Nonfiction
Einstein's Puzzle Universe: "Relatively" Difficult Riddles and Conundrums Inspired by the Great Scientist by
Imagine stepping into the mind of Albert Einstein, the greatest physicist of all time. Try to think and reason like him as you get to grips with puzzles, enigmas, quizzes and tests of logic based around his greatest theories, experiments and discoveries. Albert Einstein's Puzzle Book is lavishly produced and will open the door to a range of stunning concepts. You'll come across the Theory of Relativity, E=mc2, General Relativity, Brownian Motion, cosmology, quantum theory, wormholes, the laws of thermodynamics, zero-point gravity and many more groundbreaking ideas, all woven together to create some of the best puzzles ever. With so many incredible discoveries to draw on, plus a selection of Einstein's most illuminating quotes, all fans of puzzles and riddles will love the themes in Albert Einstein's Puzzle Book. As the great man once said: "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else" - a challenge that all puzzle enthusiasts will recognize and find irresistible.
Call Number: General Collection GV1493 .D384 2015Publication Date: 20115
The Canterbury Puzzles and Other Curious Problems by
First published in 1907, Dudeney's The Canterbury Puzzles is a classic of the genre, based on characters from Chaucer's Tales. The book contains 114 puzzles suitable for young enthusiasts, recreational mathematicians and veteran puzzlers alike. As challenging today as it was over a century ago, this ingenious book will provide hours-worth of puzzles to keep your brain alert.
Call Number: General Collection GV1493 .D8Publication Date: 1907
Half a Century of Pythagoras Magazine by
Half a Century of Pythagoras Magazine is a selection of the best and most inspiring articles from this Dutch magazine for recreational mathematics. Founded in 1961 and still thriving today, Pythagoras has given generations of high school students in the Netherlands a perspective on the many branches of mathematics that are not taught in schools. The book contains a mix of easy, yet original puzzles, more challenging and at least as original problems, as well as playful introductions to a plethora of subjects in algebra, geometry, topology, number theory and more. Concepts like the sudoku and the magic square are given a whole new dimension. One of the first editors was a personal friend of world famous Dutch graphic artist Maurits Escher, whose 'impossible objects' have been a recurring subject over the years. Articles about his work are part of a special section on 'Mathematics and Art'. While many books on recreational mathematics rely heavily on 'folklore', a reservoir of ancient riddles and games that are being recycled over and over again, most of the puzzles and problems in Half a Century of Pythagoras Magazine are original, invented for this magazine by Pythagoras' many editors and authors over the years. Some are no more than cute little brainteasers which can be solved in a minute, others touch on profound mathematics and can keep the reader entranced indefinitely. Smart high school students and anyone else with a sharp and inquisitive mind will find in this book a treasure trove which is rich enough to keep his or her mind engaged for many weeks and months.
Call Number: General Collection QA95 .P9813 2015Publication Date: 2015
Famous Puzzles of Great Mathematicians by
This entertaining book presents a collection of 180 famous mathematical puzzles and intriguing elementary problems that great mathematicians have posed, discussed, and/or solved. The selected problems do not require advanced mathematics, making this book accessible to a variety of readers. Mathematical recreations offer a rich playground for both amateur and professional mathematicians. Believing that creative stimuli and aesthetic considerations are closely related, great mathematicians from ancient times to the present have always taken an interest in puzzles and diversions. The goal of this book is to show that famous mathematicians have all communicated brilliant ideas, methodological approaches, and absolute genius in mathematical thoughts by using recreational mathematics as a framework. Concise biographies of many mathematicians mentioned in the text are also included. The majority of the mathematical problems presented in this book originated in number theory, graph theory, optimization, and probability. Others are based on combinatorial and chess problems, while still others are geometrical and arithmetical puzzles. This book is intended to be both entertaining as well as an introduction to various intriguing mathematical topics and ideas. Certainly, many stories and famous puzzles can be very useful to prepare classroom lectures, to inspire and amuse students, and to instill affection for mathematics.
Call Number: General Collection QA95 .P4358 2009Publication Date: 2009
Speech Play and Verbal Art by
Puns, jokes, proverbs, riddles, play languages, verbal dueling, parallelism, metaphor, grammatical stretching and manipulation in poetry and song? people around the world enjoy these forms of speech play and verbal artistry which form an intrinsic part of the fabric of their lives. Verbal playfulness is not a frivolous pursuit. Often indicative of people?s deepest values and worldview, speech play is a significant site of intersection among language, culture, society, and individual expression. In this book, Joel Sherzer examines many kinds of speech play from places as diverse as the United States, France, Italy, Bali, and Latin America to offer the first full-scale study of speech play and verbal art. He brings together various speech-play forms and processes and shows what they have in common and how they overlap. He also demonstrates that speech play explores and indeed flirts with the boundaries of the socially, culturally, and linguistically possible and appropriate, thus making it relevant for anthropological and linguistic theory and practice, as well as for folklore and literary criticism.
Call Number: General Collection P304 .S53 2002Publication Date: 2002
Language Play by
In this exhilarating and often hilarious book, David Crystal examines why we devote so much time and energy to language games, how professionals make a career of them, and how young children instinctively take to them. Crystal makes a simple argument-that since playing with language is so natural, a natural way to learn language is to play with it-while he discusses puns, crosswords, lipograms, comic alphabets, rhymes, funny voices taken from dialect and popular culture, limericks, anagrams, scat singing, and much more.
Call Number: General Collection P304 .C79 2001Publication Date: 2001
The Exeter Book of Riddles by
The ninety-six Anglo-Saxon riddles in the eleventh-century Exeter Book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Ranging from natural phenomena (such as icebergs and storms at sea) to animal and bird life, from the Christian concept of the creation to prosaic domestic objects (such as a rake and a pair of bellows), and from weaponry to the peaceful pursuits of music and writing, they are full of sharp observation, earthy humour and, above all, a sense of wonder. The main text of this volume contains Kevin Crossley-Holland's newly-revised translations of seventy-five fascinating and discursive riddles - all those not very badly damaged or impenetrably obscure - while a further sixteen are translated in the notes. These translations are very widely anthologised in Britain and the USA. Sir Arthur Bliss and William Mathias set some of them to music, Ralph Steadman has illustrated them and Michael Fairfax has incorporated them in his Riddle Sculpture.
Call Number: General Collection PR1762 .C7 1993Publication Date: 1993
A Feast of Creatures: Anglo-Saxon Riddle Songs by
In A Feast of Creatures, Craig Williamson recasts nearly one hundred Old English riddles of the Exeter Book into a modern verse mode that yokes the cadences of Aelfric with the sprung rhythm of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Like the early English riddlers before him, Williamson gives voice to the nightingale, plow, ox, phallic onion, and storm-wind. In lean and taut language he offers us mead disguised as a mighty wrestler, the sword as a celibate thane, the silver wine-cup as a seductress, the horn transformed from head-warrior to ink-belly or battle-singer. In his notes and commentary he gives us possible and probable solutions, sources, and analogues, a shrewd sense of literary play, and traces the literary and cultural contexts in which each riddle may be viewed. In his introduction, Williamson traces for us the history of riddles and riddle scholarship.
Call Number: General Collection PR1762 .W5 1982Publication Date: 1982
The Pattern in the Carpet by
The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws is an original and brilliant work. Margaret Drabble weaves her own story into a history of games, in particular jigsaws, which have offered her and many others relief from melancholy and depression. Alongside curious facts and discoveries about jigsaw puzzles -- did you know that the 1929 stock market crash was followed by a boom in puzzle sales? -- Drabble introduces us to her beloved Auntie Phyl, and describes childhood visits to the house in Long Bennington on the Great North Road, their first trip to London together, the books they read, the jigsaws they completed. She offers penetrating sketches of her parents, her siblings, and her children; she shares her thoughts on the importance of childhood play, on art and writing, on aging and memory. And she does so with her customary intelligence, energy, and wit. This is a memoir like no other.
Call Number: General Collection GV1507.J5 D73 2009Publication Date: 2009
Riddling Tales from Around the World by
In almost every land riddling tales are a staple genre of folk storytellers. This collection selects representative tales from Afghanistan, Arabia, China, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Mongolia, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkestan, Turkey, the United States, Vietnam, and other locales. This is the only anthology of folk tales focused on the element of riddle, puzzle, or dilemma. With numerous examples that represent this fascinating form of folk literature Marjorie Dundas fits her selections into twelve categories of riddles and other enigmatic statements. A final section of "stories that break the mold a little" gives the reader a chance to check out all the categories and perhaps go beyond them. The book opens with "Clever Manka," a tale in which a social inferior outwits a supposed superior. In another type of story, a scholar debates in sign language to show his superiority to his colleagues, only to be bested by a passionate young peasant. In Hawaii, riddles take on an extra dimension as the king greedily makes young men bring him new riddles, only to defeat them and bring them to a horrible death when they cannot find the answer to his own insoluble riddle. In these tales occasionally a character seems able to answer any riddle and, in the process, makes his answer more clever than the riddle itself. From Africa and India come dilemma tales which, although riddle-like, have no specifically correct answers. Among the many riddling tales included are "The Cunning Gypsy," "The Devil and His Grandmother," "King John and the Abbot of Canterbury," and "Crocodile's Relatives." Marjorie Dundas is a retired teacher of English and an independent scholar whose work has been published in the English Journal. She lives in Vermont.
Call Number: General Collection GR67 .D85 2002Publication Date: 2002101 Puzzles in Thought and Logic by Solve murder problems and robberies, see which fishermen are liars and how a blind man can identify color -- purely by reasoning! Hours of mind-strengthening entertainment.
Call Number: General Collection GV1493 .W9Publication Date: 1957
Mazes and Labyrinths: A Book of Puzzles by
Ever since Herodotus stood in awe before the Great Labyrinth of Egypt and its 3,000 rooms, men have been fascinated by labyrinthine puzzles, constructions, and mazes. This book explores the subject in full, with a complete illustrated account of labyrinths and mazes of all kinds, from earliest times to the present. There are labyrinths that consist entirely of rooms and columns, like the Egyptian Labyrinth itself. There are the labyrinths of ancient history and of myth, such as the celebrated Cretan maze in which Theseus slew the Minotaur. There are labyrinths constructed of caverns, those built to protect tombs, and those designed to guard treasures. Labyrinthine patterns have been used in gardens (such as the famous Hampton Court maze), embossed on coins, employed as emblems of royalty, made to represent allegories, built of stones, embedded into the pavements of early churches, and made into toys. We learn about all of them — all that is known, for mystery seems an inescapable part of the story of the labyrinth. With devoted scholarship and a nice appreciation for what he terms “the lure of the labyrinth,” the author takes us through accounts of the ancient mazes, the “meanders” of Greek and Roman times, theories on the meaning of church labyrinths, the “mizmaze,” turf mazes and their origins, the floral labyrinth, the hedge maze, examples in stones and carved on rocks, links between labyrinths and magic, maze etymology, hints on maze design and principles of solution, the labyrinth in literature, the labyrinth in strange places, mirror mazes, and even a verbal labyrinth. All important or exceptional examples are illustrated. This is a book for anyone who is intrigued by puzzles or beguiled by mysteries, a book for the historian, the mathematician, the student, the lover of the classic, and all those who enjoy reading the product of a cultivated mind dwelling on a subject that touches much of our cultural and artistic heritage.
Call Number: General Collection GV1507.M3 S48 1961BPublication Date: 1961
Test Your Logic: 50 Puzzles in Deductive Reasoning by
Fifty logic puzzles range in difficulty from the relatively simple to the more complex and subtle. Mostly set in story form, some problems involve establishing identities from minimal clues, while others are based on cryptarithmetic and algebra. Complete solutions are provided and hints are included for each puzzle.
Call Number: General Collection GV1507.Q5 S82 1972Publication Date: 1972Tangrams: 33 Puzzles by This collection gathers together nearly 330 tangrams, the best creations of both Chinese and Occidental puzzle devisers. Puzzles range from the relatively easy to the difficult.
Call Number: General Collection GV1507.T3 R4 1965Publication Date: 1965
The Riddle of Scheherazade and Other Amazing Puzzles, Ancient and Modern by
"The most entertaining logician and set theorist who ever lived" (Martin Gardner) gives us an encore to The Lady or the Tiger?-a fiendishly clever, utterly captivating new collection of 225 brainteasers, puzzles, and paradoxes.
Call Number: General Collection QA95 .S4997 1998Publication Date: 1998
The Universe in a Handkerchief: Lewis Carroll's Mathematical Recreations, Games, Puzzles, and Word Plays by
This book contains scores of intriguing puzzles and paradoxes from Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, whose interests ranged from inventing new games like Arithmetical Croquet to important problems in symbolic logic and propositional calculus. Written by Carroll expert and well-known mathematics author Martin Gardner, this tour through Carroll's inventions is both fun and informative.
Call Number: General Collection QA95 .G3325 1996Publication Date: 1996
The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Problems by
Whether discussing hexaflexagons or number theory, Klein bottles or the essence of "nothing," Martin Gardner has single-handedly created the field of "recreational mathematics." The Colossal Book of Mathematics collects together Gardner's most popular pieces from his legendary "Mathematical Games" column, which ran in Scientific American for twenty-five years. Gardner's array of absorbing puzzles and mind-twisting paradoxes opens mathematics up to the world at large, inspiring people to see past numbers and formulas and experience the application of mathematical principles to the mysterious world around them. With articles on topics ranging from simple algebra to the twisting surfaces of Mobius strips, from an endless game of Bulgarian solitaire to the unreachable dream of time travel, this volume comprises a substantial and definitive monument to Gardner's influence on mathematics, science, and culture. In its twelve sections, The Colossal Book of Math explores a wide range of areas, each startlingly illuminated by Gardner's incisive expertise. Beginning with seemingly simple topics, Gardner expertly guides us through complicated and wondrous worlds: by way of basic algebra we contemplate the mesmerizing, often hilarious, linguistic and numerical possibilities of palindromes; using simple geometry, he dissects the principles of symmetry upon which the renowned mathematical artist M. C. Escher constructs his unique, dizzying universe. Gardner, like few thinkers today, melds a rigorous scientific skepticism with a profound artistic and imaginative impulse. His stunning exploration of "The Church of the Fourth Dimension," for example, bridges the disparate worlds of religion and science by brilliantly imagining the spatial possibility of God's presence in the world as a fourth dimension, at once "everywhere and nowhere." With boundless wisdom and his trademark wit, Gardner allows the reader to further engage challenging topics like probability and game theory which have plagued clever gamblers, and famous mathematicians, for centuries. Whether debunking Pascal's wager with basic probability, making visual music with fractals, or uncoiling a "knotted doughnut" with introductory topology, Gardner continuously displays his fierce intelligence and gentle humor. His articles confront both the comfortingly mundane--"Generalized Ticktacktoe" and "Sprouts and Brussel Sprouts"--and the quakingly abstract--"Hexaflexagons," "Nothing," and "Everything." He navigates these staggeringly obscure topics with a deft intelligence and, with addendums and suggested reading lists, he informs these classic articles with new insight. Admired by scientists and mathematicians, writers and readers alike, Gardner's vast knowledge and burning curiosity reveal themselves on every page. The culmination of a lifelong devotion to the wonders of mathematics, The Colossal Book of Mathematics is the largest and most comprehensive math book ever assembled by Gardner and remains an indispensable volume for the amateur and expert alike.
Call Number: General Collection QA95 .G245 2001Publication Date: 2001
Keys to Infinity by
"An original and exciting exploration of how utterly weird, and utterly beautiful, the infinite can be."-Ian Stewart, author of Does God Play Dice? What can we know about numbers too large to compute or even imagine? Do the tiny bubbles in the froth of a milkshake actually form an infinite fractal pattern? What are apocalyptic numbers and recursive worlds? These and dozens of equally beguiling mathematical mysteries, problems, and paradoxes fill this mind-bending new book. In each chapter, acclaimed author Clifford Pickover poses a delightful brain-teasing challenge that reveals the scope and splendor of the world of infinity. Try scaling the ladders to heaven, playing a game of infinite chess, or escaping from the land of Fractalia. Along the way you will encounter a myriad of intriguing topics from vampire numbers, to abduction algebra, to the infinity worms of Callisto. Every problem and puzzle is presented in a remarkably accessible style requiring no specialized mathematical knowledge. Over one hundred illustrations enhance the text and help to explain the mathematical concepts, and stunning color images created by the author reveal the breathtaking beauty of the patterns of infinity. A variety of computer programs offer additional ways to penetrate the enigma of infinity. For anyone who has ever wondered just how big infinity really is, or just how small, this book will provide an endless source of insight, creativity, and fun. Advance praise for KEYS TO INFINITY "In this the latest of Dr. Pickover's marvelous books, he breaks all finite chains to soar into the transcendental, mind-boggling regions of mathematical infinity. Written in the author's informal, clear style, it is a treasure trove of recreational problems, many published here for the first time, with special emphasis on computer programs and riveting graphics. As you soar, fasten your seat belt."-Martin Gardner, author of The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix "Inventive, quirky, fun! Pickover presents an engaging, inspiring romp in the realm of number and mathematical thought."-Ivars Peterson, author of The Mathematical Tourist "Join Pickover on his wonderful merry-go-round of ideas, and reach for the infinite. Keys to Infinity is an engaging book. . .a must for those wishing to explore the infinite in all its manifestations."-Theoni Pappas, author of The Joy of Mathematics "Keys to Infinity contains a near infinity of absorbing themes: from stepladders to the moon and spiral earths, to worm worlds, random chords, and self-similar curlicues. Fascinating!"-Manfred Schroeder, author of Fractals, Chaos, Power Laws "What could be more appropriate to the subject of infinity than a book like this one, so dense with wonderful puzzles, anecdotes, images, and computer programs that you could pore over it forever? In Keys to Infinity, Pickover has once again assembled a mathematical feast."-Carl Zimmer, Senior Editor Discover "Cliff Pickover has produced yet another book of mathematical puzzles, weird facts, computer art, and simple programs to challenge our minds and enthrall us with the beauty of the infinite mathematical world in which we live."-Dr. Julien C. Sprott, author of Strange Attractors
Call Number: General Collection QA9 .P515 1995Publication Date: 1995
Paradoxes from A to Z by
Paradoxes from A to Z, Third edition is the essential guide to paradoxes, and takes the reader on a lively tour of puzzles that have taxed thinkers from Zeno to Galileo, and Lewis Carroll to Bertrand Russell. Michael Clark uncovers an array of conundrums, such as Achilles and the Tortoise, Theseus' Ship, and the Prisoner's Dilemma, taking in subjects as diverse as knowledge, science, art and politics. Clark discusses each paradox in non-technical terms, considering its significance and looking at likely solutions. This third edition is revised throughout, and adds nine new paradoxes that have important bearings in areas such as law, logic, ethics and probability. Paradoxes from A to Z, Third edition is an ideal starting point for those interested not just in philosophical puzzles and conundrums, but anyone seeking to hone their thinking skills.
Call Number: General Collection BC199.P2 C57 2012Publication Date: 2012
Fiction
Ready Player Two by
The thrilling sequel to the beloved worldwide bestseller Ready Player One. Days after winning OASIS founder James Halliday's contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday's vaults, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the OASIS a thousand times more wondrous--and addictive--than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle, and a new quest--a last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who'll kill millions to get what he wants.
Call Number: Bestseller Collection FICTIONPublication Date: 2020
Time Out of Joint by
From the Hugo Award-winning author of The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick's twisty and paranoid Time Out of Joint is "marvelous, terrifying fun, especially if you've ever suspected that the world is an unreal construct built solely to keep you from knowing who you really are. Which it is, of course" (Rolling Stone). "The time is out of joint; O curs'd spite, That ever I was born to set it right!" (William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, Scene V) Ragle Gumm has a unique job: every day he wins a newspaper contest. And when he isn't consulting his charts and tables, he enjoys his life in a small town in 1959. At least, that's what he thinks. But then strange things start happening. He finds a phone book where all the numbers have been disconnected, and a magazine article about a famous starlet he's never heard of named Marilyn Monroe. Plus, everyday objects are beginning to disappear and are replaced by strips of paper with words written on them like "bowl of flowers" and "soft drink stand." When Ragle skips town to try to find the cause of these bizarre occurrences, his discovery could make him question everything he has ever known.
Call Number: General Collection PS3554.I3 T5 2012Publication Date: 2012
The Sudoku Puzzle Murders by
Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady (who actually couldn’t solve a crossword puzzle to save her life), is surprisingly good at sudoku, so it’s no problem when a Japanese publisher asks her to write a sudoku book. But when two Japanese publishers show up in Bakerhaven to vie for her services, Cora is a little confused. Which one did she actually sign with? Which one has the stunning geisha wife? And which one is about to be arrested for murder? The two men are archenemies and will go to great lengths to ace out each other. But would they stoop to murder? Someone is littering the town with sudoku, crossword puzzles, and dead private eyes. It’s up to Cora, with the help of her niece, Sherry, to solve the puzzle, the sudoku, and the murder, before the killer strikes again. Parnell Hall delivers another entertaining, puzzle-packed adventure with his delightfully untraditional sleuth, featuring for the first time sudoku puzzles by New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz.
Call Number: General Collection PS3558.A37327 S876 2008Publication Date: 2008
A Clue for the Puzzle Lady by
Cruciverbalists, rejoice! Pick up a pencil and get ready to solve a puzzling murder-and an actual crossword puzzle-in this sparkling debut of a unique amateur detective: Miss Cora Felton, an eccentric old lady with a syndicated puzzle column, an irresistible urge to poke into unsettling events, and a niece who's determined to keep her out of trouble. When the body of an unknown teenage girl turns up in the cemetery in the quiet town of Bakerhaven, Police Chief Dale Harper finds himself investigating his first homicide. A baffling clue leads him to consult Bakerhaven's resident puzzle expert-his first big mistake. Soon Cora's meddling, mischief-making behavior drives Chief Harper to distraction and inspires many cross words from her long-suffering niece, Sherry. But when another body turns up in a murder that hits much closer to home, Cora must find a killer-before she winds up in a wooden box three feet across...and six down.
Call Number: General Collection PS3558.A37327 C68 2000Publication Date: 2000
The Fire: A Novel by
A quest for a mystical chess service that once belonged to Charlemagne, spanning two centuries and three continents, continues in this long-anticipated sequel to The Eight.
Call Number: General Collection PS3564.E8517 F57 2008Publication Date: 2008
Last Puzzle and Testament by
Pick up your pencil and get ready to solve a puzzle--and a puzzling murder--in the hit series that provides a dandy puzzle, congenial characters, plenty of laughs, and a true original in Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady (Publishers Weekly).
Call Number: General Collection PS3558.A37327 L37 2000Publication Date: 2000
Conned Again, Watson: Cautionary Tales of Logic, Math, and Probability by
In Conned Again, Watson!, Colin Bruce re-creates the atmosphere of the original Sherlock Holmes stories to shed light on an enduring truth: Our reliance on common sense-and ignorance of mathematics-often gets us into trouble. In these cautionary tales of greedy gamblers, reckless businessmen, and ruthless con men, Sherlock Holmes uses his deep understanding of probability, statistics, decision theory, and game theory to solve crimes and protect the innocent. But it's not just the characters in these well-crafted stories that are deceived by statistics or fall prey to gambling fallacies. We all suffer from the results of poor decisions. In this illuminating collection, Bruce entertains while teaching us to avoid similar blunders. From "The Execution of Andrews" to "The Case of the Gambling Nobleman," there has never been a more exciting way to learn when to take a calculated risk-and how to spot a scam.
Call Number: General Collection PS3552.R7917 C66 2001Publication Date: 2001
Larry's Party by
The San Diego Tribune called The Stone Diaries a universal study of what makes women tick. With Larry's Party Carol Shields has done the same for men. Larry Weller, born in 1950, is an ordinary guy made extraordinary by his creator's perception, irony, and tenderness. Larry's Party gives us, as it were, a CAT scan of his life, in episodes between 1977 and 1997, that seamlessly flash backward and forward. We follow this young floral designer through two marriages and divorces, and his interactions with his parents, friends, and a son. Throughout, we witness his deepening passion for garden mazes--so like life, with their teasing treachery and promise of reward. Among all the paradoxes and accidents of his existence, Larry moves through the spontaneity of the seventies, the blind enchantment of the eighties, and the lean, mean nineties, completing at last his quiet, stubborn search for self. Larry's odyssey mirrors the male condition at the end of our century with targeted wit, unerring poignancy, and faultless wisdom.
Call Number: General Collection PR9199.3.S514 L37 1997Publication Date: 1997
Foucault's Pendulum by
"As brilliant and quirky as THE NAME OF THE ROSE, as mischievous and wide-raning....A virtuoso performance." THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Three clever book editors, inspired by an extraordinary fable they heard years befoe, decide to have a little fun. Randomly feeding esoteric bits of knowledge into an incredible computer capable of inventing connections between all their entires, they think they are creating a long lazy game--until the game starts taking over.... Here is an incredible journey of thought and history, memory and fantasy, a tour de force as enthralling as anything Umberto Eco--or indeed anyone--has ever devised.
Call Number: General Collection PQ4865.C6 P4613 1997Publication Date: 1997
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by
A gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life--mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone--and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead "checking out" impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he's embarked on a complex analysis of the customers' behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what's going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore. With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the twenty-first century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that's rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day.
Call Number: General Collection PS3619.L6278 M77 2012Publication Date: 2012
The Starless Sea by
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * From the bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world--a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea. Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues--a bee, a key, and a sword--that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians--it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose--in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
Call Number: Bestseller Collection FICTIONPublication Date: 2019The Infernal Machine (in The Infernal Machine and Other Plays) by Jean Cocteau's play retells the life of Oedipus, from his confrontation with the Sphinx, through his reign in Thebes, to the revelation that brings about his downfall.
Call Number: General Collection PQ2605.O15 A26Publication Date: 1963 (originally published 1934)
Youth and children's books
Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Riddles by
Thirteen witty and wacky poems pose riddles that challenge readers to "Name That Book." With a glass slipper here and a spiderweb there, Lynn Munsinger's adorable illustrations lead young readers to the solutions. FromGoodnight Moon toMadeline, children and parents alike will delight in recognizing their most cherished stories.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 3 West Ranges 1-2, 27-32 398.6 L674SPPublication Date: 2009
Lightning Inside You: And Other Native American Riddles by
Threads of seven colors are stretched on the great prairie. What is it? It runs through the valleys clapping its hands. "Rainbow" and "butterfly" are the answers to these two Native American riddles, typically drawn from the world of nature. Long hidden from view, the American Indian riddling tradition is revealed in all its variety in this carefully researched collection -- the first of its kind -- presenting 140 riddles translated from twenty different languages, including Aztec, Comanche, Maya, Onondaga, Pawnee, and Quechua. Here are examples of courtship riddling, hunter's riddling, dream-guessing, life-or-death riddling, and story riddling. In his introductory essay, editor John Bierhorst shows how such "games" are linked to the life and customs of the people who originated them. He also offers pointers to help non-Indian guessers come up with the right answers. With sweeping strokes and deft touches of humor, Louise Brierley's illustrations capture the spirit of mystery and inventiveness characteristic of this most unusual, most unexpected of Native American traditions.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 3 West Ranges 1-2, 27-32 398.6 L724Publication Date: 1992
I Spy Super Challenger!: A Book of Picture Riddles by
Search-and-find riddles paired with amazing photographs will captivate kids of all ages in the bestselling I Spy series.Think you know every I Spy book out there? Think you've found every last bauble, bow, striped cat, and cloudy ship? Think again! Jean Marzollo has written her most challenging riddles yet to accompany Walter Wick's fabulous photographs culled from the original I Spy books. You've never seen I Spy like this!
Call Number: EMM Youth Oversize Bracken 4 West Range 88 793.73 W636ISPublication Date: 1997
With One White Wing by
A collection of literate riddles culled from sources like Mother Goose and Tolkien.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 4 West Ranges 1-3 811.54 S759WIPublication Date: 1995
I Spy School Days: A Book of Picture Riddles by
Search-and-find riddles paired with amazing photographs will captivate kids of all ages in the bestselling I Spy series.Acclaimed I Spy creators Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo use everyday objects to enhance intellectual discovery.From a crowded blackboard to a dinosaur display, readers can examine the different objects, solve the picture riddles, and become an I Spy detective!A perfect fit for STEAM curriculum.
Call Number: EMM Youth Oversize Bracken 4 West Range 88 793.73 W636IPublication Date: 1995
Punished! by
Logan and his friend Benedict run into the wrong guy at the library?literally. When Logan slams into the reference guy in the basement and gives him a little lip, Logan gets punished, really and truly punished. He has three days to complete three tasks before Professor Wordsworth will lift the magical punishment that keeps getting Logan in even more trouble.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 2 West Ranges 1-10 800 L926PUPublication Date: 2006
Who Done It? by
In this charming book, each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes and keen observation are necessary. There's only one right answer, and it's not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions and positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. It's a book for all audiences: the seek-and-find call to action on every page makesWho Done It? a wonderful lap or parent read, while the whimsical art, distinctive horizontal format, and hip exposed board ensures this book will be equally appealing as engaging coffee table décor.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 3 West Ranges 1-2, 27-32 800 T147WHPublication Date: 2015
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times Bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson! Kyle Keeley is the class clown and a huge fan of all games--board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the construction of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot as one of twelve kids invited for an overnight sleepover in the library, hosted by Mr. Lemoncello and riddled with lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route! Don't miss the next puzzle-packed adventures--Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics and Mr. Lemoncello's Great LIbrary Race! "Discover the coolest library in the world." --James Patterson, #1 New York Timesbestselling author 44 STATE AWARD LISTS AND COUNTING -- INCLUDING THE SUNSHINE STATE AWARD! Starred Review, Booklist * "An ode to libraries and literature that is a worthy successor to the original madman puzzle-master himself, Willy Wonka." Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews *"Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at . . . this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike."
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 2 West To Be Shelved Area 800 G727ESPublication Date: 2013
The Westing Game by
When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, 16 very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will--and what a will it is. A Newbery Medal-winning novel.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 3 East To Be Shelved Area 800 R225WEPublication Date: 1978
The Mysterious Benedict Society by
For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society Series is not to be missed! "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children--two boys and two girls--succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 3 West Ranges 1-2, 27-32 800 S852MYPublication Date: 2007Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Fifth-grader "Encyclopedia" Leroy Brown solves ten mysteries and, by putting the solutions at the back of the book, challenges the reader to do the same.
Call Number: EMM Youth Collection - Bracken 3 West Ranges 1-2, 27-32 800 S677EPublication Date: 1963
