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Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Spiderman


On August 1, 1962, The Amazing Spider-Man made his debut in Amazing Fantasy #15.  Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man flung his web into the world of comics and has swung his way into movies, television, videogames, and more. Spider-man No Way Home is set to be released in December of 2021, bringing the grand total of Spider-Man movies up to nine. In the 59 years since his inception, the spider-verse has grown, and Peter Parker is no longer the only friendly neighborhood Spider-man on the block. Wikipedia gives us a list of Alternative versions of Spider-Man as does denofgeek.com. With hundreds of Spider-Man comics published there certainly isn't a shortage of action.













































Monday, July 26, 2021

Women in Baseball: Dirt in The Skirt

Women in Baseball week, July 25th through August 1st is a Worldwide celebration. Women can bring a lot to the plate, (pun 100% intended). According to womeninbaseballweek.org, this year's theme is Breaking Barriers: Women in Baseball Around the World. One of the ways they suggest to celebrate is by sharing your local history of women in baseball. Well, we certainly have the history.

If you check out Women in sports: 50 fearless athletes who played to win by Ignotofsky, Rachel, (and I highly suggest you do, the illustrations alone are worth the look!), you can find a blurb on "Bloomer Girls". The Bloomer Girls formed teams all across the country and challenging various other teams, local to minor, from 1890 to 1934. (https://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/features/girls-of-the-summer.html) Thus paving the way for the creation of the All-American-Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943.

In 1942, Philip Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, was not content with the idea that WWII could mean the cancellation of the 1943 major-league baseball season. Wrigley figured if women were able to fill in men's shoes in various workplaces due to the war, then there was no reason for them not to step up to bat, (again, not sorry about the pun). So, with Wrigley's financial backing, the All-American Girls Baseball League was born. Tryouts for the Racine Belles, Kenosha Comets, South Bend Blue Sox, and the Rockford Peaches, were held at Wrigley Field, with over 200 women in attendance and only 60 slots. The All-American Girls Baseball League played 12 seasons and was disbanded in 1954, in that time the league grew to 15 teams with over 600 women playing ball. In the end, the Rockford Peaches held to most league championships, winning in 1945, 1948, 1949, and 1950. (https://baseballforall.com/)

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Baseball game between the Racine Belles of Wisconsin and the South Bend Blue Sox of Indiana, September 14, 1947.


"This fully illustrated history tells the story of women's first "league of their own," the All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League (1943-1954), as told through the engaging voices of the people who knew it best: the players! Author Anika Orrock has collected a range of funny, charming, wince-worthy, and heart-warming vignettes as told by the players themselves from their various experiences playing in the AAGBPL, from the very first tryouts to barnstorming around the country and sliding into home base in League-mandated skirts and lipstick. Beginning with a brief history of the founding of the league, the players' stories are woven together with press coverage of the league, player statistics, and historical beats to form a single narrative of their experiences, struggles, and impressions of a time when being a woman in a professional sports league was revolutionary. With an introduction by New York Yankees assistant general manager Jean Afterman, THE INCREDIBLE WOMEN OF THE AAGBPL is an inspirational story for anyone looking to carve out their own place in the world"-- Provided by publisher.



"The interviews range from 1995 to 2012 and reveal details of games, highlights of careers, the camaraderie of teammates, opponents, and fans, and the impact the League made. Several players recall how the 1992 movie A League of Their Own brought the historic All-American League back to life almost 40 years after the final game"--Provided by publisher.

Shirley Burkovich - Sports Stories Baseball



The years between 1943 and 1954 marked the magical era of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - which proved beyond doubt that women can play hardball. With skill and style, more than 500 women took to the baseball diamonds of the Midwest dazzling fans and becoming a visible and supported part of our national pastime. In the words of "Tiby" Eisen, leadoff batter for the Fort Wayne Daisies: "We played ball just like the big boys, we broke up double plays with spikes held high and we stole bases in our skirts. We did whatever it took to win." Among those cheering was ten-year-old Susan Johnson, a loyal fan of the Rockford Peaches. Four decades later she has gone back to meet her girlhood heroines and remember a sensational baseball series: the 1950 championship between the Rockford (Illinois) Peaches and the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daisies - two of the League's most winning and dynamic teams. Filled with colorful stories and anecdotes by the women who played in that spectacular series, When Women Played Hardball offers an entertaining look at the culture the league created - and the society it reflected. This is a story about memories, about dreams, fulfilled and dreams denied. It is a celebration of a brief yet remarkable period when women truly had "A League of Their Own."


"The true story of Effa Manley, the first and only woman in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and her ownership role in the Negro Leagues leading up to the integration of Major League Baseball"-- Provided by publisher



"Dorothy Mary Kamenshek was born to immigrant parents in Norwood, Ohio. As a young girl, she played pickup games of sandlot baseball with neighborhood children; no one, however, would have suspected that at the age of seventeen she would become a star athlete at the national level. The outbreak of World War II and the ensuing draft of able-bodied young men severely depleted the ranks of professional baseball players. In 1943, Phillip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, led the initiative to establish a new league--a women's league--to fill the ballparks while the war ground on in Europe and the Pacific. Kamenshek was selected and assigned to the Rockford Peaches in their inaugural season and played first base for a total of ten years, becoming a seven-time All-Star and holder of two league batting titles. When injuries finally put an end to her playing days, she went on to a successful and much quieter career in physical therapy. Fame came again in 1992 when Geena Davis portrayed a player loosely based on Kamenshek in the hit movie A League of Their Own"-- Provided by publisher.



Biography of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, one of only three women (so far) to play professional baseball. Johnson was a pitcher with the Negro League's Indianapolis Clowns from 1953 to 1955.

AAGPBL Rockford Peaches vs. Peoria Redwings in 1949



 

In 1931, seventeen-year-old Jackie Mitchell pitches against Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game, becoming the first professional female pitcher in baseball history.

Rockford Peaches visit Midway Village WW2 Reenactment 2016

LINKS:









#WomeninBaseballWeek

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Beach Reads


I love lakes and rivers, and I want nothing more than to see an ocean; I don't actually want to be in the water though, just close enough to see, hear, and smell. That being said, I hate beaches. It's the sand. I have no tolerance for it. Dry or wet, I just want it far away from me. I'll take a good beach read though. I'm certainly looking forward to reading the latest Jenny Colgan, "Sunrise by the Sea".



"A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters. Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. They're polar opposites. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block. Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. But as the summer stretches on, January discovers a gaping plot hole in the story she's been telling herself about her own life, and begins to wonder what other things she might have gotten wrong, including her ideas about the man next door."--Provided by publisher.



"Autumn takes her kids home for the summer to the charming beachside town where she was raised. She seeks comfort working alongside her mother and aunt at their bookshop...And when she runs into the boy who stole her heart in high school, old feelings start to bubble up again. Is she free to love him, or should she hold out hope for her husband's return? She can only trust her heart and hope it won't lead her astray"--. Provided by publisher.



" It's been almost a year since Leah Berkley Kent left her lavish Richmond home to spend two months on Coates Island, North Carolina. There she found friendship with two extraordinary women, Kayana and Cherie. Together they formed a summer book club, meeting weekly at the Seaside Café. Leah also found the courage to finally stand up to Alan, her domineering husband of twenty-eight years. With her twin sons now grown, Leah decides to return to Coates Island again this summer. Alan's explosive reaction only convinces her that her marriage, and her old life, may be ending. But what comes next? Helping out at the Seaside Café, Leah grows closer to Kayana's widowed brother, Derrick. He knows what it's like to start over--he traded a Wall Street career for a beachfront house and a slower pace. Derrick is drawn to Leah, but wonders if she's truly ready to move on."--Amazon.



Moving to a Cornish seaside village, hoping for peace and solitude, lonely registrar Marisa Rosso, feeling like life is passing her by, unexpectedly finds her joy again with the help of her noisy neighbor, the community spirit, and a campaign to save the local bakery.



"Katherine Parker is on the cusp of having everything she ever wanted - fame, money, and acclaim. So why isn't she happy? In search of answers, she comes incognito to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast for some R&R. Maybe in her secluded rental house overlooking the serene Pacific she'll be able to calm the storm inside. Coffee shop owner Zach Garrett has found his niche after a traumatic loss - and he has no plans to change the life he's created. Nor does he want to get involved with his reticent new neighbor, whose past is shrouded in mystery. He's had enough drama to last a lifetime. But when Katherine and Zach are recruited to help rehab a home for foster children, sparks fly. And as their lives begin to intersect, might they find more common ground than they expected . . . and discover that, with love, all things are possible?"--. Provided by publisher.



While on a painting holiday off the coast of North Wales, amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan stumbles upon a body on a secluded beach--and a new mystery--while falling in love with a wildlife photographer and learning some surprising truths about herself.



"After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper's Cove--the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children. Now it's finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper's Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance... Can she trust Aiden to stick around?"--Publisher.



The exclusive beach community of Oak Bluffs is a mecca for the crème de la crème of black society. Thirty years ago Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built Chateau Laveau, a house high on the bluffs. Ama's favorite guests have always been her three "goddaughters:" Esperanza "Perry" Soto, a talented Afro-Latina lawyer; Olivia Jones, a Wall Street analyst; and Billie Hayden, a marine biologist. This summer Ama, now nearing seventy-one, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billy to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them. And each wants the house. Desperately. -- adapted from jacket.



"With Chicago winters in the rearview mirror, Chloe Jackson is making good on a promise: help her late friend’s grandmother run the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle. To Chloe’s surprise, feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe expects. Nor is Emerald Cove. It’s less a sleepy fishing village than a panhandle hotspot overrun with land developers and tourists. But it’s a Sea Glass regular who’s mysteriously crossed the cranky Vivi. When their bitter argument comes to a head and he’s found dead behind the bar, guess who’s the number one suspect? In trying to clear Vivi’s name, Chloe discovers the old woman isn’t the only one in Emerald Cove with secrets. Under the laidback attitude, sparkling white beaches, and small-town ways something terrible is brewing. And the sure way a killer can keep those secrets bottled up is to finish off one murder with a double shot: aimed at Chloe and Vivi."--Page 4 of cover



Inspired by the title Dorothea Benton Frank had planned for her next book--Reunion Beach--close friends and colleagues pay tribute in stories and poems that celebrate Frank, a prolific author who had a love for the Lowcountry of her native South Carolina.

Monday, July 19, 2021

"Light" reading July


Let me shed some "light" on a bit of "light" reading.

Sorry Not Sorry.

Books with the word "light" in the title:



"It is 1946 when Vera Frankel and her best friend Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they escaped from a train headed for Auschwitz and were hidden by farmers until the end of the war while the rest of their families perished. Now, they want to start new lives abroad, and armed with a letter of recommendation from an American general, Vera finds work at the United States embassy and falls in love with Captain Anton Wight. But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he disappears, Vera is forced to change course, trying to find refuge first in America (where she and Edith are turned away) and then in Venezuela. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss"--Publisher's description.



"As their communities were being destroyed, groups of Jewish women and teenage girls across Poland began transforming Jewish youth groups into resistance factions. These 'ghetto girls' helped build systems of underground bunkers, paid off the Gestapo, and bombed German train lines. At the center of the book is eighteen-year-old Renia Kukielka, who traveled across her war-torn country as a weapons smuggler and messenger. Other women who joined the cause served as armed fighters, spies, and saboteurs, all risking their lives for their missions. It also includes an eight-page insert of black-and-white photos, so that readers can see firsthand the extraordinary women who bravely fought for their freedom in the face of overwhelming odds"--From the publisher's website.



2023. Rory Ann Miller is on the run with her best friend Feliza Lopez because they are accused of bombing their posh Californian high school during an American Virtue Ball. Rory's mom, a social activist, and lawyer has been arrested and implicated in her daughter's "crimes" whereas her dad is cooperating with the authorities. Rory is cynical and scared, furious and scathing, betrayed, and looking for something or someone to trust. As she blogs, their story, what she has to say about the dads and bosses and politicians lining up to keep women in their place, and about the ways women collaborate in their own undermining, is fierce, and funny, and sad, and true. -- adapted from jacket



When Dr. Philip Taiwo is called on by a powerful Nigerian politician to investigate the public torture and murder of three university students in remote Port Harcourt, he has no idea that he's about to be enveloped by a perilous case that is far from cold. Philip is not a detective. He's an investigative psychologist, an academic more interested in figuring out the why of a crime than actually solving it. But when he steps off the plane and into the dizzying frenzy of the provincial airport, he soon realizes that the murder of the Okriki Three isn't as straightforward as he thought. With the help of his loyal and streetwise personal driver, Chika, Philip must work against those actively conspiring against him to parse together the truth of what happened to these students.--. Publisher's description.




"An intimate memoir by the controversial, Oscar-winning director and screenwriter about his privileged New York upbringing, volunteering for combat, and his struggles and triumphs making such landmark films as Platoon, Midnight Express, and Scarface"-- Provided by publisher.



"In this luminous memoir, an MIT astrophysicist must reinvent herself in the wake of tragedy and discovers the power of connection on this planet, even as she searches our galaxy for another Earth. Sara Seager has always been in love with the stars: so many lights in the sky, so much possibility. Now a pioneering planetary scientist, she searches for exoplanets--especially that distant, elusive world that sustains life. But with the unexpected death of Seager's husband, the purpose of her own life becomes hard for her to see. Suddenly, at forty, she is a widow and the single mother of two young boys. For the first time, she feels alone in the universe. As she struggles to navigate her life after loss, Seager takes solace in the alien beauty of exoplanets and the technical challenges of exploration. At the same time, she discovers earthbound connections that feel every bit as wondrous, when strangers and loved ones alike reach out to her across the space of her grief. Among them are the Widows of Concord, a group of women offering advice on everything from home maintenance to dating, and her beloved sons, Max and Alex. Most unexpected of all, there is another kind of one-in-a-billion match, not in the stars but here at home. Probing and invigoratingly honest, The Smallest Lights in the Universe is its own kind of light in the dark"-- Provided by publisher.



"In this riveting and richly drawn novel from "one of the master storytellers of historical fiction" (New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams), a talented young artist flees New York for Paris after one of her scandalous drawings reveals a dark secret--and triggers a terrible tragedy. In the wake of a dark and brutal World War, the glitz and glamour of 1925 Manhattan shine like a beacon for the high society set, desperate to keep their gaze firmly fixed to the future. But Delphine Duplessi sees more than most. At a time in her career when she could easily be unknown and penniless, like so many of her classmates from L'École des Beaux Arts, in America she has gained notoriety for her stunning "shadow portraits" that frequently expose her subjects' most scandalous secrets. Most nights Delphine doesn't mind that her gift has become mere entertainment--a party trick--for the fashionable crowd. Then, on a snowy night in February, in a penthouse high above Fifth Avenue, Delphine's mystical talent leads to a tragedy between two brothers. Devastated and disconsolate, Delphine renounces her gift and returns to her old life in the south of France where Picasso, Matisse, and the Fitzgeralds are summering. There, Delphine is thrust into recapturing the past. First by her charismatic twin brother and business manager Sebastian who attempts to cajole her back to work and into co-dependence, then by the world famous opera singer Emma Calve, who is obsessed with the writings of the fourteenth-century alchemist Nicolas Flamel. And finally by her ex-lover Mathieu, who is determined to lure her back into his arms, unaware of the danger that led Delphine to flee Paris for New York five years before. Trapped in an ancient chateau where hidden knowledge lurks in the shadows, Delphine questions everything and everyone she loves the most--her art, her magick, her family, and Mathieu--in an effort to accept them as the gifts they are. Only there can she shed her fear of loving and living with her eyes wide open"-- Provided by publisher.



"When Cohen Marah steps over the body of his dead father on a cold spring morning, he steps into a labyrinth of memory. In the week that follows, he must confront his traumatic past, a violent present, and the most frightening question of all--did he kill his father?"-- Provided by publisher.



Five years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell cowered from airstrikes in a London bomb shelter... and were transported to another realm called the Woodlands. In a forest kingdom populated by creatures out of myth and legend, they found temporary refuge. When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed -- except themselves. Overcome with longing, Ev is desperate to return no matter what it takes. Philippa is determined to find a place in this world and moves to America to escape the memory of what was. When Evelyn goes missing, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under. -- adapted from jacket



In the gentle tradition of James Herriot, Bailey White, Ferrol Sams, and Garrison Keillor, Karon continues the fresh and beautifully written story of a small mountain town in the South. The village rector, Father Tim, can no longer deny his feeling for his neighbor. But what about the wealthy widow who has been wooing him with casseroles? It's clear that Father Tim is in need of divine intervention.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Space Exploration


By far the best science class I have ever taken was Life in the Universe. That's not to say it was easy, I worked hard for my grade, as that class encompassed physics, biology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy. I was never really into space exploration. My earliest memories involving space tend to revolve around the Challenger tragedy and the movie Alien. I do love rocks though. I also like to think I'm more philosophical than I actually am, therefore was attracted to the part of the class description that says: "It also covers the philosophical importance of scientific discoveries and the impact of the discovery of life beyond Earth." Granted the most philosophical part of the class, ( that I remember), was the last question on the final: "Is there other life out there in the universe?" To which I replied: "Sure, It's just that earth is the planet other planets warn each other about."

NON-FICTION:



The race to space-- and to the moon-- was masterminded in the shadows by two engineers on opposite sides of the Cold War: Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi officer living in the US, and Sergei Korolev, a Russian rocket designer once jailed for crimes against his country. Von Braun became an American hero, while Korolev toiled in obscurity. These two brilliant rocketeers never met, but together they shaped the science of spaceflight and redefined modern warfare. Cherrix shows how their simultaneous quests pushed science-- and human ingenuity-- to the breaking point while launching humankind to the moon. -- adapted from jacket



The remarkable woman at heart of the smash New York Times bestseller and Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures tells the full story of her life, including what it took to work at NASA, help land the first man on the moon, and live through a century of turmoil and change.



"Sixty-six million years ago, an object the size of a city descended from space to crash into Earth, creating a devastating cataclysm that killed off the dinosaurs, along with three-quarters of the other species on the planet. What was its origin? In Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, Lisa Randall proposes it was a comet that was dislodged from its orbit as the Solar System passed through a disk of dark matter embedded in the Milky Way. In a sense, it might have been dark matter that killed the dinosaurs. Working through the background and consequences of this proposal, Randall shares with us the latest findings--established and speculative--regarding the nature and role of dark matter and the origin of the Universe, our galaxy, our Solar System, and life, along with the process by which scientists explore new concepts. In Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, Randall tells a breathtaking story that weaves together the cosmos' history and our own, illuminating the deep relationships that are critical to our world and the astonishing beauty inherent in the most familiar things"-- provided by publisher.



The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly inimical to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the pressures of constant close cohabitation; the catastrophic risks of depressurization or colliding with space junk, and the still more haunting threat of being unable to help should tragedy strike at home--an agonizing situation Kelly faced when, on another mission, his twin brother's wife, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot while he still had two months in space. Kelly's humanity, compassion, humor, and passion resonate throughout, as he recalls his rough-and-tumble New Jersey childhood and the youthful inspiration that sparked his astounding career, and as he makes clear his belief that Mars will be the next, ultimately challenging step in American spaceflight. A natural storyteller and modern-day hero, Kelly has a message of hope for the future that will inspire for generations to come. Here, in his personal story, we see the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the boundless wonder of the galaxy.



"For centuries, people have been intrigued by Mars, and over time, scientists have made exciting discoveries, such as the planet's Earth-like weather and seasons. But curious earthlings want to know more about the Red Planet. Does Mars have deserts? Volcanos? Or signs of life? Could people live there someday? Scientists decided to take a closer look. They built a powerful camera called the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) and loaded it onto a rocket. The rocket blasted off on August 12, 2005, and seven months later, the camera began orbiting Mars. It sent back surprising, revealing photos showing the world what Mars really is. Now, the world's space community and NASA have renewed their exploration efforts, and interest in the Red Planet is in high gear" --. Provided by publisher.

FICTION:



The Maritime Unit had landed in paradise. After a terrifying ten-year transit from Solar System aboard the Ashanti, the small band of oceanographers and marine scientists were finally settled. Perched on a reef five hundred kilometers out from shore, they were about to embark on the first exploration of Donovan's seas. For the twenty-two adults and nine children, everything is new, exciting, and filled with wonder as they discover dazzling sea creatures, stunning plant life, and fascinating organisms.

But Donovan is never what it seems; the changes in the children were innocuous--oddities of behavior normal to kids who'd found themselves in a new world. Even then it was too late. An alien intelligence, with its own agenda, now possesses the children, and it will use them in a most insidious way: as the perfect weapons.

How can you fight back when the enemy is smarter than you are, and wears the face of your own child?

Welcome to Donovan.



When an ultra-rich space tourist visits the orbiting International Space Station, NASA expects a $100 million win-win: his visit will bring in much needed funding and publicity. But the tourist venture turns into a scheme of terror. Together with an extremist cosmonaut, the tourist slaughters all the astronauts on board the million-pound ISS--and prepares to crash it into New York City at 17,500 miles an hour, causing more devastation than a hundred atomic bombs. In doing so, they hope to annihilate the world's financial system. All that stands between them and their deadly goal is the lone survivor aboard the ISS, Kimberly Hasid-Robinson, a newly divorced astronaut who has barricaded herself in a secure area.



A space voyager living her dream of exploring new worlds lands on a distant planet ripe for colonization before her discovery of a mysterious relic transforms her life and threatens the entire human race.



"Astronauts Elma York, Nicole Wargin and Myrtle Lindholm continue to forge new paths for women astronauts as they work to achieve the International Aerospace Coalition's goal of getting as many people as possible off Earth before it becomes inhabitable."_-Publisher.



"When MNGR First Class João da Silva arrives on the moon of Titan to take charge of Homestead Station, he finds the massive mining colony plagued by tensions between the giant, genetically-engineered Titan workers and the Terran management. As anger mounts, what began as a routine posting quickly turns into something far more dangerous. Phoebe Mackintosh thought she left her fighting days behind her when she turned her back on the "mixing" circuit. Now, she finds herself caught between a past she'd rather forget and a future she can't predict. Together, they must find a way to pull Homestead back from the brink of disaster... Or Titan might be the spark that sets the entire solar system ablaze."--Amazon.




Celebrate Diversity Month

  Initiated in 2004, Celebrate Diversity Month takes place in April.  The goal is to foster a better understanding of people's differenc...