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Thief of Always (Elite Operatives #2)
by Kim Baldwin Xenia AlexiouMishael Taylor, an Elite Operative top agent, is used to getting her way. When she's assigned to steal the priceless Blue Star Diamond from Dutch countess Kristine Marie van der Jagt, Mishael is caught off guard when the countess manages to steal her heart.
They Might Be Giants' Flood (33 1/3 Ser. #88)
by S. Alexander Reed Elizabeth SandiferFor a few decades now, They Might Be Giants’ album Flood has been a beacon (or at least a nightlight) for people who might rather read than rock out, who are more often called clever than cool. Neither the band’s hip origins in the Lower East Side scene nor Flood’s platinum certification can cover up the record’s singular importance at the geek fringes of culture. Flood’s significance to this audience helps us understand a certain way of being: it shows that geek identity doesn’t depend on references to Hobbits or Spock ears, but can instead be a set of creative and interpretive practices marked by playful excess—a flood of ideas. The album also clarifies a historical moment. The brainy sort of kids who listened to They Might Be Giants saw their own cultural options grow explosively during the late 1980s and early 1990s amid the early tech boom and America’s advancing leftist social tides. Whether or not it was the band’s intention, Flood’s jubilant proclamation of an identity unconcerned with coolness found an ideal audience at an ideal turning point. This book tells the story.
Theme For Diverse Instruments
by Jane RuleBrilliant short stories, some first published in "The Ladder," from the acclaimed Jane Rule, author of Desert of the Heart and Memory Board. In the sensual and tender "Middle Children," two closeted young lesbians radiate the joy of their love into the tumultuous lives around them... In "A Television Drama," Carolee Mitchell witnesses the capture of a wounded fugitive -and the blurring of the boundaries between reality and unreality. Young Maly learns to contend with the games of her brother and his new friend by devising a game of her own... In "My Father's House." In "My Country Wrong," an American lesbian returns at Christmas time to Vietnam-era San Francisco. In the humorous story "House," an uninhibited, non-conformist family tries conventionality on for size... Ruth hires Anna -but the women's relationship encompasses far more complicated Issues than Anna being Ruth's "Housekeeper." In the unforgettable "In the Basement of the House" a young woman grapples with the forces that entwine her life with a conventional-appearing husband and wife... And in a story that ranks with the greatest ever written, lesbian Alice occupies... "The Attic of the House." ...And more, much more. This outstanding collection, from one of the most gifted writers of our generation, deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf.
The Yellow Phantom (Judy Bolton Mysteries #6)
by Margaret SuttonAway from home, Judy and Irene spend time with their new friend, Pauline, in NYC while Pauline's renowned father, a doctor, is away. En route to NYC, on a train, the girls meet a very interesting, absorbed man with strange notes left behind has they disembark. Irene is she this mystery man is her ideal guy, so when they arrive and Pauline is in school, they try to search for him. However, after scaring Judy's new employer, Irene, and some valuable poetry manuscripts disappear. How can Judy find Irene, clear her name, and will there be a happy ending for a Irene and the mystery writer, Dale? The thirty-eight volume Judy Bolton series was written during the thirty-five years from 1932-1967. It is one of the most successful and enduring girls' series ever published. The Judy Bolton books are noted not only for their fine plots and thrilling stories, but also for their realism and their social commentary. Unlike most other series characters, Judy and her friends age and mature in the series and often deal with important social issues. To many, Judy is a feminist in the best light-smart, capable, courageous, nurturing, and always unwavering in her true beliefs; a perfect role model.
The Year The Dream Died: Revisiting 1968 in America
by Jules WitcoverThe tumultuous events of 1968 burden America to this day. The assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, campus riots, and the election of Richard Nixon led to disappointment, division, and self-doubt that bred distrust of the nation's leaders and institutions. For millions of Americans, the dream that we would at last face up with compassion to our most basic problems at home and abroad was shattered in 1968, and the groundwork was laid for the cynical social and political climate that exists today.
The Year Of Ice
by Brian MalloyTeenage boy struggling with his father's secrets and his own; set in Minneapolis.
The World At My Fingertips
by Karsten OhnstadKarsten Ohnstad shares his journey into blindness with warmth and humor.
The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons From a Life in Feathers
by Caroll Spinney J. MilliganMemoir of the man inside Big Bird from Sesame Street.
The Winecoff Fire: The True Story of America's Deadliest Hotel Fire
by Allen Goodwin Sam HeysAlmost a half-century later, the question still persists: accident or arson? As America slept in the predawn hours of December 7, 1946—in preparation for a somber remembrance of the fifth anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day—280 of its citizens awoke suddenly in a hotel already burning wildly out of control. For the next two and a half hours, they would fight their own war, mostly against their own surging, unrelenting fear. Like the “unsinkable” Titanic, Atlanta’s Winecoff Hotel had been billed as "fireproof.” And, in fact, it was. The hotel did not burn. Its guests did. Or they died on the sidewalk of Peachtree Street, or in quiet clusters, huddled together for courage against the silent, suffocating smoke. It was the worst hotel fire ever, anywhere. The fact that today it is still the worst hotel fire in North America—and second worst in the world—is testament to its horror. One hundred nineteen people died. The rest survived by extraordinary heroism or blind luck. This is their story—all of them, the dead and the lucky—a story of ordinary lives colliding with catastrophe, a moment frozen in time. And a story of an investigation that went awry.
The Windows of Heaven: A Novel of Galveston's Great Storm of 1900
by Ron RozelleSet in Galveston during the 1900 storm, the most devastating natural disaster in the history of the United States, this sweeping novel follows the fates of several richly drawn characters. It is the story of Sal, the little girl who is wise beyond her years and who holds out as much hope for the world as she does for her father, the ruined son of a respected father. It is the story of Sister Zilphia, the nun who helps run the St. Mary's Orphanage. The only thing separating the two long buildings of the orphanage is a fragile line of sand dunes; the only thing separating Zilphia from the world is the brittle faith that she has been sent there to consider. A faith that has never been truly tested. Until now. And it is the story of Galveston herself, the grand old lady of the Gulf Coast, with her harbor filled with ships from the world over; her Victorian homes and her brothels and her grand pavilions set in their own parks; and her stately mansions along Broadway, the highest ground on the island, at eight feet above sea level. All must face their darkest night now, as nature hurls the worst she can muster at the narrow strip of sand and saltgrass that is doomed to become, for a time, part of the ocean floor. This is the story of heroes and villains, of courage and sacrifice and, most of all, of people trying desperately to survive. And it is the story of an era now gone, of splendor and injustice, filled with the simple joy of living.
The White House Tapes: Eavesdropping on the President
by John PradosTranscripts of tape recordings beginning with Roosevelt.
The Whispering Statue (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #14, Original Version)
by Carolyn KeeneNancy and her friends visit a seaside resort to search for a marble statue with a remarkable resemblance to Nancy. In this story is the first appearance of Nancy's dog, Togo. Follow as many unlikely elements weave lives together, separated for decades. Beginning in the late 1950s, the first 34 Nancy Drew books were shortened and revised. This is the original text of the book as published in 1937 (in a facsimile reproduction from Applewood Books).
The Well Of Loneliness
by Radclyffe HallOriginally published in 1928, Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple's struggle to be accepted by "polite" society. When an unconventional woman named Stephen Gordon falls in love with an ingenue named Mary, their love affair gives Stephen her first taste of happiness. However, the pleasure the lovers find in each other is quickly tarnished by the disapproval of friends and family who refuse to welcome the "scandalous" couple in their homes. But the most difficult test of the women's love for each other comes when a young man offers to give Mary the "respect-ability" that Stephen can not. The Well of Loneliness is the thinly disguised story of Radclyffe Hall's own life. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians. Banned outright in 1928, its publication marked an act of great courage which almost ruined Hall's literary career. Although half a century has passed since its initial publication, the issues of prejudice and persecution that Radclyffe Hall addresses remain sadly relevant today
The Warning on the Window (Judy Bolton Mysteries Series #20)
by Margaret SuttonJudy is at it again! An early mornign call for Peter with Judy and Roberta tagging along has dire implications for Peter. With Peter critically injured, Judy and Roberta have to solve the mystery of these increasingly frequent "accidents" on Arthur's development. What is the meaning of the warning on the window and will it help find Peter's assailant?
The Voice In The Suitcase (Judy Bolton Mysteries #8)
by Margaret SuttonA picnic, a strange suitcase with voices from within, a surprise golden anniversary party and a friendship across the proverbial railroad tracks the Judy into her latest mystery. Everything begins with Judy and her friends befriending a pair of hungry hobos caring a strange suitcase making very peculiar sounds resembling words. After accidentally being left behind, Judy and Honey on a man appears to be left for dead in a ditch. Now he has the strange suitcase which continues to talk to them. After dropping them off the middle of nowhere at an isolated, you would think the mystery is behind them. However, Judy befriends two younger girls one poor, one entitled, and befriends the poor one, helping her prepare her grandparents home for a surprise golden anniversary party. Soon Judy becomes concerned, however, when it appears that an uncle may be involved in criminal activity. Come along with Judy and her friends on her next adventure! The thirty-eight volume Judy Bolton series was written during the thirty-five years from 1932-1967. It is one of the most successful and enduring girls' series ever published. The Judy Bolton books are noted not only for their fine plots and thrilling stories, but also for their realism and their social commentary. Unlike most other series characters, Judy and her friends age and mature in the series and often deal with important social issues. To many, Judy is a feminist in the best light-smart, capable, courageous, nurturing, and always unwavering in her true beliefs; a perfect role model.
The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973
by Clayton Delery-EdwardsOn June 24, 1973, a fire in a New Orleans gay bar killed 32 people. This still stands as the deadliest fire in the city's history. Though arson was suspected, and though the police identified a likely culprit, no arrest was ever made. Additionally, government and religious leaders who normally would have provided moral leadership at a time of crisis were either silent or were openly disdainful of the dead, most of whom were gay men. Based upon review of hundreds of primary and secondary sources, including contemporary news accounts, interviews with former patrons of the lounge, and the extensive documentary trail left behind by the criminal investigations, The Up Stairs Lounge Arson tells the story of who frequented this bar, what happened on the day of the fire, what course the investigations took, why an arrest was never made, and what the lasting effects of the fire have been.
The Unfinished House (Judy Bolton Mysteries #11)
by Margaret Sutton Pelagie DoaneJudy and Peter work to expose and outsmart a group of real estate swindlers. The Piper family has won a piece of property in Roulsville which is 15 feet by 100 feet. Since the property is not wide enough for a house, Mrs. Piper must purchase the adjoining property at a much higher than usual price so that she can build a house. Peter is determined to help Mrs. Piper, so the young people design a home that can be built on a narrow lot of land and hire men to begin building the home. Soon after construction begins, the young people are warned to beware of the Red Circle. Strange sounds are heard at night as the Piper home is built. Several people become sick with a strange illness apparently caused by the Red Circle. Judy's search for the mysterious culprit becomes even more desperate when her beloved cat Blackberry falls ill!
The Twelve Chairs (Northwestern World Classics)
by Evgeny Petrov Ilya Ilf Anne O. FisherWinner, 2012 Northern California Book Award for Fiction in Translation More faithful to the original text and its deeply resonant humor, this new translation of The Twelve Chairs brings Ilf and Petrov’s Russian classic fully to life. The novel’s iconic hero, Ostap Bender, an unemployed con artist living by his wits, joins forces with Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov, a former nobleman who has returned to his hometown to look for a cache of missing jewels hidden in chairs that have been appropriated by the Soviet authorities. The search for the chairs takes them from the provinces of Moscow to the wilds of the Transcaucasus mountains. On their quest they encounter a variety of characters, from opportunistic Soviet bureaucrats to aging survivors of the old propertied classes, each one more selfish, venal, and bungling than the last. A brilliant satire of the early years of the Soviet Union, as well as the inspiration for a Mel Brooks film, The Twelve Chairs retains its universal appeal.
The Truth About Mary Rose
by Marilyn Sachs Louis S. GlanzmanMary Rose Ramirez is a happy girl. She is pretty, has a wonderful, adoring family, and is named after a heroine. Thirty years before, her aunt, Mary Rose, had died in a fire, but not before saving the lives of everybody else in the building. Unfortunately all snapshots of her were burned in the fire, along with everything else that belonged to her. But Mary Rose thinks she knows just what her aunt looked like and what kind of a person she was. When she finds a shoebox in her grandmother’s attic, filled with cutout, paper jewelry the first Mary Rose used to play with, she is overcome with joy. But the box turns into a regular Pandora’s Box as Mary Rose begins to discover the truth about not only the first Mary Rose but perhaps the second as well.
The Trail of the Green Doll (Judy Bolton Mysteries #27)
by Margaret SuttonIn "THE TRAIL OF THE GREEN DOLL" when Judy and Peter follow it, all sorts of strange things begin to happen--trees talk, a magician is tricked by his own magic--and at the end of the trail lies the biggest surprise of all.
The Tower of the Antilles
by Achy Obejas"Questions of personal and national identity percolate through the stories in Obejas's memorable short fiction collection, most of which is set in Cuba, the author's birthplace. . . These 10 stories show Obejas's talent, illuminating Cuban culture and the innermost lives of her characters. " --Publishers Weekly "By turns searing and subtly magical, the stories in Obejas' vividly imagined collection are propelled by her characters' contradictory feelings about and unnerving experiences in Cuba. . . For all the human tumult and deftly sketched and reverberating historical and cultural contexts that Obejas incisively creates in these poignant, alarming tales, she also offers lyrical musings on the mysteries of the sea and the vulnerability of islands and the body. Obejas' plots are ambushing, her characters startling, her metaphors fresh, her humor caustic, and her compassion potent in these intricate and haunting stories of displacement, loss, stoicism, and realization. " --Booklist "Obejas's stories demonstrate an acute understanding of being caught between two places and cultures as different as America and Cuba. " --Library Journal "Achy Obejas's collection is about fictional Cuban migrants who never quite escape the land they've left. " --Electric Literature "It's a joy to return to Obejas's work; her prose, crisp, crystalline, and controlled, covering the wide spectrums of anger, desire, longing, and wonder in the face of immigration. . . Obejas sneaks under the skin, revealing emotions tied up at the dock, cuts the rope, and sets them free. The Tower of the Antilles proves, once again, why Achy Obejas is one of the most important Cuban writers of our time. " --The Miami Rail "This summer is the perfect opportunity to get to know the work of this Cuban-American writer. The stories collected in her new book tell the story of various Cubas--Cuba throughout the ages, Cuba from different perspectives, but always Cuba in all its vibrant, troubled, conflicting beauty. " --Barnes & Noble/B&N Reads, included in"12 Must-Read Indie Books Coming This Summer" Praise for Achy Obejas: "Obejas writes like an angel, which is to say: gloriously. . . one of Cuba's most important writers. " --Junot Diaz The Cubans in Achy Obejas's story collection are haunted by islands: the island they fled, the island they've created, the island they were taken to or forced from, the island they long for, the island they return to, and the island that can never be home again. In "Superman," several possible story lines emerge about a 1950s Havana sex-show superstar who disappeared as soon as the revolution triumphed. "North/South" portrays a migrant family trying to cope with separation, lives on different hemispheres, and the eventual disintegration of blood ties. "The Cola of Oblivion" follows the path of a young woman who returns to Cuba, and who inadvertently uncorks a history of accommodation and betrayal among the family members who stayed behind during the revolution. In the title story, "The Tower of the Antilles," an interrogation reveals a series of fantasies about escape and a history of futility. With language that is both generous and sensual, Obejas writes about existences beset by events beyond individual control, and poignantly captures how history and fate intrude on even the most ordinary of lives.
The Terrible Churnadryne
by Eleanor CameronSiblings Jennifer and Tom were visiting their grandmother in Redwood Cove for the summer when they heard the stories of Mr. Looper seeing a large sea creature two years before and were determined to see it themselves.
The Teahouse Fire
by Ellis AveryA sweeping debut novel drawn from a history shrouded in secrets about two women--one American, one Japanese--whose fates become entwined in the rapidly changing world of late-nineteenth-century Japan. When nine-year-old Aurelia Bernard takes shelter in Kyoto's beautiful and mysterious Baishian teahouse after a fire one night in 1866, she is unaware of the building's purpose. She has just fled the only family she's ever known: after her French immigrant mother died of cholera in New York, her abusive missionary uncle brought her along on his assignment to Christianize Japan. She finds in Baishian a place that will open up entirely new worlds to her and bring her a new family. It is there that she discovers the woman who will come to define the next several decades of her life, Shin Yukako, daughter of Kyoto's most important tea master and one of the first women to openly practice the sacred ceremony known as the Way of Tea. For hundreds of years, Japan's warriors and well-off men would gather in tatami-floored structures-- teahouses--to participate in an event that was equal parts ritual dance and sacramental meal. Women were rarely welcome, and often expressly forbidden. But in the late nineteenth century, Japan opened its doors to the West for the first time, and the seeds of drastic changes that would shake all of Japanese society, even this most civilized of arts, were planted. Taking her for the abandoned daughter of a prostitute rather than a foreigner, the Shin family renames Aurelia "Urako" and adopts her as Yukako's attendant and surrogate younger sister. Yukako provides Aurelia with generosity, wisdom, and protection as she navigates a culture that is not accepting of outsiders. From her privileged position at Yukako's side, Aurelia aids in Yukako's crusade to preserve the tea ceremony as it starts to fall out of favor under pressure of intense Westernization. And Aurelia herself is embraced and rejected as modernizing Japan embraces and rejects an era of radical change. An utterly absorbing story told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire is a lively, provocative, and lushly detailed historical novel of epic scope and compulsive readability.