The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?Everybody thinks that it’s the system that’s broken in politics; but what if it’s not the system that’s broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone’s proposals to make the system “more democratic” only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it...

When Alice and Shane, two American teenagers who are visiting Indonesia, follow a gibbon into a Borneo rain forest, they meet orangutans and other forest dwellers threatened with extinction. During their adventure they meet scientists working to save them. Alice and Shane visit an orangutan rehabilitation center and learn how ex-captive orangutans are rehabilitated and returned to their natural habitats. And deep in the forest they encounter the mythical "Old Man of the Forest" who challen...

Final Book of the Empire of Earth Series: The fate of the galaxy—and the soul of humanity—rests in one man's hands.Charlie is about to face the ultimate enemy of Earth. Will he be able to defeat them?Charlie, just a kid from Dallas, has travelled through time, uncovered conspiracies, saved his mothers, and kept Earth free.Now, he faces his greatest challenge yet. Tasked with meeting the Emperor of Earth's oldest enemy, the Moran, Charlie must confront a power built on domination and slaver...

Charlie was just a kid in Dallas. Living his life, trying to stay away from the bullies. Then, one day, something happens, and everything changes. Charlie learns secrets about his past—secrets that could shake the very foundations of his world, and change his life forever.Charlie pushes on, and tries to do what is right, and take care of those around him, like his mother, who is suffering from Cancer, or Tyler, who has a troubled home. Or the mysterious Dallas Detective, who appare...

Transition is the word we use to describe the time following significant change. In congregations, that change might be the departure of the pastor, a catastrophe such as Hurricane Katrina or 9/11, or simply the changes caused by growth. Transition calls for clergy with special training to respond to the needs generated by the special time. “Task, training, and time limit” are the hallmarks of transitional ministry. Trained intentional interim clergy must have the skill and experience to l...

The study presents the authors' findings from fieldwork in Nicaragua, during which they captured and identified numerous bat species, some of which had not been previously recorded in the country. The authors detail the collection methods, locations, and ecological settings in which the bats were found. This research adds to the existing knowledge of bat diversity in Nicaragua, filling gaps in the distribution and occurrence of several species.In addition to reporting new records, the pape...

Only love can cross the event horizon.Sarah Turner thought she was about to have it all — her dream job, the man she loved, and a chance to escape her oppressive family.But becoming First Officer of Carolyn, Earth's first colony ship, comes with complications.The man she loved took another post.The captain — the job she should have had — seems dangerously out of his depth.And then there's Jimmy, the engineer who's everything she didn't...

Physicist David Bryan has just done the impossible: built a machine that can send objects through time. But he's not chasing fame, fortune, or a Nobel Prize. This will give him that chance to save - Her.His plan? Travel back to 1973, find her in high school, and convince her to choose a different future — one that lets her live. But time travel is anything but simple. To pull it off, David recruits Cheryl, a sharp-witted secretary with no science background but a talent for keeping...

In 1969, young men of draft age faced two choices: either fight an unpopular war in Vietnam, or immigrate to Canada. This is the story of a young man who chose Canada.When twenty-year-old draft dodger Scott Yale Knight crosses the Canadian border with his girlfriend and her toddler daughter, he is full of idealistic enthusiasm and and hope for their future. As he struggles to establish a home for himself and his family in the Canadian wilderness, he comes face-to-face with forces i...

The truth is buried. The prince is missing. And Earth's future hangs in the balance.Fifteen years ago, a child vanished—spirited away and raised in secret. Now returned to a world he doesn't recognize, Charlie finds himself at the heart of a storm he never saw coming.As factions maneuver for power and whispers of treason grow louder, Charlie must navigate a deadly game of politics and betrayal. Allies wear masks. Enemies offer smiles. And in the shadow...

Every family has stories.Some are funny. Some are sweet. Some have been told so many times that nobody quite remembers where the truth ends and the storytelling begins.Tales from the Holler is a collection of stories passed down through generations—a family history filled with colorful characters, hard times, laughter, love, and the little moments that become treasured memories.Written in the tradition of stories once shared around kitchen tables, front por...

Prepare to lick the toenails of adventure! Betty Steady’s faster than an angry goose and stronger than an ogre in yoga pants and she DON’T NEED NO STINKING HELP! But can she prevent disaster before the Toad Witch attacks Wobbly Rock?The funniest young fiction debut of 2024, for readers of You’re A Bad Man, Mr Gum and Grimwood!At twelve years old Betty Steady stands tall and dazzling, and is the Guardian of Wobbly Rock – a faraway kingdom which she protects...