Author: fobpl

The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett has little time for a social life. But there’s another project he’s got his eye on: the girl he’s been waiting to kiss since he was sixteen. After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town’s bookstore. Though busy, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett’s transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look…at both the building and the man behind it... Paperback.

Emma has never fit into the sweater-set-wearing world of her political family, opting for purple hair and Chuck Taylors to keep herself out of countless photo ops, but when she accidentally lets her father’s presidential plans slip on national television, Emma finds herself thrown into the spotlight. Facing pressure to be the perfect First Daughter-in-training, Emma must learn to speak up for herself and for what she believes in. Hardcover.

In 2001, Fast Food Nation was published to critical acclaim and became an international bestseller. Eric Schlosser’s exposé revealed how the fast food industry has altered the landscape of America, widened the gap between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and transformed food production throughout the world. The book changed the way millions of people think about what they eat and helped to launch today’s food movement. In a new afterword for this edition, Schlosser discusses the growing interest in local and organic food, the continued exploitation of poor workers by the food industry, and the need to ensure that every American has access to good, healthy, affordable food. Fast Food Nation is as relevant today as it was a decade ago. The book inspires readers to look beneath the surface of our food system, consider its impact on society and, most of all, think for themselves. Paperback

Describes the eighteenth-century invention by Wolfgang von Kempeden of the Turk, a mechanical man fashioned of wood, powered by clockwork, and capable of playing chess, examining the machine's remarkable career in light of the industrial revolution and the impact of the invention on the history of technology. Hardcover, like new.

Many know of Horatio Hornblower's exploits during the Napoleonic Wars through the novels of C.S. Forester, but how many know the true Hornblower—the man who rose from Midshipman to Admiral of the British Fleet? Using Hornblower family papers discovered in the 1970s, C. Northcote Parkinson has set the record straight in this authoritative biography. Paperback.

Ever wish that you could have a "do over" after a conversation at work? Do you often find yourself regretting what you've said to a coworker - or kicking yourself for not saying something better, stronger, or more precise? In this compelling, entertaining book, Reardon argues that we are responsible for 75 percent of the way we're treated at work, and our success - or failure - at the workplace depends largely on how we handle ourselves in conversation with our colleagues. To break free of the stale scripts and expected actions that allow politically astute people to manipulate us, we must increase our conversational awareness and effectively employ what Reardon calls "comebacks". Hardcover.

With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope. Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty. Paperback.

This portrait of poverty-stricken Southern tenant farmers during the Great Depression has become one of the most influential books of the past century. In the summer of 1936, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer James Agee and photographer Walker Evans set out on assignment for Fortune magazine to explore the daily lives of white sharecroppers in the South. Their journey would prove an extraordinary collaboration—and a watershed literary event. Paperback.

High School Chemistry Unlocked focuses on giving you a wide range of key lessons to help increase your understanding of chemistry. With this book, you'll move from foundational concepts to complicated, real-world applications, building confidence as your skills improve. End-of-chapter drills will help test your comprehension of each facet of chemistry, from atoms to alpha radiation. Paperback.

The World Is Flat is an essential update on globalization, its opportunities for individual empowerment, its achievements at lifting millions out of poverty, and its drawbacks–environmental, social, and political, powerfully illuminated by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Hardcover.

The incomparable #1 New York Times bestseller, Rebecca Wells’s Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a classic of Southern women’s fiction to be read and reread over and over again. A poignant, funny, outrageous, and wise novel about a lifetime friendship between four Southern women, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood brilliantly explores the bonds of female friendship, the often-rocky relationship between mothers and daughters, and the healing power of humor and love, in a story as fresh and uplifting as when it was first published a decade and a half ago. If you haven’t yet met the Ya-Yas, what are you waiting for? Paperback

A recent immigrant from the Middle East―a former colonel in the Iranian Air Force―yearns to restore his family’s dignity in California. A recovering alcoholic and addict down on her luck struggles to hold onto the one thing she has left-her home. And her lover, a married cop, is driven to extremes to win her love. Andre Dubus III’s unforgettable characters―people with ordinary flaws, looking for a small piece of ground to stand on―careen toward inevitable conflict. Their tragedy paints a shockingly true picture of the country we live in today. Paperback

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started. Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . . Hardcover

For twenty years, Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to the mysteries of Scotland’s mist-shrouded Highlands. Claire’s spellbinding journey continues through the intrigue-ridden French court and the menace of Jacobite plots, to the Highlands of Scotland, through war and death in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves. Paperback.

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Hardcover.

It is Earth year 2213—but there is no Earth anymore. Not since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess at where we might find a new home. Liam Saunders-Chang , the son of two scientists who have been racing against time to create technology vital to humanity’s survival, along with his friend Phoebe, will be on the last starliner to depart before Mars is destroyed. Or so he thinks. Because before this day is over, Liam and Phoebe will make a series of profound discoveries about the nature of time and space and find out that the human race is just one of many in our universe locked in a dangerous struggle for survival. Young Adult, paperback.

Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent forty-two summers, George Howe Colt recounts returning for one last stay with his wife and children in this stunning memoir that was a National Book Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. This poignant tribute to the eleven-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, and love affairs for five generations interweaves Colt’s final visit with memories of a lifetime of summers. Run-down yet romantic, The Big House stands not only as a cherished reminder of summer’s ephemeral pleasures but also as a powerful symbol of a vanishing way of life. Paperback

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same. Now with photos and new material. Hardcover, like new.

In the summer of June of 1991, I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother that loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. Paperback.

This father's memory journal takes you on a journey that will become a cherished family memoir. Questions explore family history, childhood memories, lighthearted incidents, cherished traditions, and the dreams and spiritual adventures encountered in a lifetime of living. Hardcover.

At the climax of Debt of Honor, the most devastating terrorist act in the history of the world left the President, the Joint Chiefs, the Supreme Court, and nearly all of Congress dead. Only Jack Ryan, confirmed Vice President mere minutes before, survived to take the reins of a shaken and leaderless country. Now he must rebuild a government, comfort a grieving nation, and become a true leader. Meanwhile, he is surrounded by enemies—both inside the White House and around the world—all of them plotting to destroy an untested President. And bring an already wounded country to its knees....Hardcover

Michelle Maxwell has just wrecked her promising career at the Secret Service. Against her instincts, she let a presidential candidate out of her sight for the briefest moment and the man whose safety was her responsibility vanished into thin air. Sean King knows how the younger agent feels. Eight years earlier, the hard-charging Secret Service agent allowed his attention to be diverted for a split second. And the candidate he was protecting was gunned down before his eyes. Now Michelle and Sean are about to see their destinies converge. Drawn into a maze of lies, secrets, and deadly coincidences, the two discredited agents uncover a shocking truth: that the separate acts of violence that shattered their lives were really a long time in the making--and are a long way from over. Hardcover

Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime -- and then spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she'll have to work in the shadows: A vindictive U.S. attorney will stop at nothing to send Mace back to jail. Enter Roy Kingman . . .A young D.C. lawyer, Roy meets Mace after the murder of one of the firm's female partners. Soon Roy and Mace are investigating together -- and uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public sectors of the nation's capital. Hardcover

In a plush Virginia office, a rich, angry old man is furiously rewriting his will. With his death just hours away, Troy Phelan wants to send a message to his children, his ex-wives, and his minions—a message that will touch off a vicious legal battle and transform dozens of lives. Because Troy Phelan’s new will names a sole surprise heir to his eleven-billion-dollar fortune: a mysterious woman named Rachel Lane, a missionary living deep in the jungles of Brazil. Enter the lawyers. Nate O’Riley is fresh out of rehab, a disgraced corporate attorney handpicked for his last job: to find Rachel Lane at any cost. As Phelan’s family circles like vultures in D.C., Nate goes crashing through the Brazilian jungle, entering a world where money means nothing, where death is just one misstep away, and where a woman—pursued by enemies and friends alike—holds a stunning surprise of her own. Hardcover

In a weedy lot on the outskirts of Memphis, two boys watch a shiny Lincoln pull up to the curb... Eleven-year-old Mark Sway and his younger brother were sharing a forbidden cigarette when a chance encounter with a suicidal lawyer left Mark knowing a bloody and explosive secret: the whereabouts of the most sought-after dead body in America. Now Mark is caught between a legal system gone mad and a mob killer desperate to cover up his crime. And his only ally is a woman named Reggie Love, who has been a lawyer for all of four years. Prosecutors are willing to break all the rules to make Mark talk. The mob will stop at nothing to keep him quiet. And Reggie will do anything to protect her client - even take a last, desperate gamble that could win Mark his freedom... or cost them both their lives. Hardcover

Young attorney Michael Fiske broke the law when he took Rufus Harms's prison letter from the Supreme Court. But he also sealed his own fate. Suddenly everyone who has anything to do with Harms or his appeal mysteriously dies. Now Michael's brother John, a cop turned attorney, comes to Washington to find out why his brother was murdered--and what it had to do with a crime that Harms committed twenty-five years before. But the one man who can help John, the one man who knows what really happened more than two decades ago--and why--has escaped from prison and is running for his life. Hardcover

It's summer in Memphis. The sweat is sticking to Rudy Baylor's shirt and creditors are nipping at his heels. Once he had aspirations of breezing through law school and punching his ticket to the good life. Now he doesn't have a job or a prayer...except for one: an insurance dispute that leaves a family devastated and opens the door for a lawsuit, if Rudy can find a way to file it. By the time Rudy gets to court, a heavyweight corporate defense team is there to meet him. And suddenly he's in over his head, plunged into a nightmare of lies and legal maneuverings. A case that started small is exploding into a thunderous million-dollar war of nerves, skill and outright violence--a fight that could cost one young lawyer his life, or turn him into the biggest rainmaker in the land.... Hardcover

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . . Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems. Paperback

This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors. Paperback.

Still engaged to the estimable Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe understands that she should not put too much pressure on him, as he has other concerns, especially a hair-raising request from the ever persuasive Mma Potokwane, matron of the orphan farm. Besides Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady to check up on several suitors. Are these men interested in the lady or just her money? This may be a difficult case, but it's just the kind of problem Mma Ramotswe likes and she is, as we know, a very intuitive lady. Paperback.

Sid Halley’s career as a jockey - and his marriage - were brought to a sudden end by a heartbreaking accident. His glory days are over, but now, as a private investigator, he still finds a certain satisfaction in successfully solving a case. His latest one, though, could prove to be his undoing. Rosemary Casper, wife of an elite racehorse trainer, has begged for his help in figuring out why her husband’s most promising horses have been performing so poorly. Halley thinks she’s overreacting at first. Then hints of deceit and brutal danger make him think twice… Paperback.

Within the Marvel Universe, heroes soar high in the skies, ready to battle the villains who threaten their world. Yet living in the shadow of these extraordinary icons are ordinary men and women who view the "Marvels" with a mixture of fear, disbelief, envy and admiration. Among them is Phil Sheldon, a New York City photojournalist who has dedicated his career to covering the exploits of the Marvels and their effect on humankind. Written by Kurt Busiek and masterfully illustrated by Alex Ross, Marvels presents a richly painted historical overview of the entire Marvel Universe, spanning from the 1939 debut of the Human Torch to the fearsome coming of the world-devouring Galactus--and culminating in the shocking death of Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man's first love.

Into the fascinating, pungent setting of Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to disdain worldly affairs and focus on spiritual matters. To Matilda's dismay, her work will not involve Latin or writing, but practical tasks: lighting the fire, going to market, mixing plasters and poultices, and helping Peg treat patients. She is appalled by the worldliness of her new surroundings, and the sharp-tongued saints she turns to for advice are no help at all. Paperback.

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi's life: She is 16. And a size 17. Her perfect mother is a size 6. Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 2 months, and wants Ann to be a bridesmaid. So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45pounds (more or less). Welcome to the world of informercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, endless run-ins with the cutest guy Ann's ever seen—and some surprises about her not-so-perfect mother. And there's one more thing—it's all about feeling comfortable in your own skin—no matter how you add it up! Hardcover.

If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be at home in New Jersey with her sweet British boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She certainly wouldn’t be at a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for a mysterious class called Special Topics in English. But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead. Until a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss. Hardcover, like new

The second adventure in the Bartimaeus trilogy finds Nathaniel working his way up the ranks of the government, when crisis hits. A seemingly invulnerable clay golem is making random attacks on London. Nathaniel and Bartimaeus must travel to Prague to discover the source of the golem’s power. Paperback.

Highlights the speeches, letters, poems, and articles of the brave men and women who founded our great nation, including George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. Their advice on values such as patriotism, love, civility, education, industry, justice, and piety still rings true today. Our Country's Founders also includes important documents such as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, a time line, and biographical notes. Hardcover.

Edith Nesbit (1858 – 1924) was an English poet and author. Contents include: “The Book of Beasts”, “Uncle James, or The Purple Stranger”, “The Deliverers of Their Country”, “The Ice Dragon, or Do as You Are Told”, “The Island of the Nine Whirlpools”, “The Dragon Tamers”, “The Fiery Dragon, or The Heart of Stone and the Heart of Gold”, and “Kind Little Edmund, or The Caves and the Cockatrice”. These fantastical tales would make for perfect bedtime reading material and are deserving of a place on any family bookshelf. Hardcover.

A complete illustrated course in sketching interior spaces. Ivo Drpic demonstrates how, using simple equipment and easy-to-master techniques, anyone can progress from free-flowing doodles to completely professional, presentation-quality renderings—saving time and the high cost of using professional renderers. Hardcover.

Covers just about all the features that can be included in home landscapes--from lawns and foundation plantings to fences, driveways, bridges, steps, outdoor rooms, pools and outdoor lighting. Home landscapers can follow her step-by-step instructions and carry out the project on their own or use her tips on hiring professionals to do the work. There are also suggestions for choosing and caring for trees, shrubs, vines, ground cover and perennials, with lists of plants appropriate for individual situations. Hardcover, like new.

The best of the old and the finest of the new come together in this delightful celebration of the "new" style of country living. Hardcover.

Fun for a cat lover! This amusing and unprecedented portfolio features a gallery where cats, not humans, are the models for some of the greatest art in the Western world. Hardcover.

“A wake-up call for the entire planet . . . [A New Earth] helps us to stop creating our own suffering and obsessing over the past and what the future might be, and to put ourselves in the now.” —Oprah Winfrey. Paperback.

TV, radio, traffic, telephones, pagers - our minds are bombarded daily by constant noise and clutter. No wonder so many people find it increasingly difficult to listen and comprehend. The Zen of Listening is grounded in the Zen concept of mindfulness, a simple yet profound way of learning how to filter our distractions and be totally in the present. Paperback.

A book for entomological beginners, large dictionary of basic terms used in entomology. Paperback.

Edited by Dick Sternberg, a former fisheries biologist who has built his reputation as a top angling educator, "Freshwater Fishing Secrets" highlights top techniques for taking everything from bass to walleyes, cats to stripers. Hardcover.

Why is it that the pros' swings deliver such consistent power and accuracy, while you and your buddies hook, top, shank, and rack up enough mulligans to make a stew? Are the pros doing something you can learn to make the ball fly straighter and farther every time you swing the club? Jim McLean, a pioneer in using video to analyze the swing, shows how to swing a club using the same technique that made Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino,Lorena Ochoa, and Tiger Woods champions. Hardcover, like new condition.

Celebrates the accomplishments of individual champions, shares their inspirational stories and chronicles the extraordinary circumstances each faced. The stories are brought to life with stunning archival images and artifacts from the USGA's collection, connecting the present to a more distant past. Hardcover, like new.

In this book Santella interviews 50 luminaries in the golf world about their favorite courses and experiences. Old Country favorites like Royal Dornoch and Machrihanish in Scotland are featured, but so are venues far off the linksters’ beaten path, like Nirwana, Bali, where the course runs beside rice paddies in the shadow of ancient temples, and China’s Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where players tee off at 10,000 feet, at the base of the Himalayas. More than 40 spectacular photos capture the allure of these unforgettable golf destinations. Hardcover.

Paleo-style diets are all the rage as fitness enthusiasts, including the booming nation of CrossFitters, have adopted high protein, low-processed-food diets to fuel their exercise. Paperback.

Lavishly illustrated with full color photos, over 300 recipes are included for the outdoor cook. Special sections on pit roasting a whole pig, beef shoulders, alder wood-smoking salmon the old Indian way, and a Hawaiian Luau. Hardcover.

Recipes include: Terrific T-Bone Steak with Redeye Marinade The Baron's Famous Barbecued Brisket Ancho- and Chiptole-Rubbed Pork Loin Smokehouse Spareribs Garlicky Barbecued Leg of Lamb Spicy Green Onion Sausage Barbecued Polynesian Chicken Black Pepper Shrimp Smoky Hickory and Brown Sugar Cured Salmon Grilled Potato Salad Toasted Sesame Oriental Cabbage Slaw Barbecued Beer Beans for a Big Crowd. 480 pages! Paperback.

More than 500 of the very best barbecue recipes, inventive, delicious, unexpected, easy-to-make, and guaranteed to capture great grill flavors from around the world. 556 pages! Paperback.

Sturdy canvas tote shows off your support of the library while carrying your literary treasures.

Each card displays a unique photo of our beautiful community. For a limited time, a donation of $1 will be made to Tap-In for each deck purchased.