Lives West

While the formal rules of etiquette are not taught the way they once were, good manners are as critical today as they ever were. 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know provides a modern update on the ageless idea that girls should know appropriate and courteous responses to any given situation.

On February 3, 1889, just two days shy of her forty-first birthday, Myra Maybelle Shirley—better known at that point by her outlaw sobriquet “Belle Starr”—was blown from her horse saddle and killed by a pair of shotgun blasts, delivered by an unseen assailant, only a few miles away from her home in the Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma. Thus ended the life of one of the most colorful, authentic, and dangerous women in the history of the American West.

When Fiona's family moves to a new town to be closer to her older sister's figure skating club—and far from Fiona's close-knit group of friends—nobody seems to notice Fiona's unhappiness. Alone and out of place, Fiona ventures to the town's library, a rambling mansion donated by an heiress. And there she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places—maybe even from the sister she thinks doesn't care about her anymore.

A romantic pause-resister propelled by the 60-year secret that has shaped two families, four lovers, and one seaside resort community. Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, The Rocks opens with a confrontation and a secret: What was the mysterious, catastrophic event that drove two honeymooners apart so suddenly and absolutely in 1948 that they never spoke again despite living on the same island for 60 more years? And how did their history shape the Romeo and Juliet-like romance of their (unrelated) children decades later?

The Colorado River is an essential resource for a surprisingly large part of the United States, and every gallon that flows down it is owned or claimed by someone. David Owen traces all that water from the Colorado’s headwaters to its parched terminus, once a verdant wetland but now a million-acre desert. He takes listeners on an adventure downriver, along a labyrinth of waterways, reservoirs, power plants, farms, fracking sites, ghost towns, and RV parks, to the spot near the US-Mexico border where the river runs dry.

The grizzly is one of North America's few remaining large predators. Their range is diminished, but they're spreading across the West again. Descending into valleys where once they were king, bears find the landscape they'd known for eons utterly changed by the new most dominant animal: humans. In searing detail, award-winning writer, Montana rancher, and conservationist Bryce Andrews tells us about one such grizzly. Millie is a typical mother: strong, cunning, fiercely protective of her cubs. But raising those cubs becomes ever harder as the climate warms and people crowd the valleys.

Ethan, the first-ever human Goblin King, thought he'd seen it all after a mysterious talisman teleported him to this new world. But when an orcish army stands at the doorstep of his kingdom, life on the throne just got a whole lot more complicated. As he grapples with the imminent threat, he also finds himself captivated by a fiery half-orc, half-goblin blacksmith, whose heart is as elusive as her craft is formidable.

Alice Sullivan feels like she’s finally found her groove in middle age, but it only takes one moment for her perfectly curated life to unravel. On the same day she learns her daughter is struggling in second grade, a call from her son’s school accusing him of bullying throws Alice into a tailspin.

Isobel Johnson has spent her career in Liston Heights sidestepping the community’s high-powered families. But when she receives a threatening voicemail accusing her of anti-Americanism and a liberal agenda, she’s in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Julia Abbott, obsessed with the casting of the school’s winter musical, makes an error in judgment that has far-reaching consequences for her entire family.

In the early evening of June 25, 1980 in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, two middle-class outsiders named Vicki Durian, 26, and Nancy Santomero, 19, were murdered in an isolated clearing. They were hitchhiking to a festival known as the Rainbow Gathering but never arrived. For 13 years, no one was prosecuted for the "Rainbow Murders", though deep suspicion was cast on a succession of local residents in the community, depicted as poor, dangerous, and backward.

The seed of this book started with a hug. But at the time of that hug. I didn't realize my life would change forever. She gently pulled me in and whispered these two words, "I'm done." I was completely thrown off guard. I ask her what she meant. What do you mean you're done - done with what? She quietly whispered in my ear, I'm done with us. My heart sank, and a numbness of emotions consumed every cell in my body.

In this provocative and captivating dialogue, bell hooks and Cornel West come together to discuss the dilemmas, contradictions, and joys of Black intellectual life. The two friends and comrades in struggle talk, argue, and disagree about everything from community to capitalism in a series of intimate conversations that range from playful to probing to revelatory. In evoking the act of breaking bread, the book calls upon the various traditions of sharing that take place in domestic, secular, and sacred life.

The Skripal Files is a remarkable and definitive account of Sergei Skripal’s story, which lays bare the new spy war between Russia and the West. Mark Urban, the diplomatic and defense editor for the BBC, met with Skripal in the months before his poisoning, learning about his career in Russian military intelligence, how he became a British agent, his imprisonment in Russia, and the events that led to his release. Skripal’s first-hand accounts and experiences reveal the high stakes of a new spy game that harks back to the chilliest days of the Cold War.

When these gorgeous queens dress up in their stunning gown with picture perfect makeup, haters label them as inappropriate and unlawful. They are entertainers not predators. Drag is an art of self-expression that, at its core, affirms and uplifts LGBTQIA+ people. No Tea, No Shade is a collective anthem written by six drag queens who believe in equality, peace, and in a world that loves and respects all people.

One day, the Hollister children saw their grandparents on television. The show was featuring dog sled races during a yearly Canadian Trappers’ Carnival. Since the elder Mr. and Mrs. Hollister run a winter resort called Snowflake Camp in Canada, the children thought it would be a wonderful idea to ask their grandparents if they could visit them over the Thanksgiving vacation when the next Carnival would be starting. No one had any idea, while waiting for the invitation to arrive, that Snowflake Camp would turn out to be the trail’s end of a mystery that started in Shoreham.

Do you ever find yourself stumbling over your words in crucial meetings, wishing you could communicate with the confidence and clarity of a true leader? Imagine walking into every interaction knowing what to say, commanding attention effortlessly. Introducing Communicate Like a Leader, a groundbreaking guide by expert Alex M. Thorn. This comprehensive book provides a roadmap for mastering workplace communication. Through real-life examples, practical tips, and actionable strategies, you'll navigate complex professional interactions with ease and impact.

Welcome to Wildcat Crossing! There's horses to ride, a Wild West show - and a mysterious troublemaker on the loose!

Sam and Jane Archer walk out of a backcountry hiking trip into a living nightmare. Their car is vandalized and dead, along with every other vehicle in the trailhead parking lot. Unable to get a cell phone signal, and spooked by a threatening encounter - they resign themselves to a long hike home, suspecting a possible EMP attack against the United States.

When her gym class must face the school rock-climbing wall, Tanisha is discouraged. Her muscles are weak, and she knows she'll never reach the top like Cayla. But maybe strength is about more than just muscles. With help from her family, Tanisha learns that by showing up, speaking up, and not giving up, she can be strong, too. And that people are the strongest when they work together and trust each other.

The Clear Conspiracy is a gripping dystopian thriller and the first installment of the End of Life trilogy. Set on a decaying, war-torn Earth, this futuristic dystopian novel follows Jay Preston, a talented hospice social worker who unwittingly becomes entangled in a global conspiracy that could reshape society forever. In a world ravaged by classism, greed, and political corruption, Jay stumbles upon an alien conspiracy orchestrated by powerful elites, ready to sacrifice millions for their gain.