Author: Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson. Published: 2004 2003 Call Number: F OLAFSSON Format: Books Summary: "As butler to William Randolph Hearst at San Simeon castle, Christian Benediktsson lives quietly, almost invisibly. He completes his tasks efficiently and with aplomb, catering to the whims of the volatile Chief and overseeing the running of the hectic household. Privy to the goings-on of the celebrity guests who visit as well as to Hearst's intimate relationship with his mistress, the actress Marion Davies, he is the picture of discretion. An extremely private man, those around him know nothing of him or his life. And so it is in his thoughts and in unsent letters to his wife back in Iceland that we witness the unraveling of his former life, which began when he abandoned her and their children for an actress in New York City. Once a successful businessman, he erases his past and himself after a sudden tragic death and his financial ruin, the result of a jilted lover's vengeance. Walking into the night is a stunning portrait of a man wrestling with guilt and secret passions"--Back cover.
Author: Min, Dolki, author, artist. Caudle, Victoria, translator. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: F MIN Format: Books Summary: "The mere act of walking on the Earth is a challenge for our most unusual protagonist--a shapeshifting, gender-bending alien. After crashing their spacecraft in the middle of nowhere, they find themself stranded on an unfamiliar planet, where gravity is a disabling force. They'll need to practice walking in the Earth's atmosphere to survive. And what better way to practice than hunt delicious humans? They chooses their prey, shifts their gender, appearance, and conduct based on the prey's sexual preference, only to attack at the pivotal moment of their encounter. They has found ways to adapt to this new way of life, from a backpack full of torturous tools and post-murder cleanup equipment, to a common dating app that's helped them sniff out and target the juiciest of humans. But everything goes horribly wrong one night when the alien fails to take one woman's life on the spot. Sent on an ill-fated chase all over the city, they begin to consider the psychological and physical tolls their experiences on Earth have taken on them. The alien must re-access their bloody means of survival to understand why humans also fight to live. But their hunger is insatiable, and the alien once again zeroes in on a new prey, not knowing what awaits them... Min's haunting debut novel is part psychological thriller, part searing critique of the social structures that marginalize the queer, disabled, and nonconformist. Walking Practice uncovers humanity in who we consider to be alien, and how alienation can shape the human experience"--
Author: McFarlane, Fiona, 1978- author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: F MCFARLAN Format: Books Summary: "The Sun Walks Down is a sweeping, propulsive epic set in colonial Australia from Fiona McFarlane, the award-winning author of The Night Guest and The High Places"-- In September 1883, the South Australian town of Fairly huddles under strange, vivid sunsets. Six-year-old Denny Wallace has gone missing during a dust storm, and the whole town is intent on finding him. As they search the desert and mountains for the lost child, the residents of Fairly - newlyweds, landowners, farmers, mothers, artists, Indigenous trackers, cameleers, children, schoolteachers, widows, maids, policemen - confront their relationships with one another and the landscape they inhabit.
Author: Clavin, Tom, 1954- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: B MCNELLY Format: Books Summary: "Tom Clavin's Follow Me to Hell is the explosive true story of how legendary Ranger Leander McNelly and his men brought justice to a lawless Texan frontier. In turbulent 1870s Texas, the revered and fearless Ranger Leander McNelly led his men in one dramatic campaign after another, throwing cattle thieves, desperadoes, border ruffians, and other dangerous criminals into jail or, if that's how they wanted it, six feet under. They would stop at nothing in pursuit of justice, even sending 26 Rangers across the border to retrieve stolen cattle--taking on hundreds of Mexican troops with nothing but their Sharps rifles and six-guns. The nation came to call them "McNelly's Rangers." Set against the backdrop of 200 years of thrilling Texas Rangers history, this page-turner takes readers into the tough life along the Texas border that was tamed by a courageous, yet doomed, captain and his team of fearless men. It was one hell of a ride!"--
Author: Walls, Jeannette, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: LP F WALLS Format: Large print Summary: "Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born into comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out. Nine years later, she's determined to reclaim her place in the family. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows and comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger" --
Author: Hammack, William Scott, 1961- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 620 Format: Books Summary: "In this book, Bill Hammack, better known as The Engineer Guy, takes us on a whirlwind tour of how humans built the world we know today. From the grand stone arches of medieval cathedrals to the mundane modern soda can, Hammack explains the golden rule of thumb that underlies every new building technique, every technological advancement, and every creative solution that leads us one step closer to a better, more functional world. Perfect for readers of Adam Grant and Jared Diamond, this fascinating examination of the method that keeps pushing humanity forward is a spotlight on the achievements of the past and a celebration of the potential of our future"--
Author: Sanderson, Brandon, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F SANDERSO Format: Books Summary: "The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?"--
Author: Emill, Jumata, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: Y EMILL Format: Books Summary: When Nova, Lovett High School's first black homecoming queen, is murdered the night of her coronation, her best friend, Duchess, finds an unlikely ally in her search for the killer--her prime suspect, Tinsley, the white rival nominee for queen. "Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends revitalizing... Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley's guilt. Only, to do that, she'll have to get close to her. But Tinsley has an agenda too. Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed." --Front jacket flap
Author: Martin, Clancy W., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 362.28 Format: Books Summary: "From the acclaimed author of How to Sell-and based on his viral Huffington Post article-comes a deeply intimate, insightful, and at times even funny portrait of the suicidal mind, combining the author's personal experience with a philosophical, literary, and journalistic inquiry into the subject 'If you're going to write a book about suicide, you have to be willing to say the true things, the scary things, the humiliating things. Because everybody who is being honest with themselves knows at least a little bit about the subject. If you lie or if you fudge, the reader will know.' The last time Clancy Martin tried to kill himself was in his basement with a dog leash. It was one of over ten attempts throughout the course of his life. But he didn't die, and like many who consider taking their own lives, he hid the attempt from his wife, family, coworkers, and students, slipping back into his daily life with a hoarse voice, a raw neck, and series of vague explanations. In How Not to Kill Yourself, Martin chronicles his multiple suicide attempts in an intimate depiction of the mindset of someone obsessed with self-destruction. He argues that, for the vast majority of suicides, an attempt does not just come out of the blue, nor is it merely a violent reaction to a particular crisis or failure, but is the culmination of a host of long-standing issues. He also looks at the thinking of a number of great writers who have attempted suicide and detailed their experiences (such as David Foster Wallace, Yiyun Li, Akutagawa, Nelly Arcan, and others), at what the history of philosophy has to say both for and against suicide, and at the experiences of people who have reached out to him across the years. The result is a work that powerfully gives voice to what to many has long been incomprehensible, while showing those presently struggling with suicidal thoughts that they are not alone, and that the desire to kill oneself-like other self-destructive desires-is almost always temporary and avoidable"--
Author: Blake, Olivie, author. Published: 2023 2019 Call Number: F BLAKE Format: Books Summary: "From New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake comes an intricate web of love, magic, and rival witch families in New York City. In modern-day Manhattan where we lay our scene, two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their respective criminal empires. On one side of the conflict are the Antonova sisters - each one beautiful, cunning, and ruthless - and their mother, the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants, known only as Baba Yaga. On the other side, the influential Fedorov brothers serve their father, the crime boss known as Koschei the Deathless, whose community extortion ventures dominate the shadows of magical Manhattan. After twelve years of tenuous co-existence, a change in one family's interests causes a rift in the existing stalemate. When bad blood brings both families to the precipice of disaster, fate intervenes with a chance encounter, and in the aftershocks of a resurrected conflict, everyone must choose a side. As each of the siblings struggles to stake their claim, fraying loyalties threaten to rot each side from the inside out. If, that is, the enmity between empires doesn't destroy them first."--
Author: Hackman, Rose, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 155.333 Format: Books Summary: "A scathing, deeply-researched foray into the invisible, uncompensated work women perform every day "Emotional labor." The term might sound familiar. . .but what does it mean exactly? Initially used to describe the unnamed yet crucial labor flight attendants did to make guests feel welcomed and safe, the phrase has burst into the national lexicon in recent years. The examples, whispered among friends and posted online, are endless. A woman is tasked with organizing family functions, even without volunteering. A stranger insists you "smile more," even as you navigate a high stress environment or grating commute. Emotional labor is essential to our society and economy, but it's so often invisible. Many are asked to perform exhausting, draining work at no extra cost. In this groundbreaking, journalistic deep dive, Rose Hackman traces the history of the term and exposes common manifestations of the phenomenon. She describes the many ways women and girls are forced to edit the expressions of their emotions to accommodate and elevate the emotions of others. But Hackman doesn't simply diagnose a problem-she empowers us to combat patriarchy and forge pathways for radical evolution, justice, and change. The 2023 must-have for every reader"--
Author: McGinnis, Mindy, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: Y MCGINNIS Format: Books Summary: "A lifetime of hard work has put Lydia Chass on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind--until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs one more credit to graduate. An unexpected partnership forms as the two remake Lydia's town history podcast to investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days--a week when Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash food, as well as its first, only, and unsolved murder. As their investigation unearths buried secrets, some don't want them to see the light. When the threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them."--Provided by publisher.
Author: Schumacher, Ashley, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: Y SCHUMACH Format: Books Summary: Raised in the Ren-faire circuit, seventeen-year-old Madeline is grieving the loss of her mother when she meets Arthur, the son of the faire's new owners, who encourages her to go on adventures, take chances, and enjoy life. Since her mother's death, Madeline "Gwen" Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. She keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. They arrive at the end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed. Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie's plans even more. When he ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire, Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved-- and worse of all, she's kind of having fun. -- adapted from jacket
Author: Benforado, Adam, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 362.7092 Format: Books Summary: "At the dawn of the twentieth century, a bright new age for children appeared on the horizon, with progress on ending child labor, providing public education, ensuring food and drug safety, combating abuse and neglect, and creating a juvenile justice system. But a hundred years on, the promised light has not arrived. Today, more than eleven million American children live in poverty and more than four million lack health insurance. Each year, we prosecute tens of thousands of kids as adults, while our schools crumble. We deny young people any political power, while we forgo meaningful action on the issues that matter most to them: gun violence, racism, inequality, and climate change. With compelling real-life stories, law professor Adam Benforado fashions a vivid and intimate portrait of what's at stake. We are there when three-year-old Ariel is placed in an orphanage after her parents are locked away for transporting marijuana; when thirteen-year-old Harold first gazes in disbelief upon the immaculate green lawn of an elite private school, after a childhood of rusted chain link and asphalt play yards; when seventeen-year-old Wylie is hit with a paddle by his public-school principal as punishment for taking a moment of silence to protest gun violence. The root cause of nearly every major challenge we face-from crime to poor health to poverty-can be found in our mistreatment of children. And we all pay the cost when we ignore the evidence on the value of early intervention, investment, and empowerment. But in that sobering truth is also the key to effectively changing our fate as a nation. Drawing on the latest scientific research into the remarkable capabilities and crucial needs of young people, A Minor Revolution offers a bold vision for the future. We must put children first, in our budgets and policies, in developing products and enacting laws, in our families and communities. Childhood is the window of opportunity for all of us"--
Author: Alford, Mary (Romance fiction writer), author. Published: 2023 Call Number: LP F ALFORD Format: Large print Summary: To stay alive, she must escape a killer's clutches. When her brother goes missing, Leora Mast will do anything to find him...even if it means putting her life in danger. Upon arriving in Montana, she finds an ally in Fletcher Shetler, but almost as soon as they meet, they're running for their lives. With Fletcher's help, Leora must unravel the truth about her brother's disappearance...before the man who wants them dead tracks them down. From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Author: Estleman, Loren D., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F ESTLEMAN Format: Books Summary: The search for a fugitive embezzler leads Amos Walker to Cleveland, where he is hired by Emmett Yale, a leading figure in the electric car industry, to investigate the murder of his stepson. Yale believes that his stepson's hitman is connected to Clare Strickling, a former employee, and his attempts to silence whispers that he has bought illegal insider-trading information. Walker shadows Strickling to a private airfield as he attempts to flee the country--only to then witness his murder. The twisted web of lies and deceit surrounding both deaths forces Walker to question the motivations of everyone he encounters, from Major Jack Flagg, an elderly barnstormer, Palm Volker, the attractive aviatrix who runs the airfield, Candido, a surly maintenance worker employed by Palm, and Gabe Parrish, a retired boxer. Naturally, everyone has secrets to keep--but the truths lurking beneath the surface this time may make this Walker's final case.
Author: O'Clover, Ellen, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: Y OCLOVER Format: Books Summary: Creating an app that can predict a person's future with 93% accuracy, Ro Deveraux garners the attention of tech investors when it goes viral and is thrust into a fake dating scenario with her ex-best friend, who is her projected soul mate. "Ro Devereux can predict your future. At least, the app she built for her senior project can. Inspired by the game MASH that she played as a kid, Ro's app can predict details about your life with ninety-three percent accuracy, like where you'll live and what your career will be. It can even match you with your soul mate." --Front jacket flap
Author: Davies, Paul (Game journalist), author. Lewis, Kate (Editor), author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 794.85 Format: Books Summary: "Welcome to Hogwarts Legacy, the exciting open-world action RPG set in the wizarding world. You play as a newly admitted fifth-year student at Hogwarts in the 1800s who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. In this official guide, gamers will learn everything they need to know to play Hogwarts Legacy. Discover exclusive information about brand-new characters and locations found in the game, plus unlock hidden secrets and other tips for completing the game's various quests."--
Author: Marufu, Aneesa, 1997- author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: Y MARUFU Format: Books Summary: Escaping from an arranged marriage, sixteen-year-old Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glass-maker's apprentice, and as a deadly revolution exploits forbidden magic, threatening their friendship, they must choose what kind of world they want to live in. This is the story of sixteen-year-old Khadija, who flees her home in a stolen hot air balloon to escape life in an arranged marriage. A deeply relevant, commercial fantasy adventure by an enthralling new talent, exploring prejudice, the deep roots of hatred, and the reality of the world that this heroine hopes to save. Khadija loves the ancient tales of jinn and renegade princesses... but real life is closing in and her destiny as a ghadaean girl is marriage and boredom. When her father arranges a match, Khadija leaps at the chance of escape--a rogue hot air balloon fighting its ropes for the sky. Soon, Khadija is flying over the desert sands, away from everything she knows. Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glassmaker's apprentice, Jacob. But soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The oppressed, pale-skinned hari are restless--their infamous terrorist group, the Hareef, have a new, fearsome leader. And the ruling ghadaeans are brutal in their repression. As the Hareef exploit forbidden magic--summoning jinn to aid their fight--Jacob and Khadija must choose what kind of a world they want to live in and how to make it a reality.
