Bullied : what every parent, teacher, and kid needs to know about ending the cycle of fear

by Carrie Goldman   (Get the Book)
When the author, a blogger for the online community of the Chicago Tribune, posted about her six-year-old daughter being bullied at school because she was sporting a Star Wars backpack and water bottle, cyberspace rose to her defense with a flurry of posts, e-mails, and letters. Goldman decided to delve more deeply into the subject, discovering that 160,000 children stay home every day from school because of bullying, 42% of kids have been bullied online, and one in five teens has been bullied at school in the previous year ("bullycides" are also an alarming trend). Although progress has been made, Goldman and the experts and parents she interviews reveal that there's more work to do. Goldman identifies kids who are at high risk for bullying (i.e., "geeks"; children with disabilities; gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual students; and kids who do not choose gender-specific toys). In fact, any nonconformist is a likely target, and society ups the ante with gender-specific marketing and expectations. In this informative book, Goldman also addresses prevention, intervention and reconciliation, helping parents recognize the warning signs of emotional distress and offering techniques for dealing with bullies (who also need help). The author calls upon parents, schools, and marketers to collaborate in order to change damaging cultural attitudes and create a culture of acceptance and safety for all kinds of kids. --Publishers Weekly

Brewing British-style beers : more than 100 thirst quenching pub recipes to brew at home

by Dave Line       (Get the Book)
Brewing British-Style Beers reveals the secrets of brewing beers at home that taste just like those found at expensive pubs. It shows readers how to make their own great beer that is virtually identical to popular European brands, and provides all of the information needed to successfully emulate the world's best commercial brews for a fraction of the cost. This book is a must-have for both beginners and experienced brewers looking for great new recipes. It begins with an overview of the brewing process, covering the ingredients needed for brewing, essential equipment, basic concepts, techniques and brewing aids. With complete instructions for first-time brewers, readers will get to know their Fuggles from their Bullions and be "sparging the wort" in no time at all. (Summary)

Line of fire

by Stephen White    (Get the Book)
After two decades and 18 novels, White has decided to bring the Alan Gregory series to a close. This is the second-to-last novel about the Colorado clinical psychologist; the final one, the twentieth, will take Gregory to the end of his long and winding road. Here we see the beginning of the end. Forest fires are reducing chunks of the Boulder Valley to tinder and ash; Alan's colleague and close friend, still recovering from a terrible trauma, appears to be approaching a psychological breakdown; and new evidence in an old case causes Alan to reexamine decisions he made in the past, putting his entire career at risk. White is a fine storyteller, and Gregory is a complex, compelling character whom fans have grown to love and respect. It will be hard for them to say good-bye, but at least his creator appears to be planning to give him a first-class send-off. --Booklist

Where'd you go, Bernadette : a novel

by Maria Semple    (Get the Book)
Bernadette Fox, practically a shut-in, who's hired a virtual assistant in India to remotely arrange every task, from hiring a gardener to planning the trip to Antarctica she's promised her star-student daughter, Bee seems pretty crazy. But don't be fooled. Suspicions that madcap Bernadette is as clever as her last name implies will be confirmed heartily. When she's party to some unfortunate events, her erratic behavior leads her husband, Microsoft guru Elgin Branch, to commit her to a local mental-health facility. But Bernadette intercepts his plan at the pass, escapes the staged intervention, and disappears without a trace. Though much of the story is told through documents e-mails, letters, magazine articles precocious young teen Bee as narrator is great company, entertaining and convincing in her comportment. TV writer Semple (Arrested Development) pokes fun at the Pacific Northwest as only a Seattlelite can and concocts a caper that, if seen from outer space, might be a mess but in the minutiae of its tangles is clear and rewarding. Under the guise of a hilarious romp, Semple explores the universal questions of why we do what we do and love what we love to some sweet and unexpected ends. --Booklist

The prophet

by Michael Koryta   (Get the Book)
The citizens of Chambers, Ohio, are passionate about high-school football, so it's little wonder that successful head coach Kent Austin is one of the most popular guys in town. Not so his brother, Adam, a bail bondsman who's barely making ends meet. The brothers' relationship has been fractured since the abduction and murder of their teenaged sister, Marie, more than two decades ago. Now, the slaying of another young woman, the steady girlfriend of one of Kent's players, brings the two together again. Adam, who's never fully recovered from his sister's tragedy, is consumed by vengeful thoughts. Kent keeps a cooler head, simultaneously working with the police and prepping his team for the playoffs. Edgar-nominated mystery wunderkind Koryta (he turns 30 this year) has earned kudos from veteran thriller writers Stephen King and Dean Koontz. He proves plenty worthy of praise in this vivid portrayal of a small midwestern town and the evils that befall it. Koryta's recent novels (e.g., The Ridge, 2011) have combined suspense with horror and the supernatural, but this time he returns to his mainstream thriller roots. With its crisp writing and steady suspense, this is a must-read for his fans both old and new. --Booklist

College : what it was, is, and should be

by Andrew Delbanco     (Get the Book)
Undergraduate education, the Washington Post recently opined, is on the verge of a radical reordering. As a seasoned professor, Delbanco scrutinizes the college world, which poised for such dramatic realignment. It is a world that has long since lost the spiritual purpose of the religionists who founded the nation's flagship universities as institutions for preparing devout students as clergymen. To renew higher education in an age of secular pluralism, Delbanco summons his colleagues to a defense of the university's role in fostering humane and democratic impulses. This defense will require administrators and faculty to resist the hyper-specialization of modern research and the mercenary mentality of careerism. It will also require them to meet new competition from Internet schools and to cope with new pressures from cash-strapped lawmakers. Nor does the challenge end once students show up on campus, for this generation of enrollees often lack basic academic skills yet still expect high grades. Delbanco's agenda for reform curricular, pedagogical, financial, and technological will stimulate a much-needed national dialogue. --Library Journal

Say nice things about Detroit

by Scott Lasser   (Get the Book)
Summoned home to Detroit to help his father cope with his mother's dementia, Denver lawyer David Halpert arrives shortly after his former girlfriend Natalie and her black half brother, Dirk, are murdered. While paying respects to the family, David reconnects with Natalie's younger sister, Carolyn, who has traveled from Los Angeles, happy to leave her faltering marriage behind in spite of the tragedy that has unraveled her family. Family tragedy is nothing new to David, who is still mourning the death of his teenage son, which may explain his willingness to take over Dirk's role as mentor to an at-risk inner-city teen. Buoyed by a blossoming love affair with Carolyn and a tenative rapport with Marlon, David decides to make his temporary stay in Detroit a permanent return to his childhood home. Forget the grime and crime, political corruption and economic decay. Lasser's Detroit may be a troubled city, but it is one whose vibrant soul is writ large in the small actions of its loyal citizens. With a serene and steady hand, Lasser's spare but intense tale is a smart, intimate homage to the power of second chances. Put this book in the hands of fans of Richard Ford and Richard Russo. --Booklist

Overdressed : the shockingly high cost of cheap fashion

by Elizabeth L. Cline   (Get the Book)
The era of socially responsible clothing is upon us. Certainly, thanks to media sensationalism, most American consumers are aware by now of exposes of underpaid factory workers here and overseas and the sincere attempt by U.S. corporations to ban such treatment. Yet just as many readers would be fascinated (in the worst way) by the industry itself and the waste that our clothing habits engender. Journalist Cline chronicles the excesses from every angle, beginning with the YouTube shopping hauls, in which young consumers provide reviews of garments from the likes of H&M, Zara, and Target. She probes previously underreported segments of fashion, such as what it costs to manufacture different items and how retailers shave costs; the composition of man-made fabrics, such as polyester (oil dependent and not biodegradable); and the behind-the scenes disposition of donated articles by the Salvation Army and Goodwill. Most important is her discovery and adoption of ethical fashion, in which quality pieces triumph through the patronage of local designers, by a return to sewing and hand-embellished garments, and by the decidedly unfashionable notion of wearing clothes unique enough to not care about trendiness. --Booklist

Alys, always : a novel

by Harriet Lane    (Get the Book)
Frances Thorpe's life is mundane and wearying. An underappreciated editor on the book-review pages of a weekly periodical, she seems to be going nowhere until late one night she stumbles on a car accident. Stopping to help, she witnesses the final moments of the passenger, Alys Kyte, wife of famous novelist Laurence Kyte. The next thing she knows, she's meeting the family, attending the memorial service, and making inroads into elite literary society. Association with Laurence brings her more respect in her professional and personal spheres, and now that she's had a taste of that privileged world, she plans to get even more. In this debut novel, Lane draws readers into an emotional suspense story of manipulation, attraction, and ambition. Realistic characters create an intriguing contrast between the working and privileged classes of English society. Frances' cool determination to penetrate the latter is, at times, disconcerting, but even though she is not your typical strong female protagonist, her desire to improve her life will strike a chord with many readers. --Booklist