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News & Stories
On Saturday, July 4, more than 50 members of the Arlington Heights community joined the library in the Frontier Days Fourth of July Parade.
Arlington Heights readers strolled downtown while hearing from acclaimed bestselling authors Layne Fargo, Sandra Jackson-Opoku and Daniel Kraus.
Makerplace staff partnered with the Village of Arlington Heights Public Works to bring a unique community art project to the Arlington Heights Farmers Market.
Your Next Great Read

Chainsaw man. 19, Everyday scenery
Fujimoto, Tatsuki,
"With the disappearance of Nayuta, Denji finds himself in the grasp of a deep depression. He decides to eat away the pain, but at a sushi restaurant, Denji will be confronted with an unimaginable tragedy..."--Back cover

Catch her if you can
Bailey, Tessa,
"Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Keller since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point: Now that Eve's sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition--marry him for the much needed health benefits. Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there's one problem--her best friend, Skylar, called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she's not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden's proposal--on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She's not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden's shiny new career. Madden won't let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it's up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal?"-- From dust jacket

Very slowly all at once
Schott, Lauren,
A couple in an upper-middle-class Ohio community begins receiving increasingly large sums of money from an unknown source, alleviating their financial pressures but raising questions about the origin and consequences of the payments. As the mysterious windfall continues, the family confronts moral dilemmas, uncertainty, and potential danger. The novel explores themes of wealth, secrecy, trust, and the unforeseen consequences of financial opportunity

Worse than a lie : a Beau Lee Cooper novel
Crump, Benjamin, 1969-
"It's the night of November 4, 2008. America's first Black president has just been elected. And fifty-three-year-old Hollis Montrose--a Black ex-police officer from the suburbs of Chicago--has become the latest victim of a brutal attack. As the result of a traffic stop gone wrong, Hollis is shot ten times in cold blood, by four white men who could have been his colleagues back in his police days. Beau Lee Cooper was born serious, as if on an urgent mission with little time to waste. Raised in the tumultuous world of 1970s Texas, he always dreamed of becoming a lawyer and fighting for what's right, ever since he was a little boy reading To Kill a Mockingbird. And now, ten years into running his own law firm with his best friend and partner in crime, Nelson "Nellie" Rivers, and his suave right-hand-man, Brent "Cape" Capers, he feels he's finally making a difference. When Beau Lee learns about Hollis's situation, he's determined to help. Miraculously, Hollis survives the encounter, but the Chicago police department has already spun the narrative in its favor, and Hollis is given a wrongful prison sentence with an unreasonable bail. What really happened that night the car was pulled over? Was it random or was Hollis targeted? Beau Lee knows he's treading in dangerous waters, and finding evidence of the truth will be his biggest challenge yet, but with troubling powers at play, one innocent man's life hangs in the balance."--Amazon

Family drama
Fallon, Rebecca,
"It's 1997, and snow is blanketing a New England beach. Two befuddled seven-year-olds watch as their mother's body is tipped overboard a crumbling boat. A Viking funeral, followed by a raucous wake. A send-off fit for soap opera star: Susan Bliss. Fifteen years earlier, Susan is a blazing, beautiful young woman, passionate about her art. It's impossible not to fall in love with her, and so Alcott, a practical professor, does-hopelessly. And so begins the love story of Susan's two-paneled life: an unconventional, jetlag-filled arrangement that takes her back and forth between her life in New England as a wife and mother to young twins to the bright lights of Los Angeles, where she becomes the beloved star of a daytime soap. In the present, Susan's twins grow up in the shadow of her all-consuming absence. Sebastian, a sensitive artist, cleaves to her memory, fascinated with the artifacts of her starry past - old script notes, photographs, tabloid gossip columns - while Viola, resentful of her mother's torn allegiances, distances herself from the memories of a mother too caught up in her silly dreams to be present for her children. But when Viola runs into her mother's old friend and co-star Orson Grey - now a renowned Hollywood star - she finds herself falling deeply in love with him and begins to put together the pieces of a mother she never really knew. Sharp, assured and beautifully written, Family Drama is a story told in double-helix, and the intertwined timelines are heart-healing and breaking in equal measure. It's a novel about love, grief, motherhood, and the different versions of ourselves we share with the world and with each other. It speaks to that ever-present truth: the things we want may not be the things we need"-- Provided by publisher

So old, so young
Ginder, Grant,
"Six Friends. Five Parties. Twenty Years... How did we get So Old, So Young? From Grant Ginder, the bestselling author of The People We Hate at the Wedding, comes a novel of impending millennial middleage that is part love story, part tragic comedy. Five parties over the course of two decades bring six college friends together, exploring the ways we can run from and cling to our friends in love, life,and death. For Marco and Mia, Sasha and Theo, Richie and Adam, theone constant in life after college together has been change. New jobs. New cities. New spouses. New children. Through it all, one thing they thought would always stay the same is their friendship. But time has a way of breaking even the strongest bonds and testing what we thought we knew. From East Village apartment parties and disastrous destination weddings to fortieth birthdays and suburban backyard barbecues, Grant Ginder's resonant, funny, and deeply moving novel isa story about the growing pains of the millennial generation, and acelebration of how love can shift, stumble, and grow into something bigger than we ever could have imagined"--

Cold zero : a thriller
Thor, Brad,
"Hemisphere Airlines Flight 777--the most advanced jetliner ever built--disappears without a trace over the North Pole. Crippled by sabotage, it crash-lands on the ice, stranding the surviving passengers in a wasteland of frigid cold and chaos. The real storm, however, is still coming. Hidden inside the wreckage is the prototype for a revolutionary piece of technology that could upend the balance of world power. Now Washington, Moscow, and Beijing are racing to be the first on scene to retrieve it--at any cost. Trapped in the middle of the world's most dangerous flashpoint are CIA operative Kasey Sheridan and former fighter pilot turned first officer, Brett Sharpe. Hunted by enemy forces, they must spirit both the device and its creator across the ice to safety--before rival superpowers turn the Arctic into a war zone. With the clock ticking and the temperature dropping, the fate of the free world is about to be decided at the top of the globe"--

Clutch
Nemens, Emily,
"Clutch follows a group of five friends as they navigate the biggest challenges of their lives, asking: When you're hanging on by your fingernails, how can you extend a hand to the ones you love? As undergrads, Gregg, Reba, Hillary, Bella, and Carson formed the kind of rare bond that college brochures promise--friendship that lasts a lifetime. Two decades later, the women are spread across the country but remain firmly tethered through their ever-unfurling group chat. They've made it through COVID and childbirth and midcareer challenges, but no one can anticipate what's coming down the pike. The five women converge on Palm Springs for a long overdue reunion: Gregg, who has forged a path as a progressive Texas legislator, is facing a huge decision about her political future. Reba, who moved back to the Bay Area after decades away, is deep in IVF treatments while caring for her aging parents and navigating a San Francisco she hardly recognizes. Hillary's medical career in Chicago is going great--but at home, her husband's struggles with addiction have derailed their life. In New York City, Bella faces the biggest case in her career as a litigator while her home life crumbles around her, and across the river in Brooklyn, Carson is working on a new novel as well as forging a possible relationship with the father she's never met. Twenty years into their shared friendship, the stakes are higher than ever, and they must help one another reconcile professional ambition with personal tumult. Clutch is a big, beautiful, and deeply absorbing novel that asks how much space and heart we can give to our friends and our families, and what space we can save for ourselves." -- (dust jacket)

On Sundays she picked flowers
Scholfield, Yah Yah,
Judith Rice leaves her childhood home to escape an abusive family environment and settles in a remote wooded area of southern Georgia. She takes refuge in an isolated, deteriorating house associated with a violent past and local supernatural traditions. Over time, Judith develops a life centered on self-reliance, healing practices, and coexistence with the spirits believed to inhabit the land. After more than a decade of relative solitude, Judith's life is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious woman whose presence awakens unresolved memories and emotional conflicts tied to Judith's past. As Judith confronts resurfacing trauma and inherited patterns of violence, she is forced to examine her identity, desires, and the legacy of her family history. The novel explores themes of trauma, transformation, and self-reckoning within a Southern Gothic setting that blends realism with supernatural elements

Never been witched
Harper, Molly,
"Shy, sunshiney small-town antiques expert and full-time witch-slash-ghost wrangler catches feelings for the charming, perfectly polished customer in an expensive suit as they work together to renovate his family's historic (and definitely haunted) hotel. Alice Seastairs is in a precarious position for a witch-isolated from her coven and regretting a lot of her choices. Keeping herself from her sisters is the only way she can protect them from a threat only she knows is coming. While Alice should be searching for the final missing Welling locks and protecting the ghostly residents of Shaddow House, she distracts herself with a job offer from Collin Bancroft. Handsome, surprisingly sweet and filthy rich, Collin needs her expertise to restore his historic Duchess Hotel from the previous owner's ghastly citrus-toned taste. Little does he know, Alice is also the perfect consultant for what to do when you discover a ghost running nightly through the hotel hallways. Spoiler alert: The solution is almost always late night snacking and smooching. The weight of Alice's secrets only gets worse when her manipulative grandparents threaten to ruin her relationship with Collin. And because her life isn't complicated enough, Collin's delusional ex walks back into his life like she never left. And then there's the minor problem of an ancient magical family trying to take over Shaddow House, using the ghosts within for who-knows-what to further their nefarious agenda. Alice can only avoid her coven for so long before they come looking for her... She could really use a friend-or a house full of family, both living and dead. Will Alice break from generational toxic patterns and claim the joy that she deserves? A witch doesn't kiss and spell..."-- Provided by publisher

Bloodlust
Brown, Sandra, 1948-
"Two years ago, Detective Mitch Haskell lost his wife to a vicious act of retribution, and has since attributed her murder to two men: Roland Malone and the unidentified mastermind of the crime known only as Oz. Malone, a ruthless executioner and drug dealer who fronts as a restaurant owner, neutralizes so cleanly that he doesn't leave a trace. And he performs his handiwork at the biddings of Oz, the faceless kingpin of a drug trafficking operation whose name alone evokes terror. Obsessively vowing to avenge his late wife's murder, Mitch has been on a downward spiral, jeopardizing his closest relationships and drinking excessively to numb his pain. After going one step too far, Detective John Bowie, his former best friend and now his boss, has forced Mitch to get therapy to sort himself out. Dr. Dylan Reede is immediately empathetic to the pain she senses beneath Mitch's cavalier attitude and wisecracking. She's determined to make the most of his mandated sessions. But from the moment Mitch breezes into her office, Dylan finds it a struggle to maintain the professional and personal boundaries that keep her own tragic past at a safe distance. As Mitch begins to close in on Oz and Malone's operation, they're prepared to stop him by any means necessary. And when it's revealed that Dylan might hold the key to bringing them to justice, Mitch and Dylan's irresistible attraction to each other may not only compromise both of them professionally, but place them in Oz's bullseye." --

Sluz︠h︡nyt͡si͡a
McFadden, Freida,

Trust no one : a thriller
Rollins, James, 1961-
"The ritualistic murder of a British professor at the University of Exeter points to his own students. All evidence points to Sharyn Karr--an American student. Prior to the professor's death, he had thrust a centuries-old book upon her. It appears to be the handwritten and encrypted diary of an eighteenth-century mystic and occultist, the Comte de Saint-Germain. The professor begged her to keep the text safe, ending with a warning: Trust no one. Such a responsibility forces her into cooperation with Duncan Maxwell, a fellow postgrad and the sixteenth in line to the British Crown. Already, Duncan has proven himself a savant with encryptions. Unfortunately, the pair clash at every level, but they both need one another. Especially when they discover the book's opening words: Herein lies the secret to my immortality. Come find me, if you dare ... "--Publisher description

The hookup situation
Parish, Lyra,
"When my ex strolls back into town looking good enough to ruin my life twice and claiming he wants me back, I panic and blurt out that I'm seeing someone. The only man available is Nick Banks, the ex-hockey star with a smirk that should be illegal and commitment issues as legendary as his abs. Surprisingly, he agrees to play along if I help him figure out why his relationships keep going up in flames. We make rules: fake date without feelings, trade relationship advice, and hook up. For research purposes only. Obviously. It's a temporary arrangement, with the goal of becoming better partners for whoever comes next in our lives. But the snuggles get cozier and the kisses last longer. Lines blur, and I can't tell what's pretend and what's real. We're having fun, fooling everyone in my small town--and maybe ourselves too. Then the paparazzi snap pictures of us, and the gossip sites explode. Now I'm fake-dating a billionaire in the headlines while falling for him in real life. And the only thing more terrifying than the spotlight is losing him when autumn ends"--Page 4 of cover

Bad Asians
Li, Lillian,
"Diana, Justin, Vivian, and Errol have been friends for as long as they can remember. They worked hard and went to good schools, but rather than finding post-grad dream jobs, they've reunited while moving back into their childhood bedrooms. A year out of college, they are still job-hunting in the shadow of the early aughts recession. The four of them could not be more different, but together, away from the watchful, gossiping eyes of their parents, they can be their true selves. When their frenemy, Grace, returns to North Potomac after dropping out of Harvard Law School to pursue documentary filmmaking, the group sees little harm in allowing her to tape them hanging out for a short film. Thinking their comments would never see the light of day, the quartet openly shares their opinions, mouthing off about parental pressures and revealing intimate truths. None of them expect Grace's video to amount to anything-how many people even watch YouTube, anyways? When the video goes viral (2 million views and counting), propelling Grace into filmmaking stardom, the rest of the "Bad Asians" are forced to grapple with the not-so-flattering caricatures of themselves captured in her documentary. Overnight, they are recognized on the street, constantly asked for selfies, and worse, ripped apart in the comments. Worse still, the video's notoriety and a desperate attempt at spin control push the crew even further away from building the lives they each desire. As they grow up and grow apart, the group of friends tries again and again to figure out who they are outside of one another. In Bad Asians, Lillian Li offers a thoughtful and engrossing exploration of Asian-American identity, childhood friendship, and the early days of navigating missteps in full view of the world. Li's tale also captures how youth and ambition offer no guarantees, and while sometimes friends drift away from each other to find themselves, if you're lucky, they come back"-- Provided by publisher

Deep learning crash course : a hands-on, project-based introduction to artificial intelligence
Volpe, Giovanni (Physicist),
"A comprehensive, hands-on guide to deep learning using Python, combining theoretical concepts with practical examples and step-by-step code implementation. Covers foundational topics as well as advanced subjects such as generative models and reinforcement learning"-- Provided by publisher

Chicago's authentic founder : Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Or Haitian Secret Agent in the old Northwest outpost, 1745-1818
Rosier, Marc O.,
Chicago's Authentic Founder traces the life and time of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable from Haiti through Louisiana, Peoria, Chicago, and Saint-Charles, Missouri, where he died in 1818. It examines important historical events such as the foundation of Chicago, George Rogers Clark's conquest of the French villages in Illinois, and DuSable's arrest and appointment as manager of the Pinery in Michigan. The extent of DuSable's Chicago business or trading post is treated in full. DuSable's life in Saint-Charles is recounted in light of various court documents. His relationship to and leadership of the Pottawatomi tribe is explored and analyzed in ways that correct many of the inaccuracies found in the accounts publicized by the Kinsies and their allies. This volume contains many photos depicting DuSable's grave site, former places of residence, artistic representation, the cabin along the Chicago River, etc. DuSable's place of origin--Saint-Domingue, today's Haiti--as represented by Juliette Kinsie's Wau-Bun, is fully explored. The aggression of the European colonial powers and of the United States against Haiti after the successful Haitian Revolution and subsequent Haitian sponsorship of abolitionist and revolutionary activities is explored at length to show the reader possible motivation for associating DuSable with Haiti. Though widely admired by Native Americans and the older class of settlers in the contested territories of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, new American settlers, who arrived in Chicago after the building of Fort Dearborn, sought to discredit DuSable and to erroneously proclaim John Kinzie Chicago's founder

Bookish crafts : 40 fun, easy projects for book lovers
Butler, Kanlin,
Enter a world of bookish, crafty creations with artist Kanlin Butler's charming collection of projects designed for every type of book lover. Readers can make their own bookmarks, book-themed gifts, and redesign their own book covers-- whether it's a Majestic Dragon Wings bookmark for their favorite fantasy novel, fore-edge painting of a Sunset Sky to bring life to one's bookshelf, or a Book Bouquet to gift to a close friend, this lineup of projects is perfect for every devoted reader or the fellow bookworm in their life. As literature is at the heart of this guide, Kanlin also includes a guide to annotating fiction so that readers can adopt a new skill to bring with them to each new read. This book also prioritizes variety by including several art mediums like watercolor paint or felt tip pens so that crafters can explore a myriad of aesthetic possibilities. With 45 projects to choose from, an accessible materials list, and step-by-step instructions, any reader or crafter will have endless opportunities to create literary crafts that they'll love for a lifetime

The culting of America : what makes a cult and why we love them
Young, Daniella Mestyanek,
Cult survivor and organizational psychologist Daniella Mestyanek Young explores how cult-like systems of control shape everyday American life. Drawing on her upbringing in the Children of God, her time in the U.S. Army, and years of research, Young introduces the "cultiness spectrum," a framework for recognizing coercive dynamics in places we trust--from religion and wellness culture to corporations, fandoms, and politics. Blending memoir, cultural critique, and dark humor, this eye-opening book challenges readers to rethink loyalty, belonging, and the true cost of conformity

The war within a war : the Black struggle in Vietnam and at home
Haygood, Wil,
An examination of the relationship between the Vietnam War and the civil rights struggle in the United States, focusing on the experiences of African Americans during the 1960s and 1970s. Drawing on the lives of soldiers, medical personnel, journalists, activists, artists, and political leaders, the work explores how military service in Vietnam intersected with domestic movements for racial equality. Through individual narratives and broader historical context, the book analyzes the social, political, and cultural forces that shaped the era and assesses the war's impact on race relations in the United States

Days of love and rage : a story of ordinary people forging a revolution
Gopal, Anand, 1980-
"From Pulitzer and National Book Award finalist Anand Gopal, a mesmerizing and powerful account of six Syrians fighting for a better world, in the tradition of classic works by Philip Gourevitch and Katherine Boo. In 2011, in a northern Syrian city, a small group of men and women began a movement that overthrew one of the world's most brutal dictatorships. For the next eighteen months, citizens of Manbij carried out one of the most remarkable experiments in democracy in modern times. Days of Love and Rage details the powerfully intimate narratives of men and women who led this struggle, and who experience the highs of camaraderie and the lows of betrayal: a pair of best friends torn apart by political polarization, a mother who stands up to male dominance, a worker who risks everything for the dream of equality. Anand Gopal immerses you in the world of a single city in the throes of revolution, and lays bare the danger that inequality poses to democracy. But this book transcends the particulars of one terrible conflict to tell the sweeping story of democracy and rising authoritarianism in our times. It is, above all, an account of the best and worst of humanity. Both tragic and inspiring, Days of Love and Rage is a story of our enduring human need for freedom, security, dignity, community, love, and hope"-- Provided by publisher

Abuse of power : connecting Robert Kennedy's assassination with the murders of JFK and Dorothy Kilgallen exposes who was responsible and why Sirhan Sirhan deserves a new trial
Shaw, Mark, 1945-
"[The author] Shaw reveals a common sense account regarding what really happened when JFK, Kilgallen, and RFK died with the latter involving an apparent miscarriage of justice where Sirhan Sirhan may have been wrongfully convicted"--Page 4 of cover

A scandal in Königsberg
Clark, Christopher M.,
As told by one of our greatest historians, the story of the scandal that took down two Lutheran preachers in the heart of nineteenth-century Prussia -- a chamber piece of cultish esotericism, pseudoscience, and political resistance that conjures up Europe at the end of the age of reason and presages our current age of misinformation. In 1835, Johannes Ebel and Georg Heinrich Diestel were tried for having started a cult. Worse: It was a cult that encouraged scandalous sexual behavior in women, including the daughters of prestigious Prussian families -- causing the deaths of two young women from sexual exhaustion. The trial would absorb and polarize the city of Königsberg for half a decade and ruin the lives and careers of its defendants, despite their eventual legal exoneration. The historical moment it encapsulates -- a Europe reeling from the triumph and horror of a new industrial, imperial era, struggling to decide which principles will reign in the aftermath of Enlightenment reason -- is a fable for our present time of political, social, and existential disquiet. The great Cambridge historian Christopher Clark -- known for The Sleepwalkers, his monumental, defining study of the causes of the First World War -- came across the files containing this story three decades ago; it has been swirling in his mind ever since. In gripping, narrative prose, Clark immerses us in a Königsberg scarred by the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars, where Immanuel Kant had recently inaugurated the theory of consciousness that completely reshaped humanity's understanding of itself -- but where the distinction between reason and fanaticism was now up for grabs. A Scandal in Königsberg is a European history in exquisite miniature -- and a peerless lesson in the theological and philosophical debates that animated the Western world at one of its great moments of transformation. Rich and provocative, A Scandal in Königsberg articulates an unsettling antecedent for our most fiercely litigated contemporary questions of sexual identity, freedom of thought, and who gets to decide what constitutes the truth

Napoleon's buttons : 17 molecules that changed history
Le Couteur, Penny, 1943-
Examines the roles that the molecular properties of such items as the birth control pill, caffeine, and the buttons on the uniforms of Napoleon's army have played in the course of history

The high-protein plate
DeVaux, Rachael,
"In The High Protein Plate, Rachael DeVaux, New York Times bestselling author of Rachael's Good Eats, shows how anyone at any stage of life can easily incorporate protein into their diet."--Amazon

Ocean : from the shore to the abyss
De Vos, Asha,
"A stunning visual journey from the shoreline to the ocean's depths - celebrating the sheer diversity of life beneath the waves. Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth but three quarters of our oceans' depths have never been explored by humans. This stunning book takes readers on a deep dive through the different depth zones - from the shoreline and surface, via the sunlight zone, the twilight and midnight zones, and into the abyss-- to chart the richness and diversity of life in our seas. Each chapter, centered on a different depth zone, begins with a comprehensive introduction, before exploring fifteen to twenty-five visual themes, from the smallest living things to the largest and from the familiar to the unknown. A final chapter on the oceans and us reveals the visual history of human interaction with the deep blue, from discovery and mapping to current issues of the environment and preservation. Ocean features stunning photography throughout - from microscopic images of tiny creatures to corals of every hue and the abstract patterns of fish scales - shown alongside a wide range of stunning archival illustrations and specially commissioned infographics that convey complex data in a simple and elegant way. Exploring a huge range of themes, creatures, and plants from around the world, Ocean draws crucial attention to the importance of life in our seas and the need to preserve it" --

They bloom because of you : poems on the infinite love, growth, and magic of motherhood
Urlichs, Jessica,
Sunday Times bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood--the hard, the magic, and the fleeting. The love you have for your children Only deepens as they grow . As poet Jessica Urlichs emerged from the beautiful chaos of new motherhood and watched her children grow, she felt her breathing slow and a more intimate appreciation for life develop--as a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. In They Bloom Because of You, Jess lays bare the surprising triumphs, sorrows, evolving love, empathy, and slightly subdued chaos that occurs as our children bloom and become alongside us. Reflecting on motherhood into school age, Jess offers a much-needed exhale, a hand to hold during this precious and fleeting time, and an often-forgotten acknowledgment of just how far we've come. A balm for the soul, Jess's poems poignantly remind us of what once was (our beautiful babies) while tenderly planting us in the now (our growing children) and looking toward a hopeful future, together

Cultivating native plants for pollinators : a comprehensive guide to attracting birds, bees, and butterflies
Yoest, Helen,
Cultivating Native Plants for Pollinators is a comprehensive guide to attracting and supporting butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, and honeybees in your home garden or community space. Environmental expert and gardening educator Helen Yoest outlines the best native plants and practices for creating thriving pollinator habitats in every U.S. region. Learn how to build sustainable pollinator lawns, design vibrant wildlife-friendly gardens, and help combat habitat loss with practical steps. Whether you're new to native planting or ready to deepen your impact, this book makes it easy to garden with purpose

Code red : the left, the right, China, and the race to control AI
Hall, Wynton, 1976-
Today, 99% of Americans use AI--even if most of us don't realize it. For conservatives, this is a Code Red moment. Big Tech is quietly hard-coding left-wing ideology into the algorithms that now govern daily life. The Left is already weaponizing AI while conservatives sleepwalk straight into calamity, unless they're ready for what's coming. In Code Red, Breitbart social media director Wynton Hall exposes where that power hides, how it operates, how conservatives can navigate the AI political battlescape, avert its landmines, and turn peril into promise. AI decides what you see and what gets censored. It's quietly rewiring our whole way of life. The solution? Americans need a "code": a set of principles and solutions rooted in the red political worldview to navigate the upheaval and stay ahead

Irreversible damage : the transgender craze seducing our daughters
Shrier, Abigail,
Content advice: The subject matter of this work may be considered insensitive, harmful, or offensive to members of the trans community

The frugal wizard's handbook for surviving medieval England
Sanderson, Brandon,
"A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the "real world" should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?"--

Bastion
Lackey, Mercedes,

Winter's heart
Jordan, Robert, 1948-2007

Furies of Calderon
Butcher, Jim, 1971-
In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies--elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal--15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. As his homeland erupts in chaos--when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies--Tavi's simple courage will turn the tides of war

Dawnshard
Sanderson, Brandon,
When a ghost ship is discovered near the stormy island Akinah, Navani Kholin sends an expedition to make sure the island hasn't fallen into enemy hands

A crown of star and ash
Taylor, Victoria K.,
When the kingdom of Praiton began overthrowing the surrounding Pillar Kingdoms of Krigor, no one knew why. As a healer for Praiton, Deya believed that there was no higher honour in the realm. But when Deya is imprisoned after learning an enormous secret that threatens the regime, her love and loyalty for her kingdom is shattered. Beaten and tortured, a new, terrible power is unleashed inside of her, a power that she cannot control. forced outside of the only kingdom that she has ever known, Deya has no choice but to team up with a band of unlikely rebels that all have one thing in common: the desire for the destruction of Praiton. One of those rebels is Caelum, a male who spent most of his life inside a prison. Having lost everything to Praiton, Caelum hates everything and everyone from the kingdom... including Deya. But Caelum has a secret, one that could turn the tide of the war, and one that keeps him pushing everyone and everything away. As Deya struggles to recover from the trauma of her imprisonment, she is forced to face where her allegiance lies: with the kingdom that betrayed her, or with the male who could destroy it forever

Glow
Kennedy, Raven,
"Free. I'm finally out from under Midas's thumb, but there are consequences when you kill a king. The other monarchs are coming for me. With Slade Ravinger by my side, I have to learn to control my power. Because so long as I live in this world, I won't be used again. So I will fight for him, and he will kill for me, and if we need to, we will become the villains."

A fire in the sky
Jordan, Sophie
"Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous...especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship. When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn's world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she's ever known, behind. The wedding night begins with unexpected passion--and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors--secrets buried so deep even she doesn't know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone. Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it."--

Paper & blood
Hearne, Kevin,
"New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hearne returns to the world of his beloved Iron Druid Chronicles in book two of a spin-off series about an eccentric master of rare magic solving an uncanny mystery in Scotland. Charming and unconventional Scottish detective Al MacBharrais returns in the second installment of the magical murder mystery series Ink & Sigil"--

The well of ascension
Sanderson, Brandon

Perfect shadow
Weeks, Brent,
Gaelan Starfire is a farmer, happy to be a husband and a father; a careful, quiet, simple man. He's also an immortal, peerless in the arts of war. Over the centuries, he's worn many faces to hide his gift, but he is a man ill-fit for obscurity, and all too often he's become a hero, his very names passing into legend: Acaelus Thorne, Yric the Black, Hrothan Steelbender, Tal Drakkan, Rebus Nimble.But when Gaelan must take a job hunting down the world's finest assassins for the beautiful courtesan-and-crimelord Gwinvere Kirena, what he finds may destroy everything he's ever believed in

Horns for Hell
Nicolás, Rafael,
A fantasy novel that explores the life of Rosier, a fallen angel living among demons. Rosier, who once shared a deep bond with a friend in Heaven, now finds himself in a world of cold caves and fiery misery. The story delves into themes of love, loss, and the struggle for redemption in a dark and haunting setting

The last smile in Sunder City
Arnold, Luke,
"I'm Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are three things you should know before you hire me: 1. Sobriety costs extra. 2. My services are confidential. 3. I don't work for humans. It's nothing personal - I'm human myself. But after what happened, it's not the humans who need my help. I just want one real case. One chance to do something good. Because it's my fault the magic is never coming back. The Last Smile in Sunder City is the debut novel from actor Luke Arnold - known for his lead role in Black Sails. This contemporary fantasy introduces Fetch Phillips - a character destined to be loved by readers of Ben Aaronovitch, Jim Butcher and Terry Pratchett's Discworld"--FantasticFiction.com

Direct descendant
Huff, Tanya,
"This cozy stand-alone horror novel set in modern-day Toronto is the perfect balance of dark and delightful; a charming love story about a small-town baker, a quick-witted PI, and, yes, an ancient evil"--

Pretenders to the throne of God
Tchaikovsky, Adrian, 1972-
"As the Palleseen's campaign to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world rages on, Eres Ffenegh - 'the City on the Back of a Crab' - is the next state slated for conquest. But its citizens won't give up sovereignty easily. The siege has dragged into the harsh Eresi winter and the defenders - both locals and Pal renegades - hold an uneasy alliance against the enemy at the gates, while the Pal army is constantly looking over its shoulder for the next self-destructive dictate of their government back home. Within the city, Devil Jack, a good man apprenticed to the notorious conjurer and bawd known as the Widow, is driven to bargaining with hell to get back what he's lost. Meanwhile Kiffel ea Leachan is the city's champion, a child of privilege who's just lost everything to the invaders. Both must try to survive the siege and make their own destinies in a world that's cut them loose. Outside the city, the Pals have been desperately waiting for reinforcements to take the city, but when new soldiers finally march in with the winter it's the sort of help that might just damn them all..."-- Front flap of jacket

Chinese-ish : home cooking not quite authentic, 100% delicious
Kaul, Rosheen

Maydān : recipes from Lebanon and beyond
Previte, Rose,
Rose Previte introduces readers to the eclectic cultures of the region spanning North Africa, the Caucuses, and the Middle East through food, offering a nuanced, informed, and yet entirely warm and personal way in. Before opening her beloved Washington, DC, restaurants Maydαn and Compass Rose, Previte traveled old spice trade routes to learn from home cooks, and it became apparent how adjacent cooking traditions informed and folded back on one another, creating a constant dialogue. Ancient foodways don't recognize geopolitical boundaries. For instance, the harissa found in Tunisia is incredibly similar to the adjika used in Georgia, and the lineage of baking bread in clay ovens stretches across the region with strikingly parallel methods. And in that vein, the word maydαn has roots in a number of languages and has been crossing borders for generations, from Tangier to Tehran and from Beirut to Batumi. It means "gathering place" or "square," often located in the middle of a city, and originates in Arabic, but translates to Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Ukrainian, and even Latin. To Previte, it symbolizes how food brings us together and everyone can add a personal twist. Previte's culinary journey began at home with her Lebanese American mother and Sicilian American father. Many of the recipes and techniques in this book were imparted to Previte by home cooks, often grandmothers, whom she learned from on her travels in the Middle East and beyond. With more than 150 recipes, Maydαn offers guidance on how to build our own tables, taking cues from the way Previte's Lebanese family ate growing up; emphasizing mixing and matching; scaling up or down; making a weeknight meal such as Tunisian Chicken Skewers with Loobieh bi Zeit (Green Bean Salad); creating the ideal spread of Lebanese small plates for entertaining guests; and a project day (the cheesy Georgian bread Khachapuri), all of which can be paired with one of the easy-to-source Georgian and Lebanese wines Rose recommends

American girl tea parties
"Inspires young chefs to learn essential kitchen skills while creating teatime recipes--including cakes, biscuits, scones, savory tea sandwiches, and more--for everyday and special occasions. With mouthwatering treats like vanilla-rose teacakes, strawberry shortcakes, and chocolate palmiers to more traditional tea-party fare such as cucumber-mint sandwiches, berry-studded scone bites, and buttery shortbreads, this collection of 50 recipes will appeal to kid chefs of all skill levels"--

Betty Crocker's the big book of pies and tarts
Crocker, Betty

The carb reset : store less fat, burn the rest, and harness the power of carbs to lose weight
Pasternak, Harley,
"In The Carb Reset, Harley guides readers through how and why your body stores or burns fat, expertly cutting through the noise of toxic diet culture. He details why bread, pasta, rice, and fruit should be part of every healthy meal, and he lays out the right combination and quantity of nutrients that speeds fat loss, reduces fat storage, and improves your hormonal balance. The secret is quite literally in our hands thanks to his ingenious PATH acronym (a Palm of carbohydrates, All the vegetables, Thumb of fat, and a Hand of protein). The Carb Reset includes: 50 recipes, most of which require as little as five minutes of preparation, and can be put together in 20 to 30 minutes; Two weeks of meal plans with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free swaps and an "add a treat a week" strategy to work in your favorite dessert or snack; Handy line illustrations of "PATH plates" that show you how to put meals together at home. The Carb Reset puts readers in control of their health, resetting their relationship with the foods they love and thought they had to forego, while reshaping their approach to eating well for life"--

Cake balls : amazingly delicious bite-sized treats
Ankeny, Robin,
How to make 51 delectable cake ball recipes, including information on methods, equipment, troubleshooting, dipping and decorating, and more

The healthy bones nutrition plan and cookbook : how to prepare and combine whole foods to prevent and treat osteoporosis naturally
Kelly, Laura, 1967-
"Calcium helps build strong bones, buts it's a myth that taking a daily calcium supplement will enable you to avoid potentially debilitating bone loss. Building bone requires a full complement of minerals and vitamins that too often are lacking in a woman's--or man's--diet in the quantity and combination required to prevent and treat osteoporosis. In this book, Dr. Laura Kelly and Helen Bryman Kelly provide scientifically sound guidance on how to monitor your nutrient intake and cook right for bone health to avoid deficiencies of the key players in bone metabolism--including calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K2--and, in many cases, to avoid the use of osteoporosis drugs. Follow their instructions for creating your own personal nutrition plan and enjoy delicious bone-healthy meals from a selection of more than 100 recipes ranging from sauces and small plates to soups, salads, main dishes, and more, "--Page 4 of cover

Christopher Kimball's Milk Street : the new home cooking
Kimball, Christopher,
"The first cookbook connected to Milk Street's public television show delivers more than 125 new recipes arranged by type of dish: from grains and salads, to a new way to scramble eggs, to simple dinners and twenty-first-century desserts"--Amazon.com

American Girl cupcakes

The happy cookbook : a celebration of the food that makes America smile
Doocy, Steve,
"Steve Doocy calls Kathy, his wife of more than thirty years, "the best cook I've ever met." Together, they take joy in cooking and entertaining with their family and friends. In The Happy Cookbook, the Doocys share favorite recipes, stories, and photos from their family life. In addition to beloved family dishes, this full-color cookbook includes recipes from friends like musician Kid Rock, professional golfer Greg Norman, and many more! The Happy Cookbook will not only appeal to Steve's legions of Fox & Friends fans, but to anyone looking for accessible, fun, and delicious food that will inspire great meals for every day and for special occasions."--Publisher's annotation

Tailgreat : how to crush it at tailgating
Currence, John,
"John Currence is one of the most celebrated and beloved chefs in America, but he's also a tailgating fanatic. For years he has prepared fans to go into battle before football games on his home turf in Oxford, Mississippi, supplying them with dishes that go way beyond the expected burgers and hot dogs. In Tailgreat he makes his case that tailgating food can be so much more than sad store-bought dips and chips, as we celebrate the spirit of coming together with friends and family to support a common cause: our team. The dishes are flavor-packed hits like Korean BBQ Wings, Grilled Corn Guacamole, Sweet Mustard Pulled Pork, and NOLA Roast Beef Po'Boy Bites. With these recipes you will surely lead your team, or at least your next meal, to victory" --

How to eat weed & have a good time : a cannabis cookbook
Lavorato, Vanessa,
"Cook delicious dishes with cannabis like never before and take each meal to new heights with recipes that are sure to delight stoners and newcomers alike. Recreational cannabis use is now legalized in nearly half of the United States (and medicinal use is legalized in most states), but for so many people, edibles are the preferred method. For some, smoking is too harsh on their lungs while others find it more fun to eat their weed. Plus, the high you get from consuming cannabis in food can be stronger and more sustained versus the immediate and sometimes overwhelming rush you might get from smoking it. While most dispensaries sell gummies and possibly infused chocolates, there's so much more you can do with weed at home, and that's what How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time is here to prove. Author and host of VICE's Bong Appetit, Vanessa Lavorato is teaching you how to create sweet and savory cannabis dishes right in your home kitchen. After crafting 200 certified lab tests in her research--to help ensure that the infusions for staples like cannabis butter, oil, sugar, and more are as accurate as possible--Vanessa walks you through every step of the process with informative tables and charts, making this book incredibly useful and wildly popular. With dazzling photography throughout, the book includes delicious recipes like taquitos, wontons, meatballs, granola, muffins, cookies, blondies, brownies, cupcakes, and more. There are also recipes for dips, dressings, and sauces from salsa to pesto to marinara--many of which can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer for when you want to take a dish to new heights. And for when you want to drink your weed, there are recipes for milkshakes, chai, iced tea, and even a Bloody Mary. This book is packed with tips and advice throughout on topics like how weed gets people high, using everything from your stove to your microwave for decarboxylation (heat activates cannabis), cooking with concentrates, and shopping for weed. This is the most authoritative book ever published on the subject of cannabis consumption."--Publisher

Bliss on toast : 75 simple recipes
Leith, Prue,
"Prue Leith toasts sourdoughs, focaccias, baguettes, flatbreads and more, then pairs them with everything from seasonal vegetables to meat and fish. The collection spans healthy, hearty, salty, and sometimes sweet. Ideal for a busy home cook who loves a full and balanced plate, the recipes are incredibly versatile and perfect for any time of the day: tomatoes, shallots, and oregano on black olive toast; grilled chicken tikka with yogurt on naan; smoked salmon, wasabi, and avocado on multigrain bread; and bananas and ice cream with brandy syrup on panettone"--

Listen to your vegetables : Italian-inspired recipes for every season
Grueneberg, Sarah, 1981-
"James Beard Award-winning and Top Chef finalist chef Sarah Grueneberg has a secret to share: fruits and vegetables are singing loudly around you, begging you to take them home and try something new. Are you listening? Some are asking to be put in salads, yes. But what does this asparagus want you to do with it? What does it like to be paired with? In this illustrated exploration of seasonal produce, Sarah offers insights, techniques, and recipes to truly get the best out of your vegetables--covering how to shop for, cook, season, and effortlessly celebrate potatoes, squash, beans, greens, mushrooms, peppers, and more in every meal"--Page 2 of cover

Family vacation cookbook : slow cooker meals for your RV, boat, cabin, or beach house
Comerford, Hope,
"When you're away from home but still want a delicious home-cooked meal, the slow cooker is the way to go! Using one pot (who wants to do dishes on vacation?) and minimal ingredients (we're assuming you're not packing your entire spice shelf), these recipes are super easy and super yummy. Whether you're vacationing on a boat, at the cabin, in your RV, or at the beach house, don't let limited space or time stop you from gathering around the table to share a meal. Bring your slow cooker and this book along for simple, economical dining."--Amazon.com

The greatest sentence ever written
Isaacson, Walter,
"To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a ... deep dive into the creation of one of history's most powerful sentences: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.' Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundationfor the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation. Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating thethen-radical concepts behind it"--

Veil. Vol. 1, Temperature of orange
Kotteri,
Like a classic film, he and she encountered each other by chance. He was an on-duty police officer in the city. She was a runaway heiress. When he learned that she is looking for work, he decided to welcome her as the police station's telephone operator... This was the beginning of the everyday lives of he and she, and the delicate distance between them. Enjoy witty dialogue and bold illustrations, in this in full-color manga collection by Kotteri!

Revolutionary girl Utena. The student council saga. 1
Utena's sense of chivalry pits her against the student council members of Ohtori Academy, fighting a series of dangerous duels with its members

Revolutionary girl Utena. The student council saga. 1
Utena's sense of chivalry pits her against the student council members of Ohtori Academy, fighting a series of dangerous duels with its members

Becoming
Obama, Michelle, 1964-

Simply tomato : 100 recipes for enjoying your favorite ingredient all year long
Holmberg, Martha,
"Americans eat more tomatoes than any vegetable except for the potato. But what do we do with all those tomatoes? Acclaimed chef, cooking teacher, and author Martha Holmberg shares 75 recipes to turn the tomato into glorious dishes. Whether it's a fresh-off-the-vine tomato or a just-picked-from-the-supermarket-shelf tomato, Holmberg has ideas to make the best of our favorite summer fruit. There are three versions of gazpacho, five ways to top roasted tomato puff pastry, plus Tomato and Zucchini Gratin, Classic Panzanella, Tomato Risotto, and Stuffed Tomatoes with Spiced Beef Piccadillo. With more tomato varieties in existence than ever before, Holmberg explains which tomatoes work best with which recipes: choose a beefsteak to roast with fish or pick cherry tomatoes to toss with corn in a quick summer salad. Holmberg also reveals her secret, umami-packed ingredient-tomato water. She calls it a "magical elixir" that can add intense tomato flavor to most anything you make"--

Lollapalooza : the uncensored story of alternative rock's wildest festival
Bienstock, Richard,
"The definitive, no-holds-barred oral history of 1990s alt-rock festival Lollapalooza--told by the musicians, roadies, and industry insiders who lived it. From the New York Times bestselling authors of Nothin' But A Good Time. In Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival, New York Times bestselling authors Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour tell the no-holds-barred history of the iconic music festival. Through hundreds of new interviews with artists, tour founders, festival organizers, promoters, publicists, sideshow freaks, stage crews, record label execs, reporters, roadies and more, Lollapalooza chronicles the tour's pioneering 1991-1997 run, and, in the process, alternative rock's rise--as well as the reverberations that led to a massive shift in the music industry and the culture at large. Lollapalooza features original interviews with some of the biggest names in music, including Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Sonic Youth, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Ice-T, Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, Patti Smith, Alice in Chains, Metallica and many more. Conceived by Farrell as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction, Lollapalooza's inaugural outing across the U.S. in the summer of 1991 helped to coalesce an ideology and aesthetic that not only washed over popular music but seeped into fashion, film, television, literature, food, politics and more. Throughout the decade, Lollapalooza offered a vast and diverse ensemble of bands, breaking barriers of genre and uniting alternative rock, heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, industrial, goth, avant-garde, spoken word, electronic dance music and other styles under one big tent, and setting the template for the modern American music festival and the scores of other contemporary destination fests that are now an integral part of how audiences experience live music. Unorthodox not just in music, Lollapalooza also spotlighted visual arts, nonprofit organizations, political outfits and even the occasional freak show, offering a tantalizing cocktail of culture, art, and activism that, taken together, defined the alternative mindset that dominated the 1990s. Echoes of its impact reverberate strongly today - cemented by annual sell-outs at destination events all over the world, an estimation of 400,000 attendees at the flagship Chicago fest each summer, and a spot among the world's largest and longest-running music festivals. A nostalgic look back at 1990s music and culture, Lollapalooza traces the festival's groundbreaking origins, following the tour as it progresses through the decade, and documenting the action onstage, backstage, and behind-the-scenes in detailed and uncensored and sometimes shocking first-person accounts. This is the story of Lollapalooza and the 1990s alternative rock revolution"--

The killer next door
Marwood, Alex
"A taut new psychological thriller from the Edgar Award-nominated author of The Wicked Girls Alex Marwood's debut novel, The Wicked Girls, earned her lavish praise from the likes of Stephen King, Laura Lippman, and Erin Kelly, and was shortlisted for an Edgar Award. Now Marwood's back with a brilliant, tightly paced thriller that will keep you up at night and make you ask yourself: just how well do you know your neighbors? Everyone who lives at 23 Beulah Grove has a secret. If they didn't, they wouldn't be renting rooms in a dodgy old building for cash-no credit check, no lease. It's the kind of place you end up when you you've run out of other options. The six residents mostly keep to themselves, but one unbearably hot summer night, a terrible accident pushes them into an uneasy alliance. What they don't know is that one of them is a killer. He's already chosen his next victim, and he'll do anything to protect his secret"--

How to win friends and influence fungi : collected quirks of science, tech, engineering, and math from nerd nite
"In the vein of acclaimed popular-science bestsellers such as Atlas Obscura, Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry, The Way Things Work, What If?, and Undeniable, the co-founders of the global science organization Nerd Nite bring readers a collection of wacky, yet fascinating STEM topics. For 20 years, Nerd Nite has delivered to live audiences around the world, the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, you name it. There hasn't been a rabbit hole that their army of presenters hasn't been afraid to explore. Finally, after countless requests to bring Nerd Nite to more fans across the globe, co-founders and college pals Matt Wasowski and Chris Balakrishnan are bringing readers the quirky and accessible science content that they crave in book form, focused on STEM and paired with detailed illustrations that make the content pop. The resulting range of topics is quirky and vast, from kinky, spring-loaded spiders to the Webb telescope's influence on movie special effects. Hilariously named after Dale Carnegie's iconic book, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi features narratives, bursts, and infographics on all things STEM from scientists around the world. Chapters are sure to make you laugh-out-loud, with titles such as "The Science of the Hangover," "What Birds Can Teach Us About the Impending Zombie Apocalypse," and "Lessons from the Oregon Trail." With fascinating details, facts, and illustrations, combined with Chris and Matt's incredible connections to organizations such as the Discovery Network and the Smithsonian Institution, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi is sure to reach joyful STEM enthusiasts of all ages around the world. About Nerd Nite: Started in 2003, Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in 100+ cities worldwide during which folks give 20-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along!"--

Replaceable you : adventures in human anatomy
Roach, Mary,
"The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. For centuries, medicine has reached for what's available--sculpting noses from brass, borrowing skin from frogs and hearts from pigs, crafting eye parts from jet canopies and breasts from petroleum by-products. Today we're attempting to grow body parts from scratch using stem cells and 3D printers. How are we doing? Are we there yet? In Replaceable You, Mary Roach explores the remarkable advances and difficult questions prompted by the human body's failings. When and how does a person decide they'd be better off with a prosthetic than their existing limb? Can a donated heart be made to beat forever? Can an intestine provide a workable substitute for a vagina? Roach dives in with her characteristic verve and infectious wit. Her travels take her to the OR at a legendary burn unit in Boston, a "superclean" xeno-pigsty in China, and a stem cell "hair nursery" in the San Diego tech hub. She talks with researchers and surgeons, amputees and ostomates, printers of kidneys and designers of wearable organs. She spends time in a working iron lung from the 1950s, stays up all night with recovery techs as they disassemble and reassemble a tissue donor, and travels across Mongolia with the cataract surgeons of Orbis International. Irrepressible and accessible, Replaceable You immerses readers in the wondrous, improbable, and surreal quest to build a new you."--Book jacket

Amity
Harris, Nathan,
In 1866 New Orleans, formerly enslaved siblings Coleman and June are separated, only to embark on perilous, individual journeys through the Mexican desert to reunite and seize the freedom they were promised

Annihilation
VanderMeer, Jeff
Area X has claimed the lives of members of eleven expeditions. The twelfth expedition consisting of four women hopes to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself

The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret, 1939-
"Margaret Atwood's best-loved novel has taken the world by storm again. Riding high on bestseller lists for months and the basis for Hulu's Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning smash hit series, The Handmaid's Tale is everywhere--and it's primed for a stunning new graphic novel adaptation. The story is iconic: In the Republic of Gilead, a Handmaid named Offred lives in the home of the Commander, to the purpose that she become pregnant with his child. Stripped of her most basic freedoms, (work, property, her own name), Offred remembers a different time, not so long ago, when she was valuable for more than her viable ovaries, when she was mother to a daughter she could keep, and when she and her husband lived and loved as equals. Darkly prescient, scathingly sarcastic, and eminently frightening, The Handmaid's Tale has only gained relevance since it was originally published, and remains one of the most powerful, widely read stories of our times. This illustrated edition is a must-have for Atwood's growing legions of fans"--

The 500 hidden secrets of Chicago

Milk without honey
Harms, Hanna, 1994-
"Bees are vital to securing our food supply. We could live in a paradise where insects, especially bees pollinate fragrant seas of flowers whose fruits we harvest. Instead, vast lawns are now replacing flower gardens, and agriculture is characterized by monocultures. Pesticides and climate change are also causing insect mortality, with dramatic consequences for the global ecosystem. As we destroy the insect populations, honey is just one of many foods that will no longer be available to us, unless we learn to honor our innate connection with nature before it's too late."--

Barely functional adult : it'll all make sense eventually
Ng, Meichi,
"...a hilarious and poignant [autobiographical] collection of beautifully illustrated short stories that perfectly captures the best and worst of adult life and the joy, terror, fun, and pain that comes with learning to navigate its complexities and conundrums"--Back cover

Heart the lover
King, Lily,
""You knew I'd write a book about you someday." Our narrator understands good love stories--their secrets and subtext, their highs and their free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules. In the fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love and her own intellectual ambition. Youthful passion is unpredictable though, and she soon finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. As graduation comes and goes, choices made will alter these three lives forever. Decades later, Jordan is living the life she dreamed of, and the vulnerable days of her youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news brings the past crashing into the present, she returns to a world she left behind and is forced to confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self. Written with the superb wit and emotional sensitivity fans and critics of Lily King have come to adore, Heart the Lover is a deeply moving story that celebrates love, friendship, and the transformative nature of forgiveness. Wise, unforgettable, and with a delightful connective thread to Writers & Lovers, this is King at her very best, affirming her as a masterful chronicler of the human experience and one of the finest novelists at work today"-- Provided by publisher

Try not to breathe
Bell, David, 1969 November 17-
"An ex-cop sets out to find her missing sister and discovers the horrifying truth about her family... A traumatic experience in the line of duty forces thirty-year-old Avery Rogers to abandon both her relationship and her position as a Kentucky State Police officer. She retreats to a college town where she works an unfulfilling job as a security guard, breaking up fights between drunken frat boys. But a frantic phone call turns Avery's life upside down. Her father-a retired cop who never fails to convey his disappointment in Avery-says her half sister is missing and in danger. Avery is sure Anna's just crashing with friends, but her father strong-arms her into searching for the sister she barely knows. Anna Rogers is fed up with her family-a half sister who resents her existence and a domineering father who thinks it's okay for cops to shoot unarmed civilians. She hits the road to attend a protest against police brutality, unaware of the danger that awaits her there. Just after catching a glimpse of Avery at the protest, Anna receives a shocking text. Now she's no longer road-tripping; she's running, pursued by an older sister she doesn't trust and a violent stranger who has been stalking her for weeks. When Avery discovers Anna's hiding place near a remote cave system, she risks everything to save her. Little do the sisters know that the past is catching up with them-including the explosive secret at the very heart of the Rogers family"--

How Simi got her groom back
Dev, Sonali,
The Naik sisters escaped their traumatic past in Mumbai to come to the States, but their journeys have been vastly different. Simi is working toward a bright future as a pediatric nurse in a small town in Kentucky when Rupi shows up at her door in distress, on the run, and as always, dragging trouble in her wake. With Rupi's safety in jeopardy, the sisters hatch a desperate plan to keep her in the country: Rupi must get married and fast even if it means Simi recruiting the man she's been secretly dating as her sister's groom. A perfect plan? Not quite. But there aren't many alternatives. As the big day inches closer, Simi and Rupi face a storm of wedding shenanigans and romantic surprises, not to mention sisterly jealousies. As the stakes and tensions rise, will their secrets tear them apart or will they find a way to risk everything for love? --from Amazon

A walk in the park : the true story of a spectacular misadventure in the Grand Canyon
Fedarko, Kevin,
"From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the epic adventure tale The Emerald Mile comes the most dramatic and deeply moving account ever of walking the Grand Canyon, a highly dangerous, life-changing 750-mile trek. The Grand Canyon is an American treasure, visited by more than 6 million people a year, many of whom are rendered speechless by its vast beauty, mystery, and complexity. Now, in A Walk in the Park, author Kevin Fedarko chronicles his year-long effort to find a 750-mile path along the length of the Grand Canyon, through a vertical wilderness suspended between the caprock along the rims of the abyss and the Colorado River, which flows along its bottom. Consisting of countless cliffs and steep drops, plus immense stretches with almost no access to water, and the fact that not a single trail links its eastern doorway to its western terminus, this jewel of national parks is so challenging that when Fedarko departed fewer people had completed the journey in one single hike than had walked on the moon. The intensity of the effort required him to break his trip into several legs, each of which held staggering dangers and unexpected discoveries. Accompanying Fedarko through this sublime yet perilous terrain is the award-winning photographer Peter McBride, who captures the stunning landscape in breathtaking photos. Together, they encounter long-lost Native American ruins, the remains of Old West prospectors' camps, present day tribal activists, and signs that commercial tourism is impinging on the park's remote wildness. An epic adventure, action-packed survival tale, and a deep spiritual journey, A Walk in the Park gives us an unprecedented glimpse of the crown jewel of America's National Parks: an iconic landscape framed by ancient rock whose contours are recognized by all, but whose secrets and treasures are known to almost no one, and whose topography encompasses some of the harshest, least explored, most awe-inspiring terrain in the world"--

A pair of aces
Benedict, Marie,
"A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law--a prosecutor and a madam--who team up to bring down notorious gangster Lucky Luciano, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the million-copy bestseller The Personal Librarian. Eunice Carter, assistant district attorney for the City of New York and Manhattan's first Black female prosecutor, has her sights set on the one and only Lucky Luciano, head of New York City's five largest organized crime families. Other prosecutors have tried to bring down Lucky, but they've all focused on the crime syndicate's traditional businesses-bootlegging, gambling, loan sharking, and drug dealing-or tax evasion. No one has thought to approach the mob through its hand in prostitution. Until Eunice. But she can't get Luciano alone. Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. Her client list is filled with well-known names, both the famous and the infamous, who all know her booze is top-notch, her music first-rate, her food exquisite, and her girls the best. But Lucky has gone too far, putting her girls in danger, and Polly finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all. Together, Eunice and Polly fashion a case utilizing a network of women. Bridging the enormous divide between them and risking their own lives, they assemble evidence bit by bit, under the nose of the man they're trying to convict. It is this very alliance-of two women from vastly different worlds-that launches the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen"-- Provided by publisher

Laundry love : finding joy in a common chore
Richardson, Patric,
"Patric Richardson, aka the "Laundry Evangelist," reveals his revolutionary methods for cleaning clothes-and making laundry loads more fun. Doing laundry is rarely anyone's favorite task. But to Patric Richardson, laundry isn't just fun-it's a way of life. After years of running Laundry Camp at the Mall of America for thousands of eager learners, he's ready to share his tips, tricks, and hacks-bringing surprise and delight to this commonly dreaded chore. Sorting your laundry? It's not all about whites and darks. Pondering the wash cycles? Every load, even your delicates, should be washed using express or quick-wash on warm. Facing expensive dry cleaning bills? You'll learn how to wash everything-yes everything-at home. And those basically clean but smelly clothes? Richardson has a secret for freshening those too (hint: it involves vodka, not soap). Changing your relationship with laundry can also change your life. Richardson's handy advice shows us how to save time and money (and the planet!) with our laundry-and he intersperses it all with a healthy dose of humor, real-life laundry stories, and lessons from his Appalachian upbringing and career in fashion. Laundry Love will make you wonder why you ever stressed about ironing, dry cleaning, or (god forbid) red wine spills on your new couch. No matter the issue, Richardson is here to help you make laundry miracles happen-wrinkles and stains be damned"--

We begin at the end
Whitaker, Chris,
"Thirty years ago, a teenage Vincent King was sent to prison. But now, he's served his sentence and is returning to his hometown. The hometown where his childhood best friend, Walk, is now the chief of police. The town where his childhood sweetheart, Star Radley, still lives. The same Star Radley whose sister he killed. Duchess, Star's daughter, is a self-proclaimed outlaw. She needs to be. Who else is going to take care of her and her five-year-old brother? Star is still dazzling, still beautiful, but she hasn't shined as bright since Vincent was sent away. Too often it's Duchess and Walk who are the ones taking care of her. But when Duchess exacts her own vigilante revenge, she will set into motion a series of events that threatens not only her own family, but everyone she grows close to. A crime thriller that will break your heart and a literary novel with a mystery at its core, We Begin at the End unforgettably examines how the choices we make can nudge us into the dangerous ground between good and evil"--

A cyclist's guide to crime & croissants
Claire, Ann,
"Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she's living the unconventional life of her dreams in the gorgeous village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Sans souci means carefree, but Sadie feels enough pressure to burst a tire when hometown friends arrive for a tour, including her former boss, Dom Appleton. Sadie is determined to show them the wonders of France and cycling--and to prove she made the right move. She hopes her meticulously planned nine-day itinerary will win them over, with its stunning seascapes, delicious wine tastings, hilltop villages, and, of course, frequent stops for croissants. When Dom drags his heels on fun, Sadie vows he'll enjoy if it kills her. That is, until Dom ends up dead. The tragedy was no accident. Someone went out of their way to bring a permanent end to Dom's vacation. As more crimes--and murder--roll in, suspicions hover over Oui Cycle. To save her dream business, help her friends, and bring justice, Sadie launches her own investigation. However, mysteries mount with every turn. On an uphill battle for clues, can Sadie come to terms with her painful past while spinning closer to the truth--or will a twisted killer put the brakes on her for good?"--Amazon

Killers of a certain age
Raybourn, Deanna,
"Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon. They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills. When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death. Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman-and a killer-of a certain age"--

If I ruled the world
Barnett, Amy DuBois,
"A fast-paced, juicy debut novel that peeks behind the curtain at the cutthroat world of hip-hop music and the glamorous magazine scene in the late 1990s, written by the ultimate insider. It's 1999, and Nikki Rose is the only Black editor on the staff of a prestigious fashion magazine she once thought would be her ticket to becoming a respected editor-in-chief. But after being told one too many times by her boss that "Black girls don't sell magazines," she walks away to take over Sugar, a struggling hip-hop music and lifestyle magazine with untapped potential. Thrown into an entirely new world of wealth, decadence, and debauchery, Nikki has just six months to save Sugar-and her own dreams. As she pulls all-nighters at the office and parties with the era's most influential bad boys, Nikki must prove she has what it takes to lead. Along the way, Nikki leans on a circle of loyal friends, and navigates unexpected romances that force her to reckon with what-and who-she truly wants. But her most dangerous challenge is evading Alonzo Griffin, her very married, very powerful ex-boyfriend and former boss, who's determined to destroy both her and Sugar. If I Ruled the World is a smart, utterly immersive romp through one of the most dynamic eras in pop culture history-a story of ambition, friendship, love, and the journey to finding your own voice."-- Provided by publisher

Poverty, by America
Desmond, Matthew,
"The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of Evicted reimagines the debate on poverty, making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it. The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages? In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor. Those of us who are financially secure exploit the poor, driving down their wages while forcing them to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. We prioritize the subsidization of our wealth over the alleviation of poverty, designing a welfare state that gives the most to those who need the least. And we stockpile opportunity in exclusive communities, creating zones of concentrated riches alongside those of concentrated despair. Some lives are made small so that others may grow. Elegantly written and fiercely argued, this compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds a startlingly original and ambitious case for ending poverty. He calls on us all to become poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of shared prosperity and, at last, true freedom"--

Mr. & Mrs. Witch
Bond, Gwenda,
"In Mr. & Mrs. Witch, the new novel from bestselling author Gwenda Bond, a couple discovers at the altar the surprising secret identities they've kept from each other. Savannah Wilde is a witch, a powerful one, and a member of C.R.O.N.E, an organization for hire that deals with supernatural threats using their magic. Following a whirlwind romance that surprised her friends and family, Savvy is all set to marry the love of her life when she notices her bridal party and her mom are freaking out minutes before the wedding. Griffin Carter is an agent for H.U.N.T.E.R., a clandestine organization that, well, used to primarily hunt witches, but now mainly tries to shut down supernatural threats their own way. He can't wait to lay his eyes on the woman he's about to spend the rest of his life with. As he's getting ready, Griffin overhears his father and friends discussing something in distressed whispers. What he finds out concerns him, but not enough to deal with before the ceremony. As Savvy walks down the aisle to Griffin, the wedding quickly goes from blessed day to shit show when their true identities are revealed. To say there's bad blood between their organizations is putting it mildly. Savvy and Griffin are tasked to take the other out. Unable to go through with their orders, they-and their friends -find themselves on the run. But when the two of them discover a secret about both of their organizations, Savvy and Griffin realize the only way to survive is to team up-and, even with assassins hot on their trail, they just might make it out alive and try again at 'I do'"--

The reef
Roberts, Nora
Underwater diver Matthew Lassiter and Tate Beaumont, a student of marine archeology, search shipwrecks for a 16th century necklace. Together they brave danger--the necklace was cursed by its owner, a witch burned at the stake--and danger leads to love

The Route 66 cookbook : the best recipes from every stop along the way
Ly, Linda, 1980-
"The Route 66 Cookbook shares recipes for the must-try breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts from restaurants all along the Mother Road."-- Provided by publisher

Hemlock Island
Armstrong, Kelley,
"Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks, but it's the only way she can keep her beloved Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic-fueled divorce. But broken belongings and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones, hex circles, and now, terrified renters who've fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone tried to claw their way out...and failed. When Laney shows up to investigate with her teenaged niece in tow, she discovers that her ex, Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who's now a cop. There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it... But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they're trapped with someone-or something-that doesn't want them leaving the island alive" --

A light in the dark : surviving more than Ted Bundy
Rubin, Kathy Kleiner,
"In January 1978, I slept in my bed at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University as Ted Bundy stalked nearby. He grabbed an oak log from a stack of firewood, slipped through a back door with a broken padlock, and headed upstairs.He began twisting doorknobs. Room 9 was open, and he quietly and quickly killed one of my sleeping sorority sisters. Across the hall, he found another unlocked door and murdered again. Then, he turned the knob to my bedroom and found it was open. I remember the attack vividly. Bundy bashed me once in the head with the log and then attacked my roommate. He heard me moaning and came to finish me off. He never let his victims live. But he stopped suddenly when a bright light filled the room. He fled the sorority house and the light disappeared. Bundy wasn't my first brush with death, and he wasn't my last. I've long been a survivor."--Back cover

Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe
Flagg, Fannie

Laundry love : finding joy in a common chore
Richardson, Patric,
"Patric Richardson, aka the "Laundry Evangelist," reveals his revolutionary methods for cleaning clothes-and making laundry loads more fun. Doing laundry is rarely anyone's favorite task. But to Patric Richardson, laundry isn't just fun-it's a way of life. After years of running Laundry Camp at the Mall of America for thousands of eager learners, he's ready to share his tips, tricks, and hacks-bringing surprise and delight to this commonly dreaded chore. Sorting your laundry? It's not all about whites and darks. Pondering the wash cycles? Every load, even your delicates, should be washed using express or quick-wash on warm. Facing expensive dry cleaning bills? You'll learn how to wash everything-yes everything-at home. And those basically clean but smelly clothes? Richardson has a secret for freshening those too (hint: it involves vodka, not soap). Changing your relationship with laundry can also change your life. Richardson's handy advice shows us how to save time and money (and the planet!) with our laundry-and he intersperses it all with a healthy dose of humor, real-life laundry stories, and lessons from his Appalachian upbringing and career in fashion. Laundry Love will make you wonder why you ever stressed about ironing, dry cleaning, or (god forbid) red wine spills on your new couch. No matter the issue, Richardson is here to help you make laundry miracles happen-wrinkles and stains be damned"--

The nightmare before kissmas
Raasch, Sara
Nicholas "Coal" Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR facade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night. But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter princess and his brother's not-so-secret crush. A situation that has diaster written all over it. Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess's hand ... and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the prince of Halloween. It's a fake competition between two holiday princes who can't keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unfortgettable love stories of the year

Chinese heritage cooking from my American kitchen : discover authentic flavors with vibrant, modern recipes
Chung, Shirley (Chef),
From growing up in Beijing to attending culinary school in California, to making her name in the restaurant world and on Top Chef, today Shirley Chung is dishing out new and dazzlingly delicious takes on Chinese cuisine. These recipes are fresh and inspired, yet approachable for home cooks. Here are a few you won't want to miss: Sweet-and-Sour Baby Back Ribs, Five-Spice Seared Duck Breast with Kumquat Mustard, Scallion Pancakes with Hazelnut Pesto, Seared Scallops with Spicy Black Bean Sauce, Spinach Egg Drop Soup and Beijing-Style Hot Pot. These recipes use simple ingredients and techniques, but have the standout flavor and texture you expect from top-notch restaurants--no wok required! Plus you'll find fascinating history and chef's tips tucked away in the headnotes and instructions that will make you a better cook. Shirley brings the same lively energy to her book that made her a fan-favorite on Top Chef. She'll make you excited to cook, and her recipes--each with a gorgeous photograph--will have you drooling over the pages. With Shirley in your kitchen, every meal becomes a fun and delicious celebration. --from Amazon

Simple Thai cookery : step by step to everyone's favourite Thai recipes
Hom, Ken

The true true story of Raja the Gullible (and his mother)
Alameddine, Rabih,
In a tiny Beirut apartment, sixty-three-year-old Raja and his mother live side by side. A beloved high school philosophy teacher and "the neighborhood homosexual," Raja relishes books, meditative walks, order, and solitude. Zalfa, his octogenarian mother, views her son's desire for privacy as a personal affront. She demands to know every detail of Raja's work life and love life, boundaries be damned. When Raja receives an invite to an all-expenses-paid writing residency in America, the timing couldn't be better. It arrives on the heels of a series of personal and national disasters that have left Raja longing for peace and quiet away from his mother and the heartache of Lebanon. But what at first seems a stroke of good fortune soon leads Raja to recount and relive the very disasters and past betrayals he wishes to forget.--

Abyss
Binge, Nicholas,
"A FanFiAddict Most Anticipated Title! Severance meets Lovecraft in this surreal tale of corporate horror and existential dread. Joe always had potential, but he doesn't expect much, and he hopes that his new job as an admin assistant won't expect much of him. But when he enters the offices of Ponos-a company he's never heard of and knows nothing about-he discovers that potential is exactly what they want from him. A feverish dive into the inhumanity of both late-stage capitalism and the crippling anxieties of modern life, Abyss adds a new level of meaning to 'wage slave'"-- Provided by publisher

The mountains we call home : the Book Woman's legacy
Richardson, Kim Michele,
"In this standalone and companion novel to the The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman, Cussy Lovett, returns home. A powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the printed word, The Mountains We Call Home is wrapped into a vivid portrait of Kentucky life: examining incarceration and criminalization, exploring the effects on the poor and powerless, and tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds, along with nostalgic glimpses of a bustling, multifaceted Louisville, and heartwarming portraits of reading efforts in every facet of life. Meticulously researched and richly detailed with a new cast of absorbing and complex characters, this beautifully rendered, authentic Kentucky tale is gritty and heartbreaking and infused with hope, spirit, and courage known only to those with no way out"--

How to cheat your own death
Perrin, Kristen,
"1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she's stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington--a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her. Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura's new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest. Annie is no stranger to murder--after all, she's solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She's read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way. As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura's doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she's next. With her mother's life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it's too late?"--

The unseen world
Moore, Liz, 1983-
"The moving story of a daughter's quest to discover the truth about her beloved father's hidden past. The moving story of a daughter's quest to discover the truth about her beloved father's hidden past Ada Sibelius is raised by David, her brilliant, eccentric, socially inept single father, who directs a computer science lab in 1980s-era Boston. Home-schooled, Ada accompanies David to work every day; by twelve, she is a painfully shy prodigy. The lab begins to gain acclaim at the same time that David's mysterious history comes into question. When his mind begins to falter, leaving Ada virtually an orphan, she is taken in by one of David's colleagues. Soon after she embarks on a mission to uncover her father's secrets: a process that carries her from childhood to adulthood. What Ada discovers on her journey into a virtual universe will keep the reader riveted until The Unseen World's heart-stopping, fascinating conclusion"--Provided by publisher

Saint Catherine
Meyer, Anna,
In her 20-something years of existence, Catherine never skipped mass once. As a recovering Irish American Catholic, she has mostly traded the world of communion and confessionals for the "city-girl" struggle of work-life balance, family, and her relationships. The only thing she has not been able to shake is her fear that something bad will happen if she misses Sunday mass. But her fears become a reality when she skips mass for the first time and discovers she is now being possessed by a demon claiming to be the prince of hell. As she takes matters into her own hands and attempts to exorcise these demons (both the paranormal and emotional kind), Catherine must face her buried guilt and what it truly means to be good

The making and breaking of the American constitution : a thousand-year history
Peterson, Mark A., 1960-
"A provocative new history of America's constitution and an urgent call to action for a nation confronted by challenges its founders could never have imagined. The American Revolution occurred at a time when Britain's constitutional order failed to adapt to the extraordinary growth of its colonies. The framers designed an American constitution to succeed where Britain's had faltered, planning for continuous population and territorial expansion that would eventually cross the continent. Yet by the end of the nineteenth century, it was already ill-suited for an increasingly urban, industrialized society, and the transformations of the twentieth century have pushed it to a breaking point. This book charts the history and aims of the American constitution from its origins in an agrarian past to the grave crisis we face today. Mark Peterson traces the American constitutional tradition to the control of land in medieval England, showing how the founders incorporated the aspirations of Magna Carta with the administrative principles of the Domesday Book, a meticulous survey and valuation of landed property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This framework encouraged the growth of democratic self-government in a young nation. It also institutionalized the colonization of territory and the expulsion of Indigenous peoples, establishing a legal blueprint for transforming tribal lands into revenue-yielding real estate for settlers. Peterson's riveting narrative paints an arresting picture of a dynamic republic whose frame of government has changed enormously to meet the challenges of the modern age but whose written constitution has changed very little. Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution reveals how this widening disconnect threatens the very existence of our democracy. It calls for a constitution that sustains the ideals developed over the past thousand years while meeting the challenges of the future."--

The American Revolution : an intimate history
Ward, Geoffrey C.,
From the award-winning historian and filmmakers of The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Roosevelts, and others: a richly illustrated, human-centered history of America's founding struggle-expanding on the landmark, six-part PBS series to be aired in November 2025. "From a small spark kindled in America, a flame has arisen not to be extinguished." -Thomas Paine. In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired independence movements and democratic reforms around the globe. The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. In this sumptuous volume, historian Geoffrey C. Ward ably steers us through the international forces at play, telling the story not from the top down but from the bottom up-and through the eyes of not only our "Founding Fathers" but also those of ordinary soldiers, as well as underrepresented populations such as women, African Americans, Native Americans, and American Loyalists, asking who exactly was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Enriched by guest essays from lauded historians such as Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, and Alan Taylor, and by an astonishing array of prints, drawings, paintings, texts, and pamphlets from the time period, as well as newly commissioned art and maps-and woven together with the words of Thomas Paine- The American Revolution reveals a nation still grappling with the questions that fueled its remarkable founding

American struggle : democracy, dissent, and the pursuit of a more perfect union : an anthology
Meacham, Jon,
This "collection covers a wide spectrum of history, from 1619 to the twenty-first century, with primary-source documents that take us back to critical moments in which Americans fought over the meaning and the direction of the national experiment. From the founders to Lincoln to Obama, from Andrew Jackson to Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, from Seneca Falls to the March on Washington, this chorus ... tells the story of the country and of its people. As clashes over liberty and slavery, inclusion and exclusion, play out, these voices, ... framed by Meacham's singular commentary, remind us that contentious citizenship and fair-minded observations are essential to bringing about the more perfect union envisioned in the Preamble to the Constitution, which Frederick Douglass called a 'glorious liberty document'"--

Last branch standing : a potentially surprising, occasionally witty journey inside today's Supreme Court
Isgur, Sarah, 1982-
"A myth-busting glimpse into the inner workings of the Supreme Court in the "Roberts era," revealing what we get wrong about the nine justices (and what they eat for lunch) and the right way to fix a Court in crisis-from the popular ABC news pundit and witty co-host of the top legal podcast in the US"-- Provided by publisher

Declaring independence : why 1776 matters
Larson, Edward J. (Edward John),
On the 250th anniversary of American independence, with the history of our founding a political battleground, this study of the ideas and battlefield sacrifices of 1776 by a Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar could not be more timely

The unfinished business of 1776 : why the American Revolution never ended
Richards, Thomas, Jr., 1983-
A clarion call for taking back the American Revolution from the far right, published for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Who gets to claim the legacy of the American Revolution and the mantle of patriotism that goes along with it? In a sharp, irreverent, deeply informed account of the nation's founding moment and its enduring legacies, historian Thomas Richards Jr. invites us to see the Revolution not just as a one-time fight for political freedom from Britain but as an ongoing struggle for equality, justice, and social and political independence for all Americans

This land is your land : a road trip through U.S. history
Gage, Beverly,
"Ride along with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Beverly Gage as she travels the country to see the museums, historic sites, roadside attractions, reenactments, and souvenir shops where Americans learn--and fight--about our history. From the birth of the nation in Philadelphia to Disneyland and the California dream, This Land Is Your Land offers a guided tour of thirteen places and thirteen key moments that define America's greatest successes and challenges"--

Boston, 1776 : a rogue tour of Revolution City
Dickey, Jeff,
"Relive the chaos, courage, and color of the American Revolution's capital city while meeting those who led the fight in the nation's War of Independence."--Amazon

The westerners : mythmaking and belonging on the American frontier
Nelson, Megan Kate, 1972-
"The Westerners tells two richly detailed and interwoven stories. The first reveals the captivating lives of women and men moving through the American West -- Indigenous peoples, Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and Canadian and Asian immigrants -- in the 19th century. The second tracks the attempts of many Americans to erase these westerners from history, through a frontier myth that lionized individualism and conquest and celebrated white settlers traveling west in search of prosperity. Nelson's vivid, eye-opening account centers on seven extraordinary individuals whose lives capture the true history of the frontier: Sacajawea, not just Lewis and Clark's guide but an explorer who forged her own path; Jim Beckwourth, a biracial fur trader whose sharp cultural insight made him indispensable; María Gertrudis Barceló, a Hispana gambling saloon owner who broke every stereotype to become the wealthiest woman in Santa Fe; Ovando Hollister, a gold miner, soldier, and newspaper man who championed Western expansion; Little Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne chief whose courageous leadership secured his people's future; Canadian immigrant Ella Watson, who strove to become a ranch woman in a male-dominated world; and the defiant Polly Bemis, a Chinese immigrant who carved out a life in Idaho despite federal expulsion efforts." --

Freedom lost, freedom won : a personal history of America
Robinson, Eugene, 1954-
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson traces his family's 200-year journey from slavery through civil rights, examining cycles of progress and setbacks in America's racial history

This vast enterprise : a new history of Lewis & Clark
Fehrman, Craig,
"In 1806, when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark return from their yearslong journey -- having led the Corps of Discovery across eight thousand miles of rapids, mountains, forests, and ravines -- they bring an incredible tale starring themselves as courageous explorers, skilled survivalists, underrated scientists, and peaceful ambassadors. While there is truth in those descriptions, there is also distortion. From one of the most exciting new historians to emerge in the past decade, This Vast Enterprise offers a bold and novel take on the expedition: a gripping narrative that draws on lost documents, stunning analysis, and Native perspectives. Craig Fehrman spent five years visiting more than thirty archives, interviewing more than a hundred sources, and collecting oral history passed down over centuries. He came to see that the success of Lewis and Clark depended on much more than just Lewis and Clark. We all know Sacajawea, and some of us know York, the Black man Clark enslaved. But This Vast Enterprise introduces us to John Ordway, a working-class soldier who fought fearsome grizzlies and towed the captains' hulking barge. It introduces us to Wolf Calf, a Blackfoot teenager who watched his friend die in a tense battle with Lewis and his men. To capture this cast of characters, each chapter in This Vast Enterprise moves to a different person's point of view, describing their desires and contradictions with an unprecedented level of care. One chapter shows Thomas Jefferson operating in an age of bitter partisan unrest -- his secret political maneuvers to fund the expedition, revealed here for the first time, are a case study in presidential power. Another chapter shows the strategy and strength of Black Buffalo, completely upending our understanding of Lakota-American diplomacy. York, in his chapters, finds ways to wield power and make choices in an era that didn't allow him much of either. Clark is not a folksy Kentuckian but a student of the Enlightenment. (Fehrman discovered his college notebook; no previous biographer even realized that he went to college.) Lewis is someone willing to sacrifice everything for his country, his mission, and his mentor, Jefferson; in Fehrman's subtle yet heartbreaking analysis, Lewis's legendary strengths are inseparable from his lifelong weaknesses. In the end, the captains are men who needed help -- from Sacajawea, from the Corps, and from each other. Mile after mile, the expedition pushes on through dramatic hailstorms and flash floods, life-threatening frostbite and infections, rattlesnakes and rabid wolves, with the Spanish cavalry in fierce pursuit. Fehrman balances the story's inherent adventure with the humanity of its protagonists." --

The greatest sentence ever written
Isaacson, Walter,
"To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a ... deep dive into the creation of one of history's most powerful sentences: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.' Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundationfor the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation. Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating thethen-radical concepts behind it"--

Angelica : for love and country in a time of revolution
Beer, Molly,
Through the extraordinary life of Angelica Schuyler Church, a politically astute and socially influential figure, this story reveals how women shaped early American history through diplomacy, personal networks and a strategic presence in key revolutionary moments

We the people : a history of the U.S. Constitution
Lepore, Jill, 1966-
From the best-selling author of "These Truths" comes "We the People," a stunning new history of the U.S. Constitution, for a troubling new era

The ride : Paul Revere and the night that saved America
Kennedy, Kostya,
"Timed for the 250th anniversary of one of America's most famous founding events: Paul Revere's legendary ride, newly told with fresh research into little-known aspects of the myth that every American learns in school On April 18, 1775, a Boston-based silversmith, engraver, and anti-British political operative named Paul Revere set out on a borrowed horse to fulfill a dangerous but crucial mission: to alert American colonists of advancing British troops, which would seek to crush their nascent revolt. Revere was not the only rider that night, and indeed, he had completed at least 18 previous rides throughout New England, disseminating intelligence about British movements. But this ride was like no other, and its consequences in the months and years to come-as the American Revolution morphed from isolated skirmishes to a full-fledged war-became one of our founding legends. In The Ride, Kostya Kennedy presents a dramatic new narrative of the events of April 18 and 19, 1775, informed by fresh primary and secondary source research into archives, family letters and diaries, contemporary accounts, and more. Kennedy reveals Revere's ride to be more complex than it is usually portrayed-a coordinated series of rides by numerous men, near-disaster, capture by British forces, and finally success. While Revere was central to the ride and its plotting, Kennedy reveals the other men (and, perhaps, a woman with information about the movement of British forces) who helped to set in motion the events that would lead to America's independence. Thrillingly written in a dramatic, unstoppable narrative, The Ride re-tells an essential American story for a new generation of readers"--

1776
McCullough, David G
Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known. But it is the American commander-in-chief who stands foremost -- Washington, who had never before led an army in battle

We the women : the hidden heroes who shaped America
O'Donnell, Norah,
"Over a decades-long, distinguished career ... journalist Norah O'Donnell has made it her mission to shed light on untold women's stories. Now, in honor of America's 250th birthday, O'Donnell focuses that passion on the American heroines who helped change the course of history. ... Through extensive research and interviews, as well as historical documents and old photos, O'Donnell curates a ... portrait of these fierce fighters for freedom. From Mary Katherine Goddard, who printed the first signed Declaration of Independence, to the Forten family women, who were active in the abolition and suffrage movements and were considered the 'Black Founders' of Philadelphia, to the first women who served in the armed forces even before they had the right to vote, O'Donnell brings these extraordinary women together for the first time, and in doing so writes the American story anew"--

The promise of a nation : commemorating 250 years of patriotism, resilience, and aspirations from the national collection
"Celebrate 250 years of American history-and witness the nation's decade-by-decade evolution-in this gorgeously illustrated volume featuring 700 Smithsonian objects"-- Provided by publisher
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