Tag: Star

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The Last Jedi: Star Wars

Written with input from director Rian Johnson, this official adaptation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi expands on the film to include scenes from alternate versions of the script and other additional content.

From the ashes of the Empire has arisen another threat to the galaxy’s freedom: the ruthless First Order. Fortunately, new heroes have emerged to take up arms – and perhaps lay down their lives – for the cause. Rey, the orphan strong in the Force; Finn, the ex-stormtrooper who stands against his former masters; and Poe Dameron, the fearless X-wing pilot, have been drawn together to fight side-by-side with General Leia Organa and the Resistance. But the First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke and his merciless enforcer Kylo Ren are adversaries with superior numbers and devastating firepower at their command. Against this enemy, the champions of light may finally be facing their extinction. Their only hope rests with a lost legend: Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.

Where the action of Star Wars: The Force Awakens ended, Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins, as the battle between light and dark climbs to astonishing new heights.

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Rising Star CD: The Making of Barack Obama

As epic in vision and rigorous in detail as Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson series, the definitive account of Barack Obama’s life before he became the 44th president of the United States–the formative years, confluence of forces, and influential figures who helped shaped an extraordinary leader and his rise–from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bearing the CrossBarack Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention instantly catapulted the little-known state senator from Illinois into the national spotlight. Three months later, Obama would win election to the U.S. Senate; four years later he would make history as America’s first black president. Now, at the end of his second presidential term, David J. Garrow delivers the most compelling and comprehensive biography ever written of Obama in the years preceding his presidency.Moving around the globe, from Hawaii to Indonesia to the American Northeast and Midwest, Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama meticulously unpacks Obama’s life, from his tumultuous upbringing in Honolulu and Jakarta, to his formative time as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side, working in some of the roughest neighborhoods, to Cambridge, where he excelled at Harvard Law School, and finally back to Chicago, where he pursued his political destiny. In voluminous detail, drawn from more than 1,000 interviews and encyclopedic documentary research, Garrow reveals as never before the ambition, the dreams, and the all-too-human struggles of an iconic president in a sure to be news-making biography that will stand as the most authoritative account of Obama’s pre-presidential life for decades to come.

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All American Favorites: 35 Delicious Family Recipes That Will Make You the Star of the Show

Some of the best times I ever had as a kid were when my whole family would get together at somebody’s house for a simple cookout. Burger, hot dogs, fried chicken, pies – the best foods in America!

Here are some of the most delicious, mouth-watering recipes collected from my family members over the years, plus lots of new ones that my wife and I have created in our home. From a simple healthy hummus to amazing sausage balls, southern fried chicken, perfect pies, you will enjoy discovering these family treasures. Some foods are meant to be enjoyed. Use fresh ingredients and don’t rush. Sip a glass of wine and enjoy your family while everybody gathers around the grill to chat and play like we did when we were kids.

The food was great at those family cookouts because it was made with love – that’s the secret ingredient. Have fun with it, because we’re all friends in the kitchen, and summertime cooking is supposed to be fun.

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Dragon Rigger (Star Rigger)

A realm at war. The star dragons struggle under the oppression of an unseen foe—a creature of terrible power, who seeks to shape all of space-time into a web of subjugation and death. The Dream Mountain, source of knowledge and life to the dragons, is held by the enemy; and yet, hope burns in the dragons’ hearts. According to ancient prophecy, One will come from outside to challenge the darkness. Star pilot Jael LeBrae may be that savior. Once before, she aided the dragons in their struggle, and now she must return to face at last the terrible wrath of Tar-skel. But if the prophecy holds true, the price of victory over the darkness will be Jael’s own life.

Captivating sequel to Dragons in the Stars, Dragon Rigger is science fiction with mythic dimension, from the Nebula-nominated author of Eternity’s End and The Chaos Chronicles.

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Thrawn (Star Wars)

In this definitive novel, readers will follow Thrawn’s rise to power—uncovering the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history.

One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond. But Thrawn’s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Timothy Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power—and infamy.

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Waiter to the Rich and Shameless: Confessions of a Five Star Beverly Hills Server

A down-and-out musician chops off his hair to become a server at the top of the Hollywood food chain, discovering a cloistered world of money, fame, bad behavior, and intrigue.

Waiter to the Rich and Shameless is not just a peek into the secretive inner workings of a legendary five-star restaurant; it is not just a celebrity tell-all or a scathing corporate analysis. It is a top-tier waiter’s personal coming-of-age story, an intimate look into the complicated challenges of serving in the country’s most elite, Hollywood-centric dining room while fighting to maintain a sense of self and purpose.

Of the many millions of food service workers around the globe, only a tiny number ever ascend to a top-level position at a world-renowned restaurant catering to iconic celebrities, moguls, and politicians. As one of those select few, Paul (“Pauli”) Hartford is the first waiter to open the door into a cloistered, coveted world of money, fame, bad behavior, and intrigue. He peels back the veneer of civility and culture at the nation’s most preeminent celebrity hangout, the Cricket Room, in Beverly Hills, California. He exposes the epic human foibles of its elite clientele, the dining room’s corrupt corporate culture, its clandestine culinary practices, and the heartbreaking struggles of its beleaguered waitstaff.

This keenly-observed story also traverses Pauli’s 10-year evolution from a jaded, party-hungry rock musician who moonlights as a bartender, into a snobbish and pretentious waiter, and finally into a polished and sophisticated server who takes his job so seriously that it drives him to the brink of illness. Pauli finds himself at first seduced by his famous guests’ glamour and self-indulgence, then accustomed to it, and finally appalled by it.

For obvious reasons, some details and specifics about the real Cricket Room have been cleverly disguised, but discerning listeners will easily connect the dots.

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Empire’s End: Aftermath (Star Wars)

Following Star Wars: Aftermath and Star Wars: Life Debt, Chuck Wendig delivers the exhilarating conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy set in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

EVERY END IS A NEW BEGINNING.

As the final showdown between the New Republic and the Empire draws near, all eyes turn to a once-isolated planet: Jakku.

The Battle of Endor shattered the Empire, scattering its remaining forces across the galaxy. But the months following the Rebellion’s victory have not been easy. The fledgling New Republic has suffered a devastating attack from the Imperial remnant, forcing the new democracy to escalate their hunt for the hidden enemy.

For her role in the deadly ambush, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane is the most wanted Imperial war criminal—and one-time rebel pilot Norra Wexley, back in service at Leia’s urgent request, is leading the hunt. But more than just loyalty to the New Republic drives Norra forward: Her husband was turned into a murderous pawn in Sloane’s assassination plot, and now she wants vengeance as much as justice.

But Sloane, too, is on a furious quest: pursuing the treacherous Gallius Rax to the barren planet Jakku. As the true mastermind behind the Empire’s devastating attack, Rax has led the Empire to its defining moment. The cunning strategist has gathered the powerful remnants of the Empire’s war machine, preparing to execute the late Emperor Palpatine’s final plan. As the Imperial fleet orbits Jakku, an armada of Republic fighters closes in to finish what began at Endor. Norra and her crew soar into the heart of an apocalyptic clash that will leave land and sky alike scorched. And the future of the galaxy will finally be decided.

Praise for Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath

“Star Wars: Aftermath [reveals] what happened after the events of 1983’s Return of the Jedi. It turns out, there’s more than just the Empire for the good guys to worry about.”—The Hollywood Reporter

“The Force is strong with Star Wars: Aftermath.”—Alternative Nation

“The Star Wars universe is fresh and new again, and just as rich and mysterious as it always was.”—Den of Geek!

Aftermath: Life Debt

“Compulsively readable, the kind of caramel-corn book you just keep stuffing in your face until it’s gone.”—Tor.com

“Man oh man, this is good stuff. [Life Debt] reveals what Han and Chewie were up to after Return of the Jedi.”—io9

“Gripping reading . . . [This novel] hits the ground running.”—New York Daily News

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The Widow and the Rock Star

Vivienne Stark, a writer and military widow, has spent almost two decades of her life avoiding having a life. When she writes a best seller, she is thrust into the limelight she never wanted. To complicate matters, an embezzler has wiped out the charitable foundation she created to help the families of fallen soldiers.

Will Foster, the lead singer of world famous band Static Neverland, considers himself to be a regular guy in the right place at the right time. Surrounded only by fame seekers and gold diggers, Will’s been hurt too many times to trust women. Little does he know, a chance introduction to Vivienne Stark will change his mind completely.

A not-so-typical set-up leads to two people finding the love they never knew waited for them. But can they maneuver through the past hurts and current challenges to make their relationship last?

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Rock Star Rising: A Romantic Thriller

Computer programmer Alan Barlett takes his girlfriend to Las Vegas. There he meets Medusa, the beautiful backup singer for the late rock star Shane. She hints that Shane might still be alive. In flashback, we see Shane’s rise to fame. Alan goes on a haunting quest, obsessed with Medusa and Shane’s mysterious disappearance. Shane’s old manager tries to keep the memory of Shane alive for profit, but he hides a terrible secret.