Books
Mechanics' Institute Library has over 100,000 circulating materials in its collection and continues to grow. We serve the general reader with a wide, diverse, and eclectic collection covering a vast array of subjects and interests.
See a selection of our collection below and visit our Catalog to explore even more.
Let Them Cook - This Woman's Work
This list is inspired by current events, including reporting by CNN as part of their As Equals series on gender inequality. The titles below are about feminism, patriarchy, women's empowerment, and toxic masculinity, and hope for societal changes that could benefit us all, and which can happen when we work toward them together.
Feminism is for everybody : passionate politics
By hooks, bell, 1952-2021.
In this engaging and provocative volume, bell hooks introduces a popular theory of feminism rooted in common sense and the wisdom of experience. Hers is a vision of a beloved community that appeals to all those committed to equality, mutual respect, and justice. hooks applies her critical analysis to the most contentious and challenging issues facing feminists today, including reproductive rights, violence, race, class, and work. With her customary insight and unsparing honesty, hooks calls for a feminism free from divisive barriers but rich with rigorous debate. In language both eye-opening and optimistic, hooks encourages us to demand alternatives to patriarchal, racist, and homophobic culture, and to imagine a different future. hooks speaks to all those in search of true liberation, asking readers to take look at feminism in a new light, to see that it touches all lives. Issuing an invitation to participate fully in feminist movement and to benefit fully from it, hooks shows that feminism--far from being an outdated concept or one limited to an intellectual elite--is indeed for everybody.
Women who run with the wolves : myths and stories of the wild woman archetype
By Estés, Clarissa Pinkola.
"Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. Her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species. Though the gifts of wildish nature come to us at birth, society's attempt to "civilize" us into rigid roles has plundered this treasure, and muffled the deep, life-giving messages of our own souls. Without Wild Woman, we become over-domesticated, fearful, uncreative, trapped." "Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph. D., Jungian analyst and cantadora storyteller, shows how woman's vitality can be restored through what she calls "psychic archeological digs" into the bins of the female unconscious. In Women Who Run with the Wolves, Dr. Estes uses multicultural myths, fairy tales, folk tales, and stories chosen from over twenty years of research that help women reconnect with the healthy, instinctual, visionary attributes of the Wild Woman archetype." "Dr. Estes collects the bones of many stories, looking for the archetypal motifs that set a woman's inner life into motion. "La Loba" teaches about the transformative function of the psyche. In "Bluebeard", we learn what to do with wounds that will not heal; in "Skeleton Woman", we glimpse the mystical power of relationship and how dead feelings can be revived; "Vasalisa the Wise" brings our lost womanly instincts to the surface again; "The Handless Maiden" recovers the Wild Woman initiation rites; and "The Little Match Girl" warns against the insidious dangers of a life spent in fantasy." "In these and other stories, we focus on the many qualities of Wild Woman. We retrieve, examine, love, and understand her, and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine." "In Women Who Run with the Wolves, Dr. Estes has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche. Fertile and lifegiving, it is a psychology of women in the truest sense, a knowing of the soul."--Jacket.
Herland
By Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, 1860-1935.
A must-read for fans of utopian science fiction, Herland describes a society comprised solely of female inhabitants. The residents of the isolated community have perfected a form of asexual reproduction, and have constructed a society that is free from all of the ills associated with Western culture, including war, strife, conflict, cruelty, and even pollution. Written by renowned feminist thinker Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland is a thought-provoking and entertaining novel that will engage male and female readers alike.
Unbound : my story of liberation and the birth of the Me Too movement
By Burke, Tarana, author.
"From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the "me too" movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words-me too-and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in American history. Tarana didn't always have the courage to say "me too." As a child, she reeled from her sexual assault, believing she was responsible. Unable to confess what she thought of as her own sins for fear of shattering her family, her soul split in two. One side was the bright, intellectually curious third generation Bronxite steeped in Black literature and power, and the other was the bad, shame ridden girl who thought of herself as a vile rule breaker, not of a victim. She tucked one away, hidden behind a wall of pain and anger, which seemed to work...until it didn't. Tarana fought to reunite her fractured soul, through organizing, pursuing justice, and finding community. In her debut memoir she shares her extensive work supporting and empowering Black and brown girls, and the devastating realization that to truly help these girls she needed to help that scared, ashamed child still in her soul. She needed to stop running and confront what had happened to her, for Heaven and Diamond and the countless other young Black women for whom she cared. They gave her the courage to embrace her power. A power which in turn she shared with the entire world. Through these young Black and brown women, Tarana found that we can only offer empathy to others if we first offer it to ourselves. Unbound is the story of an inimitable woman's inner strength and perseverance, all in pursuit of bringing healing to her community and the world around her, but it is also a story of possibility, of empathy, of power, and of the leader we all have inside ourselves. In sharing her path toward healing and saying "me too," Tarana reaches out a hand to help us all on our own journeys"--
A hymn to life : shame has to change sides
By Pelicot, Gisèle, author.
"In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity in her legal fight against her ex-husband and the fifty men accused of sexually assaulting her, a courageous decision that inspired millions of people around the world. Only four years prior, [she] had made the shattering discovery that her partner, Dominique Pelicot, had been secretly drugging and raping her, and inviting strangers to also abuse her in their home for nearly a decade. 'Shame must change sides,' Gisèle bravely declared at the opening of the trial in Avignon, France, and the dictum soon became an international rallying cry to radically transform public sentiment and legislation surrounding cases of sexual violence. Beginning in 2020, when she received the first phone call from a local police station, Gisèle recounts the fateful investigation that turned her life inside out. She retraces the steps of a life built over the course of five decades, the final decade of her marriage and its hidden abuse, and the long path of emotional healing that ensues. Part memoir, part act of defiance, A Hymn to Life is a story of survival, testimony, and courage, and a portrait of a woman who broke her silence, reclaimed her voice, and forced a reckoning." --
The serviceberry : abundance and reciprocity in the natural world
By Kimmerer, Robin Wall, 1953- author.
"As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry's relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth -- its abundance of sweet, juicy berries -- to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, 'Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.'"--
The will to change : men, masculinity, and love
By hooks, bell, 1952-2021, author.
In a social and cultural analysis, the author explores the world of masculinity and maleness to address some of men's most common concerns, including a fear of intimacy and the loss of their patriarchal place in society, arguing that an emotionally rewarding inner life holds the key to successful intimate relationships.
Women & power : a manifesto
By Beard, Mary, 1955- author.
Two essays connect the past with the present, tracing the history of misogyny to its ancient roots and examining the pitfalls of gender.
He/she/they : how we talk about gender and why it matters
By Bailar, Schuyler, author.
"A life-changing, lifesaving book for anyone and everyone. Anti-transgender legislation has been introduced all across the United States in record-breaking numbers. Trans people are under attack in sports, healthcare, entertainment, school and education, bathrooms, and nearly everywhere else. He/She/They clearly and compassionately addresses fundamental topics, from how being transgender is not a choice and why pronouns are important, to more complex issues including how gender-affirming healthcare can be lifesaving and why allowing trans youth to play sports is good for all kids. With a relatable narrative rooted in facts, science, and history, Schuyler Bailar helps restore common sense and humanity to a discussion that continues to be divisively co-opted and deceptively politicized. Schuyler didn't set out to be an activist, but his very public transition to the Harvard men's swim team put him in the spotlight. His choice to be open about his journey and share his experience has touched people around the world, and his plain-spoken education has evolved into tireless advocacy for inclusion and collective liberation. In He/She/They, Schuyler uses storytelling and the art of conversation to give readers the essential language and context of gender, meeting everyone where they are and paving the way for understanding, acceptance, and -- most importantly -- connection. He/She/They is more than a book on allyship; it also speaks to trans folks directly and answers the question, "Does it get better?" with a resounding yes, celebrating radical trans joy. Myth-busting, affirming, compassionate, and fierce, He/She/They is a crucial, urgent -- and lifesaving -
Men who hate women : from incels to pickup artists : the truth about extreme misogyny and how it affects us all
By Bates, Laura, 1986- author.
The man they wanted me to be : toxic masculinity and a crisis of our own making
By Sexton, Jared Yates, author.
Staff Picks
Books, music, and movie recommendations from Mechanics' staff
Catch and kill : lies, spies, and a conspiracy to protect predators
By Farrow, Ronan, 1987- author.
Elizabeth's pick
Add a zero : the step-by-step guide to financial freedom and getting to your first million
By Han, Rose.
Bobbie's pick
Rethinking rescue : Dog Lady and the story of America's forgotten people and pets
By Mithers, Carol Lynn, author.
Bobbie's pick
New Fiction
See more new fiction in our catalog
The keeper
By French, Tana, author.
"On a cold night in the remote Irish village of Arknakelty, a girl goes missing. Sweet, loving Rachel Holohan was about to be engaged to the son of the local big shot. Instead, she's dead in the river. In a close-knit small town, a death like this isn't simple. It comes wrapped in generations--old grudges and power struggles, and it splits the townland in two. Retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper has friends here now, and he owes them loyalty, but his fiancée Lena wants nothing to do with Ardnakelty's tangles. As the feud becomes more vicious, their settled peace starts to crack apart. And when they uncover a scheme that casts a new light on Rachel's death and threatens the whole village, they find themselves in the firing line"--
Brawler : stories
By Groff, Lauren, author.
"Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region--from New England to Florida to California--these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans' dark and light angels"--
Is this a cry for help?
By Austin, Emily (Emily R.), author
"Darcy's life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake. But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch's upcoming DEI programs. Through the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself"--
Discipline : a novel
By Pham, Larissa, author.
This novel follows Christine, a writer touring for her debut book, which draws on a past relationship with a former professor. While traveling, she reflects on questions of artistic creation, ethics, and personal responsibility through conversations with acquaintances, former partners, and strangers. Christine's reflections are disrupted when the professor who inspired her novel contacts her after a long period of silence, initiating a renewed exchange. When he invites her to visit him on a remote island off the coast of Maine, Christine is forced to confront issues of power, authorship, and control over personal narratives. The novel explores the complexities of intimacy, memory, and the boundaries between lived experience and artistic representation.
The bookbinder's secret
By Bell, A. D. (Novelist), author.
Set in Oxford and London at the beginning of the 20th century, this novel follows Lilian Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder working in a traditionally male trade. While assisting with a private collection, she encounters a damaged book containing a concealed letter dating back fifty years that references a past relationship and a violent crime. As Lilian searches for additional books containing hidden documents, she uncovers a story of forbidden love and unresolved wrongdoing. Her investigation leads her through the worlds of antiquarian bookselling, private collectors, and archival records. As competing interests seek the same materials, the pursuit becomes increasingly dangerous, forcing Lilian to weigh the risks of continuing her search against her own safety.
Strange pictures
By Uketsu, author.
An exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. A pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning. A child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message. A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbithole that will reveal a horrifying reality. Structured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the mystery behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all. --
How to get away with murder : a novel
By Philipson, Rebecca, author.
" "If you picked up this book because you truly want to get away with murder, you will not be disappointed. Simply turn the page and we'll get started." This fresh debut thriller finds a Scotland Yard detective trying to find the author of a self-help book that promises quite literally to teach readers how to get away with murder, which seems to have inspired London's newest murderer. Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave for six months, recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work, but when a fourteen-year-old girl is murdered in a local park, Sam jumps at the chance to return to the job and prove that she's still got what it takes to be the Yard's most successful homicide detective. One of the case's only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How To Get Away With Murder by a man named Denver Brady. Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's ever heard of him. Chapter by chapter, he details his methodology and his past victims, and as Sam's investigation progresses and the details of the book go viral, Sam begins to suspect that there's more to the author than what he's revealed. But in order to find a killer and get justice for young Charlotte, Sam must learn to trust her instincts once again, before Denver Brady--or someone else--really does get away with murder"-- Provided by publisher.
You dreamed of empires
By Enrigue, Alvaro, 1969- author.
"From a visionary Mexican author, a hallucinatory, revelatory, colonial revenge story that reimagines the fall of Tenochtitlan. One morning in 1519, conquistador Hernán Cortés entered the city of Tenochtitlan--today's Mexico City. Later that day, he would meet the emperor Moctezuma in a collision of two worlds, two empires, two languages, two possible futures. Cortés was accompanied by his nine captains, his troops, and his two translators: Aguilar, a taciturn friar, and Malinalli, an enslaved, strategic Nahua princess. Greeted at a ceremonial welcome meal by the steely princess Atotoxli, sister and wife of Moctezuma, the Spanish nearly bungle their entrance to the city. As they await their meeting with Moctezuma--who is at a political, spiritual, and physical crossroads, and relies on hallucinogens to get himself through the day and in quest for any kind of answer from the gods--the Spanish are ensconced in the labyrinthine palace. Soon, one of Cortés's captains, Jazmín Caldera, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the city, begins to question the ease with which they were welcomed into the city, and wonders at the risks of getting out alive, much less conquering the empire. 'You dreamed of empires' brings to life Tenochtitlan at its height, and reimagines its destiny. The incomparably original Álvaro Enrigue sets afire the moment of conquest and turns it into a moment of revolution, a restitutive, fantastical counter-attack, in a novel so electric and so unique that it feels like a dream."--
The proposal
By Guillory, Jasmine, author.
"When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn't come as a surprise--or happen in front of 45,000 people. When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't the hard part--they've only been dating for five months, and he can't even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans... At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik's rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He's even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik's social media blows up--in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can't be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes.."--
Hell's heart
By Hall, Alexis J., author.
"Gideon the Ninth meets Moby-Dick in USA Today bestselling author Alexis Hall's thrilling SF debut, Hell's Heart! They are monsters, legends, gods. They are our prey. Earth is dead. Which leaves us stuck living in atmospheric domes on planets that will kill us if we blink wrong, or run out of fuel. And by "fuel" I mean "the cerebrospinal fluid of gargantuan, quasi-psychic space monsters". I joined the hunt hoping to get paid and maybe laid, but mostly paid. Instead, I followed a captain chasing abominations in the skies of Jupiter. We battled the Möbius Beast itself, there in the red eye of the world. Spoiler: we lost"--
Leviathan falls
By Corey, James S. A., author.
"The Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again. In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte's missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before. As nearly unimaginable forces prepare to annihilate all human life, Holden and a group of unlikely allies discover a last, desperate chance to unite all of humanity, with the promise of a vast galactic civilization free from wars, factions, lies, and secrets if they win. But the price of victory may be worse than the cost of defeat"--
The blade itself
By Abercrombie, Joe, author.
Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers. Nob
The viper
By Meltzer, Brad author aut http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/aut http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n96091726
New Non-fiction
Bookish : how reading shapes our lives
By Mangan, Lucy, author.
As a child, Lucy Mangan was reading all the time, using books to navigate the challenges and complexities of this world and many others. As an adult, she uses her new relationship with literature to seize upon the most important question: (how) do books prepare us for life? 'Bookish' picks up where 'Bookworm' left off: at the cusp of teenage, when everything - including the way we read - undergoes a not-so-subtle transformation. Revisiting the books of all genres, that ferried her through each important stage of life, 'Bookish' is a coming-of-age in books. It's an ode to our favourite bookish spaces - from the smallest secondhand bookstalls to libraries, glorious big bookshops and our very own book rooms - and a love story to how books not only shelter our souls through hard times and help us find ourselves when we feel lost, but also help us connect with the people we love through shared stories.
No icon
By Gordon, Kim, 1953- author.
As cofounder of legendary rock band Sonic Youth, best-selling author, and celebrated artist, Kim Gordon is one of the most singular and influential figures of the modern era. This personally curated scrapbook is an edgy and evocative portrait of Gordon s life, art, and style. Spanning from her childhood on Californian surf beaches in the 60s and 70s to New York s downtown art and music scene in the 80s and 90s where Sonic Youth was born. Through unpublished personal photographs, magazine and newspaper clippings, fashion editorials, and advertising campaigns, interspersed with Gordon s song lyrics, writings, artworks, private objects, and ephemera, this book demonstrates how Kim Gordon has been a role model for generations of women and men.
Wine simple perfect pairings : an ingenious guide to enjoying wine with food
By Sohm, Aldo, author.
"From the world-renowned sommelier Aldo Sohm, a dynamic, essential wine guide for a new generation. Aldo Sohm is one of the most respected and widely lauded sommeliers in the world. He's worked with celebrated chef Eric Ripert as wine director of three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin for over a decade, yet his philosophy and approach to wine is much more casual. Imbued with Aldo's insatiable passion and eagerness to teach others, Wine Simple: perfect pairings is accessible, deeply educational, and lively and fun, both in voice and visuals. This essential guide begins with the fundamentals of wine in easy-to-absorb hits of information and pragmatic, everyday tips -- key varietals and winemaking regions, how to taste, when to save and when to splurge, and how to set up a wine tasting at home. Aldo then teaches you how to take your wine knowledge to the next level and evolve your palate, including techniques on building a "flavor library," a cheat sheet to good (and great) vintages (and why you shouldn't put everything on the line for them), tips on troubleshooting tricky wines (corked? mousy?), and, for the daring, even how to saber a bottle of champagne. This visual, user-friendly approach will inspire readers to have the confidence, curiosity, and enthusiasm to taste smarter, drink boldly, and dive headfirst fearlessly into the exciting world of wine"-- Provided by publisher.
Alchemy : an illustrated history of elixirs, experiments, and the birth of modern science
By Ball, Philip, 1962- author.
"The craft of alchemy has intrigued and mystified people since antiquity. Many early cultures are known to have experimented with chemical transformations: from dyes, glazes, and cosmetics in Bronze Age Egypt to life-extending elixirs pursued by scholars in ancient China and India. Many have also attempted to transform lead, mercury, and other metals into gold-and some claim to have succeeded. In this visually stunning volume, Philip Ball sets alchemy within the context of the history of science and culture, showing that it was not simply an esoteric fantasy but an important phase in the development of experimental science and natural philosophy. Rich illustrations complement a narrative history of the methods and techniques developed in alchemical workshops, the search for the philosopher's stone and "elixirs of life" that extended across diverse cultures, and the controversies surrounding the practices of making alchemical gold and alchemical medicine. Ball explores the rise of alchemy from its inception in Hellenistic culture, through the golden age of Islamic natural philosophy in the eighth to the eleventh centuries, to the emergence of the tradition of natural magic in the Renaissance, and to the roles of alchemical thought and practice in the beginnings of early modern science in the seventeenth century. He traces the persistence of alchemical ideas through the occult revival of the late nineteenth century and the fascination of the topic for modern artists and writers. This engaging and accessible book will provide readers of all backgrounds with a nuanced understanding of alchemy and its history"--
Every day I read : 53 ways to get closer to books
By Hwang, Po-rŭm, author.
"Why do we read? What is it that we hope to take away from the intimate, personal experience of reading for pleasure? How often do we ask these profound, expansive questions of ourselves and of our relationship to the joy of reading? In each of the essays in 'Every day I read,' Hwang Bo-reum contemplates what living a life immersed in reading means. She goes beyond the usual questions of what to read and how often, exploring the relationship between reading and writing, when to turn to a bestseller vs. browse the corners of a bookstore, the value of reading outside of your favorite genre, falling in love with book characters, and more. 'Every day I read' provides many quiet moments for introspection and reflection, encouraging booklovers to explore what reading means to each of us. While this is a book about books, at its heart is an attitude to life, one outside capitalism and climbing the corporate ladder. Lifelong and new readers will take inspiration from it, including a treasure trove of book recommendations blended seamlessly within"--
Chinese furniture : a guide for collectors
By Mazurkewich, Karen, author.
The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chinese Furniture is a survey of these collectibles--from the very best museum-quality hardwood pieces to standard softwood specimens still available at reasonable prices on the international market. Carpenters from this era were artisans. They elevated furniture from the functional to the realm of the philosophical. By artfully aligning wood grain patterns, experimenting with spatial dimensions, and innovating new forms of joinery, simple tables and chairs came to represent something higher--the harmony and union of man and nature. With its detailed historical overview and regional coverage, this book highlights the great diversity of antique Chinese furniture and serves as an indispensable guide to collectors, new and old.
Muni is my ride : portraits of Muni in words and images
By Smith, Lia, author.
"Illustrations of passengers and bus stops, plus interviews and portraits of bus and train operators will make one want to abandon the isolation of the automobile and jump on public transportation, be it Muni in San Francisco or whatever your hometown provides. Colored pencil portraits of Muni operators, drawings of bus passengers, and B&W line drawings of bus stops by San Francisco artist Keith Ferris, accompanied by writer Lia Smith's in-depth interviews of Muni operators, who detail their day-to-day realities transporting passengers throughout the City and explain what drew them to the profession"--
Strangers : a memoir of marriage
By Burden, Belle, author.
"It was a great love story, one for the ages. The speed of our beginning and the speed of our ending felt like matching bookends. They both came out of nowhere. He wanted it, he wanted me. And then he didn't. In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha's Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together--building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whiskey sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of twenty years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume. In Strangers, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues that her husband was not who she always thought he was. As she examines her relationship through a new lens, she reckons with her own family history and the lessons she intuited about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal. Through all of it, she is transformed. The discreet, compliant woman she once was--someone nicknamed 'Belle the Good'--gives way to someone braver, someone determined to use her voice. With unflinching honesty and profound grace, Burden charts a path through heartbreak to show the power of a woman who refuses to give up on love. Strangers is a stunning, deeply moving, compulsively readable memoir heralding the arrival of a thrilling new literary talent"--
Why we drink too much : the impact of alcohol on our bodies and culture
By Knowles, Charles, Dr., author.
"An exploration of our relationship with alcohol regardless of the severity of the problem or prior knowledge or experience"-- Provided by publisher.
Tricks, traps, and tips in the chess opening : practical lessons for ambitious improvers
By Ippolito, Dean, author.
A good start is half the battle. Experienced American chess coach Dean Ippolito has trained thousands beginners and adult improvers and knows exactly how you should build your opening knowledge. Each chapter focuses on a concrete tactical theme. Those will allow you to set traps, an play tricks, but will also develop your general understanding of opening play with concepts as development and the importance of the center.
Forest euphoria : the abounding queerness of nature
By Kaishian, Patricia Ononiwu, author.
"Growing up, Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian felt most at home in the swamps and culverts near her house in the Hudson Valley. A child who frequently felt out of place, too much of one thing or not enough of another, she found acceptance in these settings, among other amphibious beings. In snakes, snails, and, above all, fungi, she saw her own developing identities as a queer, neurodivergent person reflected back at her -- and in them, too, she found a personal path to a life of science. In Forest Euphoria, Kaishian shows us this making of a scientist and introduces readers to the queerness of all the life around us. Fungal species, we learn, commonly encompass more than two biological sexes -- and
The mattering instinct : how our deepest longing drives us and divides us
By Goldstein, Rebecca, 1950- author.
Fear and fury : the Reagan eighties, the Bernie Goetz shootings, and the rebirth of white rage
By Thompson, Heather Ann, 1963- author.
Artificial intelligence : a guide for thinking humans ; with a new preface
By Mitchell, Melanie (Computer scientist), author.
Hated by all the right people : Tucker Carlson and the unraveling of the conservative mind
By Zengerle, Jason, author.
Injustice : how politics and fear vanquished America's Justice Department
By Leonnig, Carol, author.
Enshittification : why everything suddenly got worse and what to do about it
By Doctorow, Cory, author.
Economica : a global history of women, wealth, and power
By Bateman, Victoria N. (Victoria Naomi), 1979- author.
Unmasking AI : my mission to protect what is human in a world of machines
By Buolamwini, Joy, author.