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The Pink Whisk Guide to Whisking: Brilliant Baking Step-by-step (The Pink Whisk Guide)
by Ruth ClemensThe bestselling author of Creative Éclairs and finalist on The Great British Bake Off shows step-by-step how to bake successfully, whatever the occasion. Divided into three technique sections—Creaming Methods, Whisked Cakes, and Melting Methods—Ruth Clemens&’s book will show you how to bake impressive celebration centerpieces, party cakes, birthday treats, or just feed your family a delicious dessert. Each recipe is detailed with techniques, hints, timings, shortcuts, and cheats, plus all the essential information needed to you to maximize your creativity and prove that baking is achievable and fun. Detailed step-by-step photography of nearly thirty mouthwatering projects make every technique easy to follow, whether you are a baking expert or a complete novice, so really can achieve the beautiful, finished product. Recipes include: swiss roll, angel cake and carrot cake.
Fabric Manipulation: 150 Creative Sewing Techniques
by Ruth SingerThe award-winning textile artist presents her modern approach to 150 fabric manipulation techniques in this fully illustrated sewing guide. In Fabric Manipulation, Ruth Singer presents the most in-depth and comprehensive guide to sculptural and embellishing effects since Collette Wolff&’s The Art of Manipulating Fabric. Divided into three sections—Pleat and Fold, Stitch and Gather, Apply and Layer—Fabric Manipulation teaches sewists of all skill levels 150 creative sewing techniques with clear instruction, photos, and hundreds of full color diagrams. Ruth explains her innovative variations on traditional fabric manipulation techniques such as pleating, folding, gathering, smocking, quilting, trapunto and applique. She also offers inspirational project ideas for accessories and home décor that demonstrate practical uses of fabric manipulation.
Ecothrifty: Cheaper, Greener Choices for a Happier, Healthier Life (Mother Earth News Books for Wiser Living)
by Deborah NiemannA guide to saving a fortune while saving the Earth, from the author of Homegrown & Handmade. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Our grandmothers knew the importance of responsible, thrifty choices. But somewhere along the way we lost our way and succumbed to the belief that we can get everything for next to nothing, have it shipped halfway around the world and then—more often than not—just throw it away. This consumer binge is taking its toll. Diet and lifestyle-related illnesses are epidemic, our environment is awash in a sea of plastic, our climate is changing, and the cost of everything is skyrocketing with the price of oil. Are we doomed? No. We can make greener, healthier choices, and we can do it while saving money. Where to start? Ecothrifty is packed with simple, practical ideas and recipes to help you:· Make homemade products for cleaning and skin care · Grow your own food and cook more from scratch · Raise your family without lowering your standards A must-read for anyone who has ever wanted to live a greener life but thought that it would be too expensive, time-consuming, or difficult, this handy, complete guide will show you how small changes can have a huge environmental impact and save you thousands of dollars, all while improving your quality of life.&“I support and endorse this wonderful book, 100%!&” —Ed Begley, Jr., actor and environmentalist&“Her advice does not come across as self-righteous or preachy, but more like insider tips from an experienced do-it-yourselfer.&” —Publishers Weekly
The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: The Best Weird Tales Of H. P. Lovecraft (Best Of Series)
by H. P. LovecraftSix timeless stories of supernatural terror and macabre imagination by &“the 20th century&’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale&” (Stephen King). H. P. Lovecraft&’s unique literary vision has influenced generations of authors whose work comprises its own subgenre: Lovecraftian horror. His legacy can be seen everywhere, from the HBO drama series Lovecraft Country to the enduring Cthulhu Mythos—a fictional universe first developed by Lovecraft in several of the stories included here. An essential collection for any horror fan, this volume presents some of Lovecraft&’s finest short fiction, including &“The Call of Cthuhlu,&” &“The Dunwich Horror,&” and &“The Shadow Over Innsmouth,&” among others.
Sanditon
by Jane AustenAn English coastal town is the setting for this unfinished novel, the inspiration for the ITV series, by the author of Pride and Prejudice.Believed to be influenced by a town visited by Jane Austen herself, Sanditon is the story of Mr. Parker, an ambitious man intent on building a seaside resort town that will attract fashionable society; of Charlotte Heywood, a beautiful young woman who finds herself invited to Sanditon through an accident of fate; Mr. Parker&’s extended family, including the handsome Sidney Parker and his three comical siblings; and the wealthy Lady Denham, who aims to marry off her impoverished nephew to an heiress from the West Indies. The final unfinished novel by Austen, Sanditon has inspired numerous adaptations and continuations, including the recent television series by prize-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies.
21 Sensational Patchwork Bags: From The Best-selling Author Of 21 Terrific Patchwork Bags
by Susan BriscoeThe quilter and author of 21 Terrific Patchwork Bags is back with stunning new quilted bag designs in this illustrated step-by-step project guide. Acclaimed quilt designer Susan Briscoe presents another twenty-one patchwork bag projects based on thirteen original designs. From exquisite evening bags to portfolios, saddle bags, backpacks, and more, each project is presented with step-by-step instructions, photographs, and piecing diagrams, allowing you to create your own unique and stylish accessories. Each bag is shown with variations in colorways and other possible adaptions to help you make it truly your own. A separate section covers patchwork techniques including cutting fabric strips, machine piecing patchwork and how to create patchwork blocks such as Seminole, triangle squares, flying geese, log cabin, as well as foundation piecing and crazy patchwork. Appliqué and quilting techniques are also covered, along with bag making techniques such as making straps, attaching bindings, inserting a zippers and linings, and adding pockets. You&’ll also find a library of decorative stitches for embellish your bags, advice on fabric color themes, and a library of patchwork blocks.
Walking for Fitness: The Beginner's Handbook
by Marnie Caron&“This book is a step-by-step guide to get you started and offers good advice on everything from the right shoes and diet to staying motivated.&” —Good Times Magazine Includes tips and walking programs by Olympian Lynn Kanuka Walking is the most popular physical activity in North America, and for good reason: it can be done by people of all ages and all levels of physical ability, the risk of injury is low, and it doesn&’t require a carload of expensive equipment. Best of all, brisk walking for just 30 minutes four times a week reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and other health problems. This comprehensive guide helps readers make the most of their walking. It offers two step-by-step programs developed by fitness professionals; advice on shoes, clothing, nutrition, and routes; tips on staying motivated and avoiding injury; stories from real-life walkers; and ways to include friends and family. Whether the goal is to return to activity, reduce the risk of illness and injury, or to minimize one&’s impact on the environment, this encouraging book helps readers put their best foot forward. &“Caron covers everything including the various health benefits, warming up and cooling down, and the right kinds of clothing and shoes. There&’s a list of reminders on how to incorporate walking into my daily routine . . . and a number of walker profiles. The profiles can be motivational and illustrate the reasons people have for walking and how it can be an important part of keeping fit.&” —Toronto Star
The Pine Island Paradox: Making Connections in a Disconnected World (The\world As Home Ser.)
by Kathleen Dean MooreCan the love reserved for family and friends be extended to a place? “Luminous essays” on nature and environmental stewardship (Booklist).Named one of the Top Ten Northwest Books of the Year by the OregonianIn this book, acclaimed author Kathleen Dean Moore, a winner of the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award for Holdfast, reflects on how deeply the environment is entrenched in the human spirit, despite the notion that nature and humans are somehow separate. Moore’s essays, deeply felt and often funny, make connections in what can appear to be a disconnected world. Written in parable form, her stories of family and friends—of wilderness excursions with her husband and children, camping trips with students, blowing up a dam, her daughter’s arrest for protesting the war in Iraq—affirm an impulse of caring that belies the abstract division of humans from nature, of the sacred from the mundane. Underlying these wonderfully engaging stories is the author’s belief in a new ecological ethic of care, one that expands the idea of community to include the environment, and embraces the land as family.“Stands with the best tradition of nature writing.” —The Oregonian
The Journey Within: Exploring the Path of Bhakti
by Radhanath SwamiThe New York Times–bestselling guide to balancing your life and finding answers to life’s questions through the ancient wisdom of yoga.With illuminating references to Western religions and ideologies, The Journey Within invites readers from all backgrounds to discover the simple truths that unite us. The mysteries of the soul have evaded mystics, sages, and gurus for centuries. Humanity has long yearned to discover the answer to our existence, and many spiritual traditions have evolved to provide those answers through sacred texts that facilitate journeys of transformation and discovery. Yet, never before have all of the spiritual traditions been distilled so simply into one easy-to-follow path—a path of love and devotion. In this follow-up to The Journey Home, world-renowned spiritual leader Radhanath Swami leads readers through the essential teachings of bhakti yoga. He draws from his personal experiences to demystify the ancient devotional path of bhakti, capturing its essence and explaining its simple principles for balancing our lives.His down-to-earth writing simplifies spiritual concepts and answers timeless questions in a heartfelt narrative that brings this sacred philosophy beautifully to life. What is love? What is the soul? Who is God? How can we live in the physical world without losing touch with the spiritual?In concise, approachable language, Radhanath Swami sheds light on how to answer these vital questions and offers solutions to life’s challenges with the simplest of resources. Reach beyond the material world and journey within to discover the beauty of the true self.“This book is a joyful way to move closer to the truth within you.” —Russell Brand, comedian, actor, author, activist
Knitted Animal Friends: Over 40 Knitting Patterns for Adorable Animal Dolls, Their Clothes and Accessories
by Louise Crowther&“Beautiful designs . . . children will love the whimsical results.&” —Publishers Weekly Learn to make an adorable collection of knitted animal toys with these new patterns by the author of My Knitted Doll, Louise Crowther. Louise brings her unique style of coordinated knitwear with cute colorwork details to this new collection of toy animal knitting patterns. There are a total of twelve knitted animals—each with their own unique personality and style. The animals all have the same basic body, with a few color variations and tail additions, so the clothes can be mixed and matched between them to create endless outfit possibilities. Choose your favorite animals and outfits and have fun making the perfect gift for friends and family.
Science and the Modern World: Lowell Lectures, 1925
by Alfred North WhiteheadThe famed mathematician and philosopher takes readers on a journey into a new scientific age, exploring topics from relativity to religion. Alfred North Whitehead, one of the great figures in the philosophy of science, wrote this prescient work nearly a century ago. Yet, in an era that has us reckoning with science and technology&’s place and meaning in our lives, it remains as relevant as ever. Science and the Modern World puts scientific discovery into historical and cultural context—exploring the effects of science and people on each other. &“It is a work not only of the first importance but also of great beauty. . . . Vivid writing.&” —Nature
The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie: Fast Times At Ridgemont High ~ Sixteen Candles ~ Revenge Of The Nerds ~ The Karate Kid ~ The Breakfast Club ~ Footloose ~ Dead Poets Society ~ And Everything In Between
by James KingFor fans of The Movies That Made Us, a behind-the-scenes look at what went into making the favorite blockbuster films of the 1980s. A trip back to the era of troubled teens and awesome soundtracks; of Reagan, rap, and Ridgemont High; of MTV, VHS, and &“Axel F&”; of outsiders, lost boys, and dead poets; of Bill and Ted, Brooke Shields, and the Brat Pack; of three Porky&’s flicks, two Coreys, and one summer when &“Baby&” refused to be put in a corner.The Ultimate History of the &’80s Teen Movie goes behind the scenes of a genre where cult hits mingled with studio blockbusters, where giants like Spielberg and Coppola rubbed shoulders with baby-faced first-timers, and where future superstars Sean, Demi, and Tom all got their big break. Music, comedy, and politics all play a part in the surprisingly complex history of the &’80s teen movie. And while the films might have been aimed primarily at adolescents, the best tackle universal issues and remain relevant to all ages. From a late &’70s Hollywood influx to an early &’90s indie scene that gave youth cinema a timely reboot, film expert James King highlights the personal struggles, the social changes, and the boardroom shake-ups that produced an iconic time in movie history.&“Admirably opting for analysis over nostalgia and gossip, King examines the origin, production, and cultural afterlife of seemingly every youth-centric 1980s movie you've ever heard of and more . . . An excellent adventure through a distinct and genre-spanning era in cinema history. For casual movie fans and industry-minded cinephiles alike.&” —Library Journal
The Essential Jane Austen Volume Two: Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice
by Jane AustenThree classics about love, class, and social expectations by one of the greatest English authors of the nineteenth century. This collection of Jane Austen&’s novels includes three timeless classics.Persuasion: A woman is pressured by her family to end her engagement to a man of modest means—then meets him again years later, when both of their circumstances have changed.Northanger Abbey: A young woman besotted by gothic novels sees danger lurking everywhere, but she soon learns more about the perils of real life in this wise, satirical novel.Pride and Prejudice: The basis of countless film and television adaptations, Austen&’s tale of the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy is considered her masterpiece.
Gulag Literature and the Literature of Nazi Camps: An Intercontexual Reading (Jewish Literature And Culture Ser.)
by Leona TokerA literary scholar examines survival narratives from Russian and German concentration camps, shedding new light on testimony in the face of evil. In this illuminating study, Leona Toker demonstrates how Holocaust literature and Gulag literature provide contexts for each other, especially how the prominent features of one shed light on the veiled features and methods of the other. Toker&’s analysis concentrates on the narrative qualities of the works as well as how each text documents the writer&’s experience in a form where fictionalized narrative can double as historical testimony. Toker also views these texts against the background of historical information about the Soviet and the Nazi regimes of repression. Writers at the center of this work include Varlam Shalamov, Primo Levi, Elie Wiesel, and Ka-Tzetnik, and others, including Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Evgeniya Ginzburg, and Jorge Semprún, illuminate the discussion. Toker also provides context for references to potentially obscure historical events and shows how they form new meaning in the text.
The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between: (word Origins, Trivia Book For Adults, Funny Trivia, Origin Of Words) (Origin Of Names Ser.)
by Patrick FooteThe bestselling reference that, “from the casually curious to etymology junkies . . . will have something for everyone.” —William C. Fox of the YouTube channel The Exploration with William C. FoxWhat is something that literally everything in existence has in common? It all has a name! With The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between, you can learn the origins of these monikers. From countries and cities to toys and animals to even planets, learn the etymology of interesting words in a fun and entertaining way.Learning doesn’t have to be boring. With his fun sense of humor, Patrick Foote—of the YouTube channel Name Explain—explains each appellation with jokes and quips you’re bound to enjoy. Full of pictures and packed with great information, The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between does exactly what it says it does—it explains the origin of names in a fun and easy-to-digest way. After reading this book, you will:Know why, exactly, Russia is called RussiaBe able to entertain yourself and your friends with interesting fun factsDiscover the origins of the names of planets, animals, countries, and much more“Patrick has made me realize that even the most mundane and ubiquitous words can have an endlessly fascinating story. His whimsical and friendly tone also makes any topic entertaining and accessible. Hmm . . . now all of a sudden I would love for Patrick to explain ‘mundane,’ ‘ubiquitous’ and ‘whimsical!’” —Betty Chen of the YouTube channel ARTiculations
Hockey's Original 6: Great Players of the Golden Era
by Mike Leonetti&“Hockey historians will appreciate the precision action shots taken of the first cohort of NHL stars . . . a record of how hockey has evolved.&” —Winnipeg Free Press The hockey stars of the 1950s and &’60s—Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, and others—were some of the most passionate players in National Hockey League history. These skillful and often colorful athletes played exhilarating hockey and were national heroes in a time when only six teams and fewer than 150 players battled for the Stanley Cup. Hockey&’s Original 6 celebrates the most dynamic players and exciting moments of the era in more than 120 photographs from the legendary Harold Barkley Archives, including a number of never—or rarely seen—images. From 1942 until the early &’70s, Barkley was the Toronto Star&’s leading sports photographer. He pioneered the use of electronic flash to capture stop-action hockey, and his dramatic work—both black and white and vibrant color—define the pre-expansion period. Two informative essays by Mike Leonetti—hockey historian, archivist, and prolific sportswriter—set Barkley and the photos in context, and short image captions illuminate the players and their feats. The late hockey legend Jean Béliveau provides a personal and insightful foreword. &“Will take your breath away . . . a collection that captures players&’ grimaces, suture tracks, missing teeth and Brylcreem-lacquered hair; their primitive equipment, joy and considerable pain, even the depth of snow beneath their tubular-steel blades, the individual planks of lumber that were the arena boards, and the octagonal orange crests on the Tyer Rubber Co. pucks whose impact has smudged the fire-engine-red goalposts.&” —The Montreal Gazette
Once and Future Myths: The Power of Ancient Stories in Our Lives
by Phil CousineauThe bestselling author of The Art of Pilgrimage examines the connection mythology to contemporary life, and what that means for self-improvement.Author Phil Cousineau elucidates how myths are the stories of real life whether people are conscious of them as myths or not. He shows readers how, by becoming aware of myths in both their historical and present form, they can read the world better, with a deeper understanding of work, love, creativity, and spirituality. The book retells classic myths such as Eros and Psyche and provides new accounts of more contemporary mythmakers such as Jim Morrison and Vincent van Gogh, illustrating how these legends have affected history, culture, and individuals. The timelessness of myth is conveyed through Cousineau’s discussions of the mythology of travel, mentors, cities, baseball, and vampires.Praise for Once and Future Myths“A tantalizing, delightfully personal travelogue through the landscape of some of the modern myths that shape and misshape our lives.” —Sam Keen, author of Learning to Fly and Hymns to an Unknown God“Cousineau draws on his extensive work with Joseph Campbell to reveal mythic insights for everyday life. He finds openings in the tidy margins of experience to the enveloping intensity of the archetypal dimension.” —Jonathon Young, PhD, founding curator, Joseph Campbell Archives and Library“Cousineau proves himself to be a meaning-maker par excellence as he delves deeply into some of the major concerns of our age . . . . Cousineau enables us to understand myth as the soulful pulse underlying our deepest yearnings for meaning.” —Spirituality & Practice
The Best American Essays 2014 (The Best American Series)
by John Jeremiah SullivanThe acclaimed author of Pulphead collects &“21 of the year&’s most urgent and at times painfully truthful pieces of nonfiction published in the U.S.&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In our age of trigger warnings and jeopardized free expression, The Best American Essays 2014 does not shy away from shocking extremes, ambiguities, or dualities. As guest editor John Jeremiah Sullivan notes, the essay assumes many two-sided forms, and these diverse pieces capture all the conceptions of what an essay can be: the loose and the strict, the flourish and the finished, the try and the trial. Sullivan&’s choices embrace the high and the low, the memoirist&’s confession and the journalist s reportage, and all the gray area in between. From a hotel in Mongolia to a Clockwork Orange like Baltimore, from a Rome emergency room to Burning Man, these diverse pieces surprise and entertain, inform and titillate. The Best American Essays 2014 includes entries by Kristin Dombek, Dave Eggers, Leslie Jamison, Ariel Levy, Yiyun Li, Barry Lopez, Zadie Smith, Wells Tower, Emily Fox Gordon, James Wood, and others.
Thinking the Event (Studies in Continental Thought)
by François RaffoulThe author of The Origins of Responsibility presents &“a major contribution to philosophical scholarship on . . . the very idea of the event&” (Edward S. Casey, author of The World on Edge). In Thinking the Event, continental philosopher François Raffoul explores the question of what constitutes an event as an event: not what happens or why it happens, but what &“happening&” means. If it&’s true that nothing happens without a reason, as Leibniz famously posited, then does this principle of reason have a reason? Bringing together philosophical insights from Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, Jean-Luc Nancy, and Jean-Luc Marion, Raffoul shows how the event, in its disruptive unpredictability, always exceeds causality, subjectivity, and reason. He then goes on to examine the inappropriability of this &“pure event&” and how this inappropriability may inform ethical and political considerations. In the wake of the exhaustion of traditional metaphysics, the notion of the event comes to the fore, with key implications for philosophy, ontology, ethics, and theories of selfhood. Raffoul&’s Thinking the Event is essential reading on this fascinating topic.
Japanese Quilt Inspirations: 14 Easy-to-Make Projects Using Japanese Fabrics
by Susan BriscoeThe acclaimed quilter presents ten quilt designs and four bonus projects designed to show off your gorgeous Japanese fabrics in this illustrated guide. Japanese fabrics are renowned for their distinctive quality and elegant, intricate designs. Now expert quilter Susan Briscoe presents fourteen projects specially designed to showcase these gorgeous materials. Inspired by her time living in Japan, Briscoe offers ten quilts and four smaller projects that combine traditional Japanese patterns and motifs with fast and simple techniques. Each quilt is shown in two different colorways and shown both as hand and machine quilted designs. As an added bonus, there are four simple-to-make projects—such as rice bags and table runners—for using up leftover quilt blocks. Japanese patchwork style is incredibly versatile, and the finished projects will be at home anywhere from the most modern interiors to the most rustic cottages.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary Of A Professional Lady (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics Ser.)
by Anita Loos&“The Great American Novel (at last!)&” by Hollywood&’s first female scriptwriter, and the basis for the movie starring Marilyn Monroe (Edith Wharton). Meet 1920s flapper Lorelei Lee, aka Mabel Minnow from Little Rock, Arkansas. She has it all: a millionaire &“benefactor,&” a lavish lifestyle, and dazzling good looks. The problem is she may be falling in love with a man who is temporarily married—and permanently poor. Luckily, Lorelei is distracted when her current male companion sends her on an &“educational&” tour of Europe with her plucky friend Dorothy. Gaining admirers and jewelry but never losing her heart, Lorelei eventually returns to New York, where she learns she had better stick with what works: charming men into love—and out of their money. &“A guilty pleasure it may be, but it is impossible to overlook the enduring influence of a tale that helped to define the jazz age. . . . Long before Helen Fielding&’s Bridget Jones, Loos hit on a young woman&’s diary as the perfect medium for satirical romance.&” —The Guardian, &“The 100 Best Novels&” &“Anita Loos has captured an extraordinary voice, and therein lies not only the novel&’s charm, but also its compelling force. . . . The novel resonates today, as it did nearly a century ago.&” —Chicago Tribune, &“Editor&’s Choice&” &“Loos&’ satirical reflection on all her lived experiences—marriages to men who undermined her, strong friendships with glamorous actresses like Constance Talmadge, and her perpetual battle against a patriarchal world that wasn&’t eager to make space for her career ambitions.&” —The A. V. Club
Within a Budding Grove: Large Print (In Search of Lost Time #2)
by Marcel ProustIn the second volume of the acclaimed novel, the narrator recalls his adolescent discoveries of art and women in Belle Époque France.Following the events of Swann&’s Way, the nameless narrator shifts his attention to memories of his teenage years. His relationship with the Swann family is altered as his love for Gilberte fizzles out. Two years later, he accompanies his grandmother to the resort town of Balbec on the Normandy coast. There, he encounters figures who will change his life: Robert de Saint-Loup, who becomes his friend; the magnificent painter Elstir; and the new object of his affection, the beautiful Albertine, who causes him to reflect on the nature of love.Although it was originally meant to be published in 1914, Within a BuddingGrove&’s release was delayed until 1919 due to World War I. The book was awarded the Prix Goncourt, which quickly garnered fame for Proust. It is the second of seven volumes in a saga Edmund White hailed as &“the most respected novel of the twentieth century.&”Praise for Marcel Proust&“Reading Proust . . . it&’s a whole world not just a book. Everyone wants to live more than one life and Proust is like &‘here&’s another one you can live.&’&” —Francine Prose, New York Times–bestselling author of Mister Monkey&“I can think of only one other writer capable of such breadth and humanity: Shakespeare.&” —André Aciman, New York Times–bestselling author of Find Me &“When I want to restore my faith in literature, I read Proust. . . . Reading Proust is like watching a galaxy being put together, one particle at a time.&” —Aleksandar Hemon, author of The Making of Zombie Wars
The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody: Great Figures Of History Hilariously Humbled
by Will CuppyA New York Times–bestselling, comical take on world history from the beloved New Yorker humorist. So, you think you know most of what there is to know about people like Nero and Cleopatra, Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun, Lady Godiva and Miles Standish? You say there&’s nothing more to be written about Lucrezia Borgia? How wrong you are, for in these pages you&’ll find Will Cuppy footloose in the footnotes of history. He transforms these luminaries into human beings, not as we knew them from history books, but as we would have known them Cuppy-wise: foolish, fallible, and very much our common ancestors. When it was first published in 1950, The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody spent four months on The New York Times bestseller list, and Edward R. Murrow devoted more than two-thirds of one of his nightly CBS programs to a reading from Cuppy&’s historical sketches, calling it &“the history book of the year.&” The book eventually went through eighteen hardcover printings and ten foreign editions, proof of its impeccable accuracy and deadly, imperishable humor.
Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse: A Novel
by Faith Sullivan“More than forty years of history bookend a lifelong love affair with reading for the resilient heroine of [this] novel set in Harvester, Minnesota.” —Kirkus ReviewsA Wall Street Journal Top 10 Book of the YearWhen Nell Stillman’s boorish husband dies soon after they move to the small town of Harvester, Minnesota, Nell is alone, penniless yet responsible for her beloved baby boy, Hillyard. Not an easy fate in small-town America at the beginning of the twentieth century.In the face of nearly insurmountable odds, Nell finds strength in lasting friendships and in the rich inner life awakened by the novels she reads. She falls in love with John Flynn, a charming congressman who becomes a father figure for Hillyard. She teaches at the local school and volunteers at the public library, where she meets Stella Wheeler and her charismatic daughter Sally. She becomes a friend and confidant to many of the girls in town, including Arlene and Lark Erhardt. And no matter how difficult her day, Nell ends each evening with a beloved book, in this novel that celebrates the strength and resourcefulness of independent women, the importance of community, and the transformative power of reading.“Sullivan describes small-town life through the eyes of an intelligent, generous narrator who fights off gossip, pettiness and tragedy with compassion, perseverance and forgiveness. Who wouldn’t want to spend a late-summer afternoon or two in the company of such a person?” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune“Her novels are a reliably inviting world, full of friendly faces and intimate dramas. However you first make your way to Harvester, you’ll want to return.” —The Wall Street Journal“[An] inspiring novel, which should find its way onto the reading lists of book clubs.” —Publishers Weekly
To Kill or Be Killed: A True Crime Memoir From Prison
by Joni AnkersonA convicted murderer tells the story of the years of domestic abuse she endured that drove her to kill her police sergeant husband. The day we met in October of 1997, I was working at the District Court in Traverse City, Michigan as a Deputy Clerk. It was like most other days with arraignments, sentencings, civil case hearings and the like. People shuffling in and out, everyone taking care of their important business with court appearances, document filings, paying tickets, fines and bonding loved ones out of jail. I loved my job. It was extremely satisfying and interesting with constant interaction with all walks of life, including people on either end of the judicial spectrum and many in between. Suddenly, there he was. Tall, handsome, and looking so impressive and important in his Michigan State Police uniform with his hat, gun belt and badge. A powerful man who had chosen a profession to serve and protect. He was extremely friendly and upbeat, smiling profusely. Best of all, he, too, was unattached. What could go wrong? He was like a dream man. We clicked, immediately, and began dating exclusively. But he was not a dream man. He was a nightmare . . . as I learned over the next twelve years. Twelve years of enduring domestic violence at its absolute worst. Constant abuse, control, manipulation, and threats. Sadistic sexual deviance and sexual violence. It was only going to end one way: someone would die in our bed and someone would go to prison for murder. This is my story about domestic violence, resilience, reckoning and survival.