Author: Ledecky, Katie, 1997- author. SN 20240618 new Published: 2024 Call Number: B LEDECKY Format: Books Summary: "I never imagined I would make it to the Olympics, or be at this level, or write a book about this unlikely career that I've had. But I've really enjoyed the ride, this journey." Katie Ledecky is one of the best swimmers ever to compete. She has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. A three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and world record-holder in individual swimming events, Ledecky shares what it takes to compete at an elite level. Again and again, Katie Ledecky has broken records: those of others and, increasingly, her own. She is both consistent and innovative--consistent at setting goals and shattering them, and innovative in the way she approaches her training. A true competitor, she sets her goals by choosing the ones that feel the scariest. But, crucially, she never sacrifices the joy of competition, even in the face of adversity. Her positive mental outlook and a great support system provides the springboard to her success. This candid and inspiring memoir charts Ledecky's life in swimming..."--
Author: Mosher, Steven W., author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 951.05 Format: Books Summary: As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, "Within the philosophical system of Marx and Lenin, and at the heart of their psychology, hatred of God is the principal driving force, more fundamental than all their political and economic pretensions." This is certainly true of the leaders of the Communist "dynasty" that currently rules China. Chairman Mao, the founder of the Red Dynasty, proudly referred to himself as wu fa wu tian--a Chinese phrase meaning that he was both Godless and lawless. His hatred of God was matched only by his rejection of all authority other than his own.The current occupant of the Dragon Throne, Xi Jinping, has a thriving personality cult, including a Xi Jinping app that everyone must have on their phones, which downloads daily readings from Xi's speeches and writings. Churches are being turned into "Civilization Practice Stations for the New Era," their Bibles confiscated and replaced with Xi's collected works, sermons replaced with political indoctrination of the "Thou shalt have no other gods before you than the CCP" kind. Pictures of Jesus Christ are taken down and 2replaced with pictures of Chairman Mao and Secretary Xi.In The Devil and Communist China, Steven W. Mosher lays out in great detail the diabolical self-aggrandizement rooted in Chinese ancient political theory, called Legalism, which established the prototype for the totalitarian rule that the Chinese people suffer under today. It is perhaps no accident that the red dragon has been China's archetypal symbol since the nation's unification in 220 BC. The Devil's false promise has always been "You shall be as Gods," and China's leaders down to the present day continue to make this Faustian bargain, to the detriment of the Chinese people and--ultimately--their own souls.
Author: Phillips, Julia, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F PHILLIPS Format: Books Summary: They were sisters and they would last past the end of time. Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can't earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence. Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it's time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.
Author: Brooks, Sarah, 1980- author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F BROOKS Format: Books Summary: "For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscape It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket. There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train's last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train's secrets. Now, the train is about to embark again, with a new set of passengers. Among them are Marya Petrovna, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist looking for redemption; and Elena, a beguiling stowaway with a powerful connection to the Wastelands itself. Weiwei knows she should report Elena, but she can't help but be drawn to her. As the girls begin a forbidden friendship, there are warning signs that the rules of the Wastelands are changing, and the train might once again be imperiled. Can the passengers trust each other, as the wildness outside threatens to consume them all?"--
Author: Dodd, Christina, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F DODD Format: Books Summary: The eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet rejects the betrothal planned by her parents and tries to find the groom-to-be a more suitable bride. "Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here's the thing: That's not how it ended at all. Romeo and Juliet are alive and well and the parents of seven kids. I'm the oldest, with the emphasis on 'old'--a certified spinster at twenty, and happy to stay that way. It's not easy to keep your taste for romance with parents like mine. Picture it--constant monologues, passionate declarations, fighting, making up, making out . . . it's exhausting. Each time they've presented me with a betrothal, I've set out to find the groom-to-be a more suitable bride. After all, someone sensible needs to stay home and manage this household. But their latest match, Duke Stephano, isn't so easy to palm off on anyone else. The debaucher has had three previous wives--all of whom met unfortunate ends. Conscience forbids me from consigning another woman to that fate. As it turns out, I don't have to . . ." --Amazon.com
Author: Bell, Crystal J., 1988- author. Published: 2024 Call Number: Y BELL Format: Books Summary: After the death of her father, Temperance assumes the lamplighter position in her coastal whaling village and drives away the unnatural fog that descends each night, but when two girls go missing and authorities doubt her abilities, Temperance uncovers dark truths and faces a choice between silence and risking her own and her sister's fate among the vanished.
Author: Kurzweil, Ray, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 612.82 KURZWEIL Format: Books Summary: "This successor volume to The Singularity Is Near explores how technology will refashion the human race in the decades to come. In this entirely new book, Ray Kurzweil brings a fresh perspective to advances in the singularity-assessing the progress of many of his predictions and examining the novel advancements that, in the near future, will bring a revolution in knowledge and an expansion of human potential. Among the topics he discusses are rebuilding the world atom by atom with devices like nanobots; radical life extension beyond the current age limit of 120; reinventing intelligence by expanding biological capacity with nonbiological intelligence in the cloud; how life is improving with declines in poverty and violence; and the growth of technologies that can be applied to everything from clothes to building materials to growing human organs. He also considers the potential perils of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, including such topics as how AI will impact unemployment and the safety of autonomous cars, and "After Life" technology, which will reanimate people who have passed away through a combination of data and DNA"--
Author: Lombardo, Claire, 1988- author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F LOMBARDO Format: Books Summary: "Julia Ames, after a youth marked by upheaval and emotional turbulence, has found herself on the placid plateau of mid-life. But Julia has never navigated the world with the equanimity of her current privileged class. Having nearly derailed herself several times, making desperate bids for the kind of connection that always felt inaccessible to her, she finally feels, at age fifty seven, that she has a firm handle on things. She's unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenaged daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor's edge. Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life, --exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. Delving even deeper into the nature of relationships--how they grow, change, and sometimes end--Lombardo proves herself a true and definitive cartographer of the human heart and asserts herself among the finest novelists of her generation."--
Author: Steel, Danielle, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F STEEL Format: Books Summary: Darcy Gray's perfect life falls apart when a surprise visit to her husband leads to a horrible shock. She flees to visit her daughter in Paris, where a worldwide health crisis strands her indefinitely. There, she finds refuge with a widowed American engineer and beings to imagine a new life. "Darcy Gray is a successful influencer with her blog, The Gray Zone, trusted by more than a million followers for her integrity and taste. At forty-two, she has the life she wants in many ways. Darcy and her husband, department store magnate Charles Gray, are a power couple in Manhattan and on the international stage. Their beloved twin daughters are each enjoying their junior year abroad, Penny in Hong Kong and Zoe at the Sorbonne in Paris. To celebrate twenty years of marriage, Darcy impulsively flies to Rome to surprise Charlie, who is tending to business interests there. Instead, she gets the shock of her life, which upends her whole world..." --Amazon.com
Author: Jackson, Lisa, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F JACKSON Format: Books Summary: Brooke Harmon is ready to end her brief affair. Gideon Ross is charming and sexy, but he's not worth throwing away everything she holds dear. So she breaks it off, hoping Gideon will understand. He doesn't. Gideon insists that he and Brooke are meant to be together. Finally, he backs off, but not before issuing a promise: he'll never let her go. Little more than a year later, Brooke wants to believe it's all behind her. Her family has survived intact. Gideon has vanished. But the fear hasn't disappeared. Brooke can't tell how much of it is paranoia, and how much is justified, but she's worried. And maybe she's right to be. Because Gideon is a man who keeps his promises.
Author: Berenson, Laurien, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F BERENSON Format: Books Summary: While in Kentucky to sell her Thoroughbred broodmare's offspring at a high-stakes yearling sale, rival sisters-in-law Peg and Rose discover something seems off about Six Oaks farm, and when the yearling manager with serious anger issues is murdered, the ladies enter the ring to expose the culprit. "From the moment Peg arrives in Kentucky, dragging level-headed Rose along for the week-long excursion proves a smart move. Because after she brings her canine expertise to prestigious conformation shows, next on the agenda is selling her Thoroughbred broodmare's offspring at a high-stakes yearling sale. And when the ladies arrive to meet the young horse at Six Oaks farm, something seems off about the place--especially Jim Grable, the yearling manager with serious anger issues . . ." --Amazon.com
Author: Michaels, Fern, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F MICHAELS Format: Books Summary: Bestselling author Fern Michaels blends mystery, drama, and a touch of romance for the fourth in her Lost & Found series, as a shoebox of memories found in a childhood dresser becomes the catalyst for a search into the past... "The owners of a furniture restoration shop/cafâe--an offshoot of their family's longtime antique business, siblings Luna and Cullen, gifted with unique abilities, must solve the mystery surrounding a piece Cullen just acquired not realizing there are some who will stop at nothing to claim what they believe is theirs." --Amazon.com
Author: James, Miranda, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F JAMES Format: Books Summary: "At last, Charlie and Helen Louise's wedding is only a month away. They're busy preparing for the big day, and the last thing Charlie needs is a new mystery to solve. Enter Tara Martin, a shy, peculiar woman who has recently started working part-time at Helen Louise's bistro and helping Charlie in the archive. Tara isn't exactly friendly and she has an angry outburst at the library that leaves Charlie baffled. And then she abruptly leaves a catered housewarming party Charlie's son Sean is throwing to celebrate his new home in the middle of her work shift. Before ducking out of the party, Tara looked terrified and Charlie wonders if she's deliberately trying to escape notice. Is she hiding from someone? When Tara is viciously attacked and lands in the hospital, Charlie knows his instincts were correct: Tara was in trouble and someone was after her. With the help of his much beloved cat, Diesel, Charlie digs deeper, and discovers shocking glimpses into Tara's past that they could never have predicted. Will they catch the villain before Charlie's own happily ever after with Helen Louise is ruined?"--
Author: Brennan, Allison, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F BRENNAN Format: Books Summary: "Working alone as a private investigator is tough. Estranged from her PI family, Margo Angelhart does what she must to get by--including taking on sordid cases that pay the bills, even if she'd rather be helping those the justice system has failed. That is, until a cheating husband case she's working intersects with her siblings' corporate espionage investigation, forcing Margo to cooperate with the Angelhart firm. Now, as the siblings compare notes, it's clear they need to work together before a white-collar crime escalates to murder. With far more questions than answers and a key suspect on the run, they'll need the whole family to pitch in. But as they investigate the ever-twisting mystery, Margo isn't sharing everything. Can she learn to trust her family and heal their once-close relationship before her secrets put those she loves most in danger?"--
Author: Princeton Review (Firm), author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 378.1 2025 Format: Books Summary: "Get familiar with the new SAT at your own pace with 800+ SAt Practice Questions. Work on individual 'easier' and 'harder' modules for the Math and Readig/Writing sections, or put it all together to perfect your timing with two adaptive full-length tests online. there's even a bonus 'extra-hard' module to make sure your higher-level math and passage comprehension skills are ready for anything!"--Page 4 of cover.
Author: Hilderbrand, Elin, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F HILDERBR Format: Books Summary: "Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons--how did they make their money, exactly?--Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms. The last of Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself."--
Author: Morris, Wanda M. (Wanda Michelle), 1959- author. Published: 2024 Call Number: F MORRIS Format: Books Summary: Returning to her childhood home in Georgia, Deena Wood, when a landowner fighting to keep his family's land, dating back to the Civil War, disappears, and his property is quickly put up for sale, exposes a deadly scheme of illegal land grabs and property redevelopment that threatens her community and family. Deena Wood’s life has fallen apart in the aftermath of losing her beloved mother, her marriage, and her prestigious job at an Atlanta law firm. She needs what the Geechee people of coastal Georgia call a “dayclean,” a fresh start. She returns to her childhood home in Brunswick, Georgia, to heal. But her return is anything but the respite she thought it might be. To make peace with all her loss, she often drives through the city. One day, she unwittingly finds herself on the oceanfront property of a loner widower who is fighting to keep land that has been in his family since the end of the Civil War. He threatens her and warns her to never return. But shortly after, he disappears, and his very expensive property is quickly put up for sale. Curious about what has happened to the man, Deena digs into his disappearance and finds a family legacy at risk. What starts out as a bit of curious snooping, turns into a deadly game of illegal land grabs and property redevelopment in poor and rural communities with dark and powerful forces at work. Without realizing it, Deena finds herself caught up in a nightmarish scheme that threatens her community and her family. She’ll need help and finds it in a close but unlikely source because she knows she must do whatever it takes to stop the sinister forces at play before she becomes their next target.
Author: Arsenault, Raymond, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: E840.8.L43 B73 2024 Format: Books Summary: The first full-length biography of civil rights hero and congressman John Lewis. -- Provided by publisher. For six decades John Robert Lewis (1940-2020) was a towering figure in the U.S. struggle for civil rights. As an activist and progressive congressman, he was renowned for his unshakable integrity, indomitable courage, and determination to get into "good trouble." In this first book-length biography of Lewis, Raymond Arsenault traces Lewis's upbringing in rural Alabama, his activism as a Freedom Rider and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, his championing of voting rights and anti-poverty initiatives, and his decades of service as the "conscience of Congress." Arsenault recounts Lewis's lifetime of work toward one overarching goal: realizing the "beloved community," an ideal society based in equity and inclusion. Lewis never wavered in this pursuit, and even in death his influence endures, inspiring mobilization and resistance in the fight for social justice. -- Provided by publisher.
Author: Foley, Lucy (Novelist), author. Published: 2024 Call Number: LP F FOLEY Format: Large print Summary: During the opening weekend of The Manor, a luxe coastal retreat built on top of old secrets, those in attendance all have an agenda but not everyone will survive. "It's the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests' healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the "Manor Mule" cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen. But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor's immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something's not right with the guests. There?s been a fire. A body?s been discovered..." --Amazon.com
Author: Anbinder, Tyler, author. Published: 2024 Call Number: 974.71 Format: Books Summary: "In 1845, a fungus began to destroy Ireland's potato crop, triggering a famine that would kill one million Irish men, women, and children--and drive over one million more to flee for America. Ten years later, the United States had been transformed by this stupendous migration, nowhere more than New York: by 1855, roughly a third of all adults living in Manhattan were immigrants who had escaped the hunger in Ireland. These so-called "Famine Irish" were the forebears of four U.S. presidents (including Joe Biden) yet when they arrived in America they were consigned to the lowest-paying jobs and subjected to discrimination and ridicule by their new countrymen. Even today, the popular perception of these immigrants is one of destitution and despair. But when we let the Famine Irish narrate their own stories, they paint a far different picture. In this magisterial work of storytelling and scholarship, acclaimed historian Tyler Anbinder presents for the first time the Famine generation's individual and collective tales of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. Drawing on newly available records and a ten-year research initiative, Anbinder reclaims the narratives of the refugees who settled in New York City and helped reshape the entire nation. Plentiful Country is a tour de force--a book that rescues the Famine immigrants from the margins of history and restores them to their rightful place at the center of the American story."-- Publisher's description.
