Adult

After the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the rest of the United States was up for grabs, and the race was on. The prize: a better, shorter, less snowy route through the American Southwest, linking Los Angeles to Chicago. In IRON HORSES, Walter Borneman recounts the rivalries, contested routes, political posturing and business dealings that unfolded as an increasing number of lines pushed their way across the country.

In the depths of the Great War, with millions dead and no imaginable end to the conflict, societies around the world began to buckle. The heart of the financial system shifted from London to New York. The strain of the war ravaged all economic and political assumptions, bringing unheard-of changes in the social and industrial order. A century after the outbreak of fighting, Adam Tooze revisits this seismic moment in history, challenging the existing narrative of the war, its peace and its aftereffects.

As 1945 opened, America was on surprisingly congenial terms with China’s Communist rebels --- their soldiers treated their American counterparts as heroes, rescuing airmen shot down over enemy territory. Chinese leaders talked of a future in which American money and technology would help lift China out of poverty. Mao Zedong himself held friendly meetings with U.S. emissaries, vowing to them his intention of establishing an American-style democracy in China. By year’s end, however, cordiality had been replaced by chilly hostility and distrust.

In 1386, Geoffrey Chaucer endured his worst year but began his best poem. The father of English literature did not enjoy in his lifetime the literary celebrity that he has today --- far from it. The middle-aged Chaucer was living in London, working as a midlevel bureaucrat and sometime poet, until a personal and professional crisis set him down the road leading to THE CANTERBURY TALES. Brought to life by Paul Strohm, this is the story of the birth of one of the most celebrated literary creations of the English language.

James L. Haley's CAPTIVE PARADISE is the story of King Kamehameha I, The Conqueror, who unified the islands through terror and bloodshed, but whose dynasty succumbed to inbreeding; of Gilded Age tycoons like Claus Spreckels, who brilliantly outmaneuvered his competitors; of firebrand Lorrin Thurston, who was determined that Hawaii be ruled by whites; and of President McKinley, who presided over the eventual annexation of the islands.

Their love was legendary, their ambition flagrant and unashamed. Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Josephine, came to power during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of France. The story of the Corsican soldier’s incredible rise has been well documented. Now, Kate Williams draws back the curtain on the woman who beguiled him: her humble origins, her exorbitant appetites, and the tragic turn of events that led to her undoing.

In HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING FAST, Mark Bittman's latest innovative, comprehensive, must-have culinary reference, he shows how anyone can spend just a little time cooking and be able to make 2,000 innovative recipes that are delicious, varied, exciting, made from scratch, and ready in anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.

Featuring family-friendly recipes and stunning photography, an all-new cookbook from New York Times bestselling author, beloved actor, and respected foodie Stanley Tucci.

Hassan Haji, a boy from Mumbai, embarks, along with his boisterous family, on a picaresque journey first to London and then across Europe, before they ultimately open a restaurant opposite a famous chef, Madame Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumiere. A culinary war ensues, pitting Hassan's Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Michelin-starred cordon bleu, until Madame Mallory realizes that Hassan is a cook with natural talents far superior to her own.

New York Times bestselling author Jane Green has a very special gift for her readers to celebrate the launch of her 16th novel, SAVING GRACE, on December 30th. Not only does she love to cook, but Jane also had some chef training at the French Culinary Institute in New York a few years ago. Well, she's finally penned her very own cookbook. HAPPY FOOD is filled with recipes that Jane has created, collected, and cooked for years.