NCW Libraries

"A dazzling new novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris, by the acclaimed and award-winning author Rebecca Makkai. In 1985, Yale Tishman, the development director for an art gallery in Chicago, is about to pull off an amazing coup, bringing in an extraordinary collection of 1920s paintings as a gift to the gallery. Yet as his career begins to flourish, the carnage of the AIDS epidemic...

A fascinating and richly layered account of how and why the great divide in Islam--between Sunnis and Shi'is--occurred. Charting the history of Islam from the death of the Prophet Mohammed to the present day, McHugo describes the conflicts that raged over the succession to the Prophet, how Sunnism and Shi'ism evolved as different and contending sects during the Abbasid caliphate, and how the rivalry between the empires of the Sunni Ottomans and Shi'...

"Theravada translates as "the way of the Elders," indicating that this Buddhist tradition considers itself to be the most authoritative and pure. Tracing all the way back to the time of the Buddha, Theravada Buddhism is distinguished by canonical literature preserved in the Pali language, beliefs, and practices-resources for which are often specialized and academic in tone. By contrast, this book will serve as a foundational and accessible resource...

"A deluxe hardcover edition of the most famous science-fiction novel of all time--part of Penguin Galaxy, a collectible series of six sci-fi/fantasy classics, featuring a series introduction by Neil Gaiman A human raised on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith has just arrived on planet Earth. Among his people for the first time, he struggles to understand the social mores and prejudices of human nature that are so alien to him, while his own "psi" powers--including...

"A memoir of the author's experience growing up in an apocalyptic cult, with an emphasis on how understanding the natural world was her key to escape and survival"--