Author: Verdelle, A. J., 1960- author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: B VERDELLE
Format: Books
Summary: "The award-winning author of The Good Negress shares invaluable insights on the precarious journey toward creativity that is the writer's life, and tells the compelling story of her relationship with Toni Morrison, painting an illuminating portrait of this towering yet enigmatic cultural icon. With the publication of her debut novel The Good Negress in 1995, A. J. Verdelle became an overnight sensation, winning critical acclaim and competing for prestigious literature prizes. But for Verdelle, the most unexpected consequence was the friendship she formed with the legendary Toni Morrison. Receiving an advance copy of the book, the Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning author--notorious for never giving early praise--called The Good Negress, "Truly Extraordinary." It was a writer's dream come true--a dream that for Verdelle would become simultaneously exhilarating and challenging. Now, twenty-five years later, Verdelle tells the story of that success and what came after. Miss Chloe begins with the story of young Verdelle's persistent aim to become an author, spending countless pre-dawn hours writing the novel that became The Good Negress. Verdelle then turns to the heady period after publication, focusing on her relationship with Toni--a precious gift that was most of the time a grace and a blessing, and at other times, confusing and too separate from literature. While Morrison continued to rise as an icon, Verdelle's writing career took a sharp turn. Verdelle's next novel--a Western featuring Black characters--is quickly bought by a young editor who leaves for another job before the manuscript is finished. Searching for direction, Verdelle moves to another publisher. Yet this second book will languish for more than fifteen years. In chronicling her journey, Verdelle offers an honest assessment of what it means to be a writer, including the expectations and let-downs that famous friendships do not defray. Miss Chloe ends with the period after Morrison has passed away, when Verdelle is left to face the reality of her writing career, pondering what it means to have promise that is yet to materialize. She finds comfort in advice Morrison offered over the years, insight she shares in this wise book. "In order for Morrison to take you seriously, to have patience with you, to be interested, you had to be able to hear her," Verdelle writes. "You had to be able to sit still and listen. You had to be able to pipe up in the pauses, and prove you understood. You needed to demonstrate that language was a skill you had, that Black culture was known to you and respected by you""--
Author: Oyeneyin, Tunde, author. Liftin, Hilary, author.
Published: 2022
Call Number: 158.1
Format: Books
Summary: The Peloton instructor, fitness star, and founder of Speak shares her transformative personal journey, during which she learned lessons about loss, love, body image, and self-confidence, offering an accessible blueprint for anyone looking to make a positive in their lives. Tunde Oyeneyin was a successful makeup professional with supportive friends and a loving family. She had already experienced so much, but she was still missing something in her life. Suddenly, she was certain. She realized that she would teach cycling classes. She would inspire others to change their lives. And she would be doing it on the world's largest platform. --adapted from front jacket flap
Author: Gibson, Naomi, 1988- author.
Published: 2021
Call Number: Y GIBSON
Format: Books
Summary: "Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years--since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her dad walked out, leaving her and Mum painfully alone; since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy. Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving and scarily capable: Lydia's built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard-drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really--and how far is he willing to go to be everything Lydia desires?"--
Author: Miller, Donald, 1971- author. Peterson, J. J., author.
Published: 2020
Call Number: 658.8 MILLER
Format: Books
Summary: "Based on Building a StoryBrand by New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller, this checklist is a strategic and actionable guide to applying the StoryBrand framework to any brand and an essential part of any marketing professional's tool kit. Every day, brands lose millions of dollars simply because they do not have a clear message that tells consumers who they are and what value they will add to their customers' lives. To solve this dilemma, Donald Miller wrote Building a StoryBrand, which has become the quintessential guide for anyone looking to craft or strengthen their brand's message. Now, Don is taking it a step further with this five-part checklist that helps marketing professionals and business owners apply the StoryBrand messaging framework across key customer touchpoints to effectively develop, strengthen, and communicate their brand's story to the marketplace." --Jacket.
Author: Bajwa, Bushra, author.
Published: 2019
Call Number: Y 297.125 BAJWA
Format: Books
Summary: "Read about the wise ways of Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). "Forty Steps Closer to God" is a must-read for all Muslim teenagers. It contains a careful selection of forty hadith that present the mode of life of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who God chose to be the perfect example for humankind. The selected forty hadith were chosen to provide both examples of Prophet Muhammad's (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) relationship with God as well as his relationship with his fellow beings. Adopting the habits demonstrated in these forty hadith would not only bring one closer to God but would also lead to more peaceful societies. Written for high-school and college-aged students, covering a variety of interesting and essential topics, with clear and concise explanations on each hadith, and study questions to further the reader's knowledge, this pocket guide would be ideal for a book club or religious study group"--Page 4 of cover
Author: Weinberg, Gabriel, author. Mares, Justin, author.
Published: 2015
Call Number: 658.1 WEINBERG
Format: Books
Summary: "Most startups don't fail because they can't build a product. Most startups fail because they can't get traction. Startup advice tends to be a lot of platitudes repackaged with new buzzwords, but Traction is something else entirely. As Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares learned from their own experiences, building a successful company is hard. For every startup that grows to the point where it can go public or be profitably acquired, hundreds of others sputter and die. Smart entrepreneurs know that the key to success isn't the originality of your offering, the brilliance of your team, or how much money you raise. It's how consistently you can grow and acquire new customers (or, for a free service, users). That's called traction, and it makes everything else easier - fund-raising, hiring, press, partnerships, acquisitions. Talk is cheap, but traction is hard evidence that you're on the right path. Traction will teach you the 19 channels you can use to build a customer base and how to pick the right ones for your business. "--Amazon.com.
Author: Shepard, Sara, 1977-
Published: 2011
Call Number: YA SHEPARD
Format: Books
Summary: Twins lead a dangerous game in investigation on a murder mystery.
Author: Sinek, Simon, author.
Published: 2011 2009
Call Number: 658.4 SINEK
Format: Books
Summary: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have little in common, but they all started with why. It was their natural ability to start with why that enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things. In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way -- and it's the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be lead, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY. Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why. WHY is not money or profit -- those are always results. WHY does your organization exist? WHY does it do the things it does? WHY do customers really buy from one company or another? WHY are people loyal to some leaders, but not others? Starting with WHY works in big business and small business, in the nonprofit world and in politics. Those who start with WHY never manipulate, they inspire. And the people who follow them don't do so because they have to; they follow because they want to.
Author: Cisneros, Sandra.
Published: 2009
Call Number: Y CISNEROS
Format: Books
Summary: This book tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn't want to belong, not to her run-down neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Capturing her thoughts and emotions in poems and stories, she is able to rise above hopelessness and create a quiet space for herself in the midst of her oppressive surroundings. Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.
Author: Picoult, Jodi, 1966- author.
Published: 2005 2004
Call Number: F PICOULT
Format: Books
Summary: Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness. Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged -- until now. When their parents ask her to donate a kidney, Anna has had enough. She enlists the aid of a lawyer and announces her intention to sue for control of her own body. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you?
A selection of books published this week; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading.
Morton discusses his first work of nonfiction, and Rachel Careau talks about translating “Chéri” and “The End of Chéri,” by Colette.
In the follow-up to “The Idiot,” the protagonist returns to Harvard for another year of exquisite intellectual torment and underwhelming romance.
This month’s recommendations feature Viola Davis, a supernatural World War II horror novel and a steamy Jamaican romance.
Robin Peguero’s novel, “With Prejudice,” features a tough-talking prosecutor who says, “The jury is a crew of misfits. The scraps that neither side particularly wanted.”
In Akwaeke Emezi’s latest novel, “You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty,” a young widow stumbles into new life and romance while grieving for her past love.
Six new paperbacks to check out this week.
Three off-the-top-of-the-head stories and a piece of fitting history.
Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan has been diving into lighter literary novels and mysteries, searching for books suited for the beginning of summer. Here are some of her picks.
(Image credit: Fatemeh Saberi/EyeEm/Getty Images)
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