A Friend for Mole by Nancy Armo
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
An accidental encounter throws Mole and Wolf together. One is afraid of the light, the other is afraid of the dark. Together they learn that friends are all they need to conquer their fears.
Gently Awakened by Sara Joseph
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Do you dare risk unreservedly combining your Christian faith with your creativity? Could you be assured of thriving in the arts, or does that sound outrageously improbable?
Creativity is like an unwrapped gift from God. Its contents are mysterious, begging for action. The benevolent Giver eagerly awaits a response. Yet it is often tossed aside after merely removing the outer wrapping.
Too many Christians abandon their creativity, as if they were the hapless recipients of a toy with incomprehensible instructions. They walk away from their destiny— perhaps their very reason for being gifted in such a time as this. They remain oblivious of their God-authored potential, empowered by faith, to uniquely express the many nuances of their journey with Jesus.
Sara Joseph, an artist in paint, clay and verse, testifies to God’s infinite interest in every aspect of her creative enterprise. What she discovered may surprise you. In Gently Awakened, she employs prose, verse, and art to attest to God's faithfulness to the artist. Far from empty theories, these lessons, forged in the paint-splattered laboratory of her own life, bring clarity to the practical considerations of living out the unique call of a creative Christian.
Such a story could be yours to live, in partnership with your Creator.
The Way the Truth and the Life by Mickey R. Mullen
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
At the altar I asked God to help me. When I got up, most of the congregation was shaking my hand and was calling me "BROTHER." After leaving the church, I went to a gas station with a pay phone on the outside wall to call my mother. When my mother answered I told her that "I went to the altar." She asked me to pray for "Dad and Me."
At that instant, I believed that I could pray and heal her: she had a crippled leg since childhood from polio and later on rheumatoid arthritis.
Standing there, something hit me in my back and knocked my heart out of me to the right. The suit coat went limp, with my body feeling sunken. At first, it had occurred to me, I was shot. The impact was so great my right foot went forward a half step. Finding out my neck was stiff, out of the corner of the left eye I saw and felt a long stream of white misty light entering my back and my body was filling up. According to scripture, "replacing my heart." St Matthew 9 v 16-17.
Filters by Deborah Ailman
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Ashton has a gift... Simply put, she can read minds. Andrew Desmond personifies corporate evil. He uses his billions to manipulate not only the business world, but people as well. When he learns of the power Ashton possesses, he will stop at nothing to get it for his own.
Listen to the Lambs by Daniel Black
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Nothing can convince Lazarus Love III to go back to the lifestyle of affluence and social status. Longing for a freedom of the soul that the world of capitalism cannot provide, Lazarus leaves all that he knows--including his wife and children--to achieve the ultimate level of peace and silence living as a possession-less man. When his quest causes him to cross paths with five wanderers, all of whom later call themselves "the family," a shocking, brutal act leaves Lazarus in a dire position and his newfound family must struggle to save him. By doing so, they learn the beauty of sacrificial love.
New and Collected Poems: 1975-2015 by Jay Parini
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A new book, the first in over a decade, from acclaimed poet Jay Parini
This volume revolves around his deep connection to nature and underlines his concerns about the impacts of pollution and climate change. In these beautiful, haunting poems, Parini writes about the landscapes of mining country, of the railroads of Pennsylvania, of farm country, of worlds lost and families dispersed. He explores faith and how it is tested. He limns the deepest crevices of the human heart and soul. He surprises and moves us.
In addition to a complete volume’s worth of new work, called West Mountain Epilogue, offering more than fifty poems never before published in any form, Parini has collected the very best work from his previous four volumes, the poems, as he tells us, “written in the past forty years that I wish to stand by.’
Lavishly and deservingly praised over the decades for his work as an essayist, critic, biographer, novelist, and, especially, poet, Parini shines as never before in this generous volume.
This volume revolves around his deep connection to nature and underlines his concerns about the impacts of pollution and climate change. In these beautiful, haunting poems, Parini writes about the landscapes of mining country, of the railroads of Pennsylvania, of farm country, of worlds lost and families dispersed. He explores faith and how it is tested. He limns the deepest crevices of the human heart and soul. He surprises and moves us.
In addition to a complete volume’s worth of new work, called West Mountain Epilogue, offering more than fifty poems never before published in any form, Parini has collected the very best work from his previous four volumes, the poems, as he tells us, “written in the past forty years that I wish to stand by.’
Lavishly and deservingly praised over the decades for his work as an essayist, critic, biographer, novelist, and, especially, poet, Parini shines as never before in this generous volume.
Gray Salvation by Alan McDermott
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
When the body of an MI5 operative is found floating in the Thames, police frogmen find a significant clue nearby: Nikolai Sereyev, an MI5 informer and mid-level player in a Russian criminal organisation. Both men have been brutally murdered.
Andrew Harvey is tasked with finding his colleague’s killer, and quickly uncovers a plot to assassinate a visiting dignitary on British soil. No sooner has he scraped the surface of the case than the tables are turned and he becomes a pawn in a game of international brinkmanship that leads all the way to the Kremlin.
Harvey’s girlfriend, Sarah, also a secret service operative, is hot on his trail, but when she too becomes compromised, security chief Veronica Ellis knows there is only one man she can turn to. He’s a loose cannon, but she needs his help to rescue her agent and prevent a full-blown international incident.
The trouble is, Tom Gray has gone to ground. Finding him is just the beginning.
Andrew Harvey is tasked with finding his colleague’s killer, and quickly uncovers a plot to assassinate a visiting dignitary on British soil. No sooner has he scraped the surface of the case than the tables are turned and he becomes a pawn in a game of international brinkmanship that leads all the way to the Kremlin.
Harvey’s girlfriend, Sarah, also a secret service operative, is hot on his trail, but when she too becomes compromised, security chief Veronica Ellis knows there is only one man she can turn to. He’s a loose cannon, but she needs his help to rescue her agent and prevent a full-blown international incident.
The trouble is, Tom Gray has gone to ground. Finding him is just the beginning.
Listen Liberal by Thomas Frank
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
From the bestselling author of What's the Matter With Kansas, a scathing look at the standard-bearers of liberal politics -- a book that asks: what's the matter with Democrats?
It is a widespread belief among liberals that if only Democrats can continue to dominate national elections, if only those awful Republicans are beaten into submission, the country will be on the right course.
But this is to fundamentally misunderstand the modern Democratic Party. Drawing on years of research and first-hand reporting, Frank points out that the Democrats have done little to advance traditional liberal goals: expanding opportunity, fighting for social justice, and ensuring that workers get a fair deal. Indeed, they have scarcely dented the free-market consensus at all. This is not for lack of opportunity: Democrats have occupied the White House for sixteen of the last twenty-four years, and yet the decline of the middle class has only accelerated. Wall Street gets its bailouts, wages keep falling, and the free-trade deals keep coming.
With his trademark sardonic wit and lacerating logic, Frank's Listen, Liberal lays bare the essence of the Democratic Party's philosophy and how it has changed over the years. A form of corporate and cultural elitism has largely eclipsed the party's old working-class commitment, he finds. For certain favored groups, this has meant prosperity. But for the nation as a whole, it is a one-way ticket into the abyss of inequality. In this critical election year, Frank recalls the Democrats to their historic goals-the only way to reverse the ever-deepening rift between the rich and the poor in America.
It is a widespread belief among liberals that if only Democrats can continue to dominate national elections, if only those awful Republicans are beaten into submission, the country will be on the right course.
But this is to fundamentally misunderstand the modern Democratic Party. Drawing on years of research and first-hand reporting, Frank points out that the Democrats have done little to advance traditional liberal goals: expanding opportunity, fighting for social justice, and ensuring that workers get a fair deal. Indeed, they have scarcely dented the free-market consensus at all. This is not for lack of opportunity: Democrats have occupied the White House for sixteen of the last twenty-four years, and yet the decline of the middle class has only accelerated. Wall Street gets its bailouts, wages keep falling, and the free-trade deals keep coming.
With his trademark sardonic wit and lacerating logic, Frank's Listen, Liberal lays bare the essence of the Democratic Party's philosophy and how it has changed over the years. A form of corporate and cultural elitism has largely eclipsed the party's old working-class commitment, he finds. For certain favored groups, this has meant prosperity. But for the nation as a whole, it is a one-way ticket into the abyss of inequality. In this critical election year, Frank recalls the Democrats to their historic goals-the only way to reverse the ever-deepening rift between the rich and the poor in America.
Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
In this vibrant new historical novel, the acclaimed author of The Plum Tree and What She Left Behind explores one young woman's determination to put an end to child labor in a Pennsylvania mining town.
As a child, Emma Malloy left isolated Coal River, Pennsylvania, vowing never to return. Now, orphaned and penniless at nineteen, she accepts a train ticket from her aunt and uncle and travels back to the rough-hewn community. Treated like a servant by her relatives, Emma works for free in the company store. There, miners and their impoverished families must pay inflated prices for food, clothing, and tools, while those who owe money are turned away to starve.
Most heartrending of all are the breaker boys Emma sees around the village--young children who toil all day sorting coal amid treacherous machinery. Their soot-stained faces remind Emma of the little brother she lost long ago, and she begins leaving stolen food on families' doorsteps, and marking the miners' bills as paid.
Though Emma's actions draw ire from the mine owner and police captain, they lead to an alliance with a charismatic miner who offers to help her expose the truth. And as the lines blur between what is legal and what is just, Emma must risk everything to follow her conscience.
An emotional, compelling novel that rings with authenticity--Coal River is a deft and honest portrait of resilience in the face of hardship, and of the simple acts of courage that can change everything.
As a child, Emma Malloy left isolated Coal River, Pennsylvania, vowing never to return. Now, orphaned and penniless at nineteen, she accepts a train ticket from her aunt and uncle and travels back to the rough-hewn community. Treated like a servant by her relatives, Emma works for free in the company store. There, miners and their impoverished families must pay inflated prices for food, clothing, and tools, while those who owe money are turned away to starve.
Most heartrending of all are the breaker boys Emma sees around the village--young children who toil all day sorting coal amid treacherous machinery. Their soot-stained faces remind Emma of the little brother she lost long ago, and she begins leaving stolen food on families' doorsteps, and marking the miners' bills as paid.
Though Emma's actions draw ire from the mine owner and police captain, they lead to an alliance with a charismatic miner who offers to help her expose the truth. And as the lines blur between what is legal and what is just, Emma must risk everything to follow her conscience.
An emotional, compelling novel that rings with authenticity--Coal River is a deft and honest portrait of resilience in the face of hardship, and of the simple acts of courage that can change everything.
Abba's Lament by Tina Webb
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Daystar, chief of angels, leads Earth's occupation. When he hears that Abba plans to create yet another planet, his ambition grows selfish. Michael, governor of the province of Luz, also wants to lead the new planet and travels to Heaven to get permission. Abba consents. Feeling blindsided, Daystar turns against everyone he loves except beautiful Atara, whose fierce loyalty emboldens him to form a rogue army of rebel angels. Not even Abba, the Creator, conceives that Daystar could become so enchanted and deceived. Daystar appoints Atara to be his queen and together they seek to overtake Earth. As Luz burns from a surprise rebel attack, Michael and the other governors scour the earth to help angels who stand against the rebels. In Heaven, Abba issues an order that seals Daystar and Atara's fate. All around the globe, the rebels wreak havoc upon all that the angels had built. Michael's heart is broken. He knows his former friend is now eternally his enemy.
Once a planet of promise, Earth convulses in its orbit as it turns into a burning wasteland.
But Earth still has a future. Abba has a plan.
This is Earth before Adam.
This is the story of how evil became.
Once a planet of promise, Earth convulses in its orbit as it turns into a burning wasteland.
But Earth still has a future. Abba has a plan.
This is Earth before Adam.
This is the story of how evil became.
The Isle of Minimus by MKL Murphy
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The Isle of Minimus is a neon mirage from the heart of the sandblasted Nevada wasteland, a panorama of crazed dictators, dreamy acrobats, the urban warlords of Hollywood, video game cults, sinister boatmen, rogue airshow pilots, feral tourists, minituarised landmarks, opium dens, pop art, nuclear war, architecture, music, money, the sixties, the nineties, the post-nineties…a story of limitless scope and spectacle.
Using repetition, paradox and association, the novel leaves conventional views of linearity behind as it revisits the World’s Fair in Montreal 1967 and its antithesis, Las Vegas in 1999, by way of a confrontation in which a cast of dwarfs fight their way out of the now-never of capitalist ontology in an attempt to find a way back into history.
Using repetition, paradox and association, the novel leaves conventional views of linearity behind as it revisits the World’s Fair in Montreal 1967 and its antithesis, Las Vegas in 1999, by way of a confrontation in which a cast of dwarfs fight their way out of the now-never of capitalist ontology in an attempt to find a way back into history.
Things to Do in the Smokies with Kids by Nick Weisenberger
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
The Smoky Mountain region is an amazing vacation destination: majestic views, wonderful wildlife, thrilling rides, and relaxing walks are all to be found and enjoyed. Activities include relaxing, hiking, shopping, people watching, crafting, backpacking and more. You'll find something to suite every family member's needs or interests. Things to Do in the Smokies with Kids will give you the tips and information you need to explore this popular and picturesque region with confidence. If you don't have time to sort through a 1,000] page guide then this book is for you. Things to Do in the Smokies with Kids is not all encompassing; every single attraction in the area is not covered. Rather, it's a selective look at family oriented entertainment in the Smoky Mountains that are well worth visiting. The guide is organized geographically into three main regions (from North to South): Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Some of the attractions reviewed include: Dollywood Theme Park The Island in Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster Goats on the Roof Ober Gatlinburg Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Other tips to improve your vacation while visiting the Smoky Mountain region include: The best roads to take to avoid traffic congestion How to save money on almost every attraction The easiest waterfall to hike to in the national park Free things to do in Pigeon Forge The best Dollywood ticket values This isn't just a compiled list of second hand data from Google searches. This book is full of current information written from an author who has actually been to the region many times (and has the pictures to prove it). Learn about the top sights the entire family will enjoy, essential trip planning tips for traveling with kids, and how to improve your vacation by maximizing your time and dollars. It's your quick start guide to planning the perfect family vacation!
How to Weep in Public by Jacqueline Novak
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
In her hilarious memoir-meets-guide-to-life, comedian (and depressed person) Jacqueline Novak reveals depression’s hidden pleasures, advises readers on how to make most of a cat hair-covered life, and helps them summon the strength to shed that bathrobe and face the world.
Exhausted? Rundown? Filled with a vague sense of ennui, an occasional twinge of regret, or a hell of a lot of mood stabilizers?
Then this is the book for you.
How to Weep in Public is both a tongue-in-cheek advice guide (from a person who has no business giving advice to anyone!) and one woman’s breathless journey to consistently put on pants, or at least get out of bed in the morning. Beginning with her earliest blue moments of infancy, and hop-scotching through her exploration of the world of pharmaceuticals, before bounding right back to her parents' couch, Jacqueline Novak will introduce you to the ABC's (Adderall! Benzos! Catatonia!) of depression and reveal, funnily enough, that a lot can happen even when you're standing still.
Or, as it happens, lying down.
Whether you’re coping with the occasional down day, or thrive fully in Picasso’s blue period, How to Weep in Public is the perfect place to regroup between those nagging Tony Robbins tapes and that exhausting amount of Leaning In. So sit back, relax, and let Jacqueline Novak teach you how to carpe depressem with the rest of them.
Exhausted? Rundown? Filled with a vague sense of ennui, an occasional twinge of regret, or a hell of a lot of mood stabilizers?
Then this is the book for you.
How to Weep in Public is both a tongue-in-cheek advice guide (from a person who has no business giving advice to anyone!) and one woman’s breathless journey to consistently put on pants, or at least get out of bed in the morning. Beginning with her earliest blue moments of infancy, and hop-scotching through her exploration of the world of pharmaceuticals, before bounding right back to her parents' couch, Jacqueline Novak will introduce you to the ABC's (Adderall! Benzos! Catatonia!) of depression and reveal, funnily enough, that a lot can happen even when you're standing still.
Or, as it happens, lying down.
Whether you’re coping with the occasional down day, or thrive fully in Picasso’s blue period, How to Weep in Public is the perfect place to regroup between those nagging Tony Robbins tapes and that exhausting amount of Leaning In. So sit back, relax, and let Jacqueline Novak teach you how to carpe depressem with the rest of them.
The Eagle and the Tiger by Tim Davis
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Bill Fleming’s first day with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam was a memorable one. The deceptive, crooked path that led him to today began a few months back. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, nineteen-year old Fleming was a professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago White Sox. His successful first year in the minor leagues was waylaid when he received his draft notice. Through a series of misadventures, he ended up enlisting for four years in an elite unit called the A.S.A. or Army Security Agency; the army’s equivalent to the N.S.A. or the National Security Agency. Once in the army, Fleming learned that the recruiter had manipulated him with a host of untruths. Then, to his dismay, he learned that the army had lost his orders and he was placed in an infantry unit. Once in Vietnam, Platoon Sergeant, Levine questioned Fleming and dragged out of him the sad story of how he had enlisted for four years and ended up in an infantry unit. He became the butt of the platoon’s jokes and underwent vicious ribbing by the other platoon members. That day, the platoon was ordered back to their base camp: L.Z. English. Before leaving, they endured a mortar attack and then a ground probe. Fleming’s foxhole mate was critically wounded. Fleming did everything he could to save the man but his wounds were too severe and he died in Fleming’s arms. Repulsed by the ordeal, Fleming was left wondering if he could endure a whole year of this. Twelve-year old Van Phan Duc and his two friends twelve-year old Hoi Anh Vanh and Dan Tri Quang lived happily in their village until the day a N.V.A. invaded and forced them to join their struggle and fight the invading Americans. They were then assigned to a Viet Cong unit where they met Sergeant Chi, the man who would train them to be soldiers for the revolution and lead them into battle. Three American soldiers had been captured. Chi ordered the three boys to participate in brutally torturing the Americans. Dan embraced the torture and it turned him into a brutal fighting machine, much to Chi’s satisfaction. On the other hand, Hoi was repulsed by the events and a part of him died that day. He performed the torture but it wasn’t to Chi’s satisfaction. Van, a devout Buddhist, was also repulsed. He realized that life, as a soldier was three hundred and sixty degrees opposite of Buddha’s spiritual path. The 173rd’s area of operations was the Central Highlands. The 173rd’s home base was in and around the town of Bong Son, but they patrolled all over the province of Binh Dinh. For the next few months, Fleming and Van’s units met on numerous occasions. The first time they engaged each other in combat was in a simple ambush that lasted only two minutes. Both men were left repulsed by the carnage that could take place in only two minutes. Right after the ambush, Fleming’s company was deployed in a battalion-sized operation located in the Dak To mountain range. It was an area where numerous North Vietnamese soldiers infiltrated into South Vietnam from neighboring Cambodia and Laos. Fleming’s company was dropped into an area far from Dak To and the men were forced to march (hump) to their final destination. During the trek, they had to carve their way through impenetrable jungle and cross leach infested rivers to reach their destination, all the while suffering under Vietnam’s oppressive heat. Van’s Viet Cong unit was sent to the Dak To mountain range to do battle with Fleming and his company. Months passed with Van and Fleming’s units constantly meeting. Both men had similar personalities. Both men overcame their initial shock at war’s brutality and became highly competent soldiers who bravely fought the enemy. Both men were ultimately made into squad leaders. Both men continued to hate the war, yet were entrapped in the insanity that was war. They both recognized what war was—a brutally insane series of events where lives were lost and where dreams died.
Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus by Douglas Rushkoff
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Capital in the Twenty-First Century meets The Second Machine Age in this stunning and optimistic tour de force on the promise and peril of the digital economy, from one of the most brilliant social critics of our time.
Digital technology was supposed to usher in a new age of endless prosperity, but so far it has been used to put industrial capitalism on steroids, making it harder for people and businesses to keep up. Social networks surrender their original missions to more immediately profitable data mining, while brokerage houses abandon value investing for algorithms that drain markets and our 401ks alike--all tactics driven by the need to stoke growth by any means necessary. Instead of taking this opportunity to reprogram our economy for sustainability, we have doubled down on growth as its core command. We have reached the limits of this approach. We must escape the growth trap, once and for all.
Media scholar and technology author Douglas Rushkoff--one of today's most original and influential thinkers--argues for a new economic program that utilizes the unique distributive power of the internet while breaking free of the winner-take-all system the growth trap leaves in its wake. Drawing on sources both contemporary and historical, Rushkoff pioneers a new understanding of the old economic paradigm, from central currency to debt to corporations and labor.
Most importantly, he offers a series of practical steps for businesses, consumers, investors, and policymakers to remake the economic operating system from the inside out--and prosper along the way. Instead of boycotting Wal-Mart or overtaxing the wealthy, we simply implement strategies that foster the creation of value by stakeholders other than just ourselves. From our currency to our labor to the corporation, every aspect of the economy can be reprogrammed with minimal disruption to create a more equitably distributed prosperity for all.
Inspiring and challenging, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus provides a pragmatic, optimistic, and human-centered model for economic progress in the digital age.
Digital technology was supposed to usher in a new age of endless prosperity, but so far it has been used to put industrial capitalism on steroids, making it harder for people and businesses to keep up. Social networks surrender their original missions to more immediately profitable data mining, while brokerage houses abandon value investing for algorithms that drain markets and our 401ks alike--all tactics driven by the need to stoke growth by any means necessary. Instead of taking this opportunity to reprogram our economy for sustainability, we have doubled down on growth as its core command. We have reached the limits of this approach. We must escape the growth trap, once and for all.
Media scholar and technology author Douglas Rushkoff--one of today's most original and influential thinkers--argues for a new economic program that utilizes the unique distributive power of the internet while breaking free of the winner-take-all system the growth trap leaves in its wake. Drawing on sources both contemporary and historical, Rushkoff pioneers a new understanding of the old economic paradigm, from central currency to debt to corporations and labor.
Most importantly, he offers a series of practical steps for businesses, consumers, investors, and policymakers to remake the economic operating system from the inside out--and prosper along the way. Instead of boycotting Wal-Mart or overtaxing the wealthy, we simply implement strategies that foster the creation of value by stakeholders other than just ourselves. From our currency to our labor to the corporation, every aspect of the economy can be reprogrammed with minimal disruption to create a more equitably distributed prosperity for all.
Inspiring and challenging, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus provides a pragmatic, optimistic, and human-centered model for economic progress in the digital age.
Into the Fury by Kat Martin
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A bodyguard, a bounty hunter, a P.I.—the men of Brodie Operations Security Service, Inc. are down for the job…
Sinners, whores, and sluts beware—your time is at hand: a faceless menace is threatening lingerie models on a cross country tour, and Ethan Brodie is there to defend and protect.
Ethan’s learned the hard way that beauty is no substitute for character. So even though Valentine Hart is one of the most breathtaking women he’s ever seen, he’s keeping his hands off and his eyes open. Or that’s what he tells himself.
Then one of the models is murdered, and the closer Ethan gets to the answers, the closer he finds himself to Valentine—and the hotter the pressure feels. There’s more to Val—more to the other girls—than he could have guessed. But one is keeping a secret that could kill them all.
Sinners, whores, and sluts beware—your time is at hand: a faceless menace is threatening lingerie models on a cross country tour, and Ethan Brodie is there to defend and protect.
Ethan’s learned the hard way that beauty is no substitute for character. So even though Valentine Hart is one of the most breathtaking women he’s ever seen, he’s keeping his hands off and his eyes open. Or that’s what he tells himself.
Then one of the models is murdered, and the closer Ethan gets to the answers, the closer he finds himself to Valentine—and the hotter the pressure feels. There’s more to Val—more to the other girls—than he could have guessed. But one is keeping a secret that could kill them all.
Eyes Wide Open 2015 by Chris Barsanti
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Who has the time to waste on a bad movie?
Hundreds of new movies came to theaters in 2015. Nobody has time to see them all. To help you maximize your movie-going opportunities, critic Chris Barsanti runs down the best movies of 2015 that you should make sure to see—and those you shouldn’t bother with.
In this year’s edition of Eyes Wide Open, you’ll find:
•Dramas (The Big Short, Room, Spotlight, The Revenant)
•Blockbusters (Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside Out)
•Science Fiction (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ex Machina, The Martian)
•Foreign films (Mustang, About Elly)
•Indies (Experimenter, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter)
•Documentaries (In Jackson Heights, Amy, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck)
•Disappointments (Bridge of Spies, In the Heart of the Sea, Steve Jobs)
This guide to the year in movies also includes Best-Of lists, Honorable Mentions, DVD reviews, and the year’s best quotes.
From mega-budget blockbusters to tiny indies, Eyes Wide Open: 2015 covers it all.
Hundreds of new movies came to theaters in 2015. Nobody has time to see them all. To help you maximize your movie-going opportunities, critic Chris Barsanti runs down the best movies of 2015 that you should make sure to see—and those you shouldn’t bother with.
In this year’s edition of Eyes Wide Open, you’ll find:
•Dramas (The Big Short, Room, Spotlight, The Revenant)
•Blockbusters (Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside Out)
•Science Fiction (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ex Machina, The Martian)
•Foreign films (Mustang, About Elly)
•Indies (Experimenter, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter)
•Documentaries (In Jackson Heights, Amy, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck)
•Disappointments (Bridge of Spies, In the Heart of the Sea, Steve Jobs)
This guide to the year in movies also includes Best-Of lists, Honorable Mentions, DVD reviews, and the year’s best quotes.
From mega-budget blockbusters to tiny indies, Eyes Wide Open: 2015 covers it all.
Sunset at Lake Crane by Casey Hagen
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Love, truth, and pain lie buried beneath the Sunset at Lake Crane . . .
Faced with a blackmailer’s ultimatum, 19-year-old Erynn O’Neal protects her lover by disappearing from his life. Brokenhearted, she vanishes—and takes a life-altering secret with her.
Grant Alexander crossed the line when he took former student, Erynn O’Neal, as his own a mere two months after her high school graduation. Knowing the truth revealed would shred his career and reputation, he accepted the risks in exchange for the promise of a lifelong love. A heartbeat later, Erynn abandoned him without a word.
Years pass as Grant and Erynn lead separate lives–he as a reclusive author, she as an ambitious reporter. Yet, despite scarred hearts, true love lost is never forgotten, and Grant devises a way to draw Erynn back into his sphere of passion. Their aching hearts begin a tentative détente, but old jealousies flare, devastating truths come to light, and Grant and Erynn must resurrect and overcome the painful secrets of the past if they’re ever to love again.
Faced with a blackmailer’s ultimatum, 19-year-old Erynn O’Neal protects her lover by disappearing from his life. Brokenhearted, she vanishes—and takes a life-altering secret with her.
Grant Alexander crossed the line when he took former student, Erynn O’Neal, as his own a mere two months after her high school graduation. Knowing the truth revealed would shred his career and reputation, he accepted the risks in exchange for the promise of a lifelong love. A heartbeat later, Erynn abandoned him without a word.
Years pass as Grant and Erynn lead separate lives–he as a reclusive author, she as an ambitious reporter. Yet, despite scarred hearts, true love lost is never forgotten, and Grant devises a way to draw Erynn back into his sphere of passion. Their aching hearts begin a tentative détente, but old jealousies flare, devastating truths come to light, and Grant and Erynn must resurrect and overcome the painful secrets of the past if they’re ever to love again.
A Venomous Cocktail by Jody Valley
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Shattered and desperately in need of healing, Kera Van Brocklin has left one war zone only to find another awaits her at home.
Her father’s funeral is only the beginning of a breach in her Michigan hometown’s peace as LGBT activists push for civil rights only to be stymied by a mysteriously funded “citizens” group. She doesn’t want to take sides, but has little choice: she is an out lesbian and her old friend Mandy is leading the charge for rights. Her feelings for Mandy, after all these years, only complicate her emotional stability.
Her decision puts Kera further at odds with her twin, Deidre, whose marriage to a right-wing religious leader strains their once close relationship. With tension running high, the last thing anyone expects is a brutal murder—and that Kera is the prime suspect.
Her father’s funeral is only the beginning of a breach in her Michigan hometown’s peace as LGBT activists push for civil rights only to be stymied by a mysteriously funded “citizens” group. She doesn’t want to take sides, but has little choice: she is an out lesbian and her old friend Mandy is leading the charge for rights. Her feelings for Mandy, after all these years, only complicate her emotional stability.
Her decision puts Kera further at odds with her twin, Deidre, whose marriage to a right-wing religious leader strains their once close relationship. With tension running high, the last thing anyone expects is a brutal murder—and that Kera is the prime suspect.
Copy Right...? by Tom Henry
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Jack Pascoe ended a well-earned holiday prematurely to pay an unscheduled visit to his laboratory. There he discovered that two of his partners, Sally and Liam Jennings, had taken advantage of his absence to steal the lynchpin of his cloning system, just when he'd been finally ready to share it with the world. In the days that followed, Jack would be assailed on all sides, as so-called friends and lovers joined forces with a disgruntled police officer and a shadowy character known only as The Dutchman, all determined to destroy him. Treachery, as Jack was about to discover, is a slippery slope. Until he found someone he could trust, something to stop an inevitable slide into the abyss, it seemed he would lose not only his laboratory and his freedom, but maybe his life too.
The Passage by Justin Cronin
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.
River of Ink by Paul M.M. Cooper
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
In thirteenth-century Sri Lanka, Asanka, poet to the king, lives a life of luxury, enjoying courtly life and a sweet, furtive love affair with a palace servant, a village girl he is teaching to write. But when Magha, a prince from the mainland, usurps the throne, Asanka's role as court poet dramatically alters. Magha is a cruel and calculating king--and yet, a lover of poetry--and he commissions Asanka to translate a holy Sanskrit epic into the Tamil language spoken by his recently acquired subjects. The poem will be an olive branch--a symbol of unity between the two cultures.
But in different languages, in different contexts, meaning can become slippery. First inadvertently, then deliberately and dangerously, Asanka's version of the epic, centered on the killing of an unjust ruler, inspires and arouses the oppressed people of the land. Asanka must juggle the capricious demands of a king with the growing demands of his own political consciousness--and his heart--if he wishes to survive and imagine a future with the woman he loves.
The first novel from a remarkable young writer, River of Ink is a powerful historical tale set in the shadow of oppression--one with deep allegorical resonances in any time--celebrating the triumph of literature and love.
But in different languages, in different contexts, meaning can become slippery. First inadvertently, then deliberately and dangerously, Asanka's version of the epic, centered on the killing of an unjust ruler, inspires and arouses the oppressed people of the land. Asanka must juggle the capricious demands of a king with the growing demands of his own political consciousness--and his heart--if he wishes to survive and imagine a future with the woman he loves.
The first novel from a remarkable young writer, River of Ink is a powerful historical tale set in the shadow of oppression--one with deep allegorical resonances in any time--celebrating the triumph of literature and love.
Stealing Games by Maury Klein
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
The 1911 New York Giants stole an astonishing 347 bases, a record that still stands more than a century later. That alone makes them special in baseball history, but as Maury Klein relates in Stealing Games they also embodied a rapidly changing America on the cusp of a faster, more frenetic pace of life dominated by machines, technology, and urban culture.
Baseball, too, was evolving from the dead-ball to the live-ball era--the cork-centered ball was introduced in 1910 and structurally changed not only the outcome of individual games but the way the game itself was played, requiring upgraded equipment, new rules, and new ways of adjudicating. Changing performance also changed the relationship between management and players. The Giants had two stars--the brilliant manager John McGraw and aging pitcher Christy Mathewson--and memorable characters such as Rube Marquard and Fred Snodgrass; yet their speed and tenacity led to three pennants in a row starting in 1911. Stealing Games gives a great team its due and underscores once more the rich connection between sports and culture.
Baseball, too, was evolving from the dead-ball to the live-ball era--the cork-centered ball was introduced in 1910 and structurally changed not only the outcome of individual games but the way the game itself was played, requiring upgraded equipment, new rules, and new ways of adjudicating. Changing performance also changed the relationship between management and players. The Giants had two stars--the brilliant manager John McGraw and aging pitcher Christy Mathewson--and memorable characters such as Rube Marquard and Fred Snodgrass; yet their speed and tenacity led to three pennants in a row starting in 1911. Stealing Games gives a great team its due and underscores once more the rich connection between sports and culture.
Mormon Feminism edited by Joanna Brooks, Rachel Hunt Steenblik, and Hannah Wheelwright
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
This groundbreaking collection gathers together for the first time the essential writings of the contemporary Mormon feminist movement--from its historic beginnings in the 1970s to its vibrant present, offering the best Mormon feminist thought and writing.
No issue in Mormonism has made more headlines than the faith's distinctive approach to sex and gender. From its polygamous nineteenth-century past to its twentieth-century stand against the Equal Rights Amendment and its twenty-first-century fight against same-sex marriage, the Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has consistently positioned itself on the frontlines of battles over gender-related identities, roles, and rights. But even as the church has maintained a conservative position in public debates over sex and gender, Mormon women have developed their own brand of feminism by recovering the lost histories of female leadership and exploring the empowering potential of Mormon theology. The selections in this book-many gathered from out-of-print anthologies, magazines, and other ephemera--walk the reader through the history of Mormon feminism, from the second-wave feminism of the 1970s to contemporary debates over the ordination of women.
Collecting essays, speeches, poems, and prose, Mormon Feminism presents the diverse voices of Mormon women as they challenge assumptions and stereotypes, push for progress and change in the contemporary LDS Church, and band together with other feminists of faith hoping to build a better world.
No issue in Mormonism has made more headlines than the faith's distinctive approach to sex and gender. From its polygamous nineteenth-century past to its twentieth-century stand against the Equal Rights Amendment and its twenty-first-century fight against same-sex marriage, the Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has consistently positioned itself on the frontlines of battles over gender-related identities, roles, and rights. But even as the church has maintained a conservative position in public debates over sex and gender, Mormon women have developed their own brand of feminism by recovering the lost histories of female leadership and exploring the empowering potential of Mormon theology. The selections in this book-many gathered from out-of-print anthologies, magazines, and other ephemera--walk the reader through the history of Mormon feminism, from the second-wave feminism of the 1970s to contemporary debates over the ordination of women.
Collecting essays, speeches, poems, and prose, Mormon Feminism presents the diverse voices of Mormon women as they challenge assumptions and stereotypes, push for progress and change in the contemporary LDS Church, and band together with other feminists of faith hoping to build a better world.
Far Away Home by Susan Denning (Read by Tavia Gilbert)
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
In post-Civil War New York City, sixteen-year-old Aislynn Denehy cannot find a job, she has no place to live and no family to help her. Some might think this is a problem; Aislynn believes it s an opportunity, but she has a lot to learn. No formulaic romance, this love story depicts life as it truly was for the thousands of women who went west reaching for a new life. Aislynn s journey begins in a New York City tenement and leads her across the frontier to a Utah mining camp where she must cope with the conflicting intentions of three very different men. Life in the roughshod camp brings small joys and devastating losses. This novel races through authentic experiences involving historical events until it erupts in an unexpected ending. In today s troubled world, Far Away Home will make you believe no matter how many challenges fate sends your way, the human spirit can triumph. Reviews: FAR AWAY HOME is an engaging, memorable love story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Amy Goodman, award winning syndicated journalist, columnist and author "An engrossing story set against the back drop of early America. A page turner of adventure, romance and strong characters who stand up for themselves and their friends despite the costs." Geoff Woodland, author of Ice King, an antislavery novel
Consciousness Archaeology by Maximus Freeman
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Consciousness Archaeology vividly chronicles Freeman's relentless, twenty-year exploration of the ebbs and flows of life from the dark night of the Soul to the radiant light of Presence. His use of intimate, personal stories provides a raw, unfiltered view of human nature in its most vulnerable state. Freeman shares his unique perspective on many ancient truths and introduces several insightful theories of his own while injecting just a hint of humor. Most importantly though, he provides simple, practical exercises which allow the reader to experience profound, life-long benefits. Are you ready to dig deep?
Learn to Swim by Joseph Edwin Haeger
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Joseph Edwin Haeger illustrates the genesis and evolution of fraternity. Told in a series of frank recollections, Learn to Swim paints a vivid portrait of ten years in the lives of two friends. Haeger exposes the intimacy of everyday events we all experience ... seemingly unremarkable moments, made remarkable by the people with whom we choose to share them.
Life rarely follows the path we plot, but one fact remains immutable—when the tide comes in, we learn to swim.
Life rarely follows the path we plot, but one fact remains immutable—when the tide comes in, we learn to swim.
White Ghost by Steven Gore
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
From the author of Final Target and Power Blind comes the fourth book in the high stakes thriller series featuring private investigator Graham Gage.
For over thirty years Graham Gage has faced down enemies both near and far, but now he faces one from within.
Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, Gage must delay treatment in order to repay the woman who saved his life in San Francisco's Chinatown thirty years earlier when he was homicide detective. She has come out of hiding after her troubled teenage son was ensnared and killed in a multimillion dollar microchip robbery executed by the United Bamboo Triad.
With the FBI straight-jacketed and despite his plaguing symptoms, Gage heads to Hong Kong, then on to Thailand, and finally to China to untangle a fast moving and brilliantly orchestrated deal bartering the chips for a billion dollars of China White heroin. Racing ahead of the disease, he puts in place a scheme to tie the conspiracy directly to the US-based godfather behind her son's death.
With his plan in place, Gage returns to the US, hands off the case to the FBI and begins a highly toxic treatment, but is soon drawn into a deadly confrontation with the godfather himself.
An electrifying, harrowing thriller, White Ghost, will leave readers hanging in suspense until the final shocking moments.
For over thirty years Graham Gage has faced down enemies both near and far, but now he faces one from within.
Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, Gage must delay treatment in order to repay the woman who saved his life in San Francisco's Chinatown thirty years earlier when he was homicide detective. She has come out of hiding after her troubled teenage son was ensnared and killed in a multimillion dollar microchip robbery executed by the United Bamboo Triad.
With the FBI straight-jacketed and despite his plaguing symptoms, Gage heads to Hong Kong, then on to Thailand, and finally to China to untangle a fast moving and brilliantly orchestrated deal bartering the chips for a billion dollars of China White heroin. Racing ahead of the disease, he puts in place a scheme to tie the conspiracy directly to the US-based godfather behind her son's death.
With his plan in place, Gage returns to the US, hands off the case to the FBI and begins a highly toxic treatment, but is soon drawn into a deadly confrontation with the godfather himself.
An electrifying, harrowing thriller, White Ghost, will leave readers hanging in suspense until the final shocking moments.
If you made it all the way to the end, I love you! Also, do you feel like my mail call post works this way, or should I make some changes? Would it work better if I made it 2 or 3 pages instead of just one? Should I go back to weekly posts to keep them shorter? I am open to suggestions.
As a blogger, I think one post is fine. It's less work on you and I don't mind rolling in the jealousy of all your wins. haha. I dig it, you got a lot of cool books last month.
ReplyDeleteThank you :) I just wasn't sure if it was too long to not include a page break...but I know when I'm checking out blog posts or articles on the internet, I get really annoyed by the ones that are on multiple pages, so I kind of want to avoid that...but at the same time, I don't want it to be too overwhelming because it's not separated a little bit, if that makes sense. - Katie
DeleteI don't think its too long. These are all books you won? Good lord woman, how do have to time to read them all?!?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteYes, these are all books that I won that arrived in the month of March (with a little bit from February, although my last two weeks of February were pretty slow mail wise). To answer your second question, I don't have time to read them all...at least not exactly...if I were to read nothing but books I've won, and not enter any more giveaways, I already have 5 years worth of reading at my current rate of 150 books read per year. Because I'm a mood reader and like a wide variety of books though, this gives me the ability to choose whatever suits my fancy at any given time though. - Katie
Deletepeople will skim over what they aren't interested in, so post what you like
ReplyDeleteThank you. - Katie
DeleteI don't think it is too long either....but if it is bugging you, why not break it into 2 posts?
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's not necessarily bugging me, this is just the first time I've done such a long post with so many books, and really just wanted to see what others thought about the length. I have a tendency to second guess myself on things like this, so it's nice to hear what others think. - Katie
Delete