Susan Fletcher

From the publisher: 
A lyrical and emotionally engaging novel infused with mystery and wisdom about love, friendship, and the power of forgiveness.

Florrie Butterfield—eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition—believes there can't be any more adventures or surprises in life to experience. Yet one midsummer’s evening, there’s an accident at Babbington Hall—the adult residence where she lives—so shocking and strange that Florrie is suspicious; is this really an accident? Or is she being lied to? Is she, in fact, living alongside a potential murderer? In her efforts to learn the truth, Florrie is forced to look back on her own life, with all its passions and regrets; she must confront her own bloody secret—and, at last, forgive herself. Above all, Florrie learns, through the help of her new friend, Stanhope, that you’re never too old to have the life you’ve always dreamed of. When it comes to love, it’s never too late.

Readers of moving fiction about late-in-life second chances such as Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove and Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will love this un-putdownable book.

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Ohio

A Novel

Florrie Butterfield--eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition--believes there can't be any more surprises in life. Yet one evening, there's an accident at Babbington Hall--the adult residence where she lives--so shocking and strange that Florrie is suspicious; is this really an accident? Or is she being lied to? Is she living alongside a potential murderer? In her efforts to learn the truth, Florrie is forced to look back on her own life, with all its passions and regrets; she must confront her own bloody secret--and, at last, confess. Above all, she learns, through the help of her new friend, Stanhope, that when it comes to love, it's never too late.

The Night in Question

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Rufi Thorpe

From the author: A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.
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Margo Millet’s got money troubles. As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, she’s always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while their affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.
Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?
Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.    
Early Praise
'Margo’s Got Money Troubles is an audacious, wildly funny, completely unpredictable novel by a writer so singular that it's hard to compare her to anyone else. Rufi Thorpe writes wildness so well, the messiness of the choices we make, the strange ways we bend and twist ourselves to accommodate those choices, and she does it with the rare qualities of tenderness and empathy. An absolutely brilliant book.' — Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here
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“A hilarious novel about making the most of what you’ve got. Sharp and funny by turns, this is an exceptionally tender look at young motherhood and love that also involves professional wrestling, and yes, OnlyFans. I gobbled it up.” — Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow 
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'A thrilling, uproarious, and above all affirming exploration of one young woman's fight to make it in a world that's rooting against her. Margo is an unforgettable heroine, so real she walked right off the page and into my heart.' — Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit
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'Long after the last page of Margo’s Got Money Troubles, I think of certain lines and bust out laughing. In public. This novel is damn funny, but also touching and smart and surprising and beguiling and just completely bad ass. Rufi Thorpe is truly one of one!' — Deesha Philyaw, award-winning author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies 
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“Rufi Thorpe is one of the most talented and daring novelists at work today. Thorpe takes a young, single mother's desperation and weaves from it a madcap, remarkable family of misfits. Margo’s Got Money Troubles is just so good: the humor, the pathos, the redemption—every sentence, every twist of plot is wildly original and unexpected. When has such a lovable heroine ever been created? Reading Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a joy; you will fall in love on page one.” — Stephanie Danler, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetbitter

"A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman's attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world-from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen"--

Margo's Got Money Troubles

60f52771-2eb7-4814-b7f9-528b53e33023-0

Rachel Beanland

From the author: A “GMA Buzz Pick” by Good Morning America
An April 2023 Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association
One of the Washington Post’s most anticipated books of April
One of 12 Books to Add to Your Reading List for April by E! News
One of NPR’s Best Books of 2023
One of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2023
Richmond, Virginia 1811. It’s the height of the winter social season, the General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia’s gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city’s only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that’s done looking for enlightenment at the front of a church.

On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes, sits newly-widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn’t give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater’s managers, he’ll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he’ll have to buy her freedom first.

When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, the paths of these four people will become forever intertwined.

Based on the true story of Richmond’s theater fire, The House Is On Fire offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious—and fleeting—chances at redemption.

The author of Florence Adler Swims Forever returns with a masterful work of historical fiction about an incendiary tragedy that shocked a young nation and tore apart a community in a single night--told from the perspectives of four people whose actions during the inferno changed the course of history.

Richmond, Virginia 1811. It's the height of the winter social season, the General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia's gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city's only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that's done looking for enlightenment at the front of a church.

On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes, sits newly-widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn't give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater's managers, he'll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he'll have to buy her freedom first.

When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, the paths of these four people will become forever intertwined.

Based on the true story of Richmond's theater fire, The House Is on Fire offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious--and fleeting--chances at redemption.

The House Is on Fire

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Max Porter

From the publisher: One of The New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2016
Winner of the 2016 International Dylan Thomas Prize
Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award
Here he is, husband and father, scruffy romantic, a shambolic scholar—a man adrift in the wake of his wife’s sudden, accidental death. And there are his two sons, who, like him, struggle in their London flat to face the unbearable sadness that has engulfed them. The father imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness while the boys wander, savage and unsupervised.

In this moment of violent despair they are visited by Crow—antagonist, trickster, goad, protector, therapist, and babysitter. This self-described “sentimental bird,” at once wild and tender, who “finds humans dull except in grief,” threatens to stay with the wounded family until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and the pain of loss lessens with the balm of memories, Crow’s efforts are rewarded and the little unit of three begins to recover: Dad resumes his book about the poet Ted Hughes; the boys get on with it, grow up.

Part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief, Max Porter’s extraordinary debut combines compassion and bravura style to dazzling effect. Full of angular wit and profound truths, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers is a startlingly original and haunting debut by a significant new talent.

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Originally published: London: Faber & Faber Ltd, 2015.

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers

4f87f1be-0fb1-49cc-b70f-9c3321872b0a-1

Olivia Blacke

From the publisher: Death is only the beginning in Olivia Blacke's A New Lease on Death, a darkly funny supernatural mystery that introduces an unlikely crime-solving duo.

Ruby Young's new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she's kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can't solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn't kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can't, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. As the roommates form an unlikely friendship and get closer to the truth about Jake's death, they also start to uncover other dangerous secrets.

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

A Mystery

Death is only the beginning in Olivia Blacke's A New Lease on Death, a darkly funny supernatural mystery that introduces an unlikely crime-solving duo. Ruby Young's new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost. Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she's kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice. Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can't solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn't kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can't, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. As the roommates form an unlikely friendship and get closer to the truth about Jake's death, they also start to uncover other dangerous secrets.

A New Lease on Death

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Cecy Robson

From the author’s website: Editorial Reviews
“Robson’s novel is an exciting blend of action, palace intrigue, and romance in a high fantasy setting. Readers will love the richly detailed worldbuilding and combat sequences, as well as the use of snarky, modern language…”— Kirkus Reviews 9/2024
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“Robson sets up the power structures and politics of her Old Erth romantasy series with this epically gory and tense love story.” – Publishers Weekly 9/24
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“Paranormal romance veteran Robson's first foray into romantasy is violent and gory, full of bloody fight scenes both in the gladiator ring and outside of it. It's also a tender love story that will appeal to readers of Milla Vane and Jennifer Armentrout.” – Booklist 10/2024

 
Special limited first edition releases October 22, 2024 from Red Tower Books! . . .
LIMITED FIRST PRINT EDITION―featuring spray-painted edges with stenciled ivy, as well as gorgeously detailed map endpapers. This breathtaking first edition is only available for a limited time and while supplies last.

One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise…
Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.

Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.

He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.

All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.

Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom.

But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap.

Nor will his ultimate revenge…

LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN―featuring spray-painted edges with stenciled ivy, as well as gorgeously detailed endpapers. This breathtaking first edition is only available for a limited time and while supplies last. One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise... Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie. Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose. He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity. All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day. Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom. But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap. Nor will his ultimate revenge...

Bloodguard

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Kiran Millwood Hargrave

From the author’s website: Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year 2021. Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2021. A The Bookseller Editor’s Choice for September.

A captivating, powerful and luminous story from bestselling, award-winning author Kiran Millwood Hargrave, and acclaimed artist Tom de Freston, about a mother, a daughter and a Greenland shark. Wrapped up in mesmerising illustrations and presented as a deluxe hardback, this is a perfect gift for the holiday season, for 9+ fans of Philip Pullman, David Almond and Frances Hardinge.

‘A truly beautiful book, with text and illustrations in perfect harmony.  A book to treasure!’ Jacqueline Wilson

‘Tom de Freston’s stunning illustrations perfectly complement the poetry of Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s story’ Cressida Cowell, Children’s Laureate

‘a glorious story about mothers and daughters, racism and bullying, love and endurance and hope, the secrets of the sea, and GREENLAND SHARKS. Tom’s art and Kiran’s words shine together.’ Katherine Rundell, author of The Explorer

‘the art shines and the writing soars. A classic from cover to cover.’ Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series

‘A rich, immersive and wondrous journey, through deep darkness to hope and light’ Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

The shark was beneath my bed, growing large as the room, large as the lighthouse, rising from unfathomable depths until it ripped the whole island from its roots. The bed was a boat, the shark a tide, and it pulled me so far out to sea I was only a speck, a spot, a mote, a dying star in an unending sky…

Julia has followed her mum and dad to live on a remote island for the summer – her dad, for work; her mother, on a determined mission to find the elusive Greenland shark. But when her mother’s obsession threatens to submerge them all, Julia finds herself on an adventure with dark depths and a lighthouse full of hope…

This collaboration between husband and wife team Tom de Freston and Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a beautiful, lyrical, uplifting story about a mother, a daughter, and love – with timely themes of the importance of science and the environment.

"Deep beautiful, and true--a classic from cover to cover."

--#1 New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer



There are more secrets in the ocean than in the sky...

 

Ten-year-old Julia loves the mysteries of the ocean and marine biology, just like her scientist mother. Her family is spending the summer on a remote island where her mom is searching for the elusive Greenland shark, a creature that might be older than the trees, and so rare that it's only been seen a few times.  

 

But the ocean is reluctant to give up its secrets, and Julia tries not to worry as her mother returns disappointed at the end of each day.  

 

Determined to prove that the shark is real, Julia sets off on a quest to find it herself, armed with a set of coordinates, a compass, and her trusty rain jacket.

 

She soon realizes that there are some journeys you shouldn't go on alone. As Julia comes face to face with the dark and wondrous truths of the sea, she finds the strength to leave the shark in the depths and kick up towards the light.  

 

Through a unique blend of poetic prose and stunning illustrations, Julia and the Shark tells an unforgettable story full of dark depths and starry skies, courage and hope. 



This lyrical, deeply moving middle grade novel about one family's fierce love and resilience is perfect for starting conversations about mental health and how it's okay to not be okay.

Julia and the Shark

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Michelle Porter

From the publisher: Award-winning author Michelle Porter makes her fiction debut with an enchanting and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.

Written like a crooked Métis jig, A Grandmother Begins the Story follows five generations of women and bison as they reach for the stories that could remake their worlds and rebuild their futures.

Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly means.
Allie, Carter’s mother, is trying to make up for the lost years with her first born, and to protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own mother. Lucie wants the granddaughter she’s never met to help her join her ancestors in the Afterlife. And Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons before the fire inside burns her up, with the help of the sister she lost but has never been without. Meanwhile, Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their stories began with her; she must find a way to cut herself from the last threads that keep her tethered to the living, just as they must find their own paths forward.

This extraordinary novel, told by a chorus of vividly realized, funny, wise, confused, struggling characters—including descendants of the bison that once freely roamed the land—heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary fiction.

Award-winning author Michelle Porter makes her fiction debut with an enchanting and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them. Written like a crooked Métis jig, A Grandmother Begins the Story follows five generations of women and bison as they reach for the stories that could remake their worlds and rebuild their futures. Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly means. Allie, Carter's mother, is trying to make up for the lost years with her first born, and to protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own mother. Lucie wants the granddaughter she's never met to help her join her ancestors in the Afterlife. And Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons before the fire inside burns her up, with the help of the sister she lost but has never been without. Meanwhile, Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their stories began with her; she must find a way to cut herself from the last threads that keep her tethered to the living, just as they must find their own paths forward. This extraordinary novel, told by a chorus of vividly realized, funny, wise, confused, struggling characters--including descendants of the bison that once freely roamed the land--heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary fiction.

A Grandmother Begins the Story

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Sarah Fox

From the publisher: It’s been years since screenwriter Georgie Johansen last visited her aunt Olivia’s farm in the coastal town of Twilight Cove and things have certainly changed. First of all it’s now an animal sanctuary, and then there’s the new farmhand who’s as mysterious as he is handsome. Her first day on the farm, Georgie encounters the eccentric Dorothy Shale, an older woman who lives in a cabin in the woods. There are rumours that Dorothy’s a witch, but Georgie doesn’t believe that. Although, Dorothy does have an unusual magical presence around her . . .

When Dorothy ends up murdered, suspicion falls on Georgie – she was the one who found the poor woman’s body, and being new in town doesn’t help with the suspicion. Things only get worse when it turns out that Dorothy left her valuable plot of land to Auntie O!

Georgie must act fast to clear her and her aunt’s names by finding the real killer. But as bodies start to mount up, the pressure rises. With the help of the unusual powers of Dorothy’s two dogs and great-horned owl, can Georgie uncover the truth before she becomes the killer’s next target?



Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

It's been years since screenwriter Georgie Johansen last visited her aunt Olivia's farm in the coastal town of Twilight Cove and things have certainly changed. First of all it's now an animal sanctuary, and then there's the new farmhand who's as mysterious as he is handsome. Her first day on the farm, Georgie encounters the eccentric Dorothy Shale, an older woman who lives in a cabin in the woods. There are rumours that Dorothy's a witch, but Georgie doesn't believe that. Although, Dorothy does have an unusual magical presence around her . . . When Dorothy ends up murdered, suspicion falls on Georgie - she was the one who found the poor woman's body, and being new in town doesn't help with the suspicion. Things only get worse when it turns out that Dorothy left her valuable plot of land to Auntie O! Georgie must act fast to clear her and her aunt's names by finding the real killer. But as bodies start to mount up, the pressure rises. With the help of the unusual powers of Dorothy's two dogs and great-horned owl, can Georgie uncover the truth before she becomes the killer's next target?

Murder Most Owl

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Rupert Holmes

From the publisher: A New York Times bestseller! From Edgar Award–winning novelist, playwright, and story-songwriter Rupert Holmes comes a diabolical thriller with a killer concept: The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, “a fantasy academy laid out like a combination of Hogwarts, Downton Abbey, and a White Lotus–style resort” (Los Angeles Times) dedicated to the art of murder where students study how best to “delete” their most deserving victim.

Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League” college—its location unknown to even those who study there—is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate…and where one’s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.

Prepare for an education you’ll never forget. A “fiendishly funny” (Booklist) mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever read.

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

The Mcmasters Guide to Homicide

From the diabolical imagination of Edgar Award-winning novelist, playwright, and story-songwriter Rupert Holmes comes a devilish thriller with a killer concept: The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, a luxurious, clandestine college dedicated to the fine art of murder where earnest students study how best to "delete" their most deserving victim.

Who hasn't wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you've probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this "Poison Ivy League" college--its location unknown to even those who study there--is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate...and where one's mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.

Prepare for an education you'll never forget. A delightful mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you'll ever read.

Rupert Holmes's much celebrated career ranges from chart-topping story songs with surprising twists--"Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"--to Tony Award-winning whodunit musicals--The Mystery of Edwin Drood--Edgar Award-winning comedy-thrillers--Accomplice--and the Nero Wolfe Best American Mystery Novel nominated Where the Truth Lies, made into an Atom Egoyan motion picture starring Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. Called "an American treasure" (Los Angeles Times), "a true Renaissance man" by Newsweek, "a comic genius" (Kirkus Reviews) and simply "a genius" (The Times, London), Rupert Holmes brings his wickedly clever storytelling talents to this outrageous and darkly comic mystery set in a secret, idyllic campus where students learn how to "do in others as you would have others do you in."

Murder Your Employer

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V. E. Schwab

From the publisher: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and set in the world of A Darker Shade of Magic, V. E. Schwab opens a new door into perilous adventure and tangled schemes with The Fragile Threads of Power.

Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed, and now only three Antari are known in recent memory—Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years—and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own—but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together—or unravel it all.

It's been seven years since Kell, Lila, and Holland defeated the evil force known as Osaron. Lila has spent those seven years as captain of a ship, exploring her new magical world and occasionally spying for the Crown. Kell has spent them learning to fight with ordinary weapons now that wielding his magic causes him intense pain. Holland, of course, gave his life to defeat Osaron. But now a shadowy organization called the Hand is plotting against Kell's brother, King Rhy, and they've set their sights on a powerful magical object. Lila, Kell, Rhy, and Rhy's husband, Alucard, will all be drawn into new danger in their efforts to uncover the plot and protect their family. Meanwhile, a young girl named Tes with the rare ability to see and manipulate the threads of magic is hiding out in Red London, fixing magical objects--and Kosika, the young queen of White London, will do whatever it takes to restore her world's magic.

The Fragile Threads of Power

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Connie Willis

From the publisher: ABOUT THE ROAD TO ROSWELL

A delightful novel about alien invasions, conspiracies, and the incredibly silly things people are willing to believe—some of which may actually be true—from the Nebula and Hugo award-winning author of Blackout and All Clear

“An absolute blast with abundant humor, copious references to old westerns, and . . . a delightful, intergalactic twist on the romantic comedy.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • LOCUS AWARD FINALIST

When level-headed Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one.

Odder still, her abductor is far from what the popular media have led her to expect, with a body like a tumbleweed and a mass of lightning-fast tentacles. Nor is Francie the only victim of the alien’s abduction spree. Before long, he has acquired a charming con man named Wade, a sweet little old lady with a casino addiction, a retiree with a huge RV and a love for old Westerns, and a UFO-chasing nutjob who is thoroughly convinced the alien intends to probe them and/or take over the planet.

But the more Francie gets to know the alien, the more convinced she becomes that he’s not an invader. That he’s in trouble and she has to help him. Only she doesn’t know how—or even what the trouble is. 

Part alien-abduction adventure, part road trip saga, part romantic comedy, The Road to Roswell is packed full of Men in Black, Elvis impersonators, tourist traps, rattlesnakes, chemtrails, and Close Encounters of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth kind. Can Francie, stuck in a neon green bridesmaid’s dress, save the world—and still make it back for the wedding?


A delightful novel about alien invasions, conspiracies, and the incredibly silly things people are willing to believe—some of which may actually be true—from the Nebula and Hugo award-winning author of Blackout and All Clear When level-headed Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one. Odder still, her abductor is far from what the popular media have led her to expect, with a body like a tumbleweed and a mass of lightning-fast tentacles. Nor is Francie the only victim of the alien’s abduction spree. Before long, he has acquired a charming con man named Wade, a sweet little old lady with a casino addiction, a retiree with a huge RV and a love for old Westerns, and a UFO-chasing nutjob who is thoroughly convinced the alien intends to probe them and/or take over the planet. But the more Francie gets to know the alien, the more convinced she becomes that he’s not an invader. That he’s in trouble and she has to help him. Only she doesn’t know how—or even what the trouble is. Part alien-abduction adventure, part road trip saga, part romantic comedy, The Road to Roswell is packed full of Men in Black, Elvis impersonators, tourist traps, rattlesnakes, chemtrails, and Close Encounters of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth kind. Can Francie, stuck in a neon green bridesmaid’s dress, save the world—and still make it back for the wedding?

The Road to Roswell

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Jonathan Andrews

From goodreads: First part of book describes wildflowers found by month of flowering. Type of plant, size, flowering time, how to sow and cultivate, position and other notes. Each plant beautifully illustrated with a coloured sketch. Final pages include 6 coloured sketches of planting plans, a brief section on woldlife in the garden and which flowers will attract butterflies.

Wild flowers, once so common as to be an essential part of everyday country life, have come increasingly into our consciousness and equally our conscience in recent years, as it becomes apparent how much of nature has disappeared - to buildings and roads, technological agriculture, forestry plantations and many another inroad.

The Country Diary Book of Creating a Wild Flower Garden

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Angelica Stuart

From the publisher: The animals of the world are filled with insights and lessons for their human friends.  In this book, you will discover chakra interpretations for each of the seven chakras for all fifty animals―350 bits of chakra wisdom in all! These insights will help you focus on specific goals that are important to you and they will help you remove inner blocks that may be holding you back. You will also discover tips and techniques for integrating the chakra wisdom into your life and stories of personal transformation to help you process the profound guidance the animals share with you.

Discover Your Connection to Wisdom of the Natural World

We share our world with many fantastic creatures, and each has a lesson if we're willing to listen. Chakra Animals shares the chakra wisdom of fifty familiar North American animals to support you in making changes in your life and guide you in areas where you're struggling. Finding different animals that you resonate with on a practical level is fun, and it also enhances your spiritual practice and emotional growth by giving you fresh insights from the primal energy of the animal world. For each animal, you will discover chakra interpretations for each of the seven chakras. These insights will help you focus on specific goals that are important to you and remove inner blocks that may be holding you back. Also included are tips and techniques for working with chakra wisdom and stories of personal transformation to help you integrate the profound guidance the animal realm holds for you.

Chakra Animals

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Joanne Lamb Hayes

Jean Anderson

From LibraryThing: 
A Fascinating Look at How Our Mothers and Grandmothers CookedWhile the country's soldiers were fighting in World War II, the women who stayed behind were making their own courageous-and delicious-contributions. Across the nation, women learned to do jobs formerly held by men while their husbands and sons served overseas. But on top of the extra responsibilities, they were still expected to cook hearty meals, set an attractive table and appear perfectly coiffed for dinner. "In essence, women were asked to work harder and harder, and they rose to the challenge," author Joanne Lamb Hayes writes in this fascinating book.Grandma's Wartime Kitchen shows us how our mothers and grandmothers coped with shortages and strict rationing of meat, sugar, butter, cheese and canned foods-all without electric dishwaters and other appliances we take for granted today. Quotes and reminiscences reveal a wartime world where families scrimped, adapted recipes, and even foraged for food.Part cookbook, part fascinating history, this collection contains more than 150 classic recipes that have been updated for today's kitchens, as well as plenty of anecdotes, advertisements and advice from the time. You'll find: · Recipes for Monday Meatloaf, Victory Pudding, Mother's Fried Chicken, Apple Dumplings and more.· The U.S. government's food rules and ration books.· Substitutes for rationed sugar and the recipes they inspired.Social life during wartime, including Defense Parties and a Thanksgiving dinner made with only wartime commodities.Lovers of traditional American fare will also want to check out Joanne Lamb Hayes' companion cookbook, Grandma's Wartime Baking Book.

World War II and the Way We Cooked

An affectionate and informative look at women on the Home Front in the 1940s, Grandma's Wartime Kitchen presents more than 150 classic recipes (updated for today's kitchens) along with anecdotes, advertisements, advice, and archival recipes from a unique and defining period in America's history. With details and personal voices that make the material come to life, the book covers: * The U.S. government's food rules and ration books * Substitutes for rationed sugar, and the delicious dessert recipes they inspired * Stretching butter, meat, coffee, and other staples * Cooking and baking for the troops abroad * Wartime entertaining including Defense Parties, progressive parties, and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner using wartime commodities * Monday Meatloaf, Mother's Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Apple Dumplings, Vermont Johnny Cake, Honey Apple Pie, and many other recipes. At a time when America is saluting the soldiers who fought in World War II, this one-of-a-kind collection offers a portrait of the courageous (and delicious) contributions of the women who stayed behind.

Grandma's Wartime Kitchen

5864e551-25ca-438f-99e7-8fe790fe9ab7-1

Dan Frey

From the publisher:
ABOUT DREAMBOUND

In this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must investigate the magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter, who has seemingly disappeared into the fantastical universe of her favorite books.

“Dreambound is a glorious mash-up of fantasy and modern-noir. A little bit Jonathan Carroll, a little bit Neil Gaiman.”—David S. Goyer, executive producer of Sandman and Foundation

When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue is a note claiming that she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids.

Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastic than he ever could have dreamed.

As he unearths locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he’s not careful, he could be the next one to disappear.

Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin’s novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive and fast-paced story of how far a father will go—even delving into impossible worlds—to save his daughter.



In this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must uncover the secret magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter, who has seemingly disappeared into the fictional universe of her favorite fantasy series. When Byron Kidd's twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue left behind is a note claiming she's taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids. Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastical than he ever could have dreamed. As he uncovers locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he ever hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he's not careful, he could be the next one to disappear... Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin's novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive and fast-paced story of how far a father will go—even delving into impossible worlds—to save his daughter.

Dreambound

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Complete Details of Raven's Prophecy Tarot
Creators: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Llewellyn 2015 
Deck Type: Tarot Deck
Cards: 78
Major Arcana: 22
Minor Arcana: 56
Suits: Cups, Coins, Swords, Wands
Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen, King
Card Language: English
Card Back: Non-reversible
Back Design: Line drawings of the suit symbols in red on a black background 
Companion Material: 184-page guidebook by Maggie Stiefvater is packaged with the deck.

Comes in a case with magnetic closure.

The iridescent sheen of a raven's wing reveals a tantalizing glimpse of the future. A tattooed hand, sinews roiling like ley lines, peels back the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

With art and instructions by Maggie Stiefvater--New York Timesbestselling author of the Raven Cycle series--The Raven's Prophecy Tarotreveals the wisdom of dreams, helping you harness the opposing forces of intuition and cunning, Moon and Raven, spirit and intellect. Inspired by Stiefvater's artist mentors, this deck is a path to a more creative life for everyone.

The Raven's Prophecy Tarot

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An intimate story of brotherhood, love, sacrifice, and betrayal set against the panoramic backdrop of an early twentieth-century America that eerily echoes our own time, The Cold Millions offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation grappling with the chasm between rich and poor, between harsh realities and simple dreams. Featuring an unforgettable cast of cops and tramps, suffragists and socialists, madams and murderers, it is a tour de force from a "writer who has planted himself firmly in the first rank of American authors" - Boston Globe.
 
"Walter puts forth his most ambitious work yet, solidifying his place in the contemporary canon as one of our most gifted builders of fictional worlds ... Warm and deeply humane, this transporting novel is a staggering achievement from a landmark writer." - Esquire
 
"Riveting…. With an expansive cast that includes anti-capitalist firebrands, menacing tycoons, a coalition of multifaceted, multiethnic itinerant workers and sundry 'killers, detectives and anarchists,' this book captures the audacity, promise, ugliness and beauty of American life." - Kevin Canfield, Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Expansive, beguiling…. In Flynn, Walter has found a sublime heroine: outspoken, brave, and beautiful, too. She takes on Spokane's brutal and corrupt establishment with the kind of bravura that makes us yearn for her to time-travel to our era. Walter does a masterful job of using historical events and characters to draw parallels with what we face today, but the greatest triumph of The Cold Millions is how it mines literary realism but remains optimistic even in the face of tragedy. It's a thrilling yarn that simultaneously underscores the cost of progress and celebrates the American spirit." 
- O Magazine
 
"We have heard that Jess Walter writes nonstop... Please, never stop." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 
 
"Another triumph for the versatile novelist behind "Beautiful Ruins." - Washington Post
 
"A Scorsese-esque period piece, populated by cops, drunks, variety girls, temperance ladies, job sharks, Pinkertons, Wobblies, etc. A great book to get lost in." - Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Consider this book a train ticket to a past time and place. In addition to boldly voiced characters and
dramatic suspense, in this century-ago tale of labor rights and wealth inequality readers will find plenty
of modern relevance." - Booklist (starred review)
 
"Jess Walter is a superb storyteller. His plot rolls on at a steady pace. His ear for dialogue, whatever the character, is acute. He knows when to amp up the prose with a telling metaphor…. As polished and hard as a diamond, The Cold Millions reminds us of America's tempestuous past and suggests that all this is anything but past." - Dan Cryer, Boston Globe
 
One of the most anticipated books of the season: New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Esquire, The Millions, Vogue, People, New York Post, USA Today, Medium, Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Newsday, O Magazine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Time, Parade, Washington Post. 
 
A Best Book of 2020: O Magazine and Publisher's Weekly 

The Cold Millions

#greekmyths #greekmythology #myths #mythology #retelling #illustrated

Greek Myths: a new retelling with illustrations by Chris Ofili

#hardcover #feminism #education #history #women #culture #nonfiction #socialhistory #homeeconomics

How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live

The surprising, often fiercely feminist, always fascinating, yet barely known, history of home economics.

The Secret History of Home Economics

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#hardcover #fantasy #ya #fiction #asianfantasy #japanesefantasy #tracichee #japan #mythology #strongfemalecharacter 

From New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, Traci Chee, comes a Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry.

 

In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper's daughter. But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again. But with her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she'll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her... and perhaps never did.

 

A Thousand Steps into Night

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#hardcover #illumicrate #fantasy #fiction #yafantasy #mythology #magic #ya #signededition #signedbyauthor #illumicrate #specialedition 

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