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  The Map Colorist - A Novel

  Rebecca D'Harlingue

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  In 1660, Amsterdam is the trading and map-printing capital of the world. Anneke van Brug is one of the colorists paid to enhance black-and-white maps for a growing number of collectors. Her artistic talent brings her to the attention of the Blaeu printing house, and she begins to color for a rich merchant, Willem de Groot. But Anneke is not content to simply embellish the work of others; she longs to create maps of her own. Cartography, however, is the domain of men—so it is in secret that she borrows the notes her father made on a trip to Africa in 1642 and sets about designing a new map. 
  Anneke hopes to convince the charismatic de Groot to use his influence to persuade Blaeu to include her map in the Atlas Maior, which will be the largest and most expensive publication of the century. But family secrets, infidelity, and murder endanger her dream. Will her map withstand these threats, or will it be forever lost?

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  Blue Masquerade

  T.K. Blackwood

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  The year is 1992. Over twenty years have passed since Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev was assassinated by a crazed gunman. Since that time, the Soviet Union has been put on a course toward economic success—and war. 
   
   
   
  In the Balkans, Yugoslavia's collapse into ethnic violence draws NATO and the Warsaw Pact to the brink of Armageddon. Armies deploy and fleets maneuver. Political intrigue engulfs Moscow and Washington, and paranoia radiates from the Iron Curtain. In the zero-sum game of Cold War, neither side can afford to blink or back down. 
   
   
   
  A conflict nearly fifty years in the making spills from boardrooms and back alleys and explodes into open battle on land, air, and sea. The showdown of the century is here: East versus West with the future of mankind at stake.

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  Code Name Edelweiss

  Stephanie Landsem

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  "What I am looking for—what I desperately need, Mrs. Weiss—is a spy."
  Adolf Hitler is still a distant rumble on the horizon, but a Jewish spymaster and his courageous spies uncover a storm of Nazi terror in their own backyard.
  In the summer of 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler is the new and powerful anti-Semitic chancellor of Germany. But in Los Angeles, no-nonsense secretary Liesl Weiss has concerns much closer to home. The Great Depression is tightening its grip and Liesl is the sole supporter of two children, an opinionated mother, and a troubled brother.
  Leon Lewis is a Jewish lawyer who has watched Adolf Hitler's rise to power—and the increase in anti-Semitism in America—with growing alarm. He believes Nazi agents are working to seize control of Hollywood, the greatest propaganda machine the world has ever known. The trouble is, authorities scoff at his dire warnings.
  When Liesl loses her job at MGM, her only choice is to work with Leon Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American community. What Leon Lewis and his spies find is more chilling—and more dangerous—than any of them suspected.
  Code Name Edelweiss is based on a true story, unknown until recent years: How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler's plan to take over Hollywood.

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  The Brandy Mud

  Rozi Peters

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  The year is 1840 and the perilous trade of whaling threatens to dash both fortune and sanity against the rocks for seasoned schooner Captain Stanley Knowles. Professionally adrift and beset by passionate entanglements, Stanley charts a course through hazardous waters, seeking to salvage his affairs while clinging to personal morals amidst mounting turmoil.
   
  When ship and shore alike promise danger, every decision carries gut-wrenching risk. Stanley’s path requires outmanoeuvring lethal storms, hostile pirates, political schemes and amorous pitfalls alike with equal dexterity. One false move could reduce all – his principles, his mind, and his crew’s very lives – to flotsam in the winds of fate.
   
  This steamy and exciting historical saga captures the adventures of a desperate captain warring within while struggling to steer crew and lovers toward a better life. Yet time and chance wait for no one. On the waves or in the sheets, one thing is certain: explore forbidden treasures at your own peril, lest the rising tide swallow you whole.

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  Young Hunters in Porto Rico

  Ralph Bonehill

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  Young Hunters in Porto Rico by Ralph Bonehill is a thrilling classic adventure that transports readers to the tropical landscapes of Puerto Rico, where a group of spirited young explorers embarks on an unforgettable journey filled with discovery, excitement, and unexpected challenges. Set during an era of exploration and changing history, the novel combines outdoor adventure with themes of courage, friendship, and perseverance.
  
  As the young adventurers travel through forests, mountains, and coastal regions, they encounter unfamiliar wildlife, hidden dangers, and remarkable experiences that test their resourcefulness and determination. Along the way, they learn valuable lessons about teamwork, resilience, respect for nature, and the rewards of facing the unknown with confidence.
  
  Ralph Bonehill's engaging storytelling brings the island's vibrant scenery to life with vivid descriptions, memorable characters, and fast-paced action. Blending historical atmosphere with wholesome entertainment, the novel captures the excitement of exploration while celebrating curiosity, integrity, and the adventurous spirit of youth.
  
  Perfect for readers who enjoy classic juvenile fiction, historical adventures, wilderness stories, and tales of exploration, Young Hunters in Porto Rico remains a timeless favorite that inspires readers with its enduring themes of bravery, discovery, and friendship.
  
  Note: This classic work reflects the language, historical context, and cultural perspectives of the era in which it was written, which may differ from modern usage and sensibilities. The title uses the historical spelling "Porto Rico," commonly used in English at the time of the book's original publication.

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  The Sleeping Car Porter

  Suzette Mayr

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  WINNER OF THE 2022 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE
  		 
  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY TOP 20 LITERARY FICTION BOOKS OF 2022
  		 
  OPRAH DAILY: BOOKS TO READ BY THE FIRE
  		 
  THE GLOBE 100: THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022
  		 
  CBC BOOKS: THE BEST CANADIAN FICTION OF 2022
  		 
  When a mudslide strands a train, Baxter, a queer Black sleeping car porter, must contend with the perils of white passengers, ghosts, and his secret love affair
  		 
  The Sleeping Car Porter brings to life an important part of Black history in North America, from the perspective of a queer man living in a culture that renders him invisible in two ways. Affecting, imaginative, and visceral enough that you’ll feel the rocking of the train, The Sleeping Car Porter is a stunning accomplishment.
  		 
  Baxter’s name isn’t George. But it’s 1929, and Baxter is lucky enough, as a Black man, to have a job as a sleeping car porter on a train that crisscrosses the country. So when the passengers call him George, he has to just smile and nod and act invisible. What he really wants is to go to dentistry school, but he’ll have to save up a lot of nickel and dime tips to get there, so he puts up with “George.”
  		 
  On this particular trip out west, the passengers are more unruly than usual, especially when the train is stalled for two extra days; their secrets start to leak out and blur with the sleep-deprivation hallucinations Baxter is having. When he finds a naughty postcard of two queer men, Baxter’s memories and longings are reawakened; keeping it puts his job in peril, but he can’t part with the postcard or his thoughts of Edwin Drew, Porter Instructor.
  		 
  ”Suzette Mayr’s The Sleeping Car Porter offers a richly detailed account of a particular occupation and time—train porter on a Canadian passenger train in 1929—and unforcedly allows it to illuminate the societal strictures imposed on black men at the time—and today. Baxter is a secretly-queer and sleep-deprived porter saving up for dental school, working a system that periodically assigns unexplained demerits, and once a certain threshold is reached, the porter loses his job. Thus, success is impossible, the best one can do is to fail slowly. As Baxter takes a cross-continental run, the boarding passengers have more secrets than an Agatha Christie cast, creating a powder keg on train tracks. The Sleeping Car Porter is an engaging and illuminating novel about the costs of work, service, and secrets.” – Keith Mosman, Powell's Books
  		 
  ”I thought The Sleeping Car Porter was fantastic! It strikes a balance between being about the struggles of being black and gay at that time while not being too heavy handed with it. I enjoyed his constant mental math on how many demerits he might receive for each infraction. The reader really gets a sense of the conflict that Baxter is going through. I really liked reading a book from the perspective of a porter.” – Hunter Gillum, Beaverdale Books

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