Christmas Stories - eBooks and Audio Books
Friday, December 11, 2015
New Biographies
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper
in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle
“The astonishing autobiography of SEAL Chief Chris Kyle,
whose record 150 confirmed kills make him the most deadly sniper in U.S.
military history.” –WorldCat
In Real Life: My Journey To A Pixelated World by Joey
Graceffa
“Twenty-three year old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts
of millions of teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and
inspirational YouTube presence (not to mention his sparkling eyes and perfect
hair). Yet, Joey wasn’t always comfortable in his skin, and in this candid
memoir, he thoughtfully looks back on his journey from pain to pride,
self-doubt to self-acceptance.” –Amazon
Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured by Kathryn Harrison
“A fully documented, inspiring portrait of the 15th-century
peasant-turned-saint draws on historical facts, folklore and centuries of
critical interpretation to evaluate the questions attributed to her character.”
–WorldCat
Joan of Arc: Her Story by Regine Pernoud and Marie-Véronique
Clin
“A biography of Joan of Arc, the 14th century French woman
warrior. The authors describe her peasant origins, her career as commander of
troops fighting the English, her death at the stake for heresy, and her elevation
to sainthood in 1920.” –WorldCat
Out of Orange by Cleary Wolters
“The real-life Alex Vause from the critically acclaimed,
top-rated Netflix show Orange Is the New Black tells her story in her
own words for the first time—a powerful, surprising memoir about crime and
punishment, friendship and marriage, and a life caught in the ruinous drug
trade and beyond.” –WorldCat
Thursday, December 10, 2015
New Nonfiction
Agnes Warner and the Nursing Sisters of the Great War by Shawna
M. Quinn
"In Agnes Warner and the Nursing Sisters of the Great
War, Shawna M. Quinn explores the world of these brave women--the grueling,
dangerous conditions of work and the brutal realities they faced. Drawing upon
the letters of Saint John native Agnes Wagner, Quinn paints a picture of the
dedicated women who witnessed firsthand the atrocities of war." –WorldCat
Japan Its History and Culture by W. Scott Morton and J.
Kenneth Olenik
“This work covers from the nation's earliest known
civilization (about 30009 BCE) onwards. It traces various aspects of Japanese
art, religion, the imperial court, militarism, race, geography, and
agriculture, and analyzes the social, political, and economic life of Asia's
wealthiest nation.” –WorldCat
The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters by O no Yasumaro
“Japan's oldest surviving narrative, the
eighth-century Kojiki, chronicles the mythical origins of its islands and
their ruling dynasty through a diverse array of genealogies, tales, and songs
that have helped to shape the modern nation's views of its ancient past.”
–Amazon
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of
the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin
“This is the story of Daniel Ellsberg and his decision to
steal and publish secret documents about America's involvement in the Vietnam
War.” –WorldCat
Symphony For The City Of The Dead by M. T. Anderson
“In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded
Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges
in Western history—almost three years of bombardment and starvation that
culminated in the harsh winter of 1943–1944. More than a million citizens
perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their
relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents
burned books, furniture, and floorboards to keep warm; they ate family pets
and—eventually—one another to stay alive. Trapped between the Nazi invading
force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who
would write a symphony that roused, rallied, eulogized, and commemorated his
fellow citizens—the Leningrad Symphony, which came to occupy a
surprising place of prominence in the eventual Allied victory.” –Amazon
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
New Fiction
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
“Eighteen-year-old Finn, an outsider in his quiet Midwestern
town, is the only witness to the abduction of town favorite Roza, but his
inability to distinguish between faces makes it difficult for him to help with
the investigation, and subjects him to even more ridicule and bullying.”
–WorldCat
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses; Book One
“When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the
woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a
treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers
that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin--one of the lethal, immortal
faeries who once ruled their world.As she dwells on his estate, her feelings
for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through
every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of
the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and
Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.”
–WorldCat
Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan
“Larger-than-life Tiny Cooper finally gets to tell his
story, from his fabulous birth and childhood to his quest for true love and his
infamous parade of ex-boyfriends, in the form of a musical he wrote.” –WorldCat
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin
“Taking place nearly a century before the events of A
Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three
official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song
of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when
the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last
dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.” –Amazon
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass; Book Four
“Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her.
But she's at last returned to the empire -- for vengeance, to rescue her
once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past. She has
embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she
can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a
warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her
friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for
her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's
triumphant return.” –WorldCat
Split Second by Kasie West
Pivot Point; Book Two
“Seventeen-year-old Addie struggles to retrieve her lost
memories and makes a startling discovery that challenges everything she's ever
known about herself, her family, and her world.” –WorldCat
The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr
“It will soon be another cold winter in the Ukraine.
But it's 1941, and things are different this year. Max, the devoted
caretaker of an animal preserve, must learn to live with the Nazis who have
overtaken this precious land. He must also learn to keep secrets—for there is a
girl, Kalinka, who is hiding in the park.Kalinka has lost her home, her family,
her belongings—everything but her life. Still, she has gained one small,
precious gift: a relationship with the rare wild and wily Przewalski's horses
that wander the preserve. Aside from Max, these endangered animals are her only
friends—until a Nazi campaign of extermination nearly wipes them out for
good.Now Kalinka must set out on a treacherous journey across the frozen forest
to save the only two surviving horses—and herself.” –Amazon
Monday, December 7, 2015
New Fiction
Black Dove White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
“Having moved to Ethiopia to avoid the prejudices of 1930s
America, Emilia Menotti, her black adoptive brother Teo, and their mother
Rhoda, a stunt pilot, are devoted to their new country even after war with
Italy looms, drawing the teens into the conflict.” –WorldCat
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider
“Up until his diagnosis, Lane lived a fairly predictable
life. But when he finds himself at a tuberculosis sanatorium called Latham
House, he discovers an insular world with paradoxical rules, med sensors, and
an eccentric yet utterly compelling confidante named Sadie—and life as Lane
knows it will never be the same.” –WorldCat
Fragile Bones: Harrison and Anna by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
“Told in the alternating voices of Harrison and Anna,
Fragile Bones is the story of two teens whose lives intertwine in unexpected
ways. Each One-to-One novel tells the story of a different pair of teens
participating in the Best Buddies program at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
Follow the lives of this group of friends who come together with different
expectations and problems, seeing the world from their own unique
perspectives and facing it head on together.” –Publisher
Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian
“Performing community service for pulling a stupid prank
against a rival high school, soccer star Tom tutors a Somali refugee with
soccer dreams of his own.” –WorldCat
Rise by Andrea Cremer
Nightshade; Prequel
“Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather
enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate
escape. But fate offers little mercy. When their mission is exposed, the
couple face relentless pursuit by the supernatural horrors that act
on the commands of Eira’s ally: the mysterious Bosque Mar.” –WorldCat
Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer
Nightshade; Book Four
“Bosque Mar haunts Adne and Logan's dreams, trying to turn
Adne to the dark side as he attempts to escape the Nether, where Calla, Shay
and the other Guardians trapped him in the final battle of the War of All
Against All.” –WorldCat
Ungodly by Kendare Blake
Goddess War; Book Three
"For the Goddess of Wisdom,
what Athena didn't know could fill a book. So the assault on Olympus left them
beaten and scattered and possibly dead. So they have to fight the Fates
themselves, who, it turns out, are the source of the gods' illness. And sure,
Athena is stuck in the underworld, holding the body of the only hero she has
ever loved. But Hermes is still topside, trying to power up Andie and Henry
before he runs out of time and dies, or the Fates arrive to eat their faces."--Publisher
The White Rose by Amy Ewing
Jewel: Book Two
“After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the
hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape
the Jewel or face certain death, so along with Ash and her best friend, Raven,
Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.” – WorldCat
X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz
“X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his
imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead
him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.” –
WorldCat
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
New Fiction
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
“Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing
up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible
price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the
entire family.” –Publisher
Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
“Fig looks back on her life and relates her experiences,
from age six to nineteen, as she desperately tries to save her mother from
schizophrenia while her own mental health and relationships deteriorate.”
–WorldCat
Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber
“Lillian Firestone is Chinese, but the kids in her 1951
Kansas City high school can't separate her from the North Koreans that America
is at war with. Sick of the racism she faces at school and frustrated that her
adoptive white family just sees it as 'teasing,' Lily begins to search for her
birth mother.” –Amazon
Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan
Thirteen-year-old Habo, with his light eyes and skin, has
always looked different. Because of this difference he feels isolated. Although
he is loved by his sister Asu, Habo is abandoned by his father, treated cruelly
by his brothers and shunned by the village children. When the family is
forced from their small Tanzanian village, Habo knows he is to blame.
Habo and his family, fleeing persecution, journey to the home of his aunt in Mwanza.
But Habo is an Albino and they hunt Albinos in Mwanza because Albino body parts
are thought to bring good luck. Soon Habo is being hunted. To survive he
must do two things: run and find a way to love and accept himself.
–Summary
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
It has been a decade since Alice Metcalf, devoted mother,
wife, and scientist, went missing. All
signs point to abandonment . . . or worse. Still Jenna, Alice’s thirteen year
old daughter, refuses to believe in her mother's desertion. As a result, she seeks
help from the two people who might still be able to locate her mother: a
disgraced psychic named Serenity Jones, and Virgil Stanhope, the cynical
detective who first investigated her mother's disappearance. Together this trio discovers truths destined
to forever change their lives. –Summary
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
Companion book to: Between The Lines
”Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver.
There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real
world. To exist in Delilah's world, Oliver must take the place of a regular
boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver's role in Delilah's favorite book.
In this multilayered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is
possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live
happily ever after.” –WorldCat
The Secret Sky by
Atia Abawi
“Two teens from different ethnic groups in present-day
Afghanistan must fight their culture, tradition, families, and the Taliban to
stay together as they and another village boy relate the story of their
forbidden love.” –WorldCat
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
”After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is
convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish
sting-things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of
imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling
the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing
wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.”
–Amazon
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
“Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and
breathes dance -- so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her
dreams are shattered. For a girl who's grown used to receiving applause for her
dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and
humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she
starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers.
Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit.
As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and
begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.” –WorldCat
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin
“When a celebrated New York City teenager, known for her
subversive street art, mysteriously dies, her life is examined in a series of
interviews with her parents, friends, boyfriends, mentors, and critics.”
–WorldCat
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