Lucky Bastard

Lucky Bastard
Author: S.G. Browne
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2013-06-18
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1476733546

"A radically funny, irreverent, satirical novel about a loan shark who is able to steal people's luck--perfect for fans of bestselling authors Christopher Moore and Chuck Palahniuk. Nick Monday is a private detective with a penchant for coffeehouse baristas and the ability to steal other people's luck. Politicians and celebrities. Lottery winners and game show contestants. Accident survivors and successful athletes. All it takes is a handshake and Nick walks away with their good fortune, which he sells on the black market to the highest bidder. But lately, business has been slow. So when the sexy daughter of San Francisco's mayor offers Nick $100,000 to find her father's stolen luck, Nick thinks this is his big break. But he soon ends up blackmailed by the feds, kidnapped by the Chinese mafia, and accosted by vegans and angry naked women with knives ... all while trying to save a ten-year-old kid with the purest luck he's ever seen. Hailed as "pitch-perfect" by The Washington Post and deemed "one of America's best satiric novelists" by Kirkus Reviews, Browne's masterful combination of humor and biting social commentary make for an irresistible read"--

Parental Discretion Is Advised

Parental Discretion Is Advised
Author: Gerrick D. Kennedy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2017-12-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1501134930

Experience the stunning rise, fall, and legacy of N.W.A. and how they put their stamp on pop culture, black culture, and hip-hop music forever in this “incredibly vivid look at one of music’s most iconic groups” (Associated Press). In 1986, a group was formed that would establish the foundation of gangsta rap and push the genre forward, electrifying fans with their visceral and profane lyrics that glorified the dark ways of street life and brazenly challenged the police system. Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella caused a seismic shift in hip-hop when they decided to form N.W.A in 1986. With their hard-core image, bombastic sound, and lyrics that were equal parts poetic, lascivious, conscious, and downright in-your-face, N.W.A spoke the truth about life on the streets of Compton, California—then a hotbed of poverty, drugs, gangs, and unemployment. Going beyond the story portrayed in the 2015 blockbuster movie Straight Outta Compton, through firsthand interviews, extensive research, and top-notch storytelling, Los Angeles Times music reporter Gerrick Kennedy transports you back in time and offers a front-row seat to N.W.A’s early days and the drama and controversy that followed the incendiary group as they rose to become multiplatinum artists. Kennedy leaves nothing off the table in his pursuit of the full story behind the group’s most pivotal moments, such as Ice Cube’s decision to go solo after their debut studio album became a smash hit; their battle with the FBI over inflammatory lyrics; incidents of physical assault; Dr. Dre’s departure from the group to form Death Row Records with Suge Knight; their impact on the 1992 L.A. riots; Eazy-E’s battle with AIDS; and much more. A bold, riveting, “non-stop, can’t-put-it-down ride” (Library Journal), Parental Discretion Is Advised unveils the true and astonishing history of one of the most transcendent and controversial musical groups of the 1980s and 1990s.

The Murders That Made Us

The Murders That Made Us
Author: Bob Calhoun
Publisher: ECW Press
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2021-05-04
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 1773056840

The 170-year history of the San Francisco Bay Area told through its crimes and how they intertwine with the city’s art, music, and politics In The Murders That Made Us, the story of the San Francisco Bay Area unfolds through its most violent and depraved acts. From its earliest days when vigilantes hung perps from downtown buildings to the Zodiac Killer and the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, murder and mayhem have shaped the city into the political and economic force that she is today. The Great 1906 Earthquake shook a city that was already teetering on the brink of a massive prostitution scandal. The Summer of Love ended with a pair of ghastly drug dealer slayings that sent Charles Manson packing for Los Angeles. The 1970s come crashing down with the double tragedy of Jonestown and the assassination of Gay icon Harvey Milk by an ex-cop. And the 21st Century rise of California Governor Gavin Newsom, Trump insider Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Vice President Kamala Harris is told through a brutal dog-mauling case and the absurdity called Fajitagate. It’s a 170-year saga of madness, corruption, and death revealed here one crime at a time.

Absoluteness of Nothing

Absoluteness of Nothing
Author: C. G. Watson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2017-05-02
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1534403833

A mind-bending and captivating mystery about one teen’s surreal experiences after surviving a major trauma. Caleb Tosh has suffered one personal trauma too many, but this last one—the sudden departure of his mom—has pushed him down a dark and disorienting path. His favorite video-game, Boneyard, becomes his go-to coping mechanism, and Tosh gladly gets lost in the maps of the game rather than move through the landscape of his own grief. As Tosh falls farther and farther down the rabbit hole of abandonment and loneliness, he doesn’t see there are others fighting both virtual and real-life battles alongside him. What will it take for Caleb Tosh to leave the safety of the Boneyard, to rejoin reality, and deal with the wreckage of his actual life?

Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards

Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards
Author: Al Kooper
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2008-02-01
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1617745367

A rock 'n roll classic back in print updated and revised. One of the funniest rock memoirs ever Al Kooper's legendary Backstage Passes is available again] Al's quirkly life from would'be teenage rocker to crashing Bob Dylan's recording session an

One Night

One Night
Author: Eric Jerome Dickey
Publisher: Dutton
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2016-04-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0451471717

An unlikely couple from opposing areas of society checks into an upscale hotel and shares twelve hours of passion, con games, and violence that culminate in bliss--and murder.

Belfast Punk

Belfast Punk
Author:
Publisher: Damiani Limited
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2017
Genre: MUSIC
ISBN: 9788862085106

The 'Warzone Collective' began in 1984 in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland when a few local punks decided to consolidate their efforts and get their own venue, practice & social space. In 1986 the Collective opened its first premises in Belfast called 'Giros'. It provided a vegetarian cafe, practice space, screen printing facilities, etc. Over time the space soon became a focal point for anarchists, punks & other forward thinking individuals. In 1991 the Collective moved to a larger and more ambitious venue, which is where all of the photographs in this book were taken. Over the years thousands of people passed through Giros' doors and were exposed to some amazing bands, and new ideas. A strong D.I.Y. ethic defined the way gigs and events were organized. Over time, a recording studio, screen printing & photographic dark room facilities were set up, along with a vegetarian cafe. It didn't have an alcohol license - Giros was an all ages venue. The 'Warzone Centre' or 'The Centre' as it was called by some, became the counter-cultural alternative hub for the greater Belfast area and beyond. Bands from all over the world came here to play. It soon became infamous as being one of the most credible venues in Europe for D.I.Y. punk. The photographs in this book were taken sporadically over the years somewhere between 1997 - 2003. A small window of time considering the Warzone Collective opened its first venue in 1986. Towards the end of 2003 the Centre closed for a number of different reasons, leaving a huge gap in radical Belfast culture. In 2011, the Warzone Centre reopened after an 8 year hiatus, in a different venue on the opposite side of town. It is still going strong today.

Gas Station Angel

Gas Station Angel
Author: Ed Thomas
Publisher: Methuen Drama Modern Plays
Total Pages: 132
Release: 1998
Genre: Drama
ISBN:

This work is partly an art installation and partly a tense generational conflict, set in and around a house poised to fall into the sea.

Mexican WhiteBoy

Mexican WhiteBoy
Author: Matt de la Peña
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2008-08-12
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0375891188

Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña's Mexican WhiteBoy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions. Danny's tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it. But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’ s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see--the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming. Matt de la Peña's critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it. "[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity."-SLJ "Unique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens...De la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future."-The Horn Book Magazine "The baseball scenes...sizzle like Danny's fastball...Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race."-Booklist "De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity."-Kirkus Reviews "Mexican WhiteBoy...shows that no matter what obstacles you face, you can still reach your dreams with a positive attitude. This is more than a book about a baseball player--this is a book about life."-Curtis Granderson, New York Mets outfielder An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults A Junior Library Guild Selection

CMJ New Music Report

CMJ New Music Report
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 56
Release: 1999-08-23
Genre:
ISBN:

CMJ New Music Report is the primary source for exclusive charts of non-commercial and college radio airplay and independent and trend-forward retail sales. CMJ's trade publication, compiles playlists for college and non-commercial stations; often a prelude to larger success.