Fiction:
Into the Fire by Irene Hannon DB124456 "As a former smokejumper, arson investigator Bri Tucker knows her way around fires. But after a mysterious blaze takes the life of a former colleague, Bri inherits a curious puzzle from him that raises questions about several fiery deaths. Someone, however, doesn't want her picking up where he left off in search of answers. When she teams up with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis to solve the puzzle, the danger escalates. But will they manage to track down the person behind the mysterious deaths before their budding romance--and maybe even their lives--go up in flames? The bestselling and award-winning queen of romantic suspense is back with a brand-new series that is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you burn through the pages to discover the truth."
A kid from Marlboro Road by Edward Burns DB 124327 "An Irish-American family comes to life in this first novel by actor and independent filmmaker Ed Burns. The book opens at a wake, as our twelve-year-old narrator, an aspiring writer, takes in the death of his beloved grandfather, Pop, a larger-than-life figure to him. The overflowing crowd includes sandhogs in their muddy work boots, old Irish biddies in black dresses and cops in uniform, along with the family in mourning. There's an open casket, the first time he's seen a dead person. Later, at the bar across the street, he tells a story to the assembled crowd about the day his dad proposed to his mom, and how he almost got beat up by her brothers for it, and then how Pop made him propose twice. His mom calls him "Kneenie," and with her husband and older son Tommy lost to her, he's the best thing she's got. He sees her struggling, but doesn't know how to help-since like his brother and father before him he knows he'll also abandon her soon enough. Stories cascade between the prior generation's colorful origins in the Bronx and the softer world of the Long Island town of Gibson, where the family lives now. There are scenes in the Rockaways, at Belmont Race Track, and in Montauk. Out of individual struggles a collective warmth emerges, a certain kind of American story, raucous and joyous"
The borrowed life of Fredrick Fife by Anna Johnstone DB 124326 "For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Pilgrimage of Harold Frye, a warm, life-affirming debut about a zany case of mistaken identity that allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family. "Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I'll take excellent care of it." Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he'd return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there's nobody left in Fred's life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he's desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. Fred's luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has a roof over his head, three meals a day, and, most importantly, the chance to be part of a family again. All he has to do is hope that his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up. As Fred navigates life in Bernard's shoes, he learns about the man's past and what it might take to return a life in better condition than he found it. Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family, from an exciting new voice in fiction"-
Non-Fiction:
Making the presidency: John Adams and the precedents that forged the republic by Lindsay Chervinsky DB 124457 "An authoritative account of the second president of the United States that shows how John Adams's leadership and legacy defined the office for those who followed and ensured the survival of the American republic. The United States of 1797 faced enormous challenges, provoked by enemies foreign and domestic. The father of the new nation, George Washington, left his vice president, John Adams, with relatively little guidance and impossible expectations to meet. Adams was confronted with intense partisan divides, debates over citizenship, fears of political violence, potential for foreign conflict with France and Britain, and a nation unsure that the presidency could even work without Washington at the helm. Making the Presidency is an authoritative exploration of the second US presidency, a period critical to the survival of the American republic. Through meticulous research and engaging prose, Lindsay Chervinsky illustrates the unique challenges faced by Adams and shows how he shaped the office for his successors. One of the most qualified presidents in American history, he had been a legislator, political theorist, diplomat, minister, and vice president--but he had never held an executive position. Instead, the quixiotic and stubborn Adams would rely on his ideas about executive power, the Constitution, politics, and the state of the world to navigate the hurdles of the position. He defended the presidency from his own often obstructionist cabinet, protected the nation from foreign attacks, and forged trust and dedication to election integrity and the peaceful transfer of power between parties, even though it cost him his political future. Offering a portrait of one of the most fascinating and influential periods in US history, Making the Presidency is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of the presidency and the creation of political norms and customs at the heart of the American republic."
Relentless by Luis A. Miranda DB 124443 "Luis Miranda arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico in 1974 to study psychology at NYU, but he soon found himself drawn to community action, eventually working for the Department of Employment, the Board of Education, and the nonprofit Aspira, among many other organizations. In the 1980s he was a special advisor for Hispanic Affairs to Mayor Ed Koch, and he continued to serve in key roles for the Dinkins and Giuliani administrations. In 1990 Miranda became the founding President of the Hispanic Federation, one of the nation's leading Latino nonprofits. In 2000, he founded the Amber Charter School in East Harlem. As a founding partner of the MirRam Group, Miranda has consulted on a number of successful political campaigns, including the Senatorial campaigns of Hilary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and Kirsten Gillibrand. The list of roles and positions is practically endless, but, more simply put, there is no one on the Latino, New York City, and national political scene who has the breadth of experience, passion, understanding, and storytelling charm of Luis Miranda. In "Relentless," he shares the poignant narrative of his life and career--from his early days as a radically-minded Puerto Rican activist to his decades of practical political advising and problem-solving. We experience the thrill of the ascendency of Luis's son Lin-Manuel's "Hamilton" followed several years later by the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Amid the triumphs, challenges, and ongoing hard work, Miranda examines what it all tells us about our ever-changing politics, demographics, and society"
Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the birth of American fashion by Nancy MacDonell DB 124330 "In the tradition of The Barbizon and The Girls of Atomic City, fashion historian and journalist Nancy MacDonell chronicles the untold story of how the Nazi invasion of France gave rise to the American fashion industry. Calvin Klein. Ralph Lauren. Donna Karan. Halston. Marc Jacobs. Tom Ford. Michael Kors. Tory Burch. Today, American designers are some of the biggest names in fashion, yet before World War II, they almost always worked anonymously. The industry, then centered on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, had always looked overseas for "inspiration" - a polite phrase for what was often blatant copying - because style, as all the world knew, came from Paris. But when the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the capital of fashion was cut off from the rest of the world. The story of the chaos and tragedy that followed has been told many times - but how it directly affected American fashion is largely unknown. Defying the naysayers, New York-based designers, retailers, editors, and photographers met the moment, turning out clothes that were perfectly suited to the American way of life: sophisticated, modern, comfortable, and affordable. By the end of the war, "the American Look" had been firmly established as a fresh, easy elegance that combined function with style. But none of it would have happened without the influence and ingenuity of a small group of women who have largely been lost to history. Empresses of Seventh Avenue will tell the story of how these extraordinary women put American fashion on the world stage and created the template for modern style - and how the nearly $500 billion American fashion industry, the largest in the world, could not have accrued its power and wealth without their farsightedness and determination"