Freaks of a Feather

Freaks of a Feather

Author: Kacy Tellessen

Publisher:

Published: 2022-03-07

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 9781957607016

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An acclaimed memoir of a Marine machine gunner's service during the Iraq War.


The Griffin's Feather

The Griffin's Feather

Author: Cornelia Funke

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Published: 2018-07-31

Total Pages: 437

ISBN-13: 133821554X

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A boy and a dragon team up to keep the Pegasus from extinction in this “not-to-be-missed” sequel to the #1 New York Times–bestselling Dragon Rider (School Library Journal). The last Pegasus in the world has been discovered and when Ben learns the legendary horse has three unhatched eggs that need to be protected, he vows to help. But the only way the eggs will ever hatch—and continue the survival of this incredible magical species—is if they are placed under a griffin’s feather. But griffins are the most dangerous creatures in the world, and their mortal enemies are dragons . . . Ben vows not to tell his beloved dragon Firedrake about his quest, if only to protect him. But as Ben sets off for a remote island where the terrible griffins are rumored to live, he may just need the help of his best friend and dragon . . . “A richly imagined, adeptly illustrated adventure with a strong message of respect for all species of creatures.” —Kirkus Reviews


Freak the Mighty

Freak the Mighty

Author: Rodman Philbrick

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

Published: 2015-04-01

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 1409591050

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Max is used to being called Stupid. And he is used to everyone being scared of him. On account of his size and looking like his dad. Kevin is used to being called Dwarf. And he is used to everyone laughing at him. On account of his size and being some cripple kid. But greatness comes in all sizes, and together Max and Kevin become Freak The Mighty and walk high above the world. An inspiring, heartbreaking, multi-award winning international bestseller.


Nobody's Fool

Nobody's Fool

Author: Bill Griffith

Publisher: Abrams

Published: 2019-03-19

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1683354524

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A graphic biography of the real-life sideshow performer who inspired Zippy the Pinhead: “An uplifting, wonderfully humane book.” —The New York Times From Coney Island and the Ringling Bros. Circus to small-town carnivals and big-city sideshows, Nobody’s Fool follows the long, legendary career of Schlitzie, today best known for his appearance in the cult classic film Freaks, the making of which is a centerpiece of the story. In researching Schlitzie’s life, Griffith has tracked down primary sources and archives throughout the country, conducting interviews with those who worked with him and had intimate knowledge of his personality, his likes and dislikes, how he responded to being a sideshow “freak,” and much more. This graphic biography provides never-before-revealed details of his life, offering a unique look into his world and contributions to popular culture, including the immortal phrase “Are we having fun yet?” “Virtuoso comic-strip artist Bill Griffith gives voice to a true outcast—the sideshow attraction born Simon Metz (probably) in the Bronx (probably) in 1901.” —The New York Times “The underlying message of Nobody’s Fool? I get it—underneath our grandiose opinions of ourselves we’re all pinheads and freaks . . . The best graphic novel of the year.” —R. Crumb “A captivating labor of love that integrates American sideshow history and autobiographical segments . . . an astonishing life, beautifully told. Or, as Schlitzie would say, it’s boffo!” —Booklist (starred review) “A masterpiece of absurdity and humanity. After all these years Schlitzie still triggers laughter and tears.” —Steve Heller, Print


In the Waves

In the Waves

Author: Rachel Lance

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2021-04-06

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1524744174

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One of "The Most Fascinating Books WIRED Read in 2020" "One part science book, one part historical narrative, one part memoir . . . harrowing and inspiring.”—The Wall Street Journal How a determined scientist cracked the case of the first successful—and disastrous—submarine attack On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. And the submarine, the first ever to be successful in combat, disappeared without a trace. For 131 years the eight-man crew of the HL Hunley lay in their watery graves, undiscovered. When finally raised, the narrow metal vessel revealed a puzzling sight. There was no indication the blast had breached the hull, and all eight men were still seated at their stations—frozen in time after more than a century. Why did it sink? Why did the men die? Archaeologists and conservationists have been studying the boat and the remains for years, and now one woman has the answers. In the Waves is much more than just a military perspective or a technical account. It’s also the story of Rachel Lance’s single-minded obsession spanning three years, the story of the extreme highs and lows in her quest to find all the puzzle pieces of the Hunley. Balancing a gripping historical tale and original research with a personal story of professional and private obstacles, In the Waves is an enthralling look at a unique part of the Civil War and the lengths one scientist will go to uncover its secrets.


Honor Girl

Honor Girl

Author: Maggie Thrash

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2024-09-30

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1536246042

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“Thrash has so carefully and skillfully captured a universal moment. . . . A luminescent memoir not to be missed.”— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) All-girl camp. First love. First heartbreak. At once romantic and devastating, brutally honest and full of humor, this graphic-novel memoir is a debut of the rarest sort.


Vinyl Freak

Vinyl Freak

Author: John Corbett

Publisher: Duke University Press

Published: 2017-05-18

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 0822373157

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From scouring flea markets and eBay to maxing out their credit cards, record collectors will do just about anything to score a long-sought-after album. In Vinyl Freak, music writer, curator, and collector John Corbett burrows deep inside the record fiend’s mind, documenting and reflecting on his decades-long love affair with vinyl. Discussing more than 200 rare and out-of-print LPs, Vinyl Freak is composed in part of Corbett's long-running DownBeat magazine column of the same name, which was devoted to records that had not appeared on CD. In other essays where he combines memoir and criticism, Corbett considers the current vinyl boom, explains why vinyl is his preferred medium, profiles collector subcultures, and recounts his adventures assembling the Alton Abraham Sun Ra Archive, an event so all-consuming that he claims it cured his record-collecting addiction. Perfect for vinyl newbies and veteran crate diggers alike, Vinyl Freak plumbs the motivations that drive Corbett and collectors everywhere.


The Blind Woman and Other Stories

The Blind Woman and Other Stories

Author: Michael Gurian

Publisher:

Published: 2018-08-23

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 9780999707562

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Within this dramatic and profound collection of stories, New York Times bestselling author Michael Gurian explores the cultural and spiritual gulf between Muslims and Westerners. From Ankara to Seattle, the West Bank to Manhattan, these provocative stories continually surprise with scenes of shocking brutality and improbable enlightenment.In A Desperate Pride, a Palestinian woman falls in love with Raf Horowitz, an American Jew who arrives in Israel with reckless idealism. In The Reincarnation of Donaldo Fuertes, an elderly writer recruits a young African American Muslim to accompany him on a pilgrimage to his homeland. And in the title story, a young hospice nurse finds her life course completely changed as she fulfills her duties to a Somali woman scarred by her upbringing.With the grace and craftsmanship of a veteran storyteller, Gurian's collection is an emotional powerhouse filled with animosity and love, heartache and understanding, disillusionment and hope. Lyrical and absorbing, these stories reveal the humanity of a culture so often in conflict with our own.


Unchained

Unchained

Author: Shayne Silvers

Publisher:

Published: 2017-07-10

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 9781947709010

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Meet Callie Penrose, rookie spell-slinger for the Vatican Shepherds - otherwise known as the monster hunters. But is she Heaven's Devil or Hell's Angel.


Natural Selection

Natural Selection

Author: Gary Giddins

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 019517951X

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Long recognized as America's most brilliant jazz writer, the winner of many major awards--including the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award--and author of a highly popular biography of Bing Crosby, Gary Giddins has also produced a wide range of stimulating and original cultural criticism in other fields. With Natural Selection, he brings together the best of these previously uncollected essays, including a few written expressly for this volume. The range of topics is spellbinding. Writing with insight, humor, and a famously deft touch, he offers sharp-edged perspectives on such diverse subjects as Federico Fellini and Jean Renoir, Norman Mailer and Ralph Ellison, Marlon Brando and Groucho Marx, Duke Ellington and Bob Dylan, horror and noir, the cartoon version of Animal Farm and the comic book series Classics Illustrated. Giddins brings to criticism an uncommon ability, long demonstrated in his music writing, to address in very few words an entire career, so that we get an in-depth portrait of the artist beyond the film, book, or recording under review. For instance, Giddins offers a stunning reappraisal of Doris Day, who he terms "the coolest and sexiest female singer of slow ballads in film history." He argues eloquently for a reconsideration of the forgotten German-language novelist Soma Morgenstern. In a section on comedy, he offers fresh perspectives on the three great silent film stars--Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd--while resurrecting the legendary Jack Benny and reevaluating the controversial Jerry Lewis. There's also a memorable look at Bing Crosby's film career (he calls Crosby's blockbuster Going My Way "a neglected masterpiece") and a close examination of Marcel Carne's beloved Children of Paradise. Of course, Giddins also supplies excellent commentary on jazz: major and underrated figures, and especially the uses of jazz in film. A wonderful gathering of little-known treasures, Natural Selection will broaden the perception of Gary Giddins as one of our most important cultural critics.