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Political Awakenings: Conversations with History
by Harry KreislerA &“remarkable collection&” of insight and inspiration from 20 leaders and thinkers, including Elizabeth Warren, Howard Zinn, and Oliver Stone (Publishers Weekly, starred review). As a kid, Noam Chomsky handed out the Daily Mirror at his uncle&’s newsstand on 72nd Street, inadvertently finding himself in a buzzing intellectual and political hub for European immigrants in New York. Iranian human rights Nobelist Shirin Ebadi and her husband signed their own legal contract, attempting to restore equality to their marriage after the Iranian Revolution effectively erased the legal rights of women. Elizabeth Warren set out to expose those frauds declaring bankruptcy and taking advantage of the system—only to discover, in her research, a very different story of hard-working middle-class families facing economic collapse in the absence of a social safety net. While studying at Oxford, a young Tariq Ali made a bet with a friend that he could work the Vietnam War into every single answer on his final exams. In this rousing, thoughtful, often funny, and always inspiring volume, a diverse and impressive group of thinkers reflect on those formative experiences that shaped their own political commitments. A fascinating new window into the revealing links between the personal and the political, Political Awakenings will engage readers across generations. &“Fascinating.&” —Booklist
On Growing Up Tough: An Irreverent Memoir
by Taylor CaldwellThe #1 New York Times–bestselling author shares her rough journey to adulthood in a book that &“should be read by every American&” (Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette). Born in Manchester, England, in 1900, growing up wasn&’t easy for Janet Taylor Caldwell. Her Scottish parents warned her that if she ever misbehaved at school, she&’d be &“thoroughly thrashed.&” Weekends at home were filled with church and chores. When her family immigrated to America in 1907, life only got tougher. Her father died soon after their arrival in upstate New York, and the family struggled financially. But her mother, Anna, was a firm believer in Women&’s Liberation and insisted that Janet could do a man&’s job. With a first-class education, fierce self-reliance, and strong work ethic, Janet embarked on her writing career at the age of eight. Eventually, she was discovered by legendary editor Maxwell Perkins and began publishing under the name Taylor Caldwell. Her books sold millions of copies around the world and touched the lives of countless readers. Here is a witty and sharply observed account of the early struggles that gave Taylor Caldwell her strong convictions and made her one of the most distinctive voices in American literature. &“You&’re not likely to put this one down until the last line is devoured and digested&” (Charleston Sunday News & Courier).
Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom
by Cameron StracherA &“lively, informative history&” of distance running&’s 1970s heyday—including the famous Falmouth Road Race—written &“with a true fan&’s contagious enthusiasm&” (Newsweek). It was 1978. Jimmy Carter was president; gas prices were soaring; and Americans were hunkering down to weather the economic crisis. But Jim Fixx&’s The Complete Book of Running was a bestseller. Frank Shorter&’s gold medal in the 1972 Olympic marathon had put distance running on the minds of many Americans. The odd activity of &“jogging&” became &“running,&” and America was in love. That summer, a junior from the University of Oregon named Alberto Salazar went up against Shorter and Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers at the Falmouth Road Race. Though he lost to Rodgers&’s record-setting 32:21, the competition set the stage for an epic rivalry among the three greats. Each pushed the others to succeed and, in turn, inspired a nation of couch potatoes to put down the remote and lace up their sneakers. &“[A] lively, informative history.&” — Newsweek/The Daily Beast &“Essential reading for runners both competitive and casual.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Kings of the Road is about marathon legends. It&’s about running Fast. It&’s about Will. It&’s about the Real. It&’s about drama of the finest kind.&” —Bernd Heinrich, author of Why We Run and Racing the Antelope &“A rollicking, informed account of . . . how distance running helped define a generation.&” —John Brant, author of Duel in the Sun and coauthor with Alberto Salazar of 14 Minutes
More than Meets the Eye (The Lambert and Hook Mysteries #25)
by J. M. GregsonA heinous murder in a beautiful English garden makes for a &“gripping . . . surprising&” British crime procedural from the author of the Inspector Peach novels (Publishers Weekly). Dennis Cooper leads an idyllic life as curator of the national historical site, Westbourne Park. What could be better than overseeing the spectacular flowering grounds, supervising its popular restaurant, and making sure the daily throngs of tourists leave happy? But when Gloucestershire&’s Superintendent John Lambert and Detective Sergeant Bert Hook visit the serene landmark, there&’s only one site they care to see: Dennis&’s dead body in a pond at the edge of the gardens. The suspects are growing wild: Dennis&’s philandering wife and her lover; the restaurant&’s nerve-fried staff; a new young intern from Glasgow; and a shady gardener with a violent temper. It&’s clear someone held a grudge. Less clear is Dennis&’s own shady past. And Lambert and Hook are determined to dig it up.
Finding Passion and Purpose: For Serving a Loving God
by Keith Edward BrownfieldThis impassioned guide will help Christians everywhere become more than mere spectators in faith by finding their purpose in the Lord&’s ministry. As a devoted Christian, Keith Brownfield knew he ought to be doing more than just sitting in the pew every Sunday, listening to the sermons and singing the songs. The Bible calls us not only to believe in the Lord with our heads, but also to follow him with our hearts. In Finding Passion and Purpose for Serving a Loving God, Keith offers his layman&’s perspective on the great spiritual journey that will leads us all to a rewarding eternal life in paradise. He explains this spiritual journey as a four-step process that begins with salvation and culminates with a lifestyle of ministry and evangelism. Finding Passion and Purpose for Serving a Loving God will lead the believer to discover their own passion for ministry while traveling this journey. It includes steps to discovering God&’s purpose for their life along with guidelines for renewal and restoration.
The World Is Waiting for You: Graduation Speeches to Live By from Activists, Writers, and Visionaries
by Edited by Tara Grove and Isabel OstrerInspiring commencement speeches from Wynton Marsalis, Toni Morrison, Gloria Steinem, and others: &“The perfect gift for grads-to-be&” (O, The Oprah Magazine). &“The voices of conformity speak so loudly. Don&’t listen to them,&” acclaimed author and award-winning journalist Anna Quindlen cautioned graduates of Grinnell College. Jazz virtuoso and educator Wynton Marsalis advised new Connecticut College alums not to worry about being on time, but rather to be in time—because &“time is actually your friend. He don&’t come back because he never goes away.&” And renowned physician and humanitarian Paul Farmer revealed at the University of Delaware his remarkable discovery—the new disease Empathy Deficit Disorder—and assured the commencers it could be cured. The prescient, fiery feminism of Gloria Steinem sits parallel to that of celebrated writer Ursula K. Le Guin, who asks, &“What if I talked like a woman right here in public?&” Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison sagaciously ponders how people centuries from now will perceive our current times, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Barbara Kingsolver asks those born into the Age of Irony to &“imagine getting caught with your Optimism hanging out&” and implores us always to act and speak the truth. With eighteen rousing graduation speeches, The World Is Waiting for You speaks to anyone who might take to heart the advice of Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards—&“life as an activist, troublemaker, or agitator is a tremendous option and one I highly recommend&”—and is the perfect gift for all who are ready to move their tassels to the left.
A Meal in Winter: A Novel of World War II
by Hubert MingarelliThis tale of the Holocaust &“will make many think of the stories of Ernest Hemingway . . . a reminder of the power a short, perfect work of fiction can wield&” (The Wall Street Journal). This timeless short novel begins one morning in the dead of winter, during the darkest years of World War II, with three German soldiers heading out into the frozen Polish countryside. They have been charged by their commanders with tracking down and bringing back for execution &“one of them&”—a Jew. Having flushed out a young man hiding in the woods, they decide to rest in an abandoned house before continuing their journey back to the camp. As they prepare food, they are joined by a passing Pole whose virulent anti-Semitism adds tension to an already charged atmosphere. Before long, the group&’s sympathies begin to splinter when each man is forced to confront his own conscience as the moral implications of their murderous mission become clear. Described by Ian McEwan as &“sparse, beautiful and shocking,&” A Meal in Winter is a &“stark and profound&” work by a Booker Prize–nominated author (The New York Times). &“Sustains tension until the very last page.&” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The Follower
by Patrick QuentinFrom the Edgar Award–winning author of the Peter Duluth Mysteries comes an electrifying thriller of one man&’s desperate search for his missing wife. Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: &“Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.&” Returning from Venezuela, mining engineer Mark Liddon is hoping to surprise his wife as much as she surprised him by agreeing to marry him. After all, he came up the rough way in back rooms and boxing rings, while Ellie is a social scion from a family of money and influence. But when Mark crosses the doorstep, Ellie is nowhere to be found and her ex-boyfriend is in their home, shot dead. Using instincts honed from a lifetime of hard knocks, Mark launches himself into an investigation of his own to find Ellie. But the further he goes in his search, the more people try to slow him down. And now they&’re trying to kill him . . .
The Poseidon Adventure
by Paul GallicoThe high-octane thriller that inspired the Academy Award–winning film: On a sinking cruise ship, passengers fight rising water—and each other—to survive. On its maiden voyage, luxury ocean liner SS Poseidon is capsized by a massive undersea earthquake. A handful of survivors must fight for their lives—struggling to make it from the upper deck of the ship to the hull, the only part above water, before the ship sinks. Faced with rising water and the violence of desperate passengers and crewmembers, the group must do everything it can to survive—before time runs out. Adapted into an award-winning film by Irwin Allen, The Poseidon Adventure is a thrilling tale with timeless suspense and excitement.
The World Will Follow Joy: Turning Madness into Flowers (New Poems)
by Alice WalkerA poetry collection of &“playful and crooning lyricism&” from the National Book Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple (Booklist). In this dazzling new collection, Alice Walker offers over sixty new poems to incite and nurture contemporary activists. Hailed as a &“lavishly gifted writer,&” Walker imbues her poetry with evocative images, fresh language, anger, forgiveness, and profound wisdom (The New York Times). Casting her eye toward history, politics, and nature, as well as to world figures such as Jimmy Carter, Gloria Steinem, and the Dalai Lama, she &“distills struggles, crises, and tragedies down to bright, singing lessons in living with awareness and joy&” (Booklist). By attentively chronicling the conditions of human life today, Walker shows, as ever, her deep compassion, profound spirituality, and necessary political commitments. The poems in The World Will Follow Joy remind us of our human capacity to come together and take action, even in our troubled political times. &“Her spirituality, concern for human rights, and almost old-fashioned, determined joyousness run deep and her devoted readers will want to follow her as she turns &‘madness into flowers&’&” (Library Journal).
Dog War
by Anthony C. WinklerA novel of a Jamaican woman&’s adventures, from an author with &“a fine ear for patois and dialogue, and a love of language that makes bawdy jokes crackle&” (The New Yorker). &“An acclaimed comic novelist in his native Jamaica, Winkler makes a long overdue American debut with this laugh riot. His heroine is Precious Higginson, a Christian Jamaican woman of 47 whose conventional worldview and proud, pious manner make her unintentionally funny. After her husband dies unexpectedly, Precious moves in with her son and his wife, but pudding-loving Precious and her health-nut daughter-in-law quickly turn the house into a war zone. It&’s off to America then to stay with her daughter, a Miami police officer, and her hairdressing husband, Henry . . . After Henry makes a pass, Precious takes a job as live-in housekeeper at a Fort Lauderdale mansion. There, she cares for a spoiled dog, Riccardo; argues with Riccardo&’s animal rights zealot owner, Mistress Lucy, who declares Precious &‘speciest&’ for failing to appreciate it when Riccardo pees on her new shoes . . . Precious learns much about the limits of piety as the indignities mount and her beliefs are challenged in increasingly outrageous ways. Winkler&’s wit, his ear for dialect and the sublime creation that is Precious add up to one howlingly funny book.&” —Publishers Weekly
Murder Can't Wait (The Captain Heimrich Mysteries)
by Richard LockridgeThe coauthor of the &“excellent&” Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries presents another unbeatable team: Captain Heimrich and NYC police officer Nathan Shapiro (The New Yorker). Capt. M. L. Heimrich of the New York State Police may not have the flash of hard-boiled city detectives, but there&’s no lead the intrepid investigator won&’t follow until his every hunch is satisfied . . . Lt. Nathan Shapiro of the NYPD would rather be anywhere else than rural New York investigating lawyer Stuart Fleming&’s claims of bribes and point-shaving schemes involving football players at Dyckman University. He&’s a city cop and the country makes him nervous. When he arrives at the headquarters of New York State Police Troop K, Shapiro&’s day goes from bad to worse as Captain Heimrich informs him that Fleming&’s been shot dead. Now, with a homicide on their hands, the city lieutenant and the country captain must get in the game and investigate the crime together. As they dig into the scandal, Shapiro and Heimrich uncover more than some football dirty dealings. Seems there&’s an entire gambling racket that won&’t hesitate to tackle any problems with unnecessary roughness . . . Murder Can&’t Wait is the 16th book in the Captain Heimrich Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. &“Under the steady hand of old pro Lockridge, this culminates in a murder that requires imaginative police treatment.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Bleeding London: A Novel
by Geoff NicholsonThe author of The City Under the Skin maps out &“a delightful fiction, and a wonderfully exasperated love letter to a great city&” (Kirkus Reviews). Like any international metropolis, London draws the most diverse characters to its bustling streets. Meet Mick. He&’s on his way to the smoke from the provinces. He&’s got six guys to find with only their names to go on, a lust for vengeance, and a city guide. Meet Stuart. Determined to walk each of the capital&’s roads, streets, and alleyways, he&’s a man on a mission . . . but has no plan for when there&’s nowhere left to go. Meet Judy. She&’s determined to leave her mark on London—one lover at a time—creating a virtual A–Z of sex in the city. &“A book whose setting becomes as much a character as the people who pepper its pages, Bleeding London is dark, droll, and suspenseful.&” —Library Journal &“As packed with strange characters and comic and menacing incidents and characters as any night-bus . . . Nicholson obviously boasts a rich and arcane knowledge of the city and exploits it to the full.&” —The Times (London) &“Nicholson&’s Bleeding London is a dark, frayed and filthy place . . . filled with weird sex, arbitrary violence and obscure threat . . . He produces comic lines when you least expect them, making you laugh out loud.&” —New Statesman &“An ambitious, clever and witty novel which attacks its subject with verve and humor.&” —Literary Review
10 Women Who Changed Science and the World (Trailblazers, Pioneers, and Revolutionaries)
by Catherine Whitlock Rhodri EvansSpanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this fascinating history explores the lives and achievements of great women in science across the globe. Ten Women Who Changed Science and the World tells the stories of trailblazing women who made a historic impact on physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, and medicine. Included in this volume are famous figures, such as two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie, as well as individuals whose names will be new to many, though their breakthroughs were no less remarkable. These women overcame significant obstacles, discrimination, and personal tragedies in their pursuit of scientific advancement. They persevered in their research, whether creating life-saving drugs or expanding our knowledge of the cosmos. By daring to ask &‘How?&’ and &‘Why?&’, each of these women made a positive impact on the world we live in today. In this book, you will learn about: AstronomyHenrietta Leavitt (United States, 1868–1921) discovered the period-luminosity relationship for Cepheid variable stars, which enabled us to measure the size of our galaxy and the universe. PhysicsLise Meitner (Austria, 1878–1968) fled Nazi Germany in 1938, taking with her the experimental results which showed that she and Otto Hahn had split the nucleus and discovered nuclear fission. Chien-Shiung Wu (United States, 1912–1997) demonstrated that the widely accepted &‘law of parity&’, which stated that left-spinning and right-spinning subatomic particles would behave identically, was wrong. ChemistryMarie Curie (France, 1867–1934) became the only person in history to have won Nobel prizes in two different fields of science. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (United Kingdom, 1910–1994) won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1964 and pioneered the X-ray study of large molecules of biochemical importance. MedicineVirginia Apgar (United States, 1909–1974) invented the Apgar score, used to quickly assess the health of newborn babies. Gertrude Elion (United States, 1918–1999) won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1988 for her advances in drug development. BiologyRita Levi-Montalcini (Italy, 1909–2012) won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1986 for her co-discovery in 1954 of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). Elsie Widdowson (United Kingdom, 1906–2000) pioneered the science of nutrition and helped devise the World War II food-rationing program. Rachel Carson (United States, 1907–1964) forged the environmental movement, most famously with her influential book Silent Spring.
The Sands of Mars (Nebulae Ser.)
by Arthur C. ClarkePredating the earliest manned space mission: the first full-length science fiction novel from the acclaimed author of 2001: A Space Odyssey. First published in 1951, before the achievement of space flight, Arthur C. Clarke created this visionary tale. Renowned science fiction writer Martin Gibson joins the spaceship Ares, the world&’s first interplanetary ship for passenger travel, on its maiden voyage to Mars. His mission: to report back to the home planet about the new Mars colony and the progress it has been making. In The Sands of Mars, Clarke addresses hard physical and scientific issues with aplomb—and the best scientific understanding of the times. Included are the challenges of differing air pressures, lack of oxygen, food provisions, severe weather patterns, construction on Mars, and methods of local travel—both on the surface and to the planet&’s two moons. &“[Clarke is] one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age.&” —The New Yorker
World in Crisis: Classic Accounts of World War II
by Walter Lord William J. Craig Richard TregaskisThree New York Times–bestselling World War II histories, including the true story of the miraculous evacuation portrayed in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk. The monumental scope and breathtaking heroism of World War II are brought to vivid life in three riveting accounts that span the conflict&’s Western Front, Eastern Front, and Pacific Theater. The Miracle of Dunkirk: The definitive account of the evacuation of 338,000 British and French soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. Based on interviews with hundreds of survivors and masterfully woven together into a cinematic portrait, The Miracle of Dunkirk captures a pivotal moment when the outcome of World War II hung in the balance. &“Stunning . . . The difference between the Lord technique and that of any number of academic historians is the originality of his reportage&” (The New York Times). Enemy at the Gates: New York Times bestseller and the inspiration for the 2001 film starring Joseph Fiennes and Jude Law. The siege of Stalingrad lasted five months, one week, and three days. Nearly two million men and women died, and Germany&’s 6th Army was completely destroyed. Considered by many historians to be the turning point of World War II in Europe, the Soviet Army&’s victory foreshadowed Hitler&’s downfall and the rise of a communist superpower. Crafted from five years of exhaustive research and interviews with hundreds of survivors, Enemy at the Gates is &“probably the best single work on the epic battle of Stalingrad . . . An unforgettable and haunting reading experience&” (Cornelius Ryan, author of The Longest Day). Guadalcanal Diary: #1 New York Times bestseller and the basis for the 1943 film starring Anthony Quinn and Richard Conte. Volunteer combat correspondent Richard Tregaskis was one of two journalists to witness the invasion of Guadalcanal, the first major Allied offensive against Japanese forces and the first time in history that a combined air, land, and sea assault had ever been attempted. Hailed by the New York Times as &“one of the literary events of its time,&” Guadalcanal Diary is &“a superb example of war reporting at its best&” (Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down).
Home Is a Roof Over a Pig: An American Family's Journey in China
by Aminta Arrington&“[A] down-to-earth memoir chronicling her family&’s stint in the Chinese province of Shandong on the eve of the Beijing Olympics&” (Publishers Weekly). When Aminta Arrington moves with her husband and three young children (including a daughter adopted from China) from suburban Georgia to Tai&’an, a city where donkeys share the road with cars, the family is bewildered by seemingly endless cultural differences large and small. But with the help of new friends, they soon find their way. Full of humor and unexpectedly moving moments, Home Is a Roof Over a Pig recounts a transformative quest with a freshness that will delight. &“A brutally honest and fascinating peek at life for an American family living in a foreign country. I was engrossed in the story as Arrington used her humor, and ultimately understanding and flexibility to survive, realize, and eventually love the contradictory land of China.&” —Kay Bratt, bestselling author of Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage &“The power of Aminta Arrington&’s Home Is a Roof Over a Pig is you can see both sides of the &‘China coin&’ from it—something most people won&’t get just by traveling through, or only by hearing about China in Western languages. Read it, it will help you dip into the real China.&” —Xinran, author of The Good Women of China &“A military wife turned ESL instructor&’s sharp-eyed account of how the adoption of a Chinese baby girl led to her family&’s life-changing decision to live and work in rural China . . . Candid and heartfelt.&” —Kirkus Reviews
I, Hogarth: A Novel
by Michael DeanThe great eighteenth century portraitist comes to life in this &“gritty, bawdy and funny&” rags to riches novel told in the voice of the artist himself (The New York Times). William Hogarth was London&’s artist par excellence, and his work—especially his satirical series of &“modern moral subjects&”—supplies the most enduring vision of the ebullience, enjoyments, and social iniquities of the eighteenth century. And in I, Hogarth, he tells a ripping good yarn. From a childhood spent in a debtor&’s prison to his death in the arms of his wife, Hogarth recounts the incredible story of how he maneuvered his way into the household of prominent artist Sir James Thornhill, and from there to become one of England&’s best portrait painters. Through his marriage to Jane Thornhill, his fight for the Copyright Act, his unfortunate dip into politics, and his untimely death, &“the voice in which Dean&’s Hogarth tells his own story is rich and persuasive . . . Like stepping into a Hogarth painting&” (The New York Times). &“A brilliant exercise in imagination and storytelling.&” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The CBS Murders: A True Account of Greed and Violence in New York's Diamond District
by Richard HammerWinner of the Edgar Award: The gripping account of a gruesome mass murder in gritty 1980s New York and the relentless hunt for a coldblooded killer. On a warm spring evening in 1982, thirty-seven-year-old accountant Margaret Barbera left work in New York City and walked to the West Side parking lot where she kept her BMW. Finding the lock on the driver&’s side door jammed, she went to the passenger&’s side and inserted her key. A man leaned through the open window of a van parked in the next spot, pressed a silenced pistol to the back of Margaret&’s head, and fired. She was dead before she hit the pavement. It was a professional hit, meticulously planned—but the killer didn&’t expect three employees of the nearby CBS television studios to stumble onto the scene of the crime. &“You didn&’t see nothin&’, did you?&” he demanded, before shooting the first eyewitness in the head. After chasing down and executing the other two men, the murderer sped out of the parking lot with Margaret&’s lifeless body in the back of his van. Thirty minutes later, the first detectives arrived on the scene. Veterans of Midtown North, a sprawling precinct stretching from the exclusive shops of Fifth Avenue to the flophouses of Hell&’s Kitchen, they thought they&’d seen it all. But a bloodbath in the heart of Manhattan was a shocking new level of depravity, and the investigation would unfold under intense media coverage. Setting out on the trail of an assassin, the NYPD uncovered one of the most diabolical criminal conspiracies in the city&’s history. Richard Hammer&’s blow-by-blow account of &“the CBS Murders&” is a thrilling tale of greed, violence, and betrayal, and a fascinating portrait of how a big-city police department solved the toughest of cases.
Starfire
by Paul PreussA hero astronaut flies too close to the sun in this science fiction adventure from the author of Human Error, &“a writer of real intelligence&” (The Washington Post). After a solar flare accident in orbit, Travis is a hero: the first astronaut to bail out of a spacecraft and live. NASA, however, had advised against the bailout—and as punishment for violating orders, Travis is grounded on earth, never to fly again. Then comes Starfire, an experimental spacecraft that could be capable of interstellar flight. Travis fights a desperate political battle to become a crewmember, and his go-it-alone attitude makes for some rough going. Starfire&’s planned maiden voyage is to land on an asteroid that is heading toward a close loop around the sun, stay long enough to explore, then return to Earth by way of a gravity boost around Venus. But during the mission, disaster strikes again: The ship is hit by a huge solar flare and must take shelter in the shadow of the asteroid, even while falling ever closer to the sun. The aim of the mission now becomes one of desperate survival . . . &“A terrific novel, I heartily recommend it.&” —Orson Scott Card, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of Ender&’s Game &“A writer of science fact as well as fiction, Preuss has won a reputation for his believable depiction of advanced technology and the people who toil at it. That&’s the case once again in this near future story.&” —Publishers Weekly
Book 'Em: Four Bibliomysteries by Edgar Award–Winning Authors (Bibliomysteries)
by Megan Abbott Thomas H. Cook Thomas Perry Carolyn HartA quartet of crime stories about deadly books—penned by award-winning contemporary mystery writers. The Little Men by Megan Abbott: Rumors and strange experiences lead a washed-up actress in 1950s Hollywood to question the suspicious circumstances surrounding the alleged suicide of a former occupant of her low-rent bungalow—especially after she discovers an ominous inscription in a book that&’s closely guarded by her mysterious landlord. &“Noir&’s reigning crown princess.&” —Booklist What&’s in a Name? by Thomas H. Cook: Rare books dealer and amateur historian Franklin Altman has always wondered how the world might have turned out if the First World War had ended differently. On the fiftieth anniversary of the Armistice Treaty, an ancient German mysteriously appears and presents him with a personal manuscript, the contents of which, he claims, have the power to change history. &“A gifted novelist, intelligent and compassionate.&” —Joyce Carol Oates The Book of the Lion by Thomas Perry: An anonymous phone call sends Professor Dominic Hallkyn on a mad dash through the streets of Boston in pursuit of a priceless Chaucerian manuscript. But the caller&’s demands will lead to a devilish plot twist. &“Thomas Perry is, quite simply, brilliant.&” —Robert B. Parker From the Queen by Carolyn Hart: When a priceless, first edition of Agatha Christie&’s Poirot Investigates, autographed and inscribed to the Queen of England, disappears from her South Carolina thrift shop, Ellen Gallagher calls on her friend Annie Darling, owner of the mystery bookstore Death on Demand, to track it down. &“Carolyn Hart&’s work is both utterly reliable and utterly unpredictable.&” —Charlaine Harris
The Stranger's Woes: The Labyrinths Of Echo (The Labyrinths of Echo #2)
by Max FreiThe international-bestselling Russian fantasy author continues the adventures of Sir Max, the lazy gumshoe of the enchanted city of Echo. The tales of Sir Max, who was a daydreaming loser before he discovered the parallel world of Echo, have become an international literary sensation. In the second novel of the Labyrinths of Echoes series, Max is still a hardened smoker, glutton, and all-around loafer. But once again, he finds himself travelling to an alternate universe where he must root out illegal magic as an agent of the Secret Investigative Force. This time, Sir Max is called upon to handle a peculiar political dispute, investigate strange happenings in the cemetery, and when Echo&’s police captain is poisoned, he must lead a team of magicians in pursuit of magical outlaws. &“Echo is a world of all sorts of plots, a sort of Krypton with tobacco and the counter-universe&’s equivalent of vodka.&” —Kirkus Reviews
To Hatred Turned: Everything Is Bigger in Texas, Including the Crimes
by Ken Englade&“Englade (Beyond Reason) here treats a complex Dallas murder case with a master&’s touch . . . [A] web of blackmail and hired killers&” (Publishers Weekly). Reporter Ken Englade explores the complex case of Rozanne Gailiunas, a woman in Texas who, in 1983, was the victim of a grisly, unsolved murder. Her married boyfriend, Larry Aylor, was questioned, but there wasn&’t enough evidence to tie him to the crime. It looked like this murder would go unsolved. Then, in 1988, an unexpected source tipped police off and set in motion a twisted story of family betrayal and murder-for-hire. Englade brings every shocking detail to light in unraveling this complex tale, weaving together a spellbinding narrative of a family willing to kill to get what it wants, and a trial that brought them to justice.
Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present
by Cynthia Stokes Brown&“This exciting saga crosses space and time to illustrate how humans, born of stardust, were shaped—and how they in turn shaped the world we know today.&” —Publishers Weekly This book offers &“world history on a grand scale&”—pulling back for a wider view and putting the relatively brief time span of human history in context. After all, our five thousand years of recorded civilization account for only about one millionth of the lifetime of our planet (Kirkus Reviews). Big History interweaves different disciplines of knowledge, drawing on both the natural sciences and the human sciences, to offer an all-encompassing account of history on Earth. This new edition is more relevant than ever before, as we increasingly grapple with accelerating rates of change and, ultimately, the legacy we will bequeath to future generations. Here is a path-breaking portrait of our world, from the birth of the universe from a single point the size of an atom to life on a twenty-first-century planet inhabited by seven billion people.
Bitterly Divided: The South's Inner Civil War
by David WilliamsThe little-known history of anti-secession Southerners: &“Absolutely essential Civil War reading.&” —Booklist, starred review Bitterly Divided reveals that the South was in fact fighting two civil wars—the external one that we know so much about, and an internal one about which there is scant literature and virtually no public awareness. In this fascinating look at a hidden side of the South&’s history, David Williams shows the powerful and little-understood impact of the thousands of draft resisters, Southern Unionists, fugitive slaves, and other Southerners who opposed the Confederate cause. &“This fast-paced book will be a revelation even to professional historians. . . . His astonishing story details the deep, often murderous divisions in Southern society. Southerners took up arms against each other, engaged in massacres, guerrilla warfare, vigilante justice and lynchings, and deserted in droves from the Confederate army . . . Some counties and regions even seceded from the secessionists . . . With this book, the history of the Civil War will never be the same again.&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review &“Most Southerners looked on the conflict with the North as &‘a rich man&’s war and a poor man&’s fight,&’ especially because owners of 20 or more slaves and all planters and public officials were exempt from military service . . . The Confederacy lost, it seems, because it was precisely the kind of house divided against itself that Lincoln famously said could not stand.&” —Booklist, starred review