The brilliant and opinionated author, who died on Sunday, chronicled the recipes and culinary traditions of Mexico. Our critic considers her legacy.
The poet’s memoirs are “densely yet nimbly written, and you sense Lowell’s judgment and discrimination in every paragraph,” our critic says.
UnCovered review by Collette Jones, Manager,
ACLS Egg Harbor City Branch
Sparring Partners is another in a long list of John Grisham classics.
It’s an easy read on your summer vacation.
Fans and newcomers alike will not be
disappointed by John Grisham’s first collection of novellas. In the title
story, “Sparring Partners”, Bolton Malloy, disbarred from the firm he
created, is in prison for killing his wife. That the main sentiment of the
murder is that Bolton wasn’t careful enough in covering up the crime indicates
how disagreeable the victim was, and from this partnership came Rusty and Kirk,
two lawyer sons who detest each other. Because their father forced them to sign
an agreement that would result in acute penalties were they to leave Malloy
& Malloy, their bond is indissoluble and toxic. The only thing that could
make their situation more poisonous would be for Bolton to rejoin the firm, and
when their father comes up with a scheme to get out of prison, the boys devise
a plan to keep him in place. Add a seemingly sympathetic office manager who
turns out to be as thoroughly disagreeable and manipulative as the rest of the
cast, and by the end of the tale you just want everyone to be destroyed. Both
lawyers and non-lawyers will appreciate the layers found in the title story.
Kirk and Rusty Malloy took over a thriving law firm run by their father, who is
serving a prison term for murdering their mother. The antagonism between the
brothers is destroying the firm, and as it crumbles before them, we wonder how
they will survive.
“Homecoming,” the first of three
stories that comprise the book, features one of the few characters who has
appeared in multiple Grisham novels: Jake Brigance, a small-town practitioner
with an office in Ford County, Mississippi. This time, Jake is asked to help an
old friend, Mack Stafford, an attorney who found his life falling apart and
elected to solve his dilemma by disappearing from town. This is a story of
forgiveness, revenge, and friendship. Mack, living well in paradise, has
buyer’s remorse and wants to reestablish a relationship with his two teenage
daughters.
“Strawberry Moon” is the book’s most
poignant novella. Cody Wallace is a young man on death row who is only three
hours away from being executed.
Enjoy it, and admire the skill of a
truly great writer while pondering where his next book will take us.
The essays in “How to Read Now” pose earnest questions about interpretation, inheritance and human understanding.
The essays in “How to Read Now” pose earnest questions about interpretation, inheritance and human understanding.
Do you prefer novels with period detail? Become part of history, without having to slop through the mud or face the guillotine yourself. Monthly.
Delivered: 7/25/2022 12:00:00 AM
Her books taught Americans about the regional nature of the cuisine. Also: “There is always someone who wants to know how to clean an iguana, so why not?”
Geling Yan says that she is owed a screen credit for the Chinese film “One Second” — and that companies bringing it to Western audiences are complicit in censoring her.
The explosion of web comics has been driven by tapping into an audience the industry had long overlooked: young, female readers.
Author: McClung, Chad, editor.
Published: 2022
Call Number: 684.18
Format: Books
Summary: "Spend more time enjoying your patio, porch, and backyard with more than a dozen projects, including a classic Adirondack, sturdy and stylish tables, comfortable benches, and much more. With detailed plans, helpful photos, and step-by-step instructions, Building Outdoor Furniture delivers projects for every skill level and need. Also included is expert advice on selecting the right materials and finishes to ensure your outdoor projects withstand the test of time. Whether you're a hands-on homeowner or a woodworking enthusiast, Building Outdoor Furniture is the ideal book for anyone who wants to build affordable, long-lasting pieces to transform their outdoor living space"--
Author: Mikuta, Zoe Hana, 2000- author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: Y MIKUTA
Format: Books
Summary: "Eris and Sona are pitted against each other in the ongoing war between Godolia and the Badlands"-- The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who've managed to escape the tyrannical empire's bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith--Godolia's only surviving leader. Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona--the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for--also survived, only to be captured and corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris' mortal enemy. With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war...
Author: United States. Congress. House, author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: 973.933
Format: Books
Summary: "The complete ... transcript of the historic case against President Donald J. Trump for igniting the January 6 siege of the Capitol" --back cover. Prosecution of an Insurrection is the complete, riveting transcript of the historic case against President Donald J. Trump for igniting the January 6 siege of the Capitol. Following the norm-shattering attempt by his followers to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, the second impeachment trial of the president seared a new lexicon into our collective consciousness and marked a watershed moment in American history. The case, presented to the Senate by impeachment managers from the House, marked a bravura performance by members of Congress who were themselves the targets of the rioters incited by the president only days earlier. Citizens disturbed by the events of January 2021 and Republican attempts to rewrite history will find in these pages the most authoritative record of one of our democracy's darkest hours, including: the official articles of impeachment against the president for incitement of an insurrection; the response of President Trump to the articles of impeachment, on behalf of the House defense lawyers; the complete trial transcript, including the full text of the arguments made by the House representatives and the full text of the president's defense; head-shots from the trial of all nine House impeachment managers in action, including lead manager Representative Jamie Raskin, as well as all three House defense lawyers; photographs, timelines, and screenshots of tweets entered as evidence, as well as stills from the videos presented.
Prosecution of an Insurrection preserves for posterity an episode that ranks with the McCarthy hearings, Watergate, and the Iran-Contra investigation for its importance in American political history.
Author: Onwuachi, Kwame, author. Stein, Joshua David, author. Williams, Clay (Photographer), photographer.
Published: 2022
Call Number: 641.592
Format: Books
Summary: "A cookbook celebrating the food of the African diaspora, from Nigeria and Ethiopia to the Bronx, the Caribbean, and the American South, from the James Beard Award-winning author of Notes from a Young Black Chef"-- Onwuachi's celebrates the food of the African diaspora, as handed down from his own family. His recipes span from Nigeria and Ethiopia to the Bronx, the Caribbean, and the American South, representing the best of the patchwork that is American cuisine--and incorporating Onwuachi's own spin. The result is a personal tribute to the dishes of America, showing the true diversity of American food. -- adapted from inside front cover.
Author: Jebelli, Joseph, author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: 612.82
Format: Books
Summary: This definitive account of how the human brain has evolved explores the development of memory, language, consciousness, intelligence, neurodiversity, and emotions and examines what the future may hold for our brains. The extraordinary story of how the human brain evolved... and is still evolving. We've come a long way. The earliest human had a brain as small as a child's fist; ours are four times bigger, with spectacular abilities and potential we are only just beginning to understand. This is How the Mind Changed, a seven-million-year journey through our own heads, packed with vivid stories, groundbreaking science, and thrilling surprises. Discover how memory has almost nothing to do with the past; meditation rewires our synapses; magic mushroom use might be responsible for our intelligence; climate accounts for linguistic diversity; and how autism teaches us hugely positive lessons about our past and future. Dr. Joseph Jebelli's In Pursuit of Memory was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and long-listed for the Wellcome. In this, his eagerly awaited second book, he draws on deep insights from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, and philosophy to guide us through the unexpected changes that shaped our brains. From genetic accidents and environmental forces to historical and cultural advances, he explores how our brain's evolution turned us into Homo sapiens and beyond. A single mutation is all it takes.
Author: Belcher, Chris, 1985- author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: B BELCHER
Format: Books
Summary: Moving between the embodied world of the pro domme and the abstract realm of academia, a former sex worker, who branded herself as L.A.'s Renowned Lesbian Dominatrix, reveals how lessons from the classroom apply to the dungeon and vice versa, showing how power and desire can be renegotiated--or reinforced. The dominatrix is the id of American femininity. She says the words that we all wish we could say when we find ourselves frozen in the presence of men. No is principal among them. So writes Chris Belcher, who appeared destined for a life of conventional femininity after she took first place in an infant beauty contest--a minor glory that can follow you around a working-class town of 1,600 people in rural West Virginia. But when she came out as queer, the conservative community that had once celebrated its prettiest baby turned on her. A decade later, living in Los Angeles and trying to stay afloat in the early years of a PhD program, Belcher plunges into the work of a pro domme. Branding herself as LA's Renowned Lesbian Dominatrix, she specializes in male clients who want a domme to make them feel worthless, shameful, and weak--all the abuse regularly heaped upon women for free. A queer woman whom men can trust with the unorthodox sides of their sexualities, Belcher is paid to be the keeper of the fantasies that they can't enact in their everyday relationships. But moonlighting as a sex worker also carries risks, like the not-so-submissive who tries to turn the tables and the jealous client out for revenge. As Belcher moves between the embodied world of the pro domme and the abstract realm of academia, she discovers how lessons from the classroom apply to the dungeon, and vice versa. Still, fear that her doctoral program won't approve burdens her with a double life. Pretty Baby is her second coming out.
Author: Kuehn, Stephanie, author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: Y KUEHN
Format: Books
Summary: "Two girls find friendship on their path to mental health in a story of acceptance, recovery, and resilience"-- Dani comes from the richest, most famous Black family in Texas and seems to have everything a girl could want. So why does she keep using and engaging in other self-destructive behavior? Camila's Colombian-American family doesn't have much, but she knows exactly what she wants out of life and works her ass off to get it. So why does she keep failing, and why does she self-harm every time she does? When Dani and Camila find themselves rooming together at Peach Tree Hills, a treatment facility in beautiful rural Georgia, they initially think they'll never get along and they'll never get better. But then they find a mysterious music box filled with letters from a former resident of PTH, and together they set out to solve the mystery of who this girl was . . . and who she's become. The investigation will bring them together, and what they find at the end might just bring them hope.
Author: Culley, Betty, author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: Y CULLEY
Format: Books
Summary: Rynn was born with a hole in her heart--literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her birth family. As her relationship with her adoptive mother fractures, Rynn finally decides she needs to know more about the rest of her family. Her search starts with a name, the only thing she has from her birth mother, and she quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby town. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.
Author: Benway, Robin, author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: Y BENWAY
Format: Books
Summary: A year after her sister Nina's death and still unable to imagine a world without her, Leo forms a friendship with Nina's boyfriend East based on their shared grief, only to discover he knows more about the accident that killed Nina than he is letting on. "It's been a year--a year of missing Nina. Leo can't remember what happened the night of the accident. All she knows is that she left the party with her older sister, Nina, and Nina's boyfriend, East. And now Nina is dead, killed by a drunk driver, leaving Leo with a hole inside her that's impossible to fill. East, who loved Nina almost as much as Leo did, is the person who seems to most understand how she feels, and the two form a friendship based on their shared grief." --Front jacket flap
Author: Diederich, Phillippe, 1964- author.
Published: 2022 2021
Call Number: Y DIEDERIC
Format: Books
Summary: When four Mexican-American teenagers from Houston travel to Diamond Park to buy a 1959 Chevy Impala from Magaña's godfather, something goes very wrong, and one of them, Susi, ends up arrested for murder; convinced that the real killer is a drug trafficker called Anaconda, Flaco and Magaña head to Mexico hunting for him to clear Susi's name--but in the process of kidnapping Anaconda, Flaco discovers how little he understands about what really happened in Diamond Park.
Author: Redwine, C. J., author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: Y REDWINE
Format: Books
Summary: The first in a YA political fantasy duology about a fierce princess determined to bring lasting peace to her kingdom regardless of the cost to her heart--from C.J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series and the New York Times bestselling Ravenspire series. Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, And I Darken, and Ash Princess. Princess Charis Willowthorn is the dutiful sword of Calera. Raised to be ruthless and cunning, her only goal is to hold her war-torn kingdom together long enough to find a path toward peace with their ancient foe Montevallo, even if the cost is her own heart. When violence erupts in the castle itself, nearly killing the queen, Charis must assume her mother's duties and manage both the war and her kingdom. But as an unseen enemy begins sinking Calera's ships, Charis realizes a threat much greater than Montevallo is coming for her people. So she forms a plan. By day, she is Calera's formidable princess intent on forging an alliance with Montevallo. By night, she disguises herself as a smuggler and roams the sea with a trusted group of loyalists, hunting for their new enemies. And through it all, she accidentally falls in love with the wrong boy. But her enemies are much closer than Charis realizes, and her heart isn't the only thing she has left to lose.
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