- Table View
- List View
The Cult of the Virgin Mary in Medieval Italy: Art, Devotion, and Liturgy in Orvieto
by Sara Nair JamesLate medieval Italy witnessed the widespread rise of the cult of the Virgin, as reflected in the profusion of paintings, sculptures, and fresco cycles created in her honor during this period. The cathedral of papal Orvieto especially reflects the strong Marian tradition through its fresco and stained-glass window narrative cycles. In this study, Sara James explores its complex narrative programs. She demonstrates how a papal plan for the cathedral to emulate the basilica of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome, together with Dominican and Franciscan texts, determined the choices and arrangement of scenes. The result is a tour de force of Marian devotion, superior artistry, and compelling story-telling. James also shows how the narratives promoted agendas tied to the city's history and principal religious feasts. Not only are these works more interesting, sophisticated, and theologically rich than previously realized, but, as James argues, each represents the acme in their respective media of their generation in central Italy.
Pay Up!: Conservative Myths About Tax Cuts for the Rich
by John L. CampbellSince the Reagan era, conservatives in the United States have championed cutting taxes, especially for wealthy individuals and corporations, as the best way to achieve economic prosperity. In his new book, Pay Up!, John L. Campbell shows that while these claims are highly influential, they are also wrong. Using historical and cross-national evidence, the book challenges and refutes every justification conservatives have made for tax cuts – that American taxes are too high; they hurt the economy; they facilitate government waste; they constitute an unfair downward redistribution of income; and they threaten individual freedom – and conversely shows that countries can actually benefit from higher taxes, especially when tax increases fall most heavily on those most able to pay them. Through clear prose and a well-reasoned argument, Campbell's book provides an accessible, engaging, and much-needed perspective on the role of taxes in American society.
The Cambridge Companion to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (Cambridge Companions to Literature)
by John SellarsThe Meditations of the second-century Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius is consistently one of the best-selling philosophy books among the general public. Over the years it has also attracted famous admirers, from the Prussian king Frederick the Great to US President Bill Clinton. It continues to attract large numbers of new readers, drawn to its reflections on life and death. Despite this, it is not the sort of text read much by professional philosophers or even, until recently, taken especially seriously by specialists in ancient philosophy. It is a highly personal, easily accessible, yet deceptively simple work. This volume, written by leading experts and aimed at non-specialists, examines the central philosophical ideas in the work and assesses the extent to which Marcus is committed to the philosophy of Stoicism. It also considers how we ought to read this unique work and explores its influence from its first printed publication to today.
The Lavender Blade: An Exorcist's Chronicle
by E.L. DeardsFor readers who loved New York Times bestseller Gideon the Ninth, Deards delivers a queer speculative fiction novel about what happens when a con artist exorcist becomes possessed for real.A pair of con artist demon exorcists scam the nation's wealthiest . . . until one of them is possessed for real Colton and Lucian make a living conning the desperate with fake exorcisms—Lucian is the charm, Colton the trick, and together, they&’ve turned deception into survival. Their work is dangerous, their romance even riskier, but they&’ve always found a way to stay ahead. Until Lucian is truly possessed. A powerful demon takes hold, twisting his body into something unnatural, horrific, wrong—and no priest, no con, no desperate lie can fix it. With time running out and Lucian slipping further away, Colton has no choice but to learn real magic, break every rule, and attempt the impossible. Because if he fails, Lucian won&’t just be lost. He&’ll be something else entirely.
The Hiroshima Men: The Quest to Build the Atomic Bomb, and the Fateful Decision to Use It
by Iain MacGregorAn epic, riveting history based on new interviews and research that elucidates the approval, construction, and fateful decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, the Japanese port city of Hiroshima was struck by the world&’s first atomic bomb. Built in the US by the top-secret Manhattan Project and delivered by a B-29 Superfortress, a revolutionary long-range bomber, the weapon destroyed large swaths of the city, instantly killing tens of thousands. The world would never be the same. The Hiroshima Men&’s vivid narrative recounts the decade-long journey toward this first atomic attack. It charts the race for the bomb during World War II, as the Allies fought the Axis powers, and is told through several key characters: General Leslie Groves, leader of the Manhattan Project alongside Robert Oppenheimer; pioneering Army Air Force pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr.; the mayor of Hiroshima, Senkichi Awaya, who would die alongside eighty thousand fellow citizens; and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer John Hersey, who traveled to Japan for the New Yorker to expose the devastation the bomb inflicted on the city and to describe in unflinching detail the dangers posed by radiation poisoning. This thrilling account takes the reader from the corridors of power in the White House and the Pentagon to the test sites of New Mexico; from the air war above Germany to the Potsdam Conference of Truman, Churchill, and Stalin; from the savage reconquest of the Pacific to the deadly firebombing air raids across Japan. The Hiroshima Men also includes Japanese perspectives—a vital aspect often missing from Western narratives—to complete Iain MacGregor&’s nuanced, deeply human account of the bombing&’s meaning and aftermath.
The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition
by Arnaud LauretLearn how to design web APIs that are a delight to use and maintain.Thousands of developers have followed renowned API expert Arnaud Lauret&’s guidance to create APIs that are flexible, secure, and easily integrated. This new edition of the bestselling The Design of Web APIs covers the latest updates to the OpenAPI standard, teaches you to streamline and standardize API design decisions with rationale and automation, and gives you insights you can apply to other API styles, such as gRPC. You&’ll quickly see how a well-designed and properly-documented API gives your users autonomy—and saves you from constant explanations and hand-holding. This fully revised second edition of The Design of Web APIs teaches you the principles and techniques you need to design easy-to-consume public and private web APIs. In it, you&’ll learn how to: • Analyze requirements to identify API capabilities for versatile, reusable designs • Create HTTP-based REST APIs with CRUD, batch/bulk, or long operations • Design interoperable, user-friendly APIs with seamless operations and data flow • Ensure secure, efficient APIs while overcoming limitations and constraints • Modify APIs without breaking compatibility, evaluating consequences carefully • Future-proof your APIs and choose effective versioning strategies • Document REST APIs using OpenAPI and JSON Schema for seamless implementation • Streamline and standardize API design decisions with rationale and automation The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition teaches vital skills for gathering requirements, balancing business and technical goals and constraints, and adopting a consumer-first mindset. Each chapter is packed full of hands-on examples, including designing an Online Shopping API and user-friendly banking operations, and over seventy exercises to help your new skills stick. Plus, you&’ll explore paradigms applicable beyond REST APIs, and fully describe and document your APIs with OpenAPI and JSON Schema. Your web APIs will soon be easier to consume and your clients—internal and external—will be happier than ever! About the technology Web APIs open up your software to developers, exposing features, and capabilities to other programs. Well-designed web APIs are a joy. The bad ones are a nightmare, with endless impact on system performance, developer productivity, and end-user experience. This book shows you how to design APIs your fellow developers will love to use. About the book The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition teaches you to design efficient and adaptable REST APIs. This revised and rewritten second edition contains the latest updates to the OpenAPI standard, along with insights you can apply to other API styles such as GraphQL. Learn vital skills for gathering requirements, creating easy-to-consume public and private web APIs, and handling non-backward compatible modifications and versioning. What's inside • Design reusable, user-friendly and interoperable APIs • Document your APIs with OpenAPI and JSON Schema • Create secure and efficient APIs by design • Streamline and standardize API design decisions About the reader Written for developers with experience building and consuming APIs. About the author Arnaud Lauret runs the API Handyman blog and is a frequent speaker at API conferences. He currently works as an API Industry Researcher at Postman. Table of Contents 1 What is API design? Part 1 2 Identifying API capabilities 3 Observing operations from the REST angle 4 Representing operations with HTTP 5 Modeling data 6 Describing HTTP operations with OpenAPI 7 Describing data with JSON Schema in OpenAPI Part 2 8 Designing user-friendly, interoperable data 9 Designing user-friend
Guardian of the Sea (The Kingdom of Wrenly)
by Jordan QuinnPrince Lucas visits the underwater mermaid kingdom in this twenty-second magical adventure of The Kingdom of Wrenly series!After many years, the mysterious mermaids have finally opened their gates to the Kingdom of Wrenly. No one is more excited than Prince Lucas and Clara, who are visiting the underwater castle for a royal ball! But when they arrive under the sea, the children discover that not every mermaid is happy about the new visitors from the mainland… With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Kingdom of Wrenly chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
Daikon: A Novel
by Samuel Hawley&“Thrilling…Builds to a pulse-pounding climax. The result is the most imaginative take on Hiroshima since Edwin Corley&’s The Jesus Factor.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) &“A riveting tale about war, intrigue, love, and perseverance.&” —John Grisham • &“I could not look away. This novel is storytelling at its finest.&” —Karl Marlantes • &“Spellbinding…A breathtaking chain reaction that unleashes the true power of the novel.&” —Adam Johnson • &“Extraordinary…Daikon will sweep you away.&” —Jess Walter • &“Exhilarating…I loved this book, and you will love it too.&” —Arthur Golden A sweeping and suspenseful novel of love and war, set in Japan during the final days of World War II, with a shocking historical premise: three atomic bombs were actually delivered to the Pacific—not two—and when one of them falls into the hands of the Japanese, the fate of a couple that has been separated from one another becomes entangled with the fate of this terrifying new device.War has taken everything from physicist Keizo Kan. His young daughter was killed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid, and now his Japanese American wife, Noriko, has been imprisoned by the brutal Thought Police. An American bomber, downed over Japan on the first day of August 1945, offers the scientist a surprising chance at salvation. The Imperial Army dispatches him to examine an unusual device recovered from the plane&’s wreckage—a bomb containing uranium—and tells him that if he can unlock its mysteries, his wife will be released. Working in secrecy under crushing pressure, Kan begins to disassemble the bomb and study its components. One of his assistants falls ill after mishandling the uranium, but his alarming deterioration, and Kan&’s own symptoms, are ignored by the commanding officer demanding results. Desperate to stave off Japan&’s surrender to the Allies, the army will stop at nothing to harness the weapon&’s unimaginable power. They order Kan to prepare the bomb for manual detonation over a target—a suicide mission that will strike a devastating blow against the Americans. Kan is soon confronted with a series of agonizing decisions that will test his courage, his loyalty, and his very humanity. An extraordinary debut novel that is the result of twenty-seven years of work by its author, Daikon is a gripping and powerfully moving saga that calls to mind such classics as Cold Mountain. It is set amid the chaos and despair of the world&’s third largest city lying in ruins, its population starving and its leadership under escalating assault from without and within. Here is a haunting epic of love, survival, and impossible choices that introduces a singular new voice on the literary landscape.
The Secret Market of the Dead
by Giovanni De FeoAn &“enthralling&” (Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library and Elusive) Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy about a young woman who finds her power in the nocturnal realm that lurks beneath her town.Just beyond the waking edges of Lucerìa, an 18th-century town in the kingdom of Naples, lies the Night: an enigmatic fiefdom governed by seven immortals and fueled by Moira, the power to reshape one&’s destiny. On this porous border separating Day from Night, Oriana spends her time fantasizing about becoming a smith in her father&’s forge and eavesdropping on whispered tales of beasts and men who roam the nocturnal realm. But in the Night, these stories come alive, as Oriana saw for herself after she inadvertently trespassed into the Secret Market of the Dead, where vendors hawk Moira to those desperate enough to accept its immeasurably steep price. Years later, when her father chooses her twin brother to succeed him, Oriana challenges her sibling to a series of trials to determine the forge&’s true heir. But as the twins&’ fierce competition escalates, with the town and her own family set firmly against her, Oriana realizes that to break free from the stifling confines of Day, she must once again embrace the Night—and, as always, everything comes with a cost.
The Year of Dating Myself: How My Solo Tour Healed More Than Just My Heartbreak
by Abby RosmarinFans of Eat, Pray, Love and Wild will love this heartwarming memoir in which the main character is her own hero.Abby knew her pattern all too well: get her heart broken, swear off dating, find a man &“worth&” breaking that vow for . . . Rinse. Repeat. However, after leaving a particularly traumatic relationship, Abby realized that something had to change if she wanted to kick the pattern. One night while purchasing a solo concert ticket, an epiphany was born: she needed a year in which she was her own dating interest. One full year to give herself the care and consideration that she once gave to romantic partners. A year to treat herself the way she wished a partner would. A year where she stepped outside of her comfort zone and broke free from codependency. The Year of Dating Myself: How My Solo Tour Healed More Than Just My Heartbreak is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit and the capacity to heal after heartbreak. What started out as a way to refocus her priorities quickly developed into something far bigger than she could&’ve ever predicted. The year became a chance to reconnect with her ailing mother, get answers to her biggest genetic fear, remember the power of friendship, and realize all the inner strength that she had all along. She once spent years waiting for her fairytale prince to come and save her. In this story, the princess saves herself.
Bottom of the Breath: A Novel
by Jayne MillsFor fans of Liane Moriarty and Maria Semple, this contemporary debut novel weaves together romance, mystery, and adventure as a woman travels to the Grand Canyon seeking answers after uncovering an old family secret.After crashing into a devastating revelation, Cyd&’s tranquil life on the Florida panhandle is further upended when she receives a letter announcing an inheritance from an estranged aunt. The inheritance contains mysterious &“items of a personal nature&” which Cyd must collect in person halfway across the country. In a last attempt to salvage her deteriorating marriage, Cyd agrees to travel with her husband on what he promises—and she questions—will be the trip of a lifetime. As they set out, a hurricane threatens their hometown. Soon, fueled by the growing threat of the storm and the tension brewing between them, the couple&’s long-suppressed problems erupt. Cyd digs deep for the courage to continue the journey on her own, unsure if either her home or her marriage will survive. Once in Phoenix, Cyd learns the strange details of the inheritance and a decades-old family secret. But what was the whole truth? Clues and instinct lead Cyd to Sedona and then to the Grand Canyon. She descends into the vast chasm alone searching for answers to newly raised questions and age-old mysteries. She steps off the beaten path, literally, knowing she must make peace with her pain-filled past and her uncertain future.
Such Good People: A Novel
by Amy BlumenfeldAn emotionally gripping, character-driven novel about the ripple effect of a split-second decision to protect a friend.&“A poignant story of love, loss, loyalty, and being torn between right and wrong. You won&’t be able to put this one down.&”—Emily Liebert, USA Today best-selling author of Pretty Revenge&“One of those multi-dimensional must-reads that wins both as a page-turning legal story about social injustice, prejudice and redemption, and an emotional character-driven tale of love, family, and lifelong friendship. Fans of Tayari Jones&’ An American Marriage, Rebecca Searles&’ In Five Years, and Allison Larkin&’s The People We Keep will devour Amy Blumenfeld&’s latest triumph. Such Good People is Such a Good Book!&”—Samantha Greene Woodruff, best-selling author of The Lobotomist&’s Wife and The Trade OffIt&’s 10 p.m. on a Thursday in the spring of her freshman year of college, and April is standing at the back of a crowded Manhattan bar waiting for her friend, Rudy, to arrive. Their eyes lock the moment he enters the room, and in an instant, lives and legacies are altered forever. Within hours, Rudy is arrested. Within days, April is expelled. Within weeks, he&’s incarcerated. And within months, she meets Peter, a prodigious young attorney who makes her world recognizable again. Nearly fifteen years later, April is happily living in Chicago married to Peter, a mother of three with a fulfilling career and standing yoga date with her girlfriends. On the eve of Peter&’s election for local office, Rudy is up for parole. Headlines explode about April&’s past, jeopardizing Peter&’s campaign and everything they hold dear. Suddenly, April is faced with an impossible choice: protecting the life she created, or the person who sacrificed everything to make that life a possibility. Such Good People is a captivating portrait of blurred lines, divided loyalties, and what it means to love purely, steadfastly, and interminably.
Intelligent Computing: Proceedings of the 2025 Computing Conference, Volume 2 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #1424)
by Kohei AraiThis book compiles a curated selection of insightful, rigorously researched, and state-of-the-art papers presented at the Computing Conference 2025, hosted in London, UK, on June 19–20, 2025. Drawing submissions from across the globe, the conference received 473 papers, each subjected to a stringent double-blind peer-review process. Of these, 169 papers were accepted for inclusion, reflecting exceptional scholarship and innovation across disciplines such as IoT, artificial intelligence, computing, data science, networking, data security, and privacy. Researchers, academics, and industry leaders converged to share pioneering ideas, transformative methodologies, and practical solutions to real-world challenges. By bridging academic theory and industrial application, the conference catalyzed opportunities for knowledge synthesis and interdisciplinary progress. The diverse contributions within this proceedings not only address contemporary technological issues but also anticipate future trends, offering frameworks for continued exploration. We trust this collection will serve as an indispensable reference for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers navigating the evolving landscapes of computing and digital innovation. As we reflect on the conference&’s outcomes, we are confident that the insights and collaborations forged here will inspire sustained advancements in these critical fields. May the ideas within these pages spark further inquiry, drive technological evolution, and contribute meaningfully to solving the challenges of our interconnected world.
Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever
by Joseph CoxWritten &“in the manner of a good crime thriller&” (The Wall Street Journal), the inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever, in which the FBI created its own tech start-up to wiretap the world In 2018, a powerful app for secure communications called Anom took root among organized criminals. They believed Anom allowed them to conduct business in the shadows. Except for one thing: it was secretly run by the FBI. Backdoor access to Anom and a series of related investigations granted American, Australian, and European authorities a front-row seat to the underworld. Tens of thousands of criminals worldwide appeared in full view of the same agents they were trying to evade. International smugglers. Money launderers. Hitmen. A sprawling global economy as efficient and interconnected as the legal one. Officers watched drug shipments and murder plots unfold, making arrests without blowing their cover. But, as the FBI started to lose control of Anom, did the agency go too far? A painstakingly investigated exposé, Dark Wire reveals the true scale and stakes of this unprecedented operation through the agents and crooks who were there. This fly-on-the-wall thriller is a caper for our modern world, where no one can be sure who is listening in.
The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists
by Richard P. RumeltFinancial Times, Best Business Books Forbes, Best Business Books The Next Big Idea Club, Best Leadership Books The Globe & Mail, Best Management Books &“A bracingly direct guide about the pitfalls of strategy, based around a climbing metaphor" (Financial Times) What passes for strategy in too many businesses, government agencies, and military operations is a toxic mix of wishful thinking and incoherent policies. Richard P. Rumelt&’s breakthrough concept is that leaders become effective strategists when they focus on challenges rather than goals, pinpointing the crux of their pivotal challenge—the aspect that is both surmountable and promises the greatest progress—and taking decisive, coherent action to overcome it. Rumelt defines the essence of the strategist&’s skill with vivid storytelling, from how Elon Musk found the crux that propelled the success of SpaceX to how the American military came to grips with the weaknesses of its battle strategy. He teaches that every person and every organization faces multiple challenges; the trick is to concentrate on those that can be solved— the addressable strategic challenges. His concept of a Strategy Foundry™ builds a new way for senior management to construct a strong strategy.
Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy
by Derek W. BlackThe full-scale assault on public education threatens not just public education but American democracy itself Public education as we know it is in trouble. Derek W. Black, a legal scholar and tenacious advocate, shows how major democratic and constitutional developments are intimately linked to the expansion of public education throughout American history. Schoolhouse Burning is grounded in pathbreaking, original research into how the nation, in its infancy, built itself around public education and, following the Civil War, enshrined education as a constitutional right that forever changed the trajectory of our democracy. Public education, alongside the right to vote, was the cornerstone of the recovery of the war-torn nation. Today's current schooling trends -- the declining commitment to properly fund public education and the well-financed political agenda to expand vouchers and charter schools -- present a major assault on the democratic norms that public education represents and risk undermining one of the unique accomplishments of American society.
The One You Least Suspect: A gripping, edge-of-your seat thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author
by Brian McGilloway'Heart-stopping' ANN CLEEVES'Genius' STEVE CAVANAGH'A triump' IRISH EXAMINER'Nail-biting' ANDREA MARA'Exceptional' JOHN CONNOLLY'Breathlessly exciting' IRISH INDEPENDENT------------Katie lives a quiet life. She likes her small Derry neighbourhood. She likes her job as a barmaid at O'Reillys. And she loves her daughter, Hope.But everything changes when she is approached by two detectives. They want Katie to tell them the things she hears at work. To become their informant.In this city, Katie knows the dangers of talking to the police. Yet with Hope's safety at risk should she refuse, she is trapped between two impossible choices.Crossing the O'Reilly brothers could cost her everything. Her only chance of survival is if she can remain the one that they least suspect . . .A gripping, heart-wrenching thriller that explores the fine line between right and wrong, justice and revenge, and how you choose your side when everyone is guilty . . .------------'Claustrophobic' IRISH TIMES'A heart-stopping story' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT'Truly an edge-of-your-seat book' PATRICIA GIBNEY'A propulsive read from start to finish' JO SPAIN'Gritty, heart-stopping . . . I raced through every page' SAM BLAKE'McGilloway writes beautifully' LITERARY REVIEW'Gripping and compulsive' CLAIRE ALLAN'A masterful mystery writer' THE GLOSS MAGAZINE 'My heart hasn't stopped hammering since I started this book' ANDREA CARTER
Totally and Completely Fine: A Novel
by Elissa SussmanFrom the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes an inspiring romance novel about honoring the past, living in the present, and loving for the future.In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: teenage hell-raiser, sister of superstar Gabe Parker, and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. She&’s never cared much about labels or what people thought of her, but dealing with her grief over the loss of her husband, Spencer, has slowly revealed that she&’s adrift in her own life.Then she meets the devilishly handsome actor Ben Walsh on the set of her brother&’s new movie. They have instant chemistry, and Lauren realizes that it has been far too long since someone has really and truly seen her. Her rebellious spirit spurs her to dive headfirst into her desire, but when a sexy encounter becomes something more, Lauren finds herself balancing old roles and new possibilities.There&’s still plenty to contend with: small-town rumors, the complications of Ben&’s fame, and her daughter&’s unpredictable moods. An unexpected fling seemed simple at the time—so when did everything with Ben get so complicated? And is there enough room in his life for the woman Lauren wants to be? Alternating between Lauren&’s past with Spencer and her present with Ben, Totally and Completely Fine illuminates what it means to find life-changing love and be true to oneself in the process.
Bad Behavior: Stories (Vintage Contemporaries)
by Mary GaitskillNational Book Award finalist Mary Gaitskill&’s classic debut collection from the 1980s—powerful stories of dislocation, longing, and desireNow towering and inevitable in its influence on writing by and for young urbanites, Bad Behavior heralded Mary Gaitskill&’s arrival on the literary scene and her establishment as one of the sharpest writing talents of her time, or any time: exquisitely funny and startlingly honest; bold and eye-opening on relationships, sex, and the erotic.Set in Manhattan's Lower East Side and peopled with artistic freelancers and intelligent sex workers, smug yuppies and love-torn masochists, Bad Behavior depicts a world equally cruel and tender, where romance and danger go hand in hand. Gaitskill delivers unforgettable stories of a disenchanted and rebellious urban fringe generation groping for human connection.
Nice Girls Don't Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power
by Parvati Shallow&“A bible for badass women.&”—SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR&“Gripping and liberating.&”—ADAM GRANT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again&“Survivor legend and gay icon, Parvati Shallow has won my heart all over again.&”—BOWEN YANGA bold, eye-opening memoir about survival, trauma, and healing, from one of reality television&’s most talked-about starsAt twenty-five years old, Parvati Shallow was plunged into fame and fortune after becoming the million-dollar winner of the reality television series Survivor. But despite her success, the ghosts of her traumatic past, coupled with the harsh glare of the public eye, kept her locked in a survival cycle of fear and shame that sabotaged her self-confidence and eroded her self-trust. It wasn&’t until a series of painful life events, including the death of her younger brother and a challenging divorce, that she found herself on a path of healing that would awaken her true power and reset the course of her life.In Nice Girls Don&’t Win, Shallow shares the stories that allowed her to transform her most difficult moments into potent catalysts for empowerment. From her childhood growing up in a Florida commune run by a tyrannical female guru, to her journey out of the South and into the L.A. casting rooms that would eventually drop her in the lush but brutal landscapes of Survivor, Shallow shows readers what it took to build herself into the ultimate survivor—for better and, more often, for worse. She then reveals what it took to rebuild herself into something much greater.As harrowing as it is healing, Parvati Shallow&’s story is a testament to the profound lessons that can be found in radical self-acceptance and self-love.
The Gryphon King (The Chaos Constellation)
by Sara OmerThe first in a sweeping Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy brimming with morally ambiguous characters, terrifying ghouls and deadly monsters. Combining cut-throat dynastic politics with expansive worldbuilding and slow-burning romance, this stunning debut is perfect for fans of Godkiller and Samantha Shannon."A twisty feast of politics and fantastical beasts." Shannon ChakrabortyBataar was only a child when he killed a gryphon, making him a legend across the red steppe. Now he is the formidable Bataar Rhah, ruling over the continent that once scorned his people. After a string of improbable victories, he turns his sights on the wealthy, powerful kingdom of Dumakra and their vicious pegasus-mounted warriors.Nohra Zultama has no fear of the infamous warlord who marches on her country. She and her sisters are Harpy Knights, goddess-blessed and lethal. But as deceit and betrayal swirl through her father's court, she soon learns the price of complacency. With Dumakra under Bataar&’s rule, Nohra vows to take revenge—yet her growing closeness to the rhah's wife, Qaira, threatens to undo her resolve.When rioting breaks out and strange beasts incite panic, Nohra must fight alongside Bataar to keep order, her mixed feelings toward the man she&’s sworn to kill becoming ever more complicated. Old evils are rising. Only together will Nohra and Bataar stand a chance against the djinn, ghouls, and monsters that threaten to overrun their world.
A Magician’s Flower
by Marika MaijalaA charming children&’s tale about finding beauty in friendship and nature, a journey full of adventure while learning to appreciate things just as they are — lushly illustrated by the New York Times featured artist-author of Rosie Runs. As two plant-loving friends tend to their sapling, they realize what&’s tiny can also be mighty!Willow, Aspen, and Eulalia (their faithful chicken) find a mysterious seedling in a neglected corner of their greenhouse. Unable to identify the sprout from their plant guide, they name it Raisin—after a tiny but clever creature from one of Aspen&’s poems. Each morning Willow races to the greenhouse with her watering can, yet Raisin remains small as ever. Hoping the salt air will usher new growth, the two friends strap Raisin snugly to their basket and cycle to the bustling seashore. Traversing the world with determination and spirit, Aspen and Willow set out on a quest to help Raisin grow.A Magician&’s Flower invites young readers to befriend nature and find joy in the many-colored details around them. Marika Maijala&’s bold lines illuminate this enchanting tale of friendship, exploration, and courage for readers ages 5-9.
Death and the Librarian: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery)
by Victoria GilbertIt&’s summertime in Virginia, but things are about to get out of hand when murder darkens the annual arts festival in this ninth installment of the critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mystery series, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Miranda James.Library director Amy Muir has always been suspicious of wealthy art dealer Kurt Kendrick. As a close family friend, the ties that bind them are strong, but his murky past is concerning, especially since he is the godfather to Amy and her husband Richard&’s six-year-old twins. When a visitor to their small, historic Virginia town is found dead after publicly accusing Kurt of committing a decades-old murder, Amy is determined to prove that Kurt didn&’t kill anyone, in the past or the present. But the evidence Kurt&’s accuser sent to Sheriff Brad Tucker before her untimely demise indicates otherwise. With Amy&’s own aunt and other older town residents corroborating some of the details related to the first murder and a witness placing Kurt near the scene of the second crime, it seems Kurt is doomed to swift and severe justice. Amidst the fun and excitement of an arts festival that features the premiere of Richard&’s new dance company, Amy faces her own challenging performance—balancing her work and family life while dancing on the edge of danger. With family and friends harboring suspicions about Kurt and Amy bedeviled by her own wavering trust in his innocence, she must fight to uncover the truth before a hidden killer strikes again.
The Myth Maker: A Novel
by Alie Dumas HeidtSomeone is killing women and staging their bodies in strange, evocative scenes in this Greek-mythology-inspired serial killer thriller perfect, for fans of Alex Michaelides and Tana French.Cassidy Cantwell has devoted her life to becoming a detective, never forgetting the cold case that has influenced her entire career: the unsolved murder of her best friend. Cassidy tries to balance her demanding job with her suffocatingly close-knit family and her increasingly clingy boyfriend, but when a strange new murder case comes across her desk, she&’s determined to solve it, especially when it turns out the victim was the wife of her college ex-boyfriend.While Cassidy&’s partner, Bryan, works to prove that her ex is their suspect, Cassidy can&’t shake the feeling that there&’s something more to the case that they&’re not seeing. After the medical examiner finds a strange ring among the victim&’s personal effects that the husband insists didn&’t belong to his wife, Cassidy is struck by similarly odd details from a previous crime scene—details that seem to have an uncanny connection to a Greek myth. When another body attracts public attention and the FBI joins the hunt, the case gets increasingly complicated–and solving it seems further and further out of reach. With anonymous taunts about her best friend&’s death dragging her attention away, Cassidy finds herself pulled in different directions–sacrifice her personal life for the sake of her career, or put everything she has into finding years-old answers to a case that haunts her still. And the killer behind the murders isn&’t done yet.
Ascension: Book II in The Summoner's Circle
by S.T. GibsonFrom the international bestselling author of Evocation comes it's hotly anticipated and spellbinding sequel, where Rhys steps into his new role as High Priest. A magical read for lovers of traditional urban fantasy.Ever since Rhys McGowan was a boy, he's only wanted two things: power and love. Now, as High Priest of Boston's premiere Secret Society, husband to his adoring witch wife Moira, and partner to David - his psychic rival-turned-boyfriend, Rhys is finally at peace. But when a strange ritual rocks Boston's occult community, and opens the Society up to sabotage, Rhys delves even deeper into the dark world of demon-summoning. He's used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the strain of managing so many spirits (not to mention the stress of his loved ones exploring other people) will push him to the brink. As heaven and hell play tug of war for Rhys' soul, he'll have to face the greatest demon of all: his own insatiable ambition.The second book in the bestselling Summoner's Circle series sees beloved characters return for an all new dark and enthralling adventure.