Chimes of a Lost Cathedral

Chimes of a Lost Cathedral
Author: Janet Fitch
Publisher: Little, Brown
Total Pages: 703
Release: 2019-07-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316510068

A young Russian woman comes into her own in the midst of revolution and civil war in this "brilliant" novel set in "a world of furious beauty" (Los Angeles Review of Books). After the loves and betrayals of The Revolution of Marina M., young poet Marina Makarova finds herself alone amid the devastation of the Russian Civil War -- pregnant and adrift, forced to rely on her own resourcefulness to find a place to wait out the birth of her child and eventually make her way back to her native city, Petrograd. After two years of revolution, the city that was once St. Petersburg is almost unrecognizable, the haunted, half-emptied, starving Capital of Once Had Been, its streets teeming with homeless children. Moved by their plight, though hardly better off herself, she takes on the challenge of caring for these orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction. Shaped by her country's ordeals and her own trials -- betrayal and privation and inconceivable loss -- Marina evolves as a poet and a woman of sensibility and substance hardly imaginable at the beginning of her transformative odyssey. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is the culmination of one woman's s journey through some of the most dramatic events of the last century -- the epic story of an artist who discovers her full power, passion, and creativity just as her revolution reveals its true direction for the future.

White Oleander

White Oleander
Author: Janet Fitch
Publisher: Little, Brown
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2006-09-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0759568170

The unforgettable story of a young woman's odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes on her journey to redemption. Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery - but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. White Oleander is the unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself in impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in an indifferent world can become. Oprah Winfrey enjoyed this gripping first novel so much that she not only made it her book club pick, she asked if she could narrate the audio release.

The Mythics #1: Marina and the Kraken

The Mythics #1: Marina and the Kraken
Author: Lauren Magaziner
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2022-09-06
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0063058898

From Case Closed author Lauren Magaziner and award-winning artist Mirelle Ortega comes the first book in a new highly illustrated middle grade fantasy series. Full of action, adventure, and friendship, a team of five girls must stop a powerful villain by finding their mythical familiars. It’s Pairing Day in Terrafamiliar! Marina has been waiting for this moment—anxiously—for as long as she can remember. Because today’s the day she gets to bond with her animal familiar for life, like every other ten-year-old in the land. Except after the ceremony ends, Marina doesn’t have one. And she’s not alone . . . four other girls also didn’t get their animal companions. The leaders of Terrafamiliar realize something special is happening: Marina and the other four girls—Kit, Ember, Pippa, and Hailey—are called Mythics In times of unrest, the Mythics must earn their Mythies—mythical beasts—in quests of courage. But danger lurks everywhere as there are others seeking this mysterious power. And only the Mythics can save Terrafamiliar!

You Had Me at Pet-Nat

You Had Me at Pet-Nat
Author: Rachel Signer
Publisher: Hachette Books
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2021-10-19
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0306924757

From the publisher of Pipette Magazine, discover a natural wine-soaked memoir about finding your passion—and falling in love. It was Rachel Signer's dream to be that girl: the one smoking hand-rolled cigarettes out the windows of her 19th-century Parisian studio apartment, wearing second-hand Isabel Marant jeans and sipping a glass of Beaujolais redolent of crushed roses with a touch of horse mane. Instead she was an under-appreciated freelance journalist and waitress in New York City, frustrated at always being broke and completely miserable in love. When she tastes her first pétillant-naturel (pét-nat for short), a type of natural wine made with no additives or chemicals, it sets her on a journey of self-discovery, both deeply personal and professional, that leads her to Paris, Italy, Spain, Georgia, and finally deep into the wilds of South Australia and which forces her, in the face of her "Wildman," to ask herself the hard question: can she really handle the unconventional life she claims she wants? Have you ever been sidetracked by something that turned into a career path? Did you ever think you were looking for a certain kind of romantic partner, but fell in love with someone wild, passionate and with a completely different life? For Signer, the discovery of natural wine became an introduction to a larger ethos and philosophy that she had long craved: one rooted in egalitarianism, diversity, organics, environmental concerns, and ancient traditions. In You Had Me at Pét-Nat, as Signer begins to truly understand these revolutionary wine producers upending the industry, their deep commitment to making their wine with integrity and with as little intervention as possible, she is smacked with the realization that unless she faces, head-on, her own issues with commitment, she will not be able to live a life that is as freewheeling, unpredictable, and singular as the wine she loves.

Case Closed #4: Danger on the Dig

Case Closed #4: Danger on the Dig
Author: Lauren Magaziner
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 520
Release: 2022-05-17
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0063207370

Pick-your-own path and puzzle-packed mystery collide in the fourth book in Lauren Magaziner’s hilarious and interactive middle grade series as Las Pistas Detective Agency gets its first international case at an archaeological dig in Greece. In this wildly entertaining and interactive adventure, YOU pick which suspects to interview, which questions to ask, and which clues to follow. You pick the path—you crack the case! Carlos and Eliza may be going on separate paths, but their end goal is the same—keep the booby traps from taking their detective agency out! But with tricky puzzles and dozens of impossible choices, they need your help! Can you help Carlos and his friend find the lost treasure . . . and can you protect it from the culprit trying to steal it? Can you help Carlos and his friends unravel the mystery before it’s too late? Or will it be case closed? Middle grade readers will enjoy all four books in this favorite series: Mystery in the Mansion (#1), Stolen from the Studio (#2), Haunting at the Hotel (#3), and Danger on the Dig (#4)!

Home by Novogratz

Home by Novogratz
Author: Cortney Novogratz
Publisher: Artisan Books
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2012-10-09
Genre: House & Home
ISBN: 1579654991

Get the "Novogratz" look In this book, design duo Robert and Cortney Novogratz (stars of HGTV's Home by Novogratz) give us an inside look at twenty of their favorite projects to show us how to achieve their signature "vintage modern" style. See how they effortlessly mix contemporary furniture with thrift-store finds, and learn all sorts of tricks for creating a stylish home no matter what the obstacles: seven children, small spaces, or a tiny budget. From toddler-friendly bedroom for triplets to a beach retreat for two twenty-somethings, from a New Jersey basement to a Palm Beach cabana, Home by Novogratz proves that good design is just a book away.

Mean Girls Hardcover Ruled Journal

Mean Girls Hardcover Ruled Journal
Author: Insight Editions
Publisher: Insights
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-08-06
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781683837299

Get your pink on with this totally “fetch” hardcover journal inspired by the 2004 hit Mean Girls. Featuring graphics and imagery inspired by the iconic movie, this hardcover journal lies flat when open and includes 192 ruled pages, a ribbon placeholder, an elastic band, and a back pocket for storing keepsakes and mementos.

Graceful: A Wish Novel

Graceful: A Wish Novel
Author: Wendy Mass
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2015-04-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0545773156

The final story in the bestselling Willow Falls series from Wendy Mass, now coming to WISH! Angelina D'Angelo has left town to see the world. It's now Grace's turn to use her magic to protect the people of Willow Falls, and she is up to the challenge. This is her destiny, after all. But destiny is a funny thing -- it doesn't always behave the way you'd expect it to. Mysterious postcards from Angelina begin showing up in the mail, Grace's parents are freaking out with worry, and something BIG is coming to town that will affect everybody who lives there. But all Grace is powerful enough to do is turn leftover meatloaf into pizza. Fortunately, she's not alone. She has Team Grace on her side! Amanda, Leo, Rory, Tara, David, and Connor know a thing or two about magic and how it works. But none of them are prepared for what's coming, and none of them know how to stop it. Life in Willow Falls is about to change forever.

The Castle in the Attic

The Castle in the Attic
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
Publisher: Holiday House
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2012-05-15
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 082342684X

An epic quest, a dragon, a knight in shining armor—this classic children’s story is the perfect read for 3rd and 4th graders who love medieval fantasy. A magical toy castle plunges 10-year-old William into a wild fantasy adventure—where he discovers the true meaning of courage. When his beloved caretaker Mrs. Phillips tells him she's leaving, William is devastated. Not even her farewell gift of a model medieval castle helps him feel better—though he has to admit it’s fascinating. From the working drawbridge and portcullis to the fully-furnished rooms, it's perfect in every detail. It almost seems magical. And when William looks at the silver knight, the tiny figure comes to life in his hand—and tells him a tale of a wicked sorcerer, a vicious dragon, and a kingdom in need of a hero. Hoping the castle's magic will help him find a way to make his friend stay, William embarks on a daring quest with Sir Simon, the Silver Knight—but he will have to face his own doubts and regrets if he's going to succeed. William’s story continues in The Battle for the Castle, available as a redesigned companion edition.

Hurricane Season

Hurricane Season
Author: Nicole Melleby
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2019-05-07
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1616209305

Fig, a sixth grader, wants more than anything to see the world as her father does. The once-renowned pianist, who hasn’t composed a song in years and has unpredictable good and bad days, is something of a mystery to Fig. Though she’s a science and math nerd, she tries taking an art class just to be closer to him, to experience life the way an artist does. But then Fig’s dad shows up at school, disoriented and desperately searching for Fig. Not only has the class not brought Fig closer to understanding him, it has brought social services to their door. Diving into books about Van Gogh to understand the madness of artists, calling on her best friend for advice, and turning to a new neighbor for support, Fig continues to try everything she can think of to understand her father, to save him from himself, and to find space in her life to discover who she is even as the walls are falling down around her. Nicole Melleby’s Hurricane Season is a stunning debut about a girl struggling to be a kid as pressing adult concerns weigh on her. It’s also about taking risks and facing danger, about love and art, and about coming of age and coming out. And more than anything else, it is a story of the healing power of love—and the limits of that power.