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Her Majesty's Royal Coven / by Dawson, Juno,author.;
"If you look hard enough at old photographs, we're there in the background: healers in the trenches; Suffragettes; Bletchley Park oracles; land girls and resistance fighters. Why is it we help in times of crisis? We have a gift. We are stronger than Mundanes, plain and simple. At the dawn of their adolescence, on the eve of the summer solstice, four young girls -- Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle -- took the oath to join Her Majesty's Royal Coven, established by Queen Elizabeth I as a covert government department. Now, decades later, the witch community is still reeling from a civil war and Helena is now the reigning High Priestess of the organization. Yet Helena is the only one of her friend group still enmeshed in the stale bureaucracy of HMRC. Elle is tryingto pretend she's a normal housewife, and Niamh has become a country vet, using her powers to heal sick animals. In what Helena perceives as the deepest betrayal, Leonie has defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora. Andnow Helena has a bigger problem. A young warlock of extraordinary capabilities has been captured by authorities and seems to threaten the very existence of HMRC. With conflicting beliefs over the best course of action, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie: with preserving tradition, or doing what is right. Juno Dawson explores gender and the corrupting nature of power in a delightful and provocative story of magic and matriarchy, friendship and feminism. Dealing with all the aspects of contemporary womanhood, as well as being phenomenally powerful witches, Niamh, Helena, Leonie and Elle may have grown apart but they will always be bound by the sisterhood of the coven"--
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Novels.; Gender identity; Magic; Secret societies; Witches;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Paper trails : from the backwoods to the front page : a life in stories / by MacGregor, Roy,1948-author.;
"One of Canada's greatest journalists shares a half century of the stories behind the stories. From his vantage point harnessed to a tree overlooking the town of Huntsville (he tended to wander), a very young Roy MacGregor got in the habit of watching people--what they did, who they talked to, where they went. He has been getting to know his fellow Canadians and telling us all about them ever since. From his early days in the pages of Maclean's, to stints at the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, National Post and most famously from his perch on page two of the Globe and Mail, MacGregor was one of the country's must-read journalists. While news media were leaning increasingly right or left, he always leaned north, his curiosity trained by the deep woods and cold lakes of Algonquin Park to share stories from Canada's farthest reaches, even as he worked in the newsrooms of its southern capitols. From Parliament to the backyard rink, subarctic shores to prairie expanses, MacGregor shaped the way Canadians saw and thought about themselves--never entirely untethered from the land and its history. When MacGregor was still a young editor at Maclean's, the 21-year-old chief of the Waskaganish (aka Rupert's House) Crees, Billy Diamond, found in Roy a willing listener as the chief was appealing desperately to newsrooms across Ottawa, trying to bring attention to the tainted-water emergency in his community. Where other journalists had shrugged off Diamond's appeals, MacGregor got on a tiny plane into northern Quebec. From there began a long friendship that would one day lead MacGregor to a Winnipeg secret location with Elijah Harper and his advisors, a host of the most influential Indigenous leaders in Canada, as the Manitoba MPP contemplated the Charlottetown Accord and a vote that could shatter what seemed at the time the country's last chance to save Confederation. This was the sort of exclusive access to vital Canadian stories that Roy MacGregor always seemed to secure. And as his ardent fans will discover, the observant small-town boy turned pre-eminent journalist put his rare vantage point to exceptional use. Filled with reminiscences of an age when Canadian newsrooms were populated by outsized characters, outright rogues and passionate practitioners, the unputdownable Paper Trails is a must-read account of a life lived in stories."--
Subjects: Biographies.; MacGregor, Roy, 1948-; MacGregor, Roy, 1948-; Journalists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Elden ring [electronic resource]. by Sony Computer Entertainment.;
Game.The Golden Order has been broken. Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between. ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware and produced by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, is a fantasy action-RPG and FromSoftware's largest game to date, set within a world full of mystery and peril.ESRB Content Rating: M, Mature, 17+ (Violence, blood and gore, suggestive themes, language).Blu-ray disc compatible with Playstation 4 console ; HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p ; in game surround sound ; 2-4 player online multiplayer (paid subscription and broadband internet connection required) ; 60 GB storage required ; online play optional ; PS4 Pro enhanced ; PS5 Upgrade available (When using a PS5 console, you may have the option to upgrade a disc or digital PS4 game to the digital PS5 version. Depending on the game, this upgrade may occur at no additional cost, may require a purchase, and may be available for a limited time. An internet connection and PS4 game disc is required.).
Subjects: Sony video games.; Fantasy video games.; Role playing video games.; Video games.; Adventure video games.; Playstation 4 (Video game console); Video games.; Computer games.; Elden ring (Game); Adventure and adventurers; Quests (Expeditions); Computer adventure games;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 3
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Paradise of the damned : the true story of an obsessive quest for El Dorado, the legendary city of gold / by Thomson, Keith,1965-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.The transporting account of an obsessive quest to find El Dorado, set against the backdrop of Elizabethan political intrigue and a competition with Spanish conquistadors for the legendary city's treasure. As early as 1530, reports of El Dorado, a city of gold in the South American interior, beckoned to European explorers. Whether there was any truth to the stories remained to be seen, but the allure of unimaginable riches was enough to ensnare dozens of would-be heroes and glory hounds in the desperate hunt. Among them was Sir Walter Raleigh: ambitious courtier, confidant to Queen Elizabeth, and, before long, El Dorado fanatic. Entering the Elizabethan court as an upstart from a family whose days of nobility were far behind them, Raleigh used his military acumen, good looks, and sheer audacity to scramble into the limelight. Yet that same swagger proved to be his undoing, as his secret marriage to a lady-in-waiting enraged Queen Elizabeth and landed him in the Tower of London. Between his ensuing grim prospects at court and his underlying lust for adventure, the legend of El Dorado became an unwavering siren song that hypnotized Raleigh. On securing his release, he journeyed across an ocean to find the fabled city, gambling his painstakingly acquired wealth, hard-won domestic bliss, and his very life. What awaited him in the so-called New World were endless miles of hot, dense jungle packed with deadly flora and fauna, warring Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous civilizations, and other unforeseen dangers. Meanwhile, back at home, his multitude of rivals plotted his demise. Paradise of the Damned, like Keith Thomson's critically acclaimed Born to Be Hanged, brings this story to life in lush and captivating detail. The book charts Raleigh's obsessive search for El Dorado -- as well as the many doomed expeditions that preceded and accompanied his -- providing not only an invaluable history but also a gripping narrative of traveling to the ends of the earth only to realize, too late, that what lies at home is the greatest treasure of all.
Subjects: Biographies.; Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618.; El Dorado.; Explorers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Nikhil out loud / by Pancholy, Maulik,1974-;
"From the acclaimed actor and Stonewall Honor-winning author of The Best at It, Maulik Pancholy, comes a new middle grade novel about a gay Indian American boy who learns the power of using his voice. Thirteen-year-old Nikhil Shah is the beloved voice actor for Raj Reddy on the hit animated series Raj Reddy in Outer Space. But being a star on TV doesn't mean you have everything figured out behind the scenes... When his mom temporarily moves them to the small town in Ohio where she grew up to take care of Nikhil's sick grandfather, Nikhil feels as out of orbit as his character. Nikhil's fame lands him the lead in the school musical, but he's terrified that everyone will realize he's a fraud once they find out he can't sing. And when a group of conservative parents start to protest, making it clear they're not happy with an openly gay TV star being in the starring role, Nikhil feels like his life would be easier if only he could be Raj Reddy full-time. Then Nikhil wakes up one morning and hears a crack in his voice, which means his job playing Raj will have to come to an end. Life on earth is way more complicated than life on television. And some mysteries--like new friendships or a sick grandparent or finding the courage to speak out about what's right--don't wrap up neatly between commercial breaks." --From publisher.LSC
Subjects: Bildungsromans.; Gay teenagers; East Indians; Entertainers; Adolescence; Grandparent and child; Diseases; Coming of age;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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You can trust me : a novel / by Heard, Wendy,author.;
"Two best friends grift their way through the California elite, until a scam goes awry-with devastating consequences-in this gripping, stylish thriller. Summer and Leo would do anything for each other. Inspired by the way each has had to carve her place in a hostile and unforgiving world, and united by the call of the open road, they travel around sunny California in Summer's tricked-out Land Cruiser. It's not a glamorous life, but it gives them the freedom they crave-from family, expectations, and the painful pasts they've left behind. But even free spirits have bills to pay. Luckily, Summer is a skilled pickpocket, small-time thief, and con artist-and Leo, determined to pay her way, has learned a trick or two from Summer. Eager for a big score, Leo sets her crosshairs on Michael Forrester, self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, she's rewarded with an invite to his private island off the coast of Los Angeles for a night of fabulous excess. She eagerly anticipates returning with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated, and endless stories to share with Summer. Instead, Leo disappears. The police assure Summer that her friend probably just ditched her. After all, who would believe a philanthropic billionaire could be up to no good? On her own for the first time in years, Summer decides to infiltrate Michael's island and find out what really happened. As Summer searches for Leo, she stumbles upon hidden secrets buried deep beneath the secluded island's heavily guarded walls-secrets worth killing for-and realizes she may have met her match. Michael Forrester is used to getting what he wants. But then again, so is Summer"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Female friendship; Islands; Missing persons; Swindlers and swindling;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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All the worst humans : how I made news for dictators, tycoons, and politicians / by Elwood, Phil(Philip),author.;
Includes bibliographical references."A bridge-burning, riotous memoir by a top PR operative in Washington who exposes the secrets of the 129-billion-dollar industry that controls so much of what we see and hear in the media -- from a man who used to pull the strings, and who is now pulling back the curtain. After nearly two decades in the Washington PR business, Elwood wants to come clean, by exposing the dark underbelly of the very industry that's made him so successful. The first step is revealing exactly what he's been up to for the past twenty years -- and it isn't pretty. Elwood has worked for a murderer's row of clients, including Gaddafi, Assad, and the government of Qatar -- namely, the bad guys. In All the Worst Humans, Elwood unveils how the PR business works, and how the truth gets made, spun, and sold to the public -- not shying away from the gritty details of his unlikely career. This is a piercing look into the corridors of money, power, politics, and control, all told in Elwood's disarmingly funny and entertaining voice. He recounts a four-day Las Vegas bacchanal with a dictator's son, plotting communications strategies against a terrorist organization in Western Africa, and helping to land a Middle Eastern dictator's wife a glowing profile in Vogue on the same time the Arab Spring broke out. And he reveals all his slippery tricks for seducing journalists in order to create chaos and ultimately cover for politicians, dictators, and spies -- the industry-secret tactics that led to his rise as a political PR pro. Along the way, Phil walks the halls of the Capitol, rides in armored cars through Abuja, and watches his client lose his annual income at the roulette table. But as he moved up the ranks, he felt worse and worse about the sleaziness of it all -- until Elwood receives a shocking wake-up call from the FBI. This risky game nearly cost Elwood his life and his freedom. Seeing the light, Elwood decides to change his ways, and his clients, and to tell the full truth about who is the worst human"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Elwood, Phil (Philip); Communication in politics.; Political consultants; Public relations and politics.; Public relations consultants;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Chain reaction / by Byrne, James(Suspense fiction writer),author.;
"Dez Limerick, a man of many skills and a murky past, faces the impossible - a skilled, deadly opponent who anticipates his every move. Desmond Aloysius Limerick ("Dez" to his friends and close personal enemies) is a man with a shadowy past, certain useful hard-won skills, and, if one digs deep enough, a reputation as a good man to have at your back. He was trained as a "gatekeeper" - he can open any door, keep it open as long as necessary, and control who does - and does not - go through. Now retired from his previous life, Dez still tries to keep his skills up to date. Knocking around the country, picking up the occasional gig as a guitarist, Dez is contacted by a friend in urgent need of his musical skills. At his behest, Dez flies to the East Coast to a gig at the brand new massive complex, the Liberty Center. But he's barely landed before he finds himself in the midst of a terrorist attack, a group has taken over the whole center and thousands of hostage lives are in danger. With the semi-willing help of a talented thief, Dez takes on the impossible task of outfighting and outwitting a literal army. But that's just the beginning, as Dez learns he was actually lured there under false pretenses, by someone who knows more about Dez, his past and his skills than any living person should"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Novels.; Convention facilities; Mercenary troops; Private military companies; Terrorism;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The world's dumbest criminals : outrageously true stories of criminals committing stupid crimes.
"Two men photographed each other stealing thousands of dollars from gambling machines. An armed man successfully robbed a pharmacy and was captured after he boasted about it on social media. A burglar spent time cleaning the house he was robbing and even restocked some groceries before he was discovered fast asleep in the homeowner's bed. Two drunken louts stole a penguin from an aquarium and tried to release it into a canal once they were sober (the creature was returned to the polar enclosure, unharmed). Another man attempted to hold up a bank using a cucumber as a weapon. Two fellows tried to rob a bar where the town's police department was holding a retirement party for one of its members. For every Moriarty, there are a thousand stupid criminals who get caught in the act, or who boast about their success on social media, or whose plans are so foolish that the police have little difficulty tracking them down. Throughout history, these criminals have been easily captured; some have even died during an ill-fated escape. New criminals are apprehended every day thanks to their own genius, their exploits captured on YouTube and Instagram. The World's Dumbest Criminals records more than one hundred of the most ridiculous, absurd and bizarre crimes that have landed on the police blotter in recent years. Hilarious and outrageous, this book will make you shake your head and perhaps second-guess your own plans to commit petty larceny."--
Subjects: Case studies.; Humor.; True crime stories.; Criminals; Crime; Criminals;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Life sentence : the brief and tragic career of Baltimore's deadliest gang leader / by Bowden, Mark,1951-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."In this unprecedented deep dive into inner-city gang life, Mark Bowden takes readers inside a Baltimore gang, offers an in-depth portrait of its notorious leader, and chronicles the 2016 FBI investigation that landed eight of its members in prison. Sandtown is one of the deadliest neighborhoods in the world; it earned Baltimore its nickname "Bodymore, Murderland," and was made notorious by David Simon's classic HBO series The Wire. Drug deals dominate street corners, and ruthless, casual violence abounds. Montana Barronette grew up in the center of it all. He was the leader of the gang "Trained to Go," or TTG, and when he was finally arrested and sentenced to life in prison, he had been labeled "Baltimore's Number One Trigger Puller." Under Tana's reign, TTG dominated Sandtown. After a string of murders are linked to TTG, each with dozens of witnesses too intimidated to testify, three detectives set out to put Tana in prison for life. For them, this was never about drugs: it was about serial murder. An acclaimed journalist who spent his youth in the white suburbs of Baltimore, Mark Bowden returns to the city with exclusive access to key FBI files and unprecedented insight into one of the city's deadliest gangs and its notorious leader. As he traces the rise and fall of TTG, Bowden uses wiretapped drug buys, police interviews, undercover videos, text messages, social media posts, trial transcripts, and his own ongoing conversations with Tana's family and community to create the most in-depth account of an inner-city gang ever written. With his signature precision and propulsive narrative, Mark Bowden positions Tana-as a boy, a gang leader, a killer, and now a prisoner-in the context of Baltimore and America, illuminating his path for what it really was: a life sentence"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; True crime stories.; Barronette, Montana, 1995-; Crime; Gang members; Gangs;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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