NCW Libraries

"Those who have been lured by the sound of skate blades slicing into fresh ice, by the incomparable speed, split-second decisions, and everything-or-nothing attitude of the game know that hockey can seem like its own world. It's all-consuming and exhilarating, boasting its own language and complex morality code. Yet in another light, that tight community can turn insular; the values of teamwork and humility can manifest as collective silence in the...

Zanders: Chicago hockey isn't complete without me-everyone's favorite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night. What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee,...

"In the early days of WWII, President Roosevelt was faced with a difficult decision: stop all of professional baseball for the good of victory or lose a vital part of morale. Roosevelt's answer saved baseball for generations to come. He decided that THE GAME MUST GO ON. This is the story of American baseball during WWII, both the players who left to join the war effort, and the struggle to keep the game going on the home front. Many of the top players...

Gear up for an all-the-feels, steamy slow-burn in this enemies-to-lovers sports romance about fighting for love when life's taught you it's a losing game. Gavin We've been teammates for two years, but it feels like a lifetime that Oliver Bergman's been on my last nerve. A demanding captain and veteran player, I'm feared and friendless, while he's the beloved rising star, all sunshine smiles and upbeat team spirit. To make matters worse, he's obscenely...

My name is Tess Owens, and my life is officially on fire. I never thought dancing at my best friend's wedding would be the match to light the flames. But with one lingering touch, one longing look . . . and one sneaky caterer holding a camera phone, my almost ex-husband is ready to torch my entire life. Unwilling to face the heat, I do what I do best: I run. Straight into the arms of Rachel and her team of NHL hockey players. One player stands apart...

"Breathtaking tales of climbers and hunters, runners and racers, winners and losers by the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. New York Times reporter John Branch's riveting, humane features on ordinary people doing extraordinary things at the edges of the sporting world have won nearly every major journalism prize. Sidecountry gathers the best of Branch's work for the first time, including classic pieces like "Snow Fall," about skiers caught in an avalanche...

"Maya Andersson and Benji Ovich, two young people who left in search of a life far from the forest town, come home and joyfully reunite with their closest childhood friends. There is a new sense of optimism and purpose in the town, embodied in the impressive new ice rink that has been built down by the lake. Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there's something about this place...

"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beartown and A Man Called Ove, hailed as "a writer of astonishing depth [with] the remarkable ability to make you understand the feelings of each of a dozen different characters" (The Washington Times), a heart-wrenching story of how loyalty, friendship, and love carry a town through its darkest days. After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow...

Ryan: I'm the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago's NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister's best friend, to move into my apartment. She's messy, emotional, and way too tempting. But when the team's General Manager vocalizes his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can't think of a better way to convince him otherwise than...

The author helps you discover what you really need to succeed. Through her own personal story of becoming an agent in a male-dominated field, as well as through practical tips and tools, you'll discover how to see who you truly are, live with significance, and find fulfillment and purpose in your everyday life, starting right where you are now.