North is the Night

by Emily Rath


This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "In the Finnish wilderness, more than wolves roam the dark forests. For Siiri and Aina, summer's fading light is a harbinger of unwelcome change. Land-hungry Swedes venture north, threatening the peace; a zealous Christian priest denounces the old ways; and young women have begun to disappear. Siiri vows to protect Aina from danger. But even Siiri cannot stop a death goddess from dragging her friend to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Determined to save Aina, Siiri braves a dangerous journey north to seek the greatest shaman of legend, the only person to venture to the realm of death and return alive. In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina's every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her capture: the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must bargain her heart--as Siiri plots a daring rescue of the woman she loves the most." --Provided by publisher.

 

Tuonela #1

North by Northeast: Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts

by Kathleen Mundell

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "For generations, Native American traditional artists in the Northeast have passed on their culture through beadwork, basketry, canoe making, wood carving, and quilting. Through the work and words of over thirty-five traditional artists living and working primarily in Maine and New York, North by Northeast explores these artists' connection to place, tradition, and cultural identity. A tribute to the resourcefulness and creativity of contemporary practicing artists from the Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora tribes, the book is beautifully illustrated with the work of photographers Cedric Chatterley, Peggy McKenna, Jere DeWaters, and Peter Dembski. Essays by Salli Benedict, Sue Ellen Herne, Jennifer Neptune, Theresa Secord and Lynne Williamson." -Amazon

 

 

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel."

 

 

 

 

Search for the Golden Moon Bear: Science and Adventure in Southeast Asia

by Sy Montgomery

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "In recounting this eco-odyssey through Southeast Asia, Sy Montgomery combines a poet's keen eye for observation with the intrepid spirit of a Victorian-era explorer. She travels through Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand with an affable biology professor and an array of local officials, guides, and interpreters, joining a search for "what could be the first new bear species to be reported in over a century." Sightings and rumors from isolated border regions had spoken of a blond bear, which might represent an addition to the planet's eight known species -- or an exotic variation on a more familiar theme. Braving rickety airplanes, army ants, and mystery illnesses, Montgomery journeys through a region of tremendous beauty that is under severe strain from human activities. Disquisitions on the mythical manifestations of bears; the disturbing surge in international wildlife trafficking; and the customs of Thai hill tribes add flavor and context to the story. And while Montgomery is disturbed by certain practices -- like the amputation of bear paws for the cookpot -- she tries to place them within the context of differing cultural beliefs. Her wise, witty, and humane account is equally concerned with people, and their responses to the landscapes and creatures around them. And while there are plenty of books about searching for vanishing or unknown species in the world's last wild places, the quality of Montgomery's writing sets this one apart."  -Goodreads

South of Broad: A Novel

by Pat Conroy

 

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "Leopold Bloom King, the narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. His mother, an ex-nun, is the high school principal and a well-known Joyce scholar. After Leo's older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death. Eventually he becomes part of a tightly knit group of high school seniors that includes friends Sheba and Trevor Poe, glamorous twins with an alcoholic mother and a prison-escapee father; hardscrabble mountain runaways Niles and Starla Whitehead; socialite Molly Huger and her boyfriend, Chadworth Rutledge X; and an ever-widening circle whose liaisons will ripple across two decades-from 1960s counterculture through the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s."

 

 

The Crossing: El Paso, The Southwest, and America's Forgotten Origin Story

by Richard Parker

 

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "A radical work of history that re-centers the American story around El Paso, Texas, gateway between north and south, center of indigenous power and resistance, locus of European colonization of North America, centuries-long hub of immigration, and underappreciated modern blueprint for a changing United States." -- From publisher description.

 

 

 

 

Passage West: A Novel

by Rishi Reddi

 

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "1914. Ram Singh arrives in the Imperial Valley on the Mexican border, reluctantly accepting his friend Karak's offer of work and partnership in a small cantaloupe farm. Fleeing violence in Oregon, Ram desperately longs to return to his wife and newborn son in Punjab, but is duty bound to make his fortune first. Along with Ram and Karak are Jivan and his wife, Kishen; and Amarjeet, a U.S. soldier, though the Valley is full of settlers hailing from other cities and different continents. . They struggle to farm in the unforgiving desert: just one bad harvest or stolen crop could destabilize a family. And as anti- immigrant sentiment rises among white residents, tensions finally boil over." -- Adapted From Jacket

 

 

Cascadia Revealed: A Guide to the Plants, Animals & Geology of the Pacific Northwest Mountains

by Daniel Matthews

 

This is a book cover image that links to the library's catalog page for this title "More than just a field guide, Cascadia Revealed is the essential trailside reference for naturalists, hikers, and campers. With engaging prose and precise science, Dan Mathews brings the mountains alive with stories of their formation and profiles of the plants, animals, and people that live there. This is the perfect overview to help you discover the wonders of the region. Covers the Coast and Cascade Ranges, the Olympic Mountains, the Ranges of Vancouver Island, and the Coast Mountains of southwestern British Columbia. Describes more than 950 species of plants and animals. User-friendly, color-coded layout, with helpful keys for easy identification."