There are reportedly 130 million books out in the world, and the number is growing by the millions. How can you find something you would enjoy reading? The internet has enabled us to listen to book podcasts and explore book review websites; however, here, too, the numbers have also exploded. It is daunting. The English Center has always attempted to match a reader to just the right book. We have eight book groups, for example, or you can make an appointment with a staff member to point you in the right direction. BOOK BROWSING is another attempt to highlight books you might enjoy. Some months, we will draw attention to current bestsellers, award winners, or well-known classics. You might find Staff Picks one month or seasonal themes. Please keep coming back to check what we have posted.
April
Think Gardens!
It is that time of year and we have so many wonderful books for all types of gardens and all types of gardeners.
Here are a few of our favorites
It is that time of year and we have so many wonderful books for all types of gardens and all types of gardeners.
Here are a few of our favorites
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Wild Your Garden
by The Butterfly Brothers
Introducing Wild Your Garden, a practical guide to rewilding your outdoor space, with advice, inspiration and step-by-step projects brought to you by Gardeners' World and Springwatch guests The Butterfly Brothers.
We all have the potential to make the world a little greener, and Wild Your Garden shows you how to create a garden that can help boost local biodiversity. You don't need specialist knowledge or acres of land.
If you have any outdoor space, you can make a difference to local wildlife, and reduce your carbon footprint, too! So what are you waiting for?
Grow Food for Free
by Huw Richards
Author Huw Richards is a man on a mission. He is passionate about teaching you how to garden and grow your own food. Years of experience and trying different things has taught Huw how to garden with little money (or without a garden) and he shows you how to do the same! Grow Food for Free teaches you how to produce no-cost, low-maintenance fruit and veg - and finding low-cost ways to overcome common gardening worries.
Learn about the space you need and how to prepare it, make your own compost, tackle weeds, pests, and diseases, and how to get hold of your first set of seeds! Discover strategies to expand your garden. Can't afford a raised bed? Try repurposing an old wooden pallet. Don't have money to buy lots of different seeds? Look in your kitchen cupboards for food that you can plant. This home gardening book shows you everything you need to barter, borrow, repurpose, and propagate your way to a bountiful harvest without burdening your bank balance!
Gardening Step by Step
from the Royal Horticultural Society
Simple steps to growing, planting and reaping rewards from your garden, from the experts at the RHS. Transform your garden with inspiring projects taken from the bestselling "RHS Simple Steps to Success" series. Follow practical tips, checklists, charts and step-by-steps which are easy to do and simple to follow to keep your garden gorgeous all year round. Discover how to plant a small garden, from using colour to container ideas. Learn to grow vegetables in your small garden with tips on choosing a site and delicious planting recipes. There is advice on creating an easy-care garden from formal designs to planting ideas. Plus, get the low-down on easy pruning and find out how to encourage flowering and keep your clematis properly cut back. Get results, whether you're a green-fingered guru or a gardening novice.
by The Butterfly Brothers
Introducing Wild Your Garden, a practical guide to rewilding your outdoor space, with advice, inspiration and step-by-step projects brought to you by Gardeners' World and Springwatch guests The Butterfly Brothers.
We all have the potential to make the world a little greener, and Wild Your Garden shows you how to create a garden that can help boost local biodiversity. You don't need specialist knowledge or acres of land.
If you have any outdoor space, you can make a difference to local wildlife, and reduce your carbon footprint, too! So what are you waiting for?
Grow Food for Free
by Huw Richards
Author Huw Richards is a man on a mission. He is passionate about teaching you how to garden and grow your own food. Years of experience and trying different things has taught Huw how to garden with little money (or without a garden) and he shows you how to do the same! Grow Food for Free teaches you how to produce no-cost, low-maintenance fruit and veg - and finding low-cost ways to overcome common gardening worries.
Learn about the space you need and how to prepare it, make your own compost, tackle weeds, pests, and diseases, and how to get hold of your first set of seeds! Discover strategies to expand your garden. Can't afford a raised bed? Try repurposing an old wooden pallet. Don't have money to buy lots of different seeds? Look in your kitchen cupboards for food that you can plant. This home gardening book shows you everything you need to barter, borrow, repurpose, and propagate your way to a bountiful harvest without burdening your bank balance!
Gardening Step by Step
from the Royal Horticultural Society
Simple steps to growing, planting and reaping rewards from your garden, from the experts at the RHS. Transform your garden with inspiring projects taken from the bestselling "RHS Simple Steps to Success" series. Follow practical tips, checklists, charts and step-by-steps which are easy to do and simple to follow to keep your garden gorgeous all year round. Discover how to plant a small garden, from using colour to container ideas. Learn to grow vegetables in your small garden with tips on choosing a site and delicious planting recipes. There is advice on creating an easy-care garden from formal designs to planting ideas. Plus, get the low-down on easy pruning and find out how to encourage flowering and keep your clematis properly cut back. Get results, whether you're a green-fingered guru or a gardening novice.
March
Spring has officially arrived!
It's time for some of our favorite literary bunnies and rabbits to take center stage.
It's time for some of our favorite literary bunnies and rabbits to take center stage.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
The perfect first book for every little reader, discover the world of Peter Rabbit in Beatrix Potter's classic children's tale.
Peter Rabbit loves the yummy vegetables he finds in Mr McGregor's garden, the only problem is: Mr McGregor doesn't want Peter to get his paws on his crops!
One of Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tales, this mischievous little rabbit has hopped into the heart of generations of book lovers. First published in 1902, this edition has been re-originated so it matches Beatrix's first published work, all those years ago.
by Beatrix Potter
The perfect first book for every little reader, discover the world of Peter Rabbit in Beatrix Potter's classic children's tale.
Peter Rabbit loves the yummy vegetables he finds in Mr McGregor's garden, the only problem is: Mr McGregor doesn't want Peter to get his paws on his crops!
One of Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tales, this mischievous little rabbit has hopped into the heart of generations of book lovers. First published in 1902, this edition has been re-originated so it matches Beatrix's first published work, all those years ago.
The Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams
HCI’s hit self-help book The Velveteen Principles uses the lessons in Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit, the classic story of a toy bunny that learns what it means to be real, to show today’s adults how becoming “real” and embracing their true selves can make them wiser, healthier and best of all happier.
This new edition of The Velveteen Rabbit is designed to compliment The Velveteen Principles. It uses the same cover design and interior design iconography. The text uses an airy layout to highlight the wisdom and beauty of Margery Williams’ words.
by Margery Williams
HCI’s hit self-help book The Velveteen Principles uses the lessons in Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit, the classic story of a toy bunny that learns what it means to be real, to show today’s adults how becoming “real” and embracing their true selves can make them wiser, healthier and best of all happier.
This new edition of The Velveteen Rabbit is designed to compliment The Velveteen Principles. It uses the same cover design and interior design iconography. The text uses an airy layout to highlight the wisdom and beauty of Margery Williams’ words.
It is also time for Easter tales, and what better way to get started than with the classic,
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
by Du Bois Heyward
Cottontail the country bunny has big dreams of becoming the fifth Easter Bunny, and when she finally proves herself worthy of Old Grandfather's blessings, she is chosen to deliver the most special egg of them all.
With twenty-one baby bunnies to look after, mother bunny Cottontail abandons her dream of becoming an Easter Bunny. But when Grandfather Bunny spies her perfectly behaved brood, he’s so impressed that he makes Cottontail the most important Easter Bunny of all! Originally published in 1939, Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes celebrates the timeless values of equality, hard work, and patient ambition.
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
by Du Bois Heyward
Cottontail the country bunny has big dreams of becoming the fifth Easter Bunny, and when she finally proves herself worthy of Old Grandfather's blessings, she is chosen to deliver the most special egg of them all.
With twenty-one baby bunnies to look after, mother bunny Cottontail abandons her dream of becoming an Easter Bunny. But when Grandfather Bunny spies her perfectly behaved brood, he’s so impressed that he makes Cottontail the most important Easter Bunny of all! Originally published in 1939, Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes celebrates the timeless values of equality, hard work, and patient ambition.
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Book 1
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the crime, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth … ?
Book 2
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Pip is not a detective anymore
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?
Book 3
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?
Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.
Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears.
Book 4
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
Six suspects. Three hours. One murder…
Pip is not in the mood for her friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920’s fancy dress and pretending that their town is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder.
But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn’t the only case on her mind …
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the crime, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth … ?
Book 2
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Pip is not a detective anymore
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.
But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.
The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?
Book 3
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?
Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.
Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears.
Book 4
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
Six suspects. Three hours. One murder…
Pip is not in the mood for her friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920’s fancy dress and pretending that their town is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder.
But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn’t the only case on her mind …
The Salzburg Executioner
by L.A. Fatzinger
"A timely and relevant psychological thriller that will have readers questioning everything they see in their search and social media feeds."
The Salzburg Executioner is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the dark intersections of technology, ethics, and human isolation. Follow James Wohlmuth, a brilliant technologist haunted by the tragic suicide of his wife, Sara. As James uncovers the sinister side of algorithmic manipulation within the company he co-founded, he spirals into psychosis, questioning the very essence of his inventions and their impact on society.
Set against the haunting backdrop of Salzburg, Austria, James's journey takes him to the historical home of Franz Joseph Wohlmuth, a renowned executioner whose meticulous records helped end public executions and torture. Paralleling his own descent, James becomes obsessed with exposing the unethical use of AI and social media algorithms that drive societal isolation and mental health crises.
by L.A. Fatzinger
"A timely and relevant psychological thriller that will have readers questioning everything they see in their search and social media feeds."
The Salzburg Executioner is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the dark intersections of technology, ethics, and human isolation. Follow James Wohlmuth, a brilliant technologist haunted by the tragic suicide of his wife, Sara. As James uncovers the sinister side of algorithmic manipulation within the company he co-founded, he spirals into psychosis, questioning the very essence of his inventions and their impact on society.
Set against the haunting backdrop of Salzburg, Austria, James's journey takes him to the historical home of Franz Joseph Wohlmuth, a renowned executioner whose meticulous records helped end public executions and torture. Paralleling his own descent, James becomes obsessed with exposing the unethical use of AI and social media algorithms that drive societal isolation and mental health crises.
February
Romantasy is an emerging subgenre in new adult fiction, combining elements of high-fantasy with romance. And February is the perfect time to highlight the wildly successful Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. The first three books are out with
two more planned!
two more planned!
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Book 1:
Fourth Wing
Violet Sorrengail expected to live a quiet life surrounded by books, until she was forced onto the world's deadliest training ground. Now she must fight to join the army's elite: dragon riders. But dragons don't choose fragile riders, they incinerate them, and when your body breaks as easily as Violet's does - death is only a heartbeat away.
EVERY NIGHT COULD BE YOUR LAST
Many cadets would kill Violet to better their own chances of success; the rest would kill her just because of her last name . . . including the ruthless Xaden Riorson, her family's greatest enemy. With the odds stacked against her, Violet must use every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise, because once you enter Basgiath War College, there are only two ways out:
GRADUATE OR DIE
Book 2:
Iron Flame
SECRETS. SACRIFICE. SURVIVAL.
Against all odds, Violet Sorrengail made it through her first year at Basgiath War College, but now, the real training begins. The stakes are higher than ever, and a determination to survive won't be enough this time.
When a powerful new enemy threatens everything she cares about, including the man she loves, Violet must do whatever it takes to keep their secrets safe. One wrong move could have horrifying consequences - and as the web of lies spun by those in charge starts to unravel, nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
THE DEADLY SECOND YEAR AT BASGIATH AWAITS
Book 3:
Onyx Storm
ARE YOU READY TO BRAVE THE DARK?
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find - the truth.
But a storm is coming...
and NOT EVERYONE CAN SURVIVE ITS WRATH.
Fourth Wing
Violet Sorrengail expected to live a quiet life surrounded by books, until she was forced onto the world's deadliest training ground. Now she must fight to join the army's elite: dragon riders. But dragons don't choose fragile riders, they incinerate them, and when your body breaks as easily as Violet's does - death is only a heartbeat away.
EVERY NIGHT COULD BE YOUR LAST
Many cadets would kill Violet to better their own chances of success; the rest would kill her just because of her last name . . . including the ruthless Xaden Riorson, her family's greatest enemy. With the odds stacked against her, Violet must use every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise, because once you enter Basgiath War College, there are only two ways out:
GRADUATE OR DIE
Book 2:
Iron Flame
SECRETS. SACRIFICE. SURVIVAL.
Against all odds, Violet Sorrengail made it through her first year at Basgiath War College, but now, the real training begins. The stakes are higher than ever, and a determination to survive won't be enough this time.
When a powerful new enemy threatens everything she cares about, including the man she loves, Violet must do whatever it takes to keep their secrets safe. One wrong move could have horrifying consequences - and as the web of lies spun by those in charge starts to unravel, nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
THE DEADLY SECOND YEAR AT BASGIATH AWAITS
Book 3:
Onyx Storm
ARE YOU READY TO BRAVE THE DARK?
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find - the truth.
But a storm is coming...
and NOT EVERYONE CAN SURVIVE ITS WRATH.
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Sonnets from the Portuguese
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning Sonnets from the Portuguese, written c. 1845–1846 and published first in 1850, is a collection of 44 love sonnets. These love sonnets written for her, then, future husband Robert Browning. The content and tone of the sonnets change as her relationship with Browning relationship progressed. In the earlier sonnets she expresses her doubt and fear about beginning a relationship with Browning. The collection was acclaimed and popular during the poet's lifetime and it remains so today. |
There is so much we can learn from nature. In
Hunt for the Shadow Wolf: The lost history of wolves in Britain and the myths and stories that surround them
by Derek Gow
Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this magnificent creature. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with it grew. He pieced together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction. What Derek came to realise was that the underlying motives behind our hatred were actually rooted in power and profit. We turned the wolf into a savage beast and saw its extirpation as a civilising mission. But the wolf endured and Derek tells of his sightings through folklore and mythology, the records of grand estates and parish churches as well as wolf heads, both real and recreated. With bitingly funny but also tender stories, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf makes clear why we must reconcile our relationship with this majestic animal before we can begin to bring it back to these lands.
by Derek Gow
Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this magnificent creature. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with it grew. He pieced together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction. What Derek came to realise was that the underlying motives behind our hatred were actually rooted in power and profit. We turned the wolf into a savage beast and saw its extirpation as a civilising mission. But the wolf endured and Derek tells of his sightings through folklore and mythology, the records of grand estates and parish churches as well as wolf heads, both real and recreated. With bitingly funny but also tender stories, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf makes clear why we must reconcile our relationship with this majestic animal before we can begin to bring it back to these lands.
We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth
from Dahr Jamail and Stan Rushworth (publishers)
Although for a great many people, the human impact on the Earth—countless species becoming extinct, pandemics claiming millions of lives, and climate crisis causing worldwide social and environmental upheaval—was not apparent until recently, this is not the case for all people or cultures. For the Indigenous people of the world, radical alteration of the planet, and of life itself, is a story that is many generations long. They have had to adapt, to persevere, and to be courageous and resourceful in the face of genocide and destruction—and their experience has given them a unique understanding of civilizational devastation.
An American Library Association Notable Book, We Are the Middle of Forever places Indigenous voices at the center of conversations about today’s environmental crisis. The book draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life. A welcome antidote to the despair arising from the climate crisis, We Are the Middle of Forever will be an indispensable aid to those looking for new and different ideas and responses to the challenges we face.
from Dahr Jamail and Stan Rushworth (publishers)
Although for a great many people, the human impact on the Earth—countless species becoming extinct, pandemics claiming millions of lives, and climate crisis causing worldwide social and environmental upheaval—was not apparent until recently, this is not the case for all people or cultures. For the Indigenous people of the world, radical alteration of the planet, and of life itself, is a story that is many generations long. They have had to adapt, to persevere, and to be courageous and resourceful in the face of genocide and destruction—and their experience has given them a unique understanding of civilizational devastation.
An American Library Association Notable Book, We Are the Middle of Forever places Indigenous voices at the center of conversations about today’s environmental crisis. The book draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life. A welcome antidote to the despair arising from the climate crisis, We Are the Middle of Forever will be an indispensable aid to those looking for new and different ideas and responses to the challenges we face.
Braiding Sweetgrass
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
'A hymn of love to the world ... A journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise' Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two ways of knowledge together.
Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings - asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass - offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
'A hymn of love to the world ... A journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise' Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two ways of knowledge together.
Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings - asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass - offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
Take a look at these fascinating reads!
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
"Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked..." To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her parents on Striver's Row don't approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks, it's still home.
Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time.
Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn't ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn't ask questions, either.
Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the "Waldorf of Harlem"—and volunteers Ray's services as the fence. The heist doesn't go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can Ray avoid getting killed, save his cousin, and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs?
Harlem Shuffle's ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s. It's a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem. But mostly, it's a joy to read, another dazzling novel from the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Colson Whitehead.
Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time.
Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn't ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn't ask questions, either.
Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the "Waldorf of Harlem"—and volunteers Ray's services as the fence. The heist doesn't go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can Ray avoid getting killed, save his cousin, and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs?
Harlem Shuffle's ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s. It's a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem. But mostly, it's a joy to read, another dazzling novel from the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Colson Whitehead.