What's New at the Caestecker Public Library

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook revised edition

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook delivers more than 1200 foolproof recipes for classic American family fare in a clear, accessible style. Repackaged to be even easier to use and expanded to include a new chapter of light recipes, this revised edition remains the only basic cookbook you'll ever need. Beautiful step-by-step photos illuminate every conceivable technique from chopping shallots and skinning salmon to cutting up a chicken and tying a roast.

The Best Investment Advice I Ever Received by Liz Claman

Personal, direct, and insightful, this indispensable guide provides immediate yet timeless advice about a subject Americans are always desperate to know more about: Where can they put their money for maximum returns and as little risk as possible? Now, the nation's top investment professionals and corporate CEOs share their collective wisdom with Emmy® Award-winning financial journalist Liz Claman.

Casting for Crafters by Marie Browning

Casting—pouring a material such as plaster or concrete into a mold, letting it cure, and then unmolding it—is a simple procedure that yields fantastic results. Popular author Marie Browning provides a comprehensive introduction to every aspect of the craft, with a wide range of techniques, stunning projects to make, and beauty shots of every item.

A Dog for All Seasons by Jim Dratfield

In A Dog for All Seasons, photographer Jim Dratfield captures, in stunning images both candid and posed, these remarkable creatures in all their glory, all year round. Complemented with quotations by authors ranging from Dorothy Parker to Oscar Wilde, the result is a timeless and evocative marriage of text and image that will find a permanent place in the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.

ESPN Ultimate Highlight Reel

Celebrating more than twenty-five years of the most eye-popping, mind-blowing, jump-off-the-couch-worthy sports highlights from the network that made them famous in the first place.

Freedom Walkers: The story of the Montgomery bus boycott by Russell Freedman

Beginning with the story of a college professor's frightening experience on a Montgomery bus, Freedman brings this oft-told story to an audience ready to move beyond the popular legend.

The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The decline and fall of truth from 9/11 to Katrina by Frank Rich

New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Rich examines the trail of fictions manufactured by the Bush administration from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina, exposing the most brilliant spin campaign ever waged.

The Guide to Off-Label Prescription Drugs: New uses for FDA-approved prescription drugs by Kevin Loughlin, MD

More and more physicians and researchers are discovering that many drugs are effective for off-label uses — uses that go beyond what the FDA had originally approved. Off-label prescription drugs have become so popular that, today, one out of every four prescriptions written is off-label. That's a whopping 115 million off-label prescriptions a year.

High Definition: An A to Z guide to personal technology

Modern life is packed with information technology, but many technical terms leave us with puzzling questions. What's the difference between an MP3 and an MP4? How is "electronic" different from "digital"? Where, and what, is the "cell" in my cell phone? High Definition: An A to Z Guide to Personal Technology provides answers to these and thousands of other questions about the technology we live with and depend on.

Making a Living in Crafts by Donald A. Clark

Artisans who want to turn their passion into profit need look no further: with a combination of inspiration and practical knowledge--plus hundreds of images--this comprehensive guide offers the most solid and current information on the crafting business. It goes way beyond just the crafts show: everything is covered, from developing a product to drafting a business plan, from marketing to exhibiting in galleries.

Now in Theaters Everywhere by Kenneth Turan

As independent films like Sideways and Brokeback Mountain become increasingly mainstream, sophisticated moviegoers tend to dismiss everything Hollywood produces as merely blockbusters or crowd pleasers. True, not every blockbuster is worth your while. But the studios produce more than cinematic fast food, and LA Times film critic Turan will turn you on to big-budget movies that supply real sustenance. His collection of close to 150 reviews defends these cinematic pleasures, pointing readers to the thought-provoking bigger films they may have skipped.

Palestine: Peace not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter

President Carter, who was able to negotiate peace between Israel and Egypt, has remained deeply involved in Middle East affairs since leaving the White House. He has stayed in touch with the major players from all sides in the conflict and has made numerous trips to the Holy Land, most recently as an observer in the Palestinian elections of 2005 and 2006.

In this book President Carter shares his intimate knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his personal experiences with the principal actors, and he addresses sensitive political issues many American officials avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes steps that must be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without a system of apartheid or the constant fear of terrorism.

The Rough Guide to ebay by Ian Peel

The Rough Guide to the PSP PlayStation Portable by Nicholas Gilewicz and Sean Mahoney

Saving Graces: Finding solace and strength from friends and strangers by Elizabeth Edwards

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Elizabeth Edwards gained attention and admiration for her smart, likable, and down-to-earth personality. These qualities shine forth in Saving Graces, a memoir of the trials, triumphs, and tragedies Edwards experienced, and the various communities that celebrated her joys and lent her steady strength and quiet hope in darker times.

Smitten: A kitten's guide to happiness by Rachael Hale

Ever wished you could be as happy and carefree as a kitten? Smitten: A Kitten's Guide to Happiness will help point the way. Acclaimed photographer Rachael Hale uses her lens, her love of cats, and a great deal of patience, to create an enchanting perspective on how kittens see the world.

Speed, Guts, and Glory: 100 unforgettable moments in NASCAR history by Joe Garner

Captures the exciting finishes, the terrifying crashes, and the heartbreaking tragedies of the uniquely American popular sport of stockcar racing. Includes a DVD of highlights narrated by Jeff Gordon.

Tricia Guild: Pattern by Elspeth Thompson

Tricia Guild is known for her bold fabric, wallpaper designs, and an extraordinary sense of color and pattern. Following the success of her books on color, she now shares her skills with patterns. The book draws on historical and global patterns. Woven or printed or embroidered, patterns inspire Tricia Guild as she uncovers their origins and explores the exotic.

Posted by Linda Denell at 3:40 PM | Permalink

Angel of Death: A forensic mystery by Alane Ferguson

As assistant to her father, the county coroner of Silverton, Colorado, Cameryn Mahoney has seen more gore than the average seventeen-yearold. But even Cameryn is shocked when Kyle O'Neil, the most popular guy in school, discovers the gruesome corpse of their English teacher murdered in his own bed. Kyle is drawn to Cameryn, who wonders if she can trust him with the secret she can't tell her father--that her vanished mother is back in her life. As her relationship with Kyle speeds into romance, Cameryn struggles to unravel her teacher's bizarre death--but is she too preoccupied to identify the killer in time? Second in the series.

The Beast of Noor by Janet Lee Carey

Late one night, piercing screams awake the villages of Noor.
And the next day the bones of a young woman are found deep in the surrounding forests. Terror courses through the hearts of the villagers, along with something else...relief. An attack such as this is not uncommon in Noor...

Briana's Gift by Lurlene McDaniel

Thirteen-year-old Casey's mother always said that Casey's sixteen-year-old sister marched to the beat of a different drummer. But it isn't until Briana runs away with an older boy that Casey begins to understand what her mother meant. When Briana returns home alone and pregnant, Casey and her mother try to help Briana come to terms with her options.

It was already complicated to think about Briana's choices and then things change suddenly again. When Briana is in a serious accident, Casey's mother sees things one way. Although Casey understands her mother's reaction, she feels she must try to convince her mother to make a different decision. Casey needs to grow up fast and do what she can to maintain Briana's legacy. Will she be able to make her mother understand that there is only one way to accept Briana's gift?

The Christopher Killer: A forensic mystery by Alane Ferguson

On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger. First in a new series.

Desert Crossing by Elise Broach

A summer trip across the New Mexico desert turns nightmarish for fourteen-year-old Lucy, her older brother Jamie, and his best friend Kit, as they become involved in the suspicious death of a young girl.

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Jane Jarvis, a senior at a Catholic girl's school in Providence, Rhode Island, tries to save her best friend by making a pact with a demon--in the form of a cupcake-eating, very friendly teenage girl.

Diva by Alex Flinn

For most people, the word "diva" means brilliant, talented, over-the-top, and glamorous. I, however, seemed to be trapped in the not-very-glamorous life of a cheerleader wannabe with serious ex-boyfriend issues and a permanent yo-yo diet. At least until the day I auditioned for Miami High School of the Arts-and got in! All I had to do was convince my mother, the cosmetics salesperson with epically bad taste in clothes and men, that going downtown to hang with the music geeks was a good idea. I had to blackmail her to be able to do it, but I'm here-a diva-in-training-and I'm not so sure I can cut it.

Now what?

Everlost by Neal Shusterman

The fates of teens Allie and Nick intertwine after a car crash in which both of them are killed but neither of them dies. They become trapped in Everlost, a world of dead spaces parallel to the living world and inhabited by children and teenagers who died but did not move on. Everlost has its own mysteries, dangers, and rules.

In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber by LA Meyer

The British crown has placed a price on Jacky's head, and so she returns to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston to lay low. But laying low isn't in the cards for a spunky lass who finds trouble even when she's not looking for it. A school outing goes awry as Jacky and her classmates are abducted and forced into the hold of the Bloodhound, a ship bound for the slave markets on the Barbary Coast. All of Jacky's ingenuity, determination, and plain old good luck will be put to the test as she rallies her classmates to fight together to avoid being sold on the auction block in this new installment of the Bloody Jack Adventures.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Mates, Dates, and Great Escapes by Cathy Hopkins

A school trip to Florence seems like the perfect escape for Lucy. She wants time away from Tony, who is pressuring her to take their relationship further. In Italy she meets an American boy and thinks he might be the ideal way to get over Tony.

He seems to be the perfect gentleman, and Italy introduces Lucy to a world of culture and sophistication. Will she be able to move on from Tony? Or is it a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire?

My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher

Ashley Mitchell thinks she has the perfect life: popularity, a hot boyfriend, and great fashion sense. But Ashley's world falls apart when her mother is accused of embezzling a million dollars, and no one can find her. Before she can say Dolce & Gabbana, Ashley's life goes from perfect to pathetic. With questions growing about her mother and her money quickly disappearing, Ashley is forced to make some drastic changes in her life. With nowhere else to go, she moves into an old camper behind a gas station and takes a job in a quirky San Francisco coffee shop where she wouldn't have been caught dead a month ago. But life at Mad Malcolm's Cyber Café isn't what she expected. At the Madhouse she finds friends, confidence, and courage to start putting her life back together. But will Ashley ever have the chance to share her new life with her mother?

Rewind by Laura Dower

Sometimes love only makes sense backwards. This one-of-a-kind teen romance unfolds in backward time, keeping readers guessing until the final revelation.

Stolen Voices by Ellen Dee Dee Davidson

Life in Noveskina is designed to be harmonious and conflict-free. But 15-year-old Miri, daughter of two of the city's Important Officials, faces a shameful dilemma. She has matured with no clear Talent and thus faces life among the lower-classes. As Miri is confronted with the dark secrets of Noveskina, the quiet peace of this once-perfect world reveals itself as something infinitely more sinister.

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones

Imagine that all fantasy novels--the ones featuring dragons, knights, wizards, and magic--are set in the same place. That place is called Fantasyland. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is your travel guide, a handbook to everything you might find: Evil, the Dark Lord, Stew, Boots (but not Socks), and what passes for Economics and Ecology.

Trigger by Susan Vaught

Jersey Hatch can't remember if he rammed the car into his parents' house.
He can't remember why his best friend won't speak to him.
He can't remember the right words to have a real conversation.
And he can't remember why he tried to shoot his own head off.

The Wrong Hands by Nigel Richardson

Fourteen-year-old Graham Sinclair, born with mysterious hands and a strange secret, finds his life further complicated when he saves a baby after a plane crash and meets a beautiful girl.

Posted by Linda Denell at 8:57 PM | Permalink

A Beautiful Girl by Amy Schwartz

On her way to the market, Jenna encounters an elephant, a robin, a fly, and a goldfish who discover some of the things that make little girls different from each of them.

Book Fair Day by Lynn Plourde, illustrated by Thor Wickstrom

Upon learning that his class will not be going to the school book sale until the last half hour of the day, Dewey worries that all the best books will already be taken.

Castaway Cats by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Ponder Goembel

Fifteen felines find themselves marooned on an island and are not sure what to do.

A Day With Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce

While spending the day in the Robinson household, Wilbur's best friend joins in the search for Grandfather Robinson's missing false teeth and meets one wacky relative after another.

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She was Extinct by Mo Willems

Edwina is well-known in her neighborhood - she plays with kids, she bakes delicious chocolate chip cookies and helps old ladies cross the street. She is well-loved by everyone except for one person: Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. He knows for a fact that dinosaurs are extinct and tries to convince everyone that they are. What happens when Edwina finds out?

Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex

Stories in verse about the monster-sized problems Dracula, Wolfman, Bigfoot and other monsters have.

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

On the Night You Were Born weaves rich illustrations and comforting language to promote in children a deep sense of their own worth. Geese fly home to celebrate. Polar bears dance. The world comes alive with thanksgiving. Before the tale ends, children will be wiggling their toes and whispering their names in joyous celebration of their own unique wonder.

Pizza at Sally's by Monica Wellington

With vegetables from her own garden and other fresh ingredients, Sally mixes and bakes hot and bubbly pizzas for her customers to take home or eat in her pizzeria.

The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Stephen Gammell

A boy sends off for "Professor Swami's Super Slime" to use as his science fair project and then has to cope with the funny disaster that follows.

Toot and Puddle: The One and Only by Holly Hobbie

Opal shares her frustrations with Toot and Puddle when the new girl at school, Bubbles, starts imitating the way she dresses and steals her ideas for class projects.

Uno's Garden by Graeme Base

Uno builds a home and garden in the magnificent forest among the playful puddlebuts and feathered frinklepods, but as the place becomes more and more popular, it is overtaken by tourists and buildings until the forest and animals seem to disappear altogether.

Posted by Linda Denell at 4:42 PM | Permalink

Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson

This delightful baby game starts with a kiss on the nose and a smooch on the toes and ends with a tight hug night night. Share with your favorite little Baby Cakes. It's the perfect way to end any day.

Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton

Penguin wants nothing more than to be (a slightly bewildered) Hippo's friend.

Posted by Linda Denell at 4:18 PM | Permalink

Drive-in Movie Memories

A nostalgic tribute to one of the most iconic American traditions. The brainchild of a New Jersey businessman, drive-in movie theaters first appeared in the 1930s but rose to eminence in the '50s and '60s with the concurrent rise of teen culture and America's love affair with the automobile. Though the growing ubiquitousness of television and VCRs caused a decline in their popularity by the '70s and '80s, drive-ins continue to enjoy a mini-renaissance fueled by the particular pleasures offered by this American institution.

Hamish MacBeth - Series One

Robert Carlyle, Ralph Riach, Stuart McGugan, Jimmy Yuill, Brian Pettifer, Anne Lacey, Stuart Davids, Shirley Henderson, Valerie Gogan, David Ashton, Barbara Rafferty, Duncan Duff.

Welcome to Lochdubh in the remote Scottish highlands. Here PC Hamish MacBeth is the law -- cool, practical and with his own singular methods of dealing with crimes and misdemeanors.
Videodisc release of the 1995 BBC television productions.
Disc 1. The great Lochdubh salt robbery -- A pillar of the community -- The big freeze

Hamish MacBeth - Series Two

Based on the mystery novels of M. C. Beaton, the 1995 BBC Scotland television version of Hamish Macbeth resembles a homey Monarch of the Glen. Series 2 comprises six episodes: "A Perfectly Simple Explanation," "In Search of a Rose," "Isobel Pulls It Off," "Radio Lochdubh," "No Man Is an Island," and "The Lochdubh Deluxe"

House M.D.

Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, with Chi McBride and Sela Ward.

Brilliant but sarcastic Dr. Gregory House is a maverick physician who is devoid of bedside manner. While his behavior can border on antisocial, Dr. House thrives on the challenge of solving medical puzzles that other doctors give up on. Together with his hand-picked team of young medical experts, he'll do whatever it takes in the race against the clock to solve the case.
Videodisc release of the 2004/2005 television production.

An Inconvenient Truth

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
A passionate and inspiring look at former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to expose the myths and misconceptions of global warming, and to create public awareness on the subject.
Videodisc release of the 2006 motion picture.

Superman Returns

Rated PG-13. Some intense action violence.
Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Frank Langella, Sam Huntington, Eva Marie Saint, Kal Penn.
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the man of Steel returns to Earth. While archenemy Lex Luthor plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the realization that Lois Lane has moved on with her life.
Videodisc release of the 2006 motion picture.

You, Me and Dupree

Rated PG-13. Sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language and a drug reference.
Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon, Michael Douglas, Seth Rogen, Amanda Detmer, Todd Stashwick.
For newlyweds Carl and Molly Peterson, life is sweet. With a nice house and established careers, nothing seems to get in the newlyweds way. However, Carl's best friend, Dupree, has just been displaced from his home and fired from his job because of attending their wedding. Taking his friend in for what should just be a few days, turns into a lot more than they bargained for. Especially when Dupree overstays his welcome and causes one hilarious catastrophe after another for his newlywed hosts.
Videodisc release of the 2006 motion picture.

Posted by Linda Denell at 4:12 PM | Permalink

Capital Crimes by Jonathan and Faye Kellerman

Two Kellerman mysteries for price of one. Joining forces for only the second time in their writing careers, spouses Jonathan and Faye deliver two novellas: "Thy Sister's Keeper" and "Music City Breakdown." Making background appearances in these whodunits are reader favorites Alex Delaware, Peter Decker, and Rina Lazarus.

Havoc by Jack B. Du Brul

In Du Brul's twist on history, the Hindenburg explodes in 1937, the result of sabotage aimed at silencing an academic on board. In the present day, the academic's secret from almost 70 years ago is about to be discovered by Philip Mercer, a geologist looking for a rare metal in Africa. There he meets a woman from the Centers for Disease Control who is investigating a village with the highest rate of cancer per capita in the world. The two stumble onto a terrifying conspiracy; terrorists will go to great lengths to achieve their goals with this secret.

Vicious Circle by Robert Littell

An Israeli government minister is assassinated in the home of his mistress. Days later, Elihu, an aging and decorated Mossad officer, leads his final raid, killing a Hamas leader in his bed -- and barely escaping with his life.

The action moves forward into the near future, when the global community, united under the leadership of a visionary woman president of the United States, brokers a major compromise between Israel and the Palestinian authority in the hopes of snuffing out the violent flash-point that fuels the flames of global terrorism.

Then a well-known fundamentalist rabbi is taken hostage...

Posted by Linda Denell at 9:55 AM | Permalink

Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

It's the week before Christmas, and antiques dealer Weezie Foley is in a frenzy to garnish her shop for the Savannah historical district decorating contest, which she intends to win. But suddenly things start to go missing from her display, and there seems to be a mysterious midnight visitor to her shop.

Still, Weezie has high hopes for the holiday-maybe in the form of an engagement ring from her chef boyfriend. But Daniel, always moody at the holidays, seems more distant than usual. Throw in Weezie's decidedly odd family, a 1950s Christmas-tree pin, and even a little help from the King himself (Elvis, that is), and maybe there will be a pocketful of miracles for Weezie this Christmas Eve.

Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber

Katherine O'Connor often spends her days at a cozy cafe on Blossom Street in Seattle -- where she writes Christmas letters for other people. She's good at making their everyday lives sound more interesting. More humorous. More dramatic.

For Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who also frequents the cafe, Christmas means lies and deception. In fact, the renowned child psychologist recommends that parents "Bury Santa Under the Sleigh." Katherine, however, feels that his parenting philosophy is one big mistake -- at least, based on her four-year-old twin nieces, who are being raised according to his "Free Child" methods.

She argues with Wynn about his theories, while he argues that her letters are nothing but lies. They disagree about practically everything -- and yet, somehow, they don't really want to stop arguing.

Saffron Skies by Lesley Lokko

In this sweeping family saga, Amber Sall has the world on a platter--everything a girl could ever want. She has a handsome, powerbroker father, an older brother she adores, scads of money, and two best friends, Becky and Madeline. But none of that satisfies her lifelong desire to win her father's love, and for success in a career on the basis of her own talents, not her family's power and money. Watching her beloved brother fail both tests only makes Amber more determined to succeed. Through the decades, she and Becky and Madeline need each other's support through the best and the worst that women can experience, but can their friendship survive?

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter, the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry

The year is 1960, and, as it is every year, the Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church, directed by Mrs. Elkins, is a very big deal. Doug is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because, for one thing, you get to carry a stick. But there are problems everywhere. His fellow shepherds are hacking around, which makes Mrs. Elkins yell at all of them; the girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart and athletic and cute; the family dog is doing very poorly, and they have no idea what they're going to tell Doug's little sister Becky, who's playing one of the Host of Angels and who loves the dog more than anything; and his dad's just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant at all.

But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas ever.

Posted by Linda Denell at 9:43 AM | Permalink

Indiscretion by Jude Morgan

When your father is a man of expensive tastes and schemes but very little money, you soon learn to make do. So when Captain Fortune, a well-meaning but profligate ex-soldier in Regency England, tells his daughter Caroline that they are ruined, she automatically starts seeking employment as a governess. Her father, however, has far grander designs for Miss Fortune...

Posted by Linda Denell at 9:30 AM | Permalink

Spears of God by Howard V. Hendrix

Set in the near future, Hendrix tells of a global search for meteorites said to cause those exposed to them to develop extraordinary powers. Unfortunately, it results in the near extinction of a small tribe of apparently primitive residents of the Amazon. The four survivors, three girls and a boy, fall under the protection of a pair of scientists until they all become targets of a conspiracy to control both the meteorites and the children.

Posted by Linda Denell at 9:27 AM | Permalink

Bad Girls Don't by Cathie Linz

It took less than two seconds for Sheriff Nathan Thornton to peg sexy Skye Wright as trouble. Maybe it was the way she shimmied her hips in that I Dream of Jeannie outfit. Or the huge stack of speeding tickets in her bag. Whatever it was, the woman was belly-dancing her way into his thoughts. Now if only she'd belly-dance into his bedroom...

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station-and a werewolf in the closet. Sick of lame song requests, she accidentally starts "The Midnight Hour," a late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. After desperate vampires, werewolves, and witches across the country begin calling in to share their woes, her new show is a raging success.

But it's Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew...

Posted by Linda Denell at 9:21 AM | Permalink

Action Plan for Allergies: Your guide to managing exercise and medication to relieve symptoms by William Briner, MD

Because fitness level, diet, environment, and medication—such as albuterol, loratidine, diphenhydramine, and salmeterol—affect allergies, Action Plan for Allergies allows you to tailor the exercise programs to your individual needs.

Arabesque: A taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon by Claudia Roden

Claudia Roden knows this part of the world so intimately that we delight in being in such good hands as she translates the subtle play of flavors and simple cooking techniques to our own home kitchens. Interweaving history, stories, and her own observations, she gives us 150 of the most delectable recipes: some of them new discoveries, some reworkings of classic dishes-all of them made even more accessible and delicious for today's cook.

Beneath the Metropolis: The secret lives of cities by Alex Marshall

The pulse of great cities may be most palpable above ground, but it is below the busy streets where we can observe their rich archaeological history and the infrastructure that keeps them running. In The Secret Lives of Cities journalist Alex Marshall investigates how geological features, archaeological remnants of past civilizations, and layered networks transporting water, electricity, and people, have shaped these cities through centuries of political turbulence and advancements in engineering -- and how they are determining the course of the cities' future.

Dangerous Nation: America's place in the World from its earliest days to the dawn of the Twentieth Century by Robert Kagan

Robert Kagan strips away the myth of America's isolationist tradition and reveals a more complicated reality: that Americans have been increasing their global power and influence steadily for the past four centuries. Even from the time of the Puritans, he reveals, America was no shining "city up on a hill" but an engine of commercial and territorial expansion that drove Native Americans, as well as French, Spanish, Russian, and ultimately even British power, from the North American continent.

The Few: The American "Knights of the Air"who risked everything to fight in the Battle of Britain by Alex Kershaw

The never-before-told story of the American pilots—idealists, adventurers, romantics—who joined the RAF before America entered the war in order to fight Hitler and save Britain. With minimal training and plenty of guts they dueled the skilled pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe in the blue skies over England. They shot down several of Germany's fearsome aces, and were feted as national heroes in Britain. By October 1940, they had helped England win the greatest air battle in the history of aviation. At war's end, just one of the "Few" would be alive. The others died flying, wearing the RAF's dark blue uniform-each with a shoulder patch depicting an American eagle.

Generation T: 108 ways to transform a T-shirt by Megan Nicolay

The T-shirt - preferably well-used - is a blank canvas. You can cut it, sew it, twist it, and turn it. You can deconstruct it, you can reconstruct it. Recycle it, resuscitate it, refashion it, re-invent it. Make it punky, make it funky. It is the perfect jumping-off point, and Megan Nicolay - who knows the DIY pride of accomplishment and the pleasure of making something chic and unique (and cheap) - shows how to turn an ordinary T-shirt into a halter, a tank top, a peasant blouse, or, for a total transformation, into a T-skirt. Or a hat. Or a Christmas stocking, a drawstring purse, a wine bottle cozy. Even a quilt.

The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A new look at betrayer and betrayed by Bart D. Ehrman

The recent discovery of the Gospel of Judas has rattled the rafters of Christendom. This Gnostic text along with others of its ilk has become increasingly important in understanding Christianity's genesis. Simply put, it challenges the authority of the canonical Gospels. Prolific scholar and historian Ehrman illuminates this important third- or fourth-century manuscript. Not only does he provide an overview of Judas in the traditional New Testament, but he also surveys the Gospel of Judas, from its discovery to its content.

Team Moon: How 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the moon by Catherine Thimmesh

Here is a rare perspective on a story we only thought we knew. For Apollo 11, the first moon landing, is a story that belongs to many, not just the few and famous. It belongs to the seamstress who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit. To the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry. It belongs to the flight directors, camera designers, software experts, suit testers, telescope crew, aerospace technicians, photo developers, engineers, and navigators. Using NASA transcripts, national archives, and photos from Apollo 11, she captures not only the sheer magnitude of this feat but also the dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance of the greatest team ever.

Tease: 50 inspired T-shirt transformations

In Tease, 50 superstars of creativity, art, and design take the basic T from ordinary to extraordinary-and sometimes, turn it into something completely different. With fabulous illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, Tease provides outrageous, inspiring ideas from crafters around the globe.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Art Buchwald

"Some people bless their hearts; I bless my kidney." Art Buchwald's somatic gesture isn't really misplaced. When the Pulitzer Prize–winning humorist refused dialysis early this year, doctors warned him that he would probably succumb within three weeks. Instead, he emerged from a hospice three months later and returned to a home he never expected to see again.

Understanding and Managing Your Child's Food Allergies by Scott H. Sicherer, MD

A specialist in pediatric food allergies, Sicherer has put together in one source the wisdom of his many years of experience and the latest research from his own and others' clinical studies. This book provides parents with practical advice for managing a child's environment at home, at school, or out in the world at large.

Why Does My Dog Act That Way? A complete guide to your dog's personality by Stanley Coren

For many years, most people -- even scientists -- mistakenly believed that dogs were simply domesticated wolves, with natures, minds, and behaviors significantly diminished from those of their wild cousins. But recent discoveries have demonstrated that dogs are actually much more complex than wolves, coyotes, foxes, and other wild canines; their ability to adapt to a man-made world is far more flexible, and their personalities are far more diverse. Coren re-creates the story of how dogs evolved over time into the myriad forms and breeds we love today. With specific information on which breeds were bred to become more dominant, affectionate, cooperative, or even dangerous, this practical, surprising book can help you to select a new companion or simply to understand your old friend better.

Thw World of the Polar Bear by Norbert Rosing

Norbert Rosing has captured the world of the polar bear on film in a way previously unequalled. Some of these visually stunning images have appeared in National Geographic magazine, but the majority have never before been published in North America.

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