Best of
International

2021

The Eagle's Claw: A Novel of the Battle of Midway


Jeff Shaara - 2021
    The United States is reeling from the blow the Japanese inflicted at Pearl Harbor. But the Americans are determined to turn the tide. The key comes from Commander Joe Rochefort, a little known "code breaker" who cracks the Japanese military encryption. With Rochefort's astonishing discovery, Admiral Chester Nimitz will know precisely what the Japanese are planning.But the battle to counter those plans must still be fought.From the American side, the shocking conflict is seen through the eyes of Rochefort and Admiral Nimitz, as well as fighter pilot Lieutenant Percy "Perk" Baker and Marine Gunnery Sergeant Doug Ackroyd.On the Japanese side, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is the mastermind. His key subordinates are Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, aging and infirm, and Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi, a firebrand who has no patience for Nagumo's hesitation. Together, these two men must play out the chess game designed by Yamamoto, without any idea that the Americans are anticipating their every move on the sea and in the air.Jeff Shaara recounts in electrifying detail what happens when these two sides finally meet, in what will be known ever after as one of the most definitive and heroic examples of combat ever seen. In The Eagle's Claw, he recounts, with his trademark you-are-there immediacy and signature depth of research, one single battle that changed not only the outcome of a war but the course of our entire global history.The story of Midway has been told many times, but never before like this.

Her Last Hope


Louise Guy - 2021
    With his dodgy business dealings now exposed, gone is her glamorous lifestyle and the trust of her family and friends. How could the man who said he loved her have betrayed her so spectacularly?Abi’s new neighbour Lucinda and her four-year-old son Max are struggling to overcome their own betrayal by Max’s violent, vengeful father. The pieces of Lucinda’s life seem finally to be coming together when she is given a new identity and finds an ally in Abi. But an unexpected twist throws both women’s lives into fresh turmoil.Faced with a tougher time than they ever thought possible, Abi and Lucinda turn to each other. It’s an unlikely friendship built on common ground—but is it strong enough to help them rebuild their lives from rock bottom?

No Heaven for Good Boys


Keisha Bush - 2021
    But when he is approached in his rural village one day by Marabout Ahmed, a seemingly kind stranger and highly regarded Koranic teacher, the tides of his life turn forever. Unbeknownst to Ibrahimah's parents, when Ibrahimah is sent to join his cousin Etienne to study the Koran for a year--the local custom for many families--Ibrahimah is sent out to beg in the streets in order to line his teacher's pockets.To make it back home alive, Etienne and Ibrahimah must help one another survive both the dangers posed by Marabout and the myriad threats of the city: black market organ traders, rival packs of boys from other daaras, and mounting student protest on the streets.Drawn from real incidents, this extraordinary debut novel locates the universal through the story of two boys caught in the terrible sweep of history. Transporting us between rural and urban Senegal, No Heaven for Good Boys shows the strength that can emerge when one has no other choice but to survive.

British Bachelor


K.K. Allen - 2021
    I bloody loved that you saw me as someone other than the bloke my entire country has deemed unworthy of love. Maybe I am, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting you as desperately as I do.Before you toss this letter in the rubbish bin, just hear me out.Soon, I’ll need to return home to face the critics—the harsh reminder of the man they all believe me to be, the Forever Bachelor—and you’ll continue to live out your dreams here while nannying the twins. Simon and Bridget are so very lucky to have you.All I ask is for one night with you, one night to remove the facade we’ve exhibited for the past two weeks to mask our true feelings.Because I want you, Chelsea Banks, more than I’ve wanted any woman in my entire life, and I dare to imagine that you might just want me too.Even if just for one night.Liam

I Will Die in a Foreign Land


Kalani Pickhart - 2021
    “Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. “Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad.”A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square in Kyiv to protest then-President Yanukovych’s failure to sign a referendum with the European Union, opting instead to forge a closer alliance with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. The peaceful protests turned violent when military police shot live ammunition into the crowd, killing over a hundred civilians.I Will Die in a Foreign Land follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is an Ukrainian-American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic in St. Michael’s Monastery; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat, who has lived in Kyiv since his wife’s death from radiation sickness; Slava is a fiery young activist whose past hardships steel her determination in the face of persecution; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent who climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano.As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandr’s lives become intertwined, they each seek their own solace during an especially tumultuous and violent period. The story is also told by a chorus of voices that incorporates folklore and narrates a turbulent Slavic history.While unfolding an especially moving story of quiet beauty and love in a time of terror, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ambitious, intimate, and haunting portrait of human perseverance and empathy.

A New Name: Septology VI-VII


Jon Fosse - 2021
    His only friends are his neighbour,Åsleik, a traditional fisherman-farmer, and Beyer, a gallerist who lives in the city. There, in Bjørgvin, lives another Asle,also a painter but lonely and consumed by alcohol. Asle and Asle are doppelgängers – two versions of the same person, twoversions of the same life, both grappling with existential questions.In this final instalment of Jon Fosse’s Septology, the major prose work by ‘the Beckett of the twenty-first century’ (LeMonde), Christmas is approaching. Tradition has it that Åsleik and Asle eat lutefisk together, but this year Asle has agreedfor the first time to celebrate Christmas with Åsleik and his sister, Guro. On Christmas Eve, Åsleik, Asle, and the dog Bragitake Åsleik’s boat out on the Sygnefjord. Meanwhile, we follow the lives of the two Asles as younger adults in flashbacks:the narrator meets his lifelong love, Ales; joins the Catholic Church; starts exhibiting with Beyer; and can make a living bytrying to paint away all the pictures stuck in his mind. After a while, Asle and Ales leave the city and move to the house inDylgja. The other Asle gets married too, but his wedding ends with a sobbing bride and is followed soon after by a painfulbreakup.Written in melodious and hypnotic ‘slow prose’, A New Name: Septology VI-VII is a transcendent exploration of thehuman condition by Jon Fosse, and a radically other reading experience – incantatory, hypnotic, and utterly unique.

The President and the Frog


Carolina De Robertis - 2021
    Once known as the Poorest President in the World, his reputation is the stuff of myth: a former guerilla who was jailed for inciting revolution before becoming the face of justice, human rights, and selflessness for his nation. Now, as he talks to the journalist, he wonders if he should reveal the strange secret of his imprisonment: while held in brutal solitary confinement, he survived, in part, by discussing revolution, the quest for dignity, and what it means to love a country, with the only creature who ever spoke back--a loud-mouth frog.As engrossing as it is innovative, vivid, moving, and full of wit and humor, The President and the Frog explores the resilience of the human spirit and what is possible when danger looms. Ferrying us between a grim jail cell and the president's lush gardens, the tale reaches beyond all borders and invites us to reimagine what it means to lead, to dare, and to dream.

Bruno's Challenge & Other Dordogne Tales


Martin Walker - 2021
    When a Senegalese man’s coffee sells superbly at the market, some café owners become incensed by the new competition and take matters into their own hands. As a Swiss tourist and a St. Denis native fall in love over the fruit-and-veggie stall, one of their family members takes drastic steps to break them up. A fledgling tour bus business is sabotaged, leading Bruno to take a closer look at a town love triangle. Called in to investigate a case of stolen oysters, our beloved policeman reunites with an old flame to catch the shellfish thieves. In story after story, Bruno settles town disputes, mediates family quarrels, and tracks down lawbreakers in his adored village of St. Denis and its environs. Featured meals in the collection include a fatty Christmas goose, a savory nettle soup with crème fraîche, and a fluffy quiche Lorraine.

Dust Off the Bones


Paul Howarth - 2021
    Now 21, Billy bottles his guilt and justifies his past crimes while attempting to revive his father’s former cattle run and navigate his feelings for the young widow Katherine Sullivan. Katherine, meanwhile, cherishes her newfound independence but is struggling to establish herself as head of the vast Broken Ridge cattle empire her corrupt late husband mercilessly built.But even in the outback, the past cannot stay buried forever. When a judicial inquest is ordered into the McBride family murders and the subsequent reprisal slaughter of the Kurrong people, both Billy and Police Inspector Edmund Noone – the man who led the massacre – are called to testify. The inquest forces Billy to relive events he has long refused to face. He desperately needs to find his brother, Tommy, who for years has been surviving in the wilderness, attempting to move on with his life. But Billy is not the only one looking for Tommy. Now the ruthless Noone is determined to find the young man as well, and silence both brothers for good.An enthralling, propulsive adventure that builds in suspense, told in gorgeous prose and steeped in history and atmosphere, Dust Off the Bones raises timeless issues of injustice, honor, morality, systemic racism, and the abuse of power. With an unflinching eye, Paul Howarth examines the legacy of violence and the brutal realities of life in a world remarkably familiar to our own.

From Staircase to Stage: The Story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan


Raekwon - 2021
    There are rappers who everyone loves and there are rappers who every rapper loves, and Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon the Chef, is one of the few who is both. His versatile flow, natural storytelling, and evocative imagery have inspired legions of fans and a new generation of rappers. Raekwon is one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, and his voice and cadence are synonymous with the sound that has made the group iconic since 1991. Now, for the first time, Raekwon tells his whole story, from struggling through poverty in order to make ends meet to turning a hobby into a legacy. The Wu-Tang tale is dense, complex, and full of drama, and here nothing is off-limits: the group’s origins, secrets behind songs like “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Protect Ya Neck,” and what it took to be one of the first hip-hop groups to go from the underground to the mainstream. Raekwon also delves deep into the making of his meticulous solo albums—particularly the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx—and talks about how spirituality and fatherhood continue to inspire his unstoppable creative process. A celebration of perseverance and the power of music, From Staircase to Stage is a master storyteller’s lifelong journey to stay true to himself and his roots.

Cairo Circles


Doma Mahmoud - 2021
    When the FBI comes knocking on his door, he’s convinced it’s a case of mistaken identity―until they show him a picture of his cousin Amir. Amir has perpetrated a horrific attack and Sheero is suddenly forced to return to Cairo and confront the events that led to their wildly different circumstances. While Amir wore Sheero’s hand-me-downs and suffered at the hands of neglectful, abusive parents, Sheero attended Cairo’s most prestigious high school, where he and his best friend Taymour, the son of one of Cairo’s business moguls, could enjoy sports clubs, beach vacations, high-end dining, and socializing with girls from the French and British schools. Once inseparable cousins, Sheero and Amir grew further apart, Amir ultimately having more in common with the children of Taymour’s housekeeper: Omar, Mustafa, and Zeina. In Cairo Circles, the lives of this unforgettable group of six young Egyptians intertwine dramatically over the course of over a decade, revealing complex relationships dominated by faith, tradition, social class, and the boundaries of personal freedom. An epic, multi-perspective page-turner, Doma Mahmoud's debut introduces readers to a bold and inventive new voice in fiction as Cairo's streets burst to life on the page.

The Frenchman


Jack Beaumont - 2021
    He's the agent at the sharp end of clandestine missions, responsible for eliminating terror threats and disrupting illegal nuclear and biological weapons programs. The element the missions have in common is danger - danger to de Payns, to his team and to those who stand in his way. But increasingly it's not just the enemies of France that are being damaged by de Payns' actions. His marriage is under strain, and at the back of his mind lurks the fear that haunts every operative with a family - what if they come after my children?When a routine mission in Palermo to disrupt a terrorist organisation goes fatally wrong, Alec is forced to confront the possibility that they may have been betrayed by a fellow operative. And now he's been tasked to investigate a secretive biological weapons facility in Pakistan. Alec must find out how they're producing a weaponised bacteria capable of killing millions, and what they plan to do with it. But with a traitor in the ranks, it's not just Alec in the firing line. Soon he'll be forced to confront his worst fear - and the potential destruction of Paris itself.This is fiction, but based on the experiences of a real French spy. The knowledge and tradecraft that lie behind Jack Beaumont's taut plotting and brilliant eye for detail enliven every page, making The Frenchman all the more plausible, and all the more frightening.

Eaternal Nocturnal


instantmiso - 2021
    When Eve is visited one night by a mysterious apparition, she finds that her chronic insomnia is miraculously cured. Meanwhile Dae, the dream eater, finds himself unexpectedly and unwillingly drawn to Eve. This can either be a dream come true or their worst nightmare.

William Blake vs the World


John Higgs - 2021
    His life passed without recognition and he worked without reward, mocked, dismissed and misinterpreted. Yet from his ignoble end in a pauper's grave, Blake now occupies a unique position as an artist who unites and attracts people from all corners of society, and a rare inclusive symbol of English identity.Blake famously experienced visions, and it is these that shaped his attitude to politics, sex, religion, society and art. Thanks to the work of neuroscientists and psychologists, we are now in a better position to understand what was happening inside that remarkable mind, and gain a deeper appreciation of his brilliance. His timeless work, we will find, has never been more relevant.In William Blake vs the World we return to a world of riots, revolutions and radicals, discuss movements from the Levellers of the sixteenth century to the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s, and explore the latest discoveries in neurobiology, quantum physics and comparative religion. Taking the reader on wild detours into unfamiliar territory, John Higgs places the bewildering eccentricities of a most singular artist into context. And although the journey begins with us trying to understand him, we will ultimately discover that it is Blake who helps us to understand ourselves.

North


Brad Kessler - 2021
    When the storm lands a young Somali refugee, Sahro Abdi Muse, at the monastery, Christopher is pulled back into the world as his life intersects with Sahro’s and that of an Afghan war veteran in surprising and revealing ways. North traces the epic journey of Sahro from her home in Somalia to South America, along the migrant route through Central America and Mexico, to New York City, and finally, her dangerous attempt to continue north to safety in Canada. It also compellingly traces the inner journeys of Brother Christopher, questioning his future in a world where the monastery way of life is waning, and of veteran Teddy Fletcher, seeking a way to make peace with his past. Written in Brad Kessler’s sharp, beautiful, and observant prose, and grounded in the author’s own corner of Vermont, where there is a Carthusian monastery, a vibrant community of Somali asylum seekers, and a hole left after a disproportionate number of Vermont soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, North gives voice to these invisible communities, delivering a story of human connection in a time of displacement.

American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the World's Greatest Money Laundering Scheme in History


Casey Michel - 2021
    But it hasn’t been the sleepy, sand-splattered Caribbean islands, or even traditional financial secrecy havens like Switzerland or Panama, that have come to dominate the offshoring world. Instead, the country profiting the most from modern offshoring also happens to be the one that still claims to be the moral leader of the free world, and the one that claims to be leading the fight against the crooked and the corrupt: the United States of America.From anonymous shell companies and legal inventions like “perpetual trusts” to public relations and lobbying shops willing to do anything they can to camouflage the source of the dirty money, the United States’ transformation into the center of global offshoring is complete. And while Donald Trump presented, in many ways, the ultimate culmination of the U.S.’s descent, the country’s trajectory has been decades in the making.American Kleptocracy will examine just how the United States’ implosion into a center of global offshoring took place: how states like Delaware and Nevada perfected the art of the anonymous shell company, and how post-9/11 reformers watched their success usher in a new flood of illicit finance directly into the U.S.; how African despots and post-Soviet oligarchs came to dominate American coastlines, American industries, and entire cities and small towns across the American Midwest; how Nazi-era lobbyists birthed an entire industry of spin-men whitewashing trans-national crooks and despots, and how dirty money has now begun infiltrating America's universities and think tanks and cultural centers; and how those on the front-line are trying to restore America's legacy of anti-corruption leadership—and finally end this reign of American kleptocracy. It will also look at how Trump’s presidency accelerated all of the trends already on hand—and how the Biden administration can, and should, act on this inheritance.

Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel


Claudia Clark - 2021
    But while their friendship has been the subject of both scrutiny and admiration, few know the full story.Taking office at the height of the 2008 global recession, Obama was keenly aware of the fractured relationship between the US and Europe. And for her part, Merkel was suspicious of the charismatic newcomer who had captivated her country.Faced with the challenges of globalization, the two often clashed over policy, but—as the first Black president and first female chancellor—they shared a belief that democracy could uplift the world. United by this conviction, they would forge a complicated but inspiring partnership.Dear Barack is a thoroughly researched document of the parallel trajectories that led to Obama and Merkel meeting on the world stage and the trials, both personal and political, that they confronted in office. At times in the leaders’ own words, the book details such events as Merkel’s historic acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the 2013 NSA spying scandal, demonstrating the highs and lows of this extraordinary alliance.A story of camaraderie at a global scale, Dear Barack shows that it is possible for political adversaries to establish bonds of respect—and even friendship—in the service of the free world.

In the Shadow of Time


Kevin Ansbro - 2021
    “I was in Mexico City for three months, and yet returned to England on the same day that I left…”Through her time-travel research, physicist Dr Sofia Ustinova has attracted the interest of higher beings from a distant galaxy…Luna, a porcelain-skinned teenager, lives alone in a Danish forest where she guards an astonishing secret…Pablo, an optimistic shoeshine boy, struggles to earn a living on the sweltering streets of Mexico City…Meanwhile, Hugo Wilde, a British secret agent, embarks on a mission to kill a Russian assassin, unaware that his life is about to change in ways he could never have imagined…

They Called Us "Lucky": The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit


Ruben Gallego - 2021
    After two months in Iraq, Lima didn't have a casualty, not a single Purple Heart, no injury worse than a blister. Lucky Lima.Then, in May 2005, Lima’s fortunes flipped. Unknown to Ruben and his fellow grunts, al Anbar had recently become a haven for al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. The bin Laden-sponsored group had recruited radicals from all over the world for jihad against the Americans. On one fateful day, they were lured into a death house; the ambush cost the lives of two men, including a platoon sergeant. Two days later, Ruben’s best friend, Jonathon Grant, died in an IED attack, along with several others. Events worsened from there. A disastrous operation in Haditha in August claimed the lives of thirteen Marines when an IED destroyed their amphibious vehicle. It was the worst single-day loss for the Marines since the 1983 Beirut bombings. By the time 3/25 went home in November, it had lost more men than any other single unit in the war. Forty-six Marines and two Navy Corpsmen serving with the battalion in Iraq were killed in action during their roughly nine-month activation.They Called Us “Lucky” details Ruben Gallego’s journey and includes harrowing accounts of some of the war’s most costly battles. It details the struggles and the successes of Ruben—now a member of Congress—and the rest of Lima Company following Iraq, examining the complicated matter of PTSD. And it serves as a tribute to Ruben’s fallen comrades, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

On the Way to Casa Lotus: A Memoir of Family, Art, Injury, and Forgiveness


Lorena Junco Margain - 2021
    

Panama Red


David EdwardDavid Edward - 2021
    Caught between Noriega’s militant police force and a mysterious organization planning to use Panama’s banking infrastructure to crash the international financial markets with the goal of a new world order. Ultimately leading deep into the murderous jungles near the Panama-Colombia border, a deadly race of discovery devolves into a primal fight for survival.If you are a fan of Brad Thor or Tom Clancy, you will love this new pulse-pounding adrenaline-filled adventure by Amazon #1 Best Selling author David Edward.

The Memory Project


Andrew C. Youngson - 2021
    Other people’s memories are an open book to him – the gift and curse of a Weaver. His psyche has been fractured by the trauma of his clients, and now he’s been cast out by his secretive overseers, The Mnemosyne Project. The fog of Angel’s mind is punctured by a recovered memory: the dying call of a young girl. He flees London – and a fledgling romance with a normal human – to follow the dying girl’s final words. He is led back to his Thailand boarding school where a forgotten pact made with childhood friends is rekindled. Amid the rain and neon of Bangkok’s backstreets, a deadly truth lies in wait. With each terrifying revelation, Angel’s past and present fold into one another, threatening to change the course of his world forever.

The Blue Book of Nebo


Manon Steffan Ros - 2021
    Now he’s 14 and he and his mam have survived in their isolated hilltop house above the village of Nebo in north-west Wales, learning new skills, and returning to old ways of living.Despite their close understanding, the relationship between mother and son changes subtly as Dylan must take on adult responsibilities. And they each have their own secrets, which emerge as, in turn, they jot down their thoughts and memories win a found notebook – the Blue Book of Nebo.

History of France: A Captivating Guide to French History


Captivating History - 2021
    

I Called Her Mary: A Memoir


Margaret M. O'Hagan - 2021
    

Homebrewed Vinegar: How to Ferment Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar and 43 Other Delicious Varieties, Including Flavors Made from Coconut, Turmeric, Juicing Pulp, Beer, and More


Kirsten K. Shockey - 2021
    But many people don’t realize that there is a whole world of options beyond store-bought ACV or distilled white vinegar. In fact, vinegar can be made from anything with fermentable sugar, whether leftover juicing pulp or brown bananas, wildflowers or beer. With her in-depth guide, Kirsten K. Shockey takes readers on a deep dive into the wide-ranging possibilities alive in this ancient condiment, health tonic, and global kitchen staple. In-depth coverage of the science of vinegar and the basics of equipment, brewing, bottling, and aging gives readers the foundational skills and knowledge for fermenting their own vinegar. Then the real journey begins, delving into the many methods and ingredients for making vinegars, from apple cider to red wine to rice to aged balsamic. Along the way, Shockey shares insights into vinegar-making traditions around the world, and her own recipes for making vinegar tonics, infused vinegars, and oxymels.

The President's Daughter


James Patterson - 2021
    

The Liar's Child


Sheryl Browne - 2021
    With the same heart-shaped face, long brown hair and dark eyes, the two girls look identical. In fact, they look like sisters.Is the secret I’ve been holding on to for so long about to be revealed?That night, I cuddle Poppy even harder, desperately trying to decide what to do. And then my husband’s phone vibrates. A message. And then another. And another. All from a number I don’t recognise.Is someone going to tell my husband what I did? Could I be about to lose everything I have worked so hard to protect?But I’ve spent so long hiding the truth, I never stopped to wonder if I was the only liar in the family… The only thing I’m sure of is that nobody is going to take my child away from me.If you can’t get enough of addictive psychological thrillers like Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Marriage, you’ll love The Liar’s Child. With nail-biting suspense and an ending that will make your heart pound, this is one book you simply won’t be able to put down.

When I See Red


Britta Teckentrup - 2021
    It sweeps her away, and she thunders and howls. She pours down her emotions like sheets of rain; rage surges like a wind whipping angry waves. Her anger takes her on a wild ride.Appropriate for a wide variety of ages, this book illustrates many aspects of anger that are often hard to articulate--how overwhelming it is, how isolating, even scary. But it also shows anger to be a source of power and an agent for change. Teckentrup's impactful, boldly colored paintings skillfully evoke the way intense anger can take us on an emotional journey, one that can be both exhausting and affirming. This beautiful tribute to one girl's experience of anger offers readers the opportunity to make sense of, and talk about their own feelings of rage in a time when that kind of understanding is more important than ever.

Eyes


Nghịch Tử - 2021
    A 24hr read. Well translated to English." - Reedsy Discovery.◆◆◆Spirited Away meets Coraline in the Suburbs of Hanoi, Vietnam with a twist to the genre. A heart-pounding journey of betrayal and bond, strength and perseverance, with the looming threat of ghosts, demons, and black magic... told from the perspective of a comedic protagonist!An eerie children's nursery rhyme lures Thanh - an intelligent college girl with an unnatural level of trust issues - into an adventure of her lifetime.On this journey, she meets Điền Mục, a young ghost catcher who can't see ghosts but was raised by a 500-year-old spirit and has about zero experience in human interactions.The fates of two unlikely companions intertwine on the spider web of a criminal mastermind who has been evading arrest for the past 40 years.Their lives are on the line; the trap has been set! Meanwhile, Thanh still hasn't trusted Mục yet... But can you honestly blame her for not choosing a total stranger, and a weirdo no less, over people she'd known her whole life?

Chicken Talk Around the World


Carole Lexa Schaefer - 2021
    Bright, charming illustrations show multigenerational families and chickens in different environments, celebrating cultural diversity; as well as universal elements, such as the special relationships grandmothers have with their grandchildren no matter where they live in the world.

Castles from Cobwebs


J.A. Mensah - 2021
    Black was different though; it came announced. Black came with expectations, of rhythm and other things that might trip me up.' Imani is a foundling. Rescued as a baby and raised by nuns on a remote Northumbrian island, she grows up with an ever-increasing feeling of displacement. Full of questions, Imani turns to her shadow, Amarie, and her friend, Harold. When Harold can't find the answers, she puts it down to what the nuns call her "greater purpose". At nineteen, Imani answers a phone call that will change her life: she is being called to Accra after the sudden death of her biological mother. Past, present, faith and reality are spun together in this enthralling debut. Following her transition from innocence to understanding, Imani's experience illuminates the stories we all tell to make ourselves whole.

Carry On: Poetry by Young Immigrants


Rogé Girard - 2021
    As the students began writing, their poems gave voice to their reflections on leaving family, friends, and countries of origin to make new homes and connections in their new home, Canada.Paired with expressive portraits by award-winning artist Rogé, each young writer reflects on the experience of leaving one home for another. The collection of poems express feelings of anxiety, sorrow, anticipation, gratitude, and hope for the future. With thoughtful verse and evocative illustrations, Carry On is a tribute to human resilience, the voices of newcomers, and creating empathy for all those who wonder about their place in the world.

Midnight From Beyond the Stars


Kenneth W. CainWilliam Meikle - 2021
    Then the trees outside your bedroom rustle from a mysterious celestial wind. When the neighborhood dogs erupt in a cacophony of terrified barking, you’re jerked from your peaceful slumber. Through bleary eyes you look at the display on the nightstand. Midnight. A roar cracks the obsidian night sky as a ball of blinding light streaks out of the heavens, crashing with an earthshaking explosion on the other side of the hill. Racing to the open window, you smell the electric scent of charred ozone in the night air. The pulsing glow in the distance mesmerizes your senses. There’s something pulling you from its rhythmic humming. Something too enticing to resist. Something’s out there, and it has a story to tell. Lots of stories. You slip on your shoes and make your way for the door…Introduction by Richard Chizmar“Attack of the Killer Tumbleweed!” by Antonia Rachel Ward"Abduction Annie" by Ronald Kelly“Roadkill” by Samantha Kolesnik“Embryo” by Tim Curran“Scan for Life” by Jason Parent“Unravelling” by Stephanie Ellis“Snow Blind" by Kristopher Triana“Death and Decay” by Shelly Campbell“The Fear of Fallen Leaves" by James Newman“The Bulge” by Rob E. Boley“Phantom Limb” by Kay Hanifen“Incident on Saddle Road” by Brian Moreland"Skin-Wrapped Gift” by Chad Lutzke“We Still Have Time" by Amanda Headlee“I Will Meet You There” by Brennan LaFaro“A Monstrous Hunger" by Simon Clark“To Sing with the Choir Invisible” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro"Too Many to Count" by Jeremy Hepler“A Cat Named Sue” by Jennifer Soucy"The Bluehaul" by Lee Murray“The Little Voice” by Gabino Iglesias"The Sky and Above" by Patrick Lacey“Count Backward From Ten” by Meghan Arcuri“Midnight Dreary” by Owl Goingback“Skin Tags” by Vivian Kasley"Virescent Sky” by Tim Meyer“Sometimes All of Our Thoughts are Misgiven" by Janine Pipe“Whatever You Want Most” by Megan E. Hart"Who Built the Moon?” by Tyler Jones"Stasis" by John Lynch“Fourteen Gallons” by Red Lagoe“Broken Star” by Lucas Milliron"Chittering" by Bob Pastorella

Holy Ghost: A Novel of the Spanish Civil War


K.D. Conway - 2021
    

Chola Salvation


Estella Gonzalez - 2021
    This collection of inter-related short stories examines the lives of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in East Los Angeles.

Beef, Bible and Bullets: Brazil in the Age of Bolsonaro


Richard Lapper - 2021
    Driven by the former army captain's brand of controversial, aggressive rhetoric, the divisive presidential campaign saw fake news and misinformation shared with Bolsonaro's tens of millions of social media followers. Bolsonaro promised simple solutions to Brazil's rising violent crime, falling living standards and widespread corruption, but what has emerged is Latin America's most right-wing president since the military dictatorships of the 1970s. Famous for his racist, homophobic and sexist beliefs and his disregard for human rights, the so-called 'Trump of the Tropics' has established a reputation based on his polemical, sensationalist statements. Written by a journalist with decades of experience in the field, Beef, Bible and bullets is a compelling account of the origins of Brazil's unique brand of right-wing populism. Lapper offers the first major assessment of the Bolsonaro government and the growing tensions between extremist and moderate conservatives.

Taxi Wallah and Other Stories


Numair Atif Choudhury - 2021
    In Taxi Wallah and Other Stories, we encounter more of Choudhury's limitless imagination and deep empathy as he captures the many Bangladeshes that make up the nation.The stories in this collection are bound by their protagonists - outsiders looking in - whether it is the taxi wallah of the title story who ferries tourists to upmarket hotels in Gulshan, the chokra for whom the streets of Dhaka are both sustenance and threat, Rabia the maid who feels compelled to call even the youngest of her employer's children 'Apa', or the brick breaker who finds his life draining away as he hammers rubble at construction sites...Fuelled by Choudhury's trademark linguistic verve and energy, Taxi Wallah and Other Stories is a searing yet tender portrait of a country that is fractured but lets in light through the cracks.

Greetings from Tucson: A collection of letters between sisters (Inspired by a true story)


Cherie L. Genua - 2021
    

The Last Commandment


Scott Shepherd - 2021
    When three seemingly unconnected victims are murdered with matching sequential Roman numerals carved into their foreheads, Metropolitan Police Commander Austin Grant finds his answer in one of the last places he’d expect: the Holy Bible. Each of the deaths correspond to a transgression of one of the Ten Commandments, and Grant must find the killer before the remaining Commandments are commemorated with homicides.Unfortunately for Grant, the next victim with a number on their forehead turns up not in London, but across the pond at the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, turning this English murder case into a transatlantic manhunt spanning two global metropolises, each with its own rich history and culture. Commander Grant must team up with a charming NYPD detective named John Frankel, as well as his own estranged daughter Rachel—a cunning investigative reporter with conflicting feelings about her father.The Last Commandment is the third novel by acclaimed screenwriter and producer Scott Shepherd, whose decades of television writing experience shine through in the swift pace and character-driven storytelling of this devilishly fun, page-turning mystery. Flipping the “buddy cop” story on its head with a touch of Old Testament fatalism, this twisty tale leads from the seedy back-alleys of Piccadilly to the Grande Dame hotels of Midtown Manhattan and back again.

Red Flowers


Yoshiharu Tsuge - 2021
    Red Flowers ranges from deep character studies to personal reflections to ensemble comedies set in the hotels and bathhouses of rural Japan. There are irascible old men, drunken gangsters, reflective psychiatric-hospital escapees, and mysterious dogs. Tsuge’s stories are mischievous and tender even as they explore complex relationships and heartache. It’s a world of extreme poverty, tradition, secret fishing holes, and top-dollar koi farming.The title story highlights the nuance and empathy that made Tsuge’s work stand out from that of his peers. A nameless traveler comes across a young girl running an inn. While showing the traveler where the best fishing hole is, a bratty schoolmate reveals the girl must run the business because her alcoholic father is incapable. At the story’s end, the traveler witnesses an unusual act of kindness from the boy as the girl suffers her first menstrual cramps — and a simple travelogue takes on unexpected depth.Red Flowers affirms why Tsuge went on to become one of the most important cartoonists in Japan. These vital comics inspired a wealth of fictionalized memoir from his peers and a desire within the postwar generation to document and understand the diversity of their country’s culture.

Learning to Love


Trinity Wood - 2021
    This steamy book features a K-drama-loving artless preschool teacher, a cinnamon roll athlete hero with a lot to learn, and the most meddling group of friends ever. In the City of Lovers, HEA is guaranteed.

Future War and the Defence of Europe


John R. Allen - 2021
    Taking as its starting point the COVID-19 pandemic and way it will inevitably accelerate some key globaldynamics already in play, the book goes on to weave history, strategy, policy, and technology into a compelling analytical narrative. It lays out in forensic detail the scale of the challenge Europeans and their allies face if Europe's peace is to be upheld in a transformative century. The bookupends foundational assumptions about how Europe's defence is organised, the role of a fast-changing transatlantic relationship, NATO, the EU, and their constituent nation-states. At the heart of the book is a radical vision of a technology-enabling future European defence, built around a new kindof Atlantic Alliance, an innovative strategic public-private partnership, and the future hyper-electronic European force, E-Force, it must spawn. Europeans should be under no illusion: unless they do far more for their own defence, and very differently, all that they now take for granted could belost in the maze of hybrid war, cyber war, and hyper war they must face.

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss


Gregory Mone - 2021
    Levon Biss’s photographs capture in detail the beauty of the insect world and are printed in large-scale formats. The book also features an all-new, kid-friendly text from science writer Gregory Mone.

How Old Am I?: 1-100 Faces From Around The World


Julie Pugeat - 2021
    Created by the iconic street artist JR for young readers aged 4-8.For young children, the concept of age is abstract when they don't have a relatable context ... until now! This unique book showcases the faces and life stories of 100 people from around the world, organised by age, from a one-year-old to a centenarian, giving children a visual and descriptive reference point for each age. Striking close-up black-and-white portraits are paired with read-aloud text that shares personal experiences, wishes, memories, and emotions, leaving readers with an appreciation and understanding of the ageing process. Specially created by cult street artist JR for young readers aged 4–8

Darby O'Kill: A Short Story


Zara Keane - 2021
    Instead, I got whiskey-swilling hard rock devotees...and a corpse.

Chaiwala!


Priti Birla Maheshwari - 2021
    While the girl waits for her mug of milky spiced tea, readers are treated to the sights, sounds, and smells of the Chaiwala's cart. The aroma of ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks swirls in the air. Tea leaves rustle, milk bubbles, and the hot drink is poured back and forth until--clink!--the cups are filled and placed on the stand. With a biscuit and a rusk added to their order, it's time to find a spot to sit and enjoy! Inspired by the author's childhood visits to India, Chaiwala! celebrates the pleasures of taking time for food, family, and tradition--even for a brief moment. Illustrated in lively cut-paper collages and filled with scrumptious sensory details, this book is just like a cup of chai--warm, comforting, and good to the last drop.

Encircling 3: Aftermath


Carl Frode Tiller - 2021
    In Barbara Haveland’s powerful translation, two new letters circle closer than ever to David, who allegedly lost his memory. One is from Marius, who has led the life of wealth and privilege that David was meant to live. And yet Marius does not appreciate it—desperate for attention, he lies to his girlfriend, with disastrous consequences. The other comes from Susanne, an ex-lover whose affair with David led to the breakup of her marriage. Humiliated by David’s unflattering portrayal of her in his novel, Susanne is determined to exact revenge on him in the most painful possible way.Last of all we come face-to-face with David himself: a frustrated writer whose early successes have faded. His therapy sessions seem to reveal a dangerous and violent individual bent on getting what he wants at any cost. With David’s own story told, the last piece falls into place, and his true character is unveiled. But as with books one and two, there are twists and turns that upset expectations and leave the reader wondering whom to believe. Across three books, Tiller’s incisive character portraits lay bare the inequalities of class and excesses of wealth in Norwegian society. With Encircling 3: Aftermath, Tiller sounds the unexplored depths of David’s life, in the culmination of this astonishing feat of psychological realism.

Twelve Tribes: Promise and Peril in the New Israel


Ethan Michaeli - 2021
    Readers of Twelve Tribes will meet the aging revolutionaries who founded Israel’s kibbutz movement and the brilliant young people working for the country’s booming Big Tech companies. They will join thousands of ultra-Orthodox Haredim at a joyous memorial for a long-dead Romanian Rebbe at a cemetery in a suburb of Tel Aviv, and marvel at the life experience of Belaynesh Zevadia, who came to Israel from Ethiopia on her own, and decades later returned to her birth country as the ambassador from Israel. And they will be challenged, in turn, by portraits of Israeli Arabs navigating between the opportunities in a prosperous, democratic state and the discrimination they suffer as a vilified minority, as by conversations with Palestinians who are striving to build the institutions of a nascent state, and by the Israeli settlers who are seeking to establish a Jewish presence on the same land.Framed by Michaeli’s own experience as an American with family roots in Israel, Twelve Tribes will illuminate the complex dynamics within the country, a collective drama which has global consequences far beyond the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians. Through extensive research and access to all sectors of Israeli society, Michaeli reveals Israel as a land of paradoxical intersections and volatile, unlikely cohabitation—a place where all of the world’s struggles meet, and a microcosm for the challenges faced by all nations today.

Global City Tryst: Carpe Diem Chronicles 1.25


Maida Malby - 2021
    One sexy US Air Force officer. One torrid weekend fling. Lust at first sight strikes Maddie Duvall and Aidan Ryan on a plane. A day at the beach with friends and family denies them the opportunity to succumb to their mutual attraction. Both single and available, they agree on a secret weekend affair. No strings, no promises. Satisfy their desire for one another, and they're done.Or so they say. Global City Tryst, a Carpe Diem Chronicles novelette, is prequel to Singapore Fling. It was previously published as part of the Big City Heat charity anthology. The story has been edited and polished but the sizzle and steam remain.Each story in the Carpe Diem Chronicles series can stand alone. For those who prefer to read chronologically, here's the proper order:1. Boracay Vows 2. Global City Tryst 3. New York Engagement 4. Singapore Fling

War Time: Temporality and the Decline of Western Military Power


Sten Rynning - 2021
    Often cited as one element of the alleged decline is the succession of prolonged and unsuccessful wars--most notably those waged in recent decades by the United States. This book by three Danish military experts examines not only the validity of the speculation but also asks why the West, particularly its military effectiveness, might be perceived as in decline.Temporality is the central concept linking a series of structural fractures that leave the West seemingly muscle-bound: overwhelmingly powerful in technology and military might but strategically fragile. This temporality, the authors say, is composed of three interrelated dimensions: trajectories, perceptions, and pace.First, Western societies to tend view time as a linear trajectory, focusing mostly on recent and current events and leading to the framing of history as a story of rise and decline. The authors examine whether the inevitable fall already has happened, is underway, or is still in the future.Perceptions of time also vary across cultures and periods, shaping socio-political activities, including warfare. The enemy, for example, can be perceived as belong to another time (being "backward" or "barbarian"). And war can be seen either as cyclical or exceptional, helping frame the public's willingness to accept its violent and tragic consequences.The pace of war is another factor shaping policies and actions. Western societies emphasize speed: the shorter the war the better, even if the long-term result is unsuccessful. Ironically, one of the Western world's least successful wars also has been America's longest, in Afghanistan.This unique book is thus a critical assessment of the evolution and future of Western military power. It contributes much-needed insight into the potential for the West's political and institutional renewal.

Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life


Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan - 2021
    

Violet's Tempest


Ian Eagleton - 2021
    Her voice has gone from a giggle to a whisper. So when her teacher casts her in the school play, she is filled with worry. How will she ever stand in front of a crowd and overcome her shyness? With the love and support of her family, Violet must find her inner confidence and turn that whisper into a roar!

Shapes and Colors


John Canty - 2021
    With fresh and appealing illustrations and a striking design, this is a concept book with longevity.

Battles Map by Map


Smithsonian Institution - 2021
    Wars and engagements like the Battle of Alesia, the Napoleonic Wars, and World War II are mapped out, major battle by major battle, so that readers can follow the geography of these epic battles.SI Battles Map by Map puts you in the seat of famous generals and commanders such as Ramess II, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great who expertly planned their attacks by studying the plains on which they would take place. Inside this book you'll find:- Around 80 specially made, easy-to-follow main maps clearly show the course of famous battles throughout history - Fascinating contemporary maps that illustrate battles - Timelines that show the chronology of events to enhance readers' understanding - Stunning historic images bring history to life on the page - Easy-to-read text that explains the events of the battles - Additional contextual information on key technologies, leaders, armies, and more History's most famous battles, told one by oneBroadcasting journalist and historian, Peter Snow, provides a foreword for this marvelous military book. From ancient to modern battles, he provides context for the world's most famous wars, both won and lost. See for yourself how tactics, technology, vision, and luck have all played a part in the outcome of wars throughout history.Bursting with lavish illustrations and full of fascinating detail, this book is the ultimate book for map lovers, military history enthusiasts, and armchair generals everywhere. SI Battles Map by Map takes you right to the heart of the action. Famous commanders and military leaders are profiled, and the impact of groundbreaking weapons and battlefield innovations is revealed. Other titles in the Map by Map seriesThe Map by Map series includes other titles such as History of the World Map by Map and World War II Map by Map, each detailing historical events and placing them in the context of geography. These books include fascinating facts, high-quality photography, and detailed profiles and descriptions of people and events.

Political Cleavages and Social Inequalities: A Study of Fifty Democracies, 1948-2020


Amory Gethin - 2021
    Political Cleavages and Social Inequalities provides the missing empirical background, collecting and examining a treasure trove of information on the dynamics of polarization in modern democracies.The chapters draw on a unique set of surveys conducted between 1948 and 2020 in fifty countries on five continents, analyzing the links between voters' political preferences and socioeconomic characteristics, such as income, education, wealth, occupation, religion, ethnicity, age, and gender. This analysis sheds new light on how political movements succeed in coalescing multiple interests and identities in contemporary democracies. It also helps us understand the conditions under which conflicts over inequality become politically salient, as well as the similarities and constraints of voters supporting ethnonationalist politicians like Narendra Modi, Jair Bolsonaro, Marine Le Pen, and Donald Trump.Bringing together cutting-edge data and historical analysis, editors Amory Gethin, Clara Mart�nez-Toledano, and Thomas Piketty offer a vital resource for understanding the voting patterns of the present and the likely sources of future political conflict.