To help out Havyn starts singing at a local roadhouse--but dangerous eyes grow jealous as she and John grow closer. Will they realize the peril before it is too late?
Author: Todd, Charles, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: LP F TODD Format: Large print Summary: "Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge is assigned one of the most baffling investigations of his career--a cold murder case with an unidentified victim and a cold trail with few clues to follow. Chief Inspector Brian Leslie, a respected colleague of Ian Rutledge's, is sent to Avebury, a village set inside a great prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge. A young woman has been murdered next to a mysterious, hooded, figure-like stone, but no one recognizes her--or admits to it. And how did she get there? Despite a thorough investigation, it appears that her killer has simply vanished. Rutledge, returning from the conclusion of a case involving another apparently unknown woman, is asked to take a second look at Leslie's inquiry, to see if he can identify this victim. But Rutledge is convinced Chief Superintendent Jameson only hopes to tarnish his earlier success once he also fails. Where to begin? He too finds very little to go on in Avebury, slowly widening his search beyond the village--only to discover that unlikely--possibly even unreliable--clues are pointing him toward an impossible solution, one that will draw the wrath of the Yard down on him, and very likely see him dismissed if he pursues it. But what about the victim--what does he owe this tragic woman? Where must his loyalty lie?" -- ONIX annotation.
Author: Gray, Shelley Shepard, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: LP F GRAY Format: Large print Summary: The tragic and untimely death of her old friend has made Elizabeth rethink not only her priorities but her relationship with David, the man her parents have been encouraging her to see. Desperate for a change, she breaks things off with David in an effort to just focus on herself for a while. But when her family becomes upset with her decision, Elizabeth turns to her friends for support. One of her most supporting friends is Will, who has long secretly harbored feelings for her. And when Elizabeth's ex unexpectedly raises some trouble, Will decides to step up to the plate for his long-time friend. Can their friendship survive this difficult time or will it actually change for the better?
Author: Hannah, Sophie, 1971- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: LP F HANNAH Format: Large print Summary: "All Beth has to do is drive her son to his soccer game, watch him play, and then return home. Just because she knows her ex-best friend lives near the field, that doesn't mean she has to drive past her house and try to catch a glimpse of her. Why would Beth do that and risk dredging up painful memories? She hasn't seen Flora for twelve years. She doesn't want to see her today--or ever again. But she can't resist. She parks outside the open gates of Newnham House, watches from across the road as Flora arrives and calls to her children Thomas and Emily to get out of the car. Except ... There's something terribly wrong. Flora looks the same, only older. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then. They are Thomas and Emily without a doubt, but they haven't changed at all. They are no taller, no older. Why haven't they grown? How is it possible that they haven't grown up?"--Amazon.com.
Author: Gardner, Lisa, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: LP F GARDNER Format: Large print Summary: "FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren have built a task force to follow the digital bread crumbs left behind by deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. When a disturbing piece of evidence is discovered in the hills of Georgia, they bring Flora Dane and true-crime savant Keith Edgar to a small town where something seems to be deeply wrong. What at first looks like a Gothic eeriness soon hardens into something much more sinister... and they discover that for all the evil Jacob committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed. Kimberly and D. D. must summon their considerable skills and experience to crack the most disturbing case of their careers -- and Flora must face her own past directly in the hope of saving others." --
Author: Yuknavitch, Lidia, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F YUKNAVIT Format: Books Summary: Named one of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year by Vogue , Buzzfeed , Hello Giggles , and more . A fiercely empathetic group portrait of the marginalized and outcast in moments of crisis, from one of the most galvanizing voices in American fiction. I tell you, do not go near that place. Do not go near it. Graywolves guard the ground there. Girls are growing from guts, enough for a body and language all the way out of this world. An eight-year-old trauma victim is enlisted as an underground courier, rushing frozen organs through the alleys of Eastern Europe. A young janitor transforms discarded objects into a fantastical, sprawling miniature city until a shocking discovery forces him to rethink his creation. A brazen child tells off a pack of schoolyard tormentors with the spirited invention of an eleventh commandment. A wounded man drives eastward, through tears and grief, toward an unexpected transcendence. Lidia Yuknavitch's bestselling novels The Book of Joan and The Small Backs of Children , and her groundbreaking memoir The Chronology of Water , have established her as one of our most urgent contemporary voices: a writer with a rare gift for tracing the jagged boundaries between art and trauma, sex and violence, destruction and survival. In Verge , her first collection of short fiction, she turns her eye to life on the margins, in all its beauty and brutality. A book of heroic grace and empathy, Verge is a viscerally powerful and moving survey of our modern heartache life.
Author: Pinborough, Sarah, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F PINBOROU Format: Books Summary: "For fans of Liane Moriarty, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jewell, a twisty psychological thriller about a savvy second wife who will do almost anything to come out on top from the New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes"-- Being the second wife can be murder...."Once a cheat, always a cheat," they say. Marcie Maddox has worked hard to get where she is after the illicit affair that started her new life a few years ago. But her world of country clubs, yachts, and sumptuous houses in Savannah, Georgia, isn't easy to maintain, no matter how hard she tries. Nor is keeping her husband, Jason, truly interested. So, when Jason's boss brings home a hot new wife from his trip to London, the young Mrs William Radford IV isn't quite the souvenir everyone expected. Sexy, drop-dead gorgeous, and black--Keisha quickly usurps Marcie's place as the beautiful second wife. But when Marcie sees the extra spark in the room when Keisha and Jason are together and their obvious, magnetic attraction, the gloves come off. Revenge is best served cold, but in the steamy Savannah heat, blood runs so hot that this summer it might just boil over into murder.
Author: Greaney, Mark, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F GREANEY Format: Books Summary: "Is it ever the wrong time to do the right thing? That's the question the Gray Man faces in the latest explosive novel from New York Times bestselling author Mark Greaney. I am Court Gentry. In my time, I've seen plenty of bad stuff. Some things worse than others, but nothing that can match this horror show. I was on a simple mission in Bosnia. A bad guy needed to be put down; in and out, no problem. But then I stumbled across a nightmare-a room full of women and children who were being trafficked to rich scum. Since then, I've been tracking their smuggling ring around the globe, and I'm finally near the top. I've got the sociopathic ringleaders in my sights, ready for a takedown, but my CIA handlers have different plans for me. Now I've got to make a decision: duty or honor. They all think they have me boxed in, but there's one thing they're forgetting: I am the Gray Man"--
Author: Kent, Kathleen, 1953- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F KENT Format: Books Summary: "There's not much that can make Detective Betty Rhyzyk flinch. But her wounds are still fresh from an encounter with an apocalyptic cult known as The Family, and she's having trouble readjusting to life as it once was. She's back at work as a narcotics detective, but something isn't right -- at work, where someone has been assassinating confidential informants, or at home, where she struggles to connect with her loving wife, Jackie. To make matters worse, Betty's partner seems to be increasingly dependent on the prescription painkillers he was prescribed for the injuries he sustained rescuing her. Forced into therapy, a desk assignment, and domestic bliss, Betty's at the point of breaking when she decides to go rogue, investigating her own department and chasing down phantom sightings of the cult leader who took her hostage. The chase will lead her to the dark heart of a drug cartel terrorizing Dallas, and straight to the crooked cops who plan to profit from it all. There's never a dull moment in Dallas, especially now that Detective Betty's back"--
Author: Hulse, S. M., 1984- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F HULSE Format: Books Summary: "From an act of political violence that tears apart a family's faith and community, S. M. Hulse crafts a compelling novel that mines the deep rifts that come when the reach of the government clashes with individual freedom"-- For generations, the Fabers have lived near Eden Mine, scraping by to keep ahold of their family's piece of Montana. Jo and her brother, Samuel, will be the last. Despite a long battle, their property has been seized by the state through eminent domain?something Samuel deems a government theft. As Jo packs, she hears news of a bombing. Samuel went off to find work in Wyoming that morning, but soon enough, it's clear that he's not gone but missing, last seen by a security camera near the district courthouse?now a crime scene?in Elk Fork. And the nine-year-old daughter of a pastor at a nearby church lies in critical condition. Can the person Jo loves and trusts most have done this terrible thing? Can she have missed the signs? The last time their family met violence, Jo lost her ability to walk. Samuel took care of her, outfitted their barn with special rigging so she could still ride their mule. What secrets has he been keeping? As Jo watches the pastor fight for his daughter, watches the authorities hunt down a criminal, she wrestles with an impossible choice: Must she tell them where Samuel might be? Must she choose between loyalty and justice? Between the brother she knows and the man he has become? A timely story of the tensions splintering families and communities all over this country, S.M. Hulse's Eden Mine is also a steady-eyed gaze into the ideals of the West and the legacies of violence, a moving account of faith in the face of evil, and a heartrending reckoning of the terrible choices we make for the ones we love.
Author: Horn, Jonathan, 1982- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: B WASHINGT Format: Books Summary: Popular historian and former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn tells the astonishing true story of George Washington's forgotten last years--the personalities, plotting, and private torment that unraveled America's first post-presidency. Washington's End begins where most biographies of George Washington leave off, with the first president exiting office after eight years and entering what would become the most bewildering stage of his life. Embittered by partisan criticism and eager to return to his farm, Washington assumed a role for which there was no precedent at a time when the kings across the ocean yielded their crowns only upon losing their heads. In a different sense, Washington would lose his head, too. In this riveting read, bestselling author Jonathan Horn reveals that the quest to surrender power proved more difficult than Washington imagined and brought his life to an end he never expected. The statesman who had staked his legacy on withdrawing from public life would feud with his successors and find himself drawn back into military command. The patriarch who had dedicated his life to uniting his country would leave his name to a new capital city destined to become synonymous with political divisions. A vivid story, immaculately researched and powerfully told through the eyes not only of Washington but also of his family members, friends, and foes, Washington's End fills a crucial gap in our nation's history and will forever change the way we view the name Washington.
Author: Stuart, Douglas, 1976- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F STUART Format: Books Summary: "Shuggie Bain is the unforgettable story of young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in public housing in Glasgow, Scotland. Thatcher's war on heavy industry has put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings. Shuggie's mother Agnes walks a wayward path: she is Shuggie's guiding light but a burden for his artistic brother and practical sister. She dreams of a house with its own front door while she flicks through the pages of the Freemans catalogue, ordering a little happiness on credit, anything to brighten up her grey life. Married to a "whoremaster" of a husband, Agnes keeps her pride by looking good - her beehive, make-up, and pearly-white false teeth offer a glamourous image of a Glaswegian Elizabeth Taylor. But under the surface, Agnes finds increasing solace in drink, and she drains away the lion's share of each week's benefits - all the family has to live on - on cans of extra-strong lager hidden in handbags and poured into tea mugs. Agnes's older children find their own ways to get a safe distance from their mother, abandoning Shuggie to look after her as she swings between alcoholic binges and sobriety. He is meanwhile doing all he can to somehow become the normal boy he desperately longs to be, but everyone has realized that Shuggie is "no right," and now Agnes's addiction has the power to eclipse everyone close to her-even and especially her beloved Shuggie." --
Author: McCormack, Una, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: F MCCORMAC Format: Books Summary: "An original novel based on the new Star Trek TV series! A thrilling novel leading into the new CBS series, Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope introduces you to brand new characters featured in the life of beloved Star Trek captain Jean-Luc Picard--widely considered to be one of the most popular and recognizable characters in all of science fiction"--
Author: Killeen, Matt, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: Y KILLEEN Format: Books Summary: "Sarah Goldstein--Jewish orphan turned secret weapon in the resistance against the Nazis--is hunting down a rogue German doctor whose germ warfare experiment could kill thousands with a single syringe. But her journey through Central Africa reveals the ravages of colonialism and exposes darker truths about her own allies than Sarah could've ever imagined"-- Germany, 1940. Still hiding in plain sight as "Ursula Haller," Sarah Goldstein gathers information for Captain Floyd at parties. He has learned of a German doctor who went rogue in West Africa after discovering a tool of germ warfare known as "the Bleeding" that could wipe out whole nations. As they get closer to the doctor, and see more effects of "the Bleeding" in the communities they pass through, their trip turns from caper to nightmare. Sarah is faced by the worst humanity is capable of-- and challenged to find reasons to keep fighting. -- adapted from jacket
Author: Levine, Madeline, author. Published: 2020 Call Number: 649 Format: Books Summary: "[This book] explores how today's parenting techniques and our myopic education system are failing to prepare children for their certain-to-be-uncertain futures -- and how we can reverse course to ensure their lasting adaptability, resilience, health, and happiness" -- From book jacket flap. Increasingly, the world we know has become disturbing, unfamiliar, and even threatening. In the wake of uncertainty and rapid change, adults are doubling-down on the pressure-filled parenting style that pushes children to excel. Yet these daunting expectations, combined with the stress parents feel and unwittingly project onto their children, are leading to a generation of young people who are overwhelmed, exhausted, distressed--and unprepared for the future that awaits them. While these damaging effects are known, the world into which these children are coming of age is not. And continuing to focus primarily on grades and performance are leaving kids more ill-prepared than ever to navigate the challenges to come. But there is hope. Using the latest developments in neuroscience and epigenetics (the intersection of genetics and environment), as well as extensive research gleaned from captains of industry, entrepreneurs, military leaders, scientists, academics, and futurists, Levine identifies the skills that children need to succeed in a tumultuous future: adaptability, mental agility, curiosity, collaboration, tolerance for failure, resilience, and optimism. Most important, Levine offers day-to-day solutions parents can use to raise kids who are prepared, enthusiastic, and ready to face an unknown future with confidence and optimism.
Author: Natterson, Cara Familian, 1970- author. Published: 2020 Call Number: 649.132 Format: Books Summary: "What is my son doing behind his constantly closed door? What's with his curt responses, impulsiveness, newfound obsession with gaming, and...that funky smell? As pediatrician and mother of two teenagers Cara Natterson explains, puberty starts in boys long before any visible signs appear, which causes confusion about their changing temperaments for boys and their parents alike. Often, they also grow quieter as they grow taller, which leads to less parent-child communication. But, as Natterson warns, we respect their increasing "need" for privacy and alone time at their peril. Explaining how modern culture mixes badly with male adolescent biology, she offers science, strategies, scripts, and tips for getting it right"--