Showing results by narrator "Gavin Marguerite" in All Categories

Twelve years have passed since the events of A Handful of Stars. Star continues to silently mourn Caleb’s death, World Builders, Inc. is completing its first asteroid-based Bernal sphere, and the Svensdotter twins are of a restless age. When the opportunity to undertake a survey mission of Mars’ Cydonia region presents itself, Star leaps at the chance. Drifting above Mars' surface, the family rediscovers the wonder of pure exploration.

Vicki plans to spend her summer vacation waitressing at her father's seaside restaurant, Ye Olde Seashell Room: a must-see tourist destination with seashell-covered walls and a two-hundred-and-thirty-year-old figurehead from a lost ship, the Storm Goddess. But when the bay mysteriously goes dry and the Storm Goddess suddenly appears, Vicki and her small community are thrown off course.

In a small town in Mississippi, a young, upbeat librarian has been given an ultimatum: increase the library’s circulation dramatically or close its doors. Maura doesn’t just start a book club; she gets involved in unique and unexpected ways with her patrons. She entertains and advises, she has potluck dinners, and life in the town begins to imitate art. The patrons begin to relate their own lives to the work of writers like Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee. In moving and personal ways, Maura helps them deal with such subjects as long-lost love and a brush with death.

Our devices and data are woven into our lives. We can't simply reject them. Margaret Morris argues we need to adapt technology creatively to our needs and values. In Left to Our Own Devices, Morris offers examples of individuals applying technologies in unexpected ways - uses that go beyond those intended by developers and designers. Morris examines these kinds of personalized life hacks, chronicling the ways that people have adapted technology to strengthen social connection, enhance well-being, and affirm identity.

There are times in life when quitting makes sense. Maybe you need to abandon a bad investment, or ditch an old garden because you're going to move to the city. Maybe you need to rest up a bit at the end of a tough day's work so you aren't too sore tomorrow. But when it comes to the deepest dreams of your heart's desire - no, it doesn't make sense. Don't quit. There is only one true human superpower we possess. It's not the power of flight. It certainly isn't the power of invincibility. It's determination.

Caruso-Cabrera presents a modern and smart approach to correcting the economic woes of the nation. Denouncing the hypocrites, she calls out the radicals on both sides of the spectrum who have frustrated voters and left fiscally conservative but socially liberal Americans feeling like a people without a party. Caruso-Cabrera maintains that by focusing on socially invasive policies, our country has lost its course.

Filled with clear and practical solutions, this step-by-step, room-by-room guide to simple home modifications helps seniors make their homes safer and easier to navigate. Age in Place is designed to help seniors and their caregivers address these new challenges together and make life at home safer, more manageable, and less stressful for all.

Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of “network climate action"―the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close to us. Through this spread of climate-conscious practices, our individual actions become collective ones that can eventually effect widespread change. Weaving examples of everyday climate-forward initiatives in with insights on behavioral and structural change, Krasny demonstrates how we can scale up the impact of our efforts through leveraging our community connections.

During the last few months, former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan has been rather busy. Having escaped relatively unscathed from her corrupt former employers, she's not only acquired a vampiric room-mate called Ivy, faced werewolf assassins, and battled shape-shifting demons, but she has also found the time to pick up a boyfriend (even if he is only human) and to open her very own runner agency. But cohabiting with a vampire, however reformed, has its dangers....

Traditionally, human resources has focused on recruiting good people, preparing them for assignments, motivating them to perform, and retaining them. These functions remain essential. But to be successful in turbulent times like ours, human capital strategy needs to be broader and much more far reaching.

Celebrate the impact women have made in our culture: This feminist book is a beacon of brilliance. It is the perfect gift for artists, intellectuals, and anyone who seeks to be inspired by words and profound lives. Most of all, it is a celebration of the journeys and accomplishments of women who have worked to have their voices heard in black and white letters across the world.

Helen Carpenter has always lived her life as far from the edge as possible. Finding herself newly divorced and a little lost, Helen decides she needs a reset. So when her annoying younger brother convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course, she hopes the adventure will be exactly what she needs. Instead, it's a disaster. She doesn't expect the surprise summer blizzard, for example - or the blisters, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't expect that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying friend, Jake, would show up for the exact same course.

After surviving the death of her daughter and kidnapping of her nephew, Tess is ready to return to a normal life. But her troubled past has other plans, and when an old threat reemerges, Tess must seek the help of an unlikely ally to set things right.

Being able to retire securely, with enough income to last - and allow you to enjoy - your post-work life, is a major concern not only for seniors, but for everyone. To make sure you're ready, take the advice of Julie Jason, an internationally recognized authority on retirement savings whose popular column receives fan mail with plenty of questions. Organized in 10 sections, each following a theme, Retire Securely is her accessible, easy-listening collection of need-to-know facts about a process that can be intimidating to even the most knowledgeable investors.

When Sukey Forbes lost her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, to a rare genetic disorder, her life felt as if it were shattered forever. Descended from two distinguished New England families, Forbes was raised in a rarefied-if eccentric-life of privilege. Yet Forbes's family history is also rich with spiritual seekers, including her great-great-great-grandfather Ralph Waldo Emerson. But the "afterlife" took on new meaning once Forbes dipped into the world of clairvoyants to reconnect with Charlotte.

My name is Tess Parker. Two days ago, I was in a car accident with my sister-in-law, Torrie. Before she slipped into a coma, she asked my husband and me to care for her four-month-old son, Levi. Yesterday, a woman claiming to be Torrie’s estranged sister knocked on our door. But Torrie has no siblings...or so she said. Today, another of Torrie’s “sisters” has come to town. Both say the other is lying about who they are. Neither of them is telling the truth. Both of them want Levi.

Dimple Lala doesn't know what to think. She's spent her whole life resisting her parents' traditions. But now she's turning 17 and things are more complicated than ever. She's still recovering from a year-old break-up, and her best friend isn't around the way she used to be. Then, to make matters worse, her parents arrange for her to meet a "suitable boy". Of course, it doesn't go well, until Dimple goes to a club and finds him spinning a magical web of words and music.

Cheap. It's a dirty word laden with negative meanings. It is also the story of Lauren Weber's life. As a child, she resented her father for keeping the heat at 50 degrees through the frigid winters and rarely using his car's turn signals - to keep them from burning out. But as an adult, she found herself walking 30 blocks to save $2 on subway fare. In Cheap We Trust teases out the meanings of cheapness and examines the wisdom and pleasures of not spending every last penny.

As a Ziegfeld Follies girl and film actress, Justine Johnstone (1895-1982) was celebrated as "the most beautiful woman in the world." Her career took an unexpected turn when she abruptly retired from acting at 31. For the remainder of her life, she dedicated herself to medical research and social activism. The first full-length biography of Johnstone chronicles her extraordinary success in two male-dominated fields - show business and medical science - and follows her remarkable journey into a fascinating and fulfilling life.

The usually quiet town of Granford is even drowsier during the colder months. But this year it's in for a jolt when Monica Whitman moves into town. She's a dynamo who wants to make friends fast in her new home. Meg Corey is intrigued by the new arrival, who has already sold the town board on a new, fun way to bring in visitors during the off-season: WinterFare, which will feature local foods and crafts, as well as entertainment. Tragically, Monica falls ill and dies after the event in what looks like a case of food poisoning.