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Books in Collection: 17
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Armor
John Steakley DAW Literature & Fiction 432
Summary: Body armor has been devised for the commando forces that are to be dropped on Banshee-the home of the most implacable of humanity's enemies. A trooper in this armor is a one-man, atomic-powered battle fortress, but he will have to fight a nearly endless horde of berserk, hard-shelled monsters.

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Bathroom Book of Wisconsin Trivia: Weird, Wacky and Wild
Rachel Conrad, Andrew Fleming Blue Bike Books Entertainment 224
Summary: I've been a Wisconsin resident nearly all my life - (60 years) - traveled the state north to south and east to west and thought I knew alot about my state - not so!!! I found the book informative and very fun to read.

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By the Rivers of Babylon
Nelson Demille wARNER Literature & Fiction 422
Summary: Heroism, madness, treachery, sex, savagery. This book has it all.

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Deception Point
Dan Brown Washington Square Press Literature & Fiction 576
Summary: Penzler Pick, December 2001: In the world of page-turning thrillers, Dan Brown holds a special place in the hearts of many of us. After his first book, "Digital Fortress", almost passed me by, he wrote "Angels and Demons", which was probably one of the half-dozen most exciting thrillers of last year. It is a pleasure to report that his new book lives up to his reputation as a writer whose research and talent make his stories exciting, believable, and just plain unputdownable.
The time is now and President Zachary Herney is facing a very tough reelection. His opponent, Senator Sedgwick Sexton, is a powerful man with powerful friends and a mission: to reduce NASA's spending and move space exploration into the private sector. He has numerous supporters, including many beyond the businesses who will profit from this because of the embarrassment of 1996, when the Clinton administration was informed by NASA that proof existed of life on other planets. That information turned out to be premature, if not incorrect. (This story is true; I repeat, Dan Brown's research is very, very good.) The embattled president is assured that a rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice will prove to have far-reaching implications on America's space program. The find, however, needs to be verified.
Enter Rachel Sexton, a gister for the National Reconnaissance Office. Gisters reduce complex reports into single-page briefs, and in this case the president needs that confirmation before he broadcasts to the nation, probably ensuring his reelection. It's tricky because Rachel is the daughter of his opponent. Rachel is thrilled to be on the team traveling to the Arctic circle. She is a realist about her father's politics and has little respect for his stand on NASA, but Senator Sexton cannot help but have a problem with her involvement.
Adventure, romance, murder, skullduggery, and nail-biting tension ensue. By the end of "Deception Point", the reader will be much better informed about how our space program works and how our politicians react to new information. Bring on the next Dan Brown thriller! "--Otto Penzler"

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Dreamer of Dune: The Biography of Frank Herbert
Brian Herbert Tor Books Biographies & Memoirs 592
Summary: veryone knows Frank Herbert's Dune. One of the most popular science fiction novels ever written, Dune has become a worldwide phenomenon, winning awards and selling millions of copies. Brian Herbert, Frank's eldest son, tells the provocative story of his father's extraordinary life in this honest and loving chronicle. He has also brought to light all the events in Frank's life that found their way into speculative fiction's greatest epic. From his early years in Tacoma, Washington, and his education in the Navy and at the University of Washington, Seattle, through the difficult years of trying his hand as a TV cameraman, radio commentator, reporter, and editor of several West Coast newspapers, Frank Herbert worked long and hard before finding success. Brian Herbert writes about his father's life with a truthful intensity that brings every facet of the man's brilliant, and sometimes troubled, genius to full light. Insightful and provocative, containing family photos never published anywhere, this absorbing biography offers Brian Herbert's unique personal perspective on one of the most enigmatic and creative talents of our time.

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The Glorious Cause
Jeff Shaara Fawcett Literature & Fiction 704
Summary: In "Rise to Rebellion", bestselling author Jeff Shaara captured the origins of the American Revolution as brilliantly as he depicted the Civil War in "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure". Now he continues the amazing saga of how thirteen colonies became a nation, taking the conflict from kingdom and courtroom to the bold and bloody battlefields of war.

It was never a war in which the outcome was obvious. Despite their spirit and stamina, the colonists were outmanned and outfought by the brazen British army. General George Washington found his troops trounced in the battles of Brooklyn and Manhattan and retreated toward Pennsylvania. With the future of the colonies at its lowest ebb, Washington made his most fateful decision: to cross the Delaware River and attack the enemy. The stunning victory at Trenton began a saga of victory and defeat that concluded with the British surrender at Yorktown, a moment that changed the history of the world.

The despair and triumph of America’s first great army is conveyed in scenes as powerful as any Shaara has written, a story told from the points of view of some of the most memorable characters in American history. There is George Washington, the charismatic leader who held his army together to achieve an unlikely victory; Charles Cornwallis, the no-nonsense British general, more than a match for his colonial counterpart; Nathaniel Greene, who rose from obscurity to become the finest battlefield commander in Washington’s army; The Marquis de Lafayette, the young Frenchman who brought a soldier’s passion to America; and Benjamin Franklin, a brilliant man of science and philosophy who became the finest statesman of his day.

From Nathan Hale to Benedict Arnold, William Howe to “Light Horse” Harry Lee, from Trenton and Valley Forge, Brandywine and Yorktown, the American Revolution’s most immortal characters and poignant moments are brought to life in remarkable Shaara style. Yet, "The Glorious Cause "is more than just a story of the legendary six-year struggle. It is a tribute to an amazing people who turned ideas into action and fought to declare themselves free. Above all, it is a riveting novel that both expands and surpasses its beloved author’s best work.


"From the Hardcover edition."

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Hunters of Dune
Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson Tor Science Fiction Literature & Fiction 576
Summary: "Hunters of Dune" and the concluding volume, "Sandworms of Dune," bring together the great story lines and beloved characters in Frank Herbert’s classic Dune universe, ranging from the time of the Butlerian Jihad to the original Dune series and beyond. Based directly on Frank Herbert’s final outline, which lay hidden in a safe-deposit box for a decade, these two volumes will finally answer the urgent questions Dune fans have been debating for two decades.

At the end of "Chapterhouse: Dune--"Frank Herbert’s final novel--a ship carrying the ghola of Duncan Idaho, Sheeana (a young woman who can control sandworms), and a crew of various refugees escapes into the uncharted galaxy, fleeing from the monstrous Honored Matres, dark counterparts to the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. The nearly invincible Honored Matres have swarmed into the known universe, driven from their home by a terrifying, mysterious Enemy. As designed by the creative genius of Frank Herbert, the primary story of "Hunters" and "Sandworms" is the exotic odyssey of Duncan’s no-ship as it is forced to elude the diabolical traps set by the ferocious, unknown Enemy. To strengthen their forces, the fugitives have used genetic technology from Scytale, the last Tleilaxu Master, to revive key figures from Dune’s past—including Paul Muad’Dib and his beloved Chani, Lady Jessica, Stilgar, Thufir Hawat, and even Dr. Wellington Yueh. Each of these characters will use their special talents to meet the challenges thrown at them.

Failure is unthinkable--not only is their survival at stake, but they hold the fate of the entire human race in their hands.

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The Last Coyote
Michael Connelly St. Martin's Paperbacks Literature & Fiction 416
Summary: Harry Bosch’s life is on the edge. His earthquake-damaged home has been condemned. His girlfriend has left him. He’s drinking too much. And after attacking his commanding officer, he’s even had to turn in his L.A.P.D. detective’s badge.

Now, suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he’s spending his time investigating an unsolved crime from 1961: the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother.

Even after three decades, Harry’s questions generate heat among L.A.’s top politicos. And as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone wants to keep it buried. Someone very powerful…very cunning…and very deadly.

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Listening to the Light: How to Bring Quaker Simplicity and Integrity Into Our Lives
Jim Pym Random House UK Religion & Spirituality 192
Summary: Quakerism has been a source of inspiration for over 300 years. Combining spirituality with the practical life, its insights have a universal appeal that is particularly relevant to today's world. Quakers deeply value inner peace and tranquility and believe that there is "that of God" within us all. They also have a compassionate determination to alleviate suffering and a profound commitment to peace and non-violence. Listening to the Light shows us how to incorporate Quaker ideals and practices into our lives: to find our own Light-the Divine-within ourselves; to realize that the everyday is spiritual; to simplify our lives and care for the planet; to bring a sense of commitment and integrity to our actions; and to learn to listen. Accessible and full of wisdom, this is a book to turn to when we need to remind ourselves that there is a better way to live.

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Mexifornia : A State of a Becoming
Victor Davis Hanson Encounter Books History 150
Summary: This book is part history, part political analysis and part memoir. It is an intensely personal book about what has changed in California over the last quarter century.

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