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Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
by Anika OrrockThis book chronicles the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and the stories of the first women to play professional baseball in a league of their own.In 1941, the world was at war, and with able-bodied American men fighting overseas, professional baseball was in danger of becoming a quaint relic—until women stepped up to the plate.In this heartwarming illustrated history, the League's story is told by the ones who know it best: the players. Author Anika Orrock collects a variety of funny, charming, wince-worthy, and powerful vignettes told by the players themselves about their time playing the American pastime.• Features stories of grit and perseverance against all odds, told by the players themselves• Filled with player statistics, historical beats, headlines, and more; and fully illustrated in Anika's vibrant style• A visually engaging, readable women-led history bookWritten in an approachable manner and beautifully illustrated, The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is a one-of-a-kind story told through the women's own voices and their own perspectives.This book ultimately proves that the incredible women of the AAGPBL truly were in a league of their own.• A unique celebration of a specific moment in women's and sports history• A great read for experienced and new sports fans alike, readers young and old, baseball fans• Perfect accompaniment to books like Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky, Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker, and Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! by Kate Schatz
The Incorrigibles
by Meredith JaegerFrom USA Today bestselling author Meredith Jaeger comes an emotionally resonant novel about two women whose lives intersect as one resists the gentrification of her San Francisco neighborhood, and the other, eighty years earlier, fights for her freedom in nineteenth-century America. . . . 1890, San Francisco. Seduced by her employer&’s nephew, Annie Gilmurray, an Irish maid, is accused of stealing the ring he promised her. Sentenced to one year in San Quentin, Annie is heartbroken and frightened among the inmates of the women&’s ward: prostitutes, murderers, and pickpockets. But Annie finds beauty and friendship in a brutal place, where the women look out for one another, dreaming of a better life after release. But their world inside San Quentin's walls is a dangerous one, and when the unthinkable happens, Annie makes a choice that will alter the course of her future forever. 1972, San Francisco. Aspiring photographer Judy Morelli is grappling with the searing betrayal of her husband&’s infidelity, subletting a San Francisco apartment while she pieces her life back together. When Judy discovers Annie's mugshot, she becomes fascinated and invested not just in Annie's fate but also in the history of her gentrifying South of Market Street neighborhood, joining the fight against redevelopment to maintain its rich community. Exploring the different ways in which we are imprisoned and how we can break free, The Incorrigibles is a story of women reaching across the barriers of time, the unbreakable bonds of female friendship, and the forgotten histories of those pushed to society&’s margins.
The Incarnations: A Novel
by Susan BarkerNew York Times Notable Book of 2015 Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of 2015 Finalist for the 2015 Kirkus Prize for Fiction Winner of a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize Hailed by The New York Times for its &“wildly ambitious...dazzling use of language&” and &“mesmerizing storytelling,&” The Incarnations is a &“brilliant, mind-expanding, and wildly original novel&” (Chris Cleave) about a Beijing taxi driver whose past incarnations over one thousand years haunt him through searing letters sent by his mysterious soulmate.Who are you? you must be wondering. I am your soulmate, your old friend, and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you. So begins the first letter that falls into Wang’s lap as he flips down the visor in his taxi. The letters that follow are filled with the stories of Wang’s previous lives—from escaping a marriage to a spirit bride, to being a slave on the run from Genghis Khan, to living as a fisherman during the Opium Wars, and being a teenager on the Red Guard during the cultural revolution—bound to his mysterious “soulmate,” spanning one thousand years of betrayal and intrigue. As the letters continue to appear seemingly out of thin air, Wang becomes convinced that someone is watching him—someone who claims to have known him for over a century. And with each letter, Wang feels the watcher growing closer and closer… Seamlessly weaving Chinese folklore, history, literary classics, and the notion of reincarnation, this is a taut and gripping novel that reveals the cyclical nature of history as it hints that the past is never truly settled.
Incantations Embodied: Rituals For Empowerment, Reclamation, And Resistance
by Kimberly RodriguezKimberly Rodriguez, a first-generation Xicana Indigena artist, poet, and activist, invites readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery and empowerment through her book, Incantations Embodied: Rituals for empowerment, reclamation, and resistance, serving as a catalyst for reclaiming our stories, truth, and power.In Incantations Embodied: Rituals for Empowerment, Reclamation, and Resistance, author Kimberly Rodriuguez takes readers on a profound and transformative journey towards self-discovery and empowerment. Within its pages lies a poignant exploration of the human experience, interwoven with elements of spirituality, healing, and personal growth. At its core, Incantations Embodied serves as a triumphant homecoming—a return to the essence of one's being. It invites readers to embark on a sacred journey, emboldening them to embrace their true selves with unwavering honesty and compassion. Through Rodriguez's captivating stories, enlightening prose, and enchanting rituals, this book becomes a powerful catalyst for reclaiming our stories, our bodies, our identities, our voices, and ultimately, our power. In a world where societal norms and expectations often stifle individuality and self-expression, Incantations Embodied stands as a resounding call to break free from these chains. It seeks to dismantle the oppressive narrative that has been ingrained in our collective consciousness, urging us to question and challenge the colonized structures that have kept us disconnected from our own truth. The book serves as a powerful guide for self-realization, urging individuals to transcend their limitations and embrace their innate potential. With each turn of the page, a profound shift occurs—a blossoming of self-awareness, strength, and resilience. "Incantations are our liberation. With the power of words, we become conjurers, bringing our wildest dreams to life." - Kimberly Rodriguez
Incansable: Mi historia de la fuerza latina que está transformando a los Estados Unidos
by Luis A. Miranda Jr.Lectura esencial de una voz experta que necesita nuestro país: las memorias personales y políticas de Luis Miranda revelan un profundo conocimiento de la cultura latina y el desarrollo de una comunidad que puede cambiar nuestro mundo para bien. Siendo un veterano de Nueva York y de la política nacional, Luis Miranda encarna el espíritu progresista e incansable de los inmigrantes estadounidenses. No existe persona alguna en la escena política latina, neoyorquina y nacional con la amplia experiencia, pasión y encanto narrativo de Luis Miranda. En Incansable, nos comparte la conmovedora historia de su vida y carrera, desde sus inicios como activista puertorriqueño con mentalidad radical hasta sus décadas de asesoramiento político y resolución de problemas. Experimentamos la emoción con la exposición de Hamilton, creada por su hijo Lin-Manuel. Además, vivimos el sufrimiento tras la devastación de Puerto Rico por el huracán María. En medio de los triunfos, los desafíos y el arduo trabajo continuo, Miranda examina lo que su experiencia le ha revelado acerca de nuestra política, demografía y sociedad en constante cambio.
Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team
by Andrew MaranissFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Strong Inside comes the inspirational true story of the birth of women&’s Olympic basketball at the 1976 Summer Games and the ragtag team that put US women&’s basketball on the map. Perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown.A League of Their Own meets Miracle in the inspirational true story of the first US Women&’s Olympic Basketball team and their unlikely rise to the top. Twenty years before women&’s soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the &’76 US women&’s basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women&’s sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the &’76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. From Pat Head, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, coach Billie Moore, and beyond—these women took on the world and proved everyone wrong. Packed with black-and-white photos and thoroughly researched details about the beginnings of US women&’s basketball, Inaugural Ballers is the fascinating story of the women who paved the way for girls everywhere.
The Inadequate Heir (The Bridge Kingdom #3)
by Danielle L. JensenIn the third novel of the iconic Bridge Kingdom series, forbidden romance blooms between two sworn enemies who must choose between their thirst for vengeance and their love for one another—from the New York Times bestselling author of A Fate Inked in Blood.A soldier raised as heir to an empire, Zarrah is motivated by two truths. The first is that the Veliant family murdered her mother. And the second is that her pursuit of vengeance will put every last one of them in their graves.The Endless War between Maridrina and Valcotta has raged for generations, leaving thousands of Zarrah&’s people dead and countless more orphaned. So when she&’s given command of the contested city of Nerastis, Zarrah is prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Maridrinian forces who oppose her. And to kill the Veliant prince who leads them.Yet a chance encounter with an anonymous, and handsome, Maridrinian causes Zarrah to question whether the violence she&’s perpetrated is justice or a crime. And as she continues to meet the nameless man each night, she finds common ground—and fiery passion—in his arms.But when identities are revealed, Zarrah must decide whether to embrace a chance at peace . . . or march to the drums of war.Don&’t miss any of Danielle L. Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series:THE BRIDGE KINGDOM • THE TRAITOR QUEEN • THE INADEQUATE HEIR • THE ENDLESS WAR
In with the In Crowd: Popular Jazz in 1960s Black America (American Made Music Series)
by Mike SmithMost studies of 1960s jazz underscore the sounds of famous avant-garde musicians like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Albert Ayler. Conspicuously absent from these narratives are the more popular jazz artists of the decade that electrified dance clubs, permeated radio waves, and released top-selling records. Names like Eddie Harris, Nancy Wilson, Ramsey Lewis, and Jimmy Smith are largely neglected in most serious work today. Mike Smith rectifies this oversight and explores why critical writings have generally cast off best-selling 1960s jazz as unworthy of in-depth analysis and reverent documentation.The 1960s were a time of monumental political and social shifts. Avant-garde jazz, made by musicians indifferent to public perception aligns well with widely held images of the era. In with the In Crowd: Popular Jazz in 1960s Black America argues that this dominant, and unfortunately distorted, view negates and ignores a vibrant jazz community. These musicians and their listeners created a music defined by socialization, celebration, and Black pride.Smith tells the joyful story of the musicians, the radio DJs, the record labels, and the live venues where jazz not only survived but thrived in the 1960s. This was the music of everyday people, who viewed jazz as an important part of their cultural identity as Black Americans. In an era marked by turmoil and struggle, popular jazz offered a powerful outlet for joy, resilience, pride, and triumph.
In Universes: A Novel
by Emet NorthA Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Tor.com, Bustle, Literary Hub, Autostraddle, Gizmodo, IGN, and Lilith Magazine "An explosion of creative beauty and heart."–Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Chain-Gang All-Stars"Baffingly good." –Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of the Fox"A miracle of physics and art." –Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing EarthFor fans of Emily St. John Mandel and Kelly Link, a profoundly imaginative debut novel set in numerous universes, which follows a queer physicist’s search for belonging across time and space.Raffi works in an observational cosmology lab, searching for dark matter and trying to hide how little they understand their own research. Every chance they get, they escape to see Britt, a queer sculptor who fascinates them for reasons they also don’t—or won’t—understand. As Raffi’s carefully constructed life begins to collapse, they become increasingly fixated on the multiverse and the idea that somewhere, there might be a universe where they mean as much to Britt as she does to them…and just like that, Raffi and Britt are thirteen years old, best friends and maybe something more. In Universes is a mind-bending tour across parallel worlds, each an answer to the question of what life would be like if events had played out just a little differently. The universes grow increasingly strange: women fracture into hordes of animals, alien-infested bears prowl apocalyptic landscapes. But across them all, Raffi—alongside their sometimes-friends, sometimes-lovers Britt, Kay, and Graham—reaches for a life that feels authentically their own.Blending realism with science fiction, In Universes explores the thirst for genius, the fluidity of gender and identity, and the pull of the past against the desire to lead a meaningful life. Part Ted Chiang, part Carmen Maria Machado, part Everything Everywhere All At Once, In Universes insists on the transgressive power of hope even in the darkest of times.
In Transition: Young Adult Literature and Transgender Representation (Children's Literature Association Series)
by Emily CorbettThe first book-length work of its kind, In Transition: Young Adult Literature and Transgender Representation examines the shift in the young adult book market towards increased representation of transgender characters and authors. Through a comprehensive exploration of historical conventions, genres, character diversity, and ideologies of trans representation, Emily Corbett traces the roots of trans literature from its beginnings in a cisgender-dominated publishing world to the recent rise in trans creators, characters, and implied readers. Corbett describes how trans-ness was initially perceived as an issue to be overcome by cisgender authors and highlights the ways in which the market has changed.Through careful analysis of texts that have until now received little scholarly attention, Corbett weaves together different theoretical approaches and fields of study to provide a map of the textual and cultural histories of this twenty-first-century publishing phenomenon. Focusing on trans authorship, authentic storytelling, and intersectional diversity, this book charts changing public attitudes, the YA book market, and the unique sociocultural moment in which these books are published. In Transition contributes new perspectives on the intersections of adolescence and trans-ness and sheds light on a dynamic subset of YA literature that has yet to receive sustained analysis.
In This Together: My Story
by Ann RomneyWhen Mitt and Ann Romney met in their late teens, a great American love story began. And their life together would be blessed: five healthy sons, financial security, and a home filled with joy. Despite the typical ups and downs, they had a storybook life.Then, in 1998, Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She couldn't believe it was real; there were no therapies or treatments to help her. Mitt told her that day that they would tackle the diagnosis as a team: They were in it together. "As long as it isn't fatal, we're fine. If you have to be in a wheelchair, I'll be right there to push it," he told her. And Ann thought, "But I'll be the one in the wheelchair." A caregiver and helper her whole life, she'd crossed a terrible invisible line. She wouldn't be able to care for her family anymore. She was the patient. Ann and Mitt would face the most frightening and humbling experience of their lives.From reflections on her early life, her marriage, and her diagnosis and recovery, the sources of her faith, and the stories of others who overcame adversity and inspired her to keep going, In This Together is a brave and deeply honest portrait of a family facing an unexpected blow, often in the most public of circumstances."A lot of people talk about a transformation that happens when life throws you a curve ball, and the big one in my life was my MS diagnosis. With all the blessings I've had, MS has been my greatest teacher: It has taught me about faith, compassion, and serving others. I've met many people along the way who've shared advice and demonstrated enormous resilience in the face of challenges; their stories gave me strength. In sharing my story, I want to give others hope as I've been given hope on this journey."
In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work
by Kyla Scanlon&“Few people can communicate how the economy actually works better than Kyla Scanlon.&”—Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of MoneyAn illustrated guide to the mad math and terrible terminology of economics, from one of the internet&’s favorite financial educatorsIs our national debt really a threat? What is a &“mild&” recession, exactly? If you&’re worried about your bank account balance, job security, or mortgage rate, what data should you be keeping tabs on? For anyone trying to make sense of disorienting headlines, there&’s no better interpreter than Kyla Scanlon. Through her trademark blend of witty illustrations, creative analogies, and insights from behavioral economics, literature, and philosophy, Scanlon breaks down everything you need to know about how money and markets really work. This indispensable handbook reveals the hidden forces driving key economic outcomes, the most common myths to steer clear of, and the dusty, outdated assumptions that constrain our political imagination, offering a bold new path to building a prosperous society that works for everyone.
In the Watershed: A Journey Down the Maumee River
by Ryan SchnurrFor several years, Ryan Schnurr watched media coverage of Lake Erie algae blooms with a growing sense of unease. An Indiana native, he wanted to learn more about role of the Maumee River in the lake's environmental woes: the Maumee is Lake Erie's largest tributary and the center of the largest watershed in the region, spanning more than 6,600 square miles of land. So in the summer of 2016, Schnurr walked and canoed the length of the river from its headwaters in Fort Wayne, Indiana to its mouth in Toledo, Ohio. In The Watershed: A Journey Down the Maumee River is the story of that voyage. As he walks the banks, Schnurr tells us the history of the river, from its formation by glaciers, function in Native American and American history, uses by industry, and role in current economic and environmental issues. Part cultural history, part nature writing, and part narrative, In the Watershed is a lyrical work of non-fiction in the vein of John McPhee and Ian Frazier with a timely and important warning at the core. "What is happening in Lake Erie," Schnurr tells us, "is a disaster by nearly any measure―ecologically, economically, socially, culturally."
In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth
by Ann RuleFrom true crime legend Ann Rule comes this riveting story of a young woman whose life ended too soon—and a determined mother&’s eleven-year crusade to clear her daughter&’s name. It was nine days before Christmas 1998, and thirty-two-year-old Ronda Reynolds was getting ready to travel from Seattle to Spokane to visit her mother and brother and grandmother before the holidays. Ronda&’s second marriage was dissolving after less than a year, her career as a pioneering female Washington State Trooper had ended, but she was optimistic about starting over again. "I&’m actually looking forward to getting on with my life," she told her mother earlier the night before. "I just need a few days with you guys." Barb Thompson, Ronda&’s mother, who had met her daughter&’s second husband only once before, was just happy that Ronda was coming home. At 6:20 that morning, Ron Reynolds called 911 and told the dispatcher his wife was dead. She had committed suicide, he said, although he hadn&’t heard the gunshot and he didn&’t know if she had a pulse. EMTs arrived, detectives arrived, the coroner&’s deputy arrived, and a postmortem was conducted. Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson, who neither visited the death scene nor attended the autopsy, declared the manner of Ronda&’s death as "undetermined." Over the next eleven years, Coroner Wilson would change that manner of death from "undetermined" to "suicide," back to "undetermined"—and then back to "suicide" again. But Barb Thompson never for one moment believed her daughter committed suicide. Neither did Detective Jerry Berry or ballistics expert Marty Hayes or attorney Royce Ferguson or dozens of Ronda&’s friends. For eleven grueling years, through the ups and downs of the legal system and its endless delays, these people and others helped Barb Thompson fight to strike that painful word from her daughter&’s death certificate. On November 9, 2009, a precedent-setting hearing was held to determine whether Coroner Wilson&’s office had been derelict in its duty in investigating the death of Ronda Reynolds. Veteran true-crime writer Ann Rule was present at that hearing, hoping to unbraid the tangled strands of conflicting statements and mishandled evidence and present all sides of this haunting case and to determine, perhaps, what happened to Ronda Reynolds, in the chill still of that tragic December night.
In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Lady Emily Mystery (Lady Emily Mysteries #14)
by Tasha AlexanderIn skillfully intertwined storylines from the dawn of the twentieth century and the heyday of the Roman Empire, Tasha Alexander's In the Shadow of Vesuvius, the latest installment to her bestselling series, brings Lady Emily and her husband to Pompeii, where they uncover a recent crime in the ancient city. Some corpses lie undisturbed longer than others. But when Lady Emily discovers a body hidden in plain sight amongst the ruins of Pompeii, she sets in motion a deadly chain of events that ties her future to the fate of a woman whose story had been lost for nearly two thousand years. Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have accompanied her dear friend Ivy Brandon on a trip to Pompeii. When they uncover a corpse and the police dismiss the murder as the work of local gangsters, Emily launches an investigation of her own. She seems to be aided by the archaeologists excavating the ruins, including a moody painter, the enigmatic site director, and a free-thinking American capable of sparring with even the Duke of Bainbridge. But each of them has secrets hiding among the ruins. The sudden appearance of a beautiful young woman who claims a shocking relationship to the Hargreaves family throws Emily’s investigation off-course. And as she struggles to face an unsettling truth about Colin’s past, it becomes clear that someone else wants her off the case—for good. Emily’s resolve to unearth the facts is unshakable. But how far below the surface can she dig before she risks burying herself along with the truth?
In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills
by Jennifer Haupt"...more than a page-turning narrative; it's an embrace of the Kinyarwanda greeting amahoro--'peace.'"—Oprah.comAn evocative page-turner and an eye-opening meditation on the ways we survive profoundly painful memories and negotiate the complexities of love.&”—Wally Lamb, author of I Know This Much is TrueFinalist – National Reading Group—Great Group Reads 2018Finalist – Foreword Indies Book of the YearIn 1968, a disillusioned and heartbroken Lillian Carlson left Atlanta after the assassination of Martin Luther King. She found meaning in the hearts of orphaned African children and cobbled together her own small orphanage in the Rift Valley alongside the lush forests of Rwanda.Three decades later, in New York City, Rachel Shepherd, lost and heartbroken herself, embarks on a journey to find the father who abandoned her as a young child, determined to solve the enigma of Henry Shepherd, a now-famous photographer.When an online search turns up a clue to his whereabouts, Rachel travels to Rwanda to connect with an unsuspecting and uncooperative Lillian. While Rachel tries to unravel the mystery of her father's disappearance, she finds unexpected allies in an ex-pat doctor running from his past and a young Tutsi woman who lived through a profound experience alongside her father. Set against the backdrop of a country grieving and trying to heal after a devastating civil war, follow the intertwining stories of three women who discover something unexpected: grace when there can be no forgiveness."An intensely beautiful debut.&”—Library Journal"Good choice for those seeking tales of hope . . . and it may prove popular with book clubs.&”—Booklist
In the Name of Honor: A Thriller
by Richard North PattersonHome from Iraq, a lieutenant kills his commanding officer—was it self-defense or premeditated murder? In the Name of Honor marks an enthralling novel of suspense about the high cost of war and secrets from bestselling author Richard North Patterson.The McCarrans and the Gallaghers, two military families, have been close for decades, ever since Anthony McCarran—now one of the army's most distinguished generals—became best friends with Jack Gallagher, a fellow West Pointer who was later killed in Vietnam. Now a new generation of soldiers faces combat, and Lt. Brian McCarran, the general's son, has returned from a harrowing tour in Iraq. Traumatized by wartime experiences he will not reveal, Brian depends on his lifelong friendship with Kate Gallagher, Jack's daughter, who is married to Brian's commanding officer in Iraq, Capt. Joe D'Abruzzo. But since coming home, D'Abruzzo also seems changed by the experiences he and Brian shared—he's become secretive and remote. Tragedy strikes when Brian shoots and kills D'Abruzzo on their army post in Virginia. Brian pleads self-defense, claiming that D'Abruzzo, a black-belt martial artist, came to his quarters, accused him of interfering with his marriage, and attacked him. Kate supports Brian and says that her husband had become violent and abusive. But Brian and Kate have secrets of their own, and now Capt. Paul Terry, one of the army's most accomplished young lawyers, will defend Brian in a high-profile court-martial. Terry's co-counsel is Meg McCarran, Brian's sister, a brilliant and beautiful attorney who insists on leaving her practice in San Francisco to help save her brother. Before the case is over, Terry will become deeply entwined with Meg and the McCarrans—and learn that families, like war, can break the sturdiest of souls.
In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want (Inspirational Ser.)
by Iyanla Vanzant&“The most powerful spiritual healer, fixer, teacher on the planet.&” —Oprah Winfrey The #1 national bestseller from the host of the show Iyanla: Fix My Life on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) that answers the question: What&’s love got to do with it in the meantime?You know where you want to be, but you have no clue how to get there. You know exactly what you want in life, but what you want is nowhere in sight. Perhaps your vision is unclear, your purpose still undefined. On top of it all, your relationships, particularly your romantic relationships, are failing. If these scenarios feel familiar way down in the deepest part of your gut—then you, my dear, are smack dab in the middle of the meantime. Every living being wants to experience the light of love. The problem is that our windows are dirty! The windows of our hearts and minds are streaked with past pains and hurts, past memories and disappointments. In this book, Iyanla Vanzant teaches us how to do our mental housekeeping so that we can clean the windows, floors, walls, closets, and corners of our minds. If we do a good job, our spirits will shine bringing in the light of true love and happiness.
In the Lobby of the Dream Hotel: A Novel
by Genevieve PlunkettFinalist for the Vermont Book AwardsA young mother finds herself caught between a love affair and the wrath of her husband, who will do anything to put an end to it—even use his wife's bipolar diagnosis against herWhen faced with newfound feelings for Theo, the drummer of her band, married young mother Portia must decide whether to follow her heart or question her sanity. Going off her medication feels like waking up for the first time. But could this clarity be harmless daydreaming, or a symptom of something more serious?Portia&’s husband, a well-respected prosecutor in their small Vermont town, is convinced of the latter. He retaliates, initiating an intervention, claiming that Portia&’s behavior is proof of her bipolar disorder. With lawyer-like cunning, he uses elements from her past to break her resolve until she agrees to being committed to a psychiatric hospital. In the hospital, Portia&’s sense of reality is tested, and hard truths about her marriage, her love for Theo, and her most vulnerable hopes and desires are revealed.In the Lobby of the Dream Hotel is a potent and at times devastating story of stark tenderness. Written like a dream, this novel brings us toward new understandings of the flawed, yearning, multifaceted self.
In the Kingdom of Gorillas: The Quest to Save Rwanda's Mountain Gorillas
by Bill Weber Amy VedderFrom the founders of the world-famous Mountain Gorilla Project, an empowering account of their efforts to save the mountain gorilla in Rwanda and how they succeeded—even in the midst of a horrendous civil war.In 1978, when Dr. Bill Weber and Dr. Amy Vedder arrived in Rwanda to study mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey, the gorilla population was teetering toward extinction. Poaching was rampant, but it was loss of habitat that most endangered the gorillas. When yet another slice of the Virunga Mountains was targeted for development, Weber and Vedder recognized that the gorillas were doomed unless something was done to save their land. Over Fossey's objections, they helped found the Mountain Gorilla Project. The MGP was designed to educate Rwandans about the gorillas and about the importance of conservation, while at the same time establishing an ecotourism project—one of the first anywhere in a rainforest—to bring desperately needed revenue to Rwanda. In vivid detail, Weber and Vedder describe their experiences getting to know entire families of gorillas, from powerful silverback patriarchs to helpless newborn infants. They tell us about the gorillas they recognized and came to know as individuals, stories both tragic and joyful. They describe a landscape that was heaven one day, green hell the next. And they tell of their discovery of the terrible and mysterious events surrounding Fossey's murder. They explain that the key to saving the mountain gorillas was helping the people of Rwanda—even in the face of a civil war—to share in the benefits of conservation. Rich with details about the gorillas' lives, the realities of conservation, and portraits of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times, this is a riveting adventure story that is sure to take its place among the classic accounts of the world of nature.
In the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown
by Amy GaryThe extraordinary life of the woman behind the beloved children’s classics Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny comes alive in this fascinating biography of Margaret Wise Brown. Margaret’s books have sold millions of copies all over the world, but few people know that she was at the center of a children’s book publishing revolution. Her whimsy and imagination fueled a steady stream of stories, book ideas, songs, and poems and she was renowned for her prolific writing and business savvy, as well as her stunning beauty and endless thirst for adventure.Margaret started her writing career by helping to shape the curriculum for the Bank Street School for children, making it her mission to create stories that would rise above traditional fairy tales and allowed girls to see themselves as equal to boys. At the same time, she also experimented endlessly with her own writing. Margaret would spend days researching subjects, picking daisies, cloud gazing, and observing nature, all in an effort to precisely capture a child’s sense of awe and wonder as they discovered the world.Clever, quirky, and incredibly talented, Margaret embraced life with passion, lived extravagantly off of her royalties, went on rabbit hunts, and carried on long and troubled love affairs with both men and women. Among them were two great loves in Margaret’s life. One was a gender-bending poet and the ex-wife of John Barrymore. She went by the stage name of Michael Strange and she and Margaret had a tempestuous yet secret relationship, at one point living next door to each other so that they could be together. After the dissolution of their relationship and Michael’s death, Margaret became engaged to a younger man, who also happened to be the son of a Rockefeller and a Carnegie. But before they could marry Margaret died unexpectedly at the age of forty-two, leaving behind a cache of unpublished work and a timeless collection of books that would go on become classics in children’s literature.In In the Great Green Room, author Amy Gary captures the eccentric and exceptional life of Margaret Wise Brown, and drawing on newly-discovered personal letters and diaries, reveals an intimate portrait of a creative genius whose unrivaled talent breathed new life in to the literary world.
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
by Erik LarsonErik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Devil in the White City, delivers a remarkable story set during Hitler&’s rise to power.The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America&’s first ambassador to Hitler&’s Nazi Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the &“New Germany,&” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler&’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.
In the Doorway of All Worlds: Gonzalo de Berceo’s Translation of the Saints (Toronto Iberic #89)
by Robin M BowerThe thirteenth-century poet Gonzalo de Berceo is the first named author of Old Spanish letters and the most prolific contributor to the emergence of the body of learned vernacular verse known as the mester de clerecía. In the Doorway of All Worlds focuses on the four hagiographies Berceo produced as a unified body of poetic expression and world-building. Robin M. Bower traces the poet’s intricate juxtaposition of contraries to shed light on a poetic world that will innovate a deceptively simple poetic vernacular and elevate its capacity to express nuance, power, and mystery. The book examines the entanglements that bind formal and lexical choices, the inscription of performance sites and audiences, and problematic source authority. It argues that Berceo’s elaboration of a poetic vernacular was wholly enmeshed in the immediate human, experiential world and the diverse cultural, religious, linguistic, and literary contexts that framed it. The book also highlights how Berceo invented a literary vernacular that befits the spoken idiom not only for the crafting of learned fictions, but for giving linguistic shape to the ineffable. In the Doorway of All Worlds ultimately reveals how Berceo freed the meanings trapped in relics, shrines, and the impenetrable texts from which he translated the saints to circulate in a new time.
In the Cherry Tree: A Novel
by Dan PopeWith a wholly original voice, this stunning debut novel captures the overwhelming transformation from childhood to adolescenceAn ordinary suburban Connecticut summer in the seventies is the stage for the miraculous world of Timmy. Twelve years old and full of boundless curiosity, Timmy lives an ever-expanding life of record collections (of which Elton John is king), neighborhood bullies (of whom Franky DiLorenzo rules), best friends, and the darker, more lasting secrets of family. Over the course of the summer, Timmy will kill a frog, lose his baseball-card collection, alienate a friend, and witness his parents' separation. An intruder will hide in his treehouse; his mother will threaten divorce; his father will move out and back in. Timmy's childhood will end and his adolescence begin.One of the most remarkable child narrators to come along in recent years, Timmy is the achievement of a stunning new voice in American fiction. In the Cherry Tree is an addictively clever and appealing novel of our universal coming of age."Pope's dialogue is heartbreaking and real; his characters sympathetic in their gross imperfections." - Booklist
In the Blood: James Reece 5 (Terminal List Ser. #5)
by Jack Carr**NOW AN AMAZON PRIME TV SERIES STARRING CHRIS PRATT**'Take my word for it, James Reece is one rowdy motherf***er. Get ready!' CHRIS PRATT A woman boards a plan in Burkina Faso having just completed a targeted assassination for the state of Israel. Two minutes after takeoff her plane is blown out of the sky. 6000 miles to the east, James Reece watches the names and pictures of the victims cross cable news. One face triggers a distant memory of a Mossad operative attached to the CIA years earlier in Iraq, a woman with ties to the intelligence services of two nations, a woman Reece thought he would never see again… In a global pursuit spanning four continents, James Reece will enlist the help of friends new and old to track down her killer and walk right into a trap set by a master sniper, a sniper who has enlisted help of his own…The 5th in the bestselling James Reece series, from former Navy SEAL Jack Carr. If you loved Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Peter James's Roy Grace or Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller, you will love James Reece! Praise for Jack Carr: &‘A propulsive and compulsive series. Jack Carr&’s James Reece is the kind of guy you&’d want to have in your corner. A suspenseful and exhilarating thrill-ride. Jack Carr is the real deal&’ Andy McNab 'This is seriously good . . . the suspense is unrelenting, and the tradecraft is so authentic the government will probably ban it – so read it while you can!' Lee Child 'With a particular line in authentic tradecraft, this fabulously unrelenting thrill-ride was a struggle to put down' Mark Dawson 'Gritty, raw and brilliant!' Tom Marcus &‘So powerful, so pulse-pounding, so well-written – rarely do you read a debut novel this damn good&’ Brad Thor 'Carr writes both from the gut and a seemingly infinite reservoir of knowledge in the methods of human combat. Loved it!' Chris Hauty 'A powerful, thoughtful, realistic, at times terrifying thriller that I could not put down. A terrific addition to the genre, Jack Carr and his alter-ego protagonist, James Reece, continue to blow me away' Mark Greaney 'Thrilling' Publishers Weekly