River Readers

When nurse Amy Leatheran agrees to look after American archaeologist Dr Leidner’s wife Louise at a dig near Hassanieh she finds herself taking on more than just nursing duties – she also has to help solve murders. Fortunately for Amy, Hercule Poirot is visiting the excavation site but will the great detective be in time to prevent a multiple murderer from striking again?
-- From Goodreads

This biography tells the story of how Lil Hardin Armstrong became the first lady of jazz. She is primarily known as Louis Armstrong's wife but Lil was her own force to be reckoned with in the jazz scene. Brought up in Tennessee by her mom and grandmother, it was important to them that Lil get an education. She showed an early interest in playing piano and was taught by her school teacher. Later she got a job demonstrating pianos in a music store by playing 8 hours a day. She earned a reputation for playing swinging jazz and was offered a job with King Joe Oliver and his band.

Neighbours... hah. People'd live for ages side by side, nodding at one another amicably on their way to work, and then some trivial thing would happen and someone would be having a garden fork removed from their ear.'

Darius Kellner is a nerd, bullied at school and constantly waiting for his dad's approval. He also suffers from depression. He struggles with his identity being half Persian and being raised in the United States. He is not as in touch with his Persian roots or speak Farsi as well as his little sister Lelah. This all comes to a head when his grandfather in Iran becomes ill and the family travels to Iran to spend some time with time. Darius had never been to Iran, had never met his grandparents and knew little of the customs of the country.

Leda is a girl who knows what she wants and who she is—or at least believes she does. When we meet her as a college student in Boston—confident, intelligent, independent—she’s hopeful that a flirty chat with a cute boy reading a book in a café will lead to romance. They have a fleetingly awkward conversation that dwindles into little more than mortifying embarrassment, but the encounter does leave her one positive, and ultimately transformative, thought: Leda decides she wants to read Noam Chomsky. So she promptly buys a book and never—ever—reads it.

Do you have a keen imagination and vivid dreams? Is time alone each day as essential to you as food and water? Are you "too shy" or "too sensitive" according to others? Do noise and confusion quickly overwhelm you? If your answers are yes, you may be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).

Susan had never hung up a stocking . She'd never put a tooth under her pillow in the serious expectation that a dentally inclined fairy would turn up. It wasn't that her parents didn't believe in such things. They didn't need to believe in them. They know they existed. They just wished they didn't.

Parents everywhere are deeply concerned about the education of their children, especially now, when education has become a minefield of politics and controversy. One of the world's most influential educators, Robinson has had countless conversations with parents about the dilemmas they face. As a parent, what should you look for in your children's education? How can you tell if their school is right for them and what can you do if it isn't?

Margo is a young German-American girl who finds herself at the Crystal City family internment camp during World War II due. This camp is for those people deemed "enemies of the state". Her father was lured into attending a Nazi-sympathizer gathering and while only her father was arrested, her family decided to join him so they could be together.
Haruko was in the Japanese section of the camp. Her father was also accused of "enemy" behavior.

Illegal is a graphic novel the tells the story of Ebo, a migrant from Niger, and his experiences trying to get to Europe as a refugee.

With any anthology you will have hits and misses. The best was Nina Kiriki Hoffman's "LaZelle Family Christmas". For me this was the only one that had the feel of Christmas Spirit. Each LaZelle family member, both magically gifted and normal pitches in with their unique talents to prepare for Christmas, and in the process each one grows a little. One misogynist story that I hated had a woman being sexually harrassed by this greasy character and she ended up trapped with him - Yeah - Merry Christmas - Yuck. "The Nutcracker Coup" by Janet Kagan was one of the better stories.

June Harper loves books and is devastated when her parents and school go full dictatorship and start banning books. The librarian is dismissed, the library is emptied and the students will get punished if found with books. June's books are also confiscated at home even though she has already read them all. June is inspired by a little free library in her neighborhood and starts her own library in an empty locker at school. Soon half of the students are borrowing books from her. The other half are part of a student anti-reading group.

Through prayers, chants, and practical exercises, Celtic Visions teaches readers how to tap into their inner spiritual power, enabling them to experience heightened perception and open portals to other realms of existence. Drawn from ancient Gaelic and Welsh sources, this visionary guide reveals the truth behind the prophetic visions of the druids and seers.

From an award-winning senior writer at Time, an eye-opening exploration of narcissism, how to recognize it, and how to handle it. 

The odds are good that you know a narcissist—probably a lot of them. The odds are also good that they are intelligent, confident, and articulate—the center of attention. They make you laugh and they make you think. The odds are also that this spell didn’t last.

Useful for parents of children with visual impairment, this second edition offers families information and advice on everything from diagnosis to educational technology, daily living to mobility, and emotional coping to literacy.

Goodreads