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Who Are the Joneses Anyway?: Stop Living Someone Else's Life and Start Becoming who You are Meant to Be
by Bob Karcher Susan KarcherStop comparing and despairing—and discover an easier, happier life: &“I encourage you to read this book&” (Bob Buford, author of Halftime). Most of us have heard the expression &“keeping up with the Joneses.&” They&’re supposed to be the perfect, successful American family that everyone wants to measure up to—but no one seems to have actually met them. The authors of this book have, though—and they&’d like to introduce them to you. You might be surprised. Too often, we measure success by our accomplishments or the stuff we&’ve accumulated. But life should be about so much more, like discovering who you are, why you are here, and the legacy you create. Think of the possibilities if you started living your life more intentionally, doing more of the things that matter most—and less of everything else. Could life be less hectic? What if you spent more time doing things today that could lead to a better tomorrow, instead of just trying to survive each day? What if you could live more simply, yet more fully? Who Are the Joneses Anyway? asks relevant questions and, with practical steps and resources, encourages you to be brave enough to seek the answers.
Rama Revealed (Rama #4)
by Arthur C. Clarke Gentry LeeIn the New York Times–bestselling conclusion to the award-winning Rama series, a human colony aboard Rama III approaches the ultimate confrontation. Two thousand humans have been trapped on the enormous spaceship Rama III, bound for the Raman Node orbiting Sirius. As they hurtle through interstellar space, the human population has formed a violent authoritarian society—one that has imprisoned astronaut Nicole Wakefield. After a daring escape with help from her husband Richard, the Wakefields flee into the labyrinthine bowels of the ship, where they find themselves in the domain of the octospiders—technologically advanced beings that may be friend or foe. As the human colony pursues the Wakefields, the situation aboard Rama III approaches all-out war. But Rama&’s Nodal intelligence is always watching . . . Written by Clarke&’s longtime collaborator Gentry Lee, Rama Revealed marks the climax of the popular and critically acclaimed Rama series—in which humans finally encounter the advanced alien intelligences behind the vast and mysterious spaceships.
You Think It Strange: A Memoir
by Dan BurtA remarkable memoir of resisting a legacy of organized crime and creating a new life: &“A fascinating read&” (Commonweal). Prostitution, gambling, fencing, contract murder, loan-sharking, political corruption and crimes of every sort were the daily trade in Philadelphia&’s Tenderloin, the oldest part of town. The Kevitch family ruled this stew for half a century, from Prohibition to the rise of Atlantic City. My mother was a Kevitch. So begins poet Dan Burt&’s moving, emotional memoir of life on the dangerous streets of downtown Philadelphia. The son of a butcher and an heiress to an organized crime empire, Burt rejected the harsh world of his upbringing, eventually renouncing his home country as well and forging a new life in the United Kingdom. But in this riveting reappraisal of his childhood, Burt wrestles with the idea that home leaves an indelible mark that can never truly be left behind.
Not Your Average Runner: Why You're Not Too Fat to Run and the Skinny on How to Start Today
by Jill AngieRun for fun—no matter your size, shape, or speed! Do you think running sucks? Do you think you&’re too fat to run? With humor, compassion, and lots of love, Jill Angie explains how you can overcome the challenges of running with an overweight body, experience the exhilaration of hitting new milestones, and give your self-esteem an enormous boost in the process. This isn&’t a guide to running for weight loss, or a simple running plan. It shows how a woman carrying a few (or many) extra pounds can successfully become a runner in the body she has right now. Jill Angie is a certified running coach and personal trainer who wants to live in a world where everyone is free to feel fit and fabulous at any size. She started the Not Your Average Runner movement in 2013 to show that runners come in all shapes, sizes, and speeds, and, since then, has assembled a global community of revolutionaries who are taking the running world by storm. If you would like to be part of the revolution, this is the book for you!
The Price of Escape: A Novel
by David Unger&“A Jewish man flees 1938 Germany only to find a new and unexpected nightmare&” in Guatemala, in this tale of dark humor and desperate suspense (Publishers Weekly). In 1938, as Samuel Berkow&’s tramp steamer from Germany approaches Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, he is full of hope that he will be able to find a family member and begin to remake his life in the new world. But in this sweltering, chaotic, and hostile port town, he will have to face down many obstacles—including himself—before he can hope to truly escape . . . &“Unger&’s sharp prose deftly conveys Samuel&’s frustrations and confusions as he encounters characters like a troublesome dwarf, a volatile American fruit company manager, a crazed ex-priest, and a friendly telegraph operator who all offer help with one hand but uncertainty with the other.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Evoking both Kafka and Conrad, Unger&’s character study of a broken man in a culture broken by a ravenous corporation makes compelling reading.&” —Booklist &“Unger&’s tale utterly seduces with its mix of the exotic and the familiar.&” —Toronto Star
Islands in the Sky
by Arthur C. ClarkeThe technologically groundbreaking novel of space exploration from the only science fiction author nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Roy Malcolm has always been fascinated by space travel. And when he wins a voyage to the Inner Space Station as a game show prize, he&’s sure it&’s the trip of a lifetime. Before long, Roy is taken in by the young crew—and shares their adventures and lives. One of Arthur C. Clarke&’s earliest novels, Islands in the Sky is particularly noteworthy for its description of geostationary communications satellites. While this technology was nonexistent during the writing of this book, it later became commonplace—and Clarke is credited with the first practical descriptions of such technology. This book is compelling not just as a fictional tale, but as an example of the prescient power of Clarke&’s vision. &“[Clarke is] one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age.&” —The New Yorker
Gascoyne
by Stanley CrawfordA delightfully absurd blend of crime, comedy, and social commentary: &“A wild novel of black humor . . . Wonderful&” (The New York Times). Meet Gascoyne, a man who spends whole weeks in his car, eating, sleeping, and conducting his business via mobile phone. Gascoyne has found a new preoccupation―hunting down the killer of his business associate (last seen slithering away from the crime scene in a tree-sloth costume), and finding out how the southern California megalopolis has suddenly, despite all his power and prestige, slipped out of his grasp. &“A mix of Sam Spade played by Inspector Clouseau plus Howard Hughes played by Dr. Strangelove—or all of them played by Bill Murray. In 1966 Gascoyne does what everybody does now: spends most of his time in his car talking on the phone . . . Our least-known great comic novel, a novel as prophetic as it is hilarious.&” —The Austin Chronicle
The Keys of the Kingdom (Loyola Classics Ser.)
by AJ CroninAJ Cronin&’s inspiring novel of a controversial Scottish priest on a mission in China, where he learns the true meaning of humanity—and of faith. Francis Chisholm—a kindhearted and straightforward Scottish priest—walks a path of his own, making him unpopular with other members of the clergy. Ostracized by the clerical community and looked down on by his superiors, Chisholm takes a position in China where he supervises a mission beset by poverty, civil war, and plague. He encounters fierce resistance from the local Chinese who distrust his motives, especially as they do not understand or condone his faith. Despite enormous obstacles and temptations, Father Chisholm continues to live in accordance with what he holds as the ultimate truth—serving humanity is the one true religion of the world. The Keys of the Kingdom was adapted into the 1944 film starring Gregory Peck as Fr. Francis Chisholm, a role for which he earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. Hailed as &“a magnificent story of the great adventure of individual goodness&” by the New York Times Book Review and &“full of life and people and color&” by Harper&’s Magazine, The Keys of the Kingdom is considered by many to be AJ Cronin&’s finest work.
Deep Water Blues
by Fred WaitzkinInspired by a true story, artfully told by the author of Searching for Bobby Fischer: A Bahamian island becomes a battleground for a savage private war. Charismatic expat Bobby Little built his own funky version of paradise on the remote island of Rum Cay, a place where ambitious sport fishermen docked their yachts for fine French cuisine and crowded the bar to boast of big blue marlin catches while Bobby refilled their cognac on the house. Larger than life, Bobby was really the main attraction: a visionary entrepreneur, expert archer, reef surfer, bush pilot, master chef, seductive conversationalist. But after tragedy shatters the tranquility of Bobby&’s marina, tourists stop visiting and simmering jealousies flare among island residents. And when a cruel, different kind of self-made entrepreneur challenges Bobby for control of the docks, all hell breaks loose. As the cobalt blue Bahamian waters run red with blood, the man who made Rum Cay his home will be lucky if he gets off the island alive . . . When the Ebb Tide cruises four hundred miles southeast from Fort Lauderdale to Rum Cay, its captain finds the Bahamian island paradise he so fondly remembers drastically altered. Shoal covers the marina entrance, the beaches are deserted, and on shore there is a small cemetery with headstones overturned and bones sticking up through the sand. What happened to Bobby&’s paradise?
Seven Lives and One Great Love: The Memoirs of a Cat
by Lena DivaniA haughty and hilarious cat narrates this tale about seducing a resistant human . . .Anyone who has ever lived with cats knows how cunning, tender, smart, ferocious, underhanded, ingenious, foolish, and completely adorable they can be. These words describe Sugar Zach to a T.This is the epic story of the love between Sugar Zach—in his seventh life, a keenly intelligent and observant cat—and the Damsel, a writer with a frenetic lifestyle and an apparent abhorrence of things feline. Sugar Zach’s powers of observation and analysis are unparalleled, and after six lives lived among people from all walks of life he has countless stories to tell and a remarkable talent for telling them. His real area of expertise, however, lies in his preternatural ability to domesticate his humans—whatever you do, don’t even suggest that the humans are the ones who domesticate him. Yet he is flummoxed by the Damsel’s indifference to his charms. But he is not going to let her coldness stop him: One way or another, he is going to insinuate himself into her life and her art.With wit and a broad repertoire of cultural references, Sugar Zach recounts his days and nights spent with the Damsel in a novel that fits squarely into the illustrious tradition of feline literature à la T. S. Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire, Charles Bukowski, and Louis-Ferdinand Céline.
The Bottom of Your Heart: Inferno for Commissario Ricciardi (The Commissario Ricciardi Mysteries #7)
by Maurizio de GiovanniThe seventh Commissario Ricciardi historical mystery is &“an intricately layered whodunit set in Fascist Naples . . . A richly textured story&” (Kirkus Reviews). In the middle of a summer heat wave, as Naples prepares for one of its most important holy days, a renowned surgeon falls to his death from the window of his office. For Commissario Ricciardi and Brigadier Maione it is the beginning of an investigation that will bring them into contact with the most torrid, conflicting, and enduring of human passions. In the world Ricciardi and Maione are about to enter, infidelity appears inextricable from the most joyful expressions of love, and, this interdependence sows doubt and uncertainty in both men, compromising their own attempts at love. Ricciardi is one of the most intriguing and unique figures to appear in crime fiction in recent years. He possesses the dubious gift of being able to see and hear the last seconds in the lives of those who have suffered a violent death. This ability makes him an unusually effective investigator but plagues him and renders human relationships almost impossible. He is a classic noir hero and the cursed son of a city that, for all its Mediterranean splendor, is a perfect noir city. In this new installment in the Commissario Ricciardi series, Maurizio de Giovanni creates a large cast of unforgettable characters and a compelling, suspenseful plot that demonstrates once more why he is considered one of the best crime writers working today. &“Complex, lyrical . . . A searing look at the tortured soul of the lead makes this entry especially memorable.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Fun and Games: My 40 Years Writing Sports
by Dave Perkins&“Covering many of the biggest names and greatest events in sports, it&’s a wonderful collection of yarns and reminiscences, told in Perk&’s inimitable style&” (Postmedia News). Dave Perkins was once told by a bluntly helpful university admissions officer: &“You don&’t have the looks for TV or the voice for radio. You should go into print.&” Which he did, first at the Globe and Mail, and then for thirty-six well-traveled years at the Toronto Star. In Fun and Games, Perkins recounts hysterical, revealing, and sometimes embarrassing personal stories from almost every sport and many major championships. After forty years of encountering a myriad of athletes, fans, team managers, and owners, Perkins offers unique observations on the Blue Jays and Raptors, fifty-eight major championships&’ worth of golf, ten Olympic Games, football, hockey, boxing, horse racing, and more. Learn why Tiger Woods asked Perkins if he was nuts, why he detected Forrest Gump in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and why Super Bowl week is the worst week of the year. Perkins exposes the mistakes he made in both thought and word—once, when intending to type &“the shot ran down the goalie&’s leg,&” he used an &“i&” instead of an &“o&”—and to this day, he has never found a sacred cow that didn&’t deserve a barbecue. &“Few can spin a yarn with the wit and clever turns of phrase that Perky can.&” —Shi Davidi, Sportsnet &“Anyone who has ever spoken to Dave Perkins, or read Dave Perkins, remembers his voice. This book is a delightful way to experience it all again, through the wise, funny man&’s eyes.&” —Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star sports columnist
Tumblin' Dice: A Mystery (The Toronto Series)
by John McFetridgeTwo aging rock stars plot against the manager who ripped them off in this witty thriller by &“Canada&’s answer to Elmore Leonard&” (Toronto Star). The High, a band with a few hit songs back in the late 1970s, have reunited to play the nostalgia circuit at casinos. But for bassist Barry and lead singer Cliff, this tour will be more lucrative than it appears, as they team up to turn the tables on the gritty underworld of these gambling palaces—robbing the loan sharks and drug dealers who work at every stop of the tour. After coming across their old manager, who had swindled millions from them years ago, Barry and Cliff decide to go for the big score and get it all back—and more. But when a notoriously dangerous motorcycle gang gets involved, all bets are off. &“Things start accelerating from the opening line, which sets the tone [and] engages interest perfectly . . . McFetridge is able to convincingly portray flawed figures on both sides of the law.&” —Publishers Weekly
The World of Patrick O'Brian: A Sea of Words, A Life Revealed, Harbors and High Seas, and Every Man Will Do His Duty
by Dean KingFour volumes of history and biography for fans of the Aubrey-Maturin novels, with lore on the Royal Navy and much more. What is a sandgrouse, and where does it live? What are the medical properties of lignum vitae, and how did Stephen Maturin use it to repair his viola? Who is Adm. Lord Keith, and why is his wife so friendly with Capt. Jack Aubrey? More than any other contemporary author, Patrick O&’Brian knew the past. His twenty Aubrey–Maturin novels, beginning with Master and Commander (1969), are distinguished by deep characterization, heart-stopping naval combat, and an attention to detail that enriches and enlivens his stories. In the revised edition of A Sea of Words, Dean King and his collaborators dive into Jack Aubrey&’s world. In the revised edition of Harbors and High Seas, King details not just where Aubrey and Maturin went, but how they got there. Packed with maps and illustrations from the greatest age of sail, it is an incomparable reference for devotees of O&’Brian&’s novels and anyone who has dreamed of climbing aboard a warship, as well as a captivating portrait of life on the sea during a time when nothing stood between man and ocean but grit, daring, and a few creaking planks of wood. At the dawn of the nineteenth century, the British navy was the mightiest instrument of war the world had ever known. The Royal Navy patrolled the seas from India to the Caribbean, connecting an empire with footholds in every corner of the earth. Such a massive navy required the service of more than 100,000 men—from officers to deckhands to surgeons. Their stories are collected in Every Man Will Do His Duty. The inspiration for the bestselling novels of Patrick O&’Brian and C. S. Forester, these twenty-two memoirs and diaries, edited by Dean King, provide a true portrait of life aboard British warships during one of the most significant eras of world history. Patrick O&’Brian was well into his seventies when the world fell in love with his greatest creation: the maritime adventures of Royal Navy Capt. Jack Aubrey and ship&’s surgeon Stephen Maturin. But despite his fame, little detail was available about the life of the reclusive author, whose mysterious past King uncovers in this groundbreaking biography. King traces O&’Brian&’s personal history from his beginnings as a London-born Protestant named Richard Patrick Russ to his tortured relationship with his first wife and child to his emergence from World War II with the entirely new identity under which he would publish twenty volumes in the Aubrey–Maturin series. What King unearths is a life no less thrilling than the seafaring world of O&’Brian&’s imagination. Patrick O&’Brian: A Life Revealed is a penetrating and insightful examination of one of the modern world&’s most acclaimed historical novelists.
Living Inside-Out: The Go-To Guide for the Overwhelmed, Overworked, & Overcommitted
by Eddie MillerCreate lasting positive change in every area of life, from fitness to finance to family. In this empowering book, Eddie Miller shares his own personal process for creating and sustaining a happy, healthy, and purposeful life—and masterfully interweaves inspiring, hard-won wisdom from such national experts as: Brian Biro * Barbara De Angelis, PhD * Felice Dunas, PhD * Jane Greer, PhD * Jim Karas * Byron Katie * David Katz, MD * Lisa Nichols * Bob Proctor * Paul Scheele * Marci Shimoff Living Inside-Out explores various life disciplines, and helps all readers get to the heart of their true desires in order to create an effective action plan for the various challenges we face: intimacy, nutrition, weight management, disease prevention and management, aging, and more. At its core, ultimate living is a decision, more than a journey or a destination. Living Inside-Out offers a unique opportunity to embrace that decision, and, in doing so, learn to live a life of ultimate health, well-being, and prosperity.
Empire of Secrets: British Intelligence, the Cold War, and the Twilight of Empire
by Calder WaltonThe renowned espionage historian offers &“a gripping account of British intelligence during the last days of empire&” (The Daily Telegraph). Drawing on a wealth of newly declassified records and hitherto overlooked personal papers, intelligence expert Calder Walton offers a compelling and authoritative history of Britain&’s espionage activities after World War II. A major addition to intelligence literature, this is the first book to utilize records from the Foreign Office&’s secret archive, which contains some of the darkest and most shameful secrets from the last days of Britain&’s empire. Working clandestinely, MI5 operatives helped to prop up newly independent states across the globe against a ceaseless campaign of Communist subversion. Though the CIA is often assumed to be the principal actor against the Soviet Union through the Cold War, Britain plays a key role through its so-called &“special relationship&” with the United States. In Empire of Secrets, Walton sheds new light on everything from violent counterinsurgencies fought by British forces in the jungles of Malaya and Kenya, to urban warfare campaigns conducted in Palestine and the Arabian Peninsula. The stories here have chilling contemporary resonance, detailing the use and abuse of intelligence by governments that oversaw state-sanctioned terrorism, wartime rendition, and &“enhanced&” interrogation. &“An important and highly original account of postwar British intelligence.&” —The Wall Street Journal
Sugar Shannon
by Lawrence LariarA hep female reporter combs the back-alley Bohemian bistros of Greenwich Village looking for a beatnik killer— Can you dig it? When popular cartoonist Lawrence Lariar decided to moonlight as a mystery writer, creating comic book artist turned amateur sleuth Homer Bull was a natural. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Lariar continued to switch from sketching caricatures to sketchy characters, writing hardboiled crime fiction under his own name as well as the pseudonyms Michael Stark, Adam Knight, Michael Lawrence, and Marston La France, and creating a series of memorable gumshoes. Now his classic whodunits are available as ebooks. Newspaper gal Sugar Shannon is New York City&’s top tabloid dream girl. But her latest scoop has a personal edge. Sugar&’s friend, George DeBeers, an avant-garde abstract painter so young and so talented is now so dead—knifed in the short ribs. So who among his coffeehouse crowd wanted the hot new artist to cool it? There&’s an Amazonian hooker as eager to give a client a bounce as she is to roll him; a boy-crazy Zen poet and easy target for the vice squad; a former stripper gone legit, pouring joe at a village dive; and a moody sculptress carving out her own niche in the art world. One of these cats may have had their claws out for George, but now that Sugar&’s on the case they have to cover their tracks. That means an offbeat killer is in Sugar&’s shadow, and her deadline may be closer than she feared.
The Chicken Chronicles: Sitting with the Angels Who Have Returned with My Memories: Glorious, Rufus, Gertrude Stein, Splendor, Hortensia, Agnes of God, The Gladyses, & Babe
by Alice WalkerA &“life-affirmative and eccentrically inspirational&” collection from the National Book Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple (Kirkus Reviews). In these glorious, offbeat, and compassionate tales, one of America&’s preeminent authors shares her experiences raising and caring for a flock of affectionately named chickens. Walker addresses her &“girls&” directly, sometimes from the intimate proximity of her yard, other times at a great distance, during her travels to Bali and Dharamsala as an activist for peace and justice. On the way, she invites readers along on a surprising journey of spiritual discovery. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, The Chicken Chronicles lets us see a new and deeply personal side of one of the most captivating writers of our time. In turn, Walker has created a powerful touchstone for anyone seeking a deeper connection with the natural world. &“Heartfelt, thought-provoking ruminations on sustenance from perspectives of both giver and receiver.&” —Library Journal &“Walker&’s sage, compassionate memoir is meant to be savored and contemplated.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Is That a Fact?: Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life
by Dr. Joe SchwarczThe bestselling &“quackbuster&” and &“tireless tub-thumper against pseudoscience&” fishes for the facts in a flood of misinformation (Maclean&’s). Eat this and live to 100. Don&’t, and die. Today, hyperboles dominate the media, which makes parsing science from fiction an arduous task when deciding what to eat, what chemicals to avoid, and what&’s best for the environment. In Is That a Fact?, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz carefully navigates through the storm of misinformation to help us separate fact from folly and shrewdness from foolishness. Are GMOs really harmful? Or could they help developing countries? Which &“miracle weight-loss foods&” gained popularity through exuberant data dredging? Is BPA dangerous or just a victim of unforgiving media hype? Is organic better? Schwarcz questions the reliability and motives of &“experts&” in this &“easy-to-understand yet critical look at what&’s fact and what&’s plain nonsense. &“Takes its readers through the carnival of pseudoscience, the morass of half-truths and, finally, the relatively safe road of reproducible scientific knowledge. This journey is made all the more enjoyable by Dr. Schwarcz&’s surgical use of words and his mastery of public writing . . . [He] can always be counted on to write about the chemistry of the world in a way that is both entertaining and educational.&” —Cracked Science &“Written with a light touch and refreshing humor, this book provides a solid, authoritative starting point for anyone beginning to look at the world with a skeptical eye and a refresher for those further along that path.&” —Library Journal
Moon Cutters
by Janet WoodsThe author of A Marriage of Convenience spins a Victorian tale &“full of dark secrets and deceit . . . An entertaining novel&” (Historical Novel Society). 1840. Miranda Jarvis would do anything to protect her sister—so when Lucy comes down with a fever, she thinks nothing of stealing a loaf of bread from a local landowner. After all, things can&’t get much worse: after their father died, they were turned out of their home, and their mother lost her life on the road giving birth to a stillborn infant. Robbed by strangers, the pair of them have nothing, and no one to help them. Miranda doesn&’t count on being nearly brained by the cook&’s rolling pin . . . but nor does she count on the house&’s owner himself. The seemingly respectable businessman Sir James, known for his philanthropy, takes a keen interest in Miranda and her sister, and they are soon established in his household. But Sir James has quarreled with his nephew, the rakish but reluctant smuggler Fletcher Taunt, and—little does Miranda know—the hostility between the two men, one of whom she comes to love, will change her life forever . . . &“A fascinating historical love story full of mystery, struggle, and hope, Woods&’ latest is a novel sure to enthrall.&” —Booklist &“A smugglers adventure where two young girls fall prey to the seedier side of human nature more than once, but eventually find the kindness and love they deserve.&” —The Zest Quest
Memories of Summer: When Baseball Was an Art, and Writing about It a Game
by Roger KahnThe legendary sportswriter&’s memoir of Brooklyn, baseball, and a life in journalism: &“Simply put, this is a marvelous book&” (Kirkus Reviews). In this book, the bestselling author of The Boys of Summer shares stories of his Depression-era Brooklyn childhood, his career during a golden era of sports, and his personal acquaintances with a wide range of great ballplayers. His father had a passion for the Dodgers; his mother&’s passion was for poetry. Young Roger managed to blend both loves in a career that encompassed writing about sports for the New York Herald Tribune, Sports Illustrated, the Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, and Time. Kahn recalls the great personalities—Leo Durocher, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Red Smith, Dick Young, and many more—and recollects the wittiest lines from forty years in dugouts, press boxes, and newsrooms. &“A master at evoking a sense of the past . . . A pleasing potpourri of autobiography, professional memoir, and anecdotal baseball history . . . Of special note to journalism buffs is Kahn&’s account of his role in the inception of Sports Illustrated.&” —Booklist &“As a kid, I loved sports first and writing second, and loved everything Roger Kahn wrote. As an adult, I love writing first and sports second, and love Roger Kahn even more.&” —David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author &“Roger Kahn is the best baseball writer in the business.&” —Stephen Jay Gould, New York Review of Books
Touch and Go: A Memoir
by Studs TerkelThis memoir by the oral historian and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Good War is &“a masterpiece about a life which itself is a sort of masterpiece&” (Oliver Sacks). Chosen as a Best Book of the Year in 2007 by the Chicago Tribune, Publishers Weekly, and Playboy, Studs Terkel&’s memoir Touch and Go is &“history from a highly personal point of view, by one who has helped make it&” (Kirkus Reviews). Terkel takes us through his childhood and into his early experiences—as a law student during the Depression, and later as an actor on both radio and the stage—offering a brilliant and often hilarious portrait of Chicago in the 1920s and &’30s. Describing his beginnings as a disc jockey after World War II, his involvement with progressive politics during the McCarthy era, as well as his career as an interviewer and oral historian, Touch and Go is a testament to Terkel&’s &“generosity of spirit, sense of social justice and commitment to capture on his ever present tape recorder the voices of those who otherwise would not be heard&” (The New York Times Book Review). It is a brilliant lifetime achievement from the man the Washington Post has called &“the most distinguished oral historian of our time.&” &“The master storyteller tells his own story, as no one else can, irresistibly.&” —Garry Wills
Geis of the Gargoyle (The Xanth Novels #Vol. 18)
by Piers AnthonyA gargoyle finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place in this Xanth adventure that &“should delight Anthony&’s many fans&” (Publishers Weekly). As a gargoyle, Gary Gar has one job in Xanth: to protect the Swan Knee River from the pollution flowing in from Mundania. But more dirt plus less rain will crack any gargoyle&’s stony composure. So Gary does what any good Xanthian would do: He seeks the help of the Good Magician. But payment for his service is high. Gary must find a philter for the water, while taking on human form to tutor a wild human child, with help from the surly Sorceress Iris, and—even though time is of the essence—taking Hiatus, a known troublemaker, along for the ride. It won&’t be easy, especially when they&’re all transported back to the dawn of time. And if they can&’t figure out what&’s going on in the past, there may be no future for Xanth—come hell or high water . . . &“Ephemeral amusement for pun-struck Xanthonauts.&” —Kirkus Reviews
The Garden Interior: A Year of Inspired Beauty
by David JensenA memoir &“brimming with expertise and commentary and leavened with quirky humor, endearing humility, and a sense of wonder&” (Philadelphia Inquirer). The Garden Interior is the story of how one great garden raised a family—and of what goes on inside the heart and mind of a gardener. Against the backdrop of one modern-day family growing up in a rambling old arts and crafts house with a gorgeous acre of lush, mature gardens, this loving memoir is filled with gardening wisdom, humor, and nostalgia for the 1960s and &’70s. It is also loaded with distinctive foodie tips and recipes that will inspire you, whether you are a gardener or not. You&’ll experience a garden in each month of the calendar and encounter a lively and readable guide to being a better and more engaged gardener by understanding the rich interior life of this beautiful discipline and craft. The Garden Interior is more than the story of a family and gardening, though. It is about persistence, hope, letting go, and saying goodbye to our gardens, to our homes, and to our children. It is about letting the things and people we love fulfill their own destinies and be what they must be. It is about navigating love and loss and change by surrendering the self and practicing humble acceptance. The Garden Interior is a powerful read for anyone who has had these life experiences, in seasons of both sadness and joy.
The Nethers: Frontiers of Hinterland (Hinterland Ser. #2)
by M. E. ParkerIn the jaw-dropping sequel to Jonesbridge, M. E. Parker takes readers on a furious ride through bedlam—perfect for fans of Mad Max and Hugh Howey&’s Wool. The distance between your cell and freedom is a hell of a journey. As Jonesbridge descends into chaos, Myron seizes an opportunity as a member of a mobile recovery squad, sent to salvage metal. He wanders the Nethers, where he meets a nomad who seeks out people for delivery to a mysterious place called Mesa Gap in exchange for fresh water and supplies. On their journey, they encounter dangerous groups of cultists and fanatics, as well as refugees, as desperate as Myron for a way out. Myron&’s love, Sindra, was banished for giving birth, and is now holed up in a village by the sea. Myron&’s mission is to get Sindra and flee through the ancient highway that promises freedom. His journey will test every limit, and force Myron to make decisions that could ultimately alter the future of what is left of the human race. &“Jonesbridge isn&’t just a dystopia of geography, but that of the human condition, ravaged by history . . . M.E. Parker is a cartographer of the spirit, navigating us through his powerful prose that is unflinchingly honest.&” —Peter Tieryas, author of United States of Japan