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Featured Books

The Blind Woodsman : One Man's Journey to Find his Purpose on the Other Side of Darkness

Book No: DB122631

"The Blind Woodsman is an inspiring and motivational autobiography about a man who finds true joy after struggling with depression, drug addiction, anxiety, financial despair and a failed suicide attempt at the age of 16. John Furniss, more famously known today as "The Blind Woodsman," along with his wife, inspiration and fellow artist Anni share their amazing story with the mission to help others who are also dealing with life's most challenging times. Despite being blind, John is now a highly skilled woodworker creating incredible pieces of art in complete darkness. A story that will give hope and inspiration to those dealing with depression, addiction and the many anxiety-driven stresses in our lives." Some strong language.

Starting Over by Robin Pilcher

Book No: DB055581

Divorcée Liz Dewhurst lives with her son and father on the Scottish coast. She remains entangled with her ex-husband because of their joint ownership of the families' farms, now targeted by a golf course consortium. When a charming older man enters her life, Liz has to make some difficult choices. Strong language. 2002.

Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Irvin Painter

Book No: DB093816

Historian reflects on entering school again at the age of sixty-four to obtain both bachelor's and master's degrees in fine arts. Discusses reactions from other students, interactions with instructors, learning to be an artist, and defining her own goals for the future. Unrated.

New Year Resolution by Alison Cairns

Book No: DB023529

When the most hated resident of the seemingly serene English village of Winchurch is found dead, the police are stumped. Believed at first to be suicide, and then murder, the death makes police realize that almost everyone in the village had a reason for wanting the man out of the way. Some strong language.

Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George

Book No: DB127729

"You're invited to pull up a chair to a year of meals, family, and fun with the Parton family, as Dolly and her sister (and favorite cook) Rachel share their favorite recipes for Good Lookin' Cookin'"-- Provided by publisher.

The New Year by Pearl S. Buck

Book No: DB013307

Kim, the half-Korean twelve-year-old son of Christopher Winters, is brought to this country and taken in by Chris and his understanding wife. Chris, who is campaigning for the governorship of Pennsylvania, causes a public stir when he introduces his son at a New Year's Eve party.

Longhorn | Book One - The Beginning by Dusty Rhodes

Book No: DB110883

Buck Cordell is a giant of a man in a giant, untamed land called Texas. He builds a cattle ranch where ordinary men all say it can't be done, a cattle empire that defies all odds, a family that changes the course of Texas history, and a legacy that outlives the Old West." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

The Real Mrs. Tobias: A Novel by Sally Koslow

Book No: DB112972 

“It’s 2015 in New York City, and three women all known as Mrs. Tobias—Veronika, the matriarch, her daughter-in-law Mel, and Mel’s daughter-in-law Birdie—are trying to navigate personal difficulties, some of which are with one another. Veronika and Mel, despite having little in common, are both psychotherapists who are more skilled at helping other people than solving their own problems. Birdie, still dealing with the culture shock of moving to New York City and marrying into the Tobias clan, is pushed to her limit when her husband gets into trouble. No amount of badgering from his steely grandmother, smart-mouthed mother, or disillusioned wife can convince him to own up to what he’s done. Overwhelmed, Birdie bolts—along with the couple’s young daughter—to her Midwestern hometown, hoping that space, warmth and wisdom from her own feisty grandmother will help her find a path forward. And though Birdie begins to find comfort in unexpected places—a local bookstore and the arms of her old boyfriend—her absence stirs up long simmering troubles back home forcing the Tobiases to reconsider their relationships to each other, and ultimately, what it means to be a family. Will the three Tobias-women-by-marriage ever find themselves—and a way back to one another? A timely look at how women hold families together.” — Provided by publisher. 

The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman

Book No: DB110165

“It is 1965, and Cora, a young, hearing impaired woman, buys a one-way ticket to the island of St. Thomas, where she discovers four dolphins held in captivity as part of an experiment led by the obsessive Dr. Blum. Drawn by a strong connection to the dolphins, Cora falls in with the scientists and discovers her need to protect the animals. Recognizing Cora’s knack for communication, Blum uses her for what will turn into one of the most fascinating experiments in modern science: an attempt to teach the dolphins human language by creating a home in which she and a dolphin can live together. As the experiment progresses, Cora forges a remarkable bond with the creatures, until her hard-won knowledge clashes with the male-dominated world of science. As a terrible scandal threatens to engulf the experiment, Cora’s fight to save the dolphins becomes a battle to save herself.” — Provided by publisher.

Our Darkest Night: A Novel of Italy and the Second World War by Jennifer Robson

Book No:DB113801 

“It is the autumn of 1943, and life is becoming increasingly perilous for Italian Jews like the Mazin family. With Nazi Germany now occupying most of her beloved homeland, and the threat of imprisonment and deportation growing ever more certain, Antonina Mazin has but one hope to survive — to leave Venice and her beloved parents and hide in the countryside with a man she has only just met. Nico Gerardi was studying for the priesthood until circumstances forced him to leave the seminary to run his family’s farm. A moral and just man, he could not stand by when the fascists and Nazis began taking innocent lives. Rather than risk a perilous escape across the mountains, Nina will pose as his new bride. And to keep her safe and protect secrets of his own, Nico and Nina must convince prying eyes they are happily married and in love. But farm life is not easy for a cultured city girl who dreams of becoming a doctor like her father, and Nico’s provincial neighbors are wary of this soft and educated woman they do not know. Even worse, their distrust is shared by a local Nazi official with a vendetta against Nico. The more he learns of Nina, the more his suspicions grow — and with them his determination to exact revenge. As Nina and Nico come to know each other, their feelings deepen, transforming their relationship into much more than a charade. Yet both fear that every passing day brings them closer to being torn apart... “ — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021

The Obesity Code Cookbook: Recipes to Help You Manage Your Insulin, Lose Weight, and Improve Your Health by Jason Fung

Book No: DB108351

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Jason Fung helped thousands of people lose weight with his groundbreaking book The Obesity Code. Now, he offers the ultimate companion cookbook, filled with zero carb recipes and intermittent fasting plans to help readers lose weight, manage type 2 diabetes, and increase longevity, all while eating delicious food. In his original bestseller The Obesity Code, Dr. Jason Fung showed us that everything about our metabolism, including our weight, depends on our hormones. He showed us that the hormone insulin triggers our bodies to store calories as fat, and that once we understand weight gain as a result of excess insulin and hormonal imbalance in our body, we can begin to treat it by looking at what’s on our plate. Enter The Obesity Code Cookbook, a collection of mouthwatering recipes for your journey to lower insulin, lose weight for good, and reverse and prevent type 2 diabetes. More than a recipe book, it comes with bonus material including: A guide to stocking your pantry with the right foods (and ditching the wrong foods); Fung’s easy-to-understand explainers on how weight gain and weight loss really work; intermittent fasting FAQs and best practices; and meal plans for 16-hour, 24-hour, and 36-hour fasts. In other words, The Obesity Code Cookbook will not only show you what to eat, but also when to eat it—and why. But eating this way doesn’t have to be bland. The Obesity Code Cookbook’s many delicious comfort foods include: Hearty breakfasts like the Everyday Omelette and Coconut Pancakes; Flavorful vegetable mains like Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Tahini and spicy Thai Vegetable Curry; Scrumptious seafood such as Scallops with Prosciutto and Chili Garlic Shrimp; Meat-forward mains such as Gruyere Meat Loaf, Pork Belly with Star Anise, Roast Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Tea-Braised Duck with Fennel. And don’t forget about desserts and snacks: Nut Bars with Chocolate Drizzle, Almond Fig Cake, and Walnut Power Balls are just a few of the delights you’ll enjoy while eating your way to a healthier, better you.” — Provided by publisher.

There Will Be Fire: Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History by Rory Carroll

Book No: DB113821

“A bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded at 2:54 a.m. on October 12, 1984. It was the last day of the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel in the coastal town of Brighton, England. Rooms were obliterated, dozens of people wounded, five killed. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in her suite when the explosion occurred; had she been just a few feet in another direction, flying tiles and masonry would have sliced her to ribbons. As it was, she survived—and history changed. There Will Be Fire is the gripping story of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Thatcher, in the most spectacular attack ever linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles. Journalist Rory Carroll reveals the long road to Brighton, the hide-and-seek between the IRA and British security services, the planting of the bomb itself, and the painstaking search for clues and suspects afterward. In There Will Be Fire, Carroll draws on his own interviews and original reporting, reveals new information, and weaves together previously unconnected threads. There Will Be Fire is journalistic nonfiction that reads like a thriller, propelled by a countdown to detonation.” — Provided by publisher.

There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America by Amy Argetsinger

Book No: DB114505

“The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. From its giddy origins as a summer’s-end tourist draw in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, it blossomed into a televised extravaganza that drew tens of millions of viewers in its heyday and was once considered the highest honor that a young woman could achieve. For two years, Washington Post reporter and editor Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed former winners and contestants to unveil the hidden world of this iconic institution. There She Was spotlights how the pageant survived decades of social and cultural change, collided with a women’s liberation movement that sought to abolish it, and redefined itself alongside evolving ideas about feminism. For its superstars—Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson—and for those who never became household names, Miss America was a platform for women to exercise their ambitions and learn brutal lessons about the culture of fame. Spirited and revelatory, There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.” — Provided by publisher.

DB110268

“Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn’t told her family and now has terrible writer’s block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina’s spare key while she’s out of town. But Rosie doesn’t know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking—for lack of a better word—on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, and an irresistible accent. Oh, and he cooks. Lucas offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experiment to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: He’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control—but Lucas’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

DB114064

“Founded by the mysterious genius known as the Designer, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera’s lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh. Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process—and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he’s been dreaming—which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry. Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group—known as ‘Arrivalists’—who may be fomenting revolution. Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized—and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2023

DB116125

“Desmond Aloysius Limerick (‘Dez’ to his friends and close personal enemies) is a man with a shadowy past, certain useful hard-won skills, and, if one digs deep enough, a reputation as a good man to have at your back. Now retired from his previous life, Dez is just a bloke with a winning smile, a bass guitar, and bullet wounds that paint a road map of past lives. Jaleh Swann, a business journalist hot on the trail of an auditor who was mugged and killed, lands in the hospital just one day after her Portland apartment is ransacked. When Jaleh’s sister, Raziah, reaches out to an old friend for help, Dez has no choice but to answer. The Swann sisters have been pulled into a dizzying web of cover-ups and danger. At the center lies an insidious Oregon-based tech corporation, Clockjack, which has enough money and hired guns to silence just about anyone—including this rag-tag trio. Luckily, Dez’s speciality is not just to open doors, but keep them open—and protect those working to expose Clockjack’s secrets. More stands in the way of the truth than just one corporation. When hired thugs come to the finish the job and attack the Swann sisters at the hospital, Dez does what he does best. Now, the two captured men (and the corpse Dez left behind) attract the attention of not just Clockjack, but of the Portland police, the D.E.A, and the U.S. Marshalls. Dez and the Swann sisters are on the run from powers beyond their control and means. Outnumbered, under resourced and outgunned, Dez must use all his skills to keep his friends safe and stand up to corporate conniving. After all, the one thing Clockjack didn’t count on? A good man with a simple job to do.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2023.

DB113625

“By the time Will Schwalbe was a junior at college, he had already met everyone he cared to know: the theater people, writers, visual artists and comp lit majors, and various other quirky characters including the handful of students who shared his own major, Latin and Greek. He also knew exactly who he wanted to avoid: the jocks. The jocks wore baseball caps and moved in packs, filling boisterous tables in the dining hall, and on the whole seemed to be another species entirely, one Will might encounter only at his own peril. All this changed dramatically when Will collided with Chris Maxey, known to just about everyone as Maxey. Maxey was physically imposing, loud, and a star wrestler who was determined to become a Navy SEAL (where he would later serve for six years). Thanks to the strangely liberating circumstances of a little-known secret society at Yale, the two forged a bond that would become a mainstay of each other’s lives as they repeatedly lost and found each other and themselves in the years after graduation. From New Haven to New York City, from Hong Kong and Panama to a remarkable school on an island in the Bahamas—through marriages and a divorce, triumphs and devastating losses—We Should Not Be Friends tracks an extraordinary friendship over decades of challenge and change. Schwalbe’s marvelous new work is, at its heart, a joyful testament to the miracle of human connection—and how if we can just get past our preconceptions, we may find some of our greatest friends.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2023

DB112616

“Individuals can’t save the world alone. But if millions of us work together to save our own patch of earth—then we really have a shot. How do we do it? With Acts of Restorative Kindness (ARK). An ARK is a restored, native ecosystem. It’s a thriving patch of native plants and creatures that have been allowed and supported to re-establish in the earth’s intelligent, successional process of natural restoration. Over time, this becomes a pantry and a habitat for our pollinators and wild creatures who are in desperate need of support. These ARKs will become the seeding grounds for our planet’s new story. They will be sanctuaries for our shared kin—the rooted and unrooted—and safe havens for the magic and abundance of the natural world. Most importantly, the ARK-building actions are within our control and laid out here in We Are the ARK. In these inspiring pages, discover how one person’s actions can effect big change in this world. Even the tiniest postage stamp patch of land matters! Together we are building a patchwork quilt of life that will wrap its way around this planet.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

DB127906

"Martin Van Buren was one of the most remarkable politicians not only of his time but in American presidential history. The principal architect of the party system and one of the founders of the Democratic Party, he came to dominate New York--then the most influential state in the Union--and was instrumental in electing Andrew Jackson president. Van Buren's skills as a political strategist were unparalleled, winning him a series of high-profile offices: US senator, New York's governor, US secretary of state, US vice president, and finally the White House. In his rise to power, Van Buren sought consensus and conciliation, bending to the wishes of slave interests and complicit in the dispossession of America's Indigenous population--two of the darkest chapters in American history. This new biography of Van Buren--the first full-scale portrait in four decades--charts his ascent from a tavern in the Hudson Valley to the presidency, concluding with his late-career involvement in an antislavery movement. Offering vivid profiles of the day's leading figures (Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, John Quincy Adams, DeWitt Clinton, James K. Polk), James Bradley's book depicts the struggle for power in the tumultuous decades leading up to the Civil War."—Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2024.