So Close to Home

So Close to Home
Author: Michael J Tougias
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 303
Release: 2016-05-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1681771713

On May 19, 1942, a U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey fifty miles from New Orleans. Captained by twenty nine-year-old Iron Cross and King's Cross recipient Erich Wurdemann, the submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia with sixty-two souls on board. Most aboard were merchant seamen, but there were also a handful of civilians, including the Downs family: Ray and Ina, and their two children, eight-year-old Sonny and eleven-year-old Lucille. Fast asleep in their berths, the Downs family had no idea that two torpedoes were heading their way. When the ship exploded, chaos ensued—and each family member had to find their own path to survival. Including original, unpublished material from Commander Wurdemann’s war diary, the story provides balance and perspective by chronicling the daring mission of the U-boat—and its commander’s decision-making—in the Gulf of Mexico. An inspiring historical narrative, So Close to Home tells the story of the Downs family as they struggle against sharks, hypothermia, drowning, and dehydration in their effort to survive the aftermath of this deadly attack off the American coast.

Malcolm the Musician

Malcolm the Musician
Author: John A. Asuncion
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2019-12-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9781951937003

A children's book for young and older adults inspired by the Malcolm X Park located in the City of Poughkeepsie, New York, and our friends and families who live here.Written by Counseling Right Now, LLC, therapist and founder, John A. Asuncion, with artwork created by Elijah and Isabella Asuncion, Malcolm the Musician: So Close to Home examines the harmful effects of the phenomenon: gas-lighting, explores the heartache caused by loss and abandonment, and demonstrates the capacity of the human spirit to rise through adversity while transforming hate into love.Readers are invited to learn the placement of the 12 music tones on the ukulele with the use of color and sound. Right-hand and left-hand instruction is woven throughout the book. "Malcolm the Musician: So Close to Home calls for the end of psychological and emotional abuse in the world, portrays the journey of self-discovery and post-traumatic growth, and implores us to love ourselves and others stronger, become better together, and stop hate." John A. Asuncion

True Rescue: A Storm Too Soon

True Rescue: A Storm Too Soon
Author: Michael J. Tougias
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
Total Pages: 79
Release: 2021-07-06
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1250137586

When a sailboat disappears in the Gulf Stream during a disastrous storm, three weary sailors struggle to survive aboard a life raft in violent waves 80-feet tall in this illustrated chapter book adaptation (for readers 6-9) of A Storm Too Soon: : A Remarkable True Survival Story in 80-Foot Seas. On May 2, 2007, three expert sailors embark on an epic voyage from Florida to France. But the trip of a lifetime soon turns into a nightmare when their sailboat disappears along the Gulf Stream in the throes of a relentless storm. From this point onward, their fate lies in the hands of four courageous coast guardsmen who must navigate brutal conditions in their Search and Rescue mission. This second book in the True Rescue chapter book series is a suspenseful, incredible story that puts newly independent readers in the middle of the action. Christy Ottaviano Books New York Times bestselling author Michael J. Tougias adapts his histories of real life stories for young readers in his True Rescue Series, capturing the heroism and humanity of people on life-saving missions during maritime disasters. Illustrated Chapter Books for ages 6-9: True Rescue: The Finest Hours True Rescue: A Storm Too Soon Young Readers Adaptations, for ages 9-14 The Finest Hours (Young Readers Edition) A Storm Too Soon (Young Readers Edition) Into the Blizzard (Young Readers Edition) Attacked at Sea (Young Readers Edition)

Good Luck with That

Good Luck with That
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 481
Release: 2018-08-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 045148939X

One of Purewow’s “Best Beach Reads of Summer 2018” Winner for Best Book of 2018 of the Fresh Fiction Awards! New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins is beloved for her heartfelt novels filled with humor and wisdom. Now, she tackles an issue every woman deals with: body image and self-acceptance. Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults. For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it's coming to terms with the survivor's guilt she's carried around since her twin sister's death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it's about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother's and brother's ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her. But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson's dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves. A novel of compassion and insight, Good Luck With That tells the story of two women who learn to embrace themselves just the way they are.

Too Close to Home

Too Close to Home
Author: Andrew Grant
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2020-01-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0525619631

His cover: courthouse janitor. His cause: justice. But when Paul McGrath uncovers a shocking connection to a file of missing evidence, he finds the truth sometimes hits a little too close to home. An intelligence agent-turned-courthouse janitor, Paul McGrath notices everything and everyone—but no one notices him. It’s the perfect cover for the justice he seeks for both his father and the people who’ve been wronged by a corrupt system. Now he’s discovered a missing file on Alex Pardew—the man who defrauded and likely murdered McGrath’s father but avoided conviction, thanks in large part to the loss of this very file. And what lies behind its disappearance is even worse than McGrath had feared. Meanwhile, at the courthouse, he stumbles on the case of Len Hendrie, a small businessman who’s been accused of torching a venture capitalist’s mansion. Though Hendrie admits starting the fire, McGrath learns how the VC has preyed on average Joes to benefit himself—and his extensive wine collection. McGrath can’t resist looking deeper into this financial predator and soon finds himself in a gray area between his avenging moral compass and the limits of the law. Then, just as the Hendrie case is heating up, McGrath receives word of the death of his father’s former housekeeper, sending him back to his family home to confront unfinished business from his past. And he’s about to find some unwelcome truths about the mother he lost as a child—and the father who hid even more secrets than he realized.

Maybe He Just Likes You

Maybe He Just Likes You
Author: Barbara Dee
Publisher: Aladdin
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 153443237X

A 2020 ALA Notable Children’s Book A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2019 Barbara Dee explores the subject of #MeToo for the middle grade audience in this heart-wrenching—and ultimately uplifting—novel about experiencing harassment and unwanted attention from classmates. For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player) Callum tells Mila it’s his birthday, and asks her for a “birthday hug.” He’s just being friendly, isn’t he? And how can she say no? But Callum’s hug lasts a few seconds too long, and feels…weird. According to her friend, Zara, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like? But the boys don’t leave Mila alone. On the bus. In the halls. During band practice—the one place Mila could always escape. It doesn’t feel like flirting—so what is it? Thanks to a chance meeting, Mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. Slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, Mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others—and herself. From the author of Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed comes this timely story of a middle school girl standing up and finding her voice.”

This Close to Home

This Close to Home
Author: Beth Turley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2024-05-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1534476768

After the death of her mother, Brooke works to revitalize her town's festival in hope that it will help her sister and dad heal and allow them to begin to move on.

Disrupted

Disrupted
Author: Dan Lyons
Publisher: Hachette Books
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2016-04-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 031630607X

An instant New York Times bestseller, Dan Lyons' "hysterical" (Recode) memoir, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "the best book about Silicon Valley," takes readers inside the maddening world of fad-chasing venture capitalists, sales bros, social climbers, and sociopaths at today's tech startups. For twenty-five years Dan Lyons was a magazine writer at the top of his profession--until one Friday morning when he received a phone call: Poof. His job no longer existed. "I think they just want to hire younger people," his boss at Newsweek told him. Fifty years old and with a wife and two young kids, Dan was, in a word, screwed. Then an idea hit. Dan had long reported on Silicon Valley and the tech explosion. Why not join it? HubSpot, a Boston start-up, was flush with $100 million in venture capital. They offered Dan a pile of stock options for the vague role of "marketing fellow." What could go wrong? HubSpotters were true believers: They were making the world a better place ... by selling email spam. The office vibe was frat house meets cult compound: The party began at four thirty on Friday and lasted well into the night; "shower pods" became hook-up dens; a push-up club met at noon in the lobby, while nearby, in the "content factory," Nerf gun fights raged. Groups went on "walking meetings," and Dan's absentee boss sent cryptic emails about employees who had "graduated" (read: been fired). In the middle of all this was Dan, exactly twice the age of the average HubSpot employee, and literally old enough to be the father of most of his co-workers, sitting at his desk on his bouncy-ball "chair."

Too Close to Home

Too Close to Home
Author: Linwood Barclay
Publisher: Bantam
Total Pages: 514
Release: 2009-07-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 055359043X

Critically acclaimed and bestselling author Linwood Barclay brings terror closer than ever before in a stunning thriller in which murder strikes in the place we should feel safest of all…. In a quiet neighborhood, in the house next door, a family is brutally murdered for no apparent reason. You can’t help thinking, It could have been us. And you start to wonder: What if we’re next? Promise Falls isn’t the kind of community where families are shot to death in their own homes. But how well did Jim and Ellen Cutter really know their neighbors—or the darker secrets of their small town? They don’t have to look further than their own marriage to know that things aren’t always what they seem. Now the Cutters and their son, Derek, must face the unthinkable: that a murderer isn’t just stalking too close to home…but is inside it already.