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At the Birthday Party

by Margie Burton Cathy French Tammy Jones

This book is about the things people like at a birthday party.

At the Blue Hole: Elegy for a Church on the Edge

by Jack R. Reese

&“Said plainly, churches are in trouble. All churches are, but certainly Churches of Christ. Whether or not they recognize the threats they are facing is a different matter. The future is fraught with dangers. Many won&’t make it.&” On New Year&’s weekend, 1831–32, two churches came together in Lexington, Kentucky, in what is often known today as the Restoration Movement. Among the churches that emerged from this movement were Churches of Christ, which grew in the nineteenth century and then flourished in the twentieth. At their zenith, around 1990, there were over 13,000 Church of Christ congregations in the United States with nearly 1.3 million members. Especially in the southern states where Churches of Christ were concentrated, it seemed inconceivable that they would ever face their own death.Like many communities of faith, these churches are now in rapid decline. The numbers are devastating. At the current trajectory, Churches of Christ in America, with a membership of just over a million, will be less than a quarter their current size in thirty years. As they awaken to their crisis, many of them are beginning to see themselves at the edge.This book is an elegy for those churches. But it is also a story of hope and promise. As from the &“Blue Hole&”—the tiny, hidden spring from which flows the San Antonio River, near where Jack Reese ministers—there is still abundant life and grace to be found flowing into Churches of Christ, waiting to be uncovered. Anyone wondering how to stem the seemingly inevitable ebb of the fading Western church will find solace and help in Reese&’s account of a once-thriving fellowship of churches that, God willing, may yet emerge from the grave into the light of resurrection.

At the Borders of Sleep: On Liminal Literature

by Peter Schwenger

At the Borders of Sleep is a unique exploration of the connections between literature and the liminal states between waking and sleeping—from falling asleep and waking up, to drowsiness and insomnia, to states in which sleeping and waking mix. Delving into philosophy as well as literature, Peter Schwenger investigates the threshold between waking and sleeping as an important and productive state between the forced march of rational thought and the oblivion of unconsciousness.While examining literary representations of the various states between waking and sleeping, At the Borders of Sleep also analyzes how writers and readers alike draw on and enter into these states. To do so Schwenger reads a wide range of authors for whom the borders of sleep are crucial, including Marcel Proust, Stephen King, Paul Valéry, Fernando Pessoa, Franz Kafka, Giorgio de Chirico, Virginia Woolf, Philippe Sollers, and Robert Irwin. Considering drowsiness, insomnia, and waking up, he looks at such subjects as the hypnagogic state, the experience of reading and why it is different from full consciousness, the relationships between insomnia and writing and why insomnia is often a source of creative insight, and the persistence of liminal elements in waking thought. A final chapter focuses on literature that blurs dream and waking life, giving special attention to experimental writing.Ultimately arguing that, taking place on the edges of consciousness, both the reading and writing of literature are liminal experiences, At the Borders of Sleep suggests new ways to think about the nature of literature and consciousness.

At the Borders of the Wondrous and Magical: Nature Spirits, Shapeshifters, and the Undead in the Never-Ending Middle Ages

by Claude Lecouteux

• Examines the esoteric side of texts and tales from the Middle Ages, including the enduring presence of haunted areas and power places and the roles of witches, house spirits, rune priests, shapeshifters, and the undead• Discusses the dividing line between magic and deviltry, as well as the significance of grimoires, bells, blacksmiths, storm callers, and more• Serves as a guide to a still-present magical and imaginal realm, pointing readers to the borderlands and liminal thresholds that enable access to the other worldIn this new collection of his writings, scholar and Sorbonne professor Claude Lecouteux reveals that the magical world of the distant past is real and still very present—if you know where to look. Explaining how he makes the texts he studies reveal their hidden teachings, Lecouteux directly explores the esoteric side of medieval myths and tales, peeling back the Christian veneer to show the enduring presence of haunted areas and power places, witches, house spirits, rune carvers, vampires, shapeshifters, and the undead.In tales originating from Greenland and Iceland to Saxony, Romania, and beyond, the author discusses the dividing line between magic and diablerie as well as the significance of grimoires, bells, blacksmiths, and other magical objects and characters. He explores magic in the elements of nature and as illustrated by the art of witches and magicians specializing in weather magic—storm callers and storm dispellers. He examines the medieval mythology surrounding clouds and the mythic significance of mountains in the haunted world of our ancestors, which is still as close to us today as it was to them in the past. Looking at borderlands and liminal thresholds that can serve as gateways to other worlds, the author also discusses land spirits and the rituals needed to engage with them, recognizing how their ownership of the land can never fully be usurped.Through these writings Lecouteux acts as a ferryman, transporting readers into the realms of the wondrous and magical. He enables us to see how the haunted magic of the Middle Ages never ended and how the imaginal realm, standing just beyond the borders of our own, is as vividly real as the material world.

At the Boss's Beck and Call

by Anna Cleary

A sexy Italian should be just the thing to liven up Lara's working life. Except this gorgeous specimen of a man is not only her new boss, he's the last person she ever expected to see again--and the father of her child!Now Lara is at Alessandro's beck and call--but his mind is on more than just work. How is Lara supposed to tell him about their daughter? He may have asked her to step into his office, but his demands have extended to the bedroom!

At the Bottom of Everything

by Ben Dolnick

A stunning novel of friendship, guilt, and madness: two friends, torn apart by a terrible secret, and the dark adventure that neither of them could have ever conceived. It's been ten years since the "incident," and Adam has long since decided he's better off without his former best friend, Thomas. Adam is working as a tutor, sleeping with the mother of a student, spending lonely nights looking up his ex-girlfriend on Facebook, and pretending that he has some more meaningful plan for an adult life. But when he receives an email from Thomas's mother begging for his help, he finds himself drawn back into his old friend's world, and into the past he's tried so desperately to forget. As Adam embarks upon a magnificently strange and unlikely journey, Ben Dolnick unspools a tale of spiritual reckoning, of search and escape, of longing and reaching for redemption--a tale of near hallucinatory power.

At the Bottom of the Garden: A Novel

by Camilla Bruce

A murderess becomes the guardian of two very unusual girls in this mesmerizing gothic novel from acclaimed author Camilla Bruce.Clara Woods is a killer—and perfectly fine with it, too. So what if she takes a couple of lives to make her own a little bit better? At the bottom of her garden is a flower bed, long overgrown, where her late husband rests in peace—or so she&’s always thought.Then the girls arrive.Lily and Violet are her nieces, recently orphaned after their affluent parents died on an ill-fated anniversary trip. In accordance with their parents&’ will, the sisters are to go to their closest relative—who happens to be Clara. Despite having no interest in children, Clara agrees to take them, hoping to get her hands on some of the girls&’ assets—not only to bolster her dwindling fortune but also to establish what she hopes will be her legacy: a line of diamond jewelry.There&’s only one problem. Violet can see the dead man at the bottom of the garden. She can see all of Clara&’s ghosts . . . and call them back into existence. Soon Clara is plagued by her victims and at war with the gifted girls in her care. Lily and Violet have become a liability—and they know far more than they should.

At the Bottom of the Garden

by Camilla Bruce

A murderous aunt, strangely gifted children and witchcraft come together in Camilla Bruce&’s new intensely dark adult Gothic fairytale. For fans of Catriona Ward and C.J. Cooke &‘All the elegance and all the venom of one of E.Nesbit&’s supernatural stories served with a side of arsenic.&’ Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House The dead won&’t stay silent forever… Clara Woods has a secret. At the bottom of the garden is a flowerbed, long overgrown, where her murdered husband rests in peace – or so she always thought. Then the girls arrived. Lily and Violet, her adolescent nieces, are recently orphaned and in urgent need of care. Raising teenagers is certainly not what Clara had envisioned for herself, but they come with a hefty sum attached. There is only one problem: both girls are untrained witches. Lily can literally see how people feel. And young Violet can see the dead man wandering at the bottom of the garden. In fact, she can see all the dead and call them back. Soon, Clara finds herself surrounded by apparitions – and two girls who know far more about her dark past than they should. A war is waging in this house, and only one side can win… 'Theatrical and deliciously dark, this book is pure magic' A.J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer 'One gorgeously morbid gothic novel that's just as gleeful as it is gashlycrumb.' Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters

At the Bottom of the River

by Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid's inspired, lyrical short stories. Reading Jamaica Kincaid is to plunge, gently, into another way of seeing both the physical world and its elusive inhabitants. Her voice is, by turns, naively whimsical and biblical in its assurance, and it speaks of what is partially remembered partly divined. The memories often concern a childhood in the Caribbean--family, manners, and landscape--as distilled and transformed by Kincaid's special style and vision. Kincaid leads her readers to consider, as if for the first time, the powerful ties between mother and child; the beauty and destructiveness of nature; the gulf between the masculine and the feminine; the significance of familiar things--a house, a cup, a pen. Transfiguring our human form and our surroundings--shedding skin, darkening an afternoon, painting a perfect place--these stories tell us something we didn't know, in a way we hadn't expected. <P><P><i>Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.</i>

At the Boundaries of Homeownership: Credit, Discrimination, And The American State

by Chloe N. Thurston

In the United States, homeownership is synonymous with economic security and middle-class status. It has played this role in American life for almost a century, and as a result, homeownership's centrality to Americans' economic lives has come to seem natural and inevitable. But this state of affairs did not develop spontaneously or inexorably. On the contrary, it was the product of federal government policies, established during the 1930s and developed over the course of the twentieth century.<P><P> At the Boundaries of Homeownership traces how the government's role in this became submerged from public view and how several groups who were locked out of homeownership came to recognize and reveal the role of the government. Through organizing and activism, these boundary groups transformed laws and private practices governing determinations of credit-worthiness. This book describes the important policy consequences of their achievements and the implications for how we understand American statebuilding.<P> Proposes a new theory about the logic of policy expansion in the public-private welfare state and sheds light on the role of citizen groups and social movements.<P> Identifies and defines 'boundary groups' as a key player in twentieth-century housing policy.<P> Contributes to our understanding of the recent foreclosure crisis and provides historical context to evaluate the casual narratives that emerged in the wake of the crisis implicating low-income and minority borrowers.<P> Read more at http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/politics-international-relations/american-government-politics-and-policy/boundaries-homeownership-credit-discrimination-and-american-state#2WZ0e4EhqHmm51Ke.99

At the Boundaries of Law: Feminism and Legal Theory (Routledge Library Editions: Feminist Theory)

by Martha Albertson Fineman Nancy Sweet Thomadsen

Feminists have recently begun to challenge the powerful influence of the law on the social and cultural construction of women’s roles, identities, and rights. At the Boundaries of Law is a timely and path-breaking work that provides a series of non-technical, interdisciplinary explorations into the nature and effects of legal regulation on women’s lives. Together the essays examine the fertile – and radically revisionary – links between feminism and legal theory. But At the Boundaries of Law rejects the abstract ‘grand theorizing’ of traditional feminist legal theory, focusing instead on the concrete and material implications of the legal injustices endured by women. These essays emphasise the complex diversity of female experience, collectively arguing for legal theory and practice that both recognises and accommodates the concept of ‘difference’ – in gender, class, race and sexual orientation. At the Boundaries of Law also raises provocative questions about the methodology and future of feminist legal theory itself. In its rich variety of issues and approaches, this volume will command the interest not only of legal theorists, but of those interested in women’s studies, philosophy, politics, sociology and history. It is sure to set the future agenda for scholars, policymakers and anyone concerned with the role of law in society.

At the Brazilian's Command: The Billionaire's Bridal Bargain The Italian's Deal For I Do At The Brazilian's Command The Sheikh's Princess Bride (Hot Brazilian Nights!)

by Susan Stephens

The "Playboy of Polo" needs a wife! Finding a date has never been a struggle for wealthy polo champion Tiago Santos. But now that he needs a wife, he'll make sure he finds a woman who understands that this Brazilian stallion won't be tamed! Practical, poised Danny Cameron is the perfect candidate. She sees the value of a union that provides investment in her business-with no false promise of the happily-ever-after she doesn't believe in. But as their wedding night approaches, the sensual rhythm of the samba fills Danny with a longing...to experience all that Tiago's enthralling Latin fire promises to unleash!

At the Bride Hunt Ball

by Olivia Parker

To Snare a Bride . . .To Gabriel Devine, Duke of Wolverest, the bonds of marriage are nothing more than shackles. But if he's to remain a lifelong bachelor, that leaves only his younger brother to carry on the family name. Inviting the ton's most eligible ladies to an elegant ball, Gabriel is certain any one of them would be all too eager to become the next duchess and provide an heir—leaving Gabriel to continue his ecstatic pursuit of pleasure.To Catch a Rogue . . .Her social-climbing stepmother would give anything to have Madelyn Haywood betrothed to a future duke. But Madelyn believes the brothers Devine to be nothing more than heartless rogues—especially Gabriel, whose rakish reputation precedes him. He is nothing more than a slave to passion, and she will not be conquered by his caresses­—and yet his wicked ways tempt her so . . .

At the Brink: Will Obama Push Us Over the Edge?

by John R. Lott Jr.

Over the past four years, President Barack Obama has systematically undermined every pillar of America's strength and vitality-from the economy to health care to immigration to energy policy to personal liberty. With a bloated federal bureaucracy, staggering national debt, crippling unemployment, a crushing burden of regulation and red tape for private business and entrepreneurs, zealous pursuit of far-left pet projects, and attacks on every Constitutional freedom imaginable, Obama has brought America to the brink of disaster.Will we be able to avoid going over the edge?Well-known author and academic researcher John Lott sounds the alarm as he convincingly documents the challenges we face and builds an overwhelming case for fundamental change-not the kind Obama promised, but the kind we need to save America from permanent damage. At the Brink is a powerful and alarming look at the challenges we face, and the monumental problems the next president is about to inherit.

At the Broken Places: A Mother and Trans Son Pick Up the Pieces

by Donald Collins Mary Collins

In this collaborative memoir, a parent and a transgender son recount wrestling with their differences as Donald Collins undertook medical-treatment options to better align his body with his gender identity. As a parent, Mary Collins didn’t agree with her trans son’s decision to physically alter his body, although she supported his right to realize himself as a person. Raw and uncensored, each explains her or his emotional mindset at the time: Mary felt she had lost a daughter; Donald activated his “authentic self.” Both battled to assert their rights. A powerful memoir and resource, At the Broken Places offers a road map for families in transition.

At the Bureau of Divine Music: At The Bureau Of Divine Music

by Michael Heffernan

A thoughtful and elegant collection from accomplished poet Michael Heffernan.

At the Captain's Command

by Louise M. Gouge

Duty and career-Captain Thomas Moberly of His Majesty's Navy prizes them above all. So why is he tempted to relinquish both for Dinah Templeton? Though Dinah seems sweet and charming, the difference in station between an East Florida belle and the son of an earl is too marked to ignore. And all other obstacles pale with the discovery that Dinah's brother James is not what he seems....A war is brewing on the colonies' horizon, and James has chosen his side-in opposition to the country Thomas has sworn to defend. But what of Dinah? Where does her heart truly lie-with her family, or with the man she claims to love?

At the Captain's Table

by Gervase Phinn

Sail away with the delightful new novel from Gervase Phinn, bestselling author of The School at the Top of the DaleA summer cruise should be just the ticket for a few weeks of luxury and relaxation - but for the passengers and crew of the Empress of the Ocean, the sights of the Mediterranean are nothing compared to the excitement on board...For bickering couple Albert and Maureen, the trip might prove a much-needed escape - or the final straw. Elegant Frances de la Mare is determined to hobnob with the right kind of people - but her penthouse suite proves lonelier than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, precocious twelve-year-old Oliver discovers that guidebooks don't teach you everything, sparks fly when the port lecturer finds himself upstaged by a popular author, dancers Bruce and Babs can't keep in step, and cruise expert Neville just wants someone to speak to.But as unlikely friendships are forged, feuds bubble in the laundry room, and everyone jostles for a seat at the Captain's table, they might find all their plans going overboard.... Warm, funny and uplifting, this is the perfect escapist read for fans of Gervase Phinn's Yorkshire novels, as well as readers of Celia Imrie, Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Haran.'[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh

At the Captain's Table

by Gervase Phinn

Sail away with the delightful new novel from Gervase Phinn, bestselling author of The School at the Top of the DaleA summer cruise should be just the ticket for a few weeks of luxury and relaxation - but for the passengers and crew of the Empress of the Ocean, the sights of the Mediterranean are nothing compared to the excitement on board...For bickering couple Albert and Maureen, the trip might prove a much-needed escape - or the final straw. Elegant Frances de la Mare is determined to hobnob with the right kind of people - but her penthouse suite proves lonelier than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, precocious twelve-year-old Oliver discovers that guidebooks don't teach you everything, sparks fly when the port lecturer finds himself upstaged by a popular author, dancers Bruce and Babs can't keep in step, and cruise expert Neville just wants someone to speak to.But as unlikely friendships are forged, feuds bubble in the laundry room, and everyone jostles for a seat at the Captain's table, they might find all their plans going overboard.... Warm, funny and uplifting, this is the perfect escapist read for fans of Gervase Phinn's Yorkshire novels, as well as readers of Celia Imrie, Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Haran.'[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh

At the Captain's Table

by Gervase Phinn

Sail away with the delightful new novel from Gervase Phinn, bestselling author of The School at the Top of the DaleA summer cruise should be just the ticket for a few weeks of luxury and relaxation - but for the passengers and crew of the Empress of the Ocean, the sights of the Mediterranean are nothing compared to the excitement on board...For bickering couple Albert and Maureen, the trip might prove a much-needed escape - or the final straw. Elegant Frances de la Mare is determined to hobnob with the right kind of people - but her penthouse suite proves lonelier than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, precocious twelve-year-old Oliver discovers that guidebooks don't teach you everything, sparks fly when the port lecturer finds himself upstaged by a popular author, dancers Bruce and Babs can't keep in step, and cruise expert Neville just wants someone to speak to.But as unlikely friendships are forged, feuds bubble in the laundry room, and everyone jostles for a seat at the Captain's table, they might find all their plans going overboard.... Warm, funny and uplifting, this is the perfect escapist read for fans of Gervase Phinn's Yorkshire novels, as well as readers of Celia Imrie, Alan Titchmarsh and Maeve Haran.'[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh(P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

At the Cattleman's Command

by Lindsay Armstrong

Rugged Australian Tom Hocking’s reputationis legendary throughout the Outback-as abreaker of horses and a wooer of women. Sowedding planner Chas has made up her mindto keep out of his way while she organizes hissister’s wedding.But there’s nowhere to hide at the Hockinghomestead. And from the get-go theirs is alove/hate relationship as Chas tries to resistTom’s intoxicating good looks. She’s gotfar too much to lose to place herself at thiscattleman’s command!

At the Center (Bounce)

by Patrick Jones

Cody's basketball team, The Rebels, has an almost perfect record, thanks to the skills of his best friend Jayson "Dominator" Davis. Jayson is new to the team and to the nearly all-white high school. Tension between the coach and Jayson has simmered since he transferred from the inner city. When Coach kicks Jayson off the team, more than the school's record is at stake. A school-wide dispute falls along racial lines, and Cody finds himself at the center. Can Cody step up his game where it really counts?

At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude And The Creative Life

by Fenton Johnson

A profound meditation on accepting, and celebrating, one’s solitude. Whether seeking more time for solitude or suffering what seems a surfeit of it, readers will find the best of companions here. Fenton Johnson’s lyrical prose and searching sensibility explores what it means to choose to be solitary and celebrates the notion, common in his Roman Catholic childhood, that solitude is a legitimate and dignified calling. He delves into the lives and works of nearly a dozen iconic “solitaries” he considers his kindred spirits, from Thoreau at Walden Pond and Emily Dickinson in Amherst, to Bill Cunningham photographing the streets of New York; from Cézanne (married, but solitary nonetheless) painting Mont Sainte-Victoire over and over again, to the fiercely self-protective Zora Neale Hurston. Each character portrait is full of intense detail, the bright wakes they’ve left behind illuminating Fenton Johnson’s own journey from his childhood in the backwoods of Kentucky to his travels alone throughout the world and the people he has lost and found along the way. Combining memoir, social criticism, and devoted research, At the Center of All Beauty will resonate with solitaries and with anyone who might wish to carve out more space for solitude.

At the Center of the Circle (1773–1847): and the Writers She Influenced During Europe's Revolutionary Era

by Barbara de Boinville

This biography of &“a vital player in Revolutionary circles . . . offers us an important role model . . . a fearless woman almost lost to the fog of history&” (Charlotte Gordon, Ph.D., author of Romantic Outlaws, winner of the National Book Critics Circle award for biography). This first-ever biography of Harriet de Boinville explores her close relationships with Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and other leading writers of the Romantic era, but also tells the gripping story of Harriet's early years as the wife of an aristocratic military officer during the French-English Wars, when she experienced a naval attack in the Caribbean, a shipwreck off the coast of France, and detention as a suspected spy in Dunkirk. Combining literary history and gender study with the engaging story of a courageous and caring woman, this ground-breaking book has generated extraordinary praise from renowned authors and experts. &“. . . fascinating history, but it's also an adventure tale and a romance . . .&” —Cory Flintoff, NPR former foreign correspondent. &“. . . Harriet de Boinville most engages with her vibrant and resilient self. Her generous personality shines through the letters quoted in this fascinating biography . . .&” —Janet Todd, Ph.D., author of Death and the Maidens, and former president of Cambridge University's Cavendish College. &“Fascinating . . . Lives like Harriet de Boinville's fill out the story of those formative times as nothing else can . . .&” —Fiona Sampson, Ph.D., author of Two-Way Mirror, a Washington Post Book of the Year. &“. . . meticulously researched and fluidly written . . . At the Center of the Circle tells the compelling story of a remarkably influential woman . . .&” —Kristin Samuelian, Ph.D., Associate Professor at George Mason University and author of Royal Romances.

At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA

by George Tenet Bill Harlow

Autobiography of the CIA director from 1997 to 2004, during 9/11 and the initial invasion of Iraq

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