Best of
New-York

2013

Humans of New York


Brandon Stanton - 2013
    With four hundred color photos, including exclusive portraits and all-new stories, Humans of New York is a stunning collection of images that showcases the outsized personalities of New York.Surprising and moving, Humans of New York is a celebration of individuality and a tribute to the spirit of the city.

My Notorious Life


Kate Manning - 2013
    Axie's story begins on the streets of 1860s New York. The impoverished child of Irish immigrants, she grows up to become one of the wealthiest and most controversial women of her day.In vivid prose, Axie recounts how she is forcibly separated from her mother and siblings, apprenticed to a doctor, and how she and her husband parlay the sale of a few bottles of 'Lunar Tablets for Female Complaint' into a thriving midwifery business. Flouting convention and defying the law in the name of women's reproductive rights, Axie rises from grim tenement rooms to the splendor of a mansion on Fifth Avenue, amassing wealth while learning over and over never to trust a man who says "trust me."When her services attract outraged headlines, Axie finds herself on a collision course with a crusading official, Anthony Comstock, founder of the Society for the Suppression of Vice. It will take all of Axie's cunning and power to outwit him in the fight to preserve her freedom and everything she holds dear.Inspired by the true history of an infamous female physician who was once called "the Wickedest Woman in New York," My Notorious Life is a mystery, a family saga, a love story, and an exquisitely detailed portrait of nineteenth-century America. Axie Muldoon's inimitable voice brings the past alive, and her story haunts and enlightens the present.

NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette


Nathan W. Pyle - 2013
    Nathan decided to draw his favorite tips and etiquette lessons and post them on the internet, where his 12 original panels went viral immediately and became the basis for this hilarious illustrated book (check out the fully animated ebook, too!).In NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette, Pyle reveals the secrets and unwritten rules for living in and visiting New York including the answers to such burning questions as, which cabs should I try to hail? What is a bodega? Which way is Uptown? Why are there so many doors in the sidewalk? How do I walk on an escalator? Do we need to be touching right now? Where should I inhale or exhale while passing sidewalk garbage? How long should I honk my horn? If New York were a game show, how would I win? What happens when I stand in the bike lane? Who should get the empty subway seats? How do I stay safe during a trash tornado? Each tip is a little story illustrated in simple black and white drawings.Visitors and newcomers to New York will love it because the advice is smart, funny, and not condescending. New Yorkers will love it for its strategic and humorous approach to mastering the daily chaos of the city.

Unexpected Hero


K.F. Breene - 2013
     All Jenna wants is to grace the NYC skyline with a building of her design. But to do it, she must tear down a neighborhood riddled with dangerous criminals who will stop at nothing to claim vengeance. Sent away from the threat for a week long tour in the wilds of Colorado, Jenna meets a stranger so intense her desire is equally mixed with fear. Tall, built, and incredibly handsome, he isn't what he seems. After a mission gone badly wrong, Josh left the SEALs without looking back. Haunted by his past, he hides his identity in order to pick up the pieces. But when he meets the sassy architect, the control he tries so desperately to hang on to, flees. As their mutual attraction and constant battle of wills sets their bodies aflame, danger once again finds Jenna. Josh must face his past if he ever hopes to bring Jenna out of the wilds alive. ***This is book one of a three book series and they should be read in order.

Try, Try Again


Ruth Logan Herne - 2013
    A decade older and wiser, Conor now faces the final step in his healing - making peace with his ex-wife.Peace with Conor is the last thing on Alicia Bradstreet's mind. Losing her son took more than her heart, it darkened her soul. But with their daughter's engagement to a single father comes the expectation of harmony. Can Alicia move beyond her anger... and Conor beyond his guilt... to Try, Try Again?Join award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne as she spins a journey of faith, hope and love in her typical heart-touching style, a path that winds around the honor of a derelict former cop, a small child who misses her mother and a dog just aching for a second chance... much like his new owners.

Truly


Ruthie Knox - 2013
    Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. Just weeks after moving from Wisconsin to Manhattan, she receives the world's worst marriage proposal, stabs her boyfriend with a shrimp fork in a very public venue, and accidentally becomes notorious. And that’s before she gets mugged.At her wit's end, May washes up at a Packers bar in Greenwich Village, where she meets a surly, unhelpful guy who hates her shoes and calls her ex a douche.His name is Ben. He used to be a chef. Now he's a rooftop beekeeper with anger management issues. She wouldn't even like him, but he reminds her of home … and he knows where to find all the best food in the Village.She makes him laugh. He buys her tacos and cowboy boots. The longer they’re stuck together, the better May and Ben get along … and the harder they fall. TRULY is a quirky, modern New York love story unlike any you've read before.

A Case of Redemption


Adam Mitzner - 2013
    . . but that was before a horrifying accident killed the two most important people in his life. As he approaches rock bottom, Dan is unexpectedly offered the opportunity of a lifetime: defend an up-and-coming rapper who swears he's innocent of the brutal slaying of his pop star girlfriend. Dan realizes that this may be his only hope to put his own life back on track, but as he delves deeper into the case, he learns that atonement comes at a very steep price. A powerful and riveting new voice in fiction, Adam Mitzner pulls out all the stops in his follow-up to the highly acclaimed A Conflict of Interest a gritty, sophisticated thriller that will draw fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham into a world of relentless suspense.

The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues


John Strausbaugh - 2013
    From the Dutch settlers and Washington Square patricians, to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and Prohibition-era speakeasies; from Abstract Expressionism and beatniks, to Stonewall and AIDS, the connecting narratives of The Village tell the story of America itself. Illustrated with historic black-and-white photographs, The Village features lively, well-researched profiles of many of the people who made Greenwich Village famous, including Thomas Paine, Walt Whitman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mark Twain, Margaret Sanger, Eugene O’Neill, Marcel Duchamp, Upton Sinclair, Willa Cather, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Jackson Pollock, Anais Nin, Edward Albee, Charlie Parker, W. H. Auden, Woody Guthrie, James Baldwin, Maurice Sendak, E. E. Cummings, and Bob Dylan.

Sparrow Migrations


Cari Noga - 2013
    Then, life after the Miracle on the Hudson landing puts three families on another crash course…with their own fragile humanity.Airplane passenger Deborah DeWitt-Goldman knows her survival means one last chance to start the family she so badly desires—no matter the cost to her marriage. Preacher’s wife Brett Stevens witnesses the event from a ferry, burdened by a secret that could destroy her family. And while twelve-year-old Robby Palmer’s desperate parents struggle to reach through the fog of his autism, the boy discovers a deep connection to the birds responsible for the crash.Now, all of them must navigate the crosscurrents of the consequences of their decisions…and when their paths collide a second time, another miracle just might happen.Award-winning author Cari Noga’s Sparrow Migrations is an inspiring, heartfelt look at the crucible of crisis and the power of human connection.

Mapping Manhattan: A Love (And Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers


Becky Cooper - 2013
    Along her journey she met police officers, homeless people, fashion models, and senior citizens who had lived in Manhattan all their lives. She asked the strangers to “map their Manhattan” and to mail the personalized maps back to her. Soon, her P.O. box was filled with a cartography of intimate narratives: past loves, lost homes, childhood memories, comical moments, and surprising confessions. A beautifully illustrated, PostSecret-style tribute to New York, Mapping Manhattan includes 75 maps from both anonymous mapmakers and notable New Yorkers, including Man on Wire aerialist Philippe Petit, New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov, Tony award-winning actor Harvey Fierstein, and many more.Praise for Mapping Manhattan:“What an intriguing project.”—The New York Times“A tender cartographic love letter to this timeless city of multiple dimensions, parallel realities, and perpendicular views.” —Brain Pickings“Cooper’s beautiful project linking the lives of New Yorkers is one that will continue to grow.” —Publishers Weekly online

Garry Winogrand


Garry Winogrand - 2013
    But Winogrand was also an avid traveler and roamed extensively around the United States, bringing exquisite work out of nearly every region of the country.This landmark retrospective catalogue looks at the full sweep of Winogrand’s exceptional career. Drawing from his enormous output, which at the time of his death included thousands of rolls of undeveloped film and unpublished contact sheets, the book will serve as the most substantial compendium of Winogrand’s work to date. Lavishly illustrated with both iconic images and photographs that have never been seen before now, and featuring essays by leading scholars of American photography, Garry Winogrand presents a vivid portrait of an artist who unflinchingly captured America’s swings between optimism and upheaval in the postwar era.

All the Buildings in New York (That I've Drawn So Far)


James Gulliver Hancock - 2013
    All the buildings in New York Paint the City of Passion, New York b All the Buildings in New York . James Gulliver Hancock is a unique and attractive drawing that captures New Yorks colorful architecture and cityscape. Hancocks buildings are colorful, playful and full of unusual details. Yet the author does not miss the technical elements and essence of architecture familiar to those who love New York. New Yorks district-specific book features iconic skyscrapers in New York, such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the Flatiron Building. It also includes everyday buildings that create New York. Everyone will be able to savor this unique book that expresses the energy and spirit of New York City that never sleeps.

Spit of a Minute


Linda Dickson - 2013
    Her aging parents have already slipped into a great depression of their own. Her brothers named her 'Queenie' and it stuck. Queenie steps from the barn to welcome a man from a neighboring farm. A frustrated man drunk on corn liquor and rage.Three children, an alcoholic husband and a monkey later, she's living in the city and struggling to keep a clean house and beans on the stove when the "Eye-talian" pilot from New York City asks her opinion on fryer hens in the grocery. He's smooth. He takes her to places with white table cloths.World War II deploys the pilot to Europe and Queenie to the Big Apple. Survival on the streets of NYC for Queenie and her baby girl, Abba Gee, is a war story of another kind. Queenie makes decisions without options. Her's is a story of what can happen to any of us if we are not paying attention."Told from a Southern point of view, funny, sad, and partially true. Queenie is the grandmother I did not know. A lifetime of rumors and over heard gossip painted this character. Others speak of grandmothers who smelled of talcum powder and passed on receipes while Queenie's legacy echos stories of grit and how life can change in the Spit of a Minute.""Dickson's language is palpably evocative of the period--you could vividly imagine the scenes in sepia, peopled by those long-ago characters that now only exist as memory.""Dickson writes with a relaxed, leisurely cadence with confidence in her own literary powers. She effectively simulates the feel and mood of the South, as well as the hustle and bustle of the city--something about the writing, not the plot, that reminds me so much of Harper Lee's classic `To Kill a Mockingbird.'"Dickson's compelling narrative subtly shifts in tone and texture according to the changes in time, and this is one of the qualities in her writing that makes me hope she actually writes more, and soon."

Excel 2013 Bible


John Walkenbach - 2013
    Known as Mr. Spreadsheet, Walkenbach shows you how to maximize the power of Excel 2013 while bringing you up to speed on the latest features. This perennial bestseller is fully updated to cover all the new features of Excel 2013, including how to navigate the user interface, take advantage of various file formats, master formulas, analyze data with PivotTables, and more.Whether you're an Excel beginner who is looking to get more savvy or an advanced user looking to become a power user, this latest edition provides you with comprehensive coverage as well as helpful tips, tricks, and techniques that you won't find anywhere else.Shares the invaluable insight of Excel guru and bestselling author Mr. Spreadsheet John Walkenbach as he guides you through every aspect of Excel 2013 Provides essential coverage of all the newest features of Excel 2013 Presents material in a clear, concise, logical format that is ideal for all levels of Excel experience Features a website that includes downloadable templates and worksheets from the book Chart your path to fantastic formulas and stellar spreadsheets with Excel 2013 Bible!

The Trail of Tears: The Forced Removal of the Five Civilized Tribes


Charles River Editors - 2013
    "I fought through the War Between the States and have seen many men shot, but the Cherokee Removal was the cruelest work I ever knew." - Georgia soldier on the Trail of Tears The "Five Civilized Tribes" are among the best known Native American groups in American history, and they were even celebrated by contemporary Americans for their abilities to adapt to white culture. But tragically, they are also well known tribes due to the trials and tribulations they suffered by being forcibly moved west along the "Trail of Tears." Though the Trail of Tears applied to several different tribes, it is most commonly associated today with the Cherokee. The Cherokee began the process of assimilation into European America very early, even before the establishment of the Unites States, but it is unclear what benefits that brought the tribe. Throughout the colonial period and after the American Revolution, the Cherokee struggled to satisfy the whims and desires of American government officials and settlers, often suffering injustices after complying with their desires. Nevertheless, the Cherokee continued to endure, and after being pushed west, they rose from humble origins as refugees new to the southeastern United States to build themselves back up into a powerhouse both economically and militarily. The Cherokee ultimately became the first people of non-European descent to become U.S. citizens en masse, and today the Cherokee Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United States, boasting over 300,000 members. The Creek became known as one of the Five Civilized Tribes for quickly assimilating aspects of European culture, but in response to early European contact, the Muscogee established one of the strongest confederacies in the region. Despite becoming a dominant regional force, however, infighting brought about civil war in the early 19th century, and they were quickly wrapped up in the War of 1812 as well. By the end of that fighting, the Creek were compelled to cede millions of acres of land to the expanding United States, ushering in a new era that found the Creek occupying only a small strip of Alabama by the 1830s. With the Spanish Empire foundering during the mid-19th century, the young United States sought to take possession of Florida. President Andrew Jackson's notorious policy of Indian Removal led to the Seminole Wars in the 1830s, and that was already after General Andrew Jackson had led American soldiers against the Seminole in the First Seminole War a generation earlier. The Seminole Wars ultimately pushed much of the tribe into Oklahoma, and the nature of some of the fighting remains one of the best known aspects of Seminole history among Americans. The Trail of Tears comprehensively covers the history and legacy of the events that brought about the removal of the Southeastern tribes. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Trail of Tears like you never have before, in no time at all.

Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty


Beth Zasloff - 2013
    Instead of offering a doorway to opportunity, the college process presented endless obstacles for students who already battled poverty, violence, and low expectations. It caused Steckel to reexamine his assumptions about college.Every single one of the graduating seniors he has worked with in urban public high school has been accepted to college. To Steckel’s surprise, that turned out to be the easy part. Getting In, Getting Out follows ten of his students through the application process and college experience. At a time when the idea of “college for all” is both embraced and challenged, their stories defy all of the traditional assumptions about the meaning and value of higher education. This important book gives human faces to statistics about low college attendance and graduation rates among low-income students of color, and shows how a counselor’s belief in the potential of every student can transform futures.

The Wedding Bees: A Novel of Honey, Love, and Manners


Sarah-Kate Lynch - 2013
    . . .Every spring Sugar Wallace coaxes her sleepy honeybee queen—presently the sixth in a long line of Queen Elizabeths—out of the hive and lets her crawl around a treasured old map. Wherever the queen stops is their next destination, and this year it's New York City.Sugar sets up her honeybees on the balcony of an East Village walk-up and then––as she's done everywhere since leaving South Carolina––she gets to know her neighbors. She is, after all, a former debutante who believes that manners make the world a better place even if they seem currently lacking in the big city.Plus, she has a knack for helping people. There's Ruby with her scrapbook of wedding announcements; single mom Lola; reclusive chef Nate; and George, a courtly ex-doorman. They may not know what to make of her bees and her politeness, but they can't deny the magic in her honey.And then there's Theo, a delightfully kind Scotsman who crosses Sugar's path as soon as she gets into town and is quickly besotted. But love is not on the menu for Sugar. She likes the strong independent woman she's become since leaving the South and there's nothing a charmer like Theo can do to change her mind . . . only her bees can do that.The Wedding Bees is a novel about finding sweetness where you least expect it and learning to love your way home.

The Names of My Mothers


Dianne Sanders Riordan - 2013
    In 1942 Elizabeth Bynam Sanders was a young woman who left home under false pretenses and travelled to Our Lady of Victory, a home for unwed mothers in upstate New York. Shortly after surrendering her daughter for adoption, she returned to her life in Johnston County, North Carolina. She never married and never had another child of her own. This powerful and moving memoir speaks of the profound need for connection. It is a story about identity, the hunger we feel for a sense of belonging and the ineffable significance of blood.

The Handfasting


David Burnett - 2013
    Kneeling before the high altar, they were handfasted in the Celtic custom, engaged to be married. A rose bush had bloomed beside the ruined altar. Steven had reached out to caress one of the flowers. “I’ll find you,” he had said. “In ten years, when we have finished school, when we are able to marry, I’ll find you. Until then, whenever you see a yellow rose, remember me. Remember I love you.”In those ten years, Katherine had finished college, completed med school, and become a doctor. For a decade, she had been waiting, hoping, praying, and, today ─ her birthday─ she finds a vase of yellow roses when she reaches home.Steven, though, is not Katherine’s only suitor. Bill Wilson has known her since they were in high school, and he has long planned to wed her. While Steven and Katherine are falling in love again,he finally decides to stake his claim. His methods leave a lot to be desired, the conflict turns violent, and Katherine must choose the future that she wants.

The Stories They Tell: Artifacts from the National September 11 Memorial Museum


Alice M. Greenwald - 2013
    In both text and photography, the story of September 11 is told through a selection of powerfully moving artifacts from the 9/11 museum’s collection that serve as touchstones to the day and its aftermath. From crushed FDNY trucks to the steel that was pierced as planes struck the Twin Towers, from victims’ property pulled from the wreckage and returned to families (who later donated the property to the museum) to spontaneous memorials collected from around Ground Zero, the array of objects tell complex and often surprising stories. Poignant artifacts as monumental as the Vesey Street staircase—which offered an escape for thousands fleeing the towers—and as intimate as a loved one’s wedding band or last recorded phone message are selected to illuminate people’s experiences during and after September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993. The mission of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum is to bear solemn witness to the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center. The museum honors the nearly 3,000 victims of these attacks and all those who risked their lives to save others. It further recognizes the thousands who survived and all who demonstrated extraordinary compassion in the aftermath.

Capriati's Blood


Lawrence De Maria - 2013
    The man, she says, doesn’t know about his child but may hold the key to saving her life. Rhode, whose private investigation business withered when his reserve unit was called up, takes the case, although it seems hopeless. If the F.B.I. can’t find the father, how can he? That turns out to be the least of Rhode’s problems, as he almost immediately becomes the target of a deranged mobster. He only survives because a mysterious guardian angel – with an automatic pistol – is watching his back. It soon becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. Bodies pile up as Rhode’s search takes him from a college campus to a nursing home to a Florida orange grove. And, finally, to a revelation he never sees coming.

Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City


Robin Nagle - 2013
    But New Yorkers don't give it much attention. They leave their trash on the curb or drop it in a litter basket, and promptly forget about it. And why not? On a schedule so regular you could almost set your watch by it, someone always comes to take it away.But who, exactly, is that someone? And why is he—or she—so unknown?In Picking Up, the anthropologist Robin Nagle introduces us to the men and women of New York City's Department of Sanitation and makes clear why this small army of uniformed workers is the most important labor force on the streets. Seeking to understand every aspect of the Department's mission, Nagle accompanied crews on their routes, questioned supervisors and commissioners, and listened to story after story about blizzards, hazardous wastes, and the insults of everyday New Yorkers. But the more time she spent with the DSNY, the more Nagle realized that observing wasn't quite enough—so she joined the force herself. Driving the hulking trucks, she obtained an insider's perspective on the complex kinships, arcane rules, and obscure lingo unique to the realm of sanitation workers.Nagle chronicles New York City's four-hundred-year struggle with trash, and traces the city's waste-management efforts from a time when filth overwhelmed the streets to the far more rigorous practices of today, when the Big Apple is as clean as it's ever been.Throughout, Nagle reveals the many unexpected ways in which sanitation workers stand between our seemingly well-ordered lives and the sea of refuse that would otherwise overwhelm us. In the process, she changes the way we understand cities—and ourselves within them.

I Never Knew That About New York


Christopher Winn - 2013
    Learn about the extraordinary people who built New York into one of the world's great cities in just 400 years. New York is one of the most photographed and talked about cities in the world but Winn unearths much that is unexpected and unremembered in this fast moving, ever changing metropolis where history is made on a daily basis!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics: The Works, Volume 1: Fresh & Delicious


Peter Laird - 2013
    The first seven issues of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series plus the Raphael Micro-Series issue are collected in this hardcover collection, all reproduced in new full-color!

Fireflies - A Tale of Life and Death


Bree Wolf - 2013
    Unfortunately, as summer comes along, his parents ship him off to Kenton Woods to stay with grandparents he hasn't seen in years. Trapped in a world of small town life, Gabriel suddenly finds himself cut off from the only friends he ever had when he discovers that his grandparents don't even own a computer.After sulking in the house for a few days, his grandfather drags him outside and Gabriel takes his first steps into the real world. Gathering all his courage, he talks to Liam, their neighbors' son, who hands him a small sheet of paper and asks for his help. From that day on, Gabriel follows Liam and his friends on a treasure hunt across town. With the entire school on their heels, they rush to solve riddle after riddle, slowly closing in on that which no one has ever found before. Along the way, Gabriel meets the head-butting twins Jack and Jordan, their dog Cat, the insane story-teller Eddie and Hannah, a young girl locked up in her room. Hand in hand, they work to help Hannah escape and take her along on their adventure. Having spent her entire life cut off from the rest of the world, Gabriel finds a kindred spirit in the red-haired girl with the glowing eyes. But one day, a secret Hannah has been carefully hiding from the group rears its ugly head and threatens to shatter Gabriel's new life and the place he thought he'd finally found in the world.

A Song for Bijou


Josh Farrar - 2013
    He goes to an all-boys prep school and spends most of his time goofing around with his friends. But all that changes the first time he meets Bijou Doucet, a Haitian girl recently relocated to Brooklyn after the earthquake-and he is determined to win her heart. For Bijou, change is the only constant, and she's surprised every day by how different life is in America, especially when a boy asks her out. Alex quickly learns that there are rules when it comes to girls-both in Haitian culture and with his own friends. And Bijou soon learns that she doesn't have to let go of her roots to find joy in her new life. Told in alternating viewpoints against the vibrant backdrop of Haitian-American culture, Alex and Bijou take their first tender steps toward love in this heartwarming story.

The Lawman's Second Chance


Ruth Logan Herne - 2013
    Alexander Steele vowed he'd protect himself and his children from that kind of loss again. But that was before he laid eyes on Lisa Fitzgerald. She welcomes him to town and immediately connects with his shy daughter, Emma. Yet Lisa is a cancer survivor herself, and so a reminder of everything Alex and his family suffered. Will a relationship with her be too much for him to bear? With their love growing even faster than Lisa's beautiful gardens, Alex has to decide whether he can risk his heart once more.

Harlem Nocturne: Women Artists and Progressive Politics During World War II


Farah Jasmine Griffin - 2013
    Brimming with creative and political energy, the neighborhood’s diverse array of artists and activists took advantage of a brief period of progressivism during the war years to launch a bold cultural offensive aimed at winning democracy for all Americans, regardless of race or gender. Ardent believers in America’s promise, these men and women helped to lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement before Cold War politics and anti-Communist fervor temporarily froze their dreams at the dawn of the postwar era.In Harlem Nocturne, esteemed scholar Farah Jasmine Griffin tells the stories of three black female artists whose creative and political efforts fueled this historic movement for change: choreographer and dancer Pearl Primus, composer and pianist Mary Lou Williams, and novelist Ann Petry. Like many African Americans in the city at the time, these women weren’t native New Yorkers, but the metropolis and its vibrant cultural scene gave them the space to flourish and the freedom to express their political concerns. Pearl Primus performed nightly at the legendary Café Society, the first racially integrated club in New York, where she débuted dances of social protest that drew on long-buried African traditions and the dances of former slaves in the South. Williams, meanwhile, was a major figure in the emergence of bebop, collaborating with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Bud Powell and premiering her groundbreaking Zodiac Suite at the legendary performance space Town Hall. And Ann Petry conveyed the struggles of working-class black women to a national audience with her acclaimed novel The Street, which sold over a million copies—a first for a female African American author.A rich biography of three artists and the city that inspired them, Harlem Nocturne captures a period of unprecedented vitality and progress for African Americans and women, revealing a cultural movement and a historical moment whose influence endures today.

Gravesend


William Boyle - 2013
    The victim's brother, Conway D'Innocenzio, is a 29-year-old Brooklynite wasting away at a local Rite Aid, stuck in the past and still howling for Ray Boy's blood. When the chips are down and the gun is drawn, Conway finds that he doesn't have murder in him. Thus begins a spiral of self-loathing and soul-searching into which he is joined by Alessandra, a failed actress caring for her widowed father, and Eugene, Ray Boy's hellbound nephew. Ray Boy Calabrese is back in Gravesend: some people worship him, some want him dead . . . but none more so than the ex-con himself.

The New York Stories


John O'Hara - 2013
    Spanning his four-decade career, these more than thirty refreshingly frank, sparely written stories are among John O’Hara’s finest work, exploring the materialist aspirations and sexual exploits of flawed, prodigally human characters and showcasing the snappy dialogue, telling details and ironic narrative twists that made him the most-published short story writer in the history of the New Yorker.

Heaven Is Real But So Is Hell: An Eyewitness Account of What Is to Come


Vassula Ryden - 2013
    It features her amazing encounters with both good and evil forces and reveals profoundly important messages for all humanity, largely hidden until now. Sometimes harrowing, but filled with hope, it answers many of the questions that people have been asking for thousands of years and at the same time offers a glimpse into God's love and justice, and of what is soon to come. Ryden, who is based in Greece, has spoken in 79 countries to millions of people. Heaven is Real But So is Hell is her first book release in America.

Duet in September


Gina Ardito - 2013
    Every day for thirty days, they intend to do one thing differently from their normal routine—with unique results. Nia, still bitter years after her mother left the family for a wealthy tourist, finds herself falling for vineyard owner, Aidan Coffield, the son of a wealthy Manhattan real estate tycoon. Meanwhile, Paige keeps knocking heads with her high school nemesis and now town police chief, Sam Dillon. Each day of this special September will provide Paige and Nia with new adventures, new self-awareness, and of course, enough love to last two lifetimes.

Traveling Light


Andrea Thalasinos - 2013
    Driven out of their bedroom by Roger's compulsive hoarding, she has spent the past ten years sleeping downstairs on her husband's ratty couch. Distant and uninspired, Paula is more concerned with the robins landing on her office window ledge than her hard-earned position at the university.Until a phone call changes everything.A homeless Greek man is dying in a Queens hospital and Paula is asked to come translate. The old man tells her of his beloved dog, Fotis, who bit a police officer when they were separated. Paula has never considered adopting a dog, but she promises the man that she will rescue Fotis and find him a good home. But when Fotis enters her life she finds a companion she can't live without. Suddenly Paula has a dog, a brand-new Ford Escape, an eight-week leave of absence, and a plan.So Fotis and Paula begin the longest drive of their lives. In northern Minnesota, something compels her to answer a help-wanted ad for a wildlife rehabilitation center. Soon Paula is holding an eagle in her hands, and the experience leaves her changed forever.An inspiring story about fate, family, and healing, this novel explores what is possible when we cut the ties that hold us down and the heart is free to soar. Traveling Light by Andrea Thalasinos is an inspiring story about fate, family, and healing.

Area: 1983-1987


Eric Goode - 2013
    Despite its short-lived history (it closed in 1987), Area was the place where A-listers from disparate worlds went to see and be seen.Area was the brainchild of four guys from California, among them author Eric Goode, whose vision was to create an art project on a monumental scale: Every six weeks, they gutted the enormous space at 157 Hudson and transformed it with a different art theme. Their wildly creative invitations to the opening night of each new installation became the hottest tickets in town, coveted by writers and photographers who together chronicled the club’s legendary scene. Drawing from an incredibly rich archive of material, Eric and Jennifer Goode tell the behind-the-scenes story of the club and its people, creating an illustrated memoir of an exciting time and place in the annals of New York nightlife.

My Mother's Wars


Lillian Faderman - 2013
    The daughter delves into her mother’s past to tell the story of a Latvian girl who left her village for America with dreams of a life on the stage and encountered the realities of her new world: the battles she was forced to fight as a woman, an immigrant worker, and a Jew with family left behind in Hitler’s deadly path. The story begins in 1914: Mary, the girl who will become Lillian Faderman’s mother, just seventeen and swept up with vague ambitions to be a dancer, travels alone to America, where her half-sister in Brooklyn takes her in. She finds a job in the garment industry and a shop friend who teaches her the thrills of dance halls and the cheap amusements open to working-class girls. This dazzling life leaves Mary distracted and her half-sister and brother-in-law scandalized that she has become a “good-time gal.” They kick her out of their home, an event with consequences Mary will regret for the rest of her life. Eighteen years later, still barely scraping by as a garment worker and unmarried at thirty-five, Mary falls madly in love and has a torrid romance with a man who will never marry her, but who will father Lillian Faderman before he disappears from their lives. America is in the midst of the Depression, Hitler is coming to power in Europe, and New York’s garment workers are just beginning to unionize. Mary makes tentative steps to join, despite her lover’s angry opposition. As National Socialism engulfs Europe, Mary realizes she must find a way to get her family out of Latvia, and she spends frenetic months chasing vague promises and false rumors of hope. Pregnant again, after having submitted to two wrenching back-room abortions, and still unmarried, Mary faces both single motherhood and the devastating possibility of losing her entire Eastern European family. Drawing on family stories and documents, as well as her own tireless research, Lillian Faderman has reconstructed an engrossing and essential chapter in the history of women, of workers, of Jews, and of the Holocaust as immigrants experienced it from American shores.

What The Heart Can Hold


Charlotte Symonds - 2013
    It incorporates romance, passion, sex and drama with sprinkles of humor. Follow Marissa Molinari, a gregarious, hopeless romantic, 26 year old native New Yorker from a middle-class Catholic background through twenty two days of her life which change the course of her future. Marissa has given up on the idea of falling in love, so when it happens it is quite unexpected. She meets Hans, a charming captivating and strikingly handsome man. Marissa discovers that losing her innocence unleashes within her a powerful lust she never realized she possessed. Hans brings to her life a facet of love she had only dreamt possible, but with it a pain she doesn't know if she can endure. The story unfolds in each character's perspective giving a better insight into their personalities. This novel includes moments that will bring both a smile to your face and a tear to your eye.

Stealing Kisses


Harmony Evans - 2013
    Life coach Natalie Kenyon helps her famous clients achieve happiness and lasting intimacy in their personal lives. But pro-basketball all-star Derek Lansing isn't so easy to pin down. His rags-to-riches story takes hold of Natalie's heart and his first electric touch ignites an irresistible desire. It could be a lose-lose if she becomes the sexy player's next conquest.Derek is living every athlete's dream, surrounded by adoring fans and available women. But he still feels alone. Beneath his freewheeling playboy facade is a man yearning for redemption. As he struggles to get a slam dunk with the stunning, strong-willed Natalie, who is determined to reunite him with his family, he's forced to relinquish his guard and show her the real man behind the celebrity. As passion brings them closer together, Derek will do what it takes to score a win-win with the woman who's run off with his most valuable possession...his heart.

Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance


Carla Kaplan - 2013
    At the heart of this cultural explosion was Harlem, where everything was changing, including the influential denizens who helped define it. Among these were a little-known group of white women who for decades have been relegated to the shadows of history. In this groundbreaking cultural biography, esteemed scholar Carla Kaplan offers a captivating and full-blooded portrait of this band of independent-minded and spirited white women collectively referred to as "Miss Anne."Sexualized and sensationalized in the white press--often portrayed as monstrous or insane--Miss Anne was sometimes derided in black literature and among the Harlem community as well. While it was socially acceptable for white men to head uptown for "exotic" dancers and "hot" jazz, a white woman who embraced life on West 125th Street found herself ostracized. Miss Anne in Harlem introduces these women--many from New York's highest social echelons, many of them Jewish--who became patrons of, and romantic participants in, the Harlem Renaissance. In this superb blend of social history and biography, illustrated with black-and-white photos and two eight-page color inserts, Kaplan illuminates the myriad faces of Miss Anne, explores her motivations, and makes clear her often misunderstood choices. Returning Miss Anne to her rightful place in the interracial history of the Harlem Renaissance, Kaplan's formidable history remaps the landscape of the 1920s and alters our perception of this historical moment.

Liberty Hill


Sonja Heisinger - 2013
    But in New York City, two young Irish immigrants are fleeing something else. For Evelyn Brennan, an impending marriage she doesn’t want. For Lucius Flynn, the burden of a life in business and trade under his tyrannical father. Brash and adventurous, Lucius decides the only way to be free of his doomed future as a bored tradesman is to risk everything on the burgeoning and dangerous gold fields of California. However, that “everything” that he plans on risking is in fact the dowry of his headstrong bride, Evelyn. The truth that they were once childhood friends is something Evelyn sorely tries to forget as her new husband drags her along the quickest but deadliest path to the California gold rush: the Panama Route. Under the pretense of honeymooning in New Orleans, Lucius and Evelyn board a steamship bound for California, where they bear each other’s company with little grace and frequent bickering. Evelyn’s contempt for Lucius’ adventure is soothed, however, when she meets an Australian named Brock Donnigan. Sharp, handsome, and heartless, Brock sets out to seduce Evelyn just as Lucius finds himself falling in love with her. Through their adventures and misadventures over land and sea, the two men try to win Evelyn’s affections. But as they draw nearer to Panama City, where a mass migration of Argonauts lies in wait for transportation to California, a battle of wits and wills escalates into a war where all fortunes, dreams, and innocence may be lost; where lust demands blood, and love inspires sacrifice.From the black cliffs of Ireland to the streets of New York, from the Spanish fortress of Havana to the beaches of Panama, Liberty Hill is a sweeping historical romance that combines what we love most about the West- guns, saloons, horses, and handsome outlaws- with the tropic heat of Central America.The first young adult fiction in her Western Tide series, Sonja Heisinger molds a fresh and epic literary experience from an old world setting. Liberty Hill awakens the past with the exciting elements of drama, comedy, and action, with the additional zests of forbidden pleasure and unrequited love. This adventure book takes you on a wild journey that anyone looking for an exciting historical fiction will love!

88x50: A Memoir of Sexual Discovery, Modern Music and The United States of America


Adam Tendler - 2013
    It's an all-American road trip with a modern music twist, but behind the public facade is a musical Johnny Appleseed desperate to find himself and spiraling into a secret life that could lead just as easily from ultimate self-acceptance to ultimate self-destruction. In this pedal-to-the-metal literary debut, complete with a free online companion offering nearly 200 multimedia features, Adam Tendler takes readers for an unforgettable ride into the classical music odyssey that beat the odds, shaped an artist, and shook this nation one piano at a time.Adam Tendler thrives on challenge. A virtuoso pianist attracted to the most demanding scores, he performs them from memory. A freelance artist whose fearlessness and nerve has seen him through highwire performances (without a net) at Carnegie Hall, he has shown up in rinky-dink churches from Alabama to Alaska to play modernist American music for 50 small handfuls of ruffians and little old ladies who must have thought they were hearing something like the music of the end of the world as he made his way, usually on a catastrophic, ill-tuned piano, through a program that would challenge even big-city sophisticates and Europeans. Meanwhile he burst out of the closet and transformed himself from music student to world-class artist-and wrote a harrowing, moving, glowing book about it. "88x50" is one of the finest memoirs by any performing artist, and a powerful testament to the great American project of self-invention and mastery. Adam Tendler is an astonishing pianist and a brilliant writer, altogether in a class of his own.--Rick Whitaker, author of An Honest Ghost and Assuming the Position: A Memoir of Hustling

We LOVE New York: A Romance Anthology to Raise Funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief


Trinity Blacio - 2013
    And she wanted to do something for the city that has inspired so many love stories, and made so many people fall in love with her. She teamed up with Lori Perkins, the Publisher of Riverdale Avenue Books, and an award-wining anthologist, to create a way to give back and rebuild. In these pages you’ll find love stories to New York City by: O.M. Grey Louisa Bacio Adam Carpenter Tell James Glenn Trinity Blacio Karen Taylor Latisha Beaty F. L. Bicknell Tony Wards Nicky Penttila Joy Daniels Riverdale Avenue Books will be donating 10% of all revenues collected from the sale of this anthology to the Red Cross Hurricane sandy Relief Fund.

The Modern Art Invasion: Picasso, Duchamp, and the 1913 Armory Show That Scandalized America


Elizabeth Lunday - 2013
    history. Held at Manhattan’s 69th Regiment Armory in 1913, the show brought modernism to America in an unprecedented display of 1300 works by artists including Picasso, Matisse, and Duchamp, A quarter of a million Americans visited the show; most couldn’t make sense of what they were seeing. Newspaper critics questioned the artists’ sanity. A popular rumor held that the real creator of one abstract canvas was a donkey with its tail dipped in paint.The Armory Show went on to Boston and Chicago and its effects spread across the country. American artists embraced a new spirit of experimentation as conservative art institutions lost all influence. New modern art galleries opened to serve collectors interested in buying the most progressive works. Over time, the stage was set for American revolutionaries such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. Today, when museums of modern and contemporary art dot the nation and New York reigns as art capital of the universe, we live in a world created by the Armory Show.Elizabeth Lunday, author of the breakout hit Secret Lives of Great Artists, tells the story of the exhibition from the perspectives of organizers, contributors, viewers, and critics. Brimming with fascinating and surprising details, the book takes a fast-paced tour of life in America and Europe, peering into Gertrude Stein’s famous Paris salon, sitting in at the fabulous parties of New York socialites, and elbowing through the crowds at the Armory itself.

Corona


Bushra Rehman - 2013
    When a rebellious streak leads to her ex-communication, she decides to hit the road. Corona moves between Razia’s childhood and the comedic misadventures she encounters on her journey, from a Puritan Colony in Massachusetts to New York City’s Bhangra music scene. With each story, we learn more about the past she’s escaping, a past which leads her to constantly travel in a spiral, always coming closer to but never quite arriving home.

Building Seagram


Phyllis Lambert - 2013
    Considered one of the greatest icons of twentieth-century architecture, the building was commissioned by Samuel Bronfman, founder of the Canadian distillery dynasty Seagram. Bronfman’s daughter Phyllis Lambert was twenty-seven years old when she took over the search for an architect and chose Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969), a pioneering modern master of what he termed “skin and bones” architecture. Mies, who designed the elegant, deceptively simple thirty-eight-story tower along with Philip Johnson (1906–2005), emphasized the beauty of structure and fine materials, and set the building back from the avenue, creating an urban oasis with the building’s plaza. Through her choice, Lambert established her role as a leading architectural patron and singlehandedly changed the face of American urban architecture.Building Seagram is a comprehensive personal and scholarly history of a major building and its architectural, cultural, and urban legacies. Lambert makes use of previously unpublished personal archives, company correspondence, and photographs to tell an insider’s view of the debates, resolutions, and unknown dramas of the building’s construction, as well as its crucial role in the history of modern art and architectural culture.

Mania: The Story of the Outraged and Outrageous Lives That Launched a Cultural Revolution


Ronald K.L. Collins - 2013
    . . The madcap, savage world of the Beats is laid out in spades." —Publishers WeeklyBy the time Lucien Carr stabbed David Kammerer to death on the banks of the Hudson River in August 1944, it was clear that the hard-partying teenage companion to Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, and William S. Burroughs might need to reevaluate his life. A two-year stint in a reformatory straightened out the wayward youth but did little to curb the wild ways of his friends. Mania tells the story of this remarkable group—who strained against the conformity of postwar America, who experimented with drink, drugs, sex, jazz, and literature, and who yearned to be heard, to remake art and society in their own libertine image. What is more remarkable than the manic lives they led is that they succeeded—remaking their own generation and inspiring the ones that followed. From the breakthrough success of Kerouac's On the Road to the controversy of Ginsberg's Howl and Burroughs' Naked Lunch, the counterculture was about to go mainstream for the first time, and America would never be the same again.Based on more than eight years' writing and research, Ronald Collins and David Skover—authors of the highly acclaimed The Trials of Lenny Bruce—bring the stories of these artists, hipsters, hustlers, and maniacs to life in a dramatic, fast-paced, and often darkly comic narrative.

Bran New Death


Victoria Hamilton - 2013
    But when a dead body is found on her property, she’s more worried about cooking up an alibi… Merry is making a fresh start in small-town Autumn Vale, New York, in the mansion she’s inherited from her late uncle, Melvin. The house is run-down and someone has been digging giant holes on the grounds, but with its restaurant-quality kitchen, the place has potential for her new baking business. She even has her first client—the local retirement home. Unfortunately, Merry soon finds that quite a few townsfolk didn’t like Uncle Mel, and she has inherited their enmity as well as his home. Local baker Binny Turner and her crazy brother, Tom, blame Melvin for their father’s death, and Tom may be the one vandalizing her land. But when Tom turns up dead in one of the holes in her yard, Merry needs to prove she had nothing to do with his death—or her new muffin-making career may crumble before it starts...

The Nifi


Linda Fagioli-Katsiotas - 2013
    A few months before, back in a New York suburb, she had impulsively married a Greek immigrant while working with him at a local restaurant and had agreed to travel to his village for an undefined period of time. The village is located in the poorest area of Greece and the narrator is faced with acclimating to a countryside lifestyle, a lack of running water and paralyzing culture shock.Her husband's mother, Chevi, welcomes her and though they share no common language, Chevi is able to convey the heartache and betrayal of her life as she slowly emerges as a heroine, quietly fighting against a patriarchal society that dictates her every movement.This is a true story rich in the culture, traditions and triumphs of one small valley and the events that defined generations on both sides of the Atlantic.www.truestorythenifi.blogspot.com

Chelsea Market Cookbook: 100 Recipes from New York's Premier Indoor Food Hall


Michael Phillips - 2013
    New Yorkers, and tourists in the know, understand that the Market is one of the best places for culinary inspiration.

Ellis Angels: The Nurses of Ellis Island Hospital


Carole Lee Limata - 2013
    Ellis Island Hospital has been closed since 1954. When Superstorm Sandy bombards New York Harbor in 2012, Ellis Island is left battered and flooded. During an extensive clean-up, a file cabinet is discovered in the long-abandoned, vacant hospital building. It is found to contain the files of a former Senior Nursing Superintendent. Filled with documentation of nursing procedures, notes, schedules, and pages from her 1924 journal, the tender tale of Ellis Angels was inspired from these rescued files. Newly-arrived immigrants are facing enormous physical and emotional challenges. The Stanescu twins are separated from their parents, and admitted for favus scalp infections. Fabiana Morales, a beautiful young woman, comes to America to be married, but is rejected by her future husband because of her unsightly goiter. Mrs. Ryan, pregnant with her fifth child, is hospitalized for pregnancy complications. Mrs. Brunne and her newborn are facing deportation because of the newly established Quota Law, and a teenager delivers her premature infant on the floor of the Women’s Detention Dormitory.During her orientation, Miss Angie, a nurse recruit, learns the routines of the Hospital. She meets handsome Dr. Goodwin who is, unknowingly, searching for the nurse of his dreams. Miss Adeline, an experienced and spirited nurse, takes Angie under her wing. The Nursing Superintendent, Sister Gwendolyn, is keeping a watchful eye on her staff of Ellis Island Nurses. Together, through their creativity and united efforts, the nurses and doctors of Ellis Island Hospital discover ways to help their patients follow their dreams. In the process, they achieve their own American Dream, as well.

A Hard Act to Follow


Henry Bushkin - 2013
    The book gives genuine insight into the 'Carson behind Johnny' with candid personal vignettes about the two, during the rollicking years when Johnny was the undisputed king of television. This is an engaging, eye-opening, anecdote-packed story about a young lawyer and his client, one of the biggest celebrities in the country. This funny, unfiltered account gives readers a look at the Johnny Carson that none but a select few really knew.

Gilded New York: Design, Fashion, and Society


Jeannine Falino - 2013
    

Unknown Museums of Upstate New York: A Guide to 50 Treasures


Chuck D'Imperio - 2013
    DImperio tells each museums story, in light of its cultural and historical relevance, and he provides a wealth of information about the museums as places of interest to visit, not just to read about.

Growing Eden, Twenty-something and pregnant in New York City


Kate Fridkis - 2013
    This is a memoir about pregnancy, and about making the huge choices that sometimes result in growing up, or at least growing.

Radical Moves: Caribbean Migrants and the Politics of Race in the Jazz Age


Lara Putnam - 2013
    Radical Moves: Caribbean Migrants and the Politics of Race in the Jazz Age

The Other Man: 21 Writers Speak Candidly about Sex, Love, Infidelity, & Moving on


Paul Alan FaheyLewis DeSimone - 2013
    He’s a relationship gatecrasher bound by no rules and with no sense of fair play. Like Caesar, he comes, he sees, he conquers. On the flip side, you or I can be the other man, charging in and breaking the bonds of a committed relationship without a thought to the pain and misery inflicted upon the injured parties. Face it: We’re not all innocent bystanders in other-man scenarios.The Other Man is an artistic collaboration by and about gay men and their relationships. If you’ve ever been the other man, had him invade your life, or are just plain curious about this beguiling, unpredictable and dangerous creature, then this anthology of personal essays is for you. Twenty-one of our most acclaimed authors, many Lambda Award winners and finalists, write candidly about either being the other man, suffering the other man or having their relationships tested by infidelity. What they tell us is we must take heart, it does get better and one day our luck is bound to change. We’ll survive the bumps and detours in our relationships and weather the storms, or resolve to move on. Along the way, we’ll hope to meet someone new and simpatico, maybe even our long-awaited soul mate. Life will be good again. Or will it?Contributors include: Perry Brass, Austin Bunn, Rob Byrnes, Mark Canavera, R.W. Clinger, Lewis DeSimone, Paul Alan Fahey, Wes Hartley, William Henderson, Allen Mack, Jeff Mann, Tom Mendicino, Erik Orrantia, Felice Picano, David Pratt, Glen Retief, Jeffrey Ricker, Rodney Ross, Jason Schneiderman, Philip Dean Walker, and Chuck Willman. Edited by: Paul Alan Fahey.A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this anthology will go to the It Gets Better Project.

The Charm Bracelet - PREVIEW EDITION


Melissa Hill - 2013
    This preview edition includes the first 8 chapters of The Charm Bracelet.

Escape


Dee Davis - 2013
    But on the relationship front, the commitment-phobic Tracy is batting zero. That is until she meets FBI agent Seth Forester. Seth, an admitted adrenaline junkie, works on some of the FBI's most dangerous cases. And, quite frankly, he's always assumed that any woman in his life would come a distant second to his career. Until he met Tracy. But when Seth tries to take their relationship to the next level, Tracy refuses to even consider the idea, instead running for the sanctity of her lab.Angry at himself for falling in love, Seth is determined to drown his sorrows. But the more he thinks about it, the more convinced he is that they belong together. He heads for her lab, only to find blood on the floor. And so with the clock ticking, he must racing to save the only woman he's ever loved.Tracy Braxton is at the top of her game professionally, but on the relationship front, she’s batting zero. That is until she meets FBI agent Seth Forester. But when Seth proposes, she balks walking out of his arms and into the sights of a killer. And now with time running out, only Seth can save her.

Prospect Park: Olmsted and Vaux's Brooklyn Masterpiece


David P. Colley - 2013
    Brooklyn's 585-acre Prospect Park offers a rural refuge to thousands of visitors every day. Created nearly 150 years ago by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert B. Vaux, designers of New York's Central Park, the duo considered Prospect Park their true masterpiece. Prospect Park, the first monograph on this exquisite public space, makes it easy to see why. Presenting a wealth of archival and newly commissioned photography and insightful text, David P. Colley and Elizabeth Keegin Colley trace the park's colorful history from its creation in the mid-nineteenth century to its decline in the 1970s and restoration in the 1980s, up to the park's new Lakeside Center facility, scheduled to open in 2013.

The Many Loves of Mila


Inna Swinton - 2013
    Newly separated from her investment banker husband, she chain-smokes in her Jewish immigrant parents' backyard in a New Jersey suburb while she plots her return to the Manhattan social scene. Ignoring the advice of therapists and well-meaning married friends, Mila embarks heart-first on a dangerous dating binge with a cell phone in one hand and a mojito in the other. Teetering on the edge the whole time, with only an opinionated Mama to rein her in, Mila is on a whirlwind quest for love and stability in the urban jungle.

When Fishes Love Doves


M. Marmer Verhoeff - 2013
    At this heady time in American history, traditional values were undergoing a dramatic, major paradigm shift. The marriage of two cultures is difficult, and Adina Greenfeld struggles to find out if, hard as she tries, it will ever be possible to live in a different way than her deep-rooted, traditional culture. This lesson will strike a chord for readers from many backgrounds, although it vividly expresses the viewpoint of Judaic culture. When Fishes Love Doves follows Adina Greenfeld on her journey from Jewish orthodoxy to the outside world of suburban America. She meets Jack Sutton, a materialistic young man who is not Jewish. Despite their completely different backgrounds, an instant connection sparks. Adina's orthodox grandfather, Zayde, learns of the relationship and feels compelled to intervene. Zayde's lesson of fishes and doves falls on deaf ears as Jack and Adina fall in love. Zayde strives to prevent their suffering the consequences of their ill-fated romance. In a climactic moment, Adina faces a serious loss of two of the most important people in her life. Instead of forging ahead into uncharted waters, she makes the choice to return to her orthodox roots. Adina chooses to live with her grandmother, Bubbe, and eventually meets and falls in love with Isaac Steinman. In a well-matched marriage Adina is happy and content until Jack suddenly intrudes on Adina's marital bliss. He is gravely ill and determined to reconnect with Adina despite the fact that she is married. A grand twist of fate awaits Jack, Adina and the reader.

Tempted by His Wicked Kiss


Zoey Williams - 2013
    To pay for his life of crime, he must find a pure soul to take his place in the Underworld before the clock strikes midnight. Medium Charlotte Simms seems like the perfect target—all he has to do is kiss her. But one kiss leads to a sensual encounter unlike anything Jack ever experienced in life. And now he must choose between love—and eternal damnation….

Surviving Sandy: The Superstorm That Reshaped Our Lives


Ambient Funding - 2013
    Hurricanes are certainly not new to North America. We have agencies that model the seasonal expectations before the first tropical systems show up on the radar. There are satellites announcing the formation of each one, and tracking their courses from the coast of Africa to the islands of the Caribbean, and on to the coasts of the U.S. and Mexico. Our government has a fleet of aircraft designed to travel above and into these systems to provide the most accurate readings of what each storm is 'planning' to do. We have a host of computers - both at the NOAA's National Hurricane Center and elsewhere - measuring, tracking, modeling and forecasting: the best of man's capabilities doing the most possible to advise and protect. Why, then, such widespread devastation, over and over and over again?The fact is, every storm - like every snowflake - has a distinct design and pattern of its own: Sandy stands as perfect proof of this fact. As the book will tell you, there are five categories of hurricanes in the system developed in the 1970's - the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale - to measure the types of damage likely, based on the intensity of a storm (its barometric pressure, anticipated wind speeds, and potential storm surges along the coastlines). Categories 3 to 5 on the scale are considered "major" storms, with sustained winds over 110 miles per hour.But, Sandy defied the best predictions. While only a Category 1 hurricane - the lowest category to be considered a hurricane - it came with a mind of its own. Most storms traversing the east coast move in a northeasterly direction and finally wear themselves out over the North Atlantic. Not Sandy, - Sandy followed the northeasterly pattern until it passed the Carolinas, then turned northwest until it made landfall with a broadside to Atlantic City around 8pm on October 29, 2012. From there it meandered across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Western New York State, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and finally wore itself out, north of Toronto, in northern Ontario, - scattering wind, rain and snow (yes, - snow: up to three feet in some parts of West Virginia, on October 31, 2012, - just another unplanned side effect of Sandy).What "Surviving Sandy" will give the reader is incredible coverage - both in pictures and real life stories - of the breadth of unexpected factors that can arise, even in the face of the best laid plans. It describes, in depth, the awesome, grueling efforts of our first responders and our emergency management personnel, - using every available resource under their hands. But, it also includes many heart-warming stories of people helping people, - ordinary citizens putting their lives and their resources on the line: why? because of the innate feeling of compassion that springs up where helpless victims are crying for assistance.And, "Surviving Sandy" gives the reader more than that...Consider this: when you read the stories of survivors, put yourself in their shoes: if you and your town were confronted with what upended their lives, what should you think about now - beforehand - that might save lives and lessen losses? "Surviving Sandy" is a useful 'handbook' of experience for anyone - mayor, hospital administrator, EMS responder, firefighter, policeman, dad or mom, or anyone else - what plans should you make, now? We'll never stop hurricanes from coming, - or other disasters, either - but we can keep working together to develop and share tools, like "Surviving Sandy" to aid in disaster preparedness.

Hooligan's Alley: Inspired by the Compelling True Story of a Hell's Kitchen Immigrant


Joanna Kelly - 2013
    Her quest took her to New York's infamous Hell's Kitchen, an area of overcrowded slums, lumberyards, slaughterhouses, factories, and immigrants troubled by poverty and violence. There, seventeen-year-old Wilhelmina started a seamstress business and kept cows on a vacant city lot.Wilhelmina was, above all things, a passionate social reformer. She encountered American society first during the Civil War, a time of great social unrest. Her involvement with the Colored Orphan Asylum put her in the center of the New York City Draft Riots, the largest uprising in the history of the United States.Wilhelmina's story inspired Kelly, who fleshed out the few hard facts she could find with a lovingly researched fictional visit to a long-lost time and place in America's history."Joanna Kelly...draws special strength from her Quaker faith as well as her insatiable thirst for history in writing her first novel, "Hooligan's Alley." She is a gifted writer who explores her love of music, wildflowers, and passion for family in weaving this remarkable series of adventures that will set your heart to racing, while stretching your own recollections and imagination. "Hooligan's Alley" is a must-read for New Yorkers and history lovers, and everyone who cares about origins and family."-E. Barrie Kavasch best-selling author of "The Medicine Wheel Garden"

Eggplant Alley


D.M. Cataneo - 2013
    Long-haired hippies, racial tension, and the divisive Viet Nam war leave Nicky longing for the good old days. Nicky's complaints and remembrances revolve around the five things that ruined his childhood: the nosebleed he received from President Kennedy; the Great Northeast Blackout (which he thought he caused); the end of neighborhood stickball games; the departure to Viet Nam of his beloved big brother, Roy; and Roy's hippie girlfriend, Margalo. With Roy overseas for a year, Nicky is left behind with two distracted, worried parents. And for him, enough is enough. He decides to do something about the endless downward spiral of events. He decides to lead a crusade to revive neighborhood stickball, which he is sure will spark a return to all that was innocent and beautiful about the good old days. In the course of his year-long quest, Nicky confronts an ancient fortune-teller from the second floor; Willie Mays; his father's deep, dark secret from World War II; neighborhood bullies; and a huge romantic crush on Margalo. Most important is his encounter with Lester Allnuts, a new kid in the building who gives Nicky a fresh outlook on Eggplant Alley, and eventually on life in general. Lester is a country boy with a deep secret, and that secret makes him as eager as Nicky to revive stickball and rejuvenate Eggplant Alley. Working together toward the same goal - for entirely different reasons --- the boys develop a strong friendship. Before the year without Roy is over, Nicky learns Lester's secret --- and realizes the destructiveness of prejudice and fear, and the value of empathy and forgiveness. And he ultimately learns there is something far richer than the good old days: real hope for a better future. D.M.Cataneo is a native New Yorker and a magna cum laude graduate of Boston University's School of Public Communication who worked for 22 years for the Boston Globe and Boston Herald as a reporter, columnist, and editor. He is the author of six non-fiction books. He is currently teaching at the University of New Hampshire and lives in Durham, NH, with his family.

Cha-Ching!


Ali Liebegott - 2013
    Her adventures in getting over take her from SF to NYC, from dyke bars to telemarketing outfits, casinos to free clinics. With the signature poet's voice that has won her awards and acclaim, Liebegott investigates the conjoined hearts of hope and addiction in an unforgettable story of what it means to be young and broke in America.Praise for Cha-Ching!"Cha-Ching! is a rush - the clatter of youth on the angry move, the rattling of dreamy gambles in crappy apartments, the desperate crash of falling for someone despite the million reasons why and the bang! bang! bang! of our tender hearts."—Daniel Handler, author of Why We Broke Up"Cha-Ching! is so raw with need that I found myself itching that addict's itch to chase the seemingly impossible."—Karolina Waclawiak, deputy editor of The Believer and author of How to Get Into the Twin Palms"An open-hearted, deeply romantic story about a fucked-up dyke, her pit bull, her search for love, her tenuous grasp on hope, a pretty girl and the literal spin of the wheel."—Sarah Schulman, author of The Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination"In the game of American-life-on-the-go hopscotch, Ali Liebegott's heroine Theo just jumped a square ahead of Dean Moriarty. . . . The author's fine writing about gambling is as good as I ever read, including Dostoevski's and the Barthelme Bros. In the end, love, in whatever twisted, pallid form, a love that has little to do with sexuality, is the only answer. . . .Wonderful book."—Andrei Codrescu, author of So Recently Rent a World: New and Selected Poems

In the Night Sky


Linda Zimmermann - 2013
    Teaming with Big Guy Media, a documentary following Zimmermann's research has also been produced. This compelling book and feature-length documentary examine how these experiences have impacted generations of eyewitnesses and influenced local communities.In the Night Sky contains interviews with witnesses, skeptics, and believers. Zimmermann visited many actual Hudson Valley UFO hotspots, attended a festival devoted to the ET phenomenon, hiked to mysterious stone structures that may be focal points of activity, and even took to the sky in an ultralight aircraft to test the “official” explanation for many of the sightings.In the Night Sky presents a fresh and intriguing view of startling encounters that have left lasting impressions on many residents of the Hudson Valley.

Escape from New York: The New Negro Renaissance beyond Harlem


Davarian L. Baldwin - 2013
    What is less known is how far afield of Harlem that renaissance flourished—how much the New Negro movement was actually just one part of a collective explosion of political protest, cultural expression, and intellectual debate all over the world.In this volume, the Harlem Renaissance “escapes from New York” into its proper global context. These essays recover the broader New Negro experience as social movements, popular cultures, and public behavior spanned the globe from New York to New Orleans, from Paris to the Philippines and beyond. Escape from New York does not so much map the many sites of this early twentieth-century Black internationalism as it draws attention to how New Negroes and their global allies already lived. Resituating the Harlem Renaissance, the book stresses the need for scholarship to catch up with the historical reality of the New Negro experience. This more comprehensive vision serves as a lens through which to better understand capitalist developments, imperial expansions, and the formation of brave new worlds in the early twentieth century.Contributors: Anastasia Curwood, Vanderbilt U; Frank A. Guridy, U of Texas at Austin; Claudrena Harold, U of Virginia; Jeannette Eileen Jones, U of Nebraska–Lincoln; Andrew W. Kahrl, Marquette U; Shannon King, College of Wooster; Charlie Lester; Thabiti Lewis, Washington State U, Vancouver; Treva Lindsey, U of Missouri–Columbia; David Luis-Brown, Claremont Graduate U; Emily Lutenski, Saint Louis U; Mark Anthony Neal, Duke U; Yuichiro Onishi, U of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Theresa Runstedtler, U at Buffalo (SUNY); T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting, Vanderbilt U; Michelle Stephens, Rutgers U, New Brunswick; Jennifer M. Wilks, U of Texas at Austin; Chad Williams, Brandeis U.

Birds and Blooms of the 50 States


Anna Branning - 2013
    Each state's emblematic flora and fauna are paired in winsome vintage-inspired compositions and accompanied by fascinating facts about the states, the plant and animal species, and how they came to symbolize their regions. From the quail and poppy of California to the bluebird and rose of New York, every page of this volume offers a visual treat filled with charm and nostalgia. An exquisite tribute to a sweet tradition, Birds & Blooms of the 50 States is perfect for Mother's Day gifting and year-round good cheer.

Gordon Li Li: Words for Everyday - 2nd Edition


Michele Wong McSween - 2013
    Gordon lives in Brooklyn, New York and speaks English. Li Li is from Beijing, China and speaks Mandarin. When Li Li visits Gordon for the first time, the cousins must learn to communicate using simple everyday words. Kids read along with Gordon and Li Li, learning basic words and their correct pronunciation. Each page spotlights a single word in English and pinyin along with the Chinese character and the phonetic pronunciation to speak the word in Mandarin.The durable board book features fun, colorful original illustrations. Words for Everyday is the perfect first-step in getting kids excited to open the door to learning a second language – and future language success.

The Scarpetta Cookbook: 175 Recipes from the Acclaimed Restaurant


Scott Conant - 2013
    He and his restaurants have been cited on such lists as Esquire’s "Best New Restaurants in America." The subject of this cookbook, Scarpetta, received a three-star review from the New York Times and there are locations in Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Toronto, all opened in just the past few years. This gorgeous book includes 125 of the restaurant’s signature dishes – Creamy Polenta with Fricassee of Truffled Mushrooms, Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil, Fennel-Dusted Black Cod – written with the goal of teaching readers to master techniques so they learn to really cook, rather than merely follow recipe steps without any thought of the hows and whys behind the method. The recipes and photography reflect the Milan-meets-Tuscany style of Scarpetta, interspersed with sidebars about everything from ingredient shopping to tips on entertaining at home.

Fordham University & the United States: A History


Debra J. Caruso Marrone - 2013
    Founded as St. John's College in 1841 by New York Archbishop John Hughes, the university began as a vehicle to educate young men and deliver Catholics to the upper class. Caruso Marrone, a Fordham graduate and member of the alumni association's Board of Directors, documents the life of the university, intertwining university events and the students and faculty members who made their mark on the nation. She writes about national figures who impacted the institution, once a stomping ground for U.S. presidents, war heroes and leaders in all fields. The book contains the story of Fordham's rebirth, alongside that of the Bronx, under its three most recent presidents. The book, a fundraiser for Fordham students via the Fordham College Alumni Association, will also be of interest to those with ties to the Bronx.

Mud Castles


Mel Ostrov - 2013
    Most of the story occurs in 1940s Brighton Beach and Coney Island, where the boardwalk and beach play significant roles. It revolves around a boy born with a facial disfigurement, resulting in exceeding self-awareness and angst. Over the years a family tragedy adds to his tribulations, followed by even more devastating consequences during adolescence when a mysterious girl enters the scene.In addition to the psychological aspect, the book deals with immigrants, religious conflict, racism, disastrous meddling with good intentions and sometimes, just ill fate.

Finding Verity


Faith Friese Nelson - 2013
    But once I set foot under the city, my childlike fantasies were replaced with something else, a kind of fearful exhilaration, addictive in a way, but frightful, too. A warning."I had no idea what lurked in the shadows. Even though my eyes had adjusted to the dark, it was difficult to differentiate between shadows, some being pitch black, others dark gray. I tried to convince myself that the tunnel was no worse than the city at night, but I knew that was not true."Fin knows the tunnels are no place for teens, so he escorts Puck to Child Services. An escape from an abusive foster family, leads Puck to an unlikely adoption and early success as a novelist.Ten years later, on a visit to Central Park, Puck rescues an elderly woman from a brutal attack. A friendship develops, and Puck reveals his troubled past and his longing to reconnect with Fin. One day, Puck returns to the tunnels in search of his friend."I lowered myself into the underground's netherworld. I was back! I had returned to the underbelly of the biggest city in the world, submerging myself into a world of darkness where evil flourished, where most people would never go. A place where staying too long could prove detrimental."As I walked deeper into the tunnel, I realized my life had always been about survival. I laughed at my epiphany. Life was survival! Such a simple concept."At thirteen, I had been forced to became an adult. Too soon. I'd been forced to survive by myself. Alone."Verity means truth. Follow Puck as he discovers the meanings of love, life, family, and friendship.

The Art of Being Rebekkah


Karoline Barrett - 2013
    Convinced he’s all wrong for her—he’s not Jewish for one thing—Rebekkah struggles with love, faith, family, and a surprise pregnancy.

The Last Sewer Ball


Steven Schindler - 2013
    But now Vinny is on a quest to track down Whitey after decades apart to find out what really happened to their friendship. Could family tragedies, a war, and perhaps even murder, break a bond that was forged long before eighth grade graduation? Secrets that have been simmering since childhood bubble to the surface and eventually explode, when past and present collide with not-so-instant karma.

Frommer's day by day Guide to New York City


Brian Silverman - 2013
    With full-color throughout with hundreds of evocative photos, this invaluable guide offers reviews on a wide array of sightseeing, lodging, shopping, dining and entertainment options in all price ranges, and also includes thematic and walking tours of the city's best-loved neighborhoods with Frommer's trademark candid and accessible expertise.

Central Park NYC: An Architectural View


Bernd H. Dams - 2013
    Frederick Law Olmsted’s Central Park is famed for its naturalistic design and the beauty and diversity of its landscape features. The rich body of sculpture and architecture in this National Historic Landmark is a cherished element of the city’s cultural heritage and includes pavilions, memorials, and monuments, sculptures, bridges, and arches, gates and rustic shelters, gardens, lakes, and meers, and even a 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk. Most remain as originally designed, but some have been altered, a few demolished, and fewer still never realized. Here, after years of meticulous research, shown in contemporary and archival photographs as well as maps of the park, the most beautiful and beloved structures from the park’s 160-year history have been chosen by the authors and depicted as originally designed in ravishing watercolors of exquisite detail. As Hubert de Givenchy noted in his preface to the authors’ previous book, Chinoiseries, and which is equally applicable here with regard to the authors’ watercolors, "These precious documents retrace an époque when taste, extravagance, and sense of fantasy were an essential part of the way in which parks and gardens were embellished, by perfectly inscribing them in nature, then furnishing them with dreams."

The Bridge


Rebecca Rogers Maher - 2013
    Despite his paralyzing depression—and her panic over a second bout of cancer—they can’t go through with their plans knowing that the other is going to die. So they make a pact—they’ll stay alive for 24 hours, and try to convince each other to live.From the Staten Island Ferry to Chinatown to the Museum of Modern Art—Henry and Christa embark on a New York City odyssey that exposes the darkest moments of their lives. Is it too late for them? Or will love give them the courage to face the terrifying possibility of hope?