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The safe place : a novel / by Downes, Anna,author.;
"Superbly tense and oozing with atmosphere, Anna Downes' debut The Safe Place is the perfect summer suspense; a deft examination of the lengths we'll go to protect the facade of a perfect life. Emily Proudman's life is in chaos. She's just lost her acting agent and her job in one miserable day. Scott Denny has a problem. Even though he's a successful CEO, neither his business acumen nor vast wealth can come close to fixing it. He's at a breaking point. Until he meets Emily. Emily is friendly and agreeable. Emily is desperate. Emily is perfect. Scott offers Emily what seems the perfect summer job as a housekeeper and nanny on his remote French estate. Emily is quickly enchanted by his lovely wife Nina, and even his strange young daughter, and falls headlong into this apparent paradise. But before long, Emily realizes that Scott and his wife are hiding dangerous secrets. And if Emily doesn't play along, the beautiful place they call home might turn out to be a prison from which none of them will ever escape. A compelling collision of Lisa Jewell's morally complex family dynamics and Ruth Ware's modern gothic vibes, The Safe Place is a deliciously sinister suspense novel that will also have you longing for wine-soaked summer days in a French villa by the sea."--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Housekeepers; Married people; Family secrets;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The safe place [sound recording] : a novel / by Downes, Anna,author,narrator.; Macmillan Audio (Firm),publisher.;
Read by the author."Superbly tense and oozing with atmosphere, Anna Downes' debut The Safe Place is the perfect summer suspense; a deft examination of the lengths we'll go to protect the facade of a perfect life. Emily Proudman's life is in chaos. She's just lost her acting agent and her job in one miserable day. Scott Denny has a problem. Even though he's a successful CEO, neither his business acumen nor vast wealth can come close to fixing it. He's at a breaking point. Until he meets Emily. Emily is friendly and agreeable. Emily is desperate. Emily is perfect. Scott offers Emily what seems the perfect summer job as a housekeeper and nanny on his remote French estate. Emily is quickly enchanted by his lovely wife Nina, and even his strange young daughter, and falls headlong into this apparent paradise. But before long, Emily realizes that Scott and his wife are hiding dangerous secrets. And if Emily doesn't play along, the beautiful place they call home might turn out to be a prison from which none of them will ever escape. A compelling collision of Lisa Jewell's morally complex family dynamics and Ruth Ware's modern gothic vibes, The Safe Place is a deliciously sinister suspense novel that will also have you longing for wine-soaked summer days in a French villa by the sea."--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Audiobooks.; Family secrets; Housekeepers; Married people;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Number one is walking [graphic novel] : my life in the movies and other diversions / by Martin, Steve,1945-author.; Bliss, Harry,1964-illustrator.;
"Number One Is Walking is Steve Martin's cinematic legacy-an illustrated memoir of his legendary acting career, with stories from his most popular films and artwork by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss. Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In Number One Is Walking, he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved films-Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos, and many more-bringing readers directly into his world. He shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploits with the likes of Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford, and Chevy Chase. Martin details his forty years in the movie biz, as well as his stand-up comedy, banjo playing, writing, and cartooning, all with his unparalleled wit. With gorgeously illustrated cartoons and single-panel "diversions" in Steve and Harry's signature style, Number One Is Walking is full of the everyday moments that make up a movie star's life, capturing Steve Martin's singular humor and acclaimed career in film. The perfect gift from the team who brought you the #1 New York Times bestseller A Wealth of Pigeons"--Publisher.
Subjects: Biographical comics.; Nonfiction comics.; Autobiographical comics.; Graphic novels.; Personal narratives.; Martin, Steve, 1945-; Comedians; Motion picture actors and actresses;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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When we lost our heads / by O'Neill, Heather,author.;
"Marie Antoine is the charismatic, spoiled daughter of a sugar baron. At age twelve, with her pile of blond curls and unparalleled sense of whimsy, she's the leader of all the children in the Golden Mile, the affluent strip of nineteenth-century Montreal where powerful families live. Until one day in 1873, when Sadie Arnett, dark-haired, sly and brilliant, moves to the neighbourhood. Marie and Sadie are immediately inseparable. United by their passion and intensity, they attract and repel each other in ways that set them both on fire. Marie, with her bubbly charm, sees all the pleasure of the world, whereas Sadie's obsession with darkness is all-consuming. Soon, their childlike games take on the thrill of danger and then become deadly. Forced to separate, the girls spend their teenage years engaging in acts of alternating innocence and depravity, until a singular event unites them once more, with devastating effects. After Marie inherits her father's sugar empire and Sadie disappears into the city's gritty underworld, the working class begins to foment a revolution. Each woman will play an unexpected role in the events that upend their city--the only question is whether they will find each other once more. From the beloved Giller Prize-shortlisted author who writes "like a sort of demented angel with an uncanny knack for metaphor" (Toronto Star), When We Lost Our Heads is a page-turning novel that explores gender and power, sex and desire, class and status, and the terrifying strength of the human heart when it can't let someone go."--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Female friendship; Social classes;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Tsarina / by Alpsten, Ellen,1971-eauthor.;
"Before there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Ellen Alpsten's rich, sweeping first-person narrative is the story of her rise to power. St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless and passionate as Peter himself. Born into devastating poverty, Catherine used her extraordinary beauty and shrewd intelligence to ingratiate herself with Peter's powerful generals, finally seducing the Tsar himself. But even amongst the splendor and opulence of her new life -- the lavish feasts, glittering jewels, and candle-lit hours in Peter's bedchamber -- she knows the peril of her position. Peter's attentions are fickle and his rages powerful; his first wife is condemned to a prison cell, her lover impaled alive on a stake in Red Square. And now Catherine faces the ultimate test: can she keep the Tsar's death a secret as she plays a lethal game to destroy her enemies and take the Crown for herself? From the sensuous pleasures of a decadent aristocracy, to the incense-filled rites of the Orthodox Church and the terror of Peter's torture chambers, the intoxicating and dangerous world of Imperial Russia is brought to vivid life. Tsarina is the story of one remarkable woman whose bid for power would transform the Russian Empire"--
Subjects: Biographical fiction.; Historical fiction.; Catherine I, Empress of Russia, 1684-1727; Peter I, Emperor of Russia, 1672-1725;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Lear's shadow : a novel / by Rothman, Claire,1958-author.;
"A captivating novel about aging fathers and their grown daughters, childhood scars, and rewriting the script with a little help from Shakespeare, from the acclaimed author of My October. During a sweltering, stormy Montreal summer, Bea Rose finds herself about to turn forty having lost her lover, her business, and her bearings. When the opportunity to work for an outdoor production of King Lear arises, she grabs it despite her utter lack of theatre experience. Things get off to a rocky start when Bea learns the artistic director, Arthur White, is a childhood friend whose presence stirs up painful memories. Then she inadvertently sparks the lascivious attentions of the aging star of the play and alienates the stage director, who happens to be his former wife. As Bea learns the ropes of her new role, her beloved but demanding father begins behaving erratically and losing himself in forgetfulness and her younger sister Cara reveals cracks in the foundation of her apparently perfect life as a devoted mother and co-owner, with her charismatic husband, of a successful raw foods restaurant. The sisters do their best to care for their father, but his deteriorating condition soon exceeds what either can handle. To make matters worse, the star of Lear is also faltering amidst the confusions of age, illness, and regret over transgressions from his past. In a masterful scene of raucous celebration whirling out of control, the various forces in Bea's life collide in a shocking act that could destroy more than one life--or reveal how those lives might come together in new and stronger ways. Tender, vivid, and powerful, Lear's Shadow is a richly satisfying exploration of how the ties of love can both bind and liberate us, and of how, even in the face of grief, we can embrace life."--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Fathers and daughters; Sisters;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The second ending : a novel / by Hoffman, Michelle,author.;
"A former prodigy refuses to believe her best years are behind her in this sparkling debut about second chances, unexpected joys, and the miraculous healing power of art and connection. It's a lot of pressure being compared to Mozart. Especially when you're only five. Prudence Childs was once the most famous kindergartner on the planet. She played at the White House, appeared on talk shows, and inspired a generation of children to take up piano. But as adolescence closed in, Prudence began to see that she was just another exploited child star, pushed to unnatural limits by her attention-hungry grandmother. Convinced that her "genius" was mostly a scam, Prudence ran away--both from performing and from her greedy handlers--as soon as she was old enough to vote. This one act of rebellion came with a cost--soon, Prudence was flat broke and utterly alone. Desperate for cash, she took a job writing commercial jingles, which earned her a fortune, but left her creatively adrift. Now forty-eight, after decades of questioning her talent, Prudence is determined to prove she's never lost her musical genius by competing on a wildly popular TV show. Her on-air rival is virtuoso pianist Alexei Petrov, a stunning young Internet sensation with a massive audience and a dreamy Russian accent. But Alexei's many charms are near the end of Prudence's long list of problems. The biggest threat to her comeback--aside from her own wavering confidence--is her terrible ex-husband, Bobby, who has evidence that she plagiarized her first and most iconic commercial jingle. If Prudence doesn't give Bobby the money he wants, he swears he'll use her new spotlight to take her down for good. But throughout the course of this novel brimming with quirky magic, humor, and emotional depth, Prudence might just defy the breathtaking odds and her overwhelming self-doubt--and find that her star still burns bright"--
Subjects: Novels.; Contests; Extortion; Pianists; Reality television programs;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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What I mean to say : remaking conversation in our time / by Williams, Ian,1979-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Enough small talk. Let's get right to it: Why can't we talk to each other anymore? What makes good communication? And how do we restore the lost art of conversation? In contemporary society, much of our communication exists in a new dimension, the online space, and it's changing how we regard each other and how we converse. In the digital realm, we can be anonymous, we can make false and hurtful comments yet evade consequences in a hurried scroll of clicks and swipes. But a good conversation takes time and patience, courage, even. We need to realize that one-half of our conversations is, in fact, listening. And aren't the best conversationalists--like the best musicians--good listeners? With What I Mean to Say, award-winning novelist and poet Ian Williams seeks to ignite a conversation about conversation, to confront the deterioration of civic and civil discourse, and to reconsider the act of conversing as the sincere, open exchange of thoughts and feelings. Alternately serious and playful, Williams nimbly leaps between topics of discussion and, along the way, is discursive, digressive, and endlessly generous--like any great conversationalist."--
Subjects: Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection.; Conversation.; Listening.; Interpersonal communication.; Conversation.; Écoute (Psychologie); Communication interpersonnelle.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Me, but better : the science and promise of personality change / by Khazan, Olga,1986-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."In the vein of 10% Happier and Year of Yes, The Atlantic journalist Olga Khazan embarks on a year-long experimental romp through the riveting, emerging scientific field of personality change. For years, Olga Khazan had been spiraling toward an existential crisis. Though she treasured her loving long-term relationship and her dream job, she often caught herself snatching dissatisfaction from the jaws of happiness. Her anxious and neurotic overachieving had always been a professional asset, but lately, Olga felt that her brittle disposition would shatter at any moment under the weight of just one more thing. She knew something had to give -- but was it really possible to do something as radical as change her personality? In Me, But Better, Olga embarks on a year-long experiment to see if it's truly possible to change your personality, sample size: one. Scientifically, personality consists of five sliding-scale traits: extroversion, or how sociable you are; conscientiousness, or how self-disciplined and organized you are; agreeableness, or how warm and empathetic you are; openness, or how receptive you are to new ideas and activities; and neuroticism, or how depressed or anxious you are. But research shows that you can alter these traits by consistently behaving in ways that align with the kind of person you'd like to be. And that, in turn, can actually make you happier, healthier, and more successful. So, for a year, Olga decides to fake it until she makes it. She reluctantly clicks 'yes' on a bucket list of new experiences, from meditation to improv to sailing, that will force her to at least act happy, healthy, and well-adjusted, in the hope she might actually become those things. With a skeptic's eye, Olga brings readers on her personal journey through the science of personality, presenting evidence-backed techniques to change our minds for the better. Deeply reflective and sharply witty, ME, But Better is a probing inquiry into what it means to live a fulfilling life, and how we can keep diving into change, even against our better judgment"--
Subjects: Personality change.; Self-actualization (Psychology);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The eagle and the hart : the tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV / by Castor, Helen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From an acclaimed historian and author comes an epic history: the dual biography of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose lives played out in extraordinary parallel, until Henry deposed the tyrant Richard and declared himself King of England. Richard of Bordeaux and Henry of Bolingbroke, cousins born just three months apart, were ten years old when Richard became king of England. They were thirty-two when Henry deposed him and became king in his place. Now, the story behind one of the strangest and most fateful events in English history (and the inspiration behind Shakespeare's most celebrated history plays) is brought to vivid life by the acclaimed author of Blood and Roses, Helen Castor. Richard had birthright on his side, and a profound belief in his own God-given majesty. But beyond that, he lacked all qualities of leadership. A narcissist who did not understand or accept the principles that underpinned his rule, he was neither a warrior defending his kingdom, nor a lawgiver whose justice protected his people. Instead, he declared that "his laws were in his own mouth," and acted accordingly. He sought to define as treason any resistance to his will and recruited a private army loyal to himself rather than the realm-and he intended to destroy those who tried to restrain him. Henry was everything Richard was not: a leader who inspired both loyalty and friendship, a soldier and a chivalric hero, dutiful, responsible, principled. After years of tension and conflict, Richard banished him and seized his vast inheritance. Richard had been crowned a king but he had become a tyrant, and as a tyrant-ruling by arbitrary will rather than established law-he was deposed by his cousin Henry, the only possible candidate to take his place. Henry was welcomed as a liberator, a champion of the people against his predecessor's paranoid despotism. But within months he too was facing rebellion. Men knew that a deposer could in turn be deposed, and the new king found himself buffeted by unrest and by chronic ill-health until he seemed a shadow of his former self, trapped by political uncertainty and troubled by these signs that God might not, after all, endorse his actions. Captivating, immersive, and highly relevant to today's times, The Eagle and the Hart is a story about what happens when a ruler prioritizes power over the interests of his own people. When a ruler demands loyalty to himself as an individual, rather than duty to the established constitution, and when he seeks to reshape reality rather than concede the force of verifiable truths. Above all, it is a story about how a nation was brought to the brink of catastrophe and disintegration-and, in the end, how it was brought back"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Richard II, King of England, 1367-1400.; Henry IV, King of England, 1367-1413.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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