Search:

400 friends and no one to call : breaking through isolation & building community / by Walker, Val,1954-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."We can be well connected, with 400 friends on Facebook and still have no one to count on. Ironically, despite social media, social isolation is a growing epidemic in the United States. The National Science Foundation reported in 2014 that the number of Americans with no close friends has tripled since 1985. One out of four Americans has no one with whom they can talk about their personal troubles. An unprecedented number of Americans are living alone, particularly people over sixty (one in three seniors compared to one in five just ten years ago). Millennials and post-millennials increasingly report discomfort and avoidance with face-to-face conversations. Social isolation can shatter our confidence. In isolating times, we're not only lonely, but we're ashamed of our loneliness because our society stigmatizes people who are alone without support. As a single, fifty-eight-year-old woman who finds herself stranded after major surgery, Val Walker has woven into the narrative her own story. As a well-established rehabilitation counselor, she was too embarrassed to reveal on social media how utterly isolated she was by asking for someone to help, and it felt agonizingly awkward calling colleagues out of the blue. As she recovered, Val found her voice and developed a plan of action for people who lack social support, not only to heal from the pain of isolation, but to create a solid strategy for rebuilding support. 400 Friends and No One to Call spells out the how-tos for befriending our wider community, building a social safety net, and fostering our sense of belonging. On a deeper level, we are invited to befriend our loneliness, rather than feel ashamed of it, and open our hearts and minds to others trapped in isolation"--
Subjects: Social isolation.; Loneliness.; Social networks.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The great witch of Brittany / by Morgan, Louisa,1952-author.;
"There hasn't been a witch born in the Orchière clan for generations. According to the elders, that line is dead, leaving the clan vulnerable to the whims of superstitious villagers and the prejudices of fearmongering bishops. Ursule Orchière has been raised on stories of the great witches of the past. But the only magic she knows is the false spells her mother weaves over the gullible women who visit their fortune-telling caravan. All of that changes when Ursule comes of age and a spark of power flares to life--the power of witchcraft, guided by the whispers of her ancestors and an ancient grimoire. Simply thrilled to be chosen, she has no idea how magic will twist and shape her future. Ursule is destined to walk the same path the great witches of old took before her. But first, the Orchière magical lineage will have to survive. And danger hovers over her, whether it's the bloodlust of the mob or the flames of the pyre"--
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Historical fiction.; Magic; Witches;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Hopscotch / by Gay, Marie-Louise.;
When her family must move once more, Ophelia uses her imagination to make magic out of a scary situation. Giant rabbits with sharp teeth circle the old motel where they are staying. Ophelia can also hear crow-witches cackling from the trees. And when it's time to go to her new school, she encounters an ogre who blocks the road with his giant ogre laughs. But most frightening of all is when Ophelia is left in her new class and realizes that everyone speaks French. Except her. The kids stare, and Ophelia feels like a fish in a fishbowl. But equipped with the magic of a sheet of white paper and a rainbow of pencils, she will find a way to cast her own spells over the class. Inspired by events from her own childhood, beloved children's author-illustrator Marie-Louise Gay weaves a wonderful tale of imagination, creativity and resilience as the keys to children's power in an uncertain world.
Subjects: Picture books.; Moving, Household; Imagination; Magic; Schools;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The Stalin affair : the impossible alliance that won the war / by Milton, Giles,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From international bestselling historian Giles Milton comes the remarkable true story of the motley group of allied men and women who worked to manage Stalin's mercurial, explosive approach to diplomacy during four turbulent years of World War II. In the summer of 1941, Hitler did the unthinkable -- he invaded the Soviet Union, shattering what Stalin had until then considered an ironclad partnership. It was a shocking, urgent turning point in the war, in the wake of which a team of British and American men and women were assembled with one central goal: to keep the Red Army fighting on the Eastern Front. There were real fears that Stalin's forces would either be defeated (as looked increasingly likely as Hitler's army pushed forward at a merciless pace) or that the Soviet leader would once again strike a deal with Hitler. Either eventuality would spell catastrophe for both Britain and America. Hitler would be able to concentrate his vast military resources in Western Europe, making the continent's ultimate liberation virtually impossible. Enter Averell Harriman: a railroad magnate, and, at the start of the war, the fourth richest man in America. At Roosevelt's behest he traveled to Britain to serve as a liaison between him and Churchill and spearhead what became known as the Harriman mission. Together with his fashionable young daughter Kathy, an unforgettable cast of British diplomats, and Churchill himself, he managed to wrangle Stalin into the partnership the allies needed to finally defeat Hitler. Based on unpublished diaries, letters and secret reports, The Stalin Affair reveals troves of new material about the path to Allied victory, full of vivid scenes between celebrated and infamous World War II figures. Ultimately, it provides fascinating, richly nuanced portrait of one of history's most complicated and notorious dictators"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Stalin, Joseph, 1878-1953.; Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965.; Harriman, W. Averell (William Averell), 1891-1986.; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Otherworldly [electronic resource] : by Lukens, F.T..aut; cloudLibrary;
A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After. Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by. Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors. Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
Subjects: Electronic books.; LGBT; Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural; Action & Adventure;
© 2024., Margaret K. McElderry Books,
unAPI

Three kinds of lucky / by Harrison, Kim,1966-author.;
"Petra Grady has known since adolescence that she has no talent for magic -- and that's never going to change. But as a sweeper first-class, she's parlayed her rare ability to handle dross -- the damaging, magical waste generated by her more talented kin's spellwork -- into a decent life working at the mages' university. Except Grady's relatively predictable life is about to be upended. When the oblivious, sexy, and oh-so-out-of-reach Benedict Strom needs someone with her abilities for a research project studying dross and how to render it harmless, she's stuck working on his team -- whether she wants to or not. Only Benedict doesn't understand the characteristics of dross like Grady does. After an unthinkable accident, she and Benedict are forced to go on the run to seek out the one person who might be able to help: an outcast exiled ten years ago for the crime of using dross to cast spells. Now Grady must decide whether to stick with the magical status quo or embrace her own hidden talents ... and risk shattering their entire world." --
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Novels.; Accidents; Fugitives from justice; Magic; Man-woman relationships; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Research; Universities and colleges; Waste products; Waste products;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Pine Island visitors / by Horvath, Polly.;
Fiona, Marlin, Natasha and Charlie McCready have been adopted by their unlikely guardian, Al, and finally settled into their new home on Pine Island in British Columbia. Fiona is struggling under the weight of trying to keep everything together, not to mention worrying about expenses, while Marlin tries to adjust to her new high school and faces rejections for her cookbook, Thirty Meals a Twelve-Year-Old Could Make and Did!. Natasha is still keeping to herself, but a new interest in the violin reveals hidden talents, while Charlie is dreaming of what kind of dog she would like. It's been an adjustment, but they are loving being with each other and having Al next door. Then they receive a letter from Mrs. Weatherspoon, who took care of them after their parents died, and she is coming to visit for three months -- an inordinate amount of time for a houseguest. Accommodating a fifth person in the tiny house is hard enough, but to their horror, Mrs. Weatherspoon arrives with a companion: her childhood friend, Jo. Jo has opinions about everything -- what they should eat, how they should behave -- and she doesn't hesitate to express them. And sweet Mrs. Weatherspoon seems to have fallen under her spell. When she and Jo announce that they are going to extend their stay even longer, Fiona and Marlin are beside themselves. Fiona hates rocking the boat, but she is going to have to find the courage to stand up to these grown-up bullies so she and her sisters can have the life they wish to lead.
Subjects: Orphans; Siblings; Families;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Courtroom drama : a novel / by Alexander, Neely Tubati,author.;
Sydney Parks thinks she might be the first person in the world to look forward to serving jury duty. When Margot Kitsch, an OG cast member of the hit reality show Authentic Moms of Malibu is arrested after the untimely death of her cast member husband, Joe, Sydney knows being selected for the jury is the most interesting thing that ever happened to her. However, it doesn't take long for Sydney to realize that being part of a sequestered jury in a high-profile case is not at all what legal dramas had led her to expect--especially when she learns that her childhood best friend, Damon, whom she hasn't seen in ten years, is also a jury member. As the trial wears on, Sydney realizes there's a lot more to the case than she first thought. And there's also a lot more to Damon--she soon finds herself falling under his spell despite the court's instructions not to fraternize. His tendency to break the rules and find adventure is hard to resist in their otherwise dull juror's world. But getting close to Damon also means having to face the complicated reasons their friendship abruptly ended just when they were on the precipice of something more. With all the drama in and out of the courtroom, how is Sydney supposed to ignore the fraught history between them? How is she supposed to avoid him when he's sitting next to her in the jury box every day with his broad shoulders and intoxicating smell? And how is she supposed to ensure Margot gets a fair trial if her unfinished business with Damon causes the mistrial of the century?
Subjects: Romance fiction.; Novels.; Friendship; Jurors; Jury duty; Man-woman relationships; Trials (Murder); Women jurors;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The wedding witch : a novel / by Sterling, Erin,author.;
Bowen Penhallow has always been a loner, studying dark and ancient magic on a mountaintop in Wales. He prefers it that way. But when his friend Colin--who happens to be a ghost--asks him to attend a Yuletide wedding at a grand estate deep in the Welsh countryside, Bowen reluctantly agrees. Tamsyn Bligh is not a witch, but she makes her living off of them. As a procurer and seller of magical items, Tamsyn's business is not always above board, but she's been trying to fix that (mostly.) Bowen is an occasional customer--as well as the star of several of Tamsyn's dirtiest dreams--but she's been around enough witches to know that, as a human, getting involved with one is not the smartest idea. She's finagled an invite to the Witchy Wedding of the Century in the hopes of finally making a score big enough to retire. Just one priceless magical artifact from Tywyll House would set her up for life. But Tamsyn isn't the only one sneaking about in Tywyll House, and the mix of a very strong spell combined with a wedding mishap transports Bowen and Tamsyn into Tywyll House's past, to the Yuletide Celebration of 1958. As Bowen and Tamsyn work together to get back to the present, they must also face off with the origins of Tywyll House's haunting, the suspicions of their fellow witches ... oh, and the fact that somewhere between the mistletoe and the bonfire, they might be falling in love.
Subjects: Witch fiction.; Paranormal fiction.; Romance fiction.; Novels.; Magic; Man-woman relationships; Merchants; Time travel; Weddings; Witches;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The apothecary's garden : a novel / by Lynes, Jeanette,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Belleville 1860: Lavender Fitch is a twenty-eight-year-old spinster, whose station in life is greatly diminished after the death of her father, the local apothecary. Her only inheritance is the family house along with its extensive gardens. To make ends meet, Lavender resorts to selling flowers at the local market. Then, one day, a glamorous couple step off the train at the railway station. The lady is famed Spirit Medium, Allegra Trout, who has arrived for a public show of her mediumship. With her striking beauty and otherworldly charms, Allegra casts a spell over Belleville from the moment she arrives. Her handsome but disfigured assistant, Robert, singles out Lavender as he makes his way through the crowded train station and buys her entire cart of flowers. The arrival of the legendary Medium is well-timed. Lavender has been searching for a secret cache of money and requires Allegra's help to contact her dead mother for clues to its hidden location. As the Trouts remain in town, preparing an encore presentation of their Mystical Extravaganza, Robert and Lavender begin to grow closer. As the town's anticipation for Allegra's final show begins to mount, so do Lavender's questions. Will the spirits make contact, or is Allegra a fraud? Is Robert really Allegra's brother, or is something else going on? Will Robert and Lavender's relationship continue to blossom or collapse under the weight of deception? Will Lavender find the money left by her mother or be forced from her home and beloved garden? The Apothecary's Garden is an enchanting and spirited story about the language of flowers and supernatural power of love."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Novels.; Family secrets; Man-woman relationships; Women mediums;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
unAPI