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2024 November: new releases, staff picks, and more!: Library Book Club Selections

A Council of Dolls

A Council of Dolls

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD NOMINEE The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award-winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day. From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried.... Sissy, born 1961: Sissy's relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy's ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy's life. Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an "Indian school" far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school's abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.   Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the "Indian Wars," Cora isn't afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be "civilized." When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost... A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility

Sex, Lies and Sensibility

Nora needs a reinvention fast. But where can you go when the entire internet knows your face? (And ass... but Nora tries not to talk about that.) After discovering at her father's funeral that she and her sister, Yanne, have lived their entire lives as his secret second family, everything they had is gone. Well, there is one thing left - a dilapidated beach house on its way to foreclosure in Maine. All Nora has to do is pay back the foreclosure loan in nine months and she can start over. She needs the do-over after her ex leaked their sex tape and Nora's O-face became the internet's favorite meme. She decamps for coastal Maine with her sister, but they haven't even knocked the traveling dust off last season's designer boots when the first problem pops up: a squatter who has claimed their property as his own - and is hotter than the local lobster boil. From the moment Ennis 'Bear' Freeman sees these two city sisters, he knows they won't last here. But that doesn't mean he can't fix his struggling ecotourism business with the money they supply to revamp the inn. As an Indigenous person native to Maine, Ennis has every reason not to trust another outsider claiming land they have no rights to. He has his own secrets, ones that threaten to destroy his business and his reputation. But as they work side by side, he's afraid Nora may be the key to more than just his financial happiness. His best course of action? Stay away. But that's easier said than done...

The Book on Pie

The Book on Pie

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  Look no further than The Book on Pie for the only book on pie you'll ever want or need. Erin Jeanne McDowell, New York Times contributing baker extraordinaire and top food stylist, wrote the book on pie, a comprehensive handbook that distills all you'll ever need to know for making perfect pies. The Book on Pie starts with the basics, including ways to mix pie dough for extra flaky crusts, storage and freezing, recipe size conversions, and expert tips for decorating and styling, before diving into the recipes for all the different kinds of pies: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold set, savory, and mini. Find everything from classics like Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie, to more inspired recipes like Birthday-Cake Pie and Caramel Pork Pie with Chile and Scallions. Erin also suggests recommended pie doughs and toppings with each recipe for infinitely customizable pies: Mix and match Pumpkin Spice Pie Dough and Dark Chocolate Drippy Glaze with the Pumpkin Pie, or sub in the Chive Compound-Butter Crust for the Croque Madame Pielets . . . the possibilities are endless. With helpful tips, photographic guides, and inspirations--pie-deas--it's almost like having Erin in the kitchen baking pies with you.