Recent Releases Sacred Ceremony for a Sacred Earth : Indigenous Wisdom for Healing and Transformation by Aniwa Council of Elders Aniwa’s Council of Elders includes some of the globe’s most renowned Indigenous Wisdom Keepers. In a time fraught with ecological, social, political, and mental health crises, they share a mission to unite people of all races, colors, and creeds to promote healing and a deeper reciprocal relationship with our planet. Sacred Ceremony for a Sacred Earth brings together their profound teachings, stories, sacred ceremonies, and healing practices, amplifying the voices of Indigenous healers from diverse traditions. In their worldview, we are all children of Mother Earth, destined to return to her embrace. This extraordinary book serves as a guiding light, beckoning humanity back to ancestral wisdom and restoring forgotten bonds with nature and self through ceremonies and practices. Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple... by Claire Hoffman On a spring day in 1926, Aimee Semple McPherson wandered into the Pacific Ocean and vanished. Weeks later she reappeared in the desert, claiming to have been kidnapped. A national media frenzy and months of investigation ensued. Who was this woman? America’s most famous evangelist, McPherson was a sophisticated marketer who used spectacle, storytelling, and the newest technology - including her own radio station - to bring God’s message to the masses. Her innovations brought Pentecostalism into the mainstream, paved the way for televangelists, and shaped the future of American Christianity. Her Angelus Temple in Echo Park, Los Angeles, can be called the first megachurch. Her Foursquare Church continues, with more than eight million faithful around the world. But after her disappearance, as crowds gathered at the water’s edge, people asked: Was McPherson everybody’s saintly sister, or a con-artist sinner? The story of what happened next - sex scandals, religious persecution, legal shenanigans, the seemingly unshakable faith of thousands of followers, and the race to cover it all - runs through the center of Claire Hoffman’s thrilling Sister, Sinner. The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial... by Dan McClellan Bible scholar and popular TikToker Dan McClellan confronts misconceptions about the Bible. The Bible is the world's most influential book, but do we really know what it says? Every day across social media and in homes, businesses, and public spaces, people try to cut debate short by claiming that "the Bible says so!" However, they commonly disagree about what it actually does and doesn't say, particularly when it comes to socially significant issues. For instance, does the Bible say we should be on the lookout for an antichrist associated with the number 666? Does it say women shouldn't wear revealing clothing? Does it say it's okay to hit your kids? In The Bible Say So, Dan McClellan leverages his popular "data over dogma" approach, and his years of experience in the academy and on social media, to lay out in clear and accessible ways what the data indicate the Bible does and doesn't say about issues ranging from homosexuality, abortion, and slavery to monotheism, inspiration, and even God's wife. Smart, accessible, and informative, The Bible Says So is an invaluable resource for our fractious times. The Dragon's Prophecy : Israel, the Dark Resurrection, and the End of Days by Jonathan Cahn Is there more to the world than meets our eyes - another realm that's transforming our world at this very moment? Is there an ancient vision that unlocks what is really happening to our world and what is yet to come? A dangerous force from ancient times that is now operating in the world and determining the course of world events? Did a three-thousand-year old mystery actually foretell the invasion of Israel by Hamas down to the year - and even the exact date? Is there a secret to the Book of Revelation that actually reveals what is taking place right now? Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza : A Reckoning by Peter Beinart A bold, urgent appeal from the acclaimed columnist and political commentator, addressing one of the most important issues of our time. In Peter Beinart's view, one story dominates Jewish communal life: that of persecution and victimhood. It is a story that erases much of the nuance of Jewish religious tradition and warps our understanding of Israel and Palestine. After Gaza, where Jewish texts, history, and language have been deployed to justify mass slaughter and starvation, Beinart argues, Jews must tell a new story. After this war, whose horror will echo for generations, they must do nothing less than offer a new answer to the question: What does it mean to be a Jew? Beinart imagines an alternate narrative, which would draw on other nations' efforts at moral reconstruction and a different reading of Jewish tradition. A story in which Israeli Jews have the right to equality, not supremacy, and in which Jewish and Palestinian safety are not mutually exclusive but intertwined. One that recognizes the danger of venerating states at the expense of human life. Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza is a provocative argument that will expand and inform one of the defining conversations of our time. It is a book that only Peter Beinart could write: a passionate yet measured work that brings together his personal experience, his commanding grasp of history, his keen understanding of political and moral dilemmas, and a clear vision for the future. The House of my Mother : A Daughter's Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke Shari Franke's childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface--Ruby's wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined. As the family's YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby's delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime. Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: "Finally." For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family's devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt's cultish life coaching program, "ConneXions." No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother's cruelty. Happy Lies : How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard of Shaped our Self-Obsessed World by Melissa Dougherty Apologist Melissa Dougherty helps us understand how our society got to be so toxically subjective, why endless positivity is inherently negative, and how we can live with truth and love in these self-obsessed times. How did we end up in a world in which each person's subjective reality is more important than the truth? And what does that tell us about why we're confused, restless, and, if we're honest, just so sad? Apologist and YouTube host Melissa Dougherty deftly traces the roots of today's social chaos back to the 1800s philosophy of New Thought. With clarity, compassion, and a bit of loving snark, she exposes New Thought's deceptions and shows us why it's important for our minds and hearts to hold fast to biblical truth. Make sense of a world gone crazy as you discover: what a cultural movement from back in the days when people strolled more than scrolled has to do with our cultural angst today, how toxic positivity and unrealistic optimism have infiltrated the church, ways to respond when you're criticized for even suggesting moral truth, how understanding the New Thought mindset can help us build bridges with people who reject Christianity, why a "don't worry, be happy" philosophy leads to a lot more worry and a lot less happy. This groundbreaking book propels us out of our loneliness and into the freedom that comes from believing in something outside of ourselves, resting in a love that doesn't have to do with our moods, and knowing an eternal truth greater than any "authenticity" masquerading as our savior. Contact your librarian for more great books! The Public Library 501 Copper NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 505-768-5141 abqlibrary.org