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Memorial Bridge: A Novel
by James CarrollThis historical saga of a patriotic man and his son &“tackles those dangerous, wrenching issues of morality, political ethics, and family ties&” (Alice Hoffman). From the New York Times–bestselling and National Book Award–winning author of The Cloister, this decades-spanning novel tells the story of Sean Dillon, who escapes from the rough world of the Chicago stockyards to become an agent in J. Edgar Hoover&’s FBI, and then rises to the very top of military intelligence on the eve of its greatest challenge—and the nation&’s greatest failure. An Irishman, a Catholic, and a lawyer obsessed with justice, Dillon is a man whose fierce integrity has always set him apart. His indomitable wife, Cass, can see what his defiant adherence to principle is costing him, especially when he is charged with an impossible duty as an air force general. As America becomes more deeply entangled in Vietnam, Dillon will discover that his son has inherited his merciless conscience—and that he is deeply opposed to the war. From the gangster-ridden politics of Depression-era Chicago to the intrigue and glamour of wartime Washington; from the triumph of virtue in World War II to the moral chaos of Vietnam; from turf battles in the Pentagon to tear-gas conflict in the streets; from a man&’s inbred solitude to the story of an extraordinary love— Memorial Bridge is both a journey through twentieth-century history and a tale of one family trying to span the divisions of the American heart. &“[Carroll] writes with sweep about faith, redemption, truth, honor. . . . There is beauty and power in his characters and themes, and there is mystery in the big questions that inform Carroll&’s moral fiction.&” —The Boston Globe
How to Be Secular: A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom
by Jacques BerlinerblauWhy secularism isn&’t the same thing as atheism—and why it&’s crucial for preserving liberty and democracy for all Americans, regardless of their beliefs. Founding father Thomas Jefferson believed that &“religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God,&” but these days many people seem to have forgotten this ideal. Conservatives claim America is a &“Christian nation&” and urge that laws be structured around religious convictions. Hardcore atheists, meanwhile, seek to undermine and attack religion at all levels. Surely there must be a middle ground. In How to Be Secular, Jacques Berlinerblau issues a call to the moderates—those who are tired of the belligerence on the fringes—that we return to America&’s long tradition of secularism, which seeks to protect both freedom from and for religion. He looks at the roots of secularism and examines how it should be bolstered and strengthened so that Americans of all stripes can live together peacefully. &“Jacques Berlinerblau mounts a careful, judicious, and compelling argument that America needs more secularists. . . . The author&’s argument merits a wide hearing and will change the way we think and talk about religious freedom.&” —Randall Balmer, author of Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts FaithandThreatens America
The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story of Resilience and Recovery
by Andrew WestollThe &“moving&” true story of a woman fighting to give a group of chimpanzees a second chance at life (People). In 1997, Gloria Grow started a sanctuary for chimps retired from biomedical research on her farm outside Montreal. For the indomitable Gloria, caring for thirteen great apes is like presiding over a maximum-security prison, a Zen sanctuary, an old folks&’ home, and a New York deli during the lunchtime rush all rolled into one. But she is first and foremost creating a refuge for her troubled charges, a place where they can recover and begin to trust humans again. Hoping to win some of this trust, journalist Andrew Westoll spent months at Fauna Farm as a volunteer, and in this &“incisive [and] affecting&” book, he vividly recounts his time in the chimp house and the histories of its residents (Kirkus Reviews). He arrives with dreams of striking up an immediate friendship with the legendary Tom, the wise face of the Great Ape Protection Act, but Tom seems all too content to ignore him. Gradually, though, old man Tommie and the rest of the &“troop&” begin to warm toward Westoll as he learns the routines of life at the farm and realizes just how far the chimps have come. Seemingly simple things like grooming, establishing friendships and alliances, and playing games with the garden hose are all poignant testament to the capacity of these animals to heal. Brimming with empathy and entertaining stories of Gloria and her charges, The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary is an absorbing, bighearted book that grapples with questions of just what we owe to the animals who are our nearest genetic relations. &“A powerful look at how we treat our closest relatives.&” —The Plain Dealer &“I knew the prison-like conditions of the medical research facility from which Gloria rescued these chimpanzees; when I visited them at their new sanctuary I was moved to tears. . . . Andrew Westoll is a born storyteller: The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, written with empathy and skill, tenderness and humour, involves us in a world few understand. And leaves us marveling at the ways in which chimpanzees are so like us, and why they deserve our help and are entitled to our respect.&” —Dr. Jane Goodall &“This book will make you think deeply about our relationship with great apes. It amazed me to discover the behaviors and feelings of the chimpanzees.&” —Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation
Elizabeth Alone
by William TrevorAlone together in a London hospital ward, four women take stock of their lives in this &“deeply moving novel&” by the award-winning author of The Old Boys (The New York Times). At forty-one, the news that she requires a hysterectomy strikes Elizabeth Aidallbery as something of a nonevent. But from her bed at Cheltenham Women&’s Hospital, the divorced mother of three comes to realize that she is at a crossroads. She meets two other women admitted for the same operation: Young Sylvie Clapper, who is preoccupied with her dishonest boyfriend; and poor Miss Samson, with her disfiguring birthmark, who runs a Christian boarding house. In the ward with them is Lily Drucker, determined to have a child despite insurmountable difficulties. With compassion and wry humor, these very different women share their lives, concerns, and regrets. Elizabeth faces a lonesome life that includes a childhood friend turned hapless suitor, and a teenage daughter who has run off to a commune. But there is a hard-won grace in the companionship these women find in Trevor&’s &“finely observed, gently sensitive comedy&” that is &“delightful to read&” (Daily Telegraph).
All Alone in the World: Children Of The Incarcerated
by Nell BernsteinA San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year. &“An urgent invitation to care for all children as our own.&” —Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of Random Family In this &“moving condemnation of the U.S. penal system and its effect on families&”, award-winning journalist Nell Bernstein takes an intimate look at parents and children—over two million of them—torn apart by our current incarceration policy (Parents&’ Press). Described as &“meticulously reported and sensitively written&” by Salon, the book is &“brimming with compelling case studies . . . and recommendations for change&” (Orlando Sentinel). Our Weekly Los Angeles calls it &“a must-read for lawmakers as well as for lawbreakers.&” &“In terms of elegance, breadth and persuasiveness, All Alone in the World deserves to be placed alongside other classics of the genre such as Jonathan Kozol&’s Savage Inequalities, Alex Kotlowitz&’s There Are No Children Here and Adrian Nicole LeBlanc&’s Random Family. But to praise the book&’s considerable literary or sociological merit seems beside the point. This book belongs not only on shelves but also in the hands of judges and lawmakers.&” —San Francisco Chronicle &“Well researched and smoothly written, Bernstein&’s book pumps up awareness of the problems, provides a checklist for what needs to be done and also cites organizations like the Osborne Society that provide parenting and literacy classes, counseling and support. The message is clear: taking family connections into account &‘holds particular promise for restoring a social fabric rent by both crime and punishment.&’&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
We Few: U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam
by Nick BrokhausenA Green Beret&’s gripping memoir of American Special Forces in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1970, on his second tour to Vietnam, Nick Brokhausen served in Recon Team Habu, CCN. Officially, it was known as the Studies and Observations group. In fact, this Special Forces squad, which Brokhausen calls &“an unwashed, profane, ribald, joyously alive fraternity,&” undertook some of the most dangerous and suicidal reconnaissance missions ever in the enemy-controlled territory of Cambodia and Laos. But they didn&’t infiltrate the jungles alone. They fought alongside the Montagnards—oppressed minorities from the mountain highlands, trained by the US military in guerilla tactics, armed, accustomed to the wild, and fully engaged in a war against the North Vietnamese. Together this small unit formed the backbone of ground reconnaissance in the Republic of Vietnam, racking up medals for valor—but at a terrible cost. &“In colorful, military-jargon-laced prose leavened by gallows humor, Brokhausen pulls few punches describing what it was like to navigate remote jungle terrain under the constant threat of enemy fire. A smartly written, insider&’s view of one rarely seen Vietnam War battleground.&” —Booklist &“[An] exceptionally raw look at the Vietnam War just at the apex of its unpopularity. . . . This battle-scarred memoir is an excellent tribute to the generation that fought, laughed, and died in Southeast Asia.&” —New York Journal of Books
Hacking the Future: Privacy, Identity, and Anonymity on the Web
by Cole StrykerIs anonymity a crucial safeguard—or a threat to society? &“One of the most well-informed examinations of the Internet available today&” (Kirkus Reviews). &“The author explores the rich history of anonymity in politics, literature and culture, while also debunking the notion that only troublemakers fear revealing their identities to the world. In relatively few pages, the author is able to get at the heart of identity itself . . . Stryker also introduces the uninitiated into the &‘Deep Web,&’ alternative currencies and even the nascent stages of a kind of parallel Web that exists beyond the power of governments to switch it off. Beyond even that is the fundamental question of whether or not absolute anonymity is even possible.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Stryker explains how significant web anonymity is to those key companies who mine user data personal information of, for example, the millions of members on social networks. . . . An impassioned, rational defense of web anonymity and digital free expression.&” —Publishers Weekly
Tarzan, My Father
by William Reed W. Craig Reed Johnny Weissmuller Jr.The son of the Olympic swimmer who became a Hollywood star reveals the real story of his famous father&’s life. Johnny Weissmuller&’s name has become synonymous with Tarzan—the role he played in the 1930s and &’40s to the delight of millions. Many don&’t know that he also earned five Olympic gold medals for swimming before his renowned acting career—or that he had five marriages. This authoritative biography of the first Tarzan, written by his only son, offers an intimate look at Weissmuller&’s early life, middle years, and later decline, covering his experiences from swimming training and Olympic triumphs to failed marriages, phenomenal stardom, and a subsequent career as Jungle Jim. A sensitive yet unsentimental portrayal of the man who was Tarzan to movie fans around the world, Tarzan, My Father includes interviews with his father&’s celebrity friends and former wives, recollections of conversations with his father over the years, and family stories involving Hollywood stars such as Humphrey Bogart.
Tommy: A World War II Novel
by William Illsey AtkinsonA mathematician finds himself in the midst of the Pacific War in this &“historical novel that can be appreciated by anyone, not just the history buffs&” (Scene magazine). April 1945: In the aftermath of the battle for Okinawa, Tommy stands on the deck of the USS Bataan, the Independence-class aircraft carrier that he&’s called home for a year. Once, he was a student in the classrooms of MIT. Now, thousands of miles away, he is surrounded by horrors—but uses his mathematical and navigational expertise to do his best to minimize the casualties. In this novel, William Illsey Atkinson tells the story of Japan&’s Operation Ten-Go, and the fierce battle that sent dozens of vessels to their watery grave while hundreds of others were damaged from the air. Tommy spans the vast experience of one man&’s life, from his hardscrabble childhood in early twentieth-century Dorris, California, to his heroic efforts in the South Pacific and beyond.
Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel
by Jason Padgett Maureen SeabergFrom head trauma to scientific wonder—a &“deeply absorbing . . . fascinating&” true story of acquired savant syndrome (Entertainment Weekly). Twelve years ago, Jason Padgett had never made it past pre-algebra. But a violent mugging forever altered the way his brain worked. It turned an ordinary math-averse student into an extraordinary young man with a unique gift to see the world as no one else does: water pours from the faucet in crystalline patterns, numbers call to mind distinct geometric shapes, and intricate fractal patterns emerge from the movement of tree branches, revealing the intrinsic mathematical designs hidden in the objects around us. As his ability to understand physics skyrocketed, the &“accidental genius&” developed the astonishing ability to draw the complex geometric shapes he saw everywhere. Overcoming huge setbacks and embracing his new mind, Padgett &“gained a vision of the world that is as beautiful as it is challenging.&” Along the way he fell in love, found joy in numbers, and spent plenty of time having his head examined (The New York Times Book Review). Illustrated with Jason&’s stunning, mathematically precise artwork, his singular story reveals the wondrous potential of the human brain, and &“an incredible phenomenon which points toward dormant potential—a little Rain Man perhaps—within us all&” (Darold A. Treffert, MD, author of Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired, and Sudden Savant). &“A tale worthy of Ripley&’s Believe It or Not! . . . This memoir sends a hopeful message to families touched by brain injury, autism, or neurological damage from strokes.&” —Booklist &“How extraordinary it is to contemplate the bizarre gifts that might lie within all of us.&” —People
Fuzz (87th Precinct Mysteries #22)
by Ed McBainPolice hunt for a perp who&’s picking off politicians in this &“triumph&” (Chicago Sun-Times). The detectives of the 87th Precinct have gotten a call threatening the life of the city&’s parks commissioner unless a five-thousand-dollar ransom is paid. It seems like an obvious crank call. The deadline soon passes—and the parks commissioner is shot in the head as he leaves a concert. Soon, another anonymous warning follows and the deputy mayor is blown up in his Cadillac. The next target is the young, charismatic Kennedy-esque mayor. It&’s up to the precinct&’s hardworking detectives to find this shrewd serial assassin before he can strike again. The basis for a 1972 film, Fuzz is a suspenseful and darkly funny thriller in the long-running 87th Precinct series, which the Washington Post called &“simply the best police procedurals being written in the United States today.&”
Starmaker: Life As a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, The Rat Pack and 600 More Stars Who Fired Me
by Jay BernsteinThis memoir by the legendary publicist offers &“an intimate glimpse into the best and the worst of the golden age of Hollywood&” (Stacy Keach, Golden Globe Award–nominated actor). Jay Bernstein, an entertainment industry fixture who helped launch the careers of celebrities including Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers, was famed for his sense of showmanship, his outrageous style, and the publicity stunts he engineered to get attention for his clients. Starmaker tells his story, from his childhood in Oklahoma City and his first job in a Hollywood mailroom to the ownership of his own public relations firm and his work as a television producer. In addition to a behind-the-scenes look at several generations of show business and hard-hitting insights about how the industry changed over the decades, Bernstein also describes the relationships he had with stars and his notorious techniques, such as paying women to throw hotel keys at Tom Jones, having Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart&’s legs insured for one million dollars, and getting married underwater for an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. With the wisdom of experience and a sense of humor, this autobiography shares the intimate details of a fascinating Hollywood life.
A Start in Life: A Novel (The Michael Cullen Novels #1)
by Alan SillitoeAn outrageously funny novel of adventure, sex, corruption, and crime from one of the greatest British authors of the twentieth century. Michael Cullen is proud to be a bastard. His first memories are of the war, when his mother welcomed every soldier in Britain into her house, and young Michael hid beneath her bed to let the rocking of the springs lull him to sleep. By the time he&’s eighteen, he&’s got a pregnant girlfriend, and is staring down a long life of working-class respectability that simply makes him sick. So Michael says goodbye to his girlfriend and his home in Nottingham, and hits the road for London, where he will make his fortune—or die trying. From the nightclubs of Soho to the depths of London&’s underworld, Michael can&’t help but get into trouble. But whether he&’s chauffeuring a vicious gangster or smuggling gold bullion across the channel, he never stops having a wonderful time. Indeed, Michael is something else entirely: a happy bastard with nothing to lose. A rollicking picaresque novel by the legendary author of such classics of kitchen sink realism as The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, A Start in Life is one of the funniest British novels of the twentieth century. A Start in Life is the 1st book in the Michael Cullen Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. &“A Start in Life is, for my money, the best novel that Sillitoe has yet written.&” —New Statesman &“The kind of hilarious nonsense that keeps you riveted to deck-chair or arm-chair, depending on the season.&” —The Daily Telegraph Praise for Alan Sillitoe &“The master of British verbal architecture.&” —Rolling Stone Alan Sillitoe (1928–2010) was a British novelist, poet, essayist, and playwright, known for his honest, humorous, and acerbic accounts of working-class life. Sillitoe served four years in the Royal Air Force and lived for six years in France and Spain, before returning to England. His first novel, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, was published in 1958 and was followed by a collection of short stories, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, which won the Hawthornden Prize for Literature. With over fifty volumes to his name, Sillitoe was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1997.
The Strong Woman Trap: A Feminist Guide for Getting Your Life Back
by Sasha Mobley&“A compact, feminist self-help manual . . . A rallying cry for women who are tired of carrying the world on their shoulders&” (Kirkus Reviews). Are you the one who saves the day at work? Does your family expect you to do it all when you get home? Perhaps you used to like being thought of as reliable, but you long for a life of your own again—one with fewer emergency circumstances and people who need lots of &“help.&” It isn&’t just you. Many women have been socialized to quietly pick up the slack and not complain—this is a setup for isolation, second guessing, and waiting for rewards that never come. This is what Sasha Mobley calls The Strong Woman Trap. We are playing too hard at a rigged game that we didn&’t create. We spend our energies managing demands and treat our own emotions and needs as irrelevant. Sasha provides a hard look at the cultural beliefs that set strong, driven, ambitious women up for a life spent constantly saving others from themselves, filling in gaps, and going it alone like a hybrid of Wonder Woman and Working Girl. The Strong Woman Trap is the book is for women who spend their spare moments looking wistfully through magazines telling themselves their dreams are just one more personal sacrifice away. Wishes won&’t get you there. Neither will doubling down on old strategies. What will get you there is learning the secrets to escaping The Strong Woman Trap.
After All: Last Poems
by William MatthewsA collection from &“one of the few contemporary poets who really knew how to make the vernacular sing&” (Library Journal). In this collection of poems completed shortly before his death, William Matthews seems to be looking his last on all things lovely: music, food and wine, love. In the stunning central poem, &“Dire Cure,&” which forms a kind of spine to the book, he describes the remarkable implications of the &“heroic measures&” that saved the life and restored the health of his wife from &“a children&’s cancer (doesn&’t that possessive break your heart?).&” He evokes the death of his favorite jazz musician, Charles Mingus. He speaks of cats, dogs, pigs, sheep, of the past, of history, of joys proposed, but especially, with his characteristic relaxed wit, of language and its quiddities: &“My love says I think too damn much and maybe she&’s right.&” After All is the final word from this winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, one of the most pensive and delicious of all our poets. &“Range[s] widely and brightly from Prague in 1419 to a Caribbean island in 1967 to Martha Mitchell, Finn sheep, and a poetry reading at West Point. A lovely finale.&” —Library Journal &“His poems have an authentic lyricism, taut and inevitable in its music and movement.&” —Charles Simic, author of The Lunatic: Poems
Introduction to Moral Theology (Catholic Moral Thought #1)
by Romanus CessarioThe comprehensive introduction to Catholic moral theology by the leading theologian and author of The Moral Virtues and Theological Ethics. In Introduction to Moral Theology, Father Romanus Cessario, O.P. presents and expounds on the basic and central elements of Catholic moral theology written in the light of Veritatis splendor. Since its publication in 2001, this first book in the Catholic Moral Thought series has been widely recognized as an authoritative resource on such topics as moral theology and the good of the human person created in God&’s image; natural law; principles of human action; determination of the moral good through objects, ends, and circumstances; and the virtues, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the Beatitudes. The Catholic Moral Thought series is designed to provide students with a comprehensive presentation of both the principles of Christian conduct and the specific teachings and precepts for fulfilling the requirements of the Christian life. Soundly based in the teaching of the Church, the volumes set out the basic principles of Catholic moral thought and the application of those principles within areas of ethical concern that are of paramount importance today.
Tunnel Vision: A True Story of Multiple Murder and Justice in Chaos at America's Biggest Marine Base
by N. P. Simpson&“Vivid prose plunges the reader into the politically fraught, self-contained world of a military base&” and a chilling true case of triple murder (Linda Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine). Carlton &“Butch&” Smith was a troubled teenager who&’d been kicked out of school for aggressive behavior. His parents lived at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and when Butch was home with them, his life was fairly normal. But that all changed on August, 24, 1981, when Butch&’s sister, aunt, and cousin were found slain in his parents&’ house. It was a horrifying crime that shook the Marine base community, not to mention the Smith family—especially when Butch was named the prime suspect. In Tunnel Vision, reporter and true crime author N. P. Simpson delves into this young man&’s harrowing past. She also provides a detailed chronicle of the grisly murders and the complex case that followed—a case of conflicting confessions, a mysterious second suspect who was never found, and difficult questions of jurisdiction between military, state, and federal courts.
A Concise History of the Arabs
by John McHugoThis &“brilliant and erudite&” history by the award-winning Arabist provides vital context for understanding the contemporary Middle East (Patrick Seale, author of Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East). From Algeria and Libya to Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, the Arab world commands Western headlines. Nowhere else does the unfolding of events have such significant consequences for America. And yet its complex politics and cultures elude the grasp of most Western readers and commentators. A Concise History of the Arabs provides an essential road map to understanding the Arab world today, and in the years ahead. Noted Arab scholar John McHugo guides readers through the political, social, and intellectual history of the Arabs from the Roman Empire to the present day. Taking readers beyond the headlines, McHugo vividly describes the crucial turning points in Arab history—from the Prophet Muhammad&’s mission and the expansion of Islam to the region&’s interaction with Western ideas and the rise of Islamism. This lucidly told history reveals how the Arab world came into its present form, why major shifts like the Arab Spring were inevitable, and what may lie ahead for the region. A Choice Outstanding Academic Title, this accessible history is &“the product of wide reading, hard thinking and years of direct experience of the Middle East . . . There are lively and informative insights on almost every page&” (Patrick Seale, author of Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East).
The Third Squad: A Noir Novel
by V. Sanjay KumarA police sharpshooter with Asperger&’s syndrome is tasked with cleaning up the streets of Mumbai in this &“gripping thriller&” (Booklist). In recent decades, ostensibly to combat the rising tide of criminality in Mumbai&’s underworld, the Indian Police Service has carried out many hundreds of extrajudicial assassinations of suspects. Karan, an expert sharpshooter in an elite branch dispensed with dishing out this vigilante justice, has a difficult choice: should he continue to blindly follow orders from his superiors, regardless of their moral standing, or take matters into his own hands and do what he believes to be right? Belonging to a hit squad whose members all fall somewhere along the autism spectrum, Karan is notorious for his ruthless precision and efficiency, yet he remains aloof and distant. Gradually, his impenetrable façade begins to crack, and Karan&’s emotional and psychological depth reveals itself as he is forced to make decisions where the stakes are literally life-and-death. &“A melancholy cop&’s obsessions are just the tip of the iceberg as he leads a two-fisted team determined to clean up Mumbai&’s mean streets . . . Kumar&’s style, blunt but often by turns poetic and droll, is arresting . . . As unusual as it is compelling, this entry lays the groundwork for an entertaining series.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Kumar has created some thoroughly intriguing characters . . . but the most fascinating of Kumar&’s characters is Mumbai itself—enormous, crowded, hyperactive, roiling, stunningly rich and grindingly poor, and teeming with almost unfathomable energy. International-crime fans should flock to this one.&” —Booklist
Passed On: Public School Children in Failing American Schools
by Louise MarrA teacher reveals how current education policy is failing our kids through stories of her own students in the public schools of Philadelphia.Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, American schools have emphasized test scores to measure school performance—forcing educators to “teach to the test.” Though teachers have fought to get rid of this detrimental trend, many corporate reformers turn a blind eye to the real problems teachers face today: classrooms filled with pregnant teens and children who cannot read beyond the third grade; violent neighborhood schools that are dangerously underfunded and underprepared to deal with their daily heartaches.Passed On presents an honest and intimate portrait of the classroom experience in America’s failing school. Through stories of her own students in Philadelphia—where violent crime is common and the poverty rate is high—Louise Marr reveals how the current corporate reform movement misunderstands what teachers and students need to succeed. Marr outlines the real problems in the schools today, offering a much-needed frontline perspective in the current school reform debates.
Aspects of the Novel (Dover Thrift Editions: Literary Collections)
by E. M. ForsterThe renowned British novelist&’s &“casual and wittily acute guidance&” on reading—and writing—great fiction (Harper&’s Magazine). Renowned for such classics as A Room with a View, Howards End, and A Passage to India, E. M. Forster was one of Britain&’s—and the world&’s—most distinguished fiction writers, a frequent nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In this collection of lectures delivered at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1927, he takes a wide-ranging look at English-language novels—with specific examples from such masters as Dickens and Austen—discussing the elements they all have in common. Using a witty, informal tone and drawing on his extensive readings in French and Russian literature, Forster discusses his ideas in reference to such figures as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Proust; explains the difference between &“flat&” and &“round&” characters and between plot and story; and ultimately provides an &“admirable and delightful&” education for anyone who appreciates the art of a good book (The New York Times).
Bright Flows the River: A Novel
by Taylor CaldwellNew York Times Bestseller: A man who gained the world but lost his soul faces a critical midlife crisis in this suspenseful and inspiring novel about love and forgiveness. On a stormy, windswept night, Guy Jerald tried to kill himself. But he did not die. Now, the fifty-five-year-old Pennsylvania powerbroker and business titan—a living example of the American Dream—lies in a bed in a psychiatric hospital. He is on suicide watch, barely able to recognize his wife and two adult children. But a visitor from his distant past will open the floodgates. During one of the most harrowing battles of World War II, Guy saved the life of fellow soldier James Meyer. Now, James is a celebrated British psychiatrist determined to repay the favor and bring his old friend back from the brink. As the source of Guy&’s pain emerges, James must come to terms with his own unfulfilled goals and a mounting crisis that will test him in ways he never could have imagined. Shifting between the past and the present, Bright Flows the River is a story of faith, friendship, and the road not taken, in which a powerful, successful man may finally get the chance to become the person he long ago dreamed he could be.
Little Beasts: A Novel
by Matthew McGevnaTragedy upends a Long Island town in a crime novel that &“captures the familiar rhythms of summertime, following young people on the edge of violence&” (Kirkus Reviews). Turnbull is a working-class town full of weary people who struggle to make ends meet. Evictions, alcoholism, and random violence are commonplace. In the heat of July 1983, when eight-year-olds James, Dallas, and Felix leave their homes to play in the woods, they have to navigate between the potentially violent world of angry adults and even angrier teens. Little do they know that within a few short hours, one of them will lie dead, after a bit of playful bullying from older teens escalates to tragedy. Loosely based on a real crime that took place on Long Island in 1979, Little Beasts is a panorama of a poor, mostly white neighborhood surrounded by the affluent communities of the East End. After the murder, the novel&’s main characters must come to grips with the aftermath, face the decisions they&’ve made, and reestablish their faith in the possibility of a better world. &“The reader knows one of the three will be a victim, but not which one, and we read with our hearts in our throats as we grow closer to each boy. . . . In the aftermath of that day, McGevna shows us how the brutality and tragedy of that event affect the families. . . . There will be justice, of some sort, and even redemption. But, as in real life, there is no happy ending.&” —ReviewingTheEvidence.com &“A gripping exploration of teenage alienation and temporary depravity.&” —The East Hampton Star &“All it takes is one or two characters to carry you through to the heartbreaking end—a finale that offers enough hope and redemption to equal the book&’s climatic horror.&” —TheCattanoogan.com &“A brave, beautiful book.&” —Richard Bausch, author of Before, During, After
A Bed of Earth (The Secret Books of Venus #3)
by Tanith LeeIn this &“deliciously creepy&” novel by the Bram Stoker Award winner, two feuding families face supernatural vengeance in a parallel 16th-century Venice (Publishers Weekly). In the City of Venus, two noble families—the della Scorpias and the Barbarons—have been locked in a bitter dispute over burial grounds on the overcrowded Isle of the Dead. But it is fourteen-year-old Meralda della Scorpia who pays the ultimate price for their rivalry. As years pass, parties complicit in her disappearance begin to suffer the consequences. Their shocking deaths can only mean one thing: A supernatural force has been unearthed from the city&’s rotting understructure. As these bizarre events throw the city into a panic, a humble apprentice gravedigger is left to sort out the mysteries and subdue the ancient terror that threatens to destroy the entire republic.
The Fifth Woman: A Kurt Wallander Mystery (The Kurt Wallander Mysteries #6)
by Henning MankellFrom the #1 international-bestselling master of Scandinavian noir: a &“marvelously told mystery&” of murder in Sweden and corruption in Africa (Austin American-Statesman). In an African convent, four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman are found with their throats slit. The local police do little to investigate . . . and cover up the unknown woman&’s death. A year later in Sweden, Holger Eriksson, a retired car dealer and birdwatcher, is skewered to death after falling into a pit of carefully sharpened bamboo poles. Soon after, the body of a missing florist is discovered strangled and tied to a tree. Baffled and appalled by the crimes, the only clues Inspector Kurt Wallander has to go on are a skull, a diary, and a photo of three men. What ensues is a complex, meticulously plotted investigation that will push the detective to his limits. The key is the unsolved killing of the fifth woman in Africa—who was she, and what did she have to do with the brutal deaths of two seemingly innocent men? Are more victims in danger? The answers will lead Wallander to question everything he thought he knew about the psychology of murder. An international bestseller, this &“scary and cunning tale&” (Rocky Mountain News) &“achieves the satisfying density of plot and characterization&” that established Henning Mankell as one of the twentieth-century&’s finest crime writers. His Kurt Wallander mysteries are now the basis for the hit TV show Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh (The Baltimore Sun).