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Natural beauty : a novel / by Huang, Ling Ling,1989-author.;
"In this sly, surprising, and razor-sharp debut novel, a virtuoso pianist gives up her future as a musician to work at a high-end wellness store in New York City where the pursuit of beauty comes at a staggering cost. Our narrator is the youngest student at the Conservatory. She produces a sound from the piano no one else does, employing a special technique she learned from her parents--also stunningly talented musicians--who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future as a pianist and accepts a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City. Holistik is known for its remarkable products and outrageous procedures: remoras that suck cheap Botox from the body, eyelash extensions made of spider silk, emotional support ducklings bred to imprint on their owners. Every product is ethically sourced and made with nothing but the highest quality ingredients. Our narrator's new job is a coveted one among New York's beauty-obsessed, and it affords her entry into a new world of privilege. She becomes transfixed by Helen--a model, and the niece of Holistik's charismatic owner--and the two strike up a close friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, Holistik plies our narrator with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, lighten her hair, and change her eye color. But beneath these fancy creams and tinctures lies a terrible truth that threatens to consume her. After all, beauty is nothing without ugliness. NATURAL BEAUTY is a piercing, terrifying, and darkly funny debut that eviscerates the beauty and wellness industry, exploring questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identity. This propulsive novel takes a world that feels familiar and pushes it to a conclusion that at first might seem jarring, but when we inch closer, settles on us as truth"--
Subjects: Black humor.; Satirical literature.; Novels.; Beauty, Personal; Chinese Americans; Women pianists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Endling : a novel / by Reva, Maria,author.;
"In the absurdist literary tradition of George Saunders comes the debut novel of a writer who is "bang-on brilliant" (Miriam Toews) and "bright, funny, satirical, relevant" (Margaret Atwood), chronicling the exploits of three Ukrainian women and one very endangered snail through the travails of foreign invasion, unlikely romance, capitalist exploitation, and nail-biting survival. Ukraine, 2022. Nastia and her sister, Solimaya, are entangled in the booming bridal industry, getting paid to entertain Western men who've come to Ukraine on "Romance Tours" to find their dream woman. Yeva is a loner and a maverick scientist who's tried, and failed, to breed specimens from the region's dwindling snail population in her mobile lab. Nastia's obsession with finding her absent mother--a flamboyant protester who disappeared after years of public opposition to the romance tours--leads her to embark on the journey of a lifetime across hundreds of miles along with three angry women, a truckful of kidnapped bachelors, and Lefty, a rare snail with one last shot at perpetuating his species. This journey, and these dreams, come to a screeching halt as Russia invades. In a stunningly ambitious and achingly raw metafictional spiral, Endling brilliantly balances the comedic stakes set in motion by the plot while drawing on Reva's personal experiences as a Ukrainian expat, forced to witness the hostilities from afar while tracking her family's delicate dance of survival behind enemy lines. As fiction and real life combine on the page, Reva probes the hard truths of war: What is it like to leave behind one's home and possessions? Conversely, what is it like to stay and continue with the mundanities of life and work under military occupation? For those of us witnessing from overseas: how does our sense of reality change? Can normalcy and security be restored, or have they always been an illusion? Endling is a tour de force from an author on the cutting edge of fiction, telling a story of love, loss, humour, and devastation that only she could tell."--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Satirical fiction.; Novels.; Mail order brides; Russian Invasion of Ukraine, 2022; Sisters; Women biologists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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My sister, the serial killer : a novel / by Braithwaite, Oyinkan,author.;
"Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends. "Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer." Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede's practicality is the sisters' saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her "missing" boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit. A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realize they're perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it. Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite has written a deliciously deadly debut that's as fun as it is frightening"--
Subjects: Black humor.; Satirical literature.; Sisters; Serial murderers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Emma [videorecording] / by motion picture adaptation of (work):Austen, Jane,1775-1817.Emma.; Flynn, Johnny,actor.; Goth, Mia,1993-actor.; Hart, Miranda,1972-actor.; Nighy, Bill,1949-actor.; O'Connor, Josh,actor.; Reynolds, Tanya,actor.; Taylor-Joy, Anya,1996-actor.; Whelan, Gemma,1981-actor.; Wilde, Autumn de,film director.; Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (Firm),film distributor.;
Anya Taylor-Joy, Josh O'Connor, Tanya Reynolds, Gemma Whelan, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Johnny Flynn, Miranda Hart.Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town, In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along.Canadian Home Video Rating: PG.MPAA rating: PG.DVD ; widescreen presentation ; Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 DVS.
Subjects: Comedy films.; Feature films.; Video recordings for the hearing impaired.; Video recordings for people with visual disabilities.; Woodhouse, Emma (Fictitious character); Man-woman relationships; Social classes;
For private home use only.
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Cold : a novel / by Taylor, Drew Hayden,1962-author.;
"A tragic plane crash that leaves two women stranded and fighting for their lives kicks off this sweeping and hilarious novel from award-winning writer Drew Hayden Taylor that blends thriller, murder mystery, and horror with humour and spectacle. Elmore Trent is a professor of Indigenous studies who finds himself entangled in an affair that's ruining his marriage; Paul North plays in the IHL (Indigenous Hockey League), struggling to keep up with the game that's passing him by; Detective Ruby Birch is chasing a string of gruesome murders, with clues that conspicuously lead her to both Elmore and Paul. And then there's Fabiola Halan, former journalist-turned-author and famed survivor of a plane crash that sparked a nationwide tour promoting her book. What starts off as a series of subtle connections between isolated characters quickly takes a menacing turn, as it becomes increasingly clear that someone--or something--is hunting them all. Taking tropes from murder mystery, police procedural, thriller, and horror, Drew Hayden Taylor weaves a pulse-pounding and propulsive narrative with an intricate cast of characters, while never losing the ability to make you laugh. Cold takes Indigenous myth and folklore and thrusts it into the modern streets of Toronto, exploring themes of displacement and trauma, as well as offering playful satirical critiques of the current landscape of Indigenous literature."--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Novels.; Indigenous peoples;
Available copies: 4 / Total copies: 4
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Kill the mall / by Malla, Pasha,1978-author.;
"What has the mall ever done to you? Welcomed you with open arms, ie. doors. Showered you with pleasure. At worst confetti. Perhaps it offered you shelter, or a place to love, or a place to dream--all at affordable rates." After writing a letter in praise of "the mall," our eccentric narrator is offered a "residency" at a shabby local shopping centre. His mission: to occupy an abandoned storefront for twelve weeks, during which he must split his time between "making work" and "engaging with the public," all the while chronicling his efforts in weekly progress reports. He quickly becomes part of mall society--bonding with the mall's kindly caretaker, the band of greasy teens working in the derelict food court and the occasional elderly or otherwise transient mall patrons, most of whom treat its hallowed halls as little more than a thoroughfare. But soon a series of disturbing anomalies during the mall's after hours, including the disappearance of our narrator's closest new mall-friend--a bright-eyed, ponytailed, blue-jeans salesclerk named Dennis--sets our hero on a quixotic quest to untangle the mystery, only to discover an invisible evil lurking deep within the bowels of the mall. Before long things get hairy, and our narrator's optimism over his mall residency descends into a phantasmagoria of horror and (possibly) murder. With the aid of the caretaker and a wise pony (named, of course, Gary) who roams the halls, it dawns on our narrator that the mall may not in fact be a utopian hub of consumer bliss, but something more sinister. And who is pulling the strings in the mall's unmapped subterranean world? Pasha Malla's creative genius shines in this madcap satiric horror-fantasy--a deceptively cutting critique of capitalism as embodied in one of our saddest capitalist inventions: the fading local mall."-- Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Satirical literature.; Shopping malls;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Veep. [videorecording] / by Chlumsky, Anna,actor.; Hale, Tony,actor.; Iannucci, Armando,1963-actor.; Louis-Dreyfus, Julia,actor.; Walsh, Matt,1964-actor.; HBO Entertainment (Firm),presenter.; HBO Home Entertainment (Firm),publisher.; Warner Home Video (Firm),film distributor.;
Disc 1. Joint session -- East wing -- Data -- Tehran -- Convention.Disc 2. Storms and pancakes -- Mommy Meyer -- B/ill -- Testimony -- Election night.Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Sufe Bradshaw.Following the whirlwind day-to-day existence of the onetime VP and now-President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus in her four-time Emmy-winning role) Veep, the 2015 Emmy Winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, created by Oscar nominee Armando Iannucci, takes a sharp satirical look at the insular world of Washington politics. While Selina has ascended to the highest office in the land, she must still run for election, and over the course of this season's 10 episodes, Selina and her staff grapple with how to make her seem 'presidential', while also deciding who will make the best running mate.Canadian Home Video Rating: 14A.DVD, widescreen (16:9) presentation ; Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 sound.
Subjects: Man-woman relationships; Television comedies.; Vice-presidents; Video recordings for the hearing impaired.; Women politicians;
For private home use only.
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Next To Heaven A Novel [electronic resource] : by Frey, James.aut; CloudLibrary;
"NSFW Gatsby." —Book of the Month "A sizzling beach read about the misdeeds of the rich." —Wall Street Journal "The novel on every beach towel this summer, all summer, everywhere." —Esquire Uncover the dark underbelly of the American dream America’s most perfect town, in this “lurid” and “propulsive” novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Frey (New York Times Book Review Podcast)–and discover a world where privilege, sex, scandal, and murder lurk beneath a flawless veneer. New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Picture-perfect lawns, manicured hedges, and multi-million dollar homes present a carefully curated facade. But beneath the designer yoga gear and country club memberships lies a darker reality. In this world of excess, best friends Devon and Belle have it all—beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party—a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem’s elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street “closer” who wields his wealth like a weapon. One night. An ultra-elite swingers party. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem’s carefully constructed facade. Enter a world of troubled opulence and sharp betrayal that’s reminiscent of "The White Lotus," “Your Friends and Neighbors,” and "Big Little Lies"—a world of spectacularly badly-behaved rich people where money can buy anything. . .until it ruins everything. Behind every great fortune, lies a great crime. " —Honoré de Balzac "A Connecticut sex romp–cum–murder mystery . . . 'big nods' to Jackie Collins, Danielle Steel, and Tom Wolfe." —Vanity Fair “A satirical look at the "beautiful, wealthy and unsatisfied.'” —People Magazine "Lurid . . . Propulsive. . . appeals to one's baser instincts." —New York Times Book Review Podcast "A deliriously over-the-top portrait of decadence on the brink." —Bustle
Subjects: Electronic books.; Literary; Family Life; Crime;
© 2025., Authors Equity,
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Banned books : the world's most controversial books, past and present. by DK Publishing, Inc.,publisher.;
"Explores why some of the world's ... literary classics and seminal non-fiction titles were once deemed too controversial for the public to read--whether for challenging racial or sexual norms, satirizing public figures, or simply being deemed unfit for young readers. From the banning of All Quiet on the Western Front and the repeated suppression of On the Origin of Species, to the uproar provoked by Lady Chatterley's Lover, entries offer a ... chronological account of censorship, and the ... role that some banned books have played in changing history"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Books and reading; Censorship; Prohibited books.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Hitting a straight lick with a crooked stick : stories from the Harlem Renaissance / by Hurston, Zora Neale,author.; West, Genevieve,editor,writer of introduction.; Jones, Tayari,writer of foreword.; Hurston, Zora Neale.John Redding goes to sea.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Conversion of Sam.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Bit of our Harlem.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Drenched in light.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Spunk.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Magnolia flower.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Black death.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Bone of contention.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Muttsy.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Sweat.; Hurston, Zora Neale.Short stories.Selections.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-250).In 1925, Barnard student Zora Neale Hurston-- the sole black student at the college-- was living in New York, "desperately striving for a toe-hold on the world." During this period, she began writing short works that captured the zeitgeist of African American life and transformed her into one of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Nearly a century later, this singular talent is recognized as one of the most influential and revered American artists of the modern period. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is an outstanding collection of stories about love and migration, gender and class, racism and sexism that proudly reflect African American folk culture. Brought together for the first time in one volume, they include eight of Hurston's "lost" Harlem stories, which were found in forgotten periodicals and archives. These stories challenge conceptions of Hurston as an author of rural fiction and include gems that flash with her biting, satiric humor, as well as more serious tales reflective of the cultural currents of Hurston's world. All are timeless classics that enrich our understanding and appreciation of this exceptional writer's voice and her contributions to America's literary traditions.
Subjects: Short stories.; African Americans;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Results 101 to 110 of 115 | « previous |