Azar Nafisi

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Iowa

A Memoir in Books

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • We all have dreams—things we fantasize about doing and generally never get around to. This is the story of Azar Nafisi’s dream and of the nightmare that made it come true. For two years before she left Iran in 1997, Nafisi gathered seven young women at her house every Thursday morning to read and discuss forbidden works of Western literature. They were all former students whom she had taught at university. Some came from conservative and religious families, others were progressive and secular; several had spent time in jail. They were shy and uncomfortable at first, unaccustomed to being asked to speak their minds, but soon they began to open up and to speak more freely, not only about the novels they were reading but also about themselves, their dreams and disappointments. Their stories intertwined with those they were reading—Pride and Prejudice, Washington Square, Daisy Miller and Lolita—their Lolita, as they imagined her in Tehran. Nafisi’s account flashes back to the early days of the revolution, when she first started teaching at the University of Tehran amid the swirl of protests and demonstrations. In those frenetic days, the students took control of the university, expelled faculty members and purged the curriculum. When a radical Islamist in Nafisi’s class questioned her decision to teach The Great Gatsby, which he saw as an immoral work that preached falsehoods of “the Great Satan,” she decided to let him put Gatsby on trial and stood as the sole witness for the defense. Azar Nafisi’s luminous tale offers a fascinating portrait of the Iran-Iraq war viewed from Tehran and gives us a rare glimpse, from the inside, of women’s lives in revolutionary Iran. It is a work of great passion and poetic beauty, written with a startlingly original voice. Praise for Reading Lolita in Tehran “Anyone who has ever belonged to a book group must read this book. Azar Nafisi takes us into the vivid lives of eight women who must meet in secret to explore the forbidden fiction of the West. It is at once a celebration of the power of the novel and a cry of outrage at the reality in which these women are trapped. The ayatollahs don’ t know it, but Nafisi is one of the heroes of the Islamic Republic.”—Geraldine Brooks, author of Nine Parts of Desire

Reading Lolita in Tehran

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Cora Carmack

The Runaway New York Times and USA Today Bestseller! Virginity. Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible—a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half a brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier. . . .

Losing It

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Leif G. W. Persson

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

A Bäckström Novel

In the magnificent third installment of the internationally bestselling Bäckström series, the irascible detective becomes entangled in an investigation with--incredibly--strange ties to Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill, and Vladimir Putin. A Vintage Crime/Black Lizard Original.

Murder isn't often good news. But when DS Evert Bӓckström is told that Thomas Eriksson--a mafia lawyer and renowned defender of the guilty--has been killed, he can't help but celebrate, perhaps with a little vodka. Bäckström's good mood is spoiled, however, when he's assigned to the frustrating case, as narrowing down the list of people who wanted Eriksson dead is almost impossible. It's miles long! Fortunately, Bӓckström has spent years cultivating a group of questionable acquaintances and shady associates who will prove invaluable in solving the crime--as long as his colleagues don't find out about these illicit connections, or that Bӓckström owes them a few favors. But even the dirtiest cop couldn't have predicted that this trail would lead to a priceless Fabergé music box created for Tsar Nicholas II, with a history as notorious as it is singular.

The Sword of Justice

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Ross Petras

Kathryn Petras

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

A Pronunciation Guide to the 150 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words--And Their Tangled Histories of Misuse

For word nerds and grammar geeks, a witty guide to the most commonly mispronounced words, along with their correct pronunciations and pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and histories of use and misuse. With wit and good humor, this handy little book not only saves us from sticky linguistic situations but also provides fascinating cocktail-party-ready anecdotes. Entries reveal how to pronounce boatswain like an old salt on the deck of a ship, trompe l'oeil like a bona fide art expert, and haricot vert like a foodie, while arming us with the knowledge of why certain words are correctly pronounced the "slangy" way (they came about before dictionaries), what stalks of grain have to do with pronunciation, and more. With bonus sidebars like "How to Sound like a Seasoned Traveler" and "How to Sound Cultured," readers will be able to speak about foreign foods and places, fashion, philosophy, and literature with authority.

You're Saying It Wrong

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Roxane Gay

"A collection of stories of ... hardscrabble lives, passionate loves, and quirky and vexed human connection"--

Difficult Women

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Christina McDowell

"A compulsively readable novel in the vein of The Bonfire of the Vanities-by way of The Nest-about what Washington, DC's high society members do away from the Capitol building and behind the closed doors of their suburban mansions"--

The Cave Dwellers

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Myeongseok Kang

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK-Published in celebration of BTS's 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information. After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before. BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance. In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive-truly everything about BTS in one volume.

Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS

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David Bodanis

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean

From a New York Times bestselling author, a fresh and detail-rich argument that the best way to lead is to be fair Can you succeed without being a terrible person? We often think not: recognizing that, as the old saying has it, "nice guys finish last." But does that mean you have to go to the other extreme and be a bully or Machiavellian to get anything done? In The Art of Fairness, bestselling author David Bodanis uses thrilling case studies to show there's a better path, leading neatly in between. He reveals how it was fairness, applied with skill, that led the Empire State Building to be constructed in barely a year--and how the same techniques brought a quiet English debutante to become an acclaimed jungle guerrilla fighter. In ten vivid profiles featuring pilots, presidents, and even the producer of Game of Thrones, we see that the path to greatness doesn't require crushing displays of power or tyrannical ego. Simple fair decency can prevail. With surprising insights from across history--including the downfall of the very man who popularized the phrase "nice guys finish last"--The Art of Fairness charts a refreshing and sustainable new approach to cultivating integrity and influence.

Art of Fairness

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Naomi Duguid

Rivers of Flavor

Winner, IACP Cookbook Award for Culinary Travel (2013) Naomi Duguid’s heralded cookbooks have always transcended the category to become “something larger and more important” (Los Angeles Times). Each in its own way is “a breakthrough book . . . a major contribution” (The New York Times). And as Burma opens up after a half century of seclusion, who better than Duguid—the esteemed author of Hot Sour Salty Sweet—to introduce the country and its food and flavors to the West. Located at the crossroads between China, India, and the nations of Southeast Asia, Burma has long been a land that absorbed outside influences into its everyday life, from the Buddhist religion to foodstuffs like the potato. In the process, the people of the country now known as Myanmar have developed a rich, complex cuisine that mekes inventive use of easily available ingredients to create exciting flavor combinations. Salads are one of the best entry points into the glories of this cuisine, with sparkling flavors—crispy fried shallots, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a dash of garlic oil, a pinch of turmeric, some crunchy roast peanuts—balanced with a light hand. The salad tradition is flexible; Burmese cooks transform all kinds of foods into salads, from chicken and roasted eggplant to spinach and tomato. And the enticing Tea-Leaf Salad is a signature dish in central Burma and in the eastern hills that are home to the Shan people. Mohinga, a delicious blend of rice noodles and fish broth, adds up to comfort food at its best. Wherever you go in Burma, you get a slightly different version because, as Duguid explains, each region layers its own touches into the dish. Tasty sauces, chutneys, and relishes—essential elements of Burmese cuisine—will become mainstays in your kitchen, as will a chicken roasted with potatoes, turmeric, and lemongrass; a seafood noodle stir-fry with shrimp and mussels; Shan khaut swei, an astonishing noodle dish made with pea tendrils and pork; a hearty chicken-rice soup seasoned with ginger and soy sauce; and a breathtakingly simple dessert composed of just sticky rice, coconut, and palm sugar. Interspersed throughout the 125 recipes are intriguing tales from the author’s many trips to this fascinating but little-known land. One such captivating essay shows how Burmese women adorn themselves with thanaka, a white paste used to protect and decorate the skin. Buddhism is a central fact of Burmese life: we meet barefoot monks on their morning quest for alms, as well as nuns with shaved heads; and Duguid takes us on tours of Shwedagon, the amazingly grand temple complex on a hill in Rangoon, the former capital. She takes boats up Burma’s huge rivers, highways to places inaccessible by road; spends time in village markets and home kitchens; and takes us to the farthest reaches of the country, along the way introducing us to the fascinating people she encounters on her travels. The best way to learn about an unfamiliar culture is through its food, and in Burma: Rivers of Flavor, readers will be transfixed by the splendors of an ancient and wonderful country, untouched by the outside world for generations, whose simple recipes delight and satisfy and whose people are among the most gracious on earth.

Burma

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Jodi Picoult

A Novel

The highly anticipated new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, who "writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships" (The Boston Globe)

Small Great Things

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Slavenka Drakulic

"She is a writer and journalist whose voice belongs to the world." -- Gloria Steinem

This essay collection from renowned journalist and novelist Slavenka Drakulic, which quickly became a modern (and feminist) classic, draws back the Iron Curtain for a glimpse at the lives of Eastern European women under Communist regimes. Provocative, witty, and intensely personal, How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed cracks open a paradoxical world that through its rejection of capitalism and commoditization ends up fetishizing both.

Examining the relationship between material goods and expressions of happiness and individuality in a society where even bananas were an alien luxury, Drakulic homes in on the eradication of female identity, drawing on her own experiences as well as broader cultural observations. Enforced communal housing that allowed for little privacy, the banishment of many time-saving devices, and a focus on manual labor left no room for such bourgeois affectations as cosmetics or clothes, but Drakulic's remarkable exploration of the reality behind the rhetoric reveals that women still went to desperate lengths to feel "feminine."

How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed also chronicles the lingering consequences of such regimes. The Berlin Wall may have fallen, but Drakulic's power pieces testify that ideology cannot be dismantled so quickly; a lifetime lived in fear cannot be so easily forgotten.

How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed

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Greg Mortenson

David Oliver Relin

One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time

Three Cups of Tea

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Megan Paska

Rachel Wharton

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

A Scrappy Guide to Keeping Urban Honeybees

The number of urban beekeepers has escalated with more than 25 percent increases year over year in the United States and the United Kingdom. From a go-to authority on beekeeping and backyard farming, The Rooftop Beekeeper is the first handbook to explore the ease and charm of keeping bees in an urban environment. This useful manual— at once a good read and a pretty object—features a relatable first-person narrative, checklists, numbered how-tos, beautiful illustrations and 75 color photographs. Covering all aspects of urban beekeeping, this book also provides readers with plenty of sweet recipes for delicious treats, tonics, and beauty products to make with home-harvested honey.

The Rooftop Beekeeper

586d3707-9d83-4107-a05d-f7441aae70b7-0

Lev Grossman

The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world, now an original series on SYFY “The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea. . . . Hogwarts was never like this.” —George R.R. Martin “Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.” —Joe Hill “A very knowing and wonderful take on the wizard school genre.” —John Green “The Magicians may just be the most subversive, gripping and enchanting fantasy novel I’ve read this century.” —Cory Doctorow “This gripping novel draws on the conventions of contemporary and classic fantasy novels in order to upend them . . . an unexpectedly moving coming-of-age story.” —The New Yorker “The best urban fantasy in years.” —A.V. Club Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams have come true. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. . . . The prequel to the New York Times bestselling book The Magician King and the #1 bestseller The Magician's Land, The Magicians is one of the most daring and inventive works of literary fantasy in years. No one who has escaped into the worlds of Narnia and Harry Potter should miss this breathtaking return to the landscape of the imagination.

The Magicians

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David Bell

An electrifying new suspense novel from David Bell - the bestselling and acclaimed author of Since She Went Away and Somebody I Used to Know.

Bring Her Home

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Tim Hayes

Robert Redford

The Power of Horses to Heal

Equine therapy has long been a staple activity for special-needs children and adults, and its physical benefits are evident. In Riding Home, Horse Nation's must read book of 2016, Tim Hayes uses his own vast experience working with horses combined with scientific research to show us how and why horses and our relationships with them are also able to heal our emotional and psychological wounds. Riding Home provides riveting examples of how equine therapy has become one of today’s most effective, cutting-edge methods of healing where so often traditional therapy and prescription drugs have failed. The natural ability of a horse to accept, without judgment, a soldier with PTSD who has seen or done horrific things, and by so doing, express compassion and benevolent acknowledgment—often preventing suicide—is extraordinary. At-risk youth in equine programs find that horses don’t judge or criticize them, allowing them to express painful feelings for the first time. This is a book for horse lovers, but also for parents of teenagers who might be slipping into violence, crime, and drugs. It is a book for loved ones of soldiers returning from the war, a book for families of autistic children, and truly anyone who needs help or has lost their way. It is accessible, moving, and shows us a way to approach healing from an entirely new perspective. Horses help us discover hidden parts of ourselves, whether we’re seven or seventy. They model relationships that demonstrate acceptance, kindness, honesty, tolerance, patience, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. This amazing power of horses to heal is accessible to anyone.

Riding Home

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The Secret Garden

Jordan B. Peterson

An Antidote to Chaos

What's refreshing about Peterson is his brutal common sense' Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph `Everyone must read 12 Rules For Life, by Jordan B. Peterson. It is the most enlightening book I have read in ages. Google him if you like, if it makes you feel better. It will, by the way. His YouTube lectures are amazing for all sorts of reasons. But get the book, that is the most important thing. And then read it. And then pass it on to a friend, or even better, an enemy' Chris Evans

12 Rules for Life

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Matt Chandler

Andy McQuitty

A Spiritual Travelogue Through Cancer

Andy McQuitty officially entered the Valley of the Shadow of Death at 2:58 PM on July 14, 2009, with these post-colonoscopy words from his doctor. "Andy, you have a massive tumor that has broken through the wall of your colon. It's cancer. It's serious. Get in here now." More than a warning of mortal danger, for Andy and the roughly 1,665,540 new cancer patients diagnosed in America this year, that pronouncement was an emotional and spiritual change of address to the land that David calls "the valley of the shadow of death" in the twenty-third psalm. Yet the serendipity Andy discovered in that Valley mirrors that of King David, whose experience of God's presence was magnified, not diminished, by the shadow of death. And so, in the persona of a travel writer sending notes back from the desert valley of the shadow of death, this stage-four cancer survivor writes to those who want gut level answers to questions like: "Why did God let me get cancer?" and "Can any good thing come of all this wretched waiting and uncertainty?" Notes from the Valley was written for anyone on the cancer journey who is craving words of God's wisdom for their journey that are simultaneously pastoral, evangelistic, theological, and, most of all, authentic.

Notes from the Valley

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Maya Feller

80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World: a Cookbook

From "one of the most brilliant registered dietitians ever" (Gwyneth Paltrow) comes a culinary trip around the globe with 80+ delicious, healthy recipes for heritage dishes embraced by diverse groups of people living in the United States.

"A multicultural road map to healthier eating . . . While most dietitian-driven cookbooks are full of 'No!' . . . this one delights with 'Yes!' and makes the reader want to head for the kitchen."--Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D., author of High on the Hog

The typical American diet is heavy in added sugars, salts, and synthetic fats, but one-size-fits-all nutrition plans often leave many of us wanting more. There's a more delicious way to eat sustainably and healthfully, by getting back to flavorful traditional cooking methods from cultures around the world including the Caribbean, South America, Africa, the Mediterranean, Asia, and more.
 
In Eating from Our Roots, Maya Feller, a registered dietitian and nutritionist known for her approachable, real-food-based solutions, highlights nourishing dishes from around the world with a focus on whole and minimally processed ingredients prepared with spices and flavor-enhancing techniques at home. She shares thoughtful and realistic ways to think about how we relate to food, along with nutrition highlights and tips throughout. Maya makes it easy to enjoy the vibrant flavors of your favorite cuisine, whether that's the foods you grew up eating in the family kitchen or new recipes you're discovering for the first time. Recipes like:

* Sweet Potato and Leek Soup with Crispy Potato Skins from West Africa
* Salted Cod from Trinidad & Tobago
* Mezze: Cucumber Za'atar Salad, Olive Oil Labneh, and Olives from Lebanon
* Pad See Ew with Chicken from Thailand
* Cajun Gumbo from the American South
* Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread) from Brazil

With more than eighty recipes and beautiful photography throughout, Eating from Our Roots is a love letter to the globe that celebrates its amazing diversity of nourishing, flavorful dishes.

Eating from Our Roots

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Ronald Takaki

Rebecca Stefoff

A History of Multicultural America

A longtime professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, Ronald Takaki was recognized as one of the foremost scholars of American ethnic history and diversity. When the first edition of A Different Mirror was published in 1993, Publishers Weekly called it "a brilliant revisionist history of America that is likely to become a classic of multicultural studies" and named it one of the ten best books of the year. Now Rebecca Stefoff, who adapted Howard Zinn's best-selling A People's History of the United States for younger readers, turns the updated 2008 edition of Takaki's multicultural masterwork into A Different Mirror for Young People. Drawing on Takaki's vast array of primary sources, and staying true to his own words whenever possible, A Different Mirror for Young People brings ethnic history alive through the words of people, including teenagers, who recorded their experiences in letters, diaries, and poems. Like Zinn's A People's History, Takaki's A Different Mirror offers a rich and rewarding "people's view" perspective on the American story.

A Different Mirror for Young People

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Nancy SantoPietro

Thomas Lin Yun Rinpoche

The Anatomy of a Home

Feng Shui and Health is a groundbreaking guide that aims to foster wellness through home furnishing placement and design. Readers will learn how they subconsciously recreate illness patterns in their homes through the placement and design, and how they are often drawn to rent and purchase homes that reflect all the emotional, spiritual, and physical underpinnings of their illness.

Feng Shui and Health will include an introduction to the basic principles of Feng Shui as well more advanced information on our internal energy system, the Chakras. The book will also include information on common room layouts that can lead to illness & how to correct them; the role of color in health; and a multi-level approach to alleviating 18 common illnesses.

Feng Shui and Health

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Archie Bongiovanni

Archie Bongiovanni, the comics artist behind the hit A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, explores queerness in this shockingly frank and funny adult graphic novel Best friends Chris, Jo, Elise, and Alex work hard to keep themselves afloat. Their regular brunches hold them together even as the rest of their lives threaten to fall completely apart. In an effort to avoid being the oldest gays at the party (like they are at every other queer event in Minneapolis), the crew decides to put on a new party called Grind!, a queer gathering specifically for folks in or over their dirty-thirties. Each character is at a crossroads: Chris is experiencing not only the loss of their queer community after a messy divorce, but the struggles of being a single parent. Jo has to choose between assimilating into a financially stable job or letting her freak flag (and nipples) fly. Elise is caught between feelings for her boss and the career of her dreams. And Alex is guarding a secret that might change his friendships forever. All the while the group must navigate homophobic PTA meetings, exes at work, physical and mental exhaustion, and drinking way, way too much on weekdays. These queer friends struggle to decompartmentalize their lives so they can truly nurture themselves and each other. Together they learn that chosen family doesn't only mean the friends you've known the longest and that sometimes growing up also means growing apart.

Mimosa

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Naomi Hirahara

Set in 1944 Chicago, twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the US government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. On the eve of the Ito family's reunion, Aki's older sister Rose is killed by a subway train. Officials are ruling Rose's death a suicide. Aki's instinct tells her there is much more to the story, and she knows she is the only person who could ever learn the truth. Author of "Hiroshima Boy." Print run 75,000.

Clark and Division

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GrandBooks

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