BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Last Armada

The Last Armada: Queen Elizabeth, Juan Del Águila, and the 100-Day Invasion of England

by Des Ekin 

Ireland: Christmas Eve, 1601.

As thunder crashes and lightning rakes the sky, three very different commanders line up for a battle that will decide the fate of a nation. General Juan del Águila has been sprung from a prison cell to command the last great Spanish armada. His mission: to seize a bridgehead in Queen Elizabeth's England and hold it.

Facing him is Charles Blount, a brilliant English strategist whose career is also under a cloud. His affair with a married woman edged him into a treasonous conspiracy, and brought him to within a hair's breadth of the gallows.

Meanwhile, Irish insurgent Hugh O'Neill knows that this is his final chance to drive the English out of Ireland.

For each man, this is the last throw of the dice. Tomorrow they will be either heroes or failures. These colorful commanders come alive in this true story of courage and endurance, of bitterness and betrayal, and of drama and intrigue at the highest levels in the courts of England and Spain.  

The story of the last great naval battle between England and Spain, evoking a number of colorful and dangerous personalities who fought in the climactic conclusion to these two countries’ great rivalry on the sea.

Tyson

YOUNG ADULT BOOK SPOTLIGHT: UNBOUND

Unbound 
By: Neal Shusterman

Find out what happens to Connor, Risa, and Lev now that they've finally destroyed the Proactive Citizenry in this collection of short stories set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman. Connor Lassiter's fight to bring down Proactive Citizenry and find a suitable alternative to unwinding concluded in UnDivided . Now Connor, Risa, and Lev are free to live in a peaceful future--or are they? Neal Shusterman brings back his beloved Unwind characters for his fans to see what's left for those who were destined to be unwound.


Shared by: Cara

CAREER BOOK SPOTLIGHT: THE SOCIAL MEDIA JOB SEARCH WORKBOOK

The Social Media Job Search Workbook: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Work in the Age of Social Media 

By: Joshua Waldman, MBA

You've probably heard that social media can make or break your search for a job. But exactly how do you conduct an effective social media job search? Where do you turn for the best job search advice? What does it take to find a job today?Joshua Waldman knows. He wrote the popular book Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies. And now he has created this workbook, The Social Media Job Search Workbook. What can this workbook help you accomplish? - Get interviews faster- Attract recruiters- Increase your chances of finding meaningful work in record timeWhy a workbook? Because landing your dream job takes more than knowledge--it takes action. This workbook's friendly format helps you translate valuable knowledge into invaluable action based on your unique skills, interests, and appeal to employers. Waldman takes the worry out of the process as he guides you through the right steps in the right order, from positioning to polishing to publishing. He shares his proven process for crafting a job-attracting message that works for the online audience you want to reach. Waldman's tips on using today's tools--especially LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter--will give you the confidence and clarity you need to fine-tune your own powerful social media job search.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: EISENHOWER'S ARMIES

Eisenhower's Armies: The American-British Alliance During World War II

by Niall Barr
This dynamic new history provides a fresh perspective on many of the controversies and critical strategic decisions of World War II. 

The Anglo-American relationship from 1941-1945 proved to be the most effective military alliance in history. Yet there were also constant tensions and disagreements that threatened to pull the alliance apart. This book highlights why the unprecedented level of cooperation between the very different American and British forces eventually led to victory but also emphasizes the tensions and controversies which inevitably arose. 

Based on considerable archival research, this work considers the breadth and depth of the relationship from high-level strategic decisions, the rivalries and personalities of the commanders to the ordinary British and American soldiers who fought alongside one another. 

The book also looks back and demonstrates how the legacy of previous experience shaped the decisions of the war.  Eisenhower's Armies is the story of two very different armies learning to live, work, and fight together even in the face of serious strategic disagreements. 

In highlighting the cooperation, tensions, and disagreements inherent in this military alliance, this work shows that Allied victory was far from pre-ordained and proves that the business of making this alliance work was vital for eventual success.  
 
Eisenhower's Armies is a very human story about the efforts of many individuals, famous or otherwise, who worked and argued together to defeat Hitler's Germany.

Tyson

 

 

GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK SPOTLIGHT: WALKING WOUNDED

Walking Wounded: Uncut Stories from Iraq
Written by: Olivier Morel
Art by: Maël
Translated by: Edward Gauvin

For thousands of young Americans, after the shock of 9/11, there was Ar Ramadi, Baghdad, Abu Ghraib and then the war in Iraq. Then came the trauma. Olivier Morel gave them a voice in his compelling documentary On the Bridge. Walking Wounded is the story of Morel getting close to the young vets, their troubled experience and their lives after the war. He and artist Mael relate through these veterans the impossible return of those who aspire to get back to a normal life.

A graphic novel illustrating the challenges and victories of Iraq War veterans. A new addition to our graphic novel section. On display on the second floor at the main library. 

Shared by: Cara

YA BOOK SPOTLIGHT: NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES

Never Always Sometimes
By: Adi Alsaid

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliche high school kids--the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they'd never, ever do in high school. Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never die your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he's broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It's either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember. Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love. 

Watch the book trailer! 

Shared by: Cara

YA BOOK SPOTLIGHT: THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
By: Leslye Walton 

Named a 2015 Morris Award finalist by YALSA, which "honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature."

Born with bird wings, Ava Lavender is well aware that love has long made fools of her family. When pious Nathanial Sorrows mistakes her bird wings for angel wings, 16-year-old Ava faces the man's growing obsession, which comes to a head with the rain and feathers that fly through the air during a nighttime summer solstice celebration.

"Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga."

Watch the book trailer!

Shared by: Cara

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: THE INTIMATE BOND

The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History
by Brian Fagan

New York Times bestselling author Brian Fagan shows how the powerful bond between Homo sapiens and other species has determined the course of civilizations and even shaped human character. 

Animals, and our ever-changing relationship with them, have left an indelible mark on human history. From the dawn of our existence, animals and humans have been constantly redefining their relationship with one another, and entire civilizations have risen and fallen upon this curious bond we share with our fellow fauna. 

Brian Fagan unfolds this fascinating story from the first wolf who wandered into our prehistoric ancestors' camp and found companionship, to empires built on the backs of horses, donkeys, and camels, to the industrial age when some animals became commodities, often brutally exploited, and others became pets, nurtured and pampered, sometimes to absurd extremes. 

Through an in-depth analysis of six truly trans-formative human-animal relationships, Fagan shows how our habits and our very way of life were considerably and irreversibly altered by our intimate bond with animals. 

With characteristic care and penetrating insight, Fagan reveals the profound influence that animals have exercised on human history and how, in fact, they often drove it.

Tyson

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: TEN BILLION TOMORROWS

Ten Billion Tomorrows: How Science Fiction Technology Became Reality and Shapes the Future

 
by Brian Clegg 

Science fiction is a vital part of popular culture, influencing the way we all look at the world. TV shows like Star Trek and movies from Forbidden Planet to Inception have influenced scientists to enter the profession and have shaped our futures. 

Science fiction doesn't set out to predict what will happen, it's far more about how human beings react to "What if'..." but, it is fascinating to see how science fiction and reality sometimes converge, and also sometimes take extraordinarily different paths. 

Ten Billion Tomorrows sorts through many familiar SF devices and looks at contemporary scientific research to determine their feasibility.  Although some scientific concepts like quantum tunneling are complicated the book is very accessible to the general reader.

Mixing remarkable science with the imagination of our greatest science fiction writers, Ten Billion Tomorrows will delight science fiction lovers and popular science devotees alike.

Tyson

See Also Michio Kaku Video on the Physics of the Future