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An inside job : a novel / by Silva, Daniel,1960-author.;
Gabriel Allon has been awarded a commission to restore one of the most important paintings in Venice. But when he discovers the body of a mysterious woman floating in the waters of the Venetian Lagoon, he finds himself in a desperate race to recover a lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting, a portrait of a beautiful young girl, has been gathering dust in a storeroom at the Vatican Museums for more than a century, misattributed and hidden beneath a worthless picture by an unknown artist. Because no one knows that the Leonardo is there, no one notices when it disappears one night during a suspicious power outage. No one but the ruthless mobsters and moneymen behind the theft -- and the mysterious woman whom Gabriel found in a watery grave in Venice. A woman without a name. A woman without a face. The action moves at breakneck speed from the galleries and auction houses of London to an enclave of unimaginable wealth on the French Riviera -- and, finally, to a shocking climax in St. Peter's Square, where the life of a pope hangs in the balance. An elegant and stylish journey through the dark side of the art world and the Vatican's murky finances, An Inside Job proves once again that Daniel Silva is the reigning master of international intrigue and suspense.
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Spy fiction.; Novels.; Allon, Gabriel (Fictitious character); Art thefts; Intelligence officers; Murder; Painting;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 4
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Skye falling : a novel / by McKenzie, Mia,author.;
"Twenty-six and broke, Skye didn't think twice before selling her eggs and happily pocketing the cash. Now approaching forty, Skye moves through life entirely -- and unrepentantly -- on her own terms, living out of a suitcase and avoiding all manner of serious relationships. Her personal life might be a mess, and no one would be surprised if she died alone in a hotel room, but at least she's free to do as she pleases. But then a twelve-year-old girl shows up during one of Skye's brief visits to her hometown of Philadelphia, and tells Skye that she's "her egg." Skye's life is thrown into sharp relief and she decides that it might be time to actually try to have a meaningful relationship with another human being. Spoiler alert: It's not easy. Things gets even more complicated when Skye realizes that the woman she tried and failed to pick up the other day is the girl's aunt and now it's awkward. All the while, her brother is trying to get in touch, her problematic mother is being bewilderingly kind, and the West Philly pool halls and hoagie shops of her youth have been replaced by hipster cafes. Told in a fresh, lively voice, this novel is a relentlessly clever, deeply moving portrait of a woman and the relationships she thought she could live without"--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Interpersonal relations; Lesbians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Frida Kahlo / by Judah, Hettie,author.; Kahlo, Frida.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.Step into the world of Frida Kahlo: behind the portraits and the surrealist art discover the fascinating woman who has transfixed the world. Fridamania has made Frida Kahlo's image ubiquitous: she has been reborn as a Halloween costume, Barbie doll, children's book character, textile print, phone cover and the inspiration for everything from cocktails to fashion shoots. But it is more difficult to get a clear vision of this bold and brilliant, foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking, hard-smoking, husband-stealing, occasionally bisexual, often bed-bound, wheelchair-using, needy, forthright and passionate woman. Hettie Judah sets out to correct that with this superb biography of one of the most charismatic artists of the last hundred years. Follow Frida's life through tumultuous love and life-altering accidents, towards recognition in the art world from the likes of Andre Breton and Marcel Duchamp, to becoming the first Mexican artist held at the Louvre. Judah delves into Kahlo's experiences and how these came together to inspire the art that has been described as an uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form. From an early battle with Polio, to a debilitating bus accident at 18, through love and heart ache, the life of Frida Kahlo was one of pain but a pain that bore great beauty.
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Kahlo, Frida.; Painters; Women artists; Women painters;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Surprise me [sound recording] : a novel / by Kinsella, Sophie,author.; Hardingham, Fiona,narrator.; Random House Audio Publishing,publisher.;
Read by Fiona Hardingham."After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have all the trimmings of a happy life and marriage; they have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other's sentences. However, a trip to the doctor projects they will live another 68 years together and panic sets in. They never expected 'until death do us part' to mean seven decades. In the name of marriage survival, they quickly concoct a plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting: they will create little surprises for each other so that their (extended) years together will never become boring. But in their pursuit to execute Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise and secrets are uncovered that start to threaten the very foundation of their unshakable bond. When a scandal from the past is revealed that question some important untold truths, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all. With a colorful, eccentric cast of characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella crafts a humorous, yet thoughtful portrait of a marriage and shines a light on the danger of not looking past the many layers of the ones you love to discover how infinitely fascinating--and surprising--they truly are"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Domestic fiction.; Humorous fiction.; Marriage; Man-woman relationships; Marital quality; Relationship quality; Scandals;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Friends helping friends : a novel / by Hoffman, Patrick(Private investigator),author.;
"An exhilarating thriller about two best friends facing white nationalists on one side and dirty cops on the other-written with Patrick Hoffman's "crisp pace and superb timing" (Wall Street Journal). Bunny Simpson grew up in a hard-scrabble family in Grand Junction. Now in his early twenties living in Denver, he's stuck at a dead-end job and behind on his rent. His best friend, Jerry LeClair, feels similarly trapped in a life of dim prospects and small-time drug dealing. Enter Helen McCalla, an attorney with an axe to grind against her ex-husband, who happens to be a judge in the local court. She offers the boys a deal: beat the guy up, and she'll pay them some money. It's simple, just friends helping friends, right? Part crime novel, part portrait of working-class middle America, celebrated novelist Patrick Hoffman takes us on a tour of Denver's underbelly: its courts, jails, criminals, and dirty cops. Bunny never wanted any trouble. So how the hell did he end up at a white supremacist compound in rural Colorado? Tragic, scary, and at times hilarious, Friends Helping Friends is a study of the way generational trauma endures, an exploration of the vulnerability of our destinies-and an epic tale of how friendship can survive it all"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Novels.; Best friends; Drug dealers; Friendship; Racism; Theft; White supremacy movements; Working class;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 3
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The Lightning Bottles / by Stapley, Marissa,author.;
"He was the troubled face of rock 'n' roll ... until he suddenly disappeared without a trace. Jane Pyre was once one half of one of the most famous rock 'n' roll duos in the world, the Lightning Bottles. Years later, she's perhaps the most hated--and least understood--woman in music. She was never as popular with fans as her bandmate (and soulmate), Elijah Hart--even if Jane was the one who wrote the songs that catapulted the Lightning Bottles to instant, dizzying fame, first in the Seattle grunge scene, then around the world. But ever since Elijah disappeared four years earlier and the band's meteoric rise to fame came crashing down, the public hatred of Jane has taken on new levels, and all she wants to do is retreat. What she doesn't anticipate is the bombshell that awaits her at her new home in the German countryside. A bombshell in the form of the sullen teenaged girl next door--a Lightning Bottles superfan--who claims to have proof that not only is Elijah still alive, he's also been leaving secret messages for Jane. And they need to find them right away. A cross-continent road trip about two misunderstood outsiders brought together by their shared love of music, The Lightning Bottles is both a love letter to music and a searing portrait of the cost of fame."--
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Fame; Fans (Persons); Man-woman relationships; Missing persons; Quests (Expeditions); Teenage girls; Voyages and travels; Women musicians; Women rock musicians;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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The awkward Black man : stories / by Mosley, Walter,author.; Mosley, Walter.Short stories.Selections.;
"Bestselling author Walter Mosley has proven himself a master of narrative tension, both with his extraordinary fiction and gripping writing for television. The Awkward Black Man collects seventeen of Mosley's most accomplished short stories to display the full range of his remarkable talent. Mosley presents distinct characters as they struggle to move through the world in each of these stories--heroes who are awkward, nerdy, self-defeating, self-involved, and, on the whole, odd. He overturns the stereotypes that corral black male characters and paints a subtle, powerful portrait of each of these unique individuals. In "The Good News Is," a man's insecurity about his weight gives way to a serious illness and the intense loneliness that accompanies it. Deeply vulnerable, he allows himself to be taken advantage of in return for a little human comfort in a raw display of true need. "Pet Fly" follows a man working as a mailroom clerk for a big company-and the unforeseen repercussions he endures when he attempts to forge a connection beyond the one he has with the fly buzzing around his apartment. And "Almost Alyce" chronicles failed loves, family loss, alcoholism, and a Zen approach to the art of begging that proves surprisingly effective. Touching and contemplative, each of these unexpected stories offers the best of one of our most gifted writers"--
Subjects: Short stories.; African Americans; African American men;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Beautiful planet. [videorecording (BLURAY)] / by Mill Creek Entertainment.;
Embark on an unforgettable journey all over the globe through in this spectacular guided tour to the world's most marvelous sights and places. Capturing the nature and culture of these exotic destinations, this lusciously filmed documentary series offers a vivid and entertaining portrait of the history and significance of distance cities and countries. Shot in dazzling high definition, prepare to be whisked away to one thrilling attraction after another across our most Beautiful Planet. The cities of Orange and Avignon in southern France are rich in history and filled with incredible scenery. Orange is predominantly known for its Roman architecture and its Roman theatre is described as the most impressive still existing in Europe. The ancient town of Avignon boasts magnificent medieval buildings and is one of the few French cities to have preserved its majestic ramparts. The Sacri Monti, (Sacred Mountains) of Piedmont and Lombardy are a series of nine groups of chapels and other architectural features created in northern Italy during the seventeenth and late sixteenth century. They are dedicated to various aspects of the Christian faith and are considered of great beauty by virtue of the skill with which they have been integrated into the surrounding natural landscape of hills, forests and lakes.E.Blu-ray disc (requires Blu-ray player for playback) ; anamorphic widescreen format (1.85:1 aspect ratio); Dolby digital.
Subjects: Travelogues (Motion pictures);
© c2012., Mill Creek Entertainment,
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Long players : writers on the albums that shaped them / by Gatti, Tom,editor.;
Includes bibliographical references.Our favorite albums are our most faithful companions: we listen to them hundreds of times over decades, we know them far better than any novel or film. These records don't just soundtrack our lives but work their way deep inside us, shaping our outlook and identity, forging our friendships and charting our love affairs. They become part of our story. In Long Players, fifty of our finest authors write about the albums that changed their lives, from Deborah Levy on Bowie to Daisy Johnson on Lizzo, Ben Okri on Miles Davis to David Mitchell on Joni Mitchell, Sarah Perry on Rachmaninov to Bernardine Evaristo on Sweet Honey in the Rock. Part meditation on the album form and part candid self-portrait, each of these miniature essays reveals music's power to transport the listener to a particular time and place. REM's Automatic for the People sends Olivia Laing back to first love and heartbreak, Bjork's Post resolves a crisis of faith and sexuality for a young Marlon James, while Fragile by Yes instils in George Saunders the confidence to take his own creative path. This collection is an intoxicating mix of memoir and music writing, spanning the golden age of vinyl and the streaming era, and showing how a single LP can shape a writer's mind.
Subjects: Essays.; Anecdotes.; Authors and music.; Sound recordings; Popular music; Authors;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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African samurai : the true story of Yasuke, a legendary black warrior in feudal Japan / by Lockley, Thomas,author.; Girard, Geoffrey,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society. When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned (in local tradition) Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan's martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries, cultures and classes offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan."-- Dust jacket flap.
Subjects: Biographies.; Yasuke (Black Samuraï); Blacks; Samurai;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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