Author: Johnson, Scott C., author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 364.163
Format: Books
Summary: Blending years of deep reporting with distinctive, powerful prose, this unique true crime narrative recounts the exploits of a psychopathic con artist and gender-bending criminal mastermind who swept through the entertainment industry, stealing dozens ofidentities and millions of dollars while exploiting the dreams of artists around the world. "Blending years of deep reporting with distinctive, powerful prose, Scott C. Johnson's unique true crime narrative recounts the tale of the brilliantly cunning imposter who carved a path of financial and emotional destruction across the world. Gifted with a diabolical flair for impersonation, manipulation, and deception, the Con Queen used their skill with accents and deft psychological insight to sweep through the entertainment industry. Johnson traces the origins of this mastermind and follows the years-long investigation of a singularly determined private detective who helped deliver them to the FBI"--
Author: Sullivan, Randall, author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 979.7
Format: Books
Summary: "A vivid portrait of the Columbia River Bar that combines maritime history, adventure journalism, and memoir, bringing alive the history--and present--of one of the most notorious stretches of water in the world. Off the coast of Oregon, the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean and forms the Columbia River Bar: a watery collision so turbulent and deadly that it's nicknamed the Graveyard of the Pacific. Two thousand ships have been wrecked on the bar since the first European ship dared to try to cross it in the late eighteenth century. For decades ships continued to make the bar crossing with great peril, first with native guides and later with opportunistic newcomers, as Europeans settled in Washington and Oregon, displacing the natives and transforming the river into the hub of a booming region. Since then, the commercial importance of the Columbia River has only grown, and despite the construction of jetties on either side, the bar remains treacherous, even today a site of shipwrecks and dramatic rescues as well as power struggles between small fishermen, powerful shipowners, local communities in Washington and Oregon, the Coast Guard, and the Columbia River Bar Pilots--a small group of highly skilled navigators who help guide ships through the mouth of the Columbia. When Randall Sullivan and a friend set out to cross the bar in a two-man kayak, they're met with skepticism and concern. But on a clear day in July when the tides and weather seem right, they embark. As they plunge through the waves, Sullivan ponders the generations of sailors that made the crossing before him--including his own abusive father, a sailor himself who also once dared to cross the bar--and reflects on toxic masculinity, fatherhood, and what drives men to extremes. Rich with exhaustive research and propulsive narrative, Graveyard of the Pacific follows historical shipwrecks through the moment-by-moment details that often determined whether sailors would live or die, exposing the ways in which boats, sailors, and navigation have changed over the decades. As he makes his way across the bar, floating above the wrecks and across the same currents that have taken so many lives, Randall Sullivan faces the past, both in his own life and on the Columbia River Bar"--
Author: Martinez, J. Michael (James Michael), author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 364.1323
Format: Books
Summary: "Political scandals have become an indelible feature of the American political system since the creation of the republic more than two centuries ago. This book surveys both the most infamous scandals as well as more obscure episodes in an effort to understand how these incidents have altered the course of American political history"--
Author: Holmberg, Martha, author. Silverman, Ellen, photographer.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 641.656
Format: Books
Summary: "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"--
Author: Solomon, Norman, 1951- author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 355.033
Format: Books
Summary: "An exposé of how the American military, with the help of the media, conceals its perpetual war"-- From the acclaimed veteran political analyst, a searing new exposé of how the American military, with the help of the media, conceals its perpetual war. More than twenty years ago, 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan set into motion a hugely consequential shift in America's foreign policy: a perpetual state of war that is almost entirely invisible to the American public. War Made Invisible, by the journalist and political analyst Norman Solomon, exposes how this happened, and what its consequences are, from military and civilian casualties to drained resources at home. From Iraq through Afghanistan and Syria and on to little-known deployments in a range of countries around the globe, the United States has been at perpetual war for at least the past two decades. Yet many of these forays remain off the radar of average Americans. Compliant journalists add to the smokescreen by providing narrow coverage of military engagements and by repeating the military's talking points. Meanwhile, the increased use of high technology, air power, and remote drones has put distance between soldiers and the civilians who die. Back at home, Solomon argues, the cloak of invisibility masks massive Pentagon budgets that receive bipartisan approval even as policy makers struggle to fund the domestic agenda. Necessary, timely, and unflinching, War Made Invisible is an eloquent moral call for counting the true costs of war.
Author: Garvin, Ann Wertz, author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: F GARVIN
Format: Books
Summary: It seems lately that Poppy Lively is invisible to everyone but the IRS. After her accountant absconded with her life savings, newly bankrupt Poppy is on the verge of losing her home when an old flame, now a hotshot producer, gives her a surprising way out: a job in costumes on a Hollywood film set. It's a bold move to pack her bags, keep secrets from her daughter, and head to Los Angeles, but Poppy's a capable person--how hard can a job in wardrobe be? It's not like she has a choice; her life couldn't get any worse. Even so, this mid-westerner has a lot to learn about the fast and loose world of movie stars, iconic costumes, and back-lot intrigue. As a single mom, she's rarely had time for watching movies, she doesn't sew, and she doesn't know a thing about dressing the biggest names in the business. Floundering and overlooked, Poppy has one ally: Allen Carol, an ill-tempered movie star taken with Poppy's unfiltered candor and general indifference to stardom. When Poppy stumbles upon corruption, she relies on everyone underestimating her to discover who's at the center of it, a revelation that shakes her belief in humanity. What she thought was a way to secure a future for her daughter becomes a spotlight illuminating the facts: Poppy is out of her league among the divas of Tinseltown. Poppy must decide whether to keep her mouth shut, as she's always done, or with the help of a scruffy dog, show the movie-makers that they need her unglamorous ways, whether the superstars like it or not.
Author: Gray, Lisa (Journalist), author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: F GRAY
Format: Books
Summary: "In the elite world of luxury real estate, it is often kill or be killed, something agent Andi Hart knows all too well--and after recent events, she's ready to set her own rules. So when her boss challenges the team to find a buyer for a glitzy Malibu beach house, with a prize commission of a cool $1 million, she knows it's her ticket to a new life. But she's not the only one who not only wants but needs the money. Each of her four colleagues has secrets they're eager to hide--secrets $1 million would go a long way in concealing. And soon, it becomes clear all five would do just about anything to get their hands on it..." --
Author: Miller, Christopher (Journalist), author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 947.7086
Format: Books
Summary: "A breathtaking exploration of Ukraine's past, present, and future, and a heartbreaking account of the war against Russia, written by the leading journalist of the conflict"-- When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine just before dawn on 24 February 2022, it marked his latest and most overt attempt to brutally conquer the country, and reshaped the world order. Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times and the foremost journalist covering the country, was there on the ground when the first Russian missiles struck and troops stormed over the border. But the seeds of Russia's war against Ukraine and the West were sown more than a decade earlier. This is the definitive, inside story of its long fight for freedom. Told through Miller's personal experiences, vivid front-line dispatches and illuminating interviews with unforgettable characters, The War Came To Us takes readers on a riveting journey through the key locales and pivotal events of Ukraine's modern history. From the coal-dusted, sunflower-covered steppe of the Donbas in the far east to the heart of the Euromaidan revolution camp in Kyiv; from the Black Sea shores of Crimea, where Russian troops stealthily annexed Ukraine's peninsula, to the bloody battlefields where Cossacks roamed before the Kremlin's warlords ruled with iron fists; and through the horror and destruction wrought by Russian forces in Bucha, Bakhmut, Mariupol, and beyond.
Author: Quach, Michelle, author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: Y QUACH
Format: Books
Summary: Attempting to fulfill her dying grandfather's dying wish, seventeen-year-old Francine enlists Ollie Tran to act as his honorary male, but the mounting lies and romantic feelings they develop complicate their plan. Francine loves her grandfather, but their time together is running out. He has one final wish: to see a male heir carry on the family traditions. Francine knows his ideas are outdated, but she would do anything for him. Her solution? Ask Ollie Tran, a family friend (and former crush, not that it matters), to pretend to be ceremonially adopted and act like the grandson A Gūng never had. Ollie generally avoids the odd, too blunt (and fine, sort of cute) Francine, whose intensity makes him uncomfortable. So when she asks him to help deceive her dying grandpa, Ollie's not down. He doesn't get why anyone would go to such lengths, even for family. Especially with a backwards (and sexist, Ollie keeps stressing) scheme like this. Francine, however, is determined to make it happen, and soon Ollie finds himself more invested in her plan--and in her--than he ever thought possible. But as the tangled lies and feelings pile up, Francine must discover what exactly she needs for herself--and from Ollie. Because sometimes the boy you always wanted isn't what you expected.
Author: Yang, Andrew (Young adult novelist), author. HarperCollins (Firm), publisher.
Published: 2023
Call Number: Y YANG
Format: Books
Summary: Starring in a teen reality show with an all-Asian American cast, Sabine Zhang sees this as her opportunity to step into the spotlight, but when the producers want drama at all costs, she is pitted against Yoona Bae. When Sabine Zhang is picked for Hotel California, a teen reality show with an all-Asian cast, she jumps at the opportunity. As one of few Asians at her high school in the Midwest, she's always felt as if she was playing a side character in someone else's story. But on this show, she'll finally have a chance to step into the spotlight. All Yoona Bae wants is to get away. The girls at church think she's mean, her mom thinks she's a troublemaker, and she's tired of fighting against her unearned bad reputation. So when she's invited to appear on Hotel California, Yoona sees it as an opportunity to chill out, make some friends, maybe even get a tan. But life on the show isn't all sunshine and self-actualization. The producers want drama at all costs, even if it means pitting Sabine and Yoona against each other. With the season finale looming, can the girls figure out a peaceful way forward, before they lose control of their own narratives?
Author: Elliott, Lauren, author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: LP F ELLIOTT
Format: Large print
Summary: "Wedding bells are about to ring, and as Addie Greyborne slips into her white dress her thoughts are focused on a bright future with Doctor Simon Emerson. But a discovery in her attic leads her to startling revelations about the past. Addie is delighted to find a first edition of The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. To her surprise, a handwritten inscription on the title page provides a clue to unraveling a complex mystery in Addie's family. But that's only the first surprise in a series of shocking twists that will turn Addie's vision of where her life is going and where she's come from upside down" --
Author: Elliott, Joe, 1959- author. Collen, Phil, author. Allen, Rick (Drummer), author. Savage, Rick, author. Campbell, Vivian, 1962- author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 782.42
Format: Books
Summary: "Offering fans the most personal and comprehensive record of Def Leppard's history to date, Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard is narrated by the band in their own words, illustrated with photography and memorabilia from the Def Leppard archives... Despite an average age of only 18, Def Leppard burst onto the hard rock scene in 1980 like a group of seasoned veterans. Thinking big from the very start, the blueprint for their music was, as singer Joe Elliott states, 'Queen meets AC/DC.' Def Leppard's story is one of stratospheric highs and crashing lows, of triumph over adversity. While becoming one of the world's best-selling music artists with blockbuster albums Pyromania and Hysteria, the band overcame drummer Rick Allen's accident and the death of bandmate Steve Clark. During their 45-year history, Def Leppard have continued to make new music - with 12 studio albums to their name, including their 2022 release Diamond Star Halos - finding success with every record and tour."--Amazon.
Author: See, Melissa. author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: Y SEE
Format: Books
Summary: Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She's determined to be Caldwell Prep's first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one person to beat, her academic rival Nathaniel. But it's senior year and everyone seems to be obsessed with pairing up. One of her best friends may be developing feelings for her and the other uses Caldwell's anonymous love-letter writer to snag the girl of her dreams. Joy starts to wonder if she has missed out on a quintessential high school experience. She is asexual, but that's no reason she can't experience first love, right? She writes to Caldwell Cupid to help her sort out these new feelings and, over time, finds herself falling for the mysterious voice behind the letters. But falling in love might mean risking what she wants most, especially when the letter-writer turns out to be the last person she would ever expect. --
Author: Jae-Jones, S., author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: Y JAEJONES
Format: Books
Summary: Forbidden from practicing magic and burdened by her responsibilities, Jin Zhara's life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes involved with the Guardians of Dawn, a group dedicated to fighting a demonic plague that is corrupting magicians. Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before. Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about--appease her stepmother's cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control--without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible. In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.
Author: Schlatter, George, 1932- author. Macks, Jon, author. Tomlin, Lily, writer of foreword. Hawn, Goldie, writer of afterword.
Published: 2023
Call Number: B SCHLATTE
Format: Books
Summary: "In 1967, producer George Schlatter pitched an idea for a quirky new television show: one inspired by the hippie counterculture, which would take the idea of sit-ins, love-ins, and be-ins, and manifest that politicized, sexualized, consciousness-raising energy into pure comedy. Much to the surprise of NBC executives, Laugh-In soon became the #1 show on American TV, and the careers of beloved stars like Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn were born. Still Laughing features never-before-told stories from the creation of one of the most groundbreaking shows in television history. It also recounts the coming-of-age of one of Hollywood's most iconic producers, from his early nightclub days rubbing elbows with mob figures like Mickey Cohen and John Stompanato, to his influential friendships with Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, for whom George was asked to deliver a eulogy at his funeral decades later. An inside look at Hollywood in the wake of the cultural upheaval of the '60s and '70s, Still Laughing demonstrates the crucial, deeply creative role a working producer plays in bringing a show (and its stars) to life. With spit-fire humor, tireless wit and keen perception, Still Laughing tells of the rise of some of comedy's greatest talents, and reveals the actual people cloistered inside larger-than-life celebrity."--Publisher's website.
Author: Baum, Griffin R., author. America's Test Kitchen (Firm), issuing body.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 641.5
Format: Books
Summary: Written in collaboration with a neurosurgeon, this cookbook and guidebook, using kitchen ergonomics, presents more than 225 recipes designed to avoid prolonged standing and minimize exertion to help home cooks enjoy cooking.
Author: Rady, Martyn, 1955- author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 943
Format: Books
Summary: "Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where, historically, empires clashed and sieges from the east toppled kingdoms and enslaved peoples. Many view the region-comprising present-day Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, and Romania, among other countries-as united only by the shared experience of invasions launched by foreign powers, from the Huns of the fourth century, to the Swedes of the seventeenth, to the Russians of the twentieth and twenty-first. Sandwiched between hostile neighbors, Central Europeans have indeed contended with conquest for centuries. But the full story of region encompasses far more than its battles. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martin Rady offers the definitive history of Central Europe, highlighting how the region's preoccupation with invasion has led not only violent conflicts but also tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. In the Middle Ages, Central Europe was distinguished by its assemblies of noblemen, self-governing cities, and strong village communities. The region's peoples viewed their land as the home of knightly chivalry and great Gothic cities, vigilantly protecting Europe from alien incursion. In the early modern period, dynasties of ambitious rulers such as the Austrian Habsburgs crushed these communities in their quest to assemble sprawling empires. Eager to conquer external foes, they turned duchies, lordships, and kingdoms into family possessions, and for much of the modern era Central Europe served as the seat of European empire. Fierce rivalries over land and power made the region's experience of nation-building intense and often violent, from the devastation of the Napoleonic Wars to the atrocities of the Third Reich. But even as Central Europe engaged in hostilities with its neighbors, it reshaped trends from surrounding nations and exported its own. Central Europeans launched the Reformation, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, originated the Romantic movement, and advanced some of the twentieth century's most important trends in art and cinema, from Expressionism to absurdist drama. More than simply the faultline between Western and Eastern Europe, the region has long possessed a cohesive identity of its own, even as its nations have remained diverse and enduringly distinct from each other. Sweeping in scope, The Middle Kingdoms draws on a lifetime of research and scholarship to tell as never before the panoramic and captivating story of Central Europe's rich, complex past and its enduring influence on world affairs"--
Author: Lombardi, Patrick, author. Parisi, Vincent, author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: NJC 641.597 LOMBARDI
Format: Books
Summary: Whether appearing at food festivals, catering personal and business events or just serving up lunch on the job site, New Jersey's food trucks are some of the best in the nation. These eateries on wheels offer mouthwatering favorites alongside innovative interpretations of iconic dishes. The Jersey Roll truck and shop keeps tradition alive, slinging the Garden State staple pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich to the masses. Beach vibes and good eats are found at the Surf and Turf truck, where the BLT lobster roll offers a twist on the coastal classic. Baking some of the best cheesecakes in the region for more than forty years, Maddalena's opened a roving dessert truck that serves the deliciously different cheesecake on a stick. Popular publication BestofNJ.com presents profiles of the best New Jersey food trucks, including easy-to-cook recipes from some of their most delectable meals.
Author: Olien, Darin, author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: 306.4
Format: Books
Summary: "Fatal conveniences are the toxic products we routinely use and the unhealthy things we do that our culture and corporations have made us believe are safe and necessary for living well and efficiently. These things--from deodorant, cosmetics, dental floss, and sunscreen to laundry detergent, air fresheners, carpets, and crayons to candles, tea bags, cell phones, and chewing gum--are ubiquitous in daily life...and they are wreaking havoc on our health and our planet. The environmental toxins found in these products create a cascade of problems, including chemical sensitivities, auto-immune issues, obesity, chronic health diseases, and more."--
Author: Schumacher, Julie, 1958- author.
Published: 2023
Call Number: F SCHUMACH
Format: Books
Summary: "The bestselling, Thurber-prize winning author of Dear Committee Members and The Shakespeare Requirement completes her hilarious trilogy of academic mishap by chronicling the beleaguered Professor Fitger as he leads the annual "Experience Abroad" to London and beyond with eleven clueless undergrads in tow. Jason Fitger may be the last faculty member the dean wants for the job, but he's the only Professor available to chaperone Payne University's annual "Experience: Abroad" (he has long been on the record objecting to the absurd and gratuitous colon between the words) occurring during the three weeks of Winter Term. Among his charges are a claustrophobe with a juvenile detention record, a student who erroneously believed he was headed for the Caribbean, a pair of unreconciled lovers, a set of undifferentiated twins, and one young woman who has never been away from her cat before. Through a sea of troubles--personal, institutional and international-the gimlet-eyed, acid-laced Fitger navigates safe passage for all concerned, revealing much about the essential need for human connection and the sometimes quite surprising places in which we find it"--
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