Author: Pride, Christine, author. Piazza, Jo, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F PRIDE Format: Books Summary: Cinnamon Haynes has fought hard for a life she never thought was possible--a good man by her side, a steady job as a career counselor at a local community college, and a cozy house in a quaint little beach town. It may not look like much, but it's more than she ever dreamed of or what her difficult childhood promised. Her life's mantra is to be good, quiet, grateful. Until something shifts and Cinnamon is suddenly haunted by a terrifying question: "Is this all there is?" Daisy Dunlap has had her own share of problems in her nineteen years on earth--she also has her own big dreams for a life that's barely begun. Her hopes for her future are threatened when she gets unexpectedly pregnant. Desperate, broke, and alone, she hides this development from everyone close to her and then makes a drastic decision with devastating consequences. Daisy isn't the only one with something to hide. When Cinnamon finds an abandoned baby in a park and takes the blonde-haired, blue-eyed newborn into her home, the ripple effects of this decision risk exposing the truth about Cinnamon's own past, which she's gone to great pains to portray as idyllic to everyone...even herself..." --
Author: Swarns, Rachel L., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 306.362 Format: Books Summary: "In 1838, a group of America's most prominent Catholic priests sold 272 enslaved people to save their largest mission project, what is now Georgetown University. In this groundbreaking account, journalist, author, and professor Rachel L. Swarns follows one family through nearly two centuries of indentured servitude and enslavement to uncover the harrowing origin story of the Catholic Church in the United States. Through the saga of the Mahoney family, Swarns illustrates how the Church relied on slave labor and slave sales to sustain its operations and to help finance its expansion." --Amazon.com.
Author: Knight, Eliza, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: LP F KNIGHT Format: Books Summary: Adele Astaire was a glittering, glamorous star, dancing with her brother, Fred, endearing herself to audiences from New York to London. But although she is toasted by royalty and beloved by countless fans, Adele Astaire has dreams of a loving husband and a houseful of children. And when she meets Lord Charles Cavendish, her wishes may just come true, but at what cost? Ever since Violet Wood could walk she's wanted to dance on the London stage. Befriended by Adele, filled with ambition, she is more than willing to make the sacrifices it will take to become a star herself, and her rags-to-riches hopes are within reach. But the road to fame is never easy. From the fast-paced world of roaring 20s New York to the horrors and sacrifice of wartime London, Adele's and Violet's lives intertwine, and each must ask themselves is fame worth the price you must pay?
Author: Jennings, Ken, 1974- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 202.3 Format: Books Summary: "100 Places to See After You Die is written in the style of iconic bestselling travel guides. But instead of recommending must-see destinations in Mexico, Thailand, or Rome, this book outlines journeys through the afterlife, as dreamed up over the past 5,000 years of human history by our greatest prophets, poets, mystics, artists, and TV show-runners. Where's the best place to grab a bite to eat in the ancient Egyptian underworld? Which circles of Dante's Inferno have the nicest accommodations? How does one dress like a local in the heavenly palace of Hinduism's Lord Vishnu, or avoid the flesh-eating river serpents in the Klingon afterlife? What are the hidden treasures to be found off the beaten path in Hades, Valhalla, or NBC's The Good Place? This book answers all those questions and more about the world(s) to come. The destiny of the human soul in the great beyond is one of life's deepest mysteries. But you won't have to wonder anymore! 100 Places to See After You Die comprehensively indexes one hundred different afterlife destinations, exhaustively researched from sources ranging from the Epic of Gilgamesh to modern-day pop songs, video games, and Simpsons episodes. Be ready for whatever post-mortal destiny awaits, whether you're hoping for the astral plane, a Hieronymus Bosch hell-scape, or the baseball diamond from Field of Dreams. This is one trip no one should leave to chance. Most vacation sojourns are brief, but this destination could be your eternal resting place!"--
Author: Cooper, Christian, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: B COOPER Format: Books Summary: "Christian Cooper is a self-described Blerd (Black nerd), an avid comics fan, and an expert birder who devotes every spring to gazing upon the migratory birds that stop to rest in Central Park, just a subway ride away from where he lives in New York City. When birdwatching in the park one morning in May 2020, Cooper was engaged in the ritual that had been a part of his life since he was ten years old. But when a routine encounter with a dog-walker escalates age old racial tensions, Cooper's viral video of the incident would send shock-waves through the nation. In Better Living Through Birding, Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up to the now-infamous encounter in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in American today. From sharpened senses that work just as well in a protest as in a park, to what a bird like the Common Grackle can teach us about self-acceptance, Better Living Through Birding exults in the pleasures of a life lived in pursuit of the natural world and invites you to discover your own. Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding, this is Cooper's story of learning to claim and defend space for himself and others like him, from his days as a writer for Marvel Comics, where Cooper introduced the first gay storyline, to vivid and life-changing birding expeditions through Africa, Australia, the Americas and the Himalayas. Better Living Through Birding is Cooper's invitation into the wonderful world of birds, and what they can teach us about life, if only we would stop and listen"--
Author: Kelley, Blair Murphy, 1973- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 331.639 Format: Books Summary: "An award-winning historian illuminates the adversities and joys of the Black working class in America through a stunning narrative centered on her forebears. There have been countless books, articles, and televised reports in recent years about the almost mythic "white working class," a tide of commentary that has obscured the labor, and even the very existence, of entire groups of working people, including everyday Black workers. In this brilliant corrective, Black Folk, acclaimed historian Blair LM Kelley restores the Black working class to the center of the American story. Spanning two hundred years--from one of Kelley's earliest known ancestors, an enslaved blacksmith, to the essential workers of the Covid-19 pandemic--Black Folk highlights the lives of the laundresses, Pullman porters, domestic maids, and postal workers who established the Black working class as a force in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries..."--Publisher.
Author: Vlahos, Hadley, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 616.029 Format: Books Summary: "Passionate advocate for end-of-life care and TikTok star Nurse Hadley shares moving stories of joy, wisdom, and redemption from her patients' final moments, offering powerful lessons on facing death, recovering from loss, and how to live your life in this deeply personal memoir. Talking about death and dying is considered taboo in popular culture, even in the medical field. Our understanding of death is riddled with misconceptions: memories flashing before our eyes, cascading regrets, and chasing bright lights at the end of tunnels. But for most people, this will not be their experience. Rather, it will be a slower process requiring preparedness, good humor, and a bit of faith. At the forefront of changing attitudes around palliative care is TikTok personality Hadley Vlahos, whose videos collect and share the heartbreaking, remarkable, and uplifting stories of her patients... With profound insight, humility, and respect, The In-Between is a heart-rending memoir about how caring for others can transform a life, while also offering wisdom and comfort for those dealing with loss and providing inspiration for how to live now"--
Author: Abbott, Megan, 1971- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: LP F ABBOTT Format: Books Summary: 'Honey, I just want you to have everything you ever wanted.' That's what Jacy's mum always told her. And Jacy felt like she finally did. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband, Jed, embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Dr Ash, in Michigan's far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive in the cozy cottage in the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Dr Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs Brandt. But their first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy's condition. At the same time, whispers about Jed's long-dead mother and complicated family history seem eerily to be impeding upon the present. As the days pass, Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it paranoia, or cabin fever, or--as is suggested to her--a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?
Author: Haley, Nikki, 1972- author. Published: 2022 Call Number: 305.4 Format: Large print Summary: "In the spirit of Thatcher's quote, Ambassador Nikki R. Haley offers inspiring examples of women who worked against obstacles and opposition to get things done -- including Haley herself. As a brown girl growing up in South Carolina, no one would have predicted she would become the first minority female governor in America, the first female and the first minority governor in South Carolina, or the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She faced many people who thought she didn t belong -- she was too brown. Too female. Too young. Too conservative. Too principled. Too idealistic. As far as Nikki was concerned, those were not reasons to hold her back. Those were all reasons to forge ahead. She drew inspiration from other trailblazing women throughout history who summoned the courage to be different and lead. This personal and compelling book celebrates ten remarkable women who dared to be bold, from household names like Margaret Thatcher and Israel's former prime minister Golda Meir, to Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first female U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to lesser-known leaders like human rights activist Cindy Warmbier, education advocate Virginia Walden Ford, civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin, and more. Woven with stories from Haley's own childhood and political career, If You Want Something Done will inspire the next generation of leaders."--
Author: Ramaswamy, Vivek, author. Published: 2022 Call Number: 320.973 Format: Books Summary: "The New York Times bestselling author of Woke Inc. makes the case that the essence of true American identity is to pursue excellence unapologetically and reject victimhood culture." -- Amazon.com. America's inner spirit has been domesticated by a new culture that rejects excellence and embraces victimhood. Ramaswamy makes the case that the essence of true American identity is to pursue excellence unapologetically-- no matter your skin color or ethnic origin. He explains that we are all victims now: victims of each other, and ultimately, of ourselves. -- adapted from jacket
Author: Díaz, Hernán, 1973- author. Published: 2022 Call Number: F DIAZ Format: Books Summary: "An award-winning writer of absorbing, sophisticated fiction delivers a stylish and propulsive novel rooted in early 20th century New York, about wealth and talent, trust and intimacy, truth and perception. In glamorous 1920s New York City, two characters of sophisticated taste come together. One is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; the other, the brilliant daughter of penniless aristocrats. Steeped in affluence and grandeur, their marriage excites gossip and allows a continued ascent -- all at a moment when the country is undergoing a great transformation. This is the story at the center of Harold Vanner's novel Bonds, which everyone in 1938 New York seems to have read. But it isn't the only version. Provocative, propulsive, and repeatedly surprising, Hernan Diaz's TRUST puts the story of these characters into conversation with the "the truth"--and in tension with the life and perspective of an outsider immersed in the mystery of a competing account. The result is an overarching novel that becomes more exhilarating and profound with each new layer and revelation, engaging the reader in a treasure hunt for the truth that confronts the reality-warping gravitational pull of money, and how power often manipulates facts"--
Author: De la Cruz, Melissa, 1971- author. Published: 2022 Call Number: Y DELACRUZ Format: Books Summary: "For this princess, winning the crown is no fairy tale." --Front cover Cendrillon de Louvois has more grace, beauty, and charm than anyone else in France. While she was once the darling child of the king's favorite adviser, her father's death has turned her into the servant of her stepmother and cruel stepsisters--and at her own chateau, too! Cendrillon--now called Cinder--manages to evade her stepmother and attend the ball, where she catches the eye of the handsome Prince Louis and his younger brother Auguste. Even though Cendrillon has an immediate aversion to Louis, and a connection with Auguste, the only way to escape her stepmother is to compete with the other women at court for the Prince's hand. Soon, as Cendrillon glows closer to Auguste and dislikes the prince more and more, she will have to decide if she can bear losing the boy she loves in order to leave a life she hates.
Author: Kennedy, Robert Francis, 1954- author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 362.1962 Format: Books Summary: "The Real Anthony Fauci details how Fauci, Gates, and their cohorts use their control of media outlets, scientific journals, key government and quasi-governmental agencies, global intelligence agencies, and influential scientists and physicians to flood the public with fearful propaganda about COVID-19 virulence and pathogenesis, and to muzzle debate and ruthlessly censor dissent"-- As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci dispenses $6.1 billion in annual taxpayer-provided funding for scientific research, allowing him to dictate the subject, content, and outcome of scientific health research across the globe. Kennedy believes that in early 2000 Fauci and Bill Gates cemented a partnership that would aim to control an increasingly profitable $60 billion global vaccine enterprise with unlimited growth potential. Here he details how they flood the public with fearful propaganda about COVID-19 virulence and pathogenesis, and muzzle debate and ruthlessly censor dissent. -- adapted from jacket
Author: Ramaswamy, Vivek, author. Published: 2021 Call Number: 322.3 Format: Books Summary: "There's a new invisible force at work in our economic and cultural lives. It affects every advertisement we see and every product we buy, from our morning coffee to a new pair of shoes. "Stakeholder capitalism" makes rosy promises of a better, more diverse, environmentally-friendly world, but in reality this ideology championed by America's business and political leaders robs us of our money, our voice, and our identity. Vivek Ramaswamy is a traitor to his class. He's founded multi-billion dollar enterprises, led a biotech company as CEO, he became a hedge fund partner in his 20s, trained as a scientist at Harvard and a lawyer at Yale, and grew up the child of immigrants in a small town in Ohio. Now he takes us behind the scenes into corporate boardrooms and five-star conferences, into Ivy League classrooms and secretive nonprofits, to reveal the defining scam of our century. The modern woke-industrial complex divides us as a people. By mixing morality with consumerism, America's elites prey on our innermost insecurities about who we really are. They sell us cheap social causes and skin-deep identities to satisfy our hunger for a cause and our search for meaning, at a moment when we as Americans lack both. This book not only rips back the curtain on the new corporatist agenda, it offers a better way forward. America's elites may want to sort us into demographic boxes, but we don't have to stay there. Woke, Inc. begins as a critique of stakeholder capitalism and ends with an exploration of what it means to be an American in 2021--a journey that begins with cynicism and ends with hope." -- Inside front jacket flap.
Author: Roberts, Nora author. Published: 2014 Call Number: F ROBERTS Format: Books Summary: "A story of misplaced expectations from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. For a change of pace, renowned anthropologist Kasey Wyatt takes a job working for bestselling author Jordan Taylor, who needs helps researching his latest novel about the Plains Indians. Upon arriving at Jordan's impressive Palm Springs estate, Kasey finds all the trappings of a family, but none of the warmth. Jordan's forbidding mother is immediately suspicious of her, while Jordan's shy and serious orphaned niece represses her curiosity. Jordan himself is an expert at hiding his emotions behind an aristocratic facade. Hardly the quiet and bookish woman they were all expecting, Kasey infuses their lives with light and laughter. And suddenly Jordan finds himself drawn to a woman unlike any he has ever desired, one who is able to transform his day-to-day existence into a life worth living "--
Author: Hopkins, Ellen author. Published: 2007 Call Number: Y HOPKINS Format: Books Summary: Eighteen-year-old Kristina is determined to manage her crystal meth addiction in order to take care of her newborn son, but when the pull of the drug becomes too strong, her greatest fears are quickly realized.
Author: Hopkins, Ellen author. Published: 2004 Call Number: Y HOPKINS Format: Regular print Summary: Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter, gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul--her life.
Author: Picoult, Jodi, 1966- Published: 2001 Call Number: F PICOULT Format: Books Summary: After a family argument, Jane takes her daughter, Rebecca, and travels across the country to stay with her brother Joley, and Oliver, her oceanographer husband, tries to track her unpredictable path.
Author: Ryan, Maureen, 1966- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 791.4309 Format: Books Summary: "An exposé of patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood, the grassroots reforms under way, and the labor and activist revolutions that recent scandals have ignited"-- "Abuse and exploitation of workers is baked into the very foundations of the entertainment industry. To break the cycle and make change that sticks, it's important to stop looking at headline-making stories as individual events. Instead, one must look closely at the bigger picture, to see how abusers are created, fed, rewarded, allowed to persist, and, with the right tools, how they can be excised. In Burn It Down, veteran reporter Maureen Ryan does just that. She draws on decades of experience to connect the dots and illuminate the deeper forces sustaining Hollywood's corrosive culture. Fresh reporting sheds light on problematic situations at companies like Lucasfilm and shows like Lost, Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, Sleepy Hollow, Curb Your Enthusiasm and more. Interviews with actors and famous creatives like Evan Rachel Wood, Harold Perrineau, Damon Lindelof, and Orlando Jones abound. Ryan dismantles, one by one, the myths that the entertainment industry promotes about itself, which have allowed abusers to thrive and the industry to avoid accountability--myths about Hollywood as a meritocracy, what it takes to be creative, the value of human dignity, and more." -- Amazon.com.
Author: Hazelwood, Ali, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F HAZELWOO Format: Books Summary: "The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she's an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs. Honestly, it's a pretty sweet gig--until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor's career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere..."--
