Category Archives: Entertainment

SEK Library System Newsletter for November 2021

The SEKnFind Newsletter
November 2021

This newsletter about new books is distributed to people who are registered adult users at a southeast Kansas library participating in the SEKnFind catalog. We hope you find it useful, but if you don’t wish to receive this anymore, you can click on the “Manage Subscriptions or Unsubscribe” link at the bottom.
All the books included in this newsletter are new additions in one or more SEKnFind libraries–and since the catalog is shared, that means they are available to you whether they are in your local library or not!  Just place a hold on the item(s) you want.  If you don’t know how, your librarian can show you.

New Fiction

The neighbor’s secret
by L. Alison HellerWhen late-night acts of vandalism target the women of the Cottonwood Book Club in increasingly violent and personal ways, they are forced to decide just how far they will go to keep their secrets and protect their children—even if it means someone has to die. 75,000 first printing.

Sleigh bells ring
by RaeAnne ThayneWhen Tate Sheridan unexpectedly returns home to Angel’s View Ranch, caretaker Annie McCade is shocked when he lets her to stay in exchange for posing as his long-lost love to keep his busybody matchmaking grandmother off his back—a ruse that leads to something more. 10,000 first printing.

When two feathers fell from the sky
by Margaret Verble”Louise Erdrich meets Karen Russell in this deliciously strange and daringly original novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble: set in 1926 Nashville, it follows a death-defying young Cherokee horse-diver who, with her companions from the Glendale Park Zoo, must get to the bottom of a mystery that spans centuries”

56 days
by Catherine Ryan Howard”No one even knew they were together. Now one of them is dead. 56 DAYS AGO. Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores. 35 DAYS AGO. When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who-and what-he really is. TODAY. Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside. Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?”

Riverbend Gap
by Denise HunterMoving to a small North Carolina town to be near her new boyfriend, Katelyn Loveland, after a chance encounter, finds herself falling in love with local sheriff’s deputy Cooper Robinson—her boyfriend’s brother—and stands to lose everything. Original.

A flicker of light
by Katie PownerWidower Mitch Jensen is at a loss with how to handle his mother’s odd, forgetful behaviors and his daughter’s sudden return, but when his mother reveals a long-held secret about her past, their lives will never be the same. Original.

These bones
by Kayla Chenault”In a neighborhood known as the Bramble Patch, the Lyons family endures despite poverty, racism, and the ghoulish appetites of an underworld kingpin called the Barghest. As the years pass and the neighborhood falls into decay, along with the town that surrounds it, what’s left of the Bramble Patch will learn the saying is true: These bones are gonna rise again”

Trashlands
by Alison StinePlucking plastic, which is now currency, from rivers and fields to sell or trade, artist Coral is forced to dance at Trashlands to recoup her savings in an attempt to rescue her son from the recycling factories, in this love story to survival in an unloved place. 50,000 first printing.

The body scout : a novel
by Lincoln Michel”Kobo has some problems. His cybernetics are a decade out of date, he’s got a pair of twin sister loan sharks knocking on his door, and his work scouting for a baseball league run by pharmaceutical companies is about to go belly-up. Things couldn’t get much worse. Then his childhood best friend–Monsanto Mets slugger J.J. Zunz–is murdered at home plate. Determined to find the killer, Kobo plunges into the dark corners and glittering cloud condos of a world ravaged by climate change and repeat pandemics,and where genetic editing and advanced drugs mean you can have any body you want–as long as you can afford it. But even among the philosophical Neanderthals, zootech weapons, and genetically modified CEOs, there’s a curveball he never could have called”

Hyde
by Craig RussellThe chief detective of Edinburgh in Victorian Scotland is shocked and appalled when he finds himself at the scene of a grisly murder, with no idea how he got there in this reimagining of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Down range : a novel
by Taylor MooreAn elite, undercover DEA officer helps out a formerly-peaceful ranching community in Texas who are under assault by a group of criminals controlled by a rich, entitled businessmen with ties to law enforcement and local businesses. 100,000 first printing.

Winter wolves
by Matthew P. Mayo””One man’s quest to lose himself in the West.” Roamer’s long-planned winter snowshoe trek to the high, lonesome peaks of the Bitterroots takes a hard turn when the big loner of a woodsman finds his mentor, cantankerous mountain man Maple Jack, savaged, terrorized, and raving about the Alooknok, blood-eyed demons who absconded with his cold-weather mate, Winter Woman, a no-nonsense healer and midwife. It’s up to Roamer to rescue her. He takes to the trail in the wake of a blizzard, battling winter-starved timber wolves and the unforgiving elements. Tracking him, the addled Maple Jack falls prey to a trio of greasy wolfers. Then the very demons Roamer seeks find him-and force him deep into the belly of the beast, a foreboding, grim place in the raw mountains where sunlight never shines. A brutal battle among friends, enemies, and Alooknok will seal their fates and haunt the few survivors . . . forever”

New Nonfiction

Around the world in 80 books
by David Damrosch”A transporting and illuminating voyage around the globe, through classic and modern literary works that are in conversation with one another and with the world around them”

The age of AI : and our human future
by Henry KissingerThree leading thinkers put their heads together to explore Artificial Intelligence and how it will change our relationships with knowledge, politics and the societies in which we live. 100,000 first printing.

The book of hope : a survival guide for trying times
by Jane GoodallTold through stories from an extraordinary career and fascinating research, this urgent book, written by the world’s most famous living naturalist and an internationally best-selling author, explores one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature—hope. 300,000 first printing.

The end of bias : a beginning : the science and practice of overcoming unconscious bias
by Jessica Nordell”A transformative, groundbreaking exploration into how we can eradicate unintentional bias and discrimination, the great challenge of our age”

Frequently asked questions about the universe
by Jorge ChamYou’ve got questions: about space, time, gravity, and your odds of meeting your older self inside a wormhole, and all the answers you need are right here. Illustrations.

Immune : A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive
by Philipp DettmerThe creator of a popular educational YouTube channel presents and illustrated journey through the human body’s immune system, with each chapter focusing on an element including defenses like antibodies and inflammation as well as threats like bacteria, allergies and cancer. Illustrations.

Gastro obscura : a food adventurer’s guide
by Cecily WongThe team behind Atlas Obscura, a friendly tour-guide to the world’s most amazing places, presents incredible ingredients, food adventures and edible wonders from around the world, including Chilean beer made from fog and 2,000-year-old egg ovens. 250,000 first printing. Illustrations.

Pottery for beginners : projects for beautiful ceramic bowls, mugs, vases and more
by Kara Leigh Ford”If you ever daydream about delving into pottery but aren’t sure where to begin, this is your book. Professional potter Kara Leigh Ford will be your personal pottery guide, helping you to overcome any doubts about your abilities. All you need are curiosity and a few simple tools to mold stunning stoneware with confidence. Inspiring projects and primers on equipment, technique, clay types and setting up a workspace make pottery approachable for complete newcomers, as well as budding potters who want to hone their skills. Plus, gorgeous photos from Kara’s studio offer visual guidance every step of the way”

Code name Badass : the true story of Virginia Hall
by Heather DemetriosThis rebellious and revolutionary biography of the most dangerous of all Allied spies follows Virginia Hall as she plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Hitler’s henchman, becoming the Gestapo’s most wanted spy. 30,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations.

Bucket list USA
by Fodor’s TravelA trave guide packed with 500 carefully curated “must” lists to see and do in the United States, including Grand Canyon camping, cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, walking through sunflowers in Kansas and partying at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Original. Illustrations. Maps.

Even more reading suggestions

NextReads Sneak Peek
Looking for something else to read? Try subscribing to our free NextReads newsletters. Newsletters are divided into a variety of genres and topics so you can get recommendations tailored to your interests sent directly to your inbox every month to two months.
Each issue contains around 9 to 10 reading suggestions. If we don’t have a copy, make a purchase suggestion or ask your library about in
…

Gordon Parks Museum to Celebrate Gordon Parks Birthday on November 30


Fort Scott–The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College will celebrate the anniversary of Gordon Parks’ birthday on Tuesday, November 30th with the showing of films by or about Parks throughout the day along with cupcakes for visitors.

The event is free of charge and the public is invited to attend.

The schedule of showings throughout the day will include:
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – “The Learning Tree,” (Filmed in Fort Scott) 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – “Half Past Autumn” 2:30 p.m. –4:30 p.m. – “Solomon Northup’s Odyssey”

Parks, born in Fort Scott on November 30, 1912, would have been 109 this year. He died in March, 2006 at the age of 93. For more information contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700, ext.5850 or by email at gordonparkscenter@fortscott.edu.
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Shopping Extravaganza On Nov. 22

Monday, November 22nd is the VIP Fall Extravaganza that will be held at the Fort Scott Middle School in the Gymnasium & Commons Area from 5-8 p.m.

This is a one-stop shopping and dining experience.

Pick up baked goods for your Thanksgiving dinner, purchase holiday gifts, and hear holiday music – all in one great evening.

Donated items from vendors will be available as raffle prizes.

Participating Vendors:

*2 Southern Ladies / Jessica Cullen
Baked Goods / Hunter Parker
*Bids & Dibs / Angela Simon
*Color Street / Heather Geiger
*Cowboy Christmas Store & Murphy Boys / Jaymie Murphy
*Crystal’s Jewelry / Carolyn Crystal
*Custom Jewelry / Laura Howard
*Desert Bloom / Jimmie Hughes
Dixie’s Lilla Rose / Dixie Jackson
*Down Home Country Crafter / Cindy Hall
*Flying P Ranch / Abbie Powell & Jolynne Mitchell
FSHS After Prom 2022 / Amy Harper
FSMS Technology Products / Adam Feagins
*Funky Junktiques / Jennifer Cox
*Happy Little Candle Factory / Lori Craig
*Home Sewn Items / Micki Kraft
*Laree + Co. / Rachel French
*Locust Hill Lamanchas / Sue Reinecke
Mixed Media Mosaics / Cindi Lipe
*Paul L. Milks Photography / Paul L. Milks
*Plain Jane’s Soap / Heather Mace & Pamela Walters
*Redbud Farms & Nurseries / Tara Allen
*Shirt Shack / Billy Webster
*Sugar Bakery / Jessie Combs
*Sunshine Boutique / Georgia Brown
*The Purse Lady / Nancy Crawford
*The Spurred Mule Creations and Décor / Jessica Norwood
*Tiger Threads / Morgan Sage
*Tupperware / Shawn O’Brien
*Uppacreek Ranch / Doug Simpson
*Well Spring Acres / Penny Moore
*Wood Crafts & Art / Wilbur Fleming

*These vendors will be donating items to be raffled that evening.
Tickets may be purchased for $0.25 each. Winners need not be
present to win.

Monday, November 22nd
Fort Scott Middle School
Gymnasium & Commons Area
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Parking is available on the east, west, and south sides of the school.

Handicapped Swing In Gunn Park

The new swing is provided for handicapped individuals by the Kiwanis Club of Fort Scott Pioneers. Photo taken on Nov. 6.

The Kiwanis Club of Fort Scott Pioneers’ donation of a handicapped swing placement in Gunn Park is nearly completed.

Gunn Park is the largest public park in Fort Scott and is located on the west side of the city, off of Park Avenue.

“The one-size-fits-most swing offers a unique opportunity for area children and families to engage in healthy outdoor play together and help youth to develop a variety of physical and social skills,” Kellye Collins, spokeswoman for the club said.

The location is north of Shelter House No. 3 near the big lake, she said.

The name of the project is the Joyce True Memorial Project for Children, and sponsoring in addition to the club, were the City of Fort Scott, the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, the Kansas Kiwanis Foundation, along with the friends and family of Joyce True.

“The project began with the passing of longtime Pioneers club member, Joyce True in July 2019,” Collins said.

“There will be a dedication of the swing in the spring of 2022,” she said. “We hope the city will have completed the landscaping by then.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.

“This project honors Joyce while fulfilling the Kiwanis mission to serve children and the community,” Collins said.

To view a prior story on the swing:

Pioneer Kiwanis Initiates Collaboration For Community Friendship Swing

Presentation Explores The Fight For Women’s Suffrage in Kansas

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is located a 1 S. Main, Fort Scott.

Fort Scott, Kansas – Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott will host “The Fight for Women’s Suffrage in Kansas,” a presentation and discussion via Zoom by Dr. Sarah Bell on Friday, November 19th, 2021 at 3:30pm, at the Lowell Milken Center at 1 South Main Street. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes at #620-223-1312 for more information. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas. Refreshments will be provided for those attending at the Center.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82602725600?pwd=UE10T0R2T1hCb2prTi9TZ1NWZmZpZz09

Meeting ID: 826 0272 5600
Passcode: 269586

Kansas was repeatedly a leader in advancing progressive issues and rights for women during the late 19th century. However, one cannot talk about women’s suffrage, without noting that the movement and its leaders were primarily white and middle class. Many of these women practiced and perpetuated prejudice against Black women throughout women’s organizations at this time. However, Black women were as actively involved in pushing for equal and civil rights in Kansas as their white counterparts. This presentation will highlight several Black women who were leaders in suffrage, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, and women’s clubs, while walking through the fifty-year chronology of women fighting to get the vote in Kansas. It will also touch on key events and leaders, while examining why it took so many years to achieve this milestone called suffrage.

Sarah Bell has a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in History and is Development Officer at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence. Her dissertation studied woman suffragists’ participation with the Chautauqua Movement.

“The women I research inspire me to fight for progress and justice in our world today. Sharing their stories is a way to honor and recognize their hard work at advancing our society,” said Bell.

This presentation is part of Kansas’s Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.

For more information about “The Fight for Women’s Suffrage in Kansas” presentation in Fort Scott, contact the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes or call #620-223-1312 or visit our Facebook page – Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

About Humanities Kansas

Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with our partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.

About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 © (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung heroes. Once their projects are finished, we advocate the student’s unsung heroes by sharing them in our Hall of Unsung Heroes or our website so people all over the world discover their individual influence and obligation to take actions that improve the lives of others. The Hall of Unsung Heroes is proudly located in Southeast Kansas and showcases some of the top projects developed in collaboration with the Center.

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New Mural In Riverfront Park

Stephen Toal stands in front of his latest mural, entitled, United We Stand, Divided We Fall, on the Riverfront Loop Road, under the Hwy. 69 underpass on Wednesday afternoon.

On November 8, local artist Stephen Toal was finishing up a new mural he has painted in the tunnel of the Hwy. 69 underpass on the Riverfront Loop Road in Riverfront Park.

He was inspired to create some patriotic themes featuring the Statue of Liberty along with the skyline of New York and the symbol of America, the Bald Eagle.

He said the name of the mural is United We Stand, Divided We Fall, which he felt was fitting for this time in America. The pandemic, social justice issues, and political divides are the news of the day in the last year and a half since the pandemic began.

For Toal, the project was set back a bit by stolen paint left at the site last week.

“Somebody stole my paint,” Toal said. “But it’s pretty cool that people came together and purchased more paint for me.”

“I’m going to open an account for community projects,” he said. “I don’t like messing with money,”

He has done six community murals in Fort Scott parks and has had three paid mural jobs recently, he said.

His first mural was at Gunn Park under the big rock shelter house No. 1, which he completed in spring 2020.

To view prior features on the artist:

New Mural at Gunn Park by Artist Stephen Toal

Art Is Therapy For Toal

Toal said he invites the community to come and visit his latest artwork.

The New York skyline and the American Bald Eagle are featured in Toal’s latest mural.

His mural work is just about finished for the season.

“Spray paint spits, when the weather gets below 40 degrees,” Toal said. “So I do it when the weather is warmer.”

 

FSHS Presents the New Musical “Ranked”

 

The Fort Scott High School Performing Arts Department presents the new musical “Ranked” by Kyle Holmes and David Taylor Gomes.

Performances are Nov. 9, and 11 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the FSHS Auditorium. Over fifty FSHS students are involved in the acting, singing, dancing, and technical aspects of the show.

“Ranked” presents a dystopian high school where the theme, “Buy your grades. Buy your future. But what happens when the rest of the world finds out?” comes to the surface.

Rankedmusical.com describes the plot this way: “Lily is Above the Average, barely. Soon the giant, and very public, academic leaderboards will update everyone’s class rank, and for another day, everyone will know their place. If you fall Below the Average – say goodbye to college, and pretty much everything else… In the face of an intense and perverse culture of performance, Lily must find her place in the status quo as she watches friends and enemies alike destroy themselves and each other to score their way to the top. When an impossible lie is discovered, the fate of these students’ futures hangs in the balance.”

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for those under 18. Reserved tickets are available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Parental guidance is suggested.

A Big Crowd At 2021 Fort Scott Halloween Parade

Mirna Santana, manager of La Hacienda Restaurant, hands out treats to Halloween paraders on Oct. 30.
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce facilitated the annual Halloween Parade in historic downtown on Saturday, Oct. 30.
“We handed out a hot dog lunch to just shy of 600 kids in costumes so including their parents, grandparents, and other family members there were probably three times that many people, upward to 1,500-2,000 people who attended the festivities Saturday morning,” Lindsay Madison, executive director, said on the Chamber Facebook page.
A large crowd winds around Skutbitz Plaza waiting for the Halloween Parade to begin.

Madison expressed thanks to the following:
*   downtown retailers, businesses, and other organizations who handed out candy along Main Street.
*  Briggs of Fort Scott, a major sponsor of the event
* additional sponsors and donators included: Niece Products of Kansas, Kansas Teachers Community Credit Union, Fort Scott Sharky’s Pub & Grub, Valu Merchandisers Company – VMC, Fort Scott Inn, Fort Scott Family Dental, Crain Insurance Agency, 3d Alternator & Starter Repair, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Security 1st Title, Walmart Fort Scott, Fort Scott Walgreens, Treasure Hunt Flea Market, and Don’s Spirits and Wines. Thanks to The Butcher Block for ordering our hot dogs.
*  Fort Scott High School Thespians for providing face painting.
*  Fort Scott High School Pride for helping with any needs.
*  Communities In Schools: Lewis Dunkeson and crew helping cook hot dogs and other assistance.
*  Bill Michaud for use of the Empress Event Center for cooking and staging the hot dogs and other lunch items.
*  Kate Freeman of The Artificers for making our photo backdrop.
Hallie Coulter and Isabelle Coulter, wait for their dad to take their photo at the Halloween photo backdrop before the parade on Oct. 30.
*  Fort Scott Community College Cheerleading and Dance Team for volunteer service for the hot dog lunch, setup, and cleanup.
* Mark McCoy and the City of Fort Scott Police Department for providing traffic control.
*  Fort Scott Tribune and FortScott.Biz for coverage of the event.
* Tina Lipe, Alexa Metcalf, and Erin Vann for running errands for us for supplies.
*  volunteers including Greg and Rita Schroeder, Angela and Kendrick Simon, Beth Nuss, and Kendall Madison.

40th Annual Candlelight Tour Tickets On Sale November 1

Credit Photo: Officers’ Row by Candlelight, M. Brenner

Be an Active Part of History this Holiday Season

 

Fort Scott Kan. – Monday, November 1, 2021, tickets for Fort Scott National Historic Site’s 40th Annual Candlelight Tour go on sale. Tickets are available by calling the Fort at 620-223-0310 (with a major credit card) or by stopping by the Visitor Center on Old Fort Blvd. They are $8.00 per person and non-refundable, children 5 and under are free. It is recommended that you get your tickets early for your choice of tour times as this event frequently sells out.

 

The 40th Annual Candlelight Tour is December 3 and 4, 2021. Tours on December 3 will begin at 6:30 pm and leave every 15 minutes until 9 pm. On Saturday, December 4, the tours will start at 5 pm with the final tour leaving at 8:45 pm. Please arrive 10 minutes early to allow time to park, present/pick up your ticket, and get oriented. Participants are advised to please dress for the weather and the terrain, as the entire tour will be outside.

 

1,000 candle lanterns illuminate the site and reenactors (including you) bring the fort to life. “This year’s tour is about finding peace on the frontier.” said Betty Boyko, Superintendent, Fort Scott National Historic Site. A Solders path to finding peace took many routes. From the Dragoon soldier’s fight as frontier peacekeepers to keeping peace on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails and returning from Mexico and celebrating the peace treaty,  experiencing conflict provided their route to peace.

 

Fort Scott was an active military post from 1842-1853, which was a time of rapid growth and change in the country.  As Fort Scott was being built, the nation grew west, expanding all the way to the Pacific Ocean. With this growth, Fort Scott changed, the mission of its soldiers changed, their experience changed, the environment changed, and the nation changed. Soldiers at Fort Scott lived their lives to the fullest despite the constant change.

 

From November 1-March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation.  The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. The park grounds are open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. For more information about Fort Scott National Historic Site programs or become involved in the candlelight tour, or other activities, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

 

The SEKnFind Newsletter October 2021

This newsletter about new books is distributed to people who are registered adult users at a southeast Kansas library participating in the SEKnFind catalog. We hope you find it useful, but if you don’t wish to receive this anymore, you can click on the “Manage Subscriptions or Unsubscribe” link at the bottom.
All the books included in this newsletter are new additions in one or more SEKnFind libraries–and since the catalog is shared, that means they are available to you whether they are in your local library or not!  Just place a hold on the item(s) you want.  If you don’t know how, your librarian can show you.

New Fiction

The Lincoln highway
by Amor Towles

In June of 1954, 18-year-old Emmett Watson, released after serving 15 months for involuntary manslaughter, discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car and have hatched a different plan for Emmett’s future.

Crossroads
by Jonathan Franzen

As Christmas 1971 approaches, the Hildebrand family of New Prospect, Illinois deals increasing points of crisis including a stale marriage, the draft and their son’s sexual orientation in the first novel in a new trilogy from the author of Purity

The gold in these hills : a novel
by Joanne Bischof

“Two second-chance love stories, hope across the centuries, and the legacy that binds them together”

Her perfect life
by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lily Atwood, a beloved television reporter with fame, fortune, Emmy awards and a young daughter is spooked when the anonymous source who feeds her tips begins suddenly giving her inside information about her own life. 60,000 first printing.

Bewilderment : a novel
by Richard Powers

A widowed astrobiologist and single father to a troubled son contemplates an experimental neurofeedback treatment that trains the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain in the new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory

The mad women’s ball
by Victoria Mas

Under the cover of the Madwomen’s Ball—when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere Asylum in Paris—19-year-old Eugenie, who can see spirits, is determined to escape and seek those who will believe in her. 40,000 first printing.

The wolf and the woodsman
by Ava Reid

Inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology, a debut novel follows Évike, a young pagan woman, as she, rescued by Gáspár, the one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen—and a disgraced prince, makes a tenuous pact to stop his brother from instigating a violent reign. 100,000 first printing.

No gods, no monsters : a novel
by Cadwell Turnbull

When creatures from myth and legend come out of the shadows, setting off a chain of seemingly unrelated events, people start disappearing, suicides and hate crimes increase and protests erupt globally—until the world finds out what has frightened the monsters out of the dark.

Ronin : a Visions novel
by Emma Mieko Candon

This thrilling original novel is inspired by the upcoming Star Wars Visions animated anthology series

Empire of the vampire
by Jay Kristoff

The last living member of the Silver Order, a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending humanity from vampires, stands alone to fight and tell his story in a world where the sun hasn’t risen in 27 years. 100,000 first printing.

Late city : a novel
by Robert Olen Butler

A 115-year-old man lies on his deathbed as the 2016 election results arrive, and revisits his life in a story of love, fatherhood, and the American century from a Pulitzer Prize winner.

And the river ran red : a novel of the massacre at Bear River
by Rod Miller

“January 29, 1863. United States Army troops attack a Shoshoni village on the banks of the Bear River in what is now southeastern Idaho. Four hours later, the army abandons the field, leaving behind the dead bodies of some three hundred men, women, and children. This all-but-forgotten massacre stands today as the worst killing of Indians by the military in the history of the American West. In the pages of And the River Ran Red, four-time Spur Award-winning author Rod Miller puts human faces and feelings on this incomparable tragedy. Follow Shoshoni leaders Bear Hunter and Sagwitch, military officers Colonel Patrick Edward Connor and Major Edward F. McGarry, Mormon leader Brigham Young, and frontiersman Porter Rockwell in a tapestry of intrigue and violence leading up to the massacre, and its aftermath. Chilling in its detail, scrupulous in its portrayal of history, And the River Ran Red sheds light on a dark day that deserves to come out of the shadows and find its place in the history of the West”

New Nonfiction

Dirty work : essential jobs and the hidden toll of inequality in America
by Eyal Press

A groundbreaking, urgent report from the front lines of “dirty work”—the work that society considers essential but morally compromised. 50,000 first printing. Index.

Rationality : what it is, why it seems scarce, why it matters
by Steven Pinker

Can reading a book make you more rational? Can it help us understand why there is so much irrationality in the world? The author of Enlightenment Now answers all the questions

Baby, unplugged : one mother’s search for balance, reason, and sanity in the digital age
by Sophie Brickman

“Combining a journalist’s investigative eye with her unborn second child as an experimental guinea pig, Baby, Unplugged draws on Sophie Brickman’s own experiences as a journalist and parent to try to discover what aspects of technology are actually helpful, which are making us crazy, and most importantly, how we might learn to trust ourselves and our instincts again when it comes to raising children”

Fuzz : when nature breaks the law
by Mary Roach

A best-selling author offers an investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet. Illustrations.

The sleeping beauties : and other stories of mystery illness
by Suzanne O’Sullivan

“A riveting exploration of the phenomenon of psychosomatic disorders, mass hysteria, and other culture-bound syndromes occurring around the world. In Sweden, hundreds of refugee children fall asleep for months and years at a time. In upstate New York, teenage girls develop involuntary twitches and seizures that spread like a contagion. In the US Embassy in Cuba, employees experience headaches and memory loss after hearing strange noises in the night. There are more than 200 officially listed culture-bound syndromes–specific sets of symptoms that exist in a particular culture–affecting people around the world. In The Sleeping Beauties, Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan–a prize winning British neurologist–investigates psychosomatic disorders and mass hysteria, traveling the world to visit communities suffering from these so-called “mystery” illnesses. From a derelict post-Soviet mining town in Kazakhstan, to the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua, to the heart of the Maria Mountains in Colombia, O’Sullivan records the remarkable stories of culture-bound syndromes related by an array of people from all walks of life. She presents these curious and often distressing case studies of seeming mass hysteria with compassion and humanity, persuasively arguing that psychologicalsuffering demands much greater respect and discussion than it’s given at present. In attempting to understand the complexity of psychogenic illness, O’Sullivan has given us a book of both fascination and serious concern as these syndromes continue to proliferate around the globe”

Garden allies : the insects, birds, & other animals that keep your garden beautiful and thriving
by Frédérique Lavoipierre

An illustrated guide to the animals and insects that live in our yards and gardens and act as helpful friends by pollinating and keeping pests in check and includes information on welcoming and nurturing these creatures. Original. 10,000 first printing. Illustrations.

Modern freezer meals : simple recipes to cook now and freeze for later
by Ali Rosen

“Modern Freezer Meals provides one hundred fresh recipes for frozen food–from healthy, vibrant grain bowls to proteins cooked straight from the freezer with tons of flavor still intact. Frozen food guru Ali Rosen offers proper packing and labeling techniques to shatter some of the myths around freezer meals. The days of freezer burn or giant blocks of unwieldy meals are replaced by dozens of dishes that stand up to the cold”

Major labels : a history of popular music in seven genres
by Kelefa Sanneh

“The entire history of popular music over the past fifty years refracted through the big genres that have defined and dominated it-including rock, country, punk, R&B, dance and hip-hop-woven together into a cosmic reckoning with music’s evolution as a popular art form, as a huge cultural and economic force, and as an essential component to our identities, from Black Sabbath to Black Flag to Beyoncé, and beyond”

True raiders : the untold story of the 1909 expedition to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant
by Brad Ricca

Told for the first time, this legendary story, which was the inspiration for the film Raiders of the Lost Ark follows a British rogue nobleman, who, after being dared to do so, headed a secret 1909 expedition to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant. 75,000 first printing. Illustrations.

Where the deer and the antelope play : the pastoral observations of one ignorant American who loves to walk outside
by Nick Offerman

In July 2019, Nick took a hiking trip to Glacier National Park with his friends Jeff Tweedy and George Saunders. The trip, and the conversations between the three men, began a study and exploration of both the American West and its National Parks that addresses so many of the important issues that affect America today. This book both maps out the group’s travels and dives deeply into subjects such as: the history and geology of the National Parks of the West; farming, animal life, and conservation; the importance of outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing.

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