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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.
Washington's Monument: And the Fascinating History of the Obelisk
by John Steele GordonThe colorful story behind one of America's greatest monuments and of the ancient obelisks of Egypt, now scattered around the world. Conceived soon after the American Revolution ended, the great monument to George Washington was not finally completed until almost a century later; the great obelisk was finished in 1884, and remains the tallest stone structure in the world at 555 feet. The story behind its construction is a largely untold and intriguing piece of American history, which acclaimed historian John Steele Gordon relates with verve, connecting it to the colorful saga of the ancient obelisks of Egypt. Nobody knows how many obelisks were crafted in ancient Egypt, or even exactly how they were created and erected since they are made out of hard granite and few known tools of the time were strong enough to work granite. Generally placed in pairs at the entrances to temples, they have in modern times been ingeniously transported around the world to Istanbul, Paris, London, New York, and many other locations. Their stories illuminate that of the Washington Monument, once again open to the public following earthquake damage, and offer a new appreciation for perhaps the most iconic memorial in the country.
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.
Black Lives Matter
by Duchess Harris Sue Bradford EdwardsBlack Lives Matter covers the shootings that touched off passionate protests, the work of activists to bring about a more just legal system, and the tensions in US society that these events have brought to light. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.
One Last Thing (Elite Operatives #7)
by Kim Baldwin Xenia AlexiouBlood is thicker than pride. The final book in the Elite Operative Series brings together foes, family, and friends to start a new order. Special Agent Switch needs to get close to Greek tycoon Konstantinos Lykourgos, the prime suspect in the theft of a priceless ancient icon from a monastery on Mount Athos. His accomplice is the EOO's recurring nemesis: Theodora Rothschild, aka TQ, the Broker. Ariadne Lykourgos, heir to her father's shipping empire, expects to have a much-needed holiday on the family yacht with her friends. But the arrival of a new crew member challenges her values and tests her loyalties. Will Agent Switch be strong enough to keep secrets from Ariadne, and will Ariadne be able to cope with the truth?
The Girl on the Edge of Summer (Micky Knight Mystery #9)
by J. M. RedmannMicky Knight reluctantly takes on two cases, one for money, one for pity. The first is a trawl through archives to solve a century old murder, for an arrogant grandson who thinks riches should absolve his family of any sins. The other, to answer a mother’s anguish as she tries to understand her daughter’s suicide. Micky sees no happy ending to either case; the dusty pages of history aren’t going to give up their secrets after holding them for so long. And even if she finds answers for the mother’s questions, nothing will bring her daughter back. But as Micky discovers, the past is never past and a young girl can lead a complicated, even dangerous, life. The secrets, both past and present, are meant to remain hidden--only the first murder is hard. The rest come easy. A Micky Knight Mystery
Donny Hathaway Live (33 1/3 Ser. #117)
by Emily J. LordiIn January of 1979, the great soul artist Donny Hathaway fell fifteen stories from a window of Manhattan’s Essex House hotel in an alleged suicide. He was 33 years old and everyone he worked with called him a genius. Best known for “A Song for You,” “This Christmas,” and classic duets with Roberta Flack, Hathaway was a composer, pianist, and singer committed to exploring “music in its totality.” His velvet melisma and vibrant sincerity set him apart from other soul men of his era while influencing generations of singers and fans whose love affair with him continues to this day.
Crisis Point: Why We Must - and How We Can - Overcome Our Broken Politics in Washington and Across America
by Tom Daschle Trent Lott Jon SternfeldTom Daschle and Trent Lott are two of the most prominent senators of recent time. Both served in their respective parties' leadership positions from the 1990s into the current century, and they have almost sixty years of service between them. Their congressional tenure saw the Reagan tax cuts, a deadlocked Senate, the Clinton impeachment, 9/11, and the Iraq War. Despite the tumultuous times, and despite their very real ideological differences, they have always maintained a positive working relationship, one almost unthinkable in today's hyper-partisan climate. In their book, Daschle and Lott come together from opposite sides of the aisle to sound an alarm on the current polarization that has made governing all but impossible; never before has the people's faith in government been so dismally low. The senators itemize damaging forces--the permanent campaign, the unprecedented money, the 24/7 news cycle--and offer practical recommendations, pointing the way forward. Most crucially, they recall the American people, especially our leaders, to the principles enshrined in the Constitution, and to the necessity of debate but also the imperative of compromise--which will take leadership, vision, and courage to bring back. Illustrated with personal stories from their own eminent careers and events cited from deeper in American history, Crisis Point is an invaluable work that comes at a critical juncture. It is a work of conscience, as well as duty, written with passion and eloquence by two men who have dedicated their lives to public service and share the conviction that all is far from lost.
We Are the Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barack Obama
by E. J. Dionne Jr. Joy-Ann ReidA collection of Barack Obama's greatest speeches selected and introduced by columnist E. J. Dionne and MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid. We Are the Change We Seek is a collection of Barack Obama's 26 greatest addresses: beginning with his 2002 speech opposing the Iraq War and closing with his final speech before the United Nations in September 2016. As president, Obama's words had the power to move the country, and often the world, as few presidents before him. Whether acting as Commander in Chief or Consoler in Chief, Obama adopted a unique rhetorical style that could simultaneously speak to the national mood and change the course of public events. Obama's eloquence, both written and spoken, propelled him to national prominence and ultimately made it possible for the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas to become the first black president of the United States. These speeches span Obama's career--from his time in state government through to the end of his tenure as president--and the issues most important to our time: war, inequality, race relations, gun violence and human rights. The book opens with an essay placing Obama's oratorical contributions within the flow of American history by E. J. Dionne Jr. , columnist and author ofWhy The Right Went Wrong, and Joy Reid, the host ofAM Joyon MSNBC and author ofFracture.
Not Dead Enough (Mickey Knight Mystery #10)
by J. M. RedmannA woman wants to find her missing sister. That should be easy for an experienced PI like Micky Knight. Until the woman—or someone who looks like her—ends up in the morgue. Micky finds herself in a tangled mess, not knowing who the real victim is, or how her name keeps coming up in places it shouldn’t. Like newly minted Realtor Karen Holloway’s house sale papers, as the contact for another missing buyer, one who looks a lot like Micky’s client. The same woman? The sister? Micky has to uncover what the game is and who’s playing. Because the stakes are murder.
The Lynchings in Duluth (Second Edition)
by Michael FedoOn the evening of June 15, 1920, in Duluth, Minnesota, three young black men, accused of the rape of a white woman, were pulled from their jail cells and lynched by a mob numbering in the thousands. Yet for years the incident was nearly forgotten. This updated, second edition of The Lynchings in Duluth includes a new preface by the author, additional research and notes, and suggestions for further reading.
When Republicans Were Progressive
by Lori Sturdevant Dave Durenberger Norm OrnsteinThe Republican Party has dominated Minnesota’s politics for much of the state's history. Today's party, though, is very different from the progressive Republican Party that came to power with Harold Stassen in 1938, had its heyday in the middle of the twentieth century, and faded into near-obscurity by the 1990s. But from the ideas and ideals of that dynamic political movement sprang modern Minnesota's success story. Minnesota's progressive Republican Party stood not for big or small government but for effective government. Issues that are anathema to today's GOP—environmental protection, assistance for vulnerable citizens, and economic opportunity for low-wage workers and the middle class—were at the heart of the party's agenda. Minnesota Republicans held that working across the aisle was a mark of strength, not of weakness or disloyalty. Senator Dave Durenberger grew up in and helped build that party. In this powerful work of history and witness, he explains how Minnesota's progressive Republicans earned voters' trust and delivered on their promises—and how progressive ideas fell out of favor when an increasingly anti-government, anti-tax national party shifted Minnesota Republican thinking to the right. In the ensuing partisan realignment, both the Republican and the Democratic parties have lost public trust. With eloquence and insight, Durenberger argues that the principles and practices of progressive Republicanism are a fitting remedy for what ails American democracy today.
Turnout: Making Minnesota the State that Votes
by Joan Anderson GroweHigh voter turnout in Minnesota is no accident. It arose from the traditions of this state's early Yankee and northern European immigrants, and it has been sustained by wisely chosen election policies. Many of these policies were designed and implemented during the twenty-four-year tenure of Minnesota Secretary of State Joan Anderson Growe. In inspiring and often funny prose, Growe recounts the events that framed her life and changed the state's voting practices. She grew up in a household that never missed an election. After an astounding grassroots feminist campaign, she was elected to the state legislature in 1972; two years later, she was elected secretary of state, the state';s chief elections administrator. As one of the nation's leading advocates for reliable elections and convenient voting, Growe worked with county officials to secure Election Day registration (used for the first time in 1974) as a Minnesota norm. She brought new technology into elections administration and promoted "motor voter" registration. And as an ardent feminist, she has encouraged and inspired scores of other women to run for office. Part political history and part memoir, this book is a reminder to Minnesotans to cherish and protect their tradition of clean, open elections.
Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush
by Graeme ThompsonThe first ever in-depth study of Kate Bush's life and career, Under The Ivy features over 70 unique and revealing new interviews with those who have viewed from up close both the public artist and the private woman: old school friends, early band members, long-term studio collaborators, former managers, producers, musicians, video directors, dance instructors and record company executives.
AfterShocks: A Novel
by Jess WellsTrout, aka Tracy Giovanni, is businesswoman and organizer extraordinaire. She has everything under control: a procedure for every task. Until the earthquake. When the Big One hits San Francisco-8.0 on the Richter scale--things rock apart. And the aftershocks ripple through the lives of Trout, her partner Patricia and step-daughter Beth, and their friends and neighbors. The baby in the rubble, the woman who dies in the street, the ducks caught in the oil spill: these are not the stuff of everyday life. They spring from disaster--chaos--and they take people back. Trout revisits her haunting childhood on the lake; Patricia, the poverty of small-town Kentucky; Lynn, the spirits of her ancestors. The aftershocks also propel people forward. New shapes emerge from the jumble as the people of San Francisco reorganize their physical and psychological orientations in the world.
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.
Fat Girl Dances With Rocks
by Susan StinsonIt's the summer of drinking and driving, disco and diets, fake IDs and geology, and fat 17-year-old Char is wondering if she is animal, vegetable, or mineral. What does it mean when your best friend French-braids your hair, kisses you on the lips, and leaves town? Char gets a summer job in a nursing home, and meets people with bodies and abilities as various as the textures of the rocks her friend Felice collects. Fat Girl Dances with Rocks is a novel about the many shapes of beauty: the fold of a belly, the green swelling of seedlings, the sharp edges of granite, obsidian, and flint. Fat Girl Dances with Rocks is a coming of age story. It is a coming out story, and for Char, it is a story of coming into her own body - all the way to the edges of her skin.
The Mountain Never Cries: A Mother's Diary
by Ann HoladayFor three days Ann Holaday waited at the mountain—Oregon’s Mount Hood—while rescuers searched for a missing climbing party of which her son Giles was a member. Miraculously, he survived three days in a snow cave. She had to wait again by his hospital bed while he fought for his life.
Start Where You Are: Retirement Planning in a Changing World
by Ruth L. HaydenStart where You Are is a delight to read. It’s like sitting down with Ruth and carrying on a warm, lively conversation about ways to transform dreams into reality and bring balance into life, and to take control of our finances. Ruth offers plenty of sensible, no nonsense advice for managing money through the ages. But her passion is helping you create a vision and a realistic plan for achieving the kind of life you want, especially during your later years. Do you want to start mapping out your blueprint for a good retirement? Then I highly recommend Start Where You Are. Chris Farrell, host of Public Television’s Right on the Money and Public Radio’s Sound Money Far from another personal finance tome, Ruth Hayden's book is an inspiring and highly entertaining guide to planning for the rest of your life, however long that may be. While it offers clear guidance in terms of helping readers understand how much money they’ll need in retirement and how to make it last, it goes far beyond that—provoking us to think about what we really want for our lives. The real-life stories she relates make this a very readable hook. Gerri Detweiler, consumer advocate and author of The Ultimate Credit Handbook
A Cold Case of Murder (Meg Darcy Mystery #4)
by Jean Marcy4th in the series. An old unsolved murder, a rampaging ex-cop and a romantic relationship running amok keep Meg busy in the fourth in the award-winning mystery series.
Accidental Murder (A Detective Inspector Carol Ashton Mystery)
by Claire McnabWhen people with no obvious connections to each other are dying in what appear to be legitimate accidents -- a fall down the stairs, a single-vehicle car crash, a drowning in a hot tub -- nothing seems amiss. Until, Detective Inspector Carol Ashton receives a call from a private investigator who works for a number of insurance companies. Recently, several large life insurance policy pay outs seem questionable but there is no proof of wrongdoing. As Carol begins an investigation of the completely unrelated deaths, she realizes this could be the toughest case of her career and perhaps, one impossible to solve.
Seeds of Fire (Tunnel of Light #2)
by Karin Kallmaker Laura AdamsAutumn Bradley used the magic in her hands to save Ursula Columbine from the darkness that hunts for her. But the ordeal of her rescue has left Ursula's mind blank and her powers dimmed. Autumn only knows that it is up to her to hide the defenseless Ursula.<P>Darkness has spilled into Kelly Dove's life. She will use all her strength, no matter the cost to anyone, for what her dreams seem to promise: Ursula hers again. Taylor St. Claire risked faith and spirit to save Ursula but failed. No longer cleric, no longer priestess, Taylor's bitterness threatens to consume her completely. From the ancient music that haunts them all comes a clue in the search for Ursula, and Kelly seems only too eager to help. But the face of Ursula's captor is not the woman Taylor expects. The second volume of the Tunnel of Light trilogy continues the explosive journey of passion, heartbreak and triumph.
A Day Too Long (Helen Black Mysteries #9)
by Pat WelchNinth installment in the Helen Black mystery series. Helen finds a dead body and the police think she's the murderer.
Painted Moon
by Karin Kallmaker"...a delicious romance with just a hint of intrigue...an uncommonly realistic romance, one that surmounts class, race, and closets". -- Small Press Magazine