Boozehound

While some may wonder, “Does the world really need another flavored vodka?” no one answers this question quite so memorably as spirits writer and raconteur Jason Wilson does in Boozehound. (By the way, the short answer is no.) A unique blend of travelogue, spirits history, and recipe collection, Boozehound explores the origins of what we drink and the often surprising reasons behind our choices. In lieu of odorless, colorless, tasteless spirits, Wilson champions Old World liquors with hard-to-define flavors—a bitter and complex Italian amari, or the ancient, aromatic herbs of Chartreuse, as well as distinctive New World offerings like lively Peruvian pisco. With an eye for adventure, Wilson seeks out visceral experiences at the source of production—visiting fields of spiky agave in Jalisco, entering the heavily and reverently-guarded Jägermeister herb room in Wolfenbüttel, and journeying to the French Alps to determine if mustachioed men in berets really handpick blossoms to make elderflower liqueur. In addition, Boozehound offers more than fifty drink recipes, from three riffs on the Manhattan to cocktail-geek favorites like the Aviation and the Last Word. These recipes are presented alongside a host of opinionated essays that cherish the rare, uncover the obscure, dethrone the overrated, and unravel the mysteries of taste, trends, and terroir. Through his far-flung, intrepid traveling and tasting, Wilson shows us that perhaps nothing else as entwined with the history of human culture is quite as much fun as booze.

From The Maltese Falcon (1941) to Touch of Evil (1958), the classic film noir is easily recognizable for its unusual lighting, sinister plots, and feeling of paranoia. For critics and fans alike, these films defined an era. The Philosophy of Film Noir explores philosophical themes and ideas inherent in classic noir and neo-noir films, establishing connections to diverse thinkers ranging from Camus to the Frankfurt School. The authors, each focusing on a different aspect of the genre, explore the philosophical underpinnings of classic films such as The Big Sleep (1946), Out of the Past (1947), and Pulp Fiction (1994). They show how existentialism and nihilism dominate the genre as they explore profound themes in a vital area of popular culture.

Originally published in 1961 by the founder of Rodale Inc., The Synonym Finder continues to be a practical reference tool for every home and office. This thesaurus contains more than 1 million synonyms, arranged alphabetically, with separate subdivisions for the different parts of speech and meanings of the same word.

A violent and explosive crime novel set in New York City’s criminal underworld following the bloody aftermath of Martin Luther King’s assassination. Mayhem. Murder. Mafia. New York City, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr is dead.The fires of the subsequent riots have been put out. In the midst of civil unrest and turmoil stands Russ King, disgraced ex-cop turned Private Investigator to the criminal underworld of East Harlem. Cloaked by his biraciality and the ability to pass as white, Russ navigates a murky world filled with local hoods, loan sharks, pimps, slum landlords and shady businessmen. Troy King is a gambler, dopefiend and B&E specialist and Russ’ wayward younger brother. When Troy is released from prison he goes on the run leaving Russ with unpaid debts and a Mafia contract on his head. In an endless bid to pay off his brother’s debts and keep him alive, Russ reluctantly takes a job offered by an imprisoned Mafia don to investigate the brutal slaying of mob-connected financier, Joe ‘the Fox’ Azria and his mistress, Maggie Nelson. Before too long, Russ is thrown into a violent world of organised crime, cold-blooded jewel heists, police corruption and arcane cults. Junior Rhone’s debut novel is a blistering epic story of crime, greed, corruption, religious extremism and race, a searing portrayal of a city on the verge of racial and political anarchy. Blending labyrinthine plotting, shocking twists and dark humour in an uncompromising and complex rumination on life, death and violence that conjures up the very best work of varied storytellers such as James Ellroy, Don Winslow, Walter Mosley and Raymond Chandler.

Russian Nouns of Common Gender in Use is a unique collection of more than 150 nouns that mainly have grammatical features of the feminine gender, but refer to both male and female persons. This book provides the meanings of the words and explains their use in discourse with the help of examples from literature, media, and everyday speech. Each entry includes parallel English translations, which are analogous and appropriate to the given context. These enable the reader to easily grasp each word’s organic place and purpose in a particular sentence or situation. This book will serve as a valuable tool for students and instructors, translators, scholars, and anyone interested in learning the Russian language.

“A fresh, heartwarming voice.” —Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author From ghost town to growing community, it’s been a few years since a group of strangers inherited property in tiny, deserted Fat Chance, Texas. And besides creating businesses, they’ve developed friendships and romances too. But plans to pave the town may put Dymphna Pearl and her beau, Professor Johnson, on opposite sides of Main Street. In his zeal for the project, he’s making great decisions for Fat Chance, but not for them as a couple. Disgruntled, Dymphna heads back to Los Angeles to collect the rabbits she’s created a special place for in the hot Texas climate. But the professor is in for another surprise... Professor Johnson didn’t even know about Dympha’s sister, Maggie, and when he meets her in a most unexpected way, he begins to understand why. In the meantime, Dymphna is off pursuing an exciting venture to let the world know about Fat Chance—one that will bring a talented new crew to the eclectic group. The kitschy little place they call home is clearly destined for bigger, better things—-but with so many changes a-coming will the same be true for everyone in Fat Chance, including the professor and Dymphna? Praise for Celia Bonaduce and her novels “A bingeworthy triology about smart, quirky women who feel like friends. In Much Ado About Mother she shows us just how strong (and funny) the mother-daughter bond can be. Loved it!”--Clare O'Donahue, author of The Kate Conway Mysteries “Celia Bonaduce writes well rounded, real life characters straight from the heart. I loved this book!” —Phyliss Miranda, New York Times bestselling author on A Comedy of Erinn “The Merchant of Venice Beach has a fresh, heartwarming voice that will keep readers smiling as they dance through this charming story by Celia Bonaduce.” —Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author