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News & Stories
State-of-the-art library-on-wheels makes its debut, offering greater accessibility, modern features.
On Thursday, August 13, the library’s centennial celebration continued by Celebrating a Century of Fun at the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
Throughout 2026, we'll be sharing stories from our community that showcase the impact our library has had throughout the decades.
Your Next Great Read

Dear Debbie
McFadden, Freida,
"Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction. Or at least, she did. These days, Debbie's life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie's done being the bigger person. She's done being reasonable and practical. It's time to take her own advice. And now it's time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most"--

The conditions of will
Hastings, Jessa,
"From the author of the Magnolia Parks universe and the Never series comes a fresh family drama with a heavy dose of romance and a twist of mystery. When estranged savant Georgia returns to South Carolina for her father's funeral, she finds he left a significant property to someone her family has never heard of. Georgia is determined to uncover the story..."--

Her last breath
Adams, Taylor,
"After years of excuses, Tess has finally agreed to go caving with her best friend Allie. Their lives have diverged sharply since high school--Allie is a self-made travel influencer, while Tess is a shy (and claustrophobic) legal assistant struggling to pay for law school. Maybe she's a little jealous of Allie's globe-trotting life. Who wouldn't be? As Tess and Allie descend into the depths, they realize they're not alone. A stranger who claims to be a fellow caver harasses them. Confident, take-no-shit Allie insults the guy--and he retaliates. Soon, Tess is trapped inside a narrow crawl space hundreds of feet underground, fighting to stay alive. Twenty-four hours later, as a hospitalized Tess recounts her harrowing story of survival, the detective interviewing her shares new and shocking secrets about Allie's true past. Together, they begin to suspect the brutal attack wasn't so random after all. Who was Allie, really? Why did this man target them? And did Tess really leave the danger behind when she escaped the cave?"--Amazon

Pianistka
Krasińska, Aneta,
"Pomimo długo oczekiwanego zakończenia wojny los nie okazał się łaskawy dla Polaków i to zarówno tych, którzy pozostali w kraju, jak i dla tych, którzy emigrowali w poszukiwaniu lepszego życia. Wśród tej ostatniej grupy znalazła się Amelia Bogdańska usiłująca odnaleźć szczęście na obcym lądzie bez znajomości języka i kultury Brytyjczyków. Pierwsze dni na obczyźnie uświadamiają Amelii, że musi zawalczyć o szczęście i chwytać każdą nadarzającą się okazję, by przetrwać w nowych warunkach. Szybko zdaje sobie sprawę, że powrót do ojczyzny jest niebezpieczny ze względu na politykę prowadzoną przez rząd Polski Ludowej. Coraz bardziej martwi się więc o los brata i bliskiego sercu lekarza, z którymi straciła kontakt. Tęsknota za bliskimi kładzie się cieniem na życiu Bogdańskiej nawet w chwilach, gdy świętuje kolejne sukcesy muzyczne."--

The only one who knows
Matlin, Lisa,
"With her polished persona as a morning show co-host, Minnow Greenwood seems to have it all. But behind the camera, something's about to break. When a public meltdown shatters her facade, Minnow flees back to Kangaroo Bay--a grimy fishing town on Australia's southern coast, where locals vanish and something deadly hunts in the water. On her first night back, a horrifying shark attack rocks the town, adding another body to the unsettling list of deaths and disappearances. Then a former colleague arrives to investigate, so she reluctantly teams up with him to find answers for herself and keep her own dark secrets buried. But with danger closing in, Minnow must unearth her town's deadly past and face the darkness festering inside her before she becomes the next to disappear."

Mutts the little things
McDonnell, Patrick, 1956-
"The Little Things: A Mutts Treasury collects a year's worth of special and sweet moments with Earl, Mooch, and the rest of their four-legged friends." --

Chainsaw man. 20, Two children
Fujimoto, Tatsuki,
"Denji was a small-time devil hunter just trying to survive in a harsh world. After being killed on a job, he is revived by his pet devil Pochita and becomes something new and dangerous--Chainsaw Man! As Chainsaw Man rampages through the city after a horrific loss, Yoru is faced with a difficult decision. What will she sacrifice to achieve her goals? Meanwhile, the Aging Devil takes a surprising move in order to get Chainsaw Man to eat him"--Back cover

The Calvin and Hobbes portable compendium
Watterson, Bill,
"Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger first appeared in 1985 and could be read in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. This compact, portable new format is designed to introduce the timeless adventures of Calvin and Hobbes to a new generation of readers, and will fit easily into backpacks as well as on the collector's shelf. Featuring archival slipcase and cover art selected by the author, The Calvin and Hobbes Portable Compendium pays tribute to the strip's origin in newspapers while appealing to both new and existing fans of Calvin and Hobbes." -- Publisher's website

The glowing hours
Siddiqui, Leila,
"A mind-bending, revisionist gothic horror story about the fabled summer Mary Shelley began work on Frankenstein, as told by her Indian housemaid. For fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Isabel Cañas, and Kathe Koja. Summer, 1816: London is a hostile place for the newly disembarked Mehrunissa Begum, who's come to deliver her brother's letter of inheritance before returning to her comfortable life in Lucknow, India. Only, she can't find her brother anywhere and has no money for the return trip. With nowhere else to go, Mehr finds refuge in a boardinghouse for Indian housemaids. If she can't find her brother, she reasons, she will get a job and start saving. Mehr is soon hired at the English estate of Mary and Percy Shelley, young artists of burgeoning fame who are on the run from secrets of their own. Mary is brooding and quiet, but takes a curious liking to her new housemaid, asking her to accompany the Shelleys and her stepsister, Claire - as well as the eccentric Lord Byron and his physician, John Polidori - to Lake Geneva for the summer. Almost immediately, Mehr notices strange, ghostly events at the villa. The walls have their own heartbeat, eerie portraits shift gaze, phantoms appear like houseguests who refuse to leave. The weather is fierce and foreboding, showing no signs of softening its relentless pall. And as Mary Shelley begins work on what will become her earth-shattering literary phenomenon, Mehr finds herself trapped in the villa as the rest of its inhabitants descend into madness"-- Provided by publisher

The ex-perimento
Morillo, Maria J.,
"A woman enlists the help of her favorite musician to win her ex-boyfriend back in this sparkling romantic comedy set in Venezuela by debut author Maria J. Morillo. Maria 'Marianto' Camacho is a planner. At twenty-seven, she has her life perfectly mapped out. Her long-term boyfriend, Alejandro, is perfect on paper, and she's expecting a proposal any day now. She has a stable job as a lifestyle columnist at Ellas, one of Latin America's biggest digital magazines. Her future is set; she's sure of it. Until everything falls apart overnight: Marianto loses her boyfriend and her job. But she's determined to get them both back with an idea that is either delusional or ingenious-a juicy new article for Ellas that documents a series of romantic experiments to get her ex back. Thus begins The Ex-Perimento. With her bank account dwindling, however, Marianto lands a temporary gig on Venezuela's hottest new singing competition show. Her job? Personal assistant to Simón Arreaza, the lead singer of her favorite indie band. It's only her second day on the job when Simón discovers Marianto's list of romantic experiments, striking her ideas and replacing them with his own better ones. Out of desperation, she offers a proposition: Help her win back Alejandro, and she'll give Simón's band a profile in the magazine once she returns to Ellas. But between the close quarters on set and the blurred lines of a budding friendship, Marianto and Simón find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other, caught in a whirlwind of unexpected romance"-- Provided by publisher

In her own league
Tomforde, Liz,
"As the first female team owner in Major League Baseball, Reese Remington has spent her entire life preparing for this role. With a sharp mind and years of experience working behind the scenes, she's more than qualified. But the public only sees a woman in a man's world -- not the person who's earned their place on the field. Under constant scrutiny and pressure to prove herself, Reese can't afford distractions. Especially one that comes in the form of the team's tempting field manager who questions her every decision. Emmett Montgomery is a former All-Star turned coach who treats his players like family and the field like home. After years of running the team his way, the last thing he wants is a new boss, let alone one who seems ice-cold and laser-focused on business. But forced to spend long hours -- and too many away games -- side by side, he begins to see the fire beneath Reese's control, the heart behind her ambition, and the unwavering determination to prove herself. When heated banter turns into sizzling chemistry, professional boundaries blur and the spark between them becomes impossible to resist. But Reese is constantly reminded of how many people are waiting for her to fail, and the safestmove is to keep Emmett at arm's length -- for the sake of the team,the season, and her career. But keeping their distance is one game neither of them can seem to win."--Provided by publisher

Strangers in the villa
Harding, Robyn,
"Sydney Lowe's life in New York is shattered when her husband, Curtis, admits to a meaningless affair with a client. Begging for forgiveness and vowing to prove his devotion, Curtis suggests the couple retreat to a remote hilltop house in Spain to repair their marriage. High above the Mediterranean, Sydney and Curtis are working on the isolated property and their relationship when a pair of Australian travelers turns up at their door in dire need of help. Lonely for companionship and desperate for free labor, Sydney and Curtis invite the attractive young couple to stay. But as the days pass, dark secrets come to light, the Lowes' bond is tested, and not everyone will leave the villa alive."--

The hockey situation
Parish, Lyra,
"Hating Patterson Cross is easy. Keeping my hands off him? Not so much. He's my ex-fiancé's identical twin brother, my father's star hockey player, and the man I've despised for years. That's three very logical reasons I shouldn't ask Pattycakes to be my hookup for the season. But I recklessly do it anyway. To my surprise, my biggest hater says yes. We agree to keep it secret. Behind closed doors, I'm his. In public, nothing changes. It's so much harder than it sounds. Because the more time I spend with Patterson, the more I realize hate was never the problem. It was just easier than admitting the truth"--Page 4 of cover

The Jills
Parkman, Karen,
"Virginia is a Jill--a professional Buffalo Bills cheerleader--living the life she's always dreamed of. She spends her weekdays practicing, her weekends cheering, and her nights hopping between events and bars and clubs with her close-knit band of teammates, especially her best friend, Jeanine, whose dynamic friendship has given Virginia confidence in spades and allowed her to put aside her troubled past with her sister, Laura. But one Sunday, Jeanine fails to show up for a game, and all her calls and texts go unanswered. Aided by a worried network of Jills, ex-boyfriends, and seedy fixtures of Buffalo's criminal underground, Virginia embarks on an investigation into Jeanine's disappearance. But as her search grows increasingly dangerous and spirals into obsession, disturbing questions about who Jeanine really is begin to emerge. Soon, Virginia finds herself wondering how well she knows her friend, if she can trust the people and institutions she thought were protecting her, and whether--when trying to save the people she cares about most--she's capable of saving herself, too"--

You & me and you & me and you & me
Lloyd, Josie,
"Adam and Jules have been married for twenty-five years when they discover a time machine in their shed - can it bring back their romantic spark? Or will it unravel everything? Written by a real-life couple who fell in love while writing their bestselling debut novel twenty-five years ago. Meet Adam and Jules. Married for nearly twenty-five years and stuck in a rut, their future looks, well, boring. Then Adam stumbles across a box of old mixtapes he and Jules made for each other when they were young and falling in love. He dusts off his vintage stereo, inserts one of the cassettes, presses play ... and the unbelievable happens. With the power to travel back in time, he and Jules can revisit pivotal moments in their pasts. Is this the key to getting their sparkle back? They embark on an epic hunt through the multiverse for their perfect love story. But as they visit the past and recapture the headiness of falling in love, they realize that traveling across time could be as dangerous as it is addictive, because the temptation to change just a few small things is irresistible. As the ripple effects spiral out of control, can they find a way back to their messy and imperfect, yet glorious, real life? Or will they lose each other forever?"-- Provided by publisher

The cost of quiet how to have the hard conversations that create secure, lasting love
Fehr, Colette Jane,
"An empowering, healing guide that reveals the true cost of avoidant behavior in a relationship-disconnection, disengagement, and divorce-and shows how we can instead learn to speak up and start connecting with the ones we love most. "I wish I had spoken up sooner." People think relationships fail because of deal breakers like infidelity, finances, or parenting problems. But the real culprit is often much less dramatic: emotional disconnection after years of staying silent and avoiding conflict. We're afraid to say what we need because we worry about what will come next. Avoidant behavior-the need to "keep the peace" rather than dealing with conflict head on-isn't our fault. Our ingrained attachment wiring urges us to sidestep day-to-day disputes and brush lingering problems under the rug. But silence is a losing proposition in the long term, leading us to self-abandon and essentially "quiet quit" our relationships. We can make another choice. In The Cost of Quiet, licensed marriage and family therapist Colette Jane Fehr shines a light on the epidemic of avoidant behavior and how to overcome it. Drawing from the latest attachment science and evidence-based therapies she's used to repair the bond between hundreds of couples, Fehr gives us the tools to approach those we love with openness, honesty, and vulnerability. The ultimate goal: a securely attached relationship that engages with conflict productively, and the confidence that comes from speaking up and being heard-because a good relationship is worth fighting for"--

The cure for everything : the epic struggle for public health and a radical vision for human thriving
Williams, Michelle A. (Epidemiologist),
"Public health is an unusual discipline -- a combination of science, sociology, politics, and logistics--with a simple goal: to create the conditions for human thriving. At the moment, Americans, regardless of what macroeconomic statistics might suggest, are decidedly not thriving: from our failed covid response to our epidemics of depression and isolation to our inadequate healthcare system, Americans are in a state of deep malaise. Michelle Williams, one of the country's true innovators in public health, reaches back into the past to draw out the lessons that public health has to offer for our time and into the future. She tells the hidden history of public health in America--how radicals and renegades from WEB DuBois to Jane Addams to the activists of ACT UP helped lead what she calls "the great escape" from human suffering that is at the heart of the public health mission. As she takes readers from one dramatic story to the next, she draws out the lessons that apply to our time, and makes the compelling argument that it is public health, rather than standard economic metrics or partisan politics, that should drive our country's policies and political culture -- and that if we fail to prioritize health and well-being for everyone, we have failed as a society. She ends by pointing to the ideas and policies that have the potential to transform this country and fulfill our founding creed--to "promote the general welfare for ourselves and our posterity." Here is a dramatic, sweeping history that enables us to better understand the past--the victories, defeats, and tipping points that compelled us to take action--and what we need to do in the future to address new and novel threats, and complete the unfinished business of public health"-- Provided by publisher

Chrobry Rex
Morys-Twarowski, Michael,
"Władca. wojownik. Pierwszy król. Rzucił wyzwanie najpotężniejszym władcom swoich czasów. Dokonał podbojów, które przeszły do legendy. Stworzył pierwsze polskie królestwo. Jego imię przepowiadało mu wielką sławę, a wśród sąsiadów budziło grozę. Prowadził swoich wojów we wszystkie strony świata. Zdobył Kraków, podbił Pragę i zagarnął Kijów. Zasiadł na legendarnym tronie Karola Wielkiego. I miał nie mniejsze od niego ambicje. Dążył do konfrontacji ze wszystkimi sąsiadami, chcąc wydrzeć im kolejne ziemie. Przyjaciel świętych, który dawał dowody swojego okrucieństwa. Dzielny wódź, który nieraz uciekał przed wrogiem. Twórca mocarstwa, który nie pozostawił równego sobie dziedzica. Największy wojownik w dziejach swojego rodu. Charyzmatyczny przywódca. Władca potężnego państwa, o którym pamięć przetrwa ponad tysiąc lat. Bolesław Chrobry. Pierwszy z królów. Poprawione, zaktualizowane, rozszerzone i wzbogacone o nową szatę graficzną wznowienie Narodzin potęgi, bestsellerowej książki Michaela Morysa-Twarowskiego o Bolesławie Chrobrym. Chrobry rex to pierwsza część epickiej serii o polskich monarchach."--Page 4 of cover

Push unlock the science of fitness motivation to embrace health and longevity
Metzl, Jordan D., 1966-
"We know now that low fitness is as big a health risk as diabetes, hypertension and smoking-and that physical activity improves both your lifespan and healthspan. And yet society is at brutally low fitness levels, with nine out of ten people "metabolically unhealthy." Why aren't people motivated to do the one best thing for their own health and longevity? Push explores the murky waters of motivation, for good and for bad. How do you transform motivation to stay on the couch and skip workouts into an irresistible desire to tie your sneakers and get moving? Understanding the science of healthy and unhealthy motivation is at the heart of Push, and Dr. Metzl's career-long obsession. He's spent more than 25 years helping people stay properly motivated by combining medical and fitness expertise. Push examines why your brain is the way it is, helps you understand how your unique motivational profile works, and gives you the tools to move past understanding into action, including: The three ingredients of healthy motivation-knowledge, emotion, belief-and how they intertwine in your brain to get you moving. How to define and embrace a positive relationship with exercise that will last. A quick, repeatable self-test to see where you fall (and improve!) on the motivational spectrum. A 4-week Push Plan to solidify your day-to-day, moment-to-moment motivation foundation and help you push through difficult times. How to build your own total-body strength workouts from more than 80 anywhere/anytime exercises"-- Provided by publisher

The story of stories the million-year history of a uniquely human art
Ashton, Kevin,
"An irresistible and enchanting journey through human history--from mankind's earliest fires to the latest smart phones--that tells the surprising and untold story of storytelling." --Amazon

William Eggleston the last dyes
Eggleston, William, 1939-
Eggleston's vivid photographs transform the ordinary into distinctive, poetic images that eschew fixed meaning. One of the foremost practitioners in the medium's history, Eggleston is widely considered the father of color photography. He pioneered the use of dye-transfer printing for art photography in the 1970s. The technically advanced process--first developed by Kodak in the 1940s--allowed him to achieve the richness of tonal depth and color saturation that he had been searching for. In the early 1990s, Kodak stopped producing the dyes, paper, and film used in the process. With the necessary materials now discontinued, and the bulk of what remained being used for this exhibition, The Last Dyes marks the final presentation of new works completed in this medium, images from teh years 1970 to 1973. With a foreword by William Eggleston III and Winston Eggleston, and an essay by Jeffrey Kastner, this publication will offer critical insights into Eggleston's enduring influence at this turning point in the history of photography

On Morrison
Serpell, Namwali, 1980-
"Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate and one of our most beloved writers, has inspired generations of readers. But her artistic genius is often overshadowed by her monumental public persona, perhaps because, as Namwali Serpell puts it, "she is our only truly canonical black, female writer-and her work is highly complex." In On Morrison, Serpell brings her unique experience as both an award-winning writer and professor who teaches a course on Morrison to illuminate her masterful experiments with literary form. This is Morrison as you've never encountered her before, a journey through her oeuvre-her fiction and criticism, as well as her lesser-known dramatic works and poetry-with contextual guidance, archival discoveries, and original close readings. At once accessible and uncompromisingly rigorous, On Morrison is a primer not only on how to read one of the most significant American authors of all time, but also on how to read great works of literature in general. This dialogue on the page between two black women artist-readers is stylish, edifying, and thrilling in its scope and intelligence."-- Provided by publisher

Don't tell the president the best, worst & mostly untold stories from presidential advance
Becker, Jean, approximately 1956-
Former staffers to George H.W. Bush narrate stories behind presidential events over the past sixty years

MCAT biochemistry review

Apple the first 50 years
Pogue, David, 1963-
"In time for Apple's 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company's entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today."--Amazon

I identify as blind a brazen celebration of disability culture, identity, and power
Lachi (Singer),
"Lachi is an award-winning musician and leader who awakens the world to this truth: Disability has long shaped our culture and is an identity worth brazenly celebrating. In this book, Lachi welcomes readers into the vibrant world of Disability Culture, centering identity, innovation, and unapologetic pride. I Identify as Blind pulses with energy. Through magnetic storytelling, pop-culture deep dives, and historical insight, Lachi challenges mainstream views on disability with humor, heart, and high fashion. She reveals how the adaptability of visionaries with disabilities throughout the years have always driven progress. The book features dynamic conversations with trailblazing figures like U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte, Microsoft executive Jenny Lay-Flurrie, and so many more. Lachi even takes readers behind the scenes at Coldplay concerts, since after Chris Martin developed tinnitus, he transformed his concerts into some of the most accessible in the world. Each story reframes disability not as a deficit but as a wellspring of collective strength. And inventions created for people with disabilities benefit everyone-from audiobooks to curb cuts to the Internet. (Vint Cerf helped develop the first commercial email service, because he had trouble communicating by phone.) With punchy humor and radical honesty, Lachi dismantles stereotypes and builds a new narrative of Disability identity. I Identify as Blind is an invitation to a cultural movement-welcoming everyone to celebrate Disability as a source of power and pride. Come for the laughs, stay for the mic drops"-- Provided by publisher

The unfinished business of 1776 why the American Revolution never ended
Richards, Thomas, Jr., 1983-
A clarion call for taking back the American Revolution from the far right, published for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Who gets to claim the legacy of the American Revolution and the mantle of patriotism that goes along with it? In a sharp, irreverent, deeply informed account of the nation's founding moment and its enduring legacies, historian Thomas Richards Jr. invites us to see the Revolution not just as a one-time fight for political freedom from Britain but as an ongoing struggle for equality, justice, and social and political independence for all Americans

America's founding son : John Quincy Adams, from president to political maverick
Crawford, Bob (Musician),
"An accessible and entertaining biography of our nation's greatest public servant and original political maverick John Quincy Adams, from the bassist of the Grammy-nominated band the Avett Brothers."--Amazon

Chicago's authentic founder Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Or Haitian Secret Agent in the old Northwest outpost, 1745-1818
Rosier, Marc O.,
Chicago's Authentic Founder traces the life and time of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable from Haiti through Louisiana, Peoria, Chicago, and Saint-Charles, Missouri, where he died in 1818. It examines important historical events such as the foundation of Chicago, George Rogers Clark's conquest of the French villages in Illinois, and DuSable's arrest and appointment as manager of the Pinery in Michigan. The extent of DuSable's Chicago business or trading post is treated in full. DuSable's life in Saint-Charles is recounted in light of various court documents. His relationship to and leadership of the Pottawatomi tribe is explored and analyzed in ways that correct many of the inaccuracies found in the accounts publicized by the Kinsies and their allies. This volume contains many photos depicting DuSable's grave site, former places of residence, artistic representation, the cabin along the Chicago River, etc. DuSable's place of origin--Saint-Domingue, today's Haiti--as represented by Juliette Kinsie's Wau-Bun, is fully explored. The aggression of the European colonial powers and of the United States against Haiti after the successful Haitian Revolution and subsequent Haitian sponsorship of abolitionist and revolutionary activities is explored at length to show the reader possible motivation for associating DuSable with Haiti. Though widely admired by Native Americans and the older class of settlers in the contested territories of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, new American settlers, who arrived in Chicago after the building of Fort Dearborn, sought to discredit DuSable and to erroneously proclaim John Kinzie Chicago's founder

Sewing clothes for Barbie 50 modern designs for fashion dolls
Benilan, Annabel,
"A revised edition of the official Barbie sewing book, featuring 50 stunning garments, all with full-size templates and easy-to-follow sewing instructions! Perhaps Barbie wants to be President today? Or a doctor, dancer or gardener? Or maybe she is looking for the right outfit for the beach, a walk in the park or a slumber party? Find her dream wardrobe within this book... The official Barbie sewing book, featuring 50 stunning garments, all with full-size templates and easy-to-follow sewing instructions!"--Publisher

A dream called home a memoir
Grande, Reyna,
From bestselling author Reyna Grandewhose remarkable memoir The Distance Between Us has become required reading in schools across the country comes an inspiring account of one woman's quest to find her place in America as a first-generation Latina university student and aspiring writer determined to build a new life for her family one fearless word at a time. When Reyna Grande was nine years old, she walked across the US-Mexico border in search of a home, desperate to be reunited with the parents who had left her behind years before for a better life in the City of Angels. What she found instead was an indifferent mother, an abusive, alcoholic father, and a school system that belittled her heritage. With so few resources at her disposal, Reyna finds refuge in words, and it is her love of reading and writing that propels her to rise above until she achieves the impossible and is accepted to the University of California, Santa Cruz. Although her acceptance is a triumph, the actual experience of American college life is intimidating and unfamiliar for someone like Reyna, who is now once again estranged from her family and support system. Again, she finds solace in words, holding fast to her vision of becoming a writer, only to discover she knows nothing about what it takes to make a career out of a dream. Through it all, Reyna is determined to make the impossible possible, going from undocumented immigrant of little means to "a fierce, smart, shimmering light of a writer" (Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild ); a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist "speak[ing] for millions of immigrants whose voices have gone unheard" (Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street ); and a proud mother of two beautiful children who will never have to know the pain of poverty and neglect. Told in Reyna's exquisite, heartfelt prose, A Dream Called Home demonstrates how, by daring to pursue her dreams, Reyna was able to build the one thing she had always longed for: a home that would endure

If the song doesn't work, change the dress the illustrated memoirs of Broadway costume designer Patricia Zipprodt
Zipprodt, Patricia, 1925-1999,
"Iconic Broadway costume designer Patricia Zipprodt (1925-99) tells her own colorful story, from a tumultuous childhood in Depression-era Chicago to Bohemian New York in the 1950s, becoming one of the 20th century's most celebrated designers. Told with Zipprodt's acerbic humor and delicious wit, If the Song Doesn't Work, Change the Dress charts her journey to 1950s Greenwich Village, America's literary and artistic Bohemia. Tracking her career chronologically from the developing Off-Broadway movement to collaborating with the biggest artists of the day such as Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, and Bob Fosse, this memoir charts her personal and professional failures and successes, which together made her one of the most recognizable and award-winning designers of 20th-century theatre. Published in full color, this illustrated memoir includes pictures from Zipprodt's own archive including sketches, drawings, and photographs of her work from some of the most significant shows of the 20th century, including Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, and Pippin, and her work with such American theatre giants as Jo Mielziner, Irene Sharaff, José Quintero, Boris Aronson, Tony Walton, and Joel Grey, who provides a personal foreword to the memoir. Zipprodt's posthumous collaborator, theatre design historian Arnold Wengrow provides a vivid epilogue about her final battle with cancer. Drawing from her archive at the New York Public Library and Museum of the Performing Arts, he amplifies her recollections with letters, oral histories, and interviews she gave over the years to offer a portrait of an artist consistently working against the grain. If the Song Doesn't Work, Change the Dress will delight readers interested in Broadway, ballet, opera, and the history of costume design. Her lively anecdotes about New York theatre and working in Hollywood provide a rich insight into the life and work of a celebrated female creative giant of American theatre." --

Episodes the diary of a recovering mad man
Gucci Mane, 1980-
"As one of hip-hop's legendary figures and an indispensable fixture in Atlanta's vibrant rap culture, Gucci was on an upswing in his career when he sold his debut memoir, The Autobiography of Gucci Mane in 2016. He had just been released from prison, sporting a slimmer physique and health-conscious diet; he announced his ninth album, the platinum-selling Everybody Looking; and became the face of a global campaign with the luxury Italian designer that inspired his name and persona. But underneath all that, he was hiding some of his darkest struggles from the world. Now he is ready to tell his full story. In Episodes, Gucci revisits his life and shares what was really going on for the first time. The mental anguish, the pitfalls, the triggers no one speaks about. Each episode is Gucci experiencing something--something you may remember from the news or even heard in his music--and giving you the background of where he was mentally. He reveals how his fascination with money got the worst of him, why he committed certain crimes, the story behind his ice cream cone tattoo, and how his wife felt watching him overdose. Along the way, he interviews medical professionals and mental health experts to provide insight into mental health awareness"--

The joy of politics surviving cancer, a campaign, a pandemic, an insurrection, and life's other unexpected curveballs
Klobuchar, Amy,
"An intimate and revelatory memoir-on personal challenges, political turmoil, and the state of American democracy-from one of the most effective voices in politics, Amy Klobuchar. During the past few years, as our country has faced unprecedented challenges, Senator Klobuchar has been in the room where it happens-on the Senate floor for critical votes during the pandemic, at the debate podium during one of the most critical presidential elections in US history, and in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the building, interrupting the certification of the electoral college. It was well past midnight when Klobuchar stood beside then-Vice President Pence to officially certify President Biden's victory. In her candid, honest, and at times bitingly funny memoir, the pragmatic senator shares insider stories from these historic moments, while also inviting readers into her personal life. An underdog in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary campaign, she built surprising early momentum--only to suspend her candidacy in order to support Joe Biden. Within weeks of returning to work in the Senate, the sudden onslaught of COVID-19 hit her family directly. Her husband got very sick and spent a week in the hospital on oxygen and a month in isolation. Klobuchar shares her experience facing a cancer diagnosis while watching her beloved father succumb to Alzheimer's. She recounts the dramatic narrative of January 6 and how close we came to losing our democracy. And, with her signature humor, she reveals what it's like to work with some of her more well, interesting colleagues. At the crux of these stories is a narrative of resilience - of personal resilience and the resilience of a nation - and, improbably, joy."--

The good girl's guide to getting lost : a memoir of three continents, two friends, and one unexpected adventure
Friedman, Rachel, 1981-

The heart of a woman
Angelou, Maya

Finding my voice
Hussain, Nadiya,
'I am their daughter. They are me. I am my Baba's stubborn back bone and his great brows. I am my mum's resilience and wide birthing hips. I am their profanity, their nerves, I am their traditions, their hang ups, their loss, their tears. I am their human, their child, their daughter.' Born to parents who had emigrated to Britain from Bangladesh, Nadiya Hussain's first roles were those of daughter and sister. Considering her later roles as a devout Muslim entering an arranged marriage and becoming a wife and mother herself, Nadiya questions the barriers that many women, no matter who they are or where they live, have to cross in order to be accepted or heard. Importantly, she shows us how, at the core of it all, we are essentially tackling the same issues throughout our lives despite our cultural, social and religious differences. Each chapter deals with a different role, and Nadiya writes with warmth, humour, honesty and deep emotion about what each one means to her and how she embodies all the different expectations of these roles in her life. Writing about growing up in a large family, who were culturally torn between two countries, to her thoughts on becoming a celebrity, after winning The Great British Bake Off, the later chapters cover her more recent roles of 'baker', 'Twitter handle' and 'TV presenter'

Nine lives my time as MI6's top spy inside al-Qaeda
Dean, Aimen,
"As one of al-Qaeda's most respected scholars and bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden himself. His job was already one of the most dangerous in the world. But what the others didn't know was that he was working undercover for MI6. This is the story of a young Muslim determined to defend his faith, even if it meant dying for the cause, the terrible disillusionment that followed when he realised he was fighting on the wrong side, and the fateful decision to work undercover with his sworn enemy. In a career spanning decades in some of the most lethal conflicts of the past fifty years, we discover what it's like to be at the heart of the global jihad, and what it will take to stop it once and for all."--Amazon

Year of yes
Rhimes, Shonda,
With three hit shows on television and three children at home, Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say NO when an unexpected invitation arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No. And there was the side-benefit of saying No for an introvert like Shonda: nothing new to fear. Then Shonda's sister laid down a challenge: just for one year, try to say YES to the unexpected invitations that come your way. Shonda reluctantly agreed, and the result was nothing short of transformative. In Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes chronicles the powerful impact saying yes had on every aspect of her life -- and how we can all change our lives with one little word: Yes

The last enforcer outrageous stories from the life and times of one of the NBA's fiercest competitors
Oakley, Charles, 1963-
"A memoir from Charles Oakley-one of the toughest and most loyal players in NBA history-featuring unfiltered stories about the journey that basketball has taken him on and his relationships with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, James Dolan, Donald Trump, George Floyd, and so many others."--

Take care of them like my own faith, fortitude, and a surgeon's fight for health justice
Stanford, Ala,
"The founder of the Black Doctors Consortium highlights the devastating racial injustices in our healthcare system in this inspirational memoir and empowering call to action"--

The third Gilmore Girl a memoir
Bishop, Kelly
A candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from Broadway to Hollywood with A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.--

Strangers a memoir of marriage
Burden, Belle,
"It was a great love story, one for the ages. The speed of our beginning and the speed of our ending felt like matching bookends. They both came out of nowhere. He wanted it, he wanted me. And then he didn't. In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha's Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together--building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whiskey sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of twenty years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume. In Strangers, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues that her husband was not who she always thought he was. As she examines her relationship through a new lens, she reckons with her own family history and the lessons she intuited about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal. Through all of it, she is transformed. The discreet, compliant woman she once was--someone nicknamed 'Belle the Good'--gives way to someone braver, someone determined to use her voice. With unflinching honesty and profound grace, Burden charts a path through heartbreak to show the power of a woman who refuses to give up on love. Strangers is a stunning, deeply moving, compulsively readable memoir heralding the arrival of a thrilling new literary talent." --

High hopes : a memoir
Abel, Anne,
"At the age of fifty-nine, Anne has never been to a concert. When she reluctantly goes to see Bruce Springsteen--a man she knows nothing about--his energy, humanity, and enthusiasm onstage life her out of her lifelong depression and make her feel alive. A year later, agter leaving her teaching job and losing the structure it provided her, Anne fears that she will relapse into the deep depression that's plagued her much of her life. Then she remembers: In four months, Bruce Springsteen will be touring in Australia. So, even though Anne hates to travel and be alone, she books the trip. Eight concerts, five cities, twenty-six days. She hopes that harnessing some of Bruce Springsteen's energy will keep her out of the abyss. Anne doesn't go on this trip to change. But much to her surprise, she returns home a different person." -- page [4] of cover

Nowhere girl a memoir of a fugitive childhood
Diamond, Cheryl,
"In this memoir that spans dozens of countries worldwide, a young girl and her family adopt one new identity after another and run from both the law and the secrets that will eventually catch up to all of them"--

Great short works of Edgar Allan Poe poems, tales, criticism
Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849,
The classic poems and spine-tingling stories of an American gothic master collected in one volume. The best of each of these is collected here, including the classic poem "The Raven," and beloved stories like "The Tell-Tale Heart." In his introduction to this volume, G. R. Thompson argues that Poe was a great satirist and comedic craftsman, as well as a formidable Gothic writer

Helen of Troy, 1993 poems
Zoccola, Maria, 1993-
"In the hills of Sparta, Tennessee, in the early nineties, Helen makes a drastic choice to break free from the life that stifles her: marriage, motherhood, the monotonous duties of a small-town housewife. But in this world of community and tradition, leaving isn't the same thing as staying gone... Rooted in the lush natural world of Middle Tennessee, this debut poetry collection explores Helen's isolation and rebellion as her expansive personality wars against the social rigidity of her community. In richly layered poems with settings that range from football games to Chuck E. Cheese to the bathroom of a Motel 6, Helen enters adulthood as a disaffected homemaker grasping for agency. She marries the wrong man, births a child she is not ready to parent, and embarks on an affair that throws her life into chaos. But she never surrenders ownership of her story or her choices, insisting to the reader: "if you never owned a bone-sharp biography . . . / i don't want to hear it. i want you silent. / i want you listening to me." Part retelling, part character study, Helen of Troy, 1993 is a sharp, visceral debut poetry collection that blends the line between myth and modernity with an unforgettable voice that shows the Homeric Helen like she's never been seen before"--

Poetics
Aristotle

Mojave ghost a novel poem
Gander, Forrest, 1956-
"Mojave Ghost initiates an unusually tender bond with the reader as it chronicles an intimate relationship with arresting honesty and vividness. Moving through grief and loss towards a renewal that never sidesteps the wholeness of experience, Gander's new collection discovers an articulate language for the merging of exterior and interior landscapes. Gander, trained as a geologist, walked along much of the 800-mile San Andreas Fault toward the desolate town of his birth and found himself crossing permeable dimensions of time and space, correlating his emotions and the stricken landscape with other divisions: the fractures and folds underlying not only our country, but any self in its relationship with others. The result is this moving new collection that unforgettably describes a spiritual and physical journey. With its confiding tones and candid self-examination, Mojave Ghost is Gander's most inviting and poignant book yet"--

You better be lightning
Gibson, Andrea (Poet),
A queer, political, and feminist collection guided by self-reflection. The poems range from close examination of the deeply personal to the vastness of the world, exploring the expansiveness of the human experience from love to illness, from space to climate change, and so much more in between. One of the most celebrated poets and performers of the last two decades, Andrea Gibson's trademark honesty and vulnerability are on full display in You Better Be Lightning, welcoming and inviting readers to be just as they are

Dog songs thirty-five dog songs and one essay
Oliver, Mary, 1935-2019,

The art of Robert Frost
Kendall, Tim, 1970-
Robert Frost set out with the ambition "to be a poet for all sorts and kinds." The story of how he succeeded in his ambition is dramatized in the poems themselves

The haunted forest trilogy poetry by Jarod K. Anderson
Anderson, Jarod
This three-book poetry collection is comprised of the previously-published Field Guide to the Haunted Forest (2020), Love Notes from the Hollow Tree (2022), and Leaf Litter (2023), collectively known as The Haunted Forest Trilogy. Jarod K. Anderson's best-selling nature poetry is celebrated by readers for its clarity, insight, and warmth. Vivid and approachable, the work gathered here invites readers to rediscover commonplace wonders and find new meaning in topics ranging from moss to mortality. The poems in this trilogy highlight our connection to a living universe and affirm our place in a wilderness worthy of our love

Date & time
Kaye, Phil,
"Phil Kaye's debut collection is a stunning tribute to growing up, and all of the challenges and celebrations of the passing of time, as jagged as it may be. Kaye takes the reader on a journey from a complex but iridescent childhood, drawing them into adolescence, and finally on to adulthood. There are first kisses, lost friendships, hair blowing in the wind while driving the vastness of an empty road, and the author positioned in the middle, trying to make sense of it all. Readers will find joy and vulnerability, in equal measure. Date & Time is a welcoming story, which freezes the calendar and allows us all to live in our best moments."--Amazon.com

Poet X una novela
Acevedo, Elizabeth,
Novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo, about Afro-Latina Xiomara Batista who turns to journalling poetry

Home
Hanson, Whitney,
A first collection of poetry from a 20-year-old university student

Playlist for the Apocalypse poems
Dove, Rita,
"A piercing, unflinching new volume offers necessary music for our tumultuous present, from "perhaps the best public poet we have" (Boston Globe). In her first volume of new poems in twelve years, Rita Dove investigates the vacillating moral compass guiding America's, and the world's, experiments in democracy. Whether depicting the first Jewish ghetto in sixteenth-century Venice or Black Lives Matter, this extraordinary poet never fails to connect history's grand exploits to the triumphs and tragedies of individual lives-the simmering resentment of an elevator operator, an octogenarian's exuberant mambo, the mordant humor of a philosophizing cricket. Audaciously playful yet grave, alternating poignant meditations on mortality and acerbic observations of injustice, Playlist for the Apocalypse takes us from the smallest moments of redemption to apocalyptic failures of the human soul"--

Two minds poems
Siskel, Callie,
"Does loss define us, or do we define loss? Tracing the duality of grief as it reverberates through a family, Callie Siskel wrestles with questions of identity and inheritance in precise, lucid poetry. Two Minds indulges and therefore exposes the vanity of turning private pain into art and the pursuit of self-revelation. Drawing on ekphrasis, ars poetica, and the prose poem, Siskel expands the elegiac genre as she oscillates between childhood and adulthood, art and mythology, as well as the natural and domestic world. At once cerebral and emotional, Two Minds is an essential meditation on the ways that loss cleaves and doubles our perceptive power."--

Women holding things
Kalman, Maira,
"Women Holding Things includes the bright, bold images featured in the booklet as well as an additional sixty-seven new paintings highlighted by thoughtful and intimate anecdotes, recollections, and ruminations. Most are portraits of women, both ordinary and famous, including Virginia Woolf, Sally Hemings, Hortense Cezanne, Gertrude Stein, as well as Kalman's family members and other real-life people. These women hold a range of objects, from the mundane--balloons, a cup, a whisk, a chicken, a hat--to the abstract--dreams and disappointments, sorrow and regret, joy and love. Women Holding Things explores the significance of the objects we carry--in our hands, hearts, and minds--and speaks to, and for, all of us. Maira Kalman's unique work is a celebration of life, of the act and the art of living, offering an original way of examining and understanding all that is important in our world--and ultimately within ourselves." --

The road not taken and other poems
Frost, Robert, 1874-1963,
"A deluxe edition of Frost's early poems, selected by poet David Orr for the centennial of "The Road Not Taken" For one hundred years, Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" has enchanted and challenged readers with its deceptively simple premise--a person reaches a fork in the road, facing a choice full of doubt and possibility. The Road Not Taken and Other Poems presents Frost's best-loved poem along with other works from his brilliant early years, including such poems as "After Apple-Picking," "The Oven Bird," and "Mending Wall." Award-winning poet and critic David Orr's introduction discusses why Frost remains so central (if often misunderstood) in American culture and how the beautiful intricacy of his poetry keeps inviting generation after generation to search for meaning in his work. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators"--

Brawler stories
Groff, Lauren,
"Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region--from New England to Florida to California--these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans' dark and light angels"--

The Italian summer kitchen timeless recipes for la dolce vita
Whims, Cathy,
"For a culinary tour of Italy, or a master class in creating the nation's many regional gems in your home kitchen, you couldn't ask for a better tour guide than Cathy Whims. Cathy brings together dishes from Italy's many and varied regions, united by her masterful interpretation of cucina povera - literally 'food of the poor', which means fresh produce, local meats, handmade pasta and pizza and simple cooking methods. These recipes for drinks, appetisers, pasta, pizza, risottos, meat and fish and desserts are united not by region but by feeling: everything is authentically Italian yet easy for the home cook to create no matter where they live"--

A proposal to die for
Harper, Molly,
"A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a former wedding planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two). Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingencies and pros and cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rising rent costs, she jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard ... the Fourth. Jess joins Diana's bachelorette retreat at the family-run Golden Ash resort. But their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the spa's "no cell phone" rule, the couple next door is fighting, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she's warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie? As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she finds herself spending time with Dean-just to avoid the drama, of course. But when an "accident" claims the life of one guest and Jess discovers another body (in the sauna of all places), it's clear secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it's up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains--before she's silenced for good"--

The mother-daughter book club
Patterson, Susan, 1957-
"Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club--four longtime college friends and their five daughters--more often discuss the books on their nightstands via 2 a.m. texts than in-person meetings. And maybe it's just as well, after what happened at their last get-together... So it's an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the spectacular shores of Italy's Lake Como. Sightseeing excursions, reminiscing fueled by "Como-politans," and a hint of vacation romance all build toward the book club's trademark "Night of Secrets." These friends, and sometimes rivals, are close readers--of novels, memoirs, and of each other. But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations"--

Die for me
Obuobi, Shirlene,
"A stay-up-all-night, smart, spicy romance following a doctor who finds herself falling for an alluring, much-younger man with a deadly secret. Sean's not in the market for love. The only female, let alone Black, interventional cardiologist at her hospital, she's watched too many of her male colleagues divorce their first wives to marry younger models-and then there's the abusive relationship she's spent the better part of her early 30s healing from. Her passions are reserved for her best friend, her goddaughter, and her job. Then she meets Julian. Brooding, beautiful and eleven years her junior. In short: A bad idea. Julian pursues her in a way that sets off alarm bells in her mind, but she finds herself unable to resist their undeniable chemistry-even starts fantasizing about him in dreams that feel altogether too real. They also have a lot in common despite their age gap. So, to hell with it: If men can date younger, why can't she? But the more Sean gets to know him, the more impossible Julian seems: He has a depth and sorrow to him that's beyond his years, and sometimes there's a look in his eyes that's less than human, and leaves her feeling more like prey. Plus, Sean herself has been exhibiting odd symptoms-memory lapses, a lack of restraint that's unlike her, persistent exhaustion-that all trace back to Julian, making Sean feeling more than a little afraid. Who-or what-is she falling, irrevocably, in love with? Extraordinarily transfixing, suspenseful, and addictive, Die for Me is nothing short of a seduction"--Provided by publisher

The ultimate meal prep cookbook one grocery list. a week of meals. no waste.
America's Test Kitchen (Firm),
The experts from America's Test Kitchen offer a selection of varied, quick-prepare meal plans designed to save both time and money, outlining recommendations for pre-making vegetables and grains, organizing bulk pantry ingredients and effectively storing leftovers

The brittle age
Di Pietrantonio, Donatella,
In the Maiella mountains of Central Italy, a brutal crime shatters the peace of a small town. It is the 1990s and Lucia is twenty years old at the time. The only survivor of the crime is her best friend. Years later, Lucia is a physiotherapist separating from her husband. When the pandemic forces her daughter Amanda to return from Milan to the family home, Lucia's memories are reawakened, and with them the impact of past trauma. This gripping family drama weaves together Lucia and Amanda's personal struggles with the mysteries surrounding the tragedy that scarred their family land decades earlier. Inspired by true events.

Python's kiss stories
Erdrich, Louise,
Written over the past two decades, Louise Erdrich's magnificent story collection features a range of characters--a tribal newsletter editor whose son tells her a story that nothing in her experience can encompass, immigrant farmers whose tenuous hold on the earth, and sanity, is challenged, and ordinary people, bird lovers, artists, grade-school teachers, and romantics. A girl decides to spend her life with a stone. A man is confronted with a folk-singing thief. A woman enters a corporately owned afterlife to seek revenge on her father. Accompanied by specially commissioned artwork by Aza Erdrich Abe--an intimate and revelatory creative collaboration between mother and daughter--these stories offer an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom and brilliant, wide-ranging imagination of one of America's most important writers

And the crowd went wild
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth,
"After a mortifying--and very public--humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn't seen in almost twenty years? But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he's a grid iron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods--and out of his sight"--

I'm a lot surviving myself and all the people I've been
Leiby, Alison,
"Have you ever frozen when someone asks, 'So, tell me about yourself?' If so, take a page from I'm a Lot. Alison Leiby proudly embraces the identities we're often encouraged to hide: Housewives stan. Discount shopaholic. Former jock. Happily single. Childless by choice and proud cat mom. Through these different roles and identities, Leiby reveals her hard-earned wisdom about what it's like to be a woman who does it all (except for the things that make her say 'uh, no thank you'). When she was nineteen years old, a complication from back surgery left Leiby on her deathbed. After a surprising recovery, you might assume Leiby was ready to seize life by the you-know-whats. But instead of letting this one miraculous experience define her, Leiby's brush with death made her realize there is nothing more beautiful in this life than just getting to be yourself. And while women are still expected to conform to many patriarchal labels, Leiby ignores the pressure to be palatable and instead champions all the joyful, weird, and complicated selves she brings to the world. In fourteen personal essays full of deadpan jokes, tender moments of candid introspection, and insightful social commentary, Leiby encourages us to ditch the manufactured Instagram persona and embrace the fact that sometimes the puzzle pieces don't always fit to create a perfect picture, but that doesn't mean we are incomplete." --

The widow
Grisham, John,
"#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham is the acclaimed master of the legal thriller. Now, he's back with his first-ever whodunit, even more suspenseful than his courtroom dramas, as a small-time lawyer accused of murder races to find the real killer to clear his name. Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it. Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn't commit: murder. Simon knows he's innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer..."-- Provided by publisher

Nothing tastes as good
Dumas, Luke,
"Retail worker Emmett Truesdale has never fit the Southern California mold of six-pack, suntanned masculinity. Over three hundred pounds, he carries the weight of his childhood trauma and millennial ennui around his waist and in his soul. After trying every diet under the sun, he remains stuck--in his dead-end job, in love, and in his body. Desperate for help, he enrolls in a clinical trial for a new weight loss product called Obexity. The treatment is as horrifying as the results are miraculous and as Emmett sheds pounds at superhuman speed, every part of his life improves overnight. Unfortunately, Obexity comes with some killer side effects, including lost stretches of time and overwhelming cravings. Worse, people who were cruel to him have started disappearing and when the police warn of a cannibalistic killer on the loose, he fears that Obexity is turning him into a monster. But how can he give it up now that people are finally starting to treat him like he's human?"--

The summer table : recipes and menus for casual outdoor entertaining
Lemke, Lisa, 1981-
"Summertime--and the outdoor entertaining is easy! Warm the grill, whip up some sides and sweets, and prepare to share these simple, delicious dishes. Festive menus feature a Mexican Grill Party, Father's Day Barbecue, Beach Buffet, and Cocktail Party, along with picnics, pizza, lunches, and brunches. Filled with cooking tips and ideas for marinades, sauces, salsas, and more, The Summer Table celebrates the season's best"--

An American beauty
Abé, Shana,
"When a railroad baron falls for a uniform girl at a gambling parlor thirty years his junior, he moves her to New York posing as a well-heeled Southern widow where her shrewd investing instincts build her a fortune"--

After the fall
Ashton, Edward (Science fiction writer),
"Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17), asks an important question: would humans really make great pets? Humans must be silent. Humans must be obedient. Humans must be good. All his life, John has tried to live by those rules. Most days, it's not too difficult. A hundred and twenty years after The Fall, and a hundred years after the grays swept in to pick the last dregs of humanity out of the wreckage of a ruined world, John has found himself bonded to Martok Barden nee Black Hand, one of the "good" grays. Sure, Martok is broke, homeless, and borderline manic, but he's always treated John like an actual person, and sometimes like a friend. It's a better deal than most humans get. But when Martok puts John's bond up as collateral against an abandoned house in the woods that he hopes to turn into a wilderness retreat for wealthy grays, John learns that there are limits to Martok's friendship. Soon he finds himself caught between an underworld boss who thinks Martok is something that he very much is not, a girl who was raised by feral humans and has nothing but contempt for pets like John, and Martok himself, whose delusions of grandeur seem to be finally catching up with him. Also, not for nothing, something in the woods has been killing people"-- Provided by publisher

Dolly all the time
Monaghan, Annabel,
"If they start by pretending, can they end with something real? Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn't solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home. So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield: annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family: with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it's in her nature to help. But Stewart's proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She's never relied on anyone besides herself, can she really start now?"--Provided by publisher

Before I forget
Henwood Hoen, Tory,
"A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back-and in moving us forward-for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame. Call it inertia. Call it a quarter-life crisis. Whatever you call it, Cricket Campbell is stuck. Despite working at a zeitgeisty wellness company, the 26-year-old feels anything but well. Still adrift after a tragedy that upended her world a decade ago, she has entered early adulthood under the weight of a new burden: her father's Alzheimer's diagnosis. When Cricket's older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father's caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises. As Cricket settles back into the family house at Catwood Pond-a place she once loved, but hasn't visited since she was a teenager-she discovers that her father possesses a rare gift: as he loses his grasp of the past, he is increasingly able to predict the future. Before long, Arthur cements his reputation as an unlikely oracle, but for Cricket, believing in her father's prophecies might also mean facing the most painful parts of her history. As she begins to remember who she once was, she uncovers a vital truth: the path forward often starts by going back. With laugh-out-loud humor and profound grace, Before I Forget explores the nuances of family, the complexities of memory, and how sometimes, the people we know the best are the ones who surprise us the most"-- Provided by publisher

A horse's world a neuroscientist's journey into the equine mind
Jones, Janet L. (Neuroscientist),
In the spirit of An Immense World and Soul of an Octopus, an award-winning neuroscientist and veteran horse trainer illuminates the mysteries of equine cognition and behavior, through her own extraordinary bond with a horse named True North

Upon a starlit tide
Woods, Kell,
"Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taughtto sail by Samuel, her best friend--and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea. Immediately drawn in by the stranger's charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper--or the scales of a sea-maid's tail"--

Play nice
Harrison, Rachel, 1989-
"Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so-glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio's parent's messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That's not what Clio's sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped Alex of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house. After Alex's sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house-flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother's claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother's book, the presence in the house becomes more real, and more sinister, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio's beautiful life to its very foundation"--

The possession of Alba Díaz
Cañas, Isabel,
"When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn't trust... from bestselling author Isabel Cañas. In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family's isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong. Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family's legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin's betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can't help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them... and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon's thirst for blood grows stronger. In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and one another... not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom"--

My name is Emilia del Valle
Allende, Isabel,
"In San Francisco in 1866, an Irish nun, abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman. To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of seventeen, she begins to publish pulp fiction using a man's pen name. When these fictional worlds can no longer satisfy her sense of adventure, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan. As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, as does Eric, and while there, she meets her estranged father and delves into the violent confrontation in the country where her roots lie. As she and Eric discover love, the war escalates and Emilia finds herself in extreme danger, fearing for her life and questioning her identity and her destiny." --

The Grand Paloma Resort
Natera, Cleyvis,
"The Grand Paloma Resort is a lush paradise in the Dominican Republic where the guests enjoy incredible luxury, and the staff is always eager to please-that is, until they are pushed to the brink"-- Provided by publisher

Hombrecito
Sanchez, Santiago Jose,
"A novel by a brilliant new voice, Hombrecito is a queer coming-of-age story about a young immigrant's complex relationships with his mother and his motherland."--

Catalina
Cornejo Villavicencio, Karla,
"Catalina is trying to work out her own life as she leaves her undocumented family behind to enter Harvard. Suffering from bouts of PTSD, she struggles to connect to her new world just as she struggled to make sense of her old one. She infiltrates the subcultures of elite undergrads-internships and college newspapers, parties and secret societies-and observes them like an anthropologist, but then falls in love, or something like love, with a fellow student, an actual anthropology scholar who wants to teach her about the Andean world she was born in but never knew. They are drawn to each other by the strange attraction of exocticized fascination-she, a real live Latin American, becomes a subject of academic interest; he, in turns, draws her fascination as a white legacy admit born into the strange world she now navigates. Catalina is uncertain: should she let herself become what he wants her to be and take up residence in his secure and privileged world? Or should she return to the life she's known, with all its thorny precarity? Who is she anyway?"--

The dance and the fire
Saldaña París, Daniel, 1984-
"After years apart, three high school friends return to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where an intense love triangle once left an indelible mark on their adolescence. The city, surrounded by a ring of claustrophobic wildfires, brings out the past and confronts them with their present: they must once again face the entanglement of friendship and desire, the seemingly distant discovery of sexuality, complex parental relationships, and the daunting task of artistic fulfillment. In the background, two forces of chaos and destruction are a constant presence. As fires ravage the physical landscape, one of the friends begins choreographing an ecstatic dance inspired by the German expressionist Mary Wigman and medieval Danse Macabre. What starts as a coping mechanism for the anxieties of youth and climate catastrophe becomes an overpowering, all-consuming hysteria. Mysterious powers are awakened, the boundary between reality and myth begins to blur, and the friends find themselves immersed in an increasingly turbulent and uncertain universe"--

Loca
Heredia, Alejandro, 1994-
"It's 1999, and best friends Sal and Charo are striving to hold on to their dreams in a New York determined to grind them down. Sal is a book-loving science nerd trying to grow beyond his dead-end job in a new city, but he's held back by tragic memories from his past in Santo Domingo. Free-spirited Charo is surprised to find herself a mother at twenty-five, partnered with a controlling man, working at the same supermarket for years, her world shrunk to the very domesticity she thought she'd escaped in her old country. When Sal finds love at a gay club one night, both his and Charo's worlds unexpectedly open up to a vibrant social circle that pushes them to reckon with what they owe to their own selves, pasts, futures, and, always, each other." --

Speak to me of home
Cummins, Jeanine,
"What does it mean to call a place home? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story On her wedding day in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1968, Rafaela Acuña y Daubón has mild misgivings, but she marries Peter Brennan Jr. anyway in a blaze of romantic optimism. She has no way of knowing how dramatically her life will change when she uproots her young family to start over in the American Midwest, unleashing a fleet of disappointments. In the 1980s, against the backdrop of her mother's isolation in St. Louis, Missouri, Rafaela's daughter, Ruth Brennan, wants only to belong. Eager to fit in, Ruth lets go of her language, habits, and childhood memories of Puerto Rico. It's not until decades later when Ruth's own daughter, Daisy, returns to San Juan that her mother and grandmother begin to truly reflect on the choices that have come to define their lives. When a hurricane ravages the island in 2023, leaving Daisy critically injured, Rafaela and Ruth return to the city where it all began. As they gather at Daisy's bedside, we follow them back into the pasts that brought them to this point: we watch as they come of age, fall in love, take risks, and contend with all the heartbreaks, triumphs, and reversals of fortune--both good and bad--that make up a meaningful life. As old memories come to light, so do buried secrets, leaving everyone in the family wondering exactly where it is that they belong. A striking, resonant examination of marriage, family, and identity, Speak to Me of Home is ultimately a story of mothers and daughters that asks: How can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where they come from? And, more importantly, can they discover a common language to find their way back home?"--

The intrigue
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia,
"Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won't last forever, and he's desperate to get his hands on a real fortune. He thinks he's found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn't expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt's household. When Inés discovers Ulises' true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. They'll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. Easy, fast and clean. But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. And although Ulises does not believe in true romance, Inés is more alluring than he bargained on. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated. Venture into the streets of a small town where the patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust"--

Last night in Brooklyn
Gonzalez, Xochitl, 1977-
"New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor's secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000's Fort Greene, Brooklyn. SPRING, 2007 At twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She's in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother's beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and possibility that the striving crowd of creatives holds, and moves in. No one embodies this more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer whose epic house parties fuel neighborhood lore. La Garza's life, observed by Alicia from her apartment across the street, seems to hold the allure and fearlessness Alicia has never dared to imagine for herself. But when Alicia's wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza's precarious lives. Against the backdrop of a potentially life-changing presidential election and a looming once-in-a-generation fiscal crisis, Last Night in Brooklyn explores the dark compromise of the American Dream for people of color living, unknowingly, in the twilight of a cultural moment. It is a story about everything money can buy--and the destruction of what it can't"--

I give you my silence
Vargas Llosa, Mario, 1936-2025,
"In his final novel, the Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa returns to his native Peru"-- Provided by publisher

Autobiography of cotton
Rivera Garza, Cristina, 1964-
"In 1934, a young Jose Revueltas traveled to Tamaulipas to support the cotton workers' strike in Estacion Camaron, which became the basis of his landmark novel Human Mourning. In her own groundbreaking novel, Autobiography of Cotton, Cristina Rivera Garza recounts her grandparents' journey from mining towns to those same cotton fields as it intersects with Revueltas's life in a vivid and evocative history of cotton cultivation along the Mexico-US border. Through archival research and personal narrative, Rivera Garza chronicles the way cotton transformed the borderlands by reconstructing the cotton workers' strike and reveals how cycles of deprivation and ecocide persist across generations. Deeply personal and politically acute, Rivera Garza crafts a new kind of border novel that tells how a brittle land radically altered her grandparents' lives and the territories they helped develop. An intimate fictionalization, Autobiography of Cotton reveals a rich social history of agricultural colonization, labor activism, environmental degradation, and cross-border migration"-- Provided by publisher

Frida's cook
Etcheves, Florencia, 1971-
"This colorful, emotive historical debut whisks us to the home of Frida Kahlo, where food, art, and love weave together an unforgettable story of friendship and loyalty, with a bright Coyoacán as a vivid background. A hidden painting. A buried past. A legacy waiting to be uncovered. Mexico City, 1939: Young and determined Nayeli Cruz flees from her Oaxaca home to arrive in Mexico City with neither friends nor prospects. Alone and armed only with her sharp wit and extraordinary talent in the kitchen, she finds herself in front of La Caza Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. As she begins work as the artist's cook, Nayeli is pulled into Frida's world of pain, passion, and defiance. But it isn't long before amid the vibrant tapestry of flavors, scents, and colors, the two women form a deep bond--one that will shape the course of Nayeli's life and leave behind a secret buried in art. Buenos Aires, Present Day: Paloma, Nayeli's granddaughter, stumbles upon a mysterious painting depicting her grandmother as a young woman. The artist's identity is unknown, but the artwork's existence threatens to unravel long-held family secrets. As Paloma delves into her grandmother's past, she uncovers a tale of passion, betrayal, and resilience that challenges everything she thought she knew about the one woman who raised her"--

My name is Emilia del Valle
Allende, Isabel,
"In San Francisco in 1866, an Irish nun, abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman. To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of seventeen, she begins to publish pulp fiction using a man's pen name. When these fictional worlds can no longer satisfy her sense of adventure, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan. As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, as does Eric, and while there, she meets her estranged father and delves into the violent confrontation in the country where her roots lie. As she and Eric discover love, the war escalates and Emilia finds herself in extreme danger, fearing for her life and questioning her identity and her destiny." --

Deeper than the ocean
Ojito, Mirta A.,
"One hundred years after the shipwreck of the Valbanera, known to history as the 'poor man's Titanic', Mara Denis gets an assignment to report on the Canary Islands, where her ancestors lived before they moved to Cuba. Unexpectedly, she discovers that the grandmother her mother cherished was listed among the dead of the Valbanera, years before Mara's mother was even born. This fateful twist changes everything Mara thought she knew about her family and herself, and sends her on a quest to find the truth. If her great grandmother is a ghost, who is she and where did she come from?"--

Malinalli
Chapa, Veronica,
An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico's history and mythology

Last night in Brooklyn
Gonzalez, Xochitl, 1977-
"New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor's secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000's Fort Greene, Brooklyn. SPRING, 2007 At twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She's in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother's beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and possibility that the striving crowd of creatives holds, and moves in. No one embodies this more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer whose epic house parties fuel neighborhood lore. La Garza's life, observed by Alicia from her apartment across the street, seems to hold the allure and fearlessness Alicia has never dared to imagine for herself. But when Alicia's wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza's precarious lives. Against the backdrop of a potentially life-changing presidential election and a looming once-in-a-generation fiscal crisis, Last Night in Brooklyn explores the dark compromise of the American Dream for people of color living, unknowingly, in the twilight of a cultural moment. It is a story about everything money can buy--and the destruction of what it can't"--
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