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Conference Proceedings Trends in Business Communication 2024
by Peter Schneckenleitner Wolfgang Reitberger Alexandra Brunner-SperdinThe 10th edition of the international academic conference Trends in Business Communication (TIBCOM) once again presents the latest research findings in marketing and communication. This proceedings volume gives the reader a compact overview of the key findings. All published scientific papers have undergone a detailed review process. The TIBCOM Conference 2024 focused on topics like Artificial Intelligence, Employer Branding, Femvertising or the effects of visual distractors in webshops.
Harlequin Montana Mavericks Summer 2025 - Box Set 1 of 1 (Montana Mavericks: The Tenacity Social Club)
by Tara Taylor Quinn Christy Jeffries Laurel GreerHarlequin® Montana Mavericks brings you three full-length stories in one collection! Experience the ranchers and communities of Big Sky Country, home of the Montana Mavericks! Where free-spirited men and women discover love on the range.This box set includes:A MAVERICK WORTH WAITING FORMontana Mavericks: The Tenacity Social Clubby USA TODAY bestselling author Laurel GreerHolding out for a heroTenacity&’s favorite part-time bartender, rancher Mike Cooper, is known for giving great advice. Too bad his own love life has always been a train wreck. Could charismatic cowboy Daniel Taylor be the one to finally break his streak? He has a hard time believing the heir to the Taylor Beef ranching empire could be happy with him long-term. It&’s true Daniel has a bigger bank account, but he envies Mike&’s simple life and his close family ties. And he&’s willing to risk everything to be the man Mike deserves…MAVERICK&’S FULL HOUSEMontana Mavericks: The Tenacity Social Clubby USA TODAY bestselling author Tara Taylor QuinnMaking room in his heart for one more…Cowboy Noah Trent can do hard things. The divorced dad is raising triplet toddlers on his own and helping his folks run Stargazer Ranch. Kids and cows—those he can handle. Lucy Bernard is another story. She's the boys&’ day care teacher, and it would be way too easy for Noah to fall for her. But sorry experience has taught him that love doesn&’t last. Lucy, however, is all in. She knows she belongs with the Trents, and she will do whatever it takes to convince the stubborn rancher she&’s ready to take on parenthood, ranch life—and him!THEIR MAVERICK SUMMERMontana Mavericks: The Tenacity Social ClubBy Christy JeffriesThe reunion they never imagined… and never could have seen coming!Neither time nor distance could make rancher Barrett Deroy forget his high school sweetheart, Nina Sanchez. He never would have left her—or Tenacity—behind if given the choice. Now Barrett is all grown up, and he has returned to town intent on restoring his good name. Nina is equally determined to uncover the secrets that forced his family to flee Tenacity years ago—without even a goodbye. But solving the mystery means getting closer to Barrett, and that&’s a risky proposition. Because Nina hasn&’t let anyone get close in a long time—and the holes in Barrett&’s past are harder to navigate than Main Street after a blizzard! Is she willing to gamble her heart on a reunion with her cowboy?
Harlequin Intrigue July 2025 - Box Set 1 of 2
by Danica Winters B.J. Daniels Katie MettnerHarlequin Intrigue brings you three full-length stories in one collection! Dive into action-packed stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Solve the crime and deliver justice at all costs.ENGAGING THE DEPUTYby B.J. DanielsIn the aftermath of a deadly tornado, Deputy Jaden Montgomery unexpectedly came face to face with his ex-fiancée. Olivia Brooks had left their Montana hometown to chase her dreams yet was now a murder suspect. The lawman couldn&’t imagine Olivia physically hurting anyone—though she&’d surely done a number on his heart. Vowing not to allow their reunion to weaken his resolve, Jaden wanted the crime solved….and Olivia out of his life. But the killer had set his sites on the woman the deputy couldn&’t ignore. DARK WEB INVESTIGATIONby Katie MettnerAfter the accident that killed her best friend and left her an amputee, Kenley Bates has made it her life&’s mission to get justice for other victims. Using her hacking skills to infiltrate the dark web is risky business, especially when Kenley uncovers a global security threat. Jude Mason is her best hope of saving the world. Ex-military, Jude knows how to protect and defend. But breaking the code and outwitting an adversary bent on destruction thrusts the cybersecurity experts into a cat-and-mouse game deadlier than they could have ever imagined…RODEO CRIME RINGby Danica WintersSheriff&’s Deputy Emily Monahan is the first officer on the scene when Cameron Trapper finds his father&’s lifeless body. A search of the West Glacier Ranch reveals that what started as a suspicious death is actually a double homicide. Despite her instant attraction to the rancher, she knows that Cameron is off-limits. He&’s a witness—and chief suspect. But she can&’t help feeling for him as their hunt for a killer organization forces him to question everything he&’s always taken for truth. Will he still trust her when their investigation implicates her ex-husband?Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served. For more edge-of-your seat romantic suspense, look for Harlequin Intrigue July – Box Set 2 of 2!
Love Inspired July 2025 Box Set 1 of 2
by Rebecca Kertz Jill Kemerer Jennifer SlatteryLove Inspired brings you three new titles! Enjoy these uplifting contemporary romances of faith, forgiveness and hope.This box set includes:THEIR FAKE AMISH BETROTHALby Rebecca KertzDesperate for a fresh start, Abigail Yost moves to a new Amish community to become a teacher—and to escape the heartache of her sister&’s engagement to Abby&’s former beau. Only, one of the townsfolk isn&’t so welcoming. Carpenter Nathaniel Hostetler attempts to avoid the newcomer while building her cottage—he&’d much prefer to be working on setting up a new dairy farm. When he witnesses Abby&’s distress over a wedding invitation, Nate makes an unexpected offer: a fake engagement. But as the ceremony date approaches, they find that their pretend feelings are starting to become all too real…HIS NEW COMPANION (A K-9 Companions tale)by Jill KemererSix years after losing his fiancée, rancher Ty Moulten still struggles with grief. Organizing a fundraiser in her honor and fostering a service dog feel like a step forward, and lead to meeting Ashlinn Burnier, the service dog training center&’s new administrative assistant. As Ashlinn helps Ty plan the fundraiser, he finds himself falling for Fritz, the tiny dachshund in his care, and for Ashlinn—who has a service dog of her own. But Ashlinn worries her health challenges make her a burden, and Ty wonders if he can open his heart again. Will two hardworking pups help them choose love over holding on to fear?THE RANCHER&’S SECRET DAUGHTER (A Sage Creek romance)by Jennifer SlatteryJust weeks before a horse vaulting performance, Xavier Shaw needs a new coach…and his only option is his ex. Charlotte Murphy broke his heart when she left Sage Creek without an explanation, but now she&’s back to start an equine therapy business alongside her whip-smart little girl. As Xavier and Charlotte work together, old flames reignite and new connections deepen. But with Charlotte&’s secret hanging over them, will they be able to embrace the family they&’re becoming…or will the truth tear them apart once again?For more stories filled with love and faith, look for Love Inspired July 2025 Box Set – 2 of 2
Harlequin Special Edition July 2025 - Box Set 1 of 1
by Catherine Mann Brenda Harlen Elle Douglas Kelli StormHarlequin® Special Edition brings you four new titles for one great price, available now! These are heartwarming, romantic stories about life, love and family.This Harlequin Special Edition box set includes:THE RANCHER&’S TEMPTATIONThe Cowboys of Whispering Canyonby Brenda HarlenHe&’s everything she&’s always longed forAnd everything she&’s not allowed to haveWhen circumstances give Tess Barrett a shot at a fling with the star of all her high school dreams, she takes a leap…right into rancher Holt Chandler&’s muscular arms. He&’s way out of her league, but there&’s no harm in just one night with the wealthy cowboy…right? Until a positive pregnancy test changes everything—for both of them.Holt is determined to be a husband before a daddy, but Tess is not interested in a loveless marriage of convenience. Except Holt realizes that his feelings for the mother of his child are anything but convenient. And he&’s got to show Tess that he&’s not just interested in doing the right thing—he wants to build a future and a family with the woman who has lassoed his heart…CHARMING THE COWBOYTop Dog Dude Ranchby USA TODAY bestselling author Catherine MannShe&’d given up on happy endingsBut that was before she met a certain cowboyA Tennessee ranch is worlds away from everything Zelda Dalton knows—and that makes it just what she needs. She&’s more than ready to leave her broken heart and abusive ex in the rearview mirror and start over someplace new. And this time, no romance…no matter how good Troy Shaw looks in a Stetson and cowboy boots. The single dad rodeo star is looking for a fresh start of his own, to rebuild his reputation and his bond with his daughter. Love isn&’t on his radar, until fate starts pushing Zelda into his arms—and his heart.HER FAIRY-TALE FARMERSugar Maple FarmsBy Elle DouglasShe&’s in the happily-ever-after businessBut he&’s never been interested in fairy-tale endingsDivorced single mom Andie Carter is parenting nine-year-old twins, launching a fairy tale–themed children&’s birthday party center and fighting lingering feelings for high school friend Knox Walker. The charming stable manager has eschewed romantic entanglements in favor of party-boy ways. But when Andie&’s venue needs repairs, he volunteers his ranch for her events—and a few unexpected kisses, too! Knox doesn&’t trust easily, but Andie and her kids are breaking through his guard. Will he come to terms with his fears to be the Prince Charming that Andie and her kids yearn for?HIS SMALL-TOWN CHALLENGEChallenge Acceptedby Kelli StormHe could have anyone he wanted.She couldn&’t believe he&’d want her!Julie Alleen&’s entire life is her whimsical, small-town home decor store. She&’ll stop at nothing to save it from a looming corporate takeover—even record a silly video pleading with boy band sensation and former classmate Jake Reynolds for help. When Jake takes the bait and appears on her doorstep, she&’s stunned. And though it&’s been decades, he&’s stunned by the intoxicating, fiery redhead he&’s unable to forget.But Jake&’s got a reputation as a womanizing pop star and Julie&’s asexual. Can Jake meet the challenge of not only saving his beleaguered hometown but also proving to Julie that she&’s the woman he wants—no matter what?
Harlequin Heartwarming July 2025 Box Set: A Clean and Uplifting Romance
by Lisa Childs Jacquelin Thomas Amy Vastine LeAnne BristowHarlequin® Heartwarming celebrates wholesome, heartfelt relationships that focus on home, family, community and love. Experience all that and more with four new novels in one collection!This Harlequin Heartwarming box set includes:HER SUMMER TO START OVERA Seasons Inn Romanceby USA TODAY bestselling author Amy VastineShe&’s on summer vacation…But he&’s hoping for foreverNearly hitting a moose on the way to her New Hampshire vacation spot wasn&’t in Alexa Fox&’s plans, but neither was meeting the irresistibly charming new activities director, Brady Seasons. She&’s a type A businesswoman, so she intends to scout the family-run inn as a takeover possibility while also trying to rest and recharge. But the more time she spends with Brady, the more she&’s drawn to his kindness. When Brady uncovers her hidden agenda, he&’s deeply hurt. Can Alexa mend the broken trust and turn their fleeting summer romance into something that lasts a whole lot longer? THE COWBOY&’S BABY SURPRISEA Bachelor Cowboys Romanceby New York Times bestselling author Lisa ChildsA baby found in the barn means…An instant cowboy dad!When a baby is abandoned on the Four Corners Ranch, CPS investigator Elise Shaw drops everything to find the parents. She can&’t understand why Liam Lemmon, the bachelor cowboy who found the child, first denies being her father, then claims her as his own! Elise visits the Wyoming ranch regularly to check up on them and soon starts to feel like part of the family. But her heart is getting too involved with the case…and with Liam. And when she learns the cowboy&’s secret, will she be forced to take away the child they&’ve both come to love?HIS CAROLINA REDEMPTIONA Polk Island Storyby Jacquelin ThomasA family legacy…Or a fresh new start?Hotelier Shane Worthington almost forgot how much he once loved his family&’s ornate historic hotel. It has all the charm of the South…and even more secrets. Now with his estranged father&’s death, Shane holds the family&’s hotel in his hands. And Ace Martin, the hotel&’s head of security, is bound and determined to keep him from selling the grand old building. When a priceless family heirloom disappears, Ace and Shane must work together to uncover a hidden saboteur. And in doing so, they&’ll test the line between duty…and love.HER HOMETOWN BULL RIDERCoronado, Arizonaby LeAnne BristowA cowboy&’s heart…Is foreverVeterinarian Becky Maxwell has returned to Coronado, Arizona, with one goal—to divorce the cowboy she secretly married. Becky&’s loved Coy Tedford most of her life…and in return, he loved the rodeo more than anything else. But just when she has accepted that some cowboys were never meant to settle down, she finds that Coy isn&’t the same ambitious bull rider she married. He&’s started running his family&’s campground and is determined to prove that he and Becky belong together. But how can she trust that her cowboy has turned in his chaps for good?Look for 4 compelling new stories every month from Harlequin® Heartwarming!
Harlequin Medical Romance July 2025 - Box Set 1 of 2
by Tina Beckett JC Harroway Juliette HylandHarlequin Medical Romance – July &‘25 – Box Set 1 of 2Harlequin Medical Romance brings you a collection of three new titles, available now! Enjoy these stories packed with pulse-racing romance and heart-racing medical drama.This Harlequin Medical Romance box set includes:SECOND CHANCE IN SANTIAGOBy Tina BeckettWhen Viviani was sixteen, she was forced to say a gut-wrenching goodbye to her childhood sweetheart, Cristóbal. So, saying &“hello&” to surgeon Cris again twenty years later—as her new colleague!—is totally unexpected. He can still set Nurse Vivi alight with one look, but they&’re no longer naïve teenagers. Love is the last thing Vivi is looking for after her ex-fiancée&’s cheating and single dad Cris is clear he doesn&’t do dating anymore. So, why is a second chance still so tempting…?ONE NIGHT TO SYDNEY WEDDINGBy JC HarrowayArriving in Sydney, English doctor Gigi Lane has left her broken engagement, her best friend&’s betrayal and a heap of hurt behind her. A hot fling with a stranger is exactly what she needs! Only when she takes up her temporary stint as an ED doc does she discover she&’ll be working with her heartthrob hookup, surgeon Dante Scott—and she&’s pregnant with his baby! With only two months until her visa expires, Dante tells her there&’s only one acceptable solution…and it starts at the altar!ER DOC'S SOUTH POLE REUNIONBy Juliette HylandRecovering romantic Dr. Sam Miller has already experienced a lifetime&’s worth of heartbreak. So, he&’s replaced ill-fated crushes with adrenaline rushes! Until landing his dream job at the South Pole brings him face-to-face with Dr. Forrest Wilson, his college boyfriend. Their break-up left them both shattered…still, Sam can&’t bring himself to ice him out. But when Forrest is determined to re-claim his place in Sam&’s life, can he let himself be tempted—and believe that his ex will fight for their forever?
Harlequin Romantic Suspense July 2025 - Box Set
by Addison Fox Kimberly Van Meter Kacy Cross Kenna ScottLooking for heart-racing romance and breathless suspense? Want stories filled with life-and-death situations that cause sparks to fly between adventurous, strong women and brave, powerful men?COLTON REUNIONby Addison FoxPhotographer Paige Barnes feels conflicted about her assignment shooting a layout at Mariposa. Ten years ago, Adam Colton broke her heart when he left her to run his family&’s exclusive resort. Now, she finds the longing she thought she&’d tamed is still blazing. And for Adam, seeing Paige again sparks a tsunami of regret and desire. But when a series of accidents make it clear Paige is being targeted, Adam must protect the woman he still loves. And overcoming their past is essential to protecting their future.DECODING DANGERby Kacy CrossSpecial ops veteran Paxton Pierce has made it clear that he has no interest in being Veronica Lang&’s bodyguard. Fieldwork would only stir up the memories he wanted to escape when he moved into tech. But when a man from her father&’s past pulls a gun on her, every instinct in Paxton&’s body tells him to protect her—even if that means following her on a perilous hunt for hidden treasure. His training should keep her safe… Unless the undeniable heat between them becomes a deadly distraction.COLD CASE RECKONINGby Kimberly Van MeterSparks fly when former lovers BIA agent Shilah Parker and private investigator Brannon Ventura are thrown together to reinvestigate a 25-year-old murder case. One especially personal for Brannon, who believes his biological father was wrongly convicted of the crime. But uncooperative police and local townsfolk create challenges at every turn—complications which pale in comparison to their lingering feelings. Until they uncover a corrupt secret society with Shilah in their crosshairs. They must confront their painful past to find justice—and a second chance at love.LEGACY OF SECRETSby Kenna ScottOn a routine job, firefighter Sean Harrington feels less heat from the blazing building than he does from rescuing the red-hot woman trapped there. She&’s ATF Special Agent Casey Anderson, almost a double for his missing sister Sylvia. Unbeknownst to Sean, his sibling disappeared after discovering criminal activity at the Harringtons' winery. Teaming up with Casey, the pair&’s hunt for Sylvia plunges them into a deadly world of cartel conspiracies, betrayals and murder. But it&’s their own histories of burned relationships—familial and romantic—that threaten what's building between them.Harlequin® Romantic Suspense brings you all that and more with four new full-length titles in one collection!
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters: A Spicy Enemies to Lovers Adventure Rom Com (Belize Dreams)
by M.C. VaughanA hospitality pro reluctantly agrees to plan her mom&’s beach wedding with help from her crush-worthy high school bully in this witty, spicy enemies-to-lovers romance.Sun, sea, sand…and her high school nemesis.This destination wedding is about to take a detour. There are millions of men in Los Angeles, and somehow Julia Stone&’s mother just got engaged to the worst possible option. Not that there&’s anything wrong with her future stepfather. It&’s his son who&’s the problem. Event planner Carson Miller is six-plus feet of lean muscle and irresistible charm, and ten years ago he made Julia&’s life hell. Paired with Carson to organize the last-minute Belize wedding, Julia doesn&’t intend to let him off the hook for past bad behavior. If only there weren&’t surprising new feelings in the mix, like undeniable heat… Carson claims he made mistakes; he&’s a different person than he was back then. Julia&’s response: prove it. Now, in between wedding planning, zip-lining and exploring waterfalls, they&’re having fun falling hard and wondering if this paradise can last once the party&’s over… From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don&’t miss any of these other fun titles…Belize DreamsBook 1: Romancing Miss StoneBook 2: Destination Weddings and Other Disasters
The Friends-to-Lovers Project: A Spicy Opposites Attract Rom Com Set in Venice
by Paula OttoniIf any place can turn two best friends into lovers, it&’s Venice. Well, only if you don&’t have a dreamy tour guide like Lorenzo… For LA chef Daisy Hogan, this trip to Venice is the start of her new life—inspiration for her California restaurant, saying yes to stability and basically fulfilling all her dad&’s dreams. But then the trip goes sideways, and she&’s left in the most romantic city in the world with her best friend, Jeremy. He&’s stable, reliable. If she wants to salvage the future she planned, maybe she should fall for her friend? So they agree to a friends-to-lovers project. What could go wrong? Enter Lorenzo Fontana, hotel concierge by day, violinist in his dreams. He gave up music for a practical life in the city he loves, and to keep his job, he&’s vowed to be Daisy and Jeremy&’s personal guide to romance. Only he&’s not supposed to be feeling this personal about their project… With racing hearts, longing glances and gondola rides, Daisy begins questioning the project, her plans and even her future. Is it possible to live a life where the dreams she&’s fulfilling are her own? From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don&’t miss any of these other fun titles…Never Date a Roommate by Paula OttoniNot So Fast by Karen BoothLove and Other Hollywood Endings by Susannah Erwin
Let's Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About: A Quirky Pumpkin Spicy Small Town Rivals to Lovers Fall Romance
by Isabelle PoppShe&’s a little edgy. He&’s a lot of sunshine. Love&’s about to catch them completely off gourd…A spicy, small town, fall romance you can read in one sitting!Textile artist Sadie Fox did not sign up for this. When she agreed to come home to Pea Blossom, Indiana, it was to care for her father&’s beloved pumpkin patch. The deal was that—just for the summer—she would grow a ginormous pumpkin, win the Indiana State Fair's pumpkin contest and finally win back her father&’s (grudging) respect.Instead, a horde of wild hogs destroyed the. entire. patch. Which is precisely when the annoyingly sexy, sunshiny next-door neighbor shows up.Josh Thatcher is a tech millionaire who traded in the office for growing gourds, including experimental squash hybrids. And for the life of her, Sadie can&’t understand what he sees in her sweary, tattooed, prickly self—or why he&’s offering to help his biggest competitor. But a storm-fueled kiss proves there&’s definitely something growing between them.Maybe it&’s just attraction. Maybe it&’s more. Whatever it is, it&’s already bigger than Sadie&’s fast-growing pumpkin…or the secret that Josh has been hiding.Afterglow Books are bold, fast-paced romances you can read in one sitting. Don&’t miss any of these other fun titles…Not So Fast by Karen BoothDestination Weddings and Other Disasters by M.C. VaughanMs. V's Hot Girl Summer by A.H. Cunningham
Clint: The Man and the Movies
by Shawn LevyA Los Angeles Times "Must Read Book for Summer""This is the biography of Clint Eastwood we've been waiting for." — Sir Christopher Frayling, author of Sergio LeoneFrom the acclaimed film critic and New York Times bestselling biographer of Paul Newman, a revelatory portrait of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, the most prolific and versatile actor-director in movie history and an imposing icon of American culture for six decades.C-L-I-N-T. That single short, sharp syllable has stood as an emblem of American manhood and morality and sheer bloody-minded will, on-screen and off-screen, for more than sixty years. Whether he’s facing down bad guys on a Western street (Old West or new, no matter), staring through the lens of a camera, or accepting one of his movies' thirteen Oscars (including two for Best Picture), he is as blunt, curt, and solid as his name, a star of the old-school stripe and one of the most accomplished directors of his time, a man of rock and iron and brute force: Clint.To read the story of Clint Eastwood is to understand nearly a century of American culture. No Hollywood figure has so completely and complexly stood inside the changing climates of post–World War II America. At age ninety-five, he has lived a tumultuous century and embodied much of his time and many of its contradictions.We picture Clint squinting through cigarillo smoke in A Fistful of Dollars or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; imposing rough justice at the point of a .44 Magnum in Dirty Harry; sowing vengeance in The Outlaw Josey Wales or Pale Rider or Unforgiven; grudgingly training a woman boxer in Million Dollar Baby; and standing up for his neighbors despite his racism in Gran Torino. Or we feel him present, powerfully, behind the camera, creating complex tales of violence, morality, and humanity, such as Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, and American Sniper. But his roles and his films, however well cast and convincing, are two-dimensional in comparison to his whole life.As Shawn Levy reveals in this masterful biography—the most complete portrait yet of Eastwood—the reality is richer, knottier, and more absorbing. Clint: The Man and the Movies is a saga of cunning, determination, and conquest, a story about a man ascending to the Hollywood pantheon while keeping one foot firmly planted outside its door.
The Californians: A Novel
by Brian Castleberry"The Californians is an absolute pleasure from end to end, a thrilling, century-spanning, wholly American tale of art and money, family and land, treasure and time....A brilliant read for fans of Anthony Doerr, Dana Spiotta, and Don DeLillo.” -- Matt Bell, author of AppleseedFor fans of Trust and North Woods, a daring novel that spans 100 years of American history, from the early days of cinema to the rise of digital community art, about parents and children, the drive to create even in times of crisis, and the inheritance of grand western dreams.It’s 2024, and Tobey Harlan—college dropout, temporary waiter, recently dumped—steals from the wall of his father’s house three paintings by the venerated and controversial artist Di Stiegl. Tobey’s just lost everything he owns to a Northern California wildfire, and if he can sell the paintings (albeit in a shady way to a notorious tech bro) he can start life anew in a place no one will ever find him. It's a risky move, but his father barely seems to like them--as long as Tobey can remember the artworks lived in the shadows of a hallway or partially obscured by furniture. Still, Di Stiegl has always been a touchy subject in his household, and he doesn't quite know why. A hundred years before, Klaus Aaronsohn—German-Jewish immigrant, resident of the Lower East Side—inveigles his way into a film studio in Astoria, Queens. In love with silent cinema, Klaus will restyle himself Klaus von Stiegl, a mysterious aristocratic German film director. In true Hollywood fashion, he will court fame, fortune, romance, and betrayal, and end his career directing Brackett: a radical, notorious 60s-era detective show.Weaving between them is the story of Diane “Di” Stiegl: Klaus’s granddaughter and the woman whose art seems to haunt Tobey's father, who claws out a career as an artist in gritty 1980s NYC. As America yields the presidency to a Hollywood cowboy, as Diane’s grifter father and free-spirited mother circle in and out of her life, Diane will reflect America’s most urgent and hypocritical years back to itself, uneasily finding critical adoration as well as great fame and wealth.A dazzling novel for readers of Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, The Californians is an ambitious and sweeping journey across a century. Nuanced and textured, gloriously funny, a critical portrait of the collective American consciousness that has brought us to today, it showcases Brian Castleberry as an inventive, stylish storyteller and a sharp observer of the human condition.
The Eyes Are the Best Part: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING 'GOOD FOR HER' K-THRILLER
by Monika Kim'I was enticed from the first line' OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE, author of My Sister, the Serial KillerThis feminist howl-of-a-debut is going to crawl right under your skin'An outstanding debut' NEW YORK TIMESSHORTLISTED FOR THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDSNEW YORK TIMES BEST HORROR BOOK OF THE YEARSPOTIFY 'BREAKOUT' AUTHOR OF THE YEARJi-won's life is in disarray. Her father's affair has ripped the family to shreds, leaving her to piece their crappy lives back together.Then her mother's new white boyfriend enters the scene, bragging about his knowledge of Korean culture. As he swaggers around their claustrophobic apartment ogling her teenage sister, Ji-won's grip on reality begins to slip.She finds herself growing obsessed with his brilliant blue eyeballs, resolving to do the one thing that will save her family - and curb her cravings...'Smartly written... A writer to watch' BIG ISSUE'Darkly funny' FERN BRADY, author of Strong Female Character'Monika Kim has written a novel every library needs to own' LIBRARY JOURNAL
Diggers Love Their Friends! (Where Do...Series)
by Brianna Caplan SayresGet ready for best friend fun with the perfect book for little truck lovers! Babies and toddlers will love seeing all their favorite diggers, tractors, forklifts, and other vehicles playing so nicely together!As with every book in the beloved Where Do Diggers... series, a variety of kid trucks celebrate friendship, joy, and construction! From diggers to cherry pickers, from snow plows to pumper trucks, and more—all the vehicles enjoy playing, caring, and sharing with their friends. Imagination and exuberance fills the pages. Children who can't get enough trucks will love all the books in the bestselling Where Do... series.Where Do Diggers Say I Love You?Where Do Diggers Hunt for Easter Eggs?Where Do Diggers Trick or Treat?Diggers Love Their Mommies!Diggers Love To Go To School!Diggers Love Their Daddies!
Can You Solve the Murder?: An Interactive Crime Novel
by Antony JohnstonStep into the shoes of a detective and investigate the most mysterious crime of your career.There's been a murder at Elysium, a wellness retreat set in an English country manor. You arrive to find the body of a local businessman on the lawn—with a rose placed in his mouth. It appears he was stabbed with a gardening fork and fell to his death from the balcony above. But that balcony can be accessed only through a locked door, the key is missing and everyone in Elysium is now a suspect.Gather the evidence and examine the clues. Choose who to interview next, and who to accuse as your prime suspect. But remember that every decision you make has consequences—and some of them will prove fatal . . . Do you have what it takes? Can YOU solve the murder?
Furry Friends Forever 5-Minute Stories (Sesame Street)
by Random HouseA collection of nine Sesame Street stories based on the Furry Friends Forever Mysterious Mysteries featuring Elmo and his adorable puppy, Tango! Each story can be read in five minutes or less, so it's perfect for bedtime—or anytime!A hardcover collection of nine Sesame Street Furry Friends Forever Mysterious Mysteries stories that each take just five minutes to read! In each story, Elmo learns playful problem-solving and pet-care skills with his puppy Tango. Even when the going gets "ruff," this furry friendship is destined to be forever! The story themes highlight Sesame Street's mission to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Sesame Street fans ages 3 to 7 will love these stories that are perfect for bedtime or anytime.Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, aims to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder through its many unique domestic and international initiatives. These projects cover a wide array of topics, which address specific needs, such as girls' education, financial empowerment, and autism. Sesame Street is the most trusted name in early learning.
Democratization in America: A Comparative-Historical Analysis
by Desmond King, Robert C. Lieberman, Gretchen Ritter, and Laurence WhiteheadThe essays in this volume examine democracy’s development in the United States, demonstrating how that process has shaped—and continues to shape—the American political system.Scholars of American politics commonly describe the political development of the United States as exceptional and distinct from that of other advanced industrial democracies. They point to the United States as the longest-lived and most stable liberal democracy in history. What they often fail to mention, though, is that it took considerable time to extend democracy throughout the country.The contributors to this volume suggest that it is intellectually fruitful to consider the U.S. case in comparison to other countries. They argue that the development of democracy is ongoing in America; that even with a written constitution grounded in liberal democracy, the meaning and significance of U.S. democracy are still evolving. This volume shows that democratization and the pursuit of democracy are processes affected by multiple and continuing challenges—including such issues as citizenship, race, institution building, and political movements—as patterns and practices of politics and governance continue to change.This innovative approach contributes significantly to comparative democratization studies, a field normally confined to Latin America and former communist countries. The U.S. case is a unique reference point for students of American political development and comparative democratization.
Nightmare Alley: Film Noir and the American Dream
by Mark OsteenClassic film noir offers more than pesky private eyes and beautiful bad girls—it explores the quest for the not-so-attainable American dream.Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRLDesperate young lovers on the lam (They Live by Night), a cynical con man making a fortune as a mentalist (Nightmare Alley), a penniless pregnant girl mistaken for a wealthy heiress (No Man of Her Own), a wounded veteran who has forgotten his own name (Somewhere in the Night)—this gallery of film noir characters challenges the stereotypes of the wise-cracking detective and the alluring femme fatale. Despite their differences, they all have something in common: a belief in self-reinvention. Nightmare Alley is a thorough examination of how film noir disputes this notion at the heart of the American Dream.Central to many of these films, Mark Osteen argues, is the story of an individual trying, by dint of hard work or, more often, illicit enterprises, to overcome his or her origins and achieve material success. In the wake of World War II, the noir genre tested the dream of upward mobility and the ideas of individualism, liberty, equality, and free enterprise that accompany it.Employing an impressive array of theoretical perspectives (including psychoanalysis, art history, feminism, and music theory) and combining close reading with original primary source research, Nightmare Alley proves both the diversity of classic noir and its potency. This provocative and wide-ranging study revises and refreshes our understanding of noir's characters, themes, and cultural significance.
Rethinking the New Medievalism
by R. Howard Bloch, Alison Calhoun, Jacqueline Cerquiglini- Toulet, Joachim Küpper, Jeanette Patterson,Twenty years after Stephen Nichols transformed the study of medieval literature, leaders in the field pay tribute to his work and expand on it.In the early 1990s, Stephen Nichols introduced the term "new medievalism" to describe an alternative to the traditional philological approach to the study of the romantic texts in the medieval period. While the old approach focused on formal aspects of language, this new approach was historicist and moved beyond a narrow focus on language to examine the broader social and cultural contexts in which literary works were composed and disseminated. Within the field, this transformation of medieval studies was as important as the genetic revolution to the study of biology and has had an enormous influence on the study of medieval literature. Rethinking the New Medievalism offers both a historical account of the movement and its achievements while indicating—in Nichols’s innovative spirit—still newer directions for medieval studies.The essays deal with questions of authorship, theology, and material philology and are written by members of a wide philological and critical circle that Nichols nourished for forty years. Daniel Heller-Roazen’s essay, for example, demonstrates the conjunction of the old philology and the new. In a close examination of the history of the words used for maritime raiders from Ancient Greece to the present (pirate, plunderer, bandit), Roazen draws a fine line between lawlessness and lawfulness, between judicial action and war, between war and public policy. Other contributors include Jack Abecassis, Marina Brownlee, Jacqueline Cerquiglini-Toulet, Andreas Kablitz, and Ursula Peters.
Aspiring Saints: Pretense of Holiness, Inquisition, and Gender in the Republic of Venice, 1618-1750
by Anne Jacobson SchutteWinner of an Honorable Mention in the Professional/Scholarly Publishing Awards given by the Association of American PublishersBetween 1618 and 1750, sixteen people—nine women and seven men—were brought to the attention of the ecclesiastical authorities in Venice because they were reporting visions, revelations, and special privileges from heaven. All were investigated, and most were put on trial by the Holy Office of the Inquisition on a charge of heresy under various rubrics that might be translated as "pretense of holiness."Anne Jacobson Schutte looks closely at the institutional, cultural, and religious contexts that gave rise to the phenomenon of visionaries in Venice. To explain the worldview of the prosecutors as well as the prosecuted, Schutte examines inquisitorial trial dossiers, theological manuals, spiritual treatises, and medical works that shaped early modern Italians' understanding of the differences between orthodox Catholic belief and heresy. In particular, she demonstrates that socially constructed assumptions about males and females affected how the Inquisition treated the accused parties. The women charged with heresy were non-elites who generally claimed to experience ecstatic visions and receive messages; the men were usually clergy who responded to these women without claiming any supernatural experience themselves. Because they "should have known better," the men were judged more harshly by authorities.Placing the events in a context larger than just the inquisitorial process, Aspiring Saints sheds new light on the history of religion, the dynamics of gender relations, and the ambiguous boundary between sincerity and pretense in early modern Italy.
Reimagining Business History
by Philip Scranton Patrick FridensonA vigorous call for rethinking the field of business history.Business history needs a shake-up, Philip Scranton and Patrick Fridenson argue, as many businesses go global and cultural contexts become critical. Reimagining Business History prods practitioners to take new approaches to entrepreneurial intentions, company scale, corporate strategies, local infrastructure, employee well-being, use of resources, and long-term environmental consequences.During the past half century, the history of American business became an unusually active and rewarding field of scholarship, partly because of the primacy of postwar American capital, at home and abroad, and the rise of a consumer culture but also because of the theoretical originality of Alfred D. Chandler. In a field long given over to banal company histories and biographies of tycoons, Chandler took the subject seriously enough to ask about the large patterns and causes of corporate success. Chandler and his students found the richest material for theorizing about the course of business history in large companies and their institutional structures and cultures. Meantime, Scranton and others found smaller firms, those specializing in batch work as opposed to mass-produced goods, far closer to the norm and more telling.Scranton and Fridenson believe that the time has come for a sweeping rethinking of the field, its materials, and the kinds of questions its practitioners should be asking. How can this field develop in an age of global markets, growing information technology, and diminishing resources? A transnational collaboration between two senior scholars, Reimagining Business History offers direction in forty-four short, pithy essays.
Dealing with Darwin: Place, Politics, and Rhetoric in Religious Engagements with Evolution (Medicine, Science, and Religion in Historical Context)
by David N. LivingstoneHow was Darwin’s work discussed and debated among the same religious denomination in different locations?Using place, politics, and rhetoric as analytical tools, historical geographer David N. Livingstone investigates how religious communities sharing a Scots Presbyterian heritage engaged with Darwin and Darwinism at the turn of the twentieth century. His findings, presented as the prestigious Gifford Lectures, transform our understandings of the relationship between science and religion.The particulars of place—whether in Edinburgh, Belfast, Toronto, Princeton, or Columbia, South Carolina—shaped the response to Darwin’s theories. Were they tolerated, repudiated, or welcomed? Livingstone shows how Darwin was read in different ways, with meaning distilled from Darwin's texts depending on readers' own histories—their literary genealogies and cultural preoccupations. That the theory of evolution fared differently in different places, Livingstone writes, is "exactly what Darwin might have predicted. As the theory diffused, it diverged." Dealing with Darwin shows the profound extent to which theological debates about evolution were rooted in such matters as anxieties over control of education, the politics of race relations, the nature of local scientific traditions, and challenges to traditional cultural identity. In some settings, conciliation with the new theory, even endorsement, was possible—demonstrating that attending to the specific nature of individual communities subverts an inclination to assume a single relationship between science and religion in general, evolution and Christianity in particular. Livingstone concludes with contemporary examples to remind us that what scientists can say and what others can hear in different venues differ today just as much as they did in the past.
New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America (The American Moment)
by Colin G. CallowayThe interactions between Indians and Europeans changed America—and both cultures.Although many Americans consider the establishment of the colonies as the birth of this country, in fact early America existed long before the arrival of the Europeans. From coast to coast, Native Americans had created enduring cultures, and the subsequent European invasion remade much of the land and society. In New Worlds for All, Colin G. Calloway explores the unique and vibrant new cultures that Indians and Europeans forged together in early America. The journey toward this hybrid society kept Europeans' and Indians' lives tightly entwined: living, working, worshiping, traveling, and trading together—as well as fearing, avoiding, despising, and killing one another. In some areas, settlers lived in Indian towns, eating Indian food. In the Mohawk Valley of New York, Europeans tattooed their faces; Indians drank tea. A unique American identity emerged.The second edition of New Worlds for All incorporates fifteen years of additional scholarship on Indian-European relations, such as the role of gender, Indian slavery, relationships with African Americans, and new understandings of frontier society.
Resilience and Aging: Research and Practice
by Helen LavretskyResilience is a key component in maintaining health and happiness in old age.When aging adults struggle with social isolation, financial instability, or the difficult work of caring for a spouse with a chronic illness, their levels of stress can be enormous. But many older adults are living longer and are trying to make the best of their later years despite being more vulnerable to stress. In Resilience and Aging, renowned geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky explains how enhanced resilience—which involves positively adapting to adversity in a way that maintains a person’s biological and psychological equilibrium—can counter that vulnerability. She describes how care, practice, and research all can be redirected toward emphasizing the positive aspects of aging and prevention.Lavretsky summarizes the most up-to-date research on resilience, neurobiology, and preventive care. She also describes novel interventions—including yoga, tai chi, meditation, and allopathic techniques—that can help older adults improve their cognition and quality of life. Finally, she explores relevant clinical cases from her practice. Designed for geriatric practitioners, researchers, and family caregivers, this practical book offers critical information on measuring resilience, the role of spirituality in reducing stress, and incorporating resilience-building procedures into clinical practice or everyday life. Throughout, the book’s revolutionary integrative approach aims to amplify personal happiness by allowing aging adults to remain healthy and active while simultaneously reducing the cost of chronic disease to families and society.