Adult Fiction
The Forty-Niners by William W. Johnstone & J. A. Johnstone.
In January of 1848, the discovery of gold at Sutters Mill in California sparked a nationwide frenzy, fueling the dreams of Americans from coast to coast. By 1849, hundreds of thousands of fortune hunters from across the globe headed west to stake their claim. Armed with pan or pickaxe, driven by greed or glory, every last one of them was determined to strike it rich-or die trying. . . . For Cord Bennett, it was more than a dream. California was his destiny-even if he didn't know it yet. Forced to leave his family farm in the Ozarks, he reluctantly joins his two older brothers on the treacherous journey west. Together, they would endure harsh weather, fierce tribal attacks, and roving outlaws. But their biggest challenge comes when they reach the gold-rich canyon of Rio Oro. This small makeshift town is barely more than a campsite for prospectors-but the men who control it are as ruthless as any big-city criminals. And twice as deadly . . . This is the story of the men and women who risked their lives to make their fortunes in a boundless land of opportunity. But sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. And where there's gold, there's gunfire . . .
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Three-Inch Teeth by C. J. Box.
A rogue grizzly bear has gone on a rampage--killing, among others, the potential fiancée of Joe's daughter. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped lock up years ago, is released from prison with a list of six names tattooed on his skin. He wants revenge on the people who sent him away: the people he blames for the deaths of his entire family and the loss of his reputation and property. Using the grizzly attacks as cover, Cates sets out to methodically check off his list. The problem is, both Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett are on it.
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The Wild Side by Fern Michaels.
For Melanie Drake, school guidance counselor in a small Virginia town, the day's challenges typically involve a playground scuffle or a student skipping school. It's worlds away from her previous career as a vital part of the Office of Special Investigations. There, she devoted herself heart and soul to covert operations, the riskier the better. Since leaving, Melanie has cherished her peaceful, calm existence, with her two beloved retired service dogs for company. Then a call comes from her former supervisor, Rich Patterson. He needs her back for a highly specialized assignment. An international group of billionaires is known to meet regularly for decadent dinners, and they always hire high-class escorts for the occasion. Only the most elegant, well-educated, and sophisticated women will do. Infiltrating those meetings could yield information vital to national security. Melanie's loyalty is indisputable. She's willing to pose as an escort and glean every scrap of intel that she can. But these men aren't just wealthy and powerful, they're also exceptionally ruthless. One slip, and they won't hesitate to eliminate Melanie, by any means necessary. . .
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Adult Non-Fiction
Estate Planning Basics by Denis Clifford.
Get the need-to-know basics about wills, trusts, avoiding probate, and planning for incapacity with Estate Planning Basics. This book lays out your options in plain English, guiding you to the right estate plan for you and your family.
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The Game Master’s Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying by Jonah Fishel & Tristan Fishel.
Most adventures in traditional TTRPGs start out the same way: Something bad happens and your players have to muster their courage to stand against it. Whether it's rescuing the little dog that was kidnapped by the local troll, stopping an assassination attempt at the archduke's wedding or recruiting an army to disrupt the construction of a world-ending ritual site, the party will always find a way to save the day. After all, what kind of heroes would they be if they let the dog, duke or entire population die? Saving the day is fun, but it starts to get repetitive after a while. If you're using a "bad guys try to do stuff, good guys try to stop them" engine to drive all your sessions, you're taking all the agency out of your players' hands. Bad stuff happens, good people have to try to stop it, roll, rinse, repeat. There's a better way to play (and prep) your sessions. The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying shows you how to convert your TTRPG gameplay from predictable action/reaction clichés to player-driven narratives that put all the choices (and most of the prep work) in the hands of your players. The goals are theirs. The decisions are theirs. Everything that happens in the world you're building together occurs not because you planned it, but because the PCs are following their own paths, rather than Game Master breadcrumbs, to the scene of the next adventure. The proactive approach ensures every battle has tension, every faction has a function and every session is high-stakes (and an absolute blast), putting the players and their characters in the driver's seat so you can sit back and simply put giant goal- (and soul-) crushing roadblocks in their way.
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Easy/Juvenile/Young Adult/Graphic Novel
Claudia in the Storm by Denise Walter McConduit. J
With Hurricane Katrina on track to hit New Orleans, twelve-year-old Claudia and her family are preparing to weather the storm. But nothing can prepare them for the awful flooding that occurs when the levees that surround the city fail. Even worse, after a chaotic helicopter evacuation, Claudia and her younger sister become separated from the rest of their family. Now it is up to Claudia to protect and comfort her sister through the tragedy.
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The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer. J
Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother! Against the will of their grandmother, the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it's ever faced.
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