New to the Collection: July 2023

Fiction

Sing Her Down, Ivy Pochoda

Florence “Florida” Baum is not the hapless innocent she claims to be when she arrives at the Arizona women’s prison – or so her ex-cellmate Diosmary Sandoval keeps insinuating. When an unexpected reprieve gives both women their freedom, Dios’s fixation on Florida turns into a dangerous obsession, and a deadly cat-and-mouse chase ensues. With blistering, incisive prose, Ivy Pochoda delivers a razor-sharp Western thriller, setting two indelible women on a path to an epic, stunning showdown.

The Wind Knows My Name, Isabel Allende

Samuel Adler is five years old when his father disappears during Kristallnacht – the night his family loses everything. As her child’s safety becomes even harder to guarantee, Samuel’s mother secures a spot for him alone on a Kinderstransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria and into England. Eight decades later, Anita Diaz and her mother board another train fleeing looming danger in El Salvador and seeking refuge in the United States. There, seven-year-old Anita is separated from her mother. Intertwining past and present, The Wind Knows My Name tells the tale of two unforgettable characters in search of family and home.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, Rita Chang-Epping

When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: marrying her husband’s second-in-command and agreeing to bear him a son and heir in order to retain power over her half of the fleet. But as she vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, a larger threat looms. A dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.

Inside Threat, Matthew Quirk

The day every secret service agent dreads has arrived. The White House has been breached by armed assailants. The president is forced to flee to a massive doomsday bunker outside D.C. to defend against whatever comes next. Only the most loyal agents and officials are allowed in with him. Agent Eric Hill, against all odds, is among them, and now must race to stop a conspiracy from reaching the highest levels of American power.

Serena, Ron Rash

A New York Times bestseller and PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist. Serena is a chilling gothic tale of greed, corruption, and revenge set against the backdrop of the 1930s wilderness and America’s burgeoning environmental movement. Newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the mountains of North Caroline with the intention of creating a timber empire. George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, but Serena is new to the area – and quickly sets herself up as the most dangerous and powerful figure in the community.

After Death, Dean Koontz

A modern-day Lazarus is humanity’s last hope in a breathtaking novel about the absolute powers of good and evil by Dean Koontz, the New York Times bestselling master of suspense. Michael Mace, head of security at a top-secret research facility, opens his eyes in a makeshift morgue twenty-four hours following an event in which everyone perished—including him and his best friend, Shelby Shrewsberry. Having awakened with an extraordinary ability unlike anything he—or anyone else—has ever imagined, Michael is capable of being as elusive as a ghost. He sets out to honor his late friend by helping Nina Dozier and her son, John, whom Shelby greatly admired.

Be Mine: A Frank Bascombe Novel, Richard Ford

Ford: the final novel in the world of Frank Bascombe, one of the most indelible characters in American literature. Now in the twilight of life, a man who has occupied many colorful lives—sportswriter, father, husband, ex-husband, friend, real estate agent—Bascombe finds himself in the most sorrowing role of all: caregiver to his son, Paul, diagnosed with ALS. On a shared winter odyssey to Mount Rushmore, Frank, in typical Bascombe fashion, faces down the mortality that is assured each of us, and in doing so confronts what happiness might signify at the end of days.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, Lisa See

According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, pluck instruments, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

The Discomfort of Evening, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

Winner of the 2020 International Booker Prize, The Discomfort of Evening is a searing portrait of Jas, a girl whose brother’s death punctures the routines of her devout farming family. In the vacuum of their parents’ own unraveling, Jas and her siblings develop a curiosity about death that leads them into increasingly disturbing rituals and fantasies.

Maame, Jessica George

New York Times bestseller. It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils––and rewards––of putting her heart on the line.

The Summer of Songbirds, Kristy Woodson Harvey

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life. Together with her niece and her two best friends – all of whom have deep personal connections to Camp Holly Springs – they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

The Puzzle Master, Danielle Trussoni

Reality and the supernatural collide when an expert puzzle maker is thrust into an ancient mystery – one with explosive consequences for the fate of humanity. Ranging from an upstate New York women’s prison to nineteenth-century Prague to the secret rooms of the Pierpont Morgan Library, The Puzzle Master is a tantalizing, addictive thriller in which humankind and the future of the universe itself are at stake.

Miles from Nowhere, Nami Mun

Redemption comes from a character who has incurred a moral debt through their actions then making good on that moral debt by performing some deed or service or act of heroism that will ameliorate the bad. That seems simple enough. But in the arid secular plains of modernity and its accompanying moral relativism, what is even good?

Lily and the Octopus, Steven Rowley

This is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can’t live without. For Ted Flask, that special someone is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog. Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it is to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.

The Lower River, Paul Theroux

Ellis Hock never believed that he would return to Africa. He runs an old-fashioned menswear store in a small town in Massachusetts but still dreams of the four years he spent in Malawi with the Peace Corps, cut short when he had to return to take over the family business. When his wife leaves him, he realizes that there is one place for him to go: back to his village in Malawi, on the remote Lower River. Arriving at the dusty village, he finds it transformed: the school is a ruin, the church and clinic are gone, and poverty and apathy have set in. Is his return an escape or a trap?

The Prime Minister’s Affair, Andrew Williams

Ramsay MacDonald, Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister, is battling to keep the ‘fit for heroes’ dream which got him elected alive. So when he is blackmailed by Kristina Forster, his former lover, it is more than his sternly moral personal reputation that will be ruined by the erotic nature of the letters they exchanged. Frenchie is ordered to Paris to buy them back. It is clear there are many people who would see the Prime Minister fall – the Conservatives, their friends in the press, even Labour colleagues. But his own secret service? The longer Frenchie’s mission lasts, the deeper he is sucked into a whirlpool of cynical politics, love, and betrayal.

A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley

A thousand acres, a piece of land of almost mythic proportions. Upon this fertile, nourishing earth, Jane Smiley has set her rich, breathtakingly dramatic novel of an American family whose wealth cannot stay the hand of tragedy. It is the intense, compelling story of a father and his daughters, of sisters, of wives and husbands, and of the human cost of a lifetime spent trying to subdue the land.

This Time Tomorrow, Emma Straub

On the eve of her fortieth birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, and her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But her father is ailing, and it feels to her as if something is missing. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her sixteenth birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush—it’s her dad, the vital, charming, forty-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, some past events take on new meaning. Is there anything that she would change if she could?

The Bandit Queens, Parini Shroff

Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die. It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry. Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her “expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal. And not all of them are asking nicely.

The Prophets, Robert Jones, Jr.

Isaiah was Samuel’s and Samuel was Isaiah’s. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of sanctuary, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. But when an older man – a fellow slave – seeks to gain favor by preaching the master’s gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. Isaiah and Samuel’s love, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation’s harmony.

The Island of Missing Trees, Elif Shafak

Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers, and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for one another. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings, and, eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures. The tree is there when the war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to rubble, and when the teenagers disappear. Decades later, Kostas returns. He is a botanist looking for native species, but really, he’s searching for lost love.

The Given Day, Dennis Lehane

Set in Boston at the end of the first World War, The Given Day tells the story of two families – one black, one white – swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engages in a battle for survival and power. Coursing through the pivotal events of a turbulent epoch, it explores the crippling violence and irrepressible exuberance of a country at war with, and in the thrall of, itself.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, Roshani Chokshi

A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales. Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past. But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist.

City of Crows, Chris Womersley

Set in seventeenth century France during an outbreak of the plague. A young woman from the country, Charlotte Picot must venture to the fearsome city of Paris in search of her last remaining son, Nicolas. Either fate or mere coincidence places the quick-witted charlatan Adam Lesage in her path. Adam is newly released from the prison galleys and on the hunt for treasure. But Charlotte, believing him to be a spirit she has summoned from the underworld, enlists his help in finding her child. Charlotte and Adam―comically ill-matched yet essential to one another―journey to Paris, then known as the City of Crows.

Defending Britta Stein, Ronald H. Balson

Chicago, 2018: Ole Henryks, a popular restaurateur, is set to be honored by the Danish/American Association for his many civic and charitable contributions. Frequently appearing on local TV, he is well known for his actions in Nazi-occupied Denmark during World War II―most consider him a hero. Britta Stein, however, does not. The ninety-year-old Chicago woman levels public accusations against Henryks by spray-painting “Coward,” “Traitor,” “Collaborator,” and “War Criminal” on the walls of his restaurant. Mrs. Stein is ultimately taken into custody and charged with criminal defacement of property. She also becomes the target of a bitter lawsuit filed by Henryks and his son, accusing her of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The Lioness, Chris Bohjalian

New York Times bestseller. A luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage in this riveting historical thriller. Tanzania, 1964. When Katie Barstow, A-list actress, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon, they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees, great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River, and herds of zebras storming the sandy plains. What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: a kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding their hostages into Land Rovers, guns to their heads.

Blowback, James Patterson & Brenda DuBois

US President Keegan Barrett has swept into office on his success as Director of the CIA. Six months into his first term, he devises a clandestine power grab with deadly consequences. Barrett personally orders CIA agents Liam Grey and Noa Himel to execute his plan, but their loyalties are divided. The CIA serves at the pleasure of the president, yet they’ve sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.When the threat comes directly from the Oval Office, that’s where the blowback begins.

Today’s Best Maine Fiction, edited by Wesley McNair

Fourteen stellar Maine writers prove that America’s most northeastern state is a superb source of inspiration for fiction. Here these writers capture Main’s atmospheric landscape, sharply defined seasons, isolated living places – and especially a terrific assortment of unforgettable characters. Originally published as Contemporary Maine Fiction, this book has been brought back to print by popular demand.

The Invited, Jennifer McMahon

In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate have abandoned the comforts of suburbia to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that the property has a dark and violent past, Helen becomes consumed by the local legend of a woman who lived and died there a century ago. As the building project progresses, the house becomes a place of menace and unfinished business that beckons its owners and their neighbors toward unimaginable dangers.

The Five-Star Weekend, Elin Hilderbrand

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. But after she and her husband get into an argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. From there, the cracks in Hollis’s supposedly perfect life grow deeper. So when she hears about something called “Five-Star Weekend” – one woman organizes a trip for best friend from each phase of her life – she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. While her weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie, it will be a getaway like no other.

The Secret Life of Sunflowers, Marta Molnar

When Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson finds her famous grandmother’s diary while cleaning out her New York brownstone, the pages are full of surprises. The first surprise is, the diary isn’t her grandmother’s. It belongs to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law. The inspiration could not come at a better time for Emsley. With her business failing, an unexpected love turning up in her life, and family secrets unraveling, cans he find answers in the past?

A Celtic Christmas: Classic Tales from the Emerald Isle, edited by Mairtin O’Griofa

Light a cozy fire, pour yourself a dram or a pint, and curl up with these charming tales of Christmas from Ireland’s past. Here’s your personal invitation to share an evening of lively characters weaving tales about love, sentiment, comedy, fantasy, and melodrama. Rich with superstitions and unusual customs, these aren’t ordinary Christmas tales.

Mystery

The Girl by the Bridge (A Detective Konrad Novel), Arnaldur Indridason

When a young woman known for drug smuggling goes missing, her elderly grandparents have no choice but to call the retired detective Konrad, a former policeman whose reputation still precedes him. Still looking for his own father’s murderer, Konrad agrees to investigate the case. But digging into the past reveals much more than anyone set out to discover.

A Novel Disguise (A Lady Librarian Mystery), Samantha Larsen

1784, London. Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they won. Can Tiffany solve the mystery without her own disguise being discovered?

Code of the HIlls (A Mick Hardin Novel), Chris Offut

Mick Hardin is supposed to be retired, transitioning to civilian life. Back in the hills of Kentucky after a two-year absence, he’d planned to touch down briefly before heading to France. But trouble is brewing in Rocksalt. Mick’s sister Linda, recently reelected as sheriff, is investigating the murder of Pete Lowe, a sought-after mechanic at the local racetrack. Mick doesn’t want to get involved, but when he reluctantly agrees to intervene in a family dispute involving a light touch, he uncovers a much deeper mystery – and another body – linked to the first.

Speak of the Devil, Rose Wilding

New Year’s Eve, 1999. Seven women are gathered in a hotel room at midnight; a man’s head sits in the center of the floor. They all had a motive to kill Jamie Spellman. They all swear they didn’t. But, in order to protect one another, they have to find out who did.

Downfall, Mark Rubinstein

When Rick Shepherd approaches his office on a busy Manhattan street, he finds police cars, an ambulance, and crime scene technicians. He soon learns that a passerby was shot three times, murdered at the front door to Rick’s office. To his horror, the deceased looks identical to Rick. Two nights later, his father is shot and killed in the same way. There are no clues leading to the perpetrator, but one thing is for sure – Rick Shepherd is being stalked by a murderer.

Zero Days, Ruth Ware

Jacintha “Jack” Cross and her husband, Gabe, are the best security penetration specialists in the business. Hired by companies to test the strengths and weaknesses of their systems, Jack handles the physical break-ins while Gabe tackles the physical aspects. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their only suspect – her.

The Retreat, Sarah Pease

New York Times bestseller. An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation—but the island itself, known locally as Reaper’s Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it’s rumored to be cursed. A young woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But Detective Elin Warner soon learns the victim wasn’t a guest—she wasn’t meant to be on the island at all.

Dead Man’s Wake, Paul Doiron

Game Warden Mike Bowditch’s engagement party is interrupted by the discovery of a gruesome double murder in this new thriller from Edgar Award-winning author Paul Doiron. On the evening of their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on a darkened lake. When they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a gruesome sight: a severed arm floating just beneath the surface. As day breaks, the warden dive team recovers not one but two naked corpses: a dismembered man and the married woman with whom he was having an affair. Mike begins to suspect the swimmers’ deaths were not a senseless accident but a coldly calculated murder.

Science-Fiction

To Be Taught, If Fortunate, Becky Chambers

Ariadne O’Neill and her three crewmates are hard at work in a planetary system fifteen lightyears from Sol, on a mission to ecologically survey four habitable worlds. But as Ariadne shifts through form and time, the culture back on Earth has also been transformed. Faced with the possibility of returning to a planet that has forgotten those who left, Ariadne begins to chronicle the story of the wonders and dangers of her mission, in the hope that someone back home might still be listening.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1), Becky Chambers

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn’t expecting much. The patched-up ship has seen better days, but it offers her a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy and some distance from her past. And nothing could be further from what she’s known than the crew of the Wayfarer. Then the crew are offered the job of a lifetime – tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet. The journey through the galaxy is full of excitement, adventure, and mishaps; and along the way, Rosemary comes to realize that finding a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Monk & Robot #2), Becky Chambers

The sequel to A Psalm for the Wild-Built. After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a tea monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages of the little moon they call home. They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Romance

Dear Henry, Love Edith, Becca Kinzer

He thinks she’s an elderly widow. She’s convinced he’s a grumpy old man. Neither could be further from the truth. After a short and difficult marriage, recently widowed Edith Sherman has decided to fill her thirties with adventure.She spends the summer in a short-term nursing position while awaiting final paperwork for her humanitarian trip to south Africa, sharing a house with local Henry Hobbes. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes—short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives. Reminiscent of the beloved classic You’ve Got Mail comes a delightful new romantic comedy about mistaken identities, second chances, and finding love in unexpected places.

Deceptive Truths, DeAnna Julie Dodson

Jayla Randall is finally picking up the pieces of her shattered life. After answering a tragic 911 call that resulted in a woman’s murder last year, she experienced more heartache when Cooper Cole ended their relationship. On the one-year anniversary of the murder, the past comes back to haunt her. Jayla dispatches police to the very same apartment, where another woman was killed. The latest crime brings Jayla and Cooper together again. They must set aside their past hurts to solve a murder that’s the mirror image of the one that turned their lives upside down. As they investigate, they find themselves getting closer to the truth as well as each other.

Guilty Secrets, Virginia Smith

Rylee Kerrigan, a new attorney with the ink still fresh on her license, envisions defending high-profile clients at a large firm in the city. Unable to land her dream job, she reluctantly accepts the only one she can find – handling pro bono cases in a small town in Ohio. Scott Stackhouse is skeptical of the new employee. But as he gets to know Rylee, he admires his intelligence and determination. Together, they get embroiled in a twenty-five-year-old case full of sinister secrets.

Deadly Tides, DeAnna Julie Dodson

After a painful breakup, Misty Eller makes a drastic lifestyle change and joins her uncle’s magic show on a cruise ship. Police officer Ethan Harper goes undercover on the ship to investigate a string of jewelry thefts. Ethan and Misty discover deadly secrets and shocking lies, as the danger – and their attraction to one another – continue to grow.

Fatal Waters, Elizabeth Penney

Hannah Benson is no stranger to loss. Her mother passed away, her brother was killed in the line of duty, and her father mysteriously disappeared off the coast of Massachusetts. As a result, Hannah and her younger sister inherited their family legacy – a struggling lobster business. While Hannah struggles to keep the business afloat, the sisters unwittingly become entangled in an illegal smuggling operation and are put under federal protection – from the same man she blames for the death of her brother.

Hidden Threats, Sandra Orchard

After suffering more than her share of tragic losses, widow Rachel Soun vows to make a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position at a charter school and moves to Martha’s Vineyard with her young son, Jimmy. When Rachel and Jimmy are terrorized at home, Tom Olson resolves to identify the culprit and keep his next-door neighbor safe. He takes his duty as a police officer seriously, but can’t deny his growing feelings for Rachel.

Graphic Novels

Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank, Eric Orner

What are the odds that a disheveled, zaftig, closeted kid with the thickest of Jersey accents might wind up running Boston on behalf of a storied Irish Catholic political machine, drafting the nation’s first gay rights laws, reforming Wall Street after the Great Recession, and finding love, after a lifetime assuming that he couldn’t and wouldn’t? In Smahtguy, one of America’s first out members of Congress and a gay and civil rights crusader for an era is confirmed as a hero of our age. But more than a biography of an indispensable LGBTQ pioneer, this funny, beautifully rendered, warts-and-all graphic account reveals the down-and-dirty inner workings of Boston and DC politics.

The Monkey King: The Complete Odyssey, Chaiko

The complete story of the legendary Monkey King fable of ancient Chinese lore. Artist Chaiko brings his unique visual style and humor to this fantasy adventure about a monkey who acquires supernatural abilities and intelligence and chooses to use them for mischief and glory before finding himself at the ire of the Heavens. Imprisoned by the Buddha himself, the rapscallion vows to prove his worth by escaping and retrieving the sacred sutras on a mighty quest.

Black Cat Social Club: A Pop Punk Apocalypse, Christopher Painter, Bob Quinn, Meg Casey, Fred C. Stresing, & Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

The story of three punk rock witches, Alice, Hazel, and Maggie, who cast spells with their songs to battle corporate demon jerks, defeat rival witch bands, save the world, and get to the next gig. When Hazel, Black Cat Social Club’s bassist, sells her soul to a demon for more magical power, leader (and lead singer) Alice steps in and assumes the debt herself. But the more demon power Alice uses, the more energy is generated for the diabolical project 666. The only way to undo it is with the biggest blast of music magic the world has ever seen.

Tuki: Fight for Fire, Jeff Smith

At the dawn of humanity, during a period of tremendous change and drought, three lost children meet a mysterious traveler named Tuki. Together, their search for the Motherherd of all Buffalo leads them far north through the dangerous territory of a rival species called the Habilene. The Habilene hunt and kill anyone found using fire. Tuki’s reputation precedes them, and they soon find themselves the center of unwanted attention not only from Habilene warriors, but from gods and giants.

Cosmoknights: Book Two, Hannah Templer

Escape was just the beginning. The sensational “gays in space” webcomic/graphic novel returns, with new faces, long-awaited reunions, higher stakes, and more thrilling action! Pan has finally escaped her dead-end planet, piecing together a new sort of family with the rebel gladiators Bee and Cass and the mysterious hacktivist Kate. They’ve even rescued a princess… But what if this princess has her own ideas? Whatever happened to Pan’s childhood friend Tara? And if Pan and the others become galactic fugitives, will the immense pressure of life on the run threaten to tear them apart just in time for the biggest heist of their lives?

Hark! A Vagrant, Kate Beaton

An uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics-sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges unscathed as Beaton skewers the Western world’s revolutionaries, leaders, sycophants, and suffragists while equally honing her wit on the hapless heroes, heroines, and villains of the best-loved fiction. Marked equally with fondness and appreciation of the absurd, Beaton’s comics are a must for any reader.

Issunboshi, Ryan Lang

In a feudal Japan where creatures of myth and folklore are real, a demon sets out to reforge an ancient weapon to take over the world. The only person who can stop him is a six-inch-tall would-be samurai who also happens to be the final and most important piece of the weapon. Issunboshi is a lush retelling of the classic Japanese folktale reminding us that one is not born a hero – you must discover the courage to become one.

The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television, Koren Shadmi

A biographical tale that follows Hollywood revolutionary Rod Serling’s rise to fame in the Golden Age of Television, and his descent into his own personal Twilight Zone. Before he became the revered master of science fiction, Rod Serling was just a writer who had to fight to make his voice heard. He vehemently challenged the networks and viewership alike to expand their minds and standards – rejecting notions of censorship, racism, and war. But it wasn’t until he began to write about real world enemies in the guise of aliens and monsters that people lent their ears.

The Cloven: Book One, Garth Stein & Matthew Southworth

The Cloven stars James Tucker, the most successful genetically modified human organism ever created. Conceived in a privately financed, top-secret laboratory on Washington State’s Vashon Island, Tucker is a cross between a human and a goat – a Cloven. Known to his friends as “Tuck,” all he wants is to live a normal life as a university student. Everything is going fine, until he shows a girl his hooves.

Daughters of Snow and Cinders, Nuria Tamarit

On the run from her treasured home, Joana boards a steamship bound for the frozen realm of wolves and men. Here, Tala, a native of this cruel and beautiful land, guides a gold-hunting expedition into the heart of the wilderness. As storm winds loom and a fearsome she-wolf lurks in the shadows, these bold young women soon discover that Nature’s wrath comes for all who seek to plunder Her.

Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula, Koren Shadmi

Beginning with his early years in Hungary as a young actor and activist, this first-of-its-kind graphic memoir details Lugosi’s flight from his homeland and his eventual move to the US, where his career flourished – for a while. Following a pivotal mistake that allowed Boris Karloff’s star to rise while his plummeted, Lugosi’s pride, extravagant lifestyle, and addiction to drugs, women, and the high life led to his tragic decline. 

Gender: A Graphic Guide, Meg-John Barker & Jules Scheele

An essential comic-book journey from the creators of Queer: A Graphic History that will change the way you think about gender. In this unique illustrated guide, Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele travel through our shifting understandings of gender across time and space – from ideas of masculinity and femininity, to non-binary and trans genders, to intersecting experiences of gender, race, sexuality, class, disability, and more.

Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Our Edible World, Jules Rothman

A palette for your palate. Delve into the culinary world with Julia Rothman’s delightful visual tour of cookery and international cuisine. Histories and curiosities of food around the world are illustrated and explained with Rothman’s uniquely charming style. What does an asparagus fork look like? What country puts banana sauce on their French fries? What’s the difference between fish fillet and fish steak? Indulge yourself with a recommended daily allowance of facts and fun.

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, Box Brown

Comedian and performer Andy Kaufman’s resume was impressive—a popular role on the beloved sitcom Taxi, a high-profile stand-up career, and a surprisingly successful stint in professional wrestling. Although he was by all accounts a sensitive and thoughtful person, he’s ironically best remembered for his various contemptible personas, which were so committed and so convincing that all but his closest family and friends were completely taken in. Why would someone so gentle-natured and sensitive build an entire career seeking the hatred of his audience? What drives a performer to solicit that reaction? With the same nuance and sympathy with which he approached Andre the Giant in his 2014 biography, graphic novelist Box Brown’s Is This Guy For Real? takes on the complex and often hilarious life of Andy Kaufman.

Steve Jobs: Insanely Great, Jessie Hartland

Told through a combination of black-and-white illustrations and handwritten text, this fast-paced and entertaining biography in graphic format presents the story of the ultimate American entrepreneur, the man who brought us Apple Computer, Pixar, Macs, iPods, iPhones, and more. Jobs’s remarkable life reads like a history of the personal technology industry. He started Apple Computer in his parents’ garage and eventually became the tastemaker of a generation. Through it all, he was an overbearing and demanding perfectionist, both impossible and inspiring. Capturing his unparalleled brilliance, as well as his many demons, Jessie Hartland’s engaging biography illuminates the meteoric successes, devastating setbacks, and myriad contradictions that make up the extraordinary life and legacy of the insanely great Steve Jobs.

Nonfiction

Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses, David Scheel

Of all the creatures of the deep, none is as captivating as the octopus. In Many Things Under a Rock, marine biologist David Scheel investigates four major mysteries about these elusive beings. How can we study an animal with perfect camouflage and secretive habitats? How does a soft and boneless creature defeat sharks and eels, while thriving as a predator of the most heavily armored animals in the sea? How do octopus bodies work? And how does a solitary animal form friendships, entice mates, and outwit rivals?

Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods, Danna Staaf

Cephalopods, Earth’s first truly substantial animals, are still among us. Their fascinating family tree includes squid, octopuses, nautiluses, and more. The inventors of swimming, cephalopods presided over the sea for millions of years. In Monarchs of the Sea, marine biologist Danna Staaf unspools how these otherworldly creatures once ruled the deep – and why they still captivate us today.

In Light-Years There’s No Hurry: Cosmic Perspectives on Everyday Life, Marjolin van Heemstra

How seeing Earth through the eyes of an astronaut brings new wonder and meaning to life on our planet. One stifling summer night, the poet and journalist Marjolijn van Heemstra lay awake, unable to sleep—like so many of us feeling anxious and alienated, deeply exhausted yet restless. Amid the suffocating stream of daily obligations, the clamor of notifications and increasingly dismal headlines, she longed for a way to rise above the frenzy, for a renewed sense of meaning and connection. Then she learned about the overview effect—a permanent shift in consciousness many astronauts experience when beholding Earth from outside the atmosphere—and wondered: could the perspective of outer space offer the internal space she sought?

The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey into the Old West, Will Grant

The Pony Express was a fast-horse frontier mail service that spanned the American West – the high, dry, and undeniably lonesome part of North America. While in operation during the 1860s, it carried letter mail on a blistering ten-day schedule between Missouri and San Francisco, running through a vast and mostly uninhabited wilderness. Though the Pony Express has enjoyed a lot of interest over the years, among the authors who have attempted to encapsulate it, none have ever ridden it themselves. Will Grant decided to do just that, and rode the trail himself with his horses Chicken Fry and Badger.

What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds, Jennifer Ackerman

For millennia, people have been obsessed with and enchanted by owls. But only lately have scientists begun to understand in deep detail the complex nature of these extraordinary birds. Jennifer Ackerman brings this research alive with her own personal field observations and deep dives into why these birds beguile us.

Queer Conception: The Complete Fertility Guide for Queer and Trans Parents-to-Be, Kristin L. Kali

Finally, a book for all LGBTQ+ readers interested in creating a family through pregnancy: lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, trans and nonbinary people, anyone who identifies as queer, couples, single parents by choice, poly families, and coparents. Here you’ll find evidence-based, up-to-date guidance for navigating complex medical, social, and financial decisions. Trusted queer fertility midwife Kristin L. Kali walks you through the entire process.

Foolproof Preserving: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments, and More, America’s Test Kitchen

There is nothing more disappointing than jams and jellies that don’t set up, pickles that are soggy, and condiments too lackluster to give as gifts. Make your efforts count with our step-by-step guide featuring 100 obsessively tested recipes. The test kitchen demystifies the process, explains the science behind it, amd tells you exactly which equipment you need (and don’t need).

Wild Plants of Maine: A Useful Guide, Tom Seymour

In this edition of Wild Plants of Maine, Tom Seymour has added several new wild plants, more mushrooms, and some exciting new recipes to the bountiful harvest in Maine. From insect repellent to table fare to a relaxing wintergreen tea, Seymour identifies the source and describes the method of preparing wild plant concoctions and foods.

Dragonflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America, Sidney W. Dunkle

Just as birding led to the phenomenon of butterfly-watching decades ago, dragonfly-watching is now becoming a similarly enjoyable and fascinating hobby. This book picks up on that rapidly growing trend and brings it to enthusiasts, naturalists, and general readers in an attractive and accessible format.

Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys, Candace Savage

Sparky and fun loving in tone, this celebration of crow consciousness discusses the basic biology of crows, as well as their family structure, tricky social interactions, communication skills, incredible tool-using capabilities, and impact on the human imagination. Based on more than a decade of audacious research by scientists around the world,  Crows is rich in insight, humor, and stories.

The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes From Around the World, Sandor Ellix Katz

Self-described “fermentation revivalist” Sandor Katz inspired countless thousands to rediscover the ancient art of fermentation with his best-selling book Wild Fermentation. In The Art of Fermentation, Katz offers the most comprehensive and definitive guide to do-it-yourself home fermentation. He presents the history, concepts, and processes of fermentation in ways simple enough to guide the reader through their experience.

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, Sandor Ellix Katz

Celebrate live foods! Get ready to take a whirlwind trip through the wild world of fermented and live-culture cuisine. These vital foods – at the forefront of the “food as nutrition” movement – provide incredible health benefits and are delicious and easy to make.

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today, edited by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine

Home canning puts the pleasure of eating natural, delicious produce at your fingertips year-round. Preserving food is as modern and practical as the latest food trends, and it’s really quite simple. Easy-to-understand detailed instructions provide all the information you need before you begin a project.

The Sugar Season: A Year in the Life of Maple Syrup and One Family’s Quest for the Sweetest Harvest, Douglas Whynott

At a sugarhouse owned by maple syrup entrepreneur Bruce Bascom, 80,000 gallons of sap are processed daily during winter’s end. In The Sugar Season, Douglas Whynott follows Bascom through one tumultuous season, taking us deep into the sugarbush, where sunlight and sap are intimately related and the sound of the taps gives the woods a rhythm and ring. Whynott shows us sugarhouses, the drama of big business and a maple black market, the biology of maple trees, and the dangers presented by global warming. A fascinating book for New England and beyond.

Farming the Woods: An Integrated Permaculture Approach to Growing Food and Medicinals in Temperate Forests, Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel

The practices of forestry and farming are often seen as mutually exclusive. In Farming the Woods, authors Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel demonstrate that it doesn’t have to be an either-or scenario, but a complementary one; forest farms can be most productive in places where the plow is not. Forest farming is an invaluable practice to integrate into any farm or homestead.

Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada, David L. Spahr

An accessible guide to finding, collecting, identifying, and preparing culinary and healing mushrooms of the Northeast. Drawing on David Spahr’s extensive practical experience, research, and photographic skill, this book presents an attractive and detailed overview of the subject.

The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden, Kim Flottum

The revised and expanded edition of The Backyard Beekeeper gives you even more information on “greening” your beekeeping with sustainable practices, pesticide-resistant bees, and urban and suburban beekeeping. This book makes the time-honored and complex tradition of beekeeping an enjoyable and accessible backyard pastime that will appeal to gardeners, crafters, and cooks everywhere. It is a handbook for harvesting, cooking and more – all in one, lively, beautifully illustrated reference.

Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell, Alexandra Horowitz

In Being a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz, a leading researcher in dog cognition, continues to unpack the mystery of a dog’s nose view, in order to more fully understand our irrepressibly charming companions. She follows the dog’s nose – exploring not only its abilities but the incredible ways it has been put to use.

Vicksburg 1863, Winston Groom

In this thrilling narrative history of the Civil War’s most strategically important campaign, Winston Groom describes the bloody two-year grind that started when Ulysses S. Grant began taking a series of confederate strongholds in 1861, climaxing with the siege of Vicksburg two years later. For Grants and the Union it was a crucial success that captured the Mississippi River, divided the South in half, and set the stage for eventual victory.

Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945, Max Hastings

From one of our finest military historians, a monumental work that shows us at once the truly global reach of World War II and its deeply personal consequences. Remarkably informed and wide-ranging, Inferno is both elegantly written and cogently argued. Above all, it is a new and essential understanding of one of the bloodiest events of the twentieth century.

White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better, Regina Jackson & Saira Rao

White Women is a call to action to those who are looking to take the next steps in dismantling white supremacy, including addressing their own complicity. Beginning with freeing white women from the oppressive need to be nice, the authors deconstruct and analyze nine aspects of traditional behavior that uphold white supremacy and hurt everyone.

What the Bird Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World, Jon Young

A lifelong birder, tracker, and naturalist, Jon Young is guided in his work and teaching by three basic premises: songbirds know everything important about their environment; by tuning in to their vocalizations and behavior, we can acquire much of this wisdom for our own pleasure and benefit; and birds’ companion calls and warning alarms are just as important as their songs. This groundbreaking book unites indigenous knowledge, the latest research, and the author’s own experience of four decades in the field to lead up toward a deeper connection with animals and ourselves.

The Last Good Heist: The Inside Story of the Biggest Single Payday in the Criminal History of the Northeast, Tim White, Randall Richard, & Wayne Worcester

On Aug. 14, 1975, eight daring thieves ransacked 148 massive safe-deposit boxes at a secret bank used by organized crime, La Cosa Nostra, and its associates in Providence, R.I. The crooks fled with duffle bags crammed full of cash, gold, silver, stamps, coins, jewels and high-end jewelry. The true value of the loot has always been kept secret, partly because it was ill-gotten to begin with, and partly because there was plenty of incentive to keep its true worth out of the limelight. It’s one thing for authorities to admit they didn’t find a trace of goods worth from $3 million to $4 million, and entirely another when what was at stake was more accurately valued at about $30 million, the equivalent of $120 million today. It was the biggest single payday in the criminal history of the Northeast.

The Involuntary American: A Scottish Prisoner’s Journey to the New World, Carol Gardner

In the winter of 1650–51, one hundred fifty ragged and hungry Scottish prisoners of war arrived at Massachusetts Bay Colony, where they were sold as indentured laborers for 20 to 30 pounds each. Among them was Thomas Doughty, a common foot soldier who had survived the Battle of Dunbar, a forced march of 100 miles without food or water, imprisonment in Durham Cathedral, and a difficult Atlantic crossing. An ordinary individual who experienced extraordinary events, Doughty was among some 420 Scottish soldiers who were captured during the War of the Three Kingdoms, transported to America, and sold between 1650 and 1651. Their experiences offer a fresh perspective on seventeenth-­century life.

The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts, Silvia Ferrara

In this exhilarating celebration of human ingenuity and perseverance, a trailblazing Italian scholar sifts through our cultural and social behavior in search of the origins of our greatest invention: writing. With Ferrara as our guide, we examine the enigmas of undeciphered scripts, including famous cases like the Phaistos Disk and the Voynich Manuscript; we touch the knotted, colored strings of the Inca quipu; we study the turtle shells and ox scapulae that bear the earliest Chinese inscriptions; we watch in awe as Sequoyah single-handedly invents a script for the Cherokee language; and we venture into the cutting edge of decipherment.

Hawks in Flight, Pete Dunne, David Sibley, & Clay Sutton

Among the world’s most popular birds, hawks can be some of the difficult birds to identify. They’re most often seen flying high above and at a distance. The authors of this book present a holistic method of hawk identification, complete with photographs, illustrations, and clear, information-packed text. This edition covers all of the raptors that breed in North America, including those with limited ranges in Florida, the Southwest, and Texas.

Bee-sentials: A Field Guide, Lawrence John Connor with Robert Muir

The beekeeping book you have been looking for – a basic book with some “meat on its bones” for continued study by new and not-so-new beekeepers. This book focuses on compassionate animal husbandry. There is a strong “natural” focus for beekeepers who want to avoid or minimize pesticides and reduce stress on the bees.

Moment Work: Tectonic Theater Project’s Process of Devising Theater, Moises Kaufman & Barbara Pitts McAdams

Moment Work opens the doors to the rehearsal room of one of America’s most innovative and influential theater companies, Tectonic Theater Project, the creators of The Laramie Project, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and 33 Variations. For more than two decades, the members of Tectonic Theater Project have been rigorously experimenting with the process of theatrical creation. Here they set forth a detailed manual of their devising process.

Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America, John M. Barry

An American epic of science, politics, race, honor, high society, and the Mississippi River, Rising Tide tells the riveting and nearly forgotten story of the greatest natural disaster this country has ever known – the Mississippi flood of 1927. The river inundated the homes of nearly one million people, helped elect Huey Long governor and made Herbert Hoover president, drove thousands of black people north, and transformed American society and politics forever.

Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm, Erin Byers Murray

In this engrossing and very personal account, a young woman from Boston ditches her city-girl lifestyle and convinces the rowdy crew at Island Creek Oysters to let an unprepared food and lifestyle writer work for them for eighteen months to learn the business of oysters. Part love letter, part memoir, and part documentary, Shucked is an in-depth look at the work that goes into getting oysters from farm to table.

Blueberries for Sal Cookbook, Robert McCloskey

Share Little Sal’s love of blueberries with this charming cookbook. Here you’ll find simple and sweet recipes for delicious cookies, cakes, breakfasts, and snacks to make and enjoy with friends and family. Featuring Robert McCloskey’s original illustrations, as well as new drawings to bring the recipes to life.

The Japanese Kitchen: A Book of Essential Ingredients With Over 200 Authentic Recipes, Kimiko Barber

A visually stunning and fascinating insight into the exquisite cuisine of Japan. Kimiko Barber presents 100 ingredients and 200 recipes, exploring the full story of the Japanese kitchen, including taste, culinary uses, and health benefits, while dispelling the myth that Japanese cooking is difficult.

The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins, Hal Whitehead &  Luke Rendell

In The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins, cetacean biologists Whitehead and Rendell open an astounding porthole onto the fascinating culture beneath the waves. As they show, cetacean culture and its transmissions are shaped by a blend of adaptations, innate sociality, and the unique environment in which whales and dolphins live: a watery world in which a hundred-and-fifty-ton blue whale can move with utter grace, and where the vertical expanse is as vital, and almost as vast, as the horizontal. Drawing on their own research and a vast array of scientific literature, Whitehead and Rendell dive into realms both humbling and enlightening as they seek to define what cetacean culture is, why it exists, and what it means for the future.

Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator, David Shiffman

Get submerged in the amazing world of sharks! Your expert host, award-winning marine biologist Dr. David Shiffman, will show you how—and why—we should protect these mysterious, misunderstood guardians of the ocean. Exploring the core tenets of shark conservation science and policy, Shiffman synthesizes decades of scientific research and policymaking, weaving it into a narrative full of humor and adventure. Touching on everything from Shark Week to shark fin soup, overfishing to marine sanctuaries, Shiffman reveals why sharks are in trouble, why we should care, and how we can save them.

Honey: Nature’s Golden Healer, Gloria Havenhand

With increasing numbers of people ditching drugs for natural healing, Honey: Nature’s Golden Healer is a timely look at how the beehive can help us look and feel better. Highlighted with hundreds of vivid color photographs, the book explains how honey is made and describes the complex lives of honeybees, beehive architecture and the sophisticated social structure of beehives. Novice beekeepers will find enough reliable information to get started on a small scale.

Walking Sacred Sites: Listening to Their Stories, Margaret W. Jones

Margaret W. Jones, travel guide and storyteller, has a deep appreciation for beauty and nature. She both feels and “hears” what the earth is saying on her walks through ancient sacred sites and landscapes. In this elegantly written and deeply personal travel guide, she takes readers on extraordinary walks through known and not-so-known places in Ireland, England, Jordan, Wales, and Scotland. With vivid and compelling details, she has these vener­able lands tell their own stories by her willingness to be open to their messages.

Tea: A Global History, Helen Saberi

From oolong to sencha to chai, tea is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Perhaps that is because it is a uniquely adaptable drink, consumed in many different varieties and ways across the globe and in many different settings, from the intricate traditions of the Japanese tea ceremony to the elegant tea-rooms of Britain, to iced tea drunk on the verandas of the American Deep South. In Tea, food historian Helen Saberi explores this rich and fascinating history.

Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life, Gail Blanke

In this eye-opening, invaluable book, bestselling author and life coach Gail Blanke takes us through each room of the house – from the attic to the garage – and even to the far reaches of our mind. Through poignant and humorous stories, she inspires us to get rid of the “life plaque” we’ve allowed to build up. Once you’ve hit fifty things, you’ll be ready to step out into the clearing and into the next, and greatest, segment of your life.

Extending the Table: Recipes and Stories from Argentina to Zambia in the Spirit of More-With-Less, Joetta Handrich Schlabach

Here’s an opportunity for cooks to learn about our world and its wide variety of flavorful foods. Sit at the table with people you have never met, taste the flavors of their food, feel the warmth of their friendship, and learn from their experiences. Extending the Table is much more than a cookbook. It will most often be found on the kitchen shelf, but it could just as well fit comfortably on the bedside stand or coffee table for inspirational reading. Let it also find its way onto the pastor’s shelf for its excellent sermon illustrations and stories.

“You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, Aubrey Gordon

In “You Just Need to Lose Weight” Aubrey Gordon equips readers with the facts and figures to reframe myths about fatness in order to dismantle the anti-fat bias ingrained in how we think about and treat fat people. Bringing her dozen years of community organizing and training to bear, Gordon shares the rhetorical approaches she and other organizers employ not only to counter pernicious myths but also to dismantle the anti-fat bias that so often underpins them.

A Stone Is Most Precious Where It Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival, Gulchehra Hoja

In February 2018, twenty-four members of Gulchehra Hoja’s Family disappeared overnight. Her crimes – and thus those of her family – were her award-winning investigations into the plight of her people, the Uyghurs, whose existence and culture is being systematically destroyed by the Chinese government. A Stone Is Most Precious Where It Belongs is Gulchehra’s stunning memoir, taking us into the everyday world of life under Chinese rule in East Turkestan (called the Xinjiang Autonomous Region by China), from her idyllic childhood to its modern nightmare.

Sex Is As Sex Does: Governing Transgender Identity, Paisley Currah

In this thought-provoking and original volume, Sex Is as Sex Does reveals the hidden logics that have governed sex classification policies in the United States and shows what the regulation of transgender identity can tell us about society’s approach to sex and gender writ large.Ultimately, Currah demonstrates that, because the difficulties transgender people face are not just the result of transphobia but also stem from larger injustices, an identity-based transgender rights movement will not, by itself, be up to the task of resolving them.

How to Think Like a Woman: Four Women Philosophers Who Taught Me How to Love the Life of the Mind, Regan Penaluna

One day, in an obscure monograph, Penaluna came across Damaris Cudworth Masham’s name. The daughter of philosopher Ralph Cudworth and a contemporary of John Locke, Masham wrote about knowledge and God, and the condition of women. Masham’s work led Penaluna to other remarkable women philosophers of the era: Mary Astell, who moved to London at age twenty-one and made a living writing philosophy; Catharine Cockburn, a philosopher, novelist, and playwright; and the better-known Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote extensively in defense of women’s minds. Together, these women rekindled Penaluna’s love of philosophy and awakened her feminist consciousness. In How to Think Like a Woman, Regan Penaluna blends memoir, biography, and criticism to tell the stories of these four women, weaving throughout an alternative history of philosophy as well as her own search for love and truth. Funny, honest, and wickedly intelligent, this is a moving meditation on what philosophy could look like if women were treated equally.

Large Print

Murder at an Irish Castle, Ellie Brannigan

Rodeo Drive bridalwear designer Rayne McGrath expected her thirtieth birthday to start with a power lunch and end with champagne, lobster, and a diamond engagement ring from her fiance. Instead, flat-broke and busted, she’s on a plane to Ireland where she has inherited a run-down family castle. With the financial fate of the village and her uncle’s potential murder to face, it’s proving to be a dangerous inheritance.

Audiobooks

The Golden Spoon, Jessa Maxwell

When someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition, the contestants must band together in search of a killer, before one of them is next. A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, Jessa Maxwell’s debut novel is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you up late into the night.

Murder Your Employer: McMasters Guide to Homicide Vol. 1, Rupert Holmes

From Edgar-winning novelist and playwright Rupert Holmes comes a thriller with a killer concept: The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts – a luxurious, clandestine college dedicated to the fine art of murder. A delightful mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists, and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining audiobook about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever hear.

Hang the Moon, Jeanette Walls

Read by the author. Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. When a tragic accident befalls her half-brother, Sallie is cast out for her part in the incident. Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.

Celtic Empire: A Dirk Pitt Novel, Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler

During what is supposed to be a routine investigation in South America, NUMA Director Dirk Pitt finds himself embroiled in an international mystery, one that will lead him across the world and threaten everyone and everything he knows. Ranging from an unknown disease linked to a company in Scotland, to the dramatic discovery of a tomb in Egypt, a series of seemingly unrelated riddles come together in a stunning showdown that could change the very future of mankind.

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, David Grann

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. They were greeted as heroes. But then, six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers.

The Watchmaker’s Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie Ten Boom, Larry Loftis

This book offers one of the greatest World War II stories that readers haven’t heard: the remarkable and inspiring life of Corrie ten Boom – a groundbreaking, female Dutch watchmaker, whose family transformed their house into a hiding place to shelter Jews and refugees from the Nazis during Gestapo raids. Even though the Nazis knew what the ten Booms were up to, they were never able to find those sheltered within the house. Featuring a journey of faith and forgiveness as well as wartime intrigue, The Watchmaker’s Daughter is a book that will stay with you.

DVDs

Bela Lugosi’s Classic Horror Extravaganza

With his penetrating stare, inscrutable smile, and inimitably insinuating accent, Bela Lugosi set the standard for fiendish filmmaking in the early days of Hollywood. Covering a decade worth of macabre movies, this collection showcases the sinister star’s versatile villany, presenting him as everything from a mad scientist to a wild-eyed zombie master. 

Polite Society

Martial artist-in-training Ria Khan (Priya Kansera) believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, she tries to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney’tiri (Zoe Saldana) have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

Talk to Her

2002 Academy Award Winner. Two men – Benigno (Javier Camara) and Marco (Dario Grandinetti) – almost meet while watching a dance performance, but their lives are still entwined by fate. They meet later at a private clinic where Benigno is the caregiver for Alicia, a beautiful dance student who lies in a coma. Marco is there to visit his girlfriend Lydia, a famous matador also rendered motionless. As the men sit vigil over the women they love, the story unfolds in flashback and flashforward as the lives of the four become further enmeshed.

Love Again

What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiance, Miray Ray (Priyanka Chopra) sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number – not realizing that the number has been reassigned to Rob Burns’ (Sam Heughan) new work number. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion, he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person, and win her heart.

Beau is Afraid

A paranoid man (Joaquin Phoenix) embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer-director Ari Aster.