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The book of mysteries, magic, and the unexplained / by Macfarlane, Tamara.; Kister, Kristina.;
A compendium for kids of all things magical and unexplained throughout the ages and around the world. A fascinating look into the secrets of the supernatural world for curious children obsessed with magic and mystery. Informative as well as fun, this compelling book explores every aspect of magic through the ages and across many cultures. It traces the history of magic rituals from spells and potions to alchemy and shamanism, as well as investigating other mysteries of the paranormal. No other book offers the same in-depth, analytical approach to the supernatural. While it's a fun read, it takes its subject seriously-taking a historical, fully comprehensive approach to the supernatural world across all cultures. With stunning illustrations on every page, The Book of Mysteries, Magic, and the Unexplained traces the story of myth and magic from ancient superstitions to medieval alchemy and divination to the modern-day fascination with the occult. Taking a neutral stance, it explores the facts behind spells and potions, seances and tarot cards, fortune tellers, witchcraft and wizardry, unexplained natural phenomena, and much, much more. This intriguing book cannot fail to capture the imagination of kids everywhere.
Subjects: Magic; Curiosities and wonders;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The killing stones / by Cleeves, Ann,author.;
When a violent storm descends upon the Orkney Islands, the body of Archie Stout is left behind in its wake. An unusual murder weapon, a Neolithic stone bearing ancient inscriptions, is found discarded nearby. Archie was a popular, larger-than-life character, making his death a shocking blow to the community. Detective Jimmy Perez, no stranger to the complexity of human nature and the darkness it can harbour, is soon on the scene. He counted Archie as a childhood friend, making this case more personal than most. Now living in Orkney with his partner Willow and their son, Perez is soon drawn into the lives of the islanders, many of whom carry secrets. Dark secrets that could have led to the man's murder. Here, in these ancient lands where history runs deep, Perez must discern the truth from legend before a desperate and dangerous killer strikes again.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Novels.; Islands; Murder; Perez, Jimmy (Fictitious character); Police;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 3
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Our tribal future : how to channel our foundational human instincts into a force for good / by Samson, David Ryan,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."An astounding and inspiring look at the science behind tribalism, and how we can learn to harness it to improve the world around us. What do you think of when you hear the word "tribalism?" For many, it conjures images of bigotry, xenophobia, and sectarian violence. Others may envision their own tribe: family, friends, and the bonds of loyalty that keep them together. Tribalism is one of the most complex and ancient evolutionary forces; it gave us the capacity for cooperation and competition, and allowed us to navigate increasingly complex social landscapes. It is so powerful that it can predict our behavior even better than race, class, gender, or religion. But in our vast modern world, has this blessing become a curse? Our Tribal Future explores a central paradox of our species: how altruism, community, kindness, and genocide are all driven by the same core adaptation. Evolutionary anthropologist David R. Samson engages with cutting-edge science and philosophy, as well as his own field research with small-scale societies and wild chimpanzees, to explain the science, ethics, and history of tribalism in compelling and accessible terms. This bold and brilliant book reveals provocative truths about our nature. Readers will discover that tribalism cannot, and should not, be eliminated entirely--to do so would be to destroy what makes us human. But is it possible to channel the best of this instinct to enrich our lives while containing the worst of its dangers?"--
Subjects: Collective behavior.; Human evolution.; Social evolution.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The trial of Katterfelto / by Redhill, Michael,1966-author.;
In the late-eighteenth century, the conjurer and amateur scientist Gustavus Katterfelto has made a name for himself travelling across the English countryside with a bag of tricks. For audiences, his astonishing stunts are pure magic. For Katterfelto, each one is carefully engineered and executed with the help of his colleague, confidante and amanuensis, and our narrator, Roger Gossage. Yet one day in their travels, the two men come across a mystifying object beyond their ken: a metal horn that emits a disembodied woman's voice. She calls herself Siri of Toronto, and claims to speak from a place plagued by climate catastrophe and social unrest. As they begin to use the horn in their magic shows, Gossage and Katterfelto must work to understand the origin and intent of Siri's call -- a quest that will put them up against the limits of reason and test Roger's allegiance to the man he calls his friend. Endlessly inventive, richly imagined, and entirely its own, The Trial of Katterfelto is a consciousness-expanding novel that writes directly into the most urgent questions we face as a species: who we are, what we have done, and what we might do from here.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Novels.; Friendship; Future, The; Magic; Quacks and quackery; Technology;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The gifts : a novel / by Hyder, Liz,author.;
"It will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are ... October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in the English countryside as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders. In London, rumors of a "fallen angel" cause a frenzy across the city, and a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger ... The Gifts is an astonishing novel, a spellbinding tale told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Magic realist fiction.; Novels.; Ambition; Danger; Magic; Self-realization in women; Sex role; Surgeons; Women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Rising out of hatred : the awakening of a former white nationalist / by Saslow, Eli,author.;
"From a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, the powerful story of how a prominent white supremacist changed his heart and mind Derek Black grew up at the epicenter of white nationalism. His father founded Stormfront, the largest racist community on the Internet. His godfather, David Duke, was a KKK Grand Wizard. By the time Derek turned nineteen, he had become an elected politician with his own daily radio show - already regarded as the "the leading light" of the burgeoning white nationalist movement. "We can infiltrate," Derek once told a crowd of white nationalists. "We can take the country back." Then he went to college. Derek had been home-schooled by his parents, steeped in the culture of white supremacy, and he had rarely encountered diverse perspectives or direct outrage against his beliefs. At New College of Florida, he continued to broadcast his radio show in secret each morning, living a double life until a classmate uncovered his identity and sent an email to the entire school. "Derek Black ... white supremacist, radio host ... New College student???" The ensuing uproar overtook one of the most liberal colleges in the country. Some students protested Derek's presence on campus, forcing him to reconcile for the first time with the ugliness his beliefs. Other students found the courage to reach out to him, including an Orthodox Jew who invited Derek to attend weekly Shabbat dinners. It was because of those dinners--and the wide-ranging relationships formed at that table--that Derek started to question the science, history and prejudices behind his worldview. As white nationalism infiltrated the political mainstream, Derek decided to confront the damage he had done. Rising Out of Hatred tells the story of how white-supremacist ideas migrated from the far-right fringe to the White House through the intensely personal saga of one man who eventually disavowed everything he was taught to believe, at tremendous personal cost. With great empathy and narrative verve, Eli Saslow asks what Derek's story can tell us about America's increasingly divided nature. This is a book to help us understand the American moment and to help us better understand one another"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Black, Derek.; New College of Florida (Sarasota, Fla.); Attitude change.; Hate groups; Intercultural communication; Men, White; White nationalism; White supremacy movements;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The house on the canal : the story of the house that hid Anne Frank / by Harding, Thomas,1968-; Teckentrup, Britta.;
"In the middle of Amsterdam is a house on a canal with a green door. Over four hundred years, it has quietly witnessed love, desperation, and historic change. Sometimes the narrow house was splendidly decorated, humming with life and love; other times, it stood empty, in near ruins. Sometimes the green door was open and inviting; other times, it was closed against cold and plague or to conceal the victims of wartime persecution. The house's last occupant, a young girl with a sweet smile, would famously document her time there. In her diary, Anne Frank wrote of "the old house on the canal," and today people come from far and wide to visit what stands as a universal symbol of hope and resilience. Thomas Harding's lyrical text and concise back matter reveal history through the changing face and fortunes of a remarkable structure. Impeccably researched, Britta Teckentrup's dreamy mixed-media collages, including a map and archival imagery, perfectly echo the layered narrative and capture the ethereal nature of time and circumstance"--
Subjects: Creative nonfiction.; Picture books.; Frank, Anne, 1929-1945; Dwellings; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945);
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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Not forever, but for now : a novel / by Palahniuk, Chuck,author.;
"From the bestselling author of Fight Club comes a hilarious horror satire about a family of professional killers responsible for the most atrocious events in history and the young brothers that are destined to take over. Meet Otto and Cecil. Two brothers growing up privileged in the Welsh countryside. They enjoy watching nature shows, playing with their pet pony, impersonating their Grandfather ... and killing the help. Murder is the family business after all. Downton Abbey, this is not. However, it's not so easy to continue the family legacy with the constant stream of threats and distractions seemingly leaping from the hedgerow. First there is the matter of the veritable cavalcade of escaped convicts that keep showing up at their door. Not to mention the debaucherous new tutor who has a penchant for speaking in Greek and dismembering sex dolls. Then there's Mummy's burgeoning opioid addiction. And who knows where Daddy is. He just vanished one day after he and Mummy took a walk in the so called "Ghost Forest." With Grandfather putting pressure on Otto to step up, it becomes clear that this will all end in only two ways: a nuclear apocalypse or just another day among the creeping thistle and tree peonies. And in a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk, either are equally possible."--
Subjects: Black humor.; Satirical literature.; Novels.; Assassins; Brothers; Families; Grandfathers; Murder; Rich people;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Embracing hope : on freedom, responsibility & the meaning of life / by Frankl, Viktor E.(Viktor Emil),1905-1997,author.; Vesely, Alexander,1974-writer of foreword.; Esch, Tobias,1970-writer of introduction.; Young, Joelle,translator.;
Includes bibliographical references."A highly anticipated, rediscovered collection from Viktor Frankl, published for the first time in the United States, exploring freedom, responsibility, and how we can draw meaning from the temporary nature of our lives. The Library of Congress lists Man's Search for Meaning as one of the ten most influential books in history. Scientists and artists, politicians and celebrities regularly cite Frankl as one of the most important authors every person should read. Now, there is another book for his devoted fans to add to their collections. Published here for the first time in the United States, Embracing Hope continues Frankl's enduring life's work and provides even more lessons for those searching for meaning and purpose. It's made up of four distinct pieces from Frankl on different themes-all uniting around the idea that we should remain open to life even when we have been subjected to appalling injustice, and even when we are faced with our own mortality and the brief nature of our lives. At a time of global suffering where so many are searching for hope and meaning, Frankl's work seems more relevant and more important than ever. Whether you're a devoted follower of Frankl's work or a newcomer seeking to enrich your understanding of life's purpose, this book promises a captivating journey that will leave you pondering its teachings long after you've turned the final page."--
Subjects: Hope.; Liberty.; Meaning (Philosophy);
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Ordinary monsters / by Miro, J. M.,author.;
"England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness--a man made of smoke. Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself,whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When a jaded female detective is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference, and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous. What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theatres of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts - the Talents - have been gathered. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts. Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world--and of the gifted, broken children who must save it"--
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Historical fiction.; Novels.; Ability; Children; Good and evil; Magic; Monsters; Threat (Psychology);
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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