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Onyeka and the Heroes of the Dawn (Onyeka)
by Tolá OkogwuOnyeka and her superpowered friends set off to England on a rescue mission in this third installment in the Onyeka middle grade series, perfect for fans of Rick Riordan, The Marvellers, and X-Men.Solari—children with superpowers—have always been native to Nigeria, but Onyeka and her friends have been alerted to one hidden in England. Tasked with retrieving the young Solari, they successfully complete their mission, arriving safe and sound back at the Academy of the Sun with Tobi in tow. Tobi&’s identity and superpower remain a mystery, until a breadcrumb trail leads Onyeka to the truth. But someone else has uncovered the secret, and unlike Onyeka, they don&’t have Tobi&’s best interests at heart. Can our superhero save the day once again?
The Emergency Diaries: Stories from Doctors Inside the ER
by Northwell's Staten Island University HospitalHarrowing and hopeful tales from doctors inside the emergency room at Staten Island University Hospital—one of the flagship hospitals of Northwell Health, New York&’s largest health care provider Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—through winter storms, hurricanes, and global pandemics—emergency rooms are vital to the safety of any community. Day in and day out, thousands of patients pass through their doors to address their immediate medical needs. From life-threatening illnesses to minor ailments, ER doctors and nurses are the first line of defense when something goes wrong with our bodies. Written as a series of essays and stories by real ER doctors, The Emergency Diaries gives readers a glimpse into the hearts and minds of medicine&’s finest, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges these everyday heroes face. Doctors recount firsthand the challenging nature of their profession and share pivotal moments in their medical careers that have stuck with them to this day. Whether it&’s delivering the bad news or making split-second decisions to save lives, the extremes of this profession can be overwhelming. ER doctors and nurses are under incredible pressure to act with grace, precision, and mental fortitude when caring for their patients. Larger national events—like the opioid epidemic, natural disasters, and the coronavirus pandemic—have only exacerbated this stress in recent years. This poignant-yet-hopeful book tells their stories and serves as a testament to their incredible resilience and sacrifice for the greater good.
Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World's Tallest Skyscrapers
by Jason M. BarrFrom one of the world&’s top experts on the economics of skyscrapers—a fascinating account of the ever-growing quest for super tall buildings across the globe.The world&’s skyscrapers have brought us awe and wonder, and yet they remain controversial—for their high costs, shadows, and overt grandiosity. But, decade by decade, they keep getting higher and higher. What is driving this global building spree of epic proportions? In Cities in the Sky, author Jason Barr explains all: why they appeal to cities and nations, how they get financed, why they succeed economically, and how they change a city&’s skyline and enable the world&’s greatest metropolises to thrive in the 21st century. From the Empire State Building (1,250 feet) to the Shanghai Tower (2,073 feet) and everywhere in between, Barr explains the unique architectural and engineering efforts that led to the creation of each. Along the way, Barr visits and unpacks some surprising myths about the earliest skyscrapers and the growth of American skylines after World War II, which incorporated a new suite of technologies that spread to the rest of the world in the 1990s. Barr also explores why London banned skyscrapers at the end of the 19th century but then embraced them in the 21st and explains how Hong Kong created the densest cluster of skyscrapers on the planet. Also covered is the dramatic result of China&’s &“skyscraper fever&” and then on to the Arabian Peninsula to see what drove Dubai to build the world&’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which at 2,717 feet, is higher than the new One World Trade Center in New York by three football fields. Filled with fascinating details for urbanists, architecture buffs, and urban design enthusiasts alike, Cities in the Sky addresses the good, bad, and ugly for cities that have embraced vertical skylines and offers us a glimpse to the future to see whether cities around the world will continue their journey ever upwards.
The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy
by Ursula K. Le GuinFeaturing a new introduction by Ken Liu, this revised edition of Ursula K. Le Guin&’s first full-length collection of essays covers her background as a writer and educator, on fantasy and science fiction, on writing, and on the future of literary science fiction.&“We like to think we live in daylight, but half the world is always dark; and fantasy, like poetry, speaks the language of the night.&” —Ursula K. Le Guin Le Guin&’s sharp and witty voice is on full display in this collection of twenty-four essays, revised by the author a decade after its initial publication in 1979. The collection covers a wide range of topics and Le Guin&’s origins as a writer, her advocacy for science fiction and fantasy as mediums for true literary exploration, the writing of her own major works such as A Wizard of Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness, and her role as a public intellectual and educator. The book and each thematic section are brilliantly introduced and contextualized by Susan Wood, a professor at the University of British Columbia and a literary editor and feminist activist during the 1960s and &’70s. A fascinating, intimate look into the exceptional mind of Le Guin whose insights remain as relevant and resonant today as when they were first published.
Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy
by Craig Whitlock#1 New York Times bestselling author Craig Whitlock&’s masterful account of one of the biggest public corruption scandals in American history—exposing how a charismatic Malaysian defense contractor bribed scores of high-ranking military officers, defrauded the US Navy of tens of millions of dollars, and jeopardized our nation&’s security.All the admirals in the US Navy knew Leonard Glenn Francis—either personally or by his legendary reputation. He was the larger-than-life defense contractor who greeted them on the pier whenever they visited ports in Asia, ready to show them a good time after weeks at sea while his company resupplied their ships and submarines. He was famed throughout the fleet for the gluttonous parties he hosted for officers: $1,000-per-person dinners at Asia&’s swankiest restaurants, featuring unlimited Dom Pérignon, Cuban cigars, and sexy young women. On the surface, with his flawless American accent, he seemed like a true friend of the Navy. What the brass didn&’t realize, until far too late, was that Francis had seduced them by exploiting their entitlement and hubris. While he was bribing them with gifts, lavish meals, and booze-fueled orgies, he was making himself obscenely wealthy by bilking American taxpayers. Worse, he was stealing military secrets from under the admirals&’ noses and compromising national security. Based on reams of confidential documents—including the blackmail files that Francis kept on Navy officers—Fat Leonard is the full, unvarnished story of a world-class con man and a captivating testament to the corrosive influence of greed within the ranks of the American military.
Burning Sky: A Novel
by John DarntonThis novel brings to life a nightmare scenario in the not-too-distant future when scientists undertake a misbegotten scheme to tame the power of the sun. In Burning Sky, three generations of a family confront the life-and-death challenge of global warming. The first, a cantankerous climatologist, raises the alarm. The second, a brilliant scientist with a lust for power that spawns a dictatorship, constructs &“the Cocoon,&” a stratospheric shield to deflect sunlight. When it cuts the Earth off from the blue sky and majestic stars and plunges our planet into an eternal miasmic fog, it is up to the third generation—the very son and daughter of the scientist—to try to overthrow him and dismantle his pernicious works. In aiming to undo the damage of their ancestors, perhaps the younger generation can set humanity on a wiser course.
Larry Doby in Black and White: The Story of a Baseball Pioneer
by Jerry IzenbergWhen people think of baseball trailblazers, their minds immediately go to Jackie Robinson. He was the man who broke the color barrier, appearing in 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and would go on to a Hall of Fame career. His number 42 is retired throughout baseball, and every year MLB holds "Jackie Robinson Day" across the league. But he was far from the only trailblazer. That same year, a twenty-three-year-old Larry Doby appeared in a game for the Cleveland Indians. He is essentially known as the second African American to break the color barrier, and was the first to appear in the American League (as the Dodgers are in the National League). While Robinson is always the one to be spoken about, Doby was just as good in the field and at the plate. In fact, he was a 9x All-Star, a World Series champion (being the first African American, along with teammate Satchel Paige, to win a World Series), home run and batting champ, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 after an incredible 13-year MLB career. He is, and will always be, one of the greatest players in baseball history. Beginning his professional baseball career at the tender age of eighteen, he would play five years for the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues. In between, he spent two years out of baseball, defending his country in World War II as a member of the US Navy. While Robinson had instant success with the Dodgers, Doby struggled off the bat. Having to endure immense racism (from fans, other ballplayers, and even teammates), disrespect, and threats on his life (and that of his family), it did not take until the following year, 1948, before he truly emerged as one of the best players in the game. Written by esteemed author Jerry Izenberg--who saw Doby play with the Eagles as a youngster and would build a lifelong friendship with the ballplayer--Larry Doby is the real, raw story of perseverance and determination in the face of immense hatred. Including in-depth research, to go along with personal accounts and numerous one-on-one interviews, Izenberg delivers an incredible tale that gives Doby his due as one of the all-time greats, while also sharing the struggles, trials, and tribulations of being a black man in a white country. With Major League Baseball finally incorporating the records and stats of those in the Negro Leagues, Doby's story is one that is long-overdo, shedding light on what it was like playing baseball and being black in the 1940s and '50s, and how hard work and determination was key to rising above all the hate and becoming one of the greatest to ever play the game
Into the Cold Blue: My World War II Journeys with the Mighty Eighth Air Force
by John F. Homan Jared FrederickOne of the last great memoirs of World War II, Into the Cold Blue is a riveting account of the air war over Europe, when hell was four miles above the earth. A born daredevil, John Homan joined the Army Air Forces after the Pearl Harbor attack. By 1944, he was co-piloting a B-24 Liberator over Nazi Germany, raining death and destruction on the enemy. This first-person account of his harrowing missions—chronicling deadly flights through skies of red-hot flak bursts and airmen bailing out with parachutes aflame—will leave readers staggered by the determination and grit of World War II aviators. Fighting a fierce enemy in the air seemed the perfect way for Homan to channel his restless, energetic spirit in wartime, but he could never have imagined the horrors that awaited him. During a vast operation over Nazi-occupied Holland in September 1944, his plane was punched full of holes, its left tail shot away, and a tire blown to bits. Homan wondered how he could possibly survive. The young lieutenant and his exhausted crewmates braced for a nearly hopeless emergency landing. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, waited the sweetheart he thought he&’d never see again. With wit, warmth, and astonishing clarity, John Homan conveys the skill and heroism of the &“Mighty Eighth&” Air Force in the most perilous theater of history&’s greatest air war.
Stop People Pleasing: And Find Your Power
by Hailey MageeA viral life coach offers a practical, empathetic, and inspiring guide to breaking people-pleasing patterns that can harm our careers, relationships, physical, and psychic health.For most of Hailey Magee&’s life, people-pleasing came so naturally to her that she didn&’t even have a word for it. When somebody wanted something from her—even a stranger—she gave it, no matter how uncomfortable, exhausted, or resentful she felt inside. People-pleasing, she learned, was a coping mechanism that had kept her physically and emotionally safe in the past, but wreaked havoc on her life in the present—and she was committed to breaking the pattern once and for all. The solution that social media and self-help shelves gave her was to &“Advocate for yourself! Speak up! Set boundaries!&” But after years of ignoring her feelings and needs, Magee needed more than boundaries; she needed to reconnect with the &“self&” who was supposed to be doing the advocating. You can&’t express yourself if you&’re cut off from your feelings. You can&’t fight for your needs if you don&’t know what they are. And you can&’t set boundaries with others until you believe you&’re worthy of more than the bare minimum. Radically reconnecting with herself gave Magee the confidence and self-respect she needed to stand up for herself in her relationships. As she experienced a freedom she never thought possible, she became a certified life coach with the mission of helping others do the same. Stop People Pleasing explains how anyone can break the pattern by learning their own feelings, needs, values, and desires; ending cycles of enmeshment and codependency; overcoming guilt; developing physical and sexual agency; and more. It is a refreshingly nuanced guide, exploring fundamental questions like: -How can I tell when my genuine kindness veers into people-pleasing? -How can I set boundaries while maintaining my empathy and generosity? -When is it appropriate to compromise on my needs, and when is it not? Combining social science, psychology, and hands-on coaching exercises, Stop People Pleasing teaches you how to connect with your own feelings, needs, and dreams; courageously advocate for yourself in your relationships with friends, family, and colleagues; soothe yourself through the growing pains of healing; and dive headfirst into pleasure and play. With fresh insight, heartfelt empathy, and a keen personal understanding of the pitfalls of people-pleasing, Magee helps you say what you need and get what you deserve.
The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration
by Frank Abe Floyd CheungThe collective voice of Japanese Americans defined by a specific moment in time: the four years of World War II during which the US government expelled resident aliens and its own citizens from their homes and imprisoned 125,000 of them in American concentration camps, based solely upon the race they shared with a wartime enemy.A Penguin ClassicThis anthology presents a new vision that recovers and reframes the literature produced by the people targeted by the actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress to deny Americans of Japanese ancestry any individual hearings or other due process after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. From nearly seventy selections of fiction, poetry, essays, memoirs, and letters emerges a shared story of the struggle to retain personal integrity in the face of increasing dehumanization – all anchored by the key government documents that incite the action.The selections favor the pointed over the poignant, and the unknown over the familiar, with several new translations among previously unseen works that have been long overlooked on the shelf, buried in the archives, or languished unread in the Japanese language. The writings are presented chronologically so that readers can trace the continuum of events as the incarcerees experienced it.The contributors span incarcerees, their children born in or soon after the camps, and their descendants who reflect on the long-term consequences of mass incarceration for themselves and the nation. Many of the voices are those of protest. Some are those of accommodation. All are authentic. Together they form an epic narrative with a singular vision of America&’s past, one with disturbing resonances with the American present.
A Kids Book About Periods (A Kids Book)
by Jessica BielAn accessible and empowering introduction to periods.This book was written to start important conversations about our bodies and empower the next generation with positive information about how they work. It aims to show children that periods are normal—and it’s normal to talk about them—and that getting your period is actually pretty cool; it’s one of the things we share as human beings!Meet A Kids Co., a new kind of media company with a collection of beautifully designed books that kick-start challenging, empowering, and important conversations for kids and their grown-ups. Learn more about us at akidsco.com.
Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History
by Nellie BowlesFrom former New York Times reporter Nellie Bowles, a look at how some of the most educated people in America lost their minds—and how she almost did, too.As a Hillary voter, a New York Times reporter, and frequent attendee at her local gay bars, Nellie Bowles fit right in with her San Francisco neighbors and friends—until she started questioning whether the progressive movement she knew and loved was actually helping people. When her colleagues suggested that asking such questions meant she was &“on the wrong side of history,&” Bowles did what any reporter worth her salt would do: she started investigating for herself. The answers she found were stranger—and funnier—than she expected.In Morning After the Revolution, Bowles gives readers a front-row seat to the absurd drama of a political movement gone mad. With irreverent accounts of attending a multiday course on &“The Toxic Trends of Whiteness,&” following the social justice activists who run &“Abolitionist Entertainment LLC,&” and trying to please the New York Times&’s &“disinformation czar,&” she deftly exposes the more comic excesses of a movement that went from a sideshow to the very center of American life.Deliciously funny and painfully insightful, Morning After the Revolution is a moment of collective psychosis preserved in amber. This is an unmissable debut by one of America&’s sharpest journalists.
A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions Will Change Your World Forever
by Jeff RubinBestselling economist Jeff Rubin warns that the shock inflation of 2021 is the front of a perfect storm of war, supply-chain disruption, geopolitical realignment, domestic upheaval, and energy scarcity that will change everything.During the pandemic, government deficits skyrocketed to record highs while central banks primed the printing presses—and the time has come to pay for it. The ramifications of international COVID-19 spending could potentially last for decades, and inevitably one of the first consequences will be that central banks will lose control of interest rates, and subsequently, growth and inflation targets. The genie will be out of the bottle.That is just the first symptom of a series of cascading upheavals. Supply-chain disruptions have already shown the vulnerability of the globalist model that has fueled growth for the past decades. War has not only shown the fragility of the status quo, but has revealed diplomatic and economic rifts that promise to shift trading patterns. At the same time, the precarity of the US dollar underlines the life-or-death importance of foreign markets and resources, energy in particular. And consolidation of a Eurasian bloc, from Russia to China, and encompassing old enemies like Iran and former US ally Saudi Arabia, hint that the upheaval of COVID-19 was just the beginning.Tracking trade wars and kinetic wars, central banks and runs on banks, pipelines blown up and startups knocked down, A Map of the New Normal gives us a glimpse of a near future that will look very different from the recent past. It reminds us that our mortgage rates and job security, our grocery bills and investments, are all tied to events set in motion by governments, corporations, and black swans around the world.
Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health
by Casey MeansA bold new vision for optimizing our health now and in the futureWhat if depression, anxiety, infertility, insomnia, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer&’s, dementia, cancer and many other health conditions that torture and shorten our lives actually have the same root cause? Our ability to prevent and reverse these conditions - and feel incredible today - is under our control and simpler than we think. The key is our metabolic function - the most important and least understood factor in our overall health. As Dr. Casey Means explains in this groundbreaking book, nearly every health problem we face can be explained by how well the cells in our body create and use energy. To live free from frustrating symptoms and life-threatening disease, we need our cells to be optimally powered so that they can create &“good energy,&” the essential fuel that impacts every aspect of our physical and mental wellbeing. If you are battling minor signals of &“bad energy&” inside your body, it is often a warning sign that more life-threatening illness may emerge later in life. But here&’s the good news: for the first time ever, we can monitor our metabolic health in great detail and learn how to improve it ourselves. Weaving together cutting-edge research and personal stories, as well as groundbreaking data from the health technology company Dr. Means founded, Good Energy offers an essential four-week plan and explains: The five biomarkers that determine your risk for a deadly disease.How to use inexpensive tools and technology to &“see inside your body&” and take action.Why dietary philosophies are designed to confuse us, and six lifelong food principles you can implement whether you&’re carnivore or vegan.The crucial links between sleep, circadian rhythm, and metabolismA new framework for exercise focused on building simple movement into everyday activitiesHow cold and heat exposure helps build our body&’s resilienceSteps to navigate the medical system to get what you need for optimal health Good Energy offers a new, cutting-edge understanding of the true cause of illness that until now has remained hidden. It will help you optimize your ability to live well and stay well at every age.
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard
by Natasha LesterNew York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester delivers a brilliant blend of feminism, fashion, and history in this bold novel set against the real-life designers&’ showdown in Versailles in the 1970s. French countryside, Present Day: Blythe Bricard is the daughter of famous fashion muses but that doesn't mean she wants to be one. She turned her back on that world, and her dreams, years ago. Fate, however, has a different plan, and Blythe will discover there is more to her iconic mother and grandmother than she ever knew. New York, 1970: Designer Astrid Bricard arrives in bohemian Chelsea determined to change the fashion world forever. And she does―cast as muse to her lover, Hawk Jones. And when they're both invited to compete in the fashion event of the century―the Battle of Versailles―Astrid sacrifices everything to showcase her talent. But then, just as her career is about to take off, she mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind only a white silk dress.Paris, 1917: Parentless sixteen year old Mizza Bricard has made a vow: to be remembered on her own terms. Her promise sustains her through turbulent decades and volatile couture houses until, finally, her name is remembered and a legend is born―one that proves impossible for Astrid and Blythe to distance themselves from.
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
by John Storey Martha StoreyWhether you live on a small suburban lot or have a many acres in the country, this inspiring collection will empower you to increase your self-sufficiently and embrace a more independent lifestyle. A variety of authors share their specialized knowledge and provide practical instructions for basic country skills like preserving vegetables, developing water systems, keeping farm animals, and renovating barns. From sharpening an axe to baking your own bread, you&’ll be amazed at the many ways learning traditional skills can enrich your life.
Cherry Hill's Horsekeeping Almanac: The Essential Month-by-Month Guide for Everyone Who Keeps or Cares for Horses
by Cherry HillKeep your horse happy and healthy throughout the entire year. Veteran trainer Cherry Hill provides a comprehensive month-by-month guide to horse care that includes seasonal stable chores and maintenance procedures that promote equine health. Reminding you to check for ticks in April, buy hay in July, and set up winter bedding in October, each month&’s reference charts, to-do lists, and climate notes will help you establish routines that follow the natural cycles of the animals and the land.
Rick Steves Pocket Rome
by Rick StevesMake the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves! This colorful, compact guidebook is perfect for spending a week or less in Rome: City walks and tours: Six detailed tours and walks showcase Rome's essential sights, including the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and the lively Piazza Navona, plus handy neighborhood breakdowns Rick's strategic advice on what experiences are worth your time and money What to eat and where to stay: Grab a quick lunch of pizza al taglio, people-watch as you sip wine on a sunny piazza and savor a multi-course meal at a neighborhood enotecaDay-by-day itineraries to help you prioritize your time A detailed, detachable fold-out map, plus museum and city maps throughout Full-color, portable, and slim for exploring on the go Trip-planning practicalities like when to go, how to get around, and more Lightweight yet packed with valuable insight into Rome's history and culture, Rick Steves Pocket Rome truly is a tour guide in your pocket. Spending more than a week in the city? Try Rick Steves Rome!
The Sandalmaking Workshop: Make Your Own Mary Janes, Crisscross Sandals, Mules, Fisherman Sandals, Toe Slides, and More
by Rachel CorryCustom-fit for comfort, custom-designed to suit personal taste, and stylish and satisfyingly DIY? Shoemaking checks all the boxes! Making shoes is a surprisingly accessible and increasingly popular craft, and with this photo-rich guide, even a beginner can make a comfortable pair of sandals in the course of a day with just a few simple tools and materials. From setting up a workshop and refining a design to making uppers, attaching soles, and adding finishing touches like buckles or studs, The Sandalmaking Workshop takes readers step by step through the process of creating modern leather sandals that are stylish and comfortable. The book includes traceable patterns for 14 of author Rachel Corry&’s original sandal designs—both open- and closed-toe styles, including mules and slides—and covers a range of techniques so readers can build their skills and stretch the creative possibilities with each new pair they make. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
The Running Grave: A Cormoran Strike Novel (A Cormoran Strike Novel #7)
by Robert GalbraithIn this New York Times bestselling installment of the "outrageously entertaining" Strike series (Financial Times), detective duo Cormoran and Robin must rescue a man ensnared in the trap of a dangerous cult. Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside. The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organization that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones, and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult, and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito among its members. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her. . . Utterly page-turning, The Running Grave moves Strike's and Robin's story forward in this epic, unforgettable seventh installment of the series.
The Fall of Dragons (The Traitor Son Cycle #5)
by Miles CameronMiles Cameron is the master of intrigue and action-packed battles in this epic tale of magic and mercenaries, war, depravity, and politics, the final book of the Traitor Son Cycle.In the climax of the Traitor Son Cycle, the allied armies of the Wild and the Kingdoms of men and women must face Ash for control of the gates to the hermetical universe, and for control of their own destinies. But exhaustion, treachery and time may all prove deadlier enemies.In Alba, Queen Desiderata struggles to rebuild her kingdom wrecked by a year of civil war, even as the Autumn battles are fought in the west. In the Terra Antica, The Red Knight attempts to force his unwilling allies to finish the Necromancer instead of each other. But as the last battle nears, The Red Knight makes a horrifying discovery. . .all of this fighting may have happened before.
Braiding Manes and Tails: A Visual Guide to 30 Basic Braids
by Charni LewisGive your horse a gorgeous look! Charni Lewis provides step-by-step instructions for 30 mane and tail braids for both casual outings and specialized events of all riding styles. Full-color photographs and detailed illustrations bring every twist and turn to life, while also clearly demonstrating proper hand positioning. Get inspired and experiment with a Scalloped mane braid or a Four-Strand Weave for the tail. Not only will your horse look great, the time you spend braiding will help develop that special bond between you and your horse.
Rick Steves Pocket Florence
by Rick StevesMake the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves! This colorful, compact guidebook is perfect for spending a week or less in Florence:City walks and tours: Five detailed tours and walks showcase Florence's essential sights, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo, and Michelangelo's David at the Accademia, plus specific recommendations for each neighborhood Rick's strategic advice on what's worth your time and money What to eat and where to stay: Sample artisanal gelato, chat with locals over a glass of Chianti, and enjoy the Old-World ambience of a Florentine bed and breakfast Day-by-day itineraries to help you prioritize your time A detailed, detachable fold-out map, plus museum and city maps throughout Full-color, portable, and slim for exploring on the goTrip-planning practicalities like when to go, how to get around, basic Italian phrases, and more Lightweight yet packed with information on what to do and see, Rick Steves Pocket Florence truly is a tour guide in your pocket. Spending more time in the region? Try Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany.
We Were the Universe: A novel
by Kimberly King ParsonsA MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2024A young mother, in denial after the death of her sister, navigates the dizzying landscapes of desire, guilt, and grief in this darkly comic, highly anticipated debut novel from Kimberly King Parsons, author of the story collection, Black Light (long-listed for the National Book Award)."Kimberly King Parsons sings the lushest, cruelest, kindest, weirdest, darkest and most hilarious songs on paper; I want to hang these sentences in my house and admire them like the interdimensional multisensory illuminated artworks they truly are." —Karen Russell, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Swamplandia!The trip was supposed to be fun. When Kit&’s best friend gets dumped by his boyfriend, he begs her to ditch her family responsibilities for an idyllic weekend in the Montana mountains. They&’ll soak in hot springs, then sneak a vape into a dive bar and drink too much, like old times. Instead, their getaway only reminds Kit of everything she&’s lost lately: her wildness, her independence, and—most heartbreaking of all—her sister, Julie, who died a few years ago.When she returns home to the Dallas suburbs, Kit tries to settle in to her routine—long afternoons spent caring for her irrepressible daughter, going on therapist-advised dates with her concerned husband, and reluctantly taking her mother&’s phone calls. But in the secret recesses of Kit&’s mind, she&’s reminiscing about the band she used to be in—and how they&’d go out to the desert after shows and drop acid. She&’s imagining an impossible threesome with her kid&’s pretty gymnastics teacher and the cool playground mom. Keyed into everything that might distract from her surfacing pain, Kit spirals. As her already thin boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, she begins to wonder: Is Julie really gone?Neon bright in its insight, both devastating and laugh-out-loud funny, We Were the Universe is an ambitious, inventive novel from a revelatory new voice in American fiction—a fearless exploration of sisterhood, motherhood, friendship, marriage, psychedelics, and the many strange, transcendent shapes love can take.
Blue Ruin: A novel
by Hari KunzruA MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • From one of the sharpest voices in fiction today, a profound and enthralling novel about beauty and power, capital, art and those who devote their lives to creating itOnce, Jay was an artist. After graduating from art school in London, he was tipped for greatness, a promising career taking shape before him. That was not to happen. Now, undocumented in the United States, having survived Covid, he lives out of his car and barely makes a living as an essential worker, delivering groceries in a wealthy area of upstate New York. One day, as Jay attempts to make a delivery at a house surrounded by acres of woods, he is confronted by his destructive past: Alice, a former lover from his art school days, and the friend she left him for. Recognizing Jay&’s dire circumstances, Alice invites him to stay on their property—where an erratic gallery owner and his girlfriend are isolating as well—setting in motion a reckoning that has been decades in the making.Gripping and brilliantly orchestrated, Blue Ruin moves back and forth through time, delivering an extraordinary portrait of an artist as he reunites with his past and confronts the world he once loved and left behind.