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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Undoubtedly prompted by the success of recent Crais bestsellers (Demolition Angel; Hostage), his audio publishers have gone back to the second book in his increasingly popular Elvis Cole series, originally published in 1989, for a lively and colorful outing that manages to capture much of the author's early innocence and freshness. Stuart brings the quirky Cole to life quickly, combining his strengths (tenacity, incorruptibility, frequent flashes of humor) with his oddities (his love of the Disney artifacts that litter his office) to make a credible whole person. Other characters emerge with equal vocal skill: the enigmatic Joe Pike, Cole's muscular sidekick; a glowering Los Angeles property developer, his alcohol-impaired wife and their fragile adolescent daughter, who winds up being kidnapped by Japanese gangsters. Cole, hired to find a rare Japanese manuscript, discovers that the teenager's fate is very important to him personally forging a bond between the detective and children in peril that has become a hallmark of the series. For those who have been fans of Elvis since book one, The Monkey's Raincoat, it's good to have his early adventures around to listen to. For more recent Crais converts, this could prove an eye-opening revelation of how Cole got to be who he is. Based on the Bantam mass market. </p><p>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.</p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Hard-nosed private detective Elvis Cole returns ( The Monkey's Raincoat ) to do battle for a teenaged girl kidnapped as part of a scheme involving the theft of a priceless Japanese manuscript outlining samurai behavior. While Cole's wry sarcasm and attempts at "cute" often fall flat, his humanity and integrity carry him through an apparently convoluted but mostly transparent plot. Los Angeles settings, Japanese heavies, wild action, and businesslike prose, however, make this better than many.<br>Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>Praise for the novels of Kay Hooper  </p><p>?A master storyteller.?<br>--Tami Hoag  </p><p>?Kay Hooper keeps me guessing until the very end.?<br>--Linda Howard  </p><p>?Kay Hooper comes through with thrills [and] chills.? <br>--_Kirkus Reviews  </p><p>_?You always know you are in for an outstanding read when you pick up a Kay Hooper novel.? <br>--_Romantic Times _(gold medal review)  </p><p><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em> -- <em>Review</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Kay Hooper is the brightest new star of suspense fiction. Now the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author who’s built a reputation for keeping her readers’ pulse in the red zone delivers a thriller that will stun the senses—all six of them. This time a psychic special agent and a gritty cop must stop a brutal killer with a chilling M.O. and an unstoppable...<strong>Sense of Evil</strong>.  </p><p>The victims are always the same: beautiful, successful, and blond. Someone was able to coax these intelligent and confident women away from safety. Someone was able to gain their trust long enough to do the unthinkable. Their shocking murders have terrified the inhabitants of a small, peaceful town where such heinous crimes are simply not supposed to happen. Police Chief Rafe Sullivan knows he has to find answers fast before another woman is lured to her death--but Sullivan literally doesn’t have a clue. And when the FBI sends one of their top profilers to help, he’s more than a little surprised that his new partner is nothing like the straight-by-the-book “suit” he expects.Special Agent Isabel Adams is tough, fearless, determined, and every bit Sullivan’s equal. She’s also psychic. And blond.Skeptical of his new partner’s ability to get inside the mind of a killer, Sullivan can’t deny that Isabel has tuned in to the killer’s wavelength, is following the twisted thoughts of a murderer obsessed with stalking, seduction, and death. But in getting so close, Isabel has set herself up as the next victim. Now, with time running out, she and Rafe will find themselves forced to take the greatest risk of all, because this psychopath is playing for keeps and Isabel is the perfect trophy. Unable to turn back, Isabel may have already gone too far. Smart, savvy, and confident, she may find that the very qualities that have kept her alive could turn out to be her undoing. For Isabel has entered the world of a cold-blooded monster who kills without mercy and eludes every sense but one...the sense of evil. </p></div>


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<p class="description">New in the series from New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface.  To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contact with other family members. Tolliver wants no part of the man- but he may not have a choice in the matter.  Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before. And what she finds out will change her world forever.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When Blake Remington temporarily loses the ability to walk, he loses his will to live as well, until Dione Kelly, a woman with a broken soul, arrives to heal both him and herself. Reissue. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>A Look Inside <em>Reading Jackie</em></strong>   </p><p>Jackie and ICP director Cornell Capa<br><em>Courtesy of the International Center of Photography</em></p><p>JFK and Jackie at their wedding <br><em>Courtesy of Toni Frissell--Sidney Frissell Stafford</em></p><p>Jacqueline Kennedy, 1957. She told her Doubleday colleague Ray Roberts that she remembered the picture being taken at “10 a.m. in full evening dress and he scared me to death!” <br><em>Courtesy of Yousuf Karsh</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>During the last two decades of her life, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis worked on nearly 100 books with varying degrees of responsibility as an editor, first at Viking--she resigned after being castigated by the New York Times about a Viking thriller with a Ted Kennedy–like protagonist as an assassination target--and then at Doubleday, which promised to avoid any similar embarrassments. Her love of dance led to Onassis publishing a biography of Fred Astaire and autobiographies of Martha Graham, Judith Jamison, and Gelsey Kirkland. Kuhn (The Politics of Pleasure: A Portrait of Benjamin Disraeli) is particularly dismissive of Kirkland and her then-husband/collaborator Greg Lawrence's bestselling tell-all accusing George Balanchine of cruelties; not coincidentally, Lawrence is the author of a competing book, Jackie as Editor. With biographies of Clara Bow and Jean Harlow, the quietly feminist Onassis insisted on getting beyond publicity photo images to tell a woman's true story, says Kuhn. Being seen as royalty herself as the widow of JFK, the often imperious Onassis commissioned more than a dozen books on the royalty of India, ancient Egypt, Versailles, and Romanov Russia. Although this lucid, amply detailed catalogue of Onassis's publishing projects offers a window into her passions and opaque personality, it is far from what Kuhn dubs "the only autobiography she ever wrote"--most readers will not find it revelatory. (Dec.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The prolific, well-informed, and passionate Armstrong (The Case for God) writes a somewhat different book this time out, stemming from her winning a ,000 prize in 2007 to promote an idea worth spreading. She always has a thesis in her books as she sweeps over the historical development of world religions, but this is a book with an agenda: you ought to be more compassionate, and here™s how. So instead of being her usual somewhat academic teacher of religious history, she is more of a personal spiritual teacher, in the vein of the Dalai Lama. That task, and corresponding tone (œBe patient with yourself during this meditation), is not her long suit. Still, this slightly self-help-y book is deeply grounded in what Armstrong knows, and presents, well: the core teachings of all religions that can make us better, more compassionate humans. The former nun pulls ideas and references from religions Eastern and Western with aplomb and respect for all sources. This counter to the religion-is-homicidal-and-superstitious school of invective passing for thought is well-informed, welcome, and practical. (Jan.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> It takes courage for a religious historian and writer of Armstrong’s stature to step out from behind the scrim of scholarship and analysis to offer guidelines for a spiritual practice designed to make humanity a kinder and saner species. With the boon of the prestigious TED Prize, Armstrong (The Case for God, 2009) worked with “leading thinkers from a variety of major faiths” to compose a Charter for Compassion, which calls for the restoration of “compassion to the heart of religious and moral life” in a “dangerously polarized” world. Not content with merely stating lofty goals, however, Armstrong, a revered genius of elucidation and synthesis, now tells the full and profound story of altruism throughout human history. She turns to neuroscience and tracks the evolution of our brains and our natural capacity for empathy, and performs her signature mode of beautifully clarifying interpretation in a mind-expanding discussion of the history of the Golden Rule (“Always treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself”), the essence of compassion and the kernel of every religious tradition. Exquisite and affecting explications of Buddhist, Confucian, Judaic, Christian, and Islamic commentary prepare the ground for meditation exercises meant to engender “open-mindedness” and the cultivation of compassion, making for the most sagacious and far-reaching 12-step program ever. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A hefty print run is planned for renowned religious thinker Armstrong’s bold approach to teaching the compassionate ethos. --Donna Seaman </p></div>


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<p class="description">In a deadly game of skill and deception...A master thief is just the first wild card…The priceless, rarely displayed Bannister collection is about to be exhibited—and the show’s director, Morgan West, can’t ignore her growing uneasiness. She’s certain she hasn’t seen the last of the infamous cat burglar Quinn. But she never expected him to turn up at her apartment one dark night in desperate need of her help—help she can’t refuse. The mysterious master thief is playing a dangerous game, and it’s a game that just might get him killed.With Morgan’s help, Quinn sets a trap intended to catch someone far more elusive…and more deadly…than a thief. But an unseen threat shadows him in the fog-shrouded San Francisco night, an unknown adversary more cunning than any he has yet encountered. Now, just when the stakes are higher than even Quinn can imagine, no one can be trusted—and everything’s at risk.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Mirrodin—a world of living metal, an artificial ecosystem created by the Planeswalker Karn to support organic life—is on the cusp of cataclysm. When the Planeswalker Venser goes in search of his former mentor, he learns Karn’s life hangs in the balance—and with him the entire plane of existence. For fans of the mega-selling trading card game, <strong>Magic: the Gathering</strong>®, the full story behind Scars of Mirrodin, a revisitation one of <strong>Magic’s</strong> most popular settings. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Once upon a time, the plane of Alara was shattered into five planes, each distinctly populated with relative mono-magical culture that reflects each of the five colors. Now, the planes are beginning to realign and merge once more.  </p><p>As nefarious forces work to hasten the cataclysmic realignment for their own gain, the populations of once ordered planes struggle to come to terms with a new planar order in which long separated struggles between opposite clash once more; martyrs face executioners, fire and water, earth and air, growth and decay, the innate versus the artificial.  </p><p>Amid this chaos, Ajani, a fierce leonin planeswalker, struggles to bring justice and resolution to his brother's death. Noble warrior Rafiq searches for the source of the of this evil that has invaded his world. And Sarkhan Vol, planeswalker and dragon hunter, taps into a power so pure and ancient, it threatens to consume him even as he revels in its unadulterated totality.  </p><p>An action packed story from the mind of one of the creators, Doug Beyer opens up the <strong>Shards of Alara</strong>(TM) set like no one else can. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>For gamers and fantasy fans alike, a fast-paced, stand-alone adventure that brings the popular trading card game <strong>Magic: the Gathering</strong>® to life.  </p><p>Lurking in the space between the aether and the physical plane, there is a great evil waiting to emerge.   </p><p>Zendikar is a land of danger and adventure, a world of deadly risks and priceless rewards. It is also a prison to one of the most deadly species known to the Multiverse: the dreaded Eldrazi.   </p><p>When our story opens, part of the mystical containment spell that has kept the Eldrazi captive for millennia has been breached. The brood lineage, the Eldrazi minions, have been released and are poring over the plane, devouring everything in their path, but the swath they cut across the land is nothing next to the destruction that the still-imprisoned Eldrazi Titans will wreck once released.  </p><p>Nissa Revane, a planeswalker and proud elf warrior of the Jorga Nation, is witness to what the brood lineage can do. She sees that they pose a bigger problem than most suppose. Sorin, an ancient vampire planeswalker, knows this as well as anyone because he was among the original jailers of the ancient scourge. He has returned to Zendikar to make sure the Titans do not escape. They both want the Eldarzi threat extinguished but each has their own agenda. Nissa wants the Eldrazi off her plane entirely. Sorin wants to put the lock back on their cell. And there are still others who want the Titans to escape.  </p><p>Together they set out across the land on search of the Eye of Ugin, the source of the Eldrazi uprising, where they will face what could be their final challenge. Will the Eldrazi escape to menace the Multiverse once again? </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Francophile Chelminski (_The Perfectionist_) offers up a feisty defense of Georges Duboeuf, who singlehandedly put Beaujolais, the grape and the region, on the culinary map. Unlike the better established regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux, the small grape growers of Beaujolais—a ribbon of land between Lyon and Mâcon, its capital Beaujeu—held to the growing of the inferior gamay, which flourished in the region despite the attempts by the Romans to eradicate it. Surviving phylloxera and grafting from plants of American roots, the humble Beaujolais became a favorite wine of Lyon largely because of the excellence of its <em>primeur</em>, or new wine, which was available by St. Martin's Day, November 11. In Chelminski's circuitous path, enter young Duboeuf, on his family winery at Chaintre, who decided by 1951 to circumvent the big dealers and set up his own wine-tasting cellar. Armed with two of his own bottles, he pedaled over to Paul Blanc's famous restaurant Le Chapon Fin down the road, and history was made: Duboeuf Wines is the #1 exporter of French wines to the U.S. Chelminski offers a stylish history of French wine-making, and an unblushing tribute to Duboeuf's achievements. <em>(Oct.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>In the highly snobbish wine universe, Beaujolais lacks the cachet of many of its brother wines from France's Burgundy region. Product of a single grape, gamay, this is a wine best enjoyed in its youth, so Beaujolais finds itself too often dismissed as common. Yet no other wine attracts the exuberant anticipatory attention that accompanies the release of a new vintage every November. In detailed and good-humored prose, Chelminski traces the history of Beaujolais from the phylloxera devastation of French vineyards in the late nineteenth century through the food revolution inaugurated in part by neighboring Lyon's restaurateur Paul Bocuse a century later. Crediting Beaujolais' success to an enterprising French winemaker, Georges Duboeuf, Chelminski's narrative uncovers how Duboeuf's public-relations coup in promoting the release of the new vintage has paradoxically cheapened Beaujolais in the minds of some oenophiles. Wine-book collections will find this volume fills a notable gap. Knoblauch, Mark </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Annie Dillard remembers. She remembers the exhilaration of whipping a snowball at a car and having it hit straight on. She remembers playing with the skin on her mother's knuckles, which "didn't snap back; it lay dead across her knuckle in a yellowish ridge." She remembers the compulsion to spend a whole afternoon (or many whole afternoons) endlessly pitching a ball at a target. In this intoxicating account of her childhood, Dillard climbs back inside her 5-, 10-, and 15-year-old selves with apparent effortlessness. The voracious young Dillard embraces headlong one fascination after another--from drawing to rocks and bugs to the French symbolists. "Everywhere, things snagged me," she writes. "The visible world turned me curious to books; the books propelled me reeling back to the world." From her parents she inherited a love of language--her mother's speech was "an endlessly interesting, swerving path"--and the understanding that "you do what you do out of your private passion for the thing itself," not for anyone else's approval or desire. And one would be mistaken to call the energy Dillard exhibits in <em>An American Childhood</em> merely youthful; "still I break up through the skin of awareness a thousand times a day," she writes, "as dolphins burst through seas, and dive again, and rise, and dive." </p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Dillard's luminous prose painlessly captures the pain of growing up in this wonderful evocation of childhood. Her memoir is partly a hymn to Pittsburgh, where orange streetcars ran on Penn Avenue in 1953 when she was eight, and where the Pirates were always in the cellar. Dillard's mother, an unstoppable force, had energies too vast for the bridge games and household chores that stymied her. Her father made low-budget horror movies, loved Dixieland jazz, told endless jokes and sight-gags and took lonesome river trips down to New Orleans to get away. From this slightly odd couple, Dillard (Teaching a Stone to Talk acquired her love of nature and taut sensitivity. The events of childhood often loom larger than life; the magic of Dillard's writing is that she sets down typical childhood happenings with their original immediacy and force. <br>Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"It’s a compelling read, one that not only talks about the true nature of the Iranian regime but also of the Iranian people, who have now twice tried to free themselves from the yoke of lunatic mullahs trying to destroy the entire world for their dreams of eternal power."</p><p>--Ed Morrissey, Hot Air  </p><p>"...the story [Kahlili] tells—of the Iranian revolution and how he came to despise it—is genuinely powerful. It offers a vivid first-person narrative of how the zealots of the Islamic republic created what has become a nightmare for the Iranian people... One of the strengths of this book is that it makes the author’s decision to betray his country- or, more properly, the people who are running it- seem like a morally correct and laudable action. Indeed, people in the Iranian operations division at the CIA should welcome <em>A Time to Betray</em> as a virtual recruitment poster."</p><p>--David Ignatius, <em>The Washington Post</em> Book world Review  </p><p>"This is the first inside account by someone so strategically placed. Without embellishing, Khalili manages to convey the horror of Iran’s regime after the downfall of the Shah. Everyone with an interest in the region or in U.S. foreign policy or in real-life espionage will be interested."</p><p>—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., NY,<strong> </strong><em>Library Journal</em>  </p><p>"_A Time to Betray_ provides a riveting account of how the author, who uses the pseudonym Reza Kahlili, worked undercover and sent intelligence reports to his CIA handlers, all while a suspicious counterintelligence officer was chasing him."</p><p>--Ken Timmerman, Newsmax  </p><p>"Equal parts astonishing and disturbing, this perfectly crafted memoir will open your eyes to the heinous past, troubled present and murky future of Iran...Using insider information, Kahlili excels at painting an enthralling portrait of a country impacted by religious and political extremism. What makes “A Time to Betray” so powerful is two fold: First, the story reads like a John Grisham novel. Second, the narrative is refreshingly objective. Throughout his gripping journey, Kahlili ping-pongs between being a devoted son of Iran and a U.S. supporter. The emotion this produces creates an astonishing read that will have you rethinking what you know about the Middle East."</p><p>--Nicholas Addison Thomas, THE FREE LANCE-STAR  </p><p>"This is one of those rare books that grabs you from the very first page—from the very first sentence, in fact—and will not let you go until it is over."</p><p>--Michael Totten  </p><p>"Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it was written in a simple yet sincere and touching manner and brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion (not an easy thing to do.) The revelations in the book are interesting and serve as a remainder of the brutal human rights violations committed by the Islamic Regime against the Iranian people."</p><p>--Sayeh Hassan, Canada Free Press  </p><p>"This book reads like a spy novel and is riveting. For readers who enjoy that kind of information, <em>A Time to Betray</em> is a 'can't miss.' Beyond that, it provides a fascinating and crucial window into a world the rest of us cannot access." </p><p>--WorldNetDaily.com  </p><p>"_A Time To Betray__: The Astonishing double Life of a CIA Agent inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran_ is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it…The secrets revealed in the book, the intrigue, the mixed feelings Kahlili has working as a spy, keeping his actions secret from everyone he knows and loves, makes the reader feel like a fly on the wall -- seeing, hearing, feeling and smelling what Kahlili experiences…I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and say if you do not read it you are missing out of the book of the year."</p><p>--The Right Truth Book Club  </p><p><em>"A Time To Betray</em> is certainly a thriller, with Iranian intelligence always only one step behind Kahlili’s next move. But Kahlili also writes about an idyllic childhood and illustrates the Iran that disappeared after Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution."</p><p>--Forbes.com </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>A true story as exhilarating as a great spy thriller, as turbulent as today’s headlines from the Middle East, 2010 National Best Books Award-winning <em>A Time to Betray</em> reveals what no other previous CIA operative’s memoir possibly could: the inner workings of the notorious Revolutionary Guards of Iran, as witnessed by an Iranian man inside their ranks who spied for the American government. It is a human story, a chronicle of family and friendships torn apart by a terror-mongering regime, and how the adult choices of three childhood mates during the Islamic Republic yielded divisive and tragic fates. And it is the stunningly courageous account of one man’s decades-long commitment to lead a shocking double life informing on the beloved country of his birth, a place that once offered the promise of freedom and enlightenment—but instead ruled by murderous violence and spirit-crushing oppression.</p><p>Reza Kahlili grew up in Tehran surrounded by his close-knit family and two spirited boyhood friends. The Iran of his youth allowed Reza to think and act freely, and even indulge a penchant for rebellious pranks in the face of the local mullahs. His political and personal freedoms flourished while he studied computer science at the University of Southern California in the 1970s. But his carefree time in America was cut short with the sudden death of his father, and Reza returned home to find a country on the cusp of change. The revolution of 1979 plunged Iran into a dark age of religious fundamentalism under the Ayatollah Khomeini, and Reza, clinging to the hope of a Persian Renaissance, joined the Revolutionary Guards, an elite force at the beck and call of the Ayatollah. But as Khomeini’s tyrannies unfolded, as his fellow countrymen turned on each other, and after the horror he witnessed inside Evin Prison, a shattered and disillusioned Reza returned to America to dangerously become “Wally,” a spy for the CIA.</p><p>In the wake of an Iranian election that sparked global outrage, at a time when Iran’s nuclear program holds the world’s anxious attention, the revelations inside <em>A Time to Betray</em> could not be more powerful or timely. Now resigned from his secretive life to reclaim precious time with his loved ones, Reza Kahlili documents scenes from history with heart-wrenching clarity, as he supplies vital information from the Iran-Iraq War, the Marine barracks bombings in Beirut, the catastrophes of Pan Am Flight 103, the scandal of the Iran-Contra affair, and more . . . a chain of incredible events that culminates in a nation’s fight for freedom that continues to this very day. </p><p>A TIME TO BETRAY was the winner of The National Best Books 2010 Awards for Non-Fiction Narrative. It was also honored as the “Finalist” in the “Autobiography/Memoirs” category. It is now part of JCITA’s (Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy of DOD) Iranian Program’s readings. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Lt. Eve Dallas and her squad take on corrupt cops in Robb's 33rd full-length novel featuring the New York Police and Security Dept. homicide detective (after Indulgence in Death), a fast-paced, intricate, and deadly dance of well-matched opponents. When Dallas's partner, Det. Delia Peabody, overhears an angry exchange between Lt. Rene Oberman and Det. William Garnet that reveals an unlawful killing and ongoing skimming, Dallas's reaction to this news is decisive: "the blue line breaks for wrong cops." The setting may be slightly futuristic, but the procedures are familiar: Dallas puts together a solid team that meets in her home to avoid leaks as they compile evidence. At the same time, she initiates confrontations with the dangerous Oberman, whom she begins pushing toward a trap. From this pure good guys versus bad guys scenario, Robb (aka Nora Roberts) wrings plenty of exciting strokes and counterstrokes before reaching the satisfying climax. (Feb.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>After her boss, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, suggests that New York policewoman Delia Peabody’s footwork needs some work, Delia books some time in the gym for what almost becomes a “killer” workout. Rather than visit NYPD’s brand-new, state-of-the-art exercise facilities, Peabody opts for the building’s old gym, since fewer of her well-toned, light-on-their-feet co-workers will be there. Upon arriving, Peabody has the place to herself until she hears voices and realizes that she’s listening to two cops angrily arguing about a deal in which they are both involved. Fortunately, the two leave before they realize Delia has overheard them. Not only does Peabody know the name of one of the corrupt cops, she also knows they are both guilty of murder. Now it will be up to Peabody and Eve to take these crooked cops down. The thirty-second (!) entry in Robb’s gritty, futuristic procedural series is one of the best yet: a sexy, high-stakes, high-adrenaline read that will delight series stalwarts, hook readers new to Eve Dallas, and please both mystery and romance readers. --John Charles </p></div>


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Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance.  Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: Call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, itas the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, itas the chains of labor. But in "The Ascent of Money," Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. Whatas more, he reveals financial history as the essential backstory behind all history.  Through Fergusonas expert lens familiar historical landmarks appear in a new and sharper financial focus. Suddenly, the civilization of the Renaissance looks very different: a boom in the market for art and architecture made possible when Italian bankers adopted Arabic mathematics. The rise of the Dutch republic is reinterpreted as the triumph of the worldas first modern bond market over insolvent Habsburg absolutism. And the origins of the French Revolution are traced back to a stock market bubble caused by a convicted Scot murderer.  With the clarity and verve for which he is known, Ferguson elucidates key financial institutions and concepts by showing where they came from. What is money? What do banks do? Whatas the difference between a stock and a bond? Why buy insurance or real estate? And what exactly does a hedge fund do?  This is history for the present. Ferguson travels to post-Katrina New Orleans to ask why the free market canat provide adequate protection against catastrophe. He delves into the origins of the subprime mortgage crisis. Perhaps most important, "The Ascent of Money" documents how a new financial revolution is propelling the worldas biggest countries, India and China, from poverty to wealth in the space of a single generationaan economic transformation unprecedented in human history.  Yet the central lesson of the financial history is that sooner or later every bubble burstsasooner or later the bearish sellers outnumber the bullish buyers, sooner or later greed flips into fear. And thatas why, whether youare scraping by or rolling in it, thereas never been a better time to understand the ascent of money.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Marine archeologist Jack Howard may have found the key to uncovering Atlantis, the legendary sunken city purportedly built by a flourishing culture. A scrap of papyrus discovered in an Egyptian desert, which may contain a secondhand account of the lost city, sends Jack scrambling to assemble a team, including Costas, an MIT- and Stanford-trained expert in "submersible technology" and Katya, a beautiful Russian Atlantis specialist. Once prepped and in position in the Aegean Sea, Jack and company find themselves caught up with Kazakhstan terrorists and a multicountry fight over a missing Soviet nuclear submarine—and that's before they've uncovered the ancient secrets of the lost city. It's thrilling stuff for sure, but the story limps along on complicated, exposition-heavy science that's doled out much too slowly (characters walk each other—often and at length—through their particular areas of expertise as the plot requires). Gibbons, an underwater archeologist and Cambridge University Ph.D., knows his science; still, things don't pick up until the second half of the story, when the dive gives way to a more straightforward kidnapping plot. The historical conspiracy angle gives the book <em>Da Vinci</em>-esque appeal, and the intense visual details of the team's marine discoveries make it naturally cinematic, but if history and science lectures aren't your cup of Dramamine, you might want to give this one a pass. <em>(Oct.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"The historical conspiracy angle gives the book <em>Da Vinci</em>-esque appeal, and the intense visual details of the team's marine discoveries make it naturally cinematic."—_Publishers Weekly_</p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Guest Reviewer: Tony Hsieh</strong>   </p><p>Tony Hsieh is the author of the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller <em>Delivering Happiness</em> and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc. </p><p>In less than 10 years, Zappos has grown from no sales in 1999 to over a billion dollars in gross merchandise sales annually. Our philosophy is to take most of the money that we would have otherwise spent on paid advertising or paid marketing and instead invest it into customer service and the customer experience, and let our customers do the marketing for us through word of mouth. </p><p>In other words, we're really just in the stories and memories business. </p><p>From an early age, Peter Guber seems to have intuitively grasped what I slowly learned over my entrepreneurial adventures, which is that the most profitable companies are those that form personal, emotional connections (which we internally refer to as "PEC" at Zappos) with customers. In <em>Tell to Win</em>, Guber shows how the stories we tell -- about our companies, our products, and ourselves -- are what elicit people's emotional reactions and drive word of mouth. </p><p>The book includes plenty of examples and guidance for breaking down how a story gets created and delivered. As I read through the book, I repeatedly had to put the book down to think for awhile, because so many stories in the book sparked new ideas on how to improve our business at Zappos. </p><p>I hope this book inspires you to create your own "never-ending story" to help take your business to the next level. </p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Former chairman of Sony Pictures and current CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, Guber illustrates how powerful storytelling—about yourself or your product—can be the ultimate tool to get the meeting, engage the listener, and close the deal. With brisk and readable anecdotes, the author relates what he's seen and learned in Hollywood, and how his celebrated friends—Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Arianna Huffington, Nelson Mandela, and Frank Sinatra—impressed upon him the power of a well-crafted story or appeal. The celebrity name-dropping lends some glitter to Guber's very reasonable precepts: as he urges the reader to harness the power of metaphor in crafting the core narrative of a pitch or advertising campaign, he refers to how Michael Jackson taught him about drama by making him watch a python slowly stalk a helpless mouse, and how KISS frontman Gene Simmons, son of Holocaust survivors, used his backstory to fuel his ambition and his business strategy. This valuable and inspiring book will help readers deliver an authentic and meaningful story to customers, colleagues, or prospective clients. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Mousy London lawyer Alice Love gets her identity stolen and finds her true self in this rocky tale of trust, personality makeovers, and a lying globe-trotting thief. "She didn't leave me any worse off, in the end," Alice says of Ella, a work pal who makes off with Alice's credit card info to set up a new life in Hollywood. But before the ruse is over, Alice retaliates by morphing into a compulsive stalker, taking on Ella's identity, and discovering that a lot of little lies add up to a whole lot of fun. The transformation nearly costs her the love of a good man, but Alice comes (nearly) to her senses by the time she corners her arch-frenemy. McDonald (The Popularity Rules) keeps the pace brisk, but a plot busy with an international chase and Alice's many reinventions proves on occasion too much to handle, and Ella, paradoxically, proves a more intriguing character than Alice. What works best is what lies beneath all the frantic action: a good old-fashioned romantic page-turner. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Alice Love is a planner and a saver, so when her bank account is drained, her credit cards maxed, and creditors come calling, the only thing more shocking is that the culprit turns out to be her new best friend, Ella. With the help of her stepsister Flora's husband, Stefan, and his friend Nathan, a charming investigator, Alice sets out to prove that Ella is a professional con artist. As Alice follows Ella's transactions, she gets a taste of the glamorous, well-lived life Ella hid from her: dance and cooking classes, fancy lingerie and dresses, and spontaneous trips. Even as Nathan warns her of the dangers of getting obsessed, Alice is secretly seduced by this lifestyle. McDonald's smart chick-lit novel takes a provocative view of a timely subject'identity theft'within the usual framework of romance and comedy. --Aleksandra Walker </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>On March 2, 1962, in a drafty, half-full, 8,000-seat arena in Hershey, Pa., Wilt Chamberlain (aka the Big Dipper) scored a stunning 100 points in a single game against the New York Knicks-a watershed moment for the fledgling NBA. Drawing on interviews he conducted with various team members, fans, journalists and referees, Pomerantz (Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn) recreates this historic night in startling detail, bringing everyone from Chamberlain, to the Knicks' defensive player Darrall Imhoff, to the caustic journalist Jack Kiser to vivid life. For Pomerantz, Chamberlain and Imhoff "symbolized pro basketball's accelerating generational shift writ large: the agile black athlete, swift and strong, moving freely against a white opponent who, though young, earnest, and determined, seemed... a handsome blond shrine to a bygone era when all of the players were white." Pomerantz explores the racial tension of the era through Chamberlain's experiences, fluidly transitioning from the action on the court to moments in the player's life and then back again. In one instance, he's finger-rolling a ball into the basket, and in the next, he's at Big Wilt's Smalls Paradise, the Harlem nightclub he part-owned, talking about how many good African-Americans were left out of the league due to its racial quotas. Throughout this surprisingly touching narrative, Pomerantz does a remarkable job of making Chamberlain, the world he inhabited and that mythic night shine all over again. 8-page b&amp;w photo insert. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>The game in which Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks, on March 2, 1962, belongs on the short list of modern sports' defining moments. Robert Allen Cherry discusses the event in his fine biography, <em>Wilt: Larger than Life</em> (2004); but Pomerantz looks in more detail at the accomplishment and places it in its rightful context. He notes, for example, that Chamberlain's 100 points is 51 percent better than David Thompson's 1978 second-place total of 73. And the 100-point game was merely consistent with Chamberlain's unconscious 1961-62 season averages of 50 points, 25.7 rebounds per game. The 100-point game also announced a fundamental change in the style in which basketball would henceforth be played and in the racial makeup of the men who could and would play it. While Pomerantz writes a suspenseful narrative of the game, he also delivers an engaging, full-bodied portrait of one of the great athletes of our time. An excellent companion to Cherry's biography but also a sports book that can stand on its own. <em>Alan Moores</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“For anyone who has difficulty fitting in, this book is fantastic.”<br /><strong>—Temple Grandin</strong>, author of Thinking in Pictures  </p><p>“In a love poem to his wife, Pedro Salinas, the Spanish poet, wrote, ‘Glory to the differences / between you and me.’ John Robison teaches us to celebrate differences<br />like Salinas did, but also offers clear insight and valuable advice on how to cope with the challenges that being different can create. This book transcends the specific case of Asperger’s syndrome and is a lesson in humanity and the human condition.”<br /><strong>—Alvaro Pascual-Leone</strong>, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  </p><p>“Anyone with Asperger’s, if not everyone else, will derive knowledge and pleasure from the wonderful stories told in John Elder Robison’s newest book, Be Different. Clearly, John is one of our community’s leading voices.”<br /><strong>—Michael John Carley</strong>, author of Asperger’s from the Inside Out and executive director of GRASP and ASTEP  </p><p>“Be Different is a fascinating and unique guide for young people who may be struggling with autism and feel ‘out of sync’ with the world around them. John shares personal insights about growing up, feeling apart from his peers, and learning to modify his socializing skills and harness his gifts to discover his path to a successful life.”<br /><strong>—Mark Roithmayr,</strong> president of Autism Speaks  </p><p>“Robison offers down-to-earth life advice for his “Aspie” peers and their friends, families, and teachers...recommended reading for anyone seeking to understand Aspergian children and adults<strong>”</strong><strong> </strong>—_Kirkus_  </p><p>" ...provides incredibly helpful advice to families learning to live with these challenges. Robison’s clear writing provides substantial insight into the mind of someone whose disorder makes clarity very, very difficult...a valuable read."_‬<strong>--Booklist</strong><br />_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>“I believe those of us with Asperger’s are here for a reason, and we have much to offer. This book will help you bring out those gifts.”</strong>  </p><p>In his bestselling memoir, _Look Me in the Eye_, John Elder Robison described growing up with Asperger’s syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn’t exist. He was intelligent but socially isolated; his talents won him jobs with toy makers and rock bands but did little to endear him to authority figures and classmates, who were put off by his inclination to blurt out non sequiturs and avoid eye contact.  </p><p>By the time he was diagnosed at age forty, John had already developed a myriad of coping strategies that helped him achieve a seemingly normal, even highly successful, life. In _Be Different_, Robison shares a new batch of endearing stories<br />about his childhood, adolescence, and young adult years, giving the reader a rare window into the Aspergian mind.  </p><p>In each story, he offers practical advice—for Aspergians and indeed for anyone who feels “different”—on how to improve the weak communication and social skills that keep so many people from taking full advantage of their often remarkable gifts. With his trademark honesty and unapologetic eccentricity, Robison addresses questions like:  </p><p>• How to read others and follow their behaviors when in uncertain social situations<br />• Why manners matter<br />• How to harness your powers of concentration to master difficult skills<br />• How to deal with bullies<br />• When to make an effort to fit in, and when to embrace eccentricity<br />• How to identify special gifts and use them to your advantage  </p><p>Every person, Aspergian or not, has something unique to offer the world, and every person has the capacity to create strong, loving bonds with their friends and family. _Be Different_ will help readers and those they love find their path to success. </p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>World Fantasy Award-winner Jonathan Strahan delivers the fourth volume of this series, once again demonstrating his keen editorial eye. The multi-award winning Eclipse series (Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, Aurealis) is the only on-going anthology for original non-themed science fiction and fantasy, and its contents have been regularly recognized as some of the most compelling stories of the year, both on awards ballots and on best-of-the-year lists. Eclipse 4 delivers new fiction by some of the genre's most celebrated authors, including Peter Beagle, Emma Bull, Andy Duncan, Elizabeth Hand, Gwyneth Jones and Michael Swanwick and Many others. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this voluminous look at all things bacon, the creator of BaconUnwrapped.com takes her love of pig belly to print. Like its subject, this material is best consumed in small portions; along with anecdotes and opinions from hog farmers, chefs, food bloggers and average Joes, first-time author Lauer also covers topics like bacon production, non-pork variations, and songs devoted to the breakfast meat. Lauer does her best to keep things light, but her relentless cheerleading quickly becomes grating; her phrase "The Best Meat Ever" appears on almost every page. Still, bacon lovers will enjoy (and probably employ) the glut of trivia, including the restaurant chain that first put bacon on a cheeseburger (A&amp;W), the number of states with a town named "Bacon" (six), and alternate uses such as "bacon plaster," assembled with cheesecloth and affixed to one's chest in order to ward off a cold. Even those well-acquainted with bacon will find new recipes like Black Pepper Bacon Chili, Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots, Bacon Bloody Marys and Candied Bacon Ice Cream. Readers who, like Lauer, possess a borderline-obsessive love for bacon are likely to embrace this as their new Bible, but anyone else will quickly get their fill. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>It's salty, smoky, and sweet. It can make almost any dish better. It's bacon, and it's the best meat ever! </p><p>In <em>Bacon: A Love Story</em>, popular bacon blogger Heather Lauer serves up a piping hot dish of fun and facts and explores the ins and outs of how bacon finds its way to your skillet . . . and what to do with it when it gets there. </p><p><em>Bacon: A Love Story</em> features </p><p>Makin' Bacon<br>A tour of country-style bacon outfits and their time-honored curing methods and traditions. Includes tips for making your own signature cure. </p><p>Bacon Nation<br>Profiles of bacon-loving chefs across the country who incorporate the meat into their menus in increasingly innovative ways. </p><p>There's In This?<br>More than twenty delicious recipes for tons of bacon goodies like Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots, BLT with caramelized bacon . . . plus a few surprises like Bacon Bloody Marys and Bacon Brownies. </p><p>Bacon 411<br>An extensive resource section on all things bacon. </p><p>Bacon fans, prepare to get your pig on! </p></div>


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<p class="description">Food safety is a matter of intense public concern, and for good reason. Millions of annual cases of food "poisonings" raise alarm not only about the food served in restaurants and fast-food outlets but also about foods bought in supermarkets. The introduction of genetically modified foods--immediately dubbed "Frankenfoods"--only adds to the general sense of unease. Finally, the events of September 11, 2001, heightened fears by exposing the vulnerability of food and water supplies to attacks by bioterrorists. How concerned should we be about such problems? Who is responsible for preventing them? Who benefits from ignoring them? Who decides? Marion Nestle, author of the critically acclaimed Food Politics, argues that ensuring safe food involves more than washing hands or cooking food to higher temperatures. It involves politics. When it comes to food safety, billions of dollars are at stake, and industry, government, and consumers collide over issues of values, economics, and political power--and not always in the public interest. Although the debates may appear to be about science, Nestle maintains that they really are about control: Who decides when a food is safe? She demonstrates how powerful food industries oppose safety regulations, deny accountability, and blame consumers when something goes wrong, and how century-old laws for ensuring food safety no longer protect our food supply. Accessible, informed, and even-handed, Safe Food is for anyone who cares how food is produced and wants to know more about the real issues underlying today's headlines.</p>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On an impulse, schoolteacher Jim Ironheart flies to Portland, Oregon without understanding why. There he saves a boy from being killed by a drunk driver and is observed by Holly Thorne.  </p>
<p class="description">She tracks Jim to California, and their lives intertwine on one of Jim's lifesaving missions. Surviving a plane crash, terrifying monsters that materialize from Holly's nightmares, and an uncannily powerful adversary, they search for the source of Jim's psychic power.</p></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura?s story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Brilliantly weaving together such seemingly disparate elements, Atwood creates a world of astonishing vision and unforgettable impact.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>HThere's magic in Yorke's second novel, magic in the prose, the details and the exquisite characterizations. Divorced advertising executive and Tarot-card reader Savannah Dawson takes her 15-year-old daughter, Emma, from their San Francisco home to Arizona so that they can spend time with Savannah's estranged mother, Maggie, and her father, Doug, who is dying of cancer. Then Savannah meets Jake, a secretive stranger who is building a special bench for her father's garden; at the same time, Emma meets Eli, the local bad boy who works for Jake. Although the relationships between these four characters form the basis for much of the drama in the story, the romantic elements remain secondary to the explorations of each individual's personality. Readers enter a world where poetry and soil speak for a dying man, where love can create as well as destroy and where all characters are complicit in each other's pain, either by choice or by chance. Yorke (Magic Spells) even has Jake's dog, Sasha, narrate some scenes, and those, together with the scenes revealing Maggie and Doug's difficult, complex, and ultimately loving relationship, are the most poignant in the book. Readers who enjoy contrary characters will especially prize the paradoxes in this well-executed novel. (Aug.) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Savannah Dawson sees magic everywhere, whether at her job in advertising or while reading tarot. Her optimistic view is tested when she reads her own fortune and for the first time turns up a bad card. The cards prove prophetic when her mother calls and tells her to come home to Arizona because her father is dying. With great trepidation, Savannah and her teenage daughter, Emma, leave San Francisco. Although she loves her father, a devoted and gifted gardener, she has never gotten along with her negatively minded mother. When Savannah arrives, Jake, a strange man her mother calls "the psycho," is working on her father's last request--a carved bench for his beloved garden. But as Savannah's dad fades away, his garden thrives, projecting love to those who need it most. Yorke's haunting story is filled with supernatural elements that illuminate the many forms of love that exist in this world, and perhaps in the next. <em>Patty Engelmann</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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Colonial adventures in a 6 volume collection set on the 'Dark Continent' In the first years of the twentieth century much of the African continent remained dark, mysterious and still full of strange and exotic possibilities. The British Empire ruled over vast areas of trackless plain and dense equatorial jungle, all had their fragile order maintained by a small cadre of government officials, policemen, soldiers and forces raised from the local populations. To those who only read about these remarkable men it seemed they led a life full of the potential for adventure of the most exciting kind. So it was unsurprising that popular authors of the day-including H. Rider Haggard and the author of these stories, Edgar Wallace, among them, readily chose colonial Africa-with its fierce tribes, witch doctors and magic, its dangerous animals and wild landscapes-as a rich and rewarding stage for their forays into fiction to meet the insatiable demand of the domestic audience. Wallace was a prolific author responsible for several series of popular novels featuring bold adventurers and crime fighters. For his series set in the highly evocative world of West Africa he created two of his most beloved and enduring characters, Colonial Administrator Sanders and his eccentric companion Lieutenant Tibbetts, known to all as 'Bones'. Sanders was probably based upon the real life character of Frederick Lugard who was the highly regarded creator and administrator of Northern Nigeria and whose incredible career can scarcely be said to have been less remarkable than that of his fictional counterpart. Those who love classic adventure especially set against an African backdrop will discover a rich vein of reading pleasure in the six Leonaur books (which include both short stories and novels) that comprise this special edition of the collected adventures of Sanders and Bones.Volume four includes two books first published as individual volumes-Lieutenant Bones and Bones in London.This series is available in softcover and hardcover with dustjacket for collectors. Leonaur hardcovers are bound in high quality cloth and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and taped head and tail bands.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The workmanlike sequel to 2008's <em>Marsbound</em> continues the adventures of red planet colonist Carmen The Mars Girl Dula and her pilot husband, Paul Collins, as they set out on a deep space mission to save humankind from possible annihilation. After barely surviving the first encounter with an alien Other, Earth's leaders decide to send a ship with seven envoys after the Other's craft in a possibly suicidal attempt to reach the Other's home world and forge some kind of understanding. During the 6½-year voyage, the crew comes to some startling realizations concerning humankind and its place in the stars. Reminiscent of Asimov's early work and Heinlein's juvenile novels, the naïve tone, two-dimensional characters, and simplistic story line make for a fast-paced but unremarkable read. <em>(Jan.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Haldeman’s Marsbound (2008) introduced Carmen Dula, an impish teenager who migrated with her family to Mars and stumbled across honest-to-god Martians living under the planet’s surface. By that novel’s end, it was clear that the Martians are pawns of the Others, a remote, alien race that regards humans as a pestilence deserving extermination. As the story continues, Carmen joins a team of five other humans and two Martians on a six-year, interstellar journey to the Others’ homeworld in a desperate effort to forge a truce. Their spacecraft is a well-stocked minimansion embedded inside a comet harnessed to an engine running on a mysterious, Others-derived energy source. En route, Carmen and company do their best to stave off boredom while speculating whether the Others will offer greetings or simply annihilate them. Yet when they arrive far sooner than expected, the astonishing surprise the Others actually have in store for them is something no one had anticipated. Haldeman’s crisp storytelling and juicy plot twists keep us captivated throughout. --Carl Hays </p>


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Lisa Jackson's Bentz & Montoya Bundle: Hot Blooded, Cold Blooded, Shiver, Absolute Fear, Lost Souls, Malice, & an Exclusive EXTENDED Excerpt from DeviousHot BloodedA First One Dead Body...A prostitute lies strangled in a seedy French Quarter hotel room. Miles away, in a rambling plantation house on the sultry shores of Lake Ponchartrain, popular late-night radio host Dr. Samantha Leeds receives a threatening crank call. All in a day's work for a celebrity. Who would think to link the two? Then Another...A second hooker's corpse turns up. Samantha's ominous caller persists, along with a mysterious claiming to be a woman from her past--a woman who's been dead for years. With Detective Rick Bentz convinced that the serial killer prowling the shadowy streets of New Orleans is somebody close to Samantha, she doesn't dare trust anyone. Especially not Ty Wheeler, her seductive new neighbor who seems to know more about her than a stranger should. ...And AnotherSomebody has discovered Samantha's darkest secret. Somebody is convinced that lives must be sacrificed to pay for her sins. So far, the victims have been strangers. But as a cunning, cold-blooded killer grows bolder, Samantha wonders in dread if she will be the next to die...Cold BloodedHis Vengeance Will Be Repeated. . .A woman's slashed, incinerated corpse is found in a seedy New Orleans apartment. Her killer is certain there were no witnesses, unaware that his every move was seen by a beautiful stranger--from her bed in a bayou cottage on the outskirts of town... And Repeated. . .Weeks later, another violent vision shatters Olivia Bechet's sleep. Convinced a serial killer is stalking the city, Olivia turns to the authorities. But jaded detective Rick Bentz doesn't believe her--even when a second body turns up, slain in exactly the same bizarre, ritualistic manner Olivia described... And Repeated...As New Orleans panics in the icy grip of a merciless killer, Olivia is frustrated by Bentz's skepticism--and captivated by her attraction to him. But soon her dreams are invaded by images of another murder. One that has yet to be committed. This time, Olivia recognizes not only the victim's face--but the murderer's. And both are closer than she ever imagined...ShiverThe Crimes Are UnthinkableA serial killer is turning the Big Easy into his personal playground. The victims are killed in pairs--no connection, no apparent motive, no real clues. It's a very sick game, and it's only just begun. The Fear Is RealAbby Chastain left New Orleans long ago and for good reason. Now she's back where she feels watched, as if the devil himself is scraping a fingernail along her spine. It doesn't help that Detective Reuben Montoya is convinced she's somehow the key to unlocking these horrible crimes--a mystery that has something to do with Our Lady of Virtues Mental Hospital, a decaying old asylum where unspeakable crimes were once committed, and a human predator may still wait. The Truth Is DeadlyAs more bodies are found in gruesome, staged scenarios, Montoya and Abby are in a desperate race to stop a killer whose terrifying crimes are bringing them ever nearer to a shocking revelation. For the past is never completely gone. Its sins must be avenged. And a twisted psychopath is getting close enough to make them...Absolute FearEvery Serial Killer...A serial killer is stalking the streets of New Orleans. The victims are killed in a ritual fashion, a series of numbers tattooed into their bodies. There are no clues, no connections except one: a crumbling old asylum that was once the scene of unspeakable madness--and is now the calling card of a new kind of fear. Is Searching For...Eve Renner knows Our Lady of Virtues Hospital well. As the daughter of one of its doctors, she spent her childhood exploring its secrets chambers, hidden rooms, and forbidden passageways. Now, somewhere in the decaying asylum lies the key to a b


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>A Letter from Author Mary Doria Russell</strong> <br />For the past three years, when people asked what my next novel is about, I've only had to say four words. “It's about Doc Holliday.” You mention Doc Holliday to guys especially and they just <em>light up</em>. “Oh, man! I love Doc!” they say, and they often mention Val Kilmer's portrayal in the movie <em>Tombstone</em>. </p><p>I love that movie, too, but when I write characters, I'm really writing about whom and what <em>they</em> love. The shining silver wire that runs through <em>Doc</em> is John Henry Holliday's love for his mother. </p><p>Alice Holliday was 22 when her son was born near Atlanta in the summer of 1851. She was still in mourning for her firstborn, “a sweet little girl who lived just long enough to gaze and smile and laugh, and break her parents' hearts.” I'm sure you can imagine her distress when her second child was born with a cleft palate and cleft lip. Even today, when you know clefts can be repaired, they're a shock. </p><p>In 1851, such children commonly died within weeks, but Alice kept her boy alive, waking every hour to feed him with an eyedropper, day and night, for eight long weeks. Think about that exhausted young woman and the baby with the hole in his face. Locking eyes. Struggling to stay awake. Struggling to stay alive... </p><p>When the infant was two months old, his uncle Dr. John Stiles Holliday performed a successful surgical repair of the cleft--an achievement kept private to protect the family's reputation. You see, in the 1850s, the Hollidays were Georgia gentry whose large extended family would become the O'Haras, Wilkeses and Hamiltons in <em>Gone With The Wind</em>. (Margaret Mitchell was Doc's cousin, twice removed.) These were people who took “good breeding” seriously, and birth defects were a source of familial shame--for everyone but Alice. </p><p>Alice and her son became intensely close. She invented a form of speech therapy to correct his diction. She was a piano teacher who introduced him to the music that would become their great shared passion. She home-schooled him until she was sure his speech wouldn't be ridiculed, then sent him to a local boys academy, where he excelled in every subject. In the midst of our nation's ugliest war, she raised a shy, intelligent child to be a thoughtful, courteous gentleman and a fine young scholar who would earn the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery before he was 21. </p><p>Alice didn't live to see him graduate. She died of tuberculosis when John Henry was 15. The loss was staggering, and when he, too, developed TB, he knew exactly what kind of awful death he faced. Hoping dry air and sunshine would restore his health, he left everyone and everything he loved, and went West. He was only 22 when he left Atlanta in 1873. </p><p>The Doc Holliday of legend is a gambler and gunman who appears out of nowhere in 1881, arriving in Tombstone with a bad reputation and a hooker named Big Nose Kate. But I have written the story of Alice Holliday's son: a scared, sick, lonely boy, born for the life of a minor aristocrat in a world that ceased to exist at the end of the Civil War, trying to stay alive on the rawest edge of the American frontier. </p><p>John Henry Holliday didn't have a mother to love him when he was grown, so I have taken him for my own. My fondest hope for <em>Doc</em> is that it will win for him the compassion and respect I think he deserves. Read it, and weep. </p><h3>Review</h3><p><strong>Praise for_ Doc_</strong>  </p><p>"Fact and mythmaking converge as Russell creates a Dodge City filled with nuggets of surprising history, a city so alive readers can smell the sawdust and hear the tinkling of saloon pianos...Filled with action and humor yet philosophically rich and deeply moving—a magnificent read." _-Kirkus<br />_<em></em>  </p><p>Praise for Mary Doria Russell<em></em>  </p><p>“In clean, effortless prose and with captivating flashes of wit, Mary Doria Russell creates memorable characters who navigate the world of exciting ideas and disturbing moral issues without ever losing their humanity or humor.”—_The Bookwatch,_ on <em>The Sparrow</em>  </p><p>“The action moves swiftly, with impressive authority, jostling dialogue, vibrant personalities and meticulous, unexpected historical detail. The intensity and intimacy of Russell’s storytelling, her sharp character writing and fierce sense of humor bring fresh immediacy to this riveting . . . saga.” —_Publishers Weekly,_ on_ A Thread of Grace_  </p><p>“Brilliant . . . powerful . . . Russell is an outstanding natural storyteller whose remarkable wit, erudition, and dramatic skills keep us turning the pages in excitement and anticipation.” —_San Francisco Chronicle, _on <em>Children of God</em>  </p><p>“Rapturous and relevant . . . a wonderful story that brings to life a period of history that has remarkable parallels to our own.”—_Seattle Post-Intelligencer,_ on_ Dreamers of the Day_</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Alcorn offers a companion to his novel, Edge of Eternity, in this Pilgrim's Progress–style allegory about a man who comes to see his own wasted life through a series of misadventures, battles, and sins. These lead him to a chasm he cannot cross without the help of trusted—should he trust them?—guides, most importantly a Christ figure, the Woodsman, and a tempter, Joshua. The end is not utopia, but a life with unexpected joys and faithful companions. For those who appreciate allegory, Alcorn's fills the bill even as it also includes the realities of contemporary life: "I gazed into the emptiness of my daughter's eyes. I started pushing and shoving. I wanted to kill the men who lusted after her—vile men whose daughters I lusted after." Nothing here tops classic Christian allegories, but noteworthy is a "new creation" view of afterlife: "You will live on a new earth—the old earth made new.... I came not to destroy but to redeem my fallen creation." (Feb.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong><em>A Journey He Couldn’t Miss… and a Step He Couldn’t Take</em></strong>  </p><p>He found himself a traveler in the strangest of lands. Where invisible secrets come starkly into sight. Where the fairest of companions leads the way into unsuspected danger and darkness. Where hidden battles burst into the open. Where so much is grasped…and so much more seems unattainable.<br />   Driven by a yearning he doesn’t understand, compelled toward a destination he can’t quite see, the traveler navigates the inhospitable landscape with determination and a flicker of something like hope—despite the obstacles that seem to unerringly block his path.<br />   Best-selling novelist Randy Alcorn weaves a supernatural interplay of wills and motives, lusts and longings, love and sacrifice. It’s a potent mix that leaves every reader wondering: _Do I really understand this world I live in? Do I really understand myself? Is there more to all this than I’ve ever dared hope?  </p><p>_<strong>INCLUDES 12 ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS</strong></p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>An extraordinary new Spenser novel from the beloved <em>New York Times</em>-bestselling author. </strong>   </p><p>On location in Boston, bad-boy actor Jumbo Nelson is accused of the rape and murder of a young woman. From the start the case seems fishy, so the Boston PD calls on Spenser to investigate. The situation doesn't look good for Jumbo, whose appetites for food, booze, and sex are as outsized as his name. He was the studio's biggest star, but he's become their biggest liability.   </p><p>In the course of the investigation, Spenser encounters Jumbo's bodyguard: a young, former football-playing Native American named Zebulon Sixkill. Sixkill acts tough, but Spenser sees something more within the young man. Despite the odd circumstances, the two forge an unlikely alliance, with Spenser serving as mentor for Sixkill. As the case grows darker and secrets about both Jumbo and the dead girl come to light, it's Spenser-with Sixkill at his side-who must put things right. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Robert B. Parker</strong> was the author of more than fifty books. He died in January 2010. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The ancient Egyptians regarded the sky as a kind of tent canopy. Thirty centuries later, astronomer William Herschel argued that the sun belongs to a huge cluster of stars (a galaxy, as we call it today) and charted great swaths of intergalactic space through a telescope. How the human species slowly awakened to the vast reaches of space and time is the story absorbingly told by popular science writer Ferris (The Red Limit, Galaxies). His narrative humanizes the scientific enterpriseGalileo emerges here as a careerist, and Johannes Kepler as a self-loathing neurotic. Although it covers well-trod ground, this remarkable synthesis makes broad areas of science accessible to the layperson, from Darwin's and Lyell's investigations of the age of the earth to modern physicists' quest for a perfectly symmetrical, hyperdimensional universe. BOMC alternate. <br />Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>YA In the first section, Ferris uses historical anecdotes to relate astronomical discoveries and the foibles of their discoverers in a successful attempt to show the <code></code>big names'' of science as real persons, warts and all. The second section, on the history of space and time, is also well done, if lacking in the human details. The third section, which deals with cosmology and modern physics, uses a philosophical approach to discuss difficult material; the result is not easy to absorb, but it is good base material for students who will ask questions and go further on their own. Throughout the book, introductory quotations are used to advantage to tease readers into the next topic. Bob Fliess, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, Tex .<br />Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“Bell writes with taut drama, building scene upon scene to the climactic revelation.”<em></em><br /><em></em>—_Booklist_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Award-winning YA author William Bell’s Alma is the captivating story of a quiet girl who builds a friendship with a reclusive stranger.  </p><p>Times have been tough since Alma’s father died and she and her mother had to give up their farm and move into town. Luckily, Alma can always retreat into the books of her favourite author, R.R. Hawkins.  </p><p>When Alma’s teacher notices her lovely handwriting, she recommends Alma for a job transcribing letters for “Miss Lily,” a reclusive old woman who has just arrived from Boston. Eventually, their mutual love of reading creates a strong friendship. Miss Lily lends Alma some of her favourite books, introduces her to calligraphy, and encourages her passion to write stories.  </p><p>But who is this difficult and solitary old woman who reminds Alma of Dickens’ Miss Havisham? And why is she so secretive about the part of her life she refuses to share? Could she be, as Alma begins to suspect, R.R. Hawkins herself? Alma is determined to find out.  </p><p>This touching story explores the relationship between a blossoming writer and her mentor, and delves into the complicated dynamics of friendship and trust.  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>Winner of the 2007 CLA young adult canadian book award<br />An OLA top ten best bet for schools and libraries<em></em>  </p><p>“William Bell is arguably one of the most wide-ranging and reliable of Canadian authors. His range is impressive. So is the high quality of his writing.” <br />—_Books in Canada_  </p><p>“<strong>The Blue Helmet</strong> reminds the reader that all actions have consequences, and that one must take responsibility. . . . Bell has created a fast-paced and moving story of a teen trying to find his place in the world.” <br />— (Highly Recommended) <em>CM magazine</em>  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Lee wants to be a Tarantula – a member of the biggest, most powerful gang in his neighbourhood. But when his initiation goes wrong and the police catch him robbing an auto supply store, Lee’s father sends him to live with his aunt in New Toronto.   </p><p>Lee feels more lost than ever. His mother’s death from cancer, and his father’s constant absence working two jobs mean he has practically had to raise himself. But though he initially resists his Aunt Reena and the customers of Reena’s Unique Café – a ragtag collection of the unusual, the unkempt and the deeply eccentric – Lee gradually learns to open himself up to his new surroundings. When Lee strikes up an unlikely friendship he is suddenly confronted by the ravages of violence, and is forced to face the consequences of his own aggression.  </p><p><strong>The Blue Helmet</strong> is a powerful portrait of one young man’s struggle to come into his own, and the peace that comes from the achievement. </p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The quest to find a friend whose life hangs by a thread leads James and Jiron back into the heart of the Empire. The impetus behind the hunt is not as it would seem however. For the life of their friend is but a lure used to draw James to the appointed place at the appointed time. James is ultimately maneuvered to face the power behind the Empire, a dark being whose orchestration of peoples and powers has brought the world to the brink of annihilation. He discovers that he, too, has been manipulated in furthering the dark plans of this sinister being. Can James defeat a being that has walked this world for over a millennia? Or will he face defeat and the destruction of all that he has come to hold dear? </p><h3>From the Author</h3><p>Why did I decide to write The Morcyth Saga? I suppose the main reason was due to the many series which were currently popular at the time. Series that in the beginning grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go, but then over time began to lose momentum in a mire of subplots and overlong descriptive paragraphs which I found myself skipping. When I realized I was skipping pages at a time to pass through a subplot that didn't really move the story along to get to the what I would consider the `good points' (action, adventure, actually seeing the main characters) I figured I could do better. </p><p>So I set out to write a series in which the reader followed the main character 90% of the time, action or points of interest were in every chapter, and descriptive content was down to a minimum. As a reader I knew I could create my own visualization of surroundings and figured others could to. I mean, do you really need me to go in depth as to what a teenage boy's room looks like? Doesn't `messy boy's room' bring up an instant visual? Stuff like that is what I mean. Certainly there are those who prefer grand descriptive content and a myriad of plots that takes a notepad to keep track of. To them I would say The Morcyth Saga is not for you. </p><p>As to the story itself, I was a role player decades ago in high school. And I got to thinking about how interesting it would be should a gamer be thrust into a world in which his gaming experiences could help him thrive. After all, if you take a person from our world and thrust them into a world of magic, wouldn't it be helpful to select someone who would be more amenable to the prospect of magic? Perhaps one whose very interests were along those lines? That was how James came into being, a high school senior who loves creating and then running his friends through his creation. </p><p>The Morcyth Saga and The Broken Key Trilogy are both written along gaming lines. The Morcyth Saga is about a gamer that is thrust into a world of magic while The Broken Key is written in role playing style. </p><p>You can check out excerpts, maps, and other information about both series at my website. If you have never read one of my books before, I would suggest checking out the excerpts before you buy so you can make sure you like it. </p></div>


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<p class="description">During his expedition to find the lost priests of Morcyth, James learned in part what he was brought to this world to do. But to accomplish what needs to be done, the City of Light must again be free of the Empire. In order for that to happen, however, he must devise a campaign through which that can be made a reality. Once the spring thaw begins, and the passes are once more clear, he leads all but a few from The Ranch over the mountains into Madoc. Beginning at Lythylla, the capitol of Madoc, he sets into motion events which he believes will drive the Empire from Madocs soil. A friends past brings unexpected allies and James stumbles upon a dark secret buried deep beneath the ground for centuries. A secret better left alone. For more aboutThe Morcyth Saga, go to morcythsaga.com.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Through the mechinations of an old enemy, James is summoned to appear before the Royal Court of Cardri. While in Cardri, Ellinwyrd the Archive Custodian aids him in deciphering the riddle discovered in the city of Saragon. Unable to bear the message himself, Ellinwyrd sends a scroll upon which is written a single word, Ironhold. The quest in search of Ironhold leads to the mountainous region in northern Madoc. There he discovers ruins built by the last priests of Morcyth when they fled annihilation by the followers of Dmon-Li, as well as a secret that has been hidden away for centuries. An old friend resurfaces from a place of darkness and new allies join to aid him on his quest. Growing in aptitude and versatility, James encounters his most challenging situations yet! </p><h3>From the Author</h3><p>Why did I decide to write The Morcyth Saga? I suppose the main reason was due to the many series which were currently popular at the time. Series that in the beginning grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go, but then over time began to lose momentum in a mire of subplots and overlong descriptive paragraphs which I found myself skipping. When I realized I was skipping pages at a time to pass through a subplot that didn't really move the story along to get to the what I would consider the `good points' (action, adventure, actually seeing the main characters) I figured I could do better. </p><p>So I set out to write a series in which the reader followed the main character 90% of the time, action or points of interest were in every chapter, and descriptive content was down to a minimum. As a reader I knew I could create my own visualization of surroundings and figured others could to. I mean, do you really need me to go in depth as to what a teenage boy's room looks like? Doesn't `messy boy's room' bring up an instant visual? Stuff like that is what I mean. Certainly there are those who prefer grand descriptive content and a myriad of plots that takes a notepad to keep track of. To them I would say The Morcyth Saga is not for you. </p><p>As to the story itself, I was a role player decades ago in high school. And I got to thinking about how interesting it would be should a gamer be thrust into a world in which his gaming experiences could help him thrive. After all, if you take a person from our world and thrust them into a world of magic, wouldn't it be helpful to select someone who would be more amenable to the prospect of magic? Perhaps one whose very interests were along those lines? That was how James came into being, a high school senior who loves creating and then running his friends through his creation. </p><p>The Morcyth Saga and The Broken Key Trilogy are both written along gaming lines. The Morcyth Saga is about a gamer that is thrust into a world of magic while The Broken Key is written in role playing style. </p><p>You can check out excerpts, maps, and other information about both series at my website. If you have never read one of my books before, I would suggest checking out the excerpts before you buy so you can make sure you like it. </p></div>


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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">Prudence Barrymore, a talented nurse who had worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, is found strangled to death in a London hospital.  Private inquiry agent William Monk is engaged to investigate this horrific crime.  Gradually, Monk assembles the portrait of a remarkable woman.  Yet he also discerns the shadow of a tragic evil and a frightening glimmer of his own eclipsed past . . .</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">Nurse Hester Latterly finds herself well suited for the task: accompany Mrs. Mary Farraline, an elderly Scottish lady in delicate health, on a short train trip to London. Yet Hester’s simple job takes a grave turn when Mrs. Farraline dies during the night. And when a postmortem examination of the body reveals a lethal dose of medicine, Hester is charged with murder–punishable by execution.This notorious case presents detective William Monk with a daunting task: find a calculating killer among the prominent and coolly unassailable Farraline clan–and try to save Hester from the gallows.</p></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>2 cassettes / 3 hoursRead by Simon Jones"Scenes [are] described in lush, sensuous strokes by Ms. Perry. . . . Monk, the dark and brooding hero . . . infuses this luxuriantly detailed series with its romantic soul".-- "The New York Times Book Review" When Countess Zorah Rostova asks London barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone to defend her against a charge of slander, he is astonished to find himself accepting. For, without a shred of evidence, the countess insists that the prince of her small German principality was murdered by his wife, the woman who was responsible for his exile twenty years before. Though private investigator William Monk and his friend Hester Latterly, manage to establish that the prince was indeed murdered, as events unfold the likeliest suspect seems to be Countess Zorah herself. . . .</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>From #1 bestselling author James Patterson comes the ultimate legal thriller where the judge and jury are terrified. The verdict: run for your life. Failing to escape jury duty, aspiring actress Andie DeGrasse ends up as Juror #11 in a landmark case. In this new Trial of the Century, a Mafia don known as the Electrician is linked to hundreds of gruesome crimes. Tracking this ruthless killer for years, senior FBI agent Nick Pellisante fears that the defendant's power reaches far beyond the courtroom, even if the FBI's evidence is ironclad. Just as the jury finishes deliberations, the Electrician makes a devastating move that shocks the entire nation - and shatters Andie's world. Now she and Pellisante must hunt for the Electrician before he executes his most horrifying endgame.</p>


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Getting some R&R in Trendle, James works to learn more of how to control and harness magic. Also, he and Jiron sneak into the Empire controlled city of Saragon. There they hope to discover where the priests of Morcyth went, and maybe to find out why James had been brought to this world in the first place.


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<p class="description">With the human population ravaged by a series of devastating plagues, the alien Chtorr arrive to begin the final phase of their invasion. Even as many on Earth deny their existence, the giant wormlike carnivores prepare the world for the ultimate violation--the enslavement of humanity for food!</p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>McCarthy was drafted from his college biology studies and became a member of the Special Forces. Then he is given the opportunity to contact the Chtorr, but when a helicopter crash leaves him and his companions stranded in enemy territory, he must decide whether to communicate with the Chtorr--or kill them! </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Against the backdrop of a terrorized city, Lutz delivers a solid thriller with typical skill and style. Ex-NYPD homicide detective Artemis Beam made his reputation by running down serial killers. Now retired—in part because of a gunshot wound, in part his disrespect for the police hierarchy—Beam morosely deals with the inactivity of retirement, tragically complicated by the recent suicide of his wife. When Deputy Chief Andy da Vinci asks for his help in catching a serial murderer dubbed the Justice Killer—each of his victims at one time served as foreman on a jury that acquitted an "obviously" guilty defendant—Beam is lured back to the fold. As the adversary stays one step ahead of the investigation, Beam's team get the feeling that the Justice Killer may be looking to add them to his growing list of victims. Though it's a familiar setup, Lutz breathes fresh life into this genre piece by keeping the suspense high and populating his story with a collection of unique characters that resonate with the reader, making this one an ideal beach read. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>There's a twisted serial killer stalking the streets of New York City, dealing his own perverse version of justice. He kills swiftly and silently, leaving his calling card - a red "J" - on the bodies of his prey. His victims have one thing in common: they've all been jurors in the city's most infamous cases - cases in which the killer was found "not guilty." Overnight, the Justice Killer has the city in a stranglehold. And there's only one man who has a shot at finding him. Homicide detective Artemis Beam made his reputation hunting down serial killers. After getting shot by an armed robber - and stepping on the wrong toes in the NYPD - he's been retired. The city needs him now, and finding the killer is his chance to get back into the life he loves. As the body count climbs and the city's legal system fails, the Justice Killer thinks he's outsmarted the cops. But Beam isn't officially a cop anymore...and he doesn't have to play by the rules. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Two short novels by a couple who've each gone it alone very successfully in their previous literary efforts make for a double treat for fans of both authors--Faye, whose mysteries feature a similarly uxorious couple in Rina and Peter Decker, and Jonathan, whose Alex Delaware novels starring a thoughtful child psychologist who's luckier in crime-busting than in love are even more popular. Not as satisfying as each author's full-length efforts, <em>Double Homicide</em> nonetheless offers a tasty side dish for their fans, and their protagonists venture beyond Los Angeles to tread new geographical territory, too. In Boston, a popular college athlete is slain in a busy nightclub, but what seems like an open-and-shut case turns out to hinge on forensic evidence that points to a very different conclusion. Detectives Michael McCain and Doris Breton unravel the mystery in Beantown, while two other new characters, Darryl Two Moons and his partner Steve Katz, discover that gallery owner Larry Olafson's brutal slaying has repercussions that resonate far beyond Santa Fe's trendy Canyon Road. Neither of these novellas makes the most of either author's gifts at character development, which lend themselves to a longer format, but that won't stop their dedicated readers from snapping them up and savoring them until the Deckers or Dr. Delaware turn up in their next adventures. <em>--Jane Adams</em></p><h3>From</h3><p>It's a two-for-one bonanza--two mystery novellas from a husband and wife whose separate writing careers have earned each a huge following. These stories, set at opposite ends of the country, give barely a hint as to who wrote what, providing a little tantalizing "real-life" mystery to the puzzlers on the page. "Double Homicide: Boston," the strongest of the pair, is also the grittier of the two. A city college basketball star is shot at a nightclub following a nasty incident on the court. The prime suspect is a loudmouth on the opposing team, but as detectives McCain and Breton find out, the crime isn't as straightforward as it seems. The backdrop of "Double Homicide: Santa Fe" is a tad more refined--though murder, after all, is still murder. A cutthroat art dealer is found dead, and there are plenty of suspects in his address book--including the ex-wife of one of the investigating cops. In both stories, the cops' personal lives add welcome texture to the fairly routine if still wholly entertaining plots. A diversion for the Kellermans but sure to be of interest to their respective fans. <em>Stephanie Zvirin</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Dancing With Bears follows the adventures of notorious con-men Darger and Surplus: They've lied and cheated their way onto the caravan that is delivering a priceless gift from the Caliph of Baghdad to the Duke of Muscovy. The only thing harder than the journey to Muscovy is their arrival in Muscovy. An audience with the Duke seems impossible to obtain, and Darger and Surplus quickly become entangled in a morass of deceit and revolution. The only thing more dangerous than the convoluted political web surrounding Darger and Surplus is the gift itself, the Pearls of Byzantium, and Zoesophia, the governess sworn to protect their virtue. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>In the tiny hamlet of Aswat, far to the south of the royal capital, a beautiful young girl wants more than the meagre prospects her village offers. Determined and resourceful, she is quick to leap upon an opportunity when the great seer Hui, who is also physician to Pharaoh, visits Aswat to commune with its god, Wepwawet.</p><p>Taken under Hui’s wing to become a healer, she has no idea of his real plans for her—plans that will bring her close to Pharaoh as his favourite concubine, but will ultimately enmesh her in court intrigue of the most dangerous kind.</p><p>House of Dreams is a powerful story of passion and jealousy, rich with the details of Ancient Egyptian life.</p>


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<h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>Ancient history comes alive and stays that way as Thu, the Egyptian peasant in Lady of the Reeds (1995) who became a pharaoh's concubine and was then banished, now triumphantly vindicates herself. Like its predecessors, this fifth in a series is set at the height of ancient Egypt's influence. Gedge excels at setting the scene and subtly evoking a sense of the period as she tells a timeless story of greed, love, and revenge--a story that picks up 17 years after Thu has been banished to her native village of Aswat for her part in a plot to murder the Pharaoh Ramses. Kamen, a young soldier and the adopted son of a merchant, now on his way back from Nubia, spends the night in Aswat and is accosted by a blue-eyed woman who asks him to deliver an intricately bound package to the pharaoh. Kamen's companions dismiss the woman as mad, but he himself, not entirely convinced of her madness, agrees to take it. Back in the capital, he hands it over to his commanding general Paiis, and when Paiis realizes what the package contains--Thu's account of the role Paiis and others played in the plot to murder Ramses--he and his co-conspirators act quickly. Kamen is commanded to bring the woman to the city, and so, once again in Aswat, he and Thu narrowly escape an assassin. As Thu seeks a hearing in the capital, she and Kamen are ruthlessly hunted down by the former plotters. Only the intervention of the dying Ramses and his heir saves them. Justice is done, and Thu is not only reunited with her long-lost son but meets up again with the only man she's ever loved--the man who used, deserted, but never forgot her. Thu is larger than life, and coincidences abound, but Gedge is so splendid a teller of tales that all is forgiven. First-class historical fiction. -- <em>Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Pauline Gedge is a master at recreating the golden age in Egypt. Her heroine, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat, possesses both beauty and intelligence. To her good fortune Thu is found and brought to the center of society. She is chosen and trained for the court of Pharaoh Ramses. Her talent and guile win her a post in the harem.</p><p>Thu rises in favor, is betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life and falls from grace. Pharaoh spares her life but banishes her to serve the priests at the lowly temple of Wepwawet near the first cataract. </p><p><em>House of Illusions</em> opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. During her exile she writes an account of her court life and the betrayal for which she seeks revenge. Taking place three thousand years ago, ancient Egypt's daily life and customs are woven into the story. In a world without soap and little water, natron served quite well. Gedge is able to get into the mind of the courtiers and their attitudes to their servants. While beneath the "masters", these "inferior" beings are very much a part of the family.</p><p>The mysterious Hathor, Thoth, Amun and Ma'at are part of the Egyptian pantheon. They enter the daily life of the characters and the mystery begins to make sense. Never again will the reader scoff at these queer religious notions. The harmony and truth Ma'at embodies guides Thu in seeking her revenge. </p>


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When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents' divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning toride a bike and dating.


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Trapped within the City of Light when it fell to the Empire, James young friend and companion Miko had been captured by the Empires forces and is now being taken as a slave into the Empire. The last thing hed told Miko before they were separated was: Ill find you. Now James, with the help of some new found allies, travels into the Empire to rescue his friend. Acting as a caravan merchant from Cardri, he goes from city to city in his attempt to find his friend. From the City of Light, to the slave markets of Korazan, even unto the Empires capital itself, James continues in his search for his friend Miko, unwilling to leave him to his fate. In this exciting second book of the epic fantasy series,The Morcyth Saga, Brian S. Pratt has continued to give us the heart pounding action that his readers so much enjoyed in the first novel. For more aboutThe Morcyth Saga, go to:morcythsaga.com


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>When James destroyed the Iron Mines at Sorna in a mammoth volcanic eruption after rescuing Miko from his enslavement, massive tsunamis wreaked havoc all along the Empire’s coastland. This brought the attention of certain powers within the Empire to bear. </p><p>Now with a warrior priest of Dmon-Li in pursuit, James must lead the others safely out of the Empire to the relative safety of the kingdom of Cardri. After a disastrous sea voyage leaves them shipwrecked on the coast of an unforgiving swamp full of cannibals and ferocious creatures, they must forge their way north in an attempt to escape the clutches of the Empire.</p><p>In <em>The Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li</em>, James is tested to the very limits of his endurance and intelligence. With Miko and Jiron beside him, he faces incredible challenges, both in battle and in reasoning. Their very survival will depend on how well he meets these challenges.</p><h3>From the Author</h3><p>Why did I decide to write The Morcyth Saga? I suppose the main reason was due to the many series which were currently popular at the time. Series that in the beginning grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go, but then over time began to lose momentum in a mire of subplots and overlong descriptive paragraphs which I found myself skipping. When I realized I was skipping pages at a time to pass through a subplot that didn't really move the story along to get to the what I would consider the `good points' (action, adventure, actually seeing the main characters) I figured I could do better. </p><p>So I set out to write a series in which the reader followed the main character 90% of the time, action or points of interest were in every chapter, and descriptive content was down to a minimum. As a reader I knew I could create my own visualization of surroundings and figured others could to. I mean, do you really need me to go in depth as to what a teenage boy's room looks like? Doesn't `messy boy's room' bring up an instant visual? Stuff like that is what I mean. Certainly there are those who prefer grand descriptive content and a myriad of plots that takes a notepad to keep track of. To them I would say The Morcyth Saga is not for you. </p><p>As to the story itself, I was a role player decades ago in high school. And I got to thinking about how interesting it would be should a gamer be thrust into a world in which his gaming experiences could help him thrive. After all, if you take a person from our world and thrust them into a world of magic, wouldn't it be helpful to select someone who would be more amenable to the prospect of magic? Perhaps one whose very interests were along those lines? That was how James came into being, a high school senior who loves creating and then running his friends through his creation. </p><p>The Morcyth Saga and The Broken Key Trilogy are both written along gaming lines. The Morcyth Saga is about a gamer that is thrust into a world of magic while The Broken Key is written in role playing style. </p><p>You can check out excerpts, maps, and other information about both series at my website. If you have never read one of my books before, I would suggest checking out the excerpts before you buy so you can make sure you like it. </p>


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As tenacious aliens transform the wartorn Earth into a replica of their own terrifying world, a handful of scientists, soldiers, and citizens prepares to fight back. Original.


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Lieutenant James McCarthy has grown to manhood under the shadow of the terrifying invasion of the Chtorr. As a student, he learned all he could to understand them. As a Special Forces commando, he made violent first contact. Now he must infiltrate a band of renegade humans who worship the Chtorr!


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>Felicia's Journey</em> is a simple tale told with a subtle complexity. Felicia is an Irish country girl who has come to England to look for her jilted lover. Hilditch is a mild-mannered, gentle psychopath who lures the helpless Felicia into his trap. Interestingly, we see the story from each character's eyes when they are separate, but from Hilditch's view when they are together. It is an unusual and effective device that distorts the perspective and adds texture to a classic story. Trevor won a <em>Felicia's Journey</em>. </p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Trevor's artfully suspenseful tale of a naive and pregnant young Irishwoman's encounter with a disturbed factory manager spent four weeks on PW's bestseller list. <br>Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The shallow sea that foams and murmurs on the shores of the thousand islands, big and little, which make up the Malay Archipelago has been for centuries the scene of adventurous undertakings. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>The Golden Mean</em> portrays lives that grow bigger as they unfold--in this case, two of the most notable lives ever lived, those of Alexander the Great and his tutor, Aristotle. In sharply executed, revealing dialogue, Lyon draws contrasts between the rational, sensitive Aristotle and the charming, dangerous Alexander, and we're reminded of another sense of the Golden Mean, the classical ideal of a balance between extremes. In this subtle, earthy story, we watch as the events of Aristotle’s life mold the ideas that made him famous, and watch those ideas in turn mold the prince of Macedon who would one day "open his mouth and swallow the whole world." Lyon draws the curtain back on the smoke-filled huts and palace chambers that shaped the lives of these two great men, whose mutual admiration and intellect transformed civilization. It’s historical fiction at its finest. <em>--Juliet Disparte</em></p><p><strong>Hilary Mantel Reviews <em>The Golden Mean</em></strong></p><p><strong>Hilary Mantel is the author of ten novels, including <em>The New York Times, The New York Review of Books,</em> and the <em>London Review of Books</em>. She lives in England. Read her review of <em>The Golden Mean</em>:</strong></p><p>I think this quietly ambitious and beautifully achieved novel is one of the most convincing historical novels I have ever read. Lyon makes her reader avid for every detail of this strange world, whether domestic or medical or military, and she has steeped herself in the thinking of the time. She makes her characters entirely solid and real, while respecting their otherness, the distance between us. That is what characterized Mary Renault's novels, and I think that she would have deeply admired this book. There is a particular difficulty for the novelist in putting on the page characters, like Aristotle and Alexander, who are so famous that they have a mythic quality--there is the danger that anything you say will be bathetic. Lyon avoids this by clear-eyed directness, by freshness of vision, and prose that is clean and careful. And I thought that she chose to end the story at precisely the right point. Part of me said "please let there be more," but at the same time I recognize the job is done. Throughout, I think her judgment is sound and true, and the reader trusts her voice from the first paragraph.</p><hr><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The bond between teacher and student occupies the center of Canadian Lyon's debut novel covering the three years during which Aristotle tutored the young Alexander the Great, before Alexander's accession to the throne of Macedonia. The philosopher narrates, recounting his arrival in the court of Philip of Macedon, Aristotle's upbringing, and his bond with the ruling family. The teenaged Alexander is headstrong and arrogant, but also insecure and vulnerable. "Every student is both a challenge and a laurel leaf," Aristotle says in an early, disputatious meeting. "I haven't seen anything in you that tells me you're extraordinary in any way." Alexander matures as he absorbs Aristotle's core principles. "You must look for the mean between extremes, the point of balance," Aristotle advises the future military genius. Lyon depicts Aristotle's desire to instill a sense of virtue in his royal pupil in clear, often earthy language, and brings 4th-century Greece to startling life. Lyon richly imagines Aristotle's stint as Macedon's royal academician, who gave Alexander the intellectual tools to not only rule but to civilize. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Gr 7-10–Three young teens, trash-picker living in the city dump of an unnamed third-world country, discover a mysterious bag one morning, triggering a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Raphael, Gordo, and Rat take turns nar-rating the story of how they uncover a network of political corruption and abuse of the poor. Each puzzle the boys solve leads to yet a new riddle for them to work out. The chase leads them throughout the city, exposing the great disparity be-tween the “haves” and the “have nots,” and the huge injustice this represents. Several run-ins with the police make it clear that getting caught means death for the three boys. They face moral dilemmas throughout and, ultimately, make good deci-sions. Their intelligence and characters make the condition in which they live seem even more unfair. While on the surface the book reads like a fast-paced adventure title, it also makes a larger statement about the horrors of poverty and injustice in the world. Occasionally the alternating viewpoints of the book become confusing, particularly when they switch mid-chapter. In spite of this, Trash is a compelling read. The action is riveting and the secret codes throughout will appeal mys-tery fans. Readers will be drawn to this title, and hopefully learn a little about the world outside their own country. Teens who enjoyed the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) will find much to enjoy here._Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH_<br>© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p><h3>From</h3><p>In an unnamed Third World city, Rat, Raphael, and Gardo live with thousands of other kids like them in a garbage dump, where they dig through the detritus looking for anything that could be profitable. When an important person loses something valuable in the refuse, the three boys embark on an engrossing, sobering mystery characterized by stealing, lying, and police brutality as well as generosity, trust, and ingenuity. Multiple characters describe the adventure, and although the switch between narrators may initially seem disorienting (a priest, housemother, and tombstone maker also provide their integral perspectives), the story flows more smoothly as it progresses, bolstered by the young characters’ well-articulated, authentic thoughts, feelings, and voices. Throughout, the boys’ significant sense of devotion and morality leads them from lives of desperation to miraculous possibilities. The culminating scenes contribute important elements of Day of the Dead celebrations and Robin Hood themes, further increasing the novel’s usefulness for discussion and study. Grades 6-9. --Andrew Medlar </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Anyone who has spent time in the developing world will know that one of Bombay's claims to fame is the enormous film industry that churns out hundreds of musical fantasies each year. The other, of course, is native son Salman Rushdie--less prolific, perhaps than Bollywood, but in his own way just as fantastical. Though Rushdie's novels lack the requisite six musical numbers that punctuate every Bombay talkie, they often share basic plot points with their cinematic counterparts. Take, for example, his 1980 Booker Prize-winning <em>Midnight's Children</em>: two children born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947--the moment at which India became an independent nation--are switched in the hospital. The infant scion of a wealthy Muslim family is sent to be raised in a Hindu tenement, while the legitimate heir to such squalor ends up establishing squatters' rights to his unlucky hospital mate's luxurious bassinet. Switched babies are standard fare for a Hindi film, and one can't help but feel that Rushdie's world-view--and certainly his sense of the fantastical--has been shaped by the films of his childhood. But whereas the movies, while entertaining, are markedly mediocre, <em>Midnight's Children</em> is a masterpiece, brilliant written, wildly unpredictable, hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.</p><p>Rushdie's narrator, Saleem Sinai, is the Hindu child raised by wealthy Muslims. Near the beginning of the novel, he informs us that he is falling apart--literally: </p><blockquote><p>I mean quite simply that I have begun to crack all over like an old jug--that my poor body, singular, unlovely, buffeted by too much history, subjected to drainage above and drainage below, mutilated by doors, brained by spittoons, has started coming apart at the seams. In short, I am literally disintegrating, slowly for the moment, although there are signs of an acceleration.</p></blockquote><p>In light of this unfortunate physical degeneration, Saleem has decided to write his life story, and, incidentally, that of India's, before he crumbles into "(approximately) six hundred and thirty million particles of anonymous, and necessarily oblivious, dust." It seems that within one hour of midnight on India's independence day, 1,001 children were born. All of those children were endowed with special powers: some can travel through time, for example; one can change gender. Saleem's gift is telepathy, and it is via this power that he discovers the truth of his birth: that he is, in fact, the product of the illicit coupling of an Indian mother and an English father, and has usurped another's place. His gift also reveals the identities of all the other children and the fact that it is in his power to gather them for a "midnight parliament" to save the nation. To do so, however, would lay him open to that other child, christened Shiva, who has grown up to be a brutish killer. Saleem's dilemma plays out against the backdrop of the first years of independence: the partition of India and Pakistan, the ascendancy of "The Widow" Indira Gandhi, war, and, eventually, the imposition of martial law.</p><p>We've seen this mix of magical thinking and political reality before in the works of Günter Grass and Gabriel García Márquez. What sets Rushdie apart is his mad prose pyrotechnics, the exuberant acrobatics of rhyme and alliteration, pun, wordplay, proper and "Babu" English chasing each other across the page in a dizzying, exhilarating cataract of words. Rushdie can be laugh-out-loud funny, but make no mistake--this is an angry book, and its author's outrage lends his language wings. <em>Midnight's Children</em> is Salman Rushdie's irate, affectionate love song to his native land--not so different from a Bombay talkie, after all. <em>--Alix Wilber</em></p><h3>Review</h3><p>“Extraordinary . . . one of the most important [novels] to come out of the English-speaking world in this generation.”<br>–The New York Review of Books  </p><p>“The literary map of India is about to be redrawn. . . . Midnight’s Children sounds like a continent finding its voice.”<br>–The New York Times  </p><p>“In Salman Rushdie, India has produced a glittering novelist– one with startling imaginative and intellectual resources, a master of perpetual storytelling.”<br>–The New Yorker  </p><p>“A marvelous epic . . . Rushdie’s prose snaps into playback and flash-forward . . . stopping on images, vistas, and characters of unforgettable presence. Their range is as rich as India herself.”<br>–Newsweek  </p><p>“Burgeons with life, with exuberance and fantasy . . . Rushdie is a writer of courage, impressive strength, and sheer stylistic brilliance.”<br>–The Washington Post Book World  </p><p>“Pure story–an ebullient, wildly clowning, satirical, descriptively witty charge of energy.”<br>–Chicago Sun-Times </p></div>


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<p class="description">Granny Catchprice runs her family business (and her family) with senility, cunning, and a handbag full of explosives. Her daughter Cathy would rather be singing Country &amp; Western than selling cars, while Benny Catchprice, sixteen and seriously psychopathic, wants to transform a failing auto franchise into an empire-and himself into an angel. Out of the confrontation between the Catchprices and their unwitting nemesis, a beautiful and very pregnant agent of the Australian Taxation Office, Peter Carey, author ofOscar and Lucinda, creates an endlessly surprising and fearfully convincing novel.</p>


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<p class="description">The last sixty years have been full of stories of one or other possible Armageddon, whether by nuclear war, plague, cosmic catastrophe or, more recently, global warming, terrorism, genetic engineering, AIDS and other pandemics. These stories, both pre- and post-apocalyptic, describe the fall of civilization, the destruction of the entire Earth, or the end of the Universe itself. Many of the stories reflect on humankind_s infinite capacity for self-destruction, but the stories are by no means all downbeat or depressing _ one key theme explores what the aftermath of a cataclysm might be and how humans strive to survive.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Trapped in a remote Alaskan forest, pinned under his own SUV, gnawed upon by nature's finest predators, Marv Pushkin -- Corporate Warrior, Positive Thinker, Esquire subscriber -- waits impatiently for an ambulance and explains in detail the many reasons why this unfolding tragedy is everyone's fault but his own. </p><h3>From the Inside Flap</h3><p>"Mykle Hansen's book is the Scarlet Letter, the Age of Innocence, the Wuthering Heights of books narrated by a guy being eaten by a bear -- The Last of the Motherfuckin' Mohican's of ursine mastication. Just sayin'." -<strong>CHRISTOPHER MOORE</strong>, author of <em>Fool</em> and <em>A Dirty Job</em></p><p>"Brilliant, poignant, and utterly hilarious." -<strong>CARLTON MELLICK III</strong>, author of <em>Satan Burger</em></p><p>"A satirical swan song for the secret reptile desires in every American heart...face-melting fun from first to last." -<strong>JEREMY ROBERT JOHNSON</strong>, author of <em>Angel Dust Apocalypse</em> and <em>Extinction Journals</em></p><p>"A unique and memorable work of absurd humor." -<strong>LITERARY STRANGE DIGEST </strong></p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p><strong>'This is a fine achievement that by a very wide margin displaces such general accounts of the Indian Ocean as are available. It is commedably comprehensive, covering an immensely long span of time, from the ancient world to the present, with an enviable aura of authority throughout.' -</strong> <em>Peter Marshall, King's College London</em>  </p><p><strong>'In this stimulating and comprehensive volume, Michael Pearson traces out the history of the Indian Ocean from ancient times to the present, and shows how the ocean has knitted together its diverse communities. Whether in his evocations of ship board life, or descriptions of pilgrims and traders, Pearson makes of the Indian Ocean, for the first time in historical scholarship, a vital and lively arena of study.' -</strong> <em>Thomas Metcalf, University of California, Berkeley</em></p><p><strong>'This is a book that maritime archaeologist should find useful.' </strong><em>- Nautical Archaeology</em></p><p><em>'</em><strong>For the reader new to the subject they will provide stimulating and informative introductions ... [and] will easily win a place on the few reading lists around the world that feature Indian Ocean studies.' </strong>- <em>The Round Table</em></p><p><strong>'[Pearson's] impressive <em>tour de force</em> through human history ... covers a remarkably wide range of topics, he also writes very well ... The book will certainly become the standard account for this history of the Indian Ocean for some time.' </strong>_<strong>- </strong>Social Anthropology Journal_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In this stimulating and authoritative overview, Michael Pearson reverses the traditional angle of maritime history and looks from the sea to its shores - its impact on the land through trade, naval power, travel and scientific exploration. This vast ocean, both connecting and separating nations, has shaped many countries' cultures and ideologies through the movement of goods, people, ideas and religions across the sea.</p><p><em>The Indian Ocean</em> moves from a discussion of physical elements, its shape, winds, currents and boundaries, to a history from pre-Islamic times to the modern period of European dominance. Going far beyond pure maritime history, this compelling survey is an invaluable addition to political, cultural and economic world history.</p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>In Barbara Hambly's rich and poignant thriller, it's 1833 and Ben January--a man of mixed blood making his living as a musician because he's not allowed to practice surgery--is back home in New Orleans after years of freedom in Paris. Trying to walk a caste line more complicated than India's, January risks his precarious position to investigate the killing of a young woman who--like his own younger, lighter half-sister--is the mistress of a wealthy white man. What has changed most in New Orleans while Ben was away is the influence of the white Americans: rough, ignorant, instinctively racist. Only one of these--a policeman named Abishag Shaw--seems to understand that January is at least as smart and valuable as he is, and even he at times appears to be ready to side with the white majority and pin the crime on Ben. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>With this historical novel, Hambly departs from her usual work in the sf/fantasy genre (e.g., Traveling with the Dead, LJ 8/95). Her new work is set in 19th-century Louisiana Creole society, where it was customary for a man to have a wife and also to keep a mistress in her own house. Benjamin January, a free Creole with dark brown skin, has returned to this society after living in Paris for more than a decade. He is trained as a surgeon, but in Louisiana, he makes his living playing the piano. Soon he is the main suspect in the death of a wealthy man's young mistress, found murdered at a ball. January spends the rest of the book gathering evidence in his defense with the help of his sisters and a host of other colorful characters he encounters on the run. The result is a complicated mystery that could have used more romantic involvement. Recommended for larger libraries.?Shirley Coleman, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., Mich.<br>Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.</p>
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<p class="description"> Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.</p>
<p class="description"><br>Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.</p>
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<p class="description"> 	Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.</p>
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<p class="description"> 	Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.</p>
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<p class="description"> In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, *The Help* is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.</p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Woods's dizzyingly paced 20th Stone Barrington novel (after Strategic Moves) takes the New York attorney to Los Angeles to represent recent widow Arrington Calder, his sometime lover, in her attempts to keep control of Centurion Studios. Barrington undertakes a rapid realignment of Calder's holdings while forming alliances and buying shares to thwart the efforts of Prince Investment's Terry Prince, who wants the prime Bel-Air acreage the studio occupies. The murder of stockholder Jennifer Harris is only the first indication of how rough Prince plays. With longtime pal Dino Bacchetti at his side as well as the mighty resources of Mike Freeman's Strategic Services and Bill Eggers's law firm Woodman &amp; Weld, Barrington matches financial wits with the arrogant Prince. There's cross-pollination with Woods's Ed Eagle series (Santa Fe Edge, etc.) as one of Eagle's nemeses plays a surprising role. Series fans will find Barrington as shrewd, sexy, and glib as ever. (Apr.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>In the newest addition to the <em>New York Times</em>-bestselling series, Stone Barrington comes face-to-face with a beautiful woman from his past. . . . </strong>   </p><p>Stone Barrington receives a rather unexpected phone call from Arrington Calder, the ex-girlfriend with whom he has a son. Arrington's much older husband, the actor Vance Calder, has just died, leaving her a fortune in Centurion Studios stock. Arrington has plans for the money and asks Stone to represent her in the sale of the company. But when he arrives at her home in Bel-Air to finalize the deal, things take a nasty turn. It seems many of Hollywood's rich and beautiful have Arrington and Centurion in their sights, and Stone finds himself dragged into a surprisingly deadly web of intrigue. </p>

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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Jane Mendelsohn on <em>American Music</em></strong></p><p>The first moment of inspiration for <em>American Music</em> came in 1996 when I learned the remarkable fact that there was a secret formula for making cymbals. I was in Maine for a reading of my first novel, </p><p>I immediately envisioned a story about a woman searching for this formula, desperately, somewhat pointlessly but also movingly, as if it were the secret to life itself. I pictured her trying to work through a loss by realizing the simultaneity of all things, that memories, like symbols, and the sound of cymbals, contain all time. That idea changed over the years, but essentially remained a deep part of the book.</p><p>A while later, I heard from a friend who does bodywork about a man who refused to lie on his back. I began imagining a tale about why he wouldn't and started thinking of a character who was a soldier. The two ideas: the secret formula for making cymbals and the soldier with his mysterious reason for not lying on his back simmered in my mind as I started researching.</p><p>When I read about the history of cymbals, I was struck that these instruments developed in 17th century Turkey by an Armenian alchemist were so central to American music. I read about jazz and learned that it was the shift to leading the beat with the cymbals instead of the drums that marked the beginning of swing. It interested me that such a quintessentially American art form could be traced so clearly to a moment in time so distant and different from America in the 1930's, which was when swing began. And I was also struck that Istanbul in 1623 was a place of cosmopolitanism, a vibrant melting pot of cultures.</p><p>I was at this point in my thinking about the book, and living in New York City, when 9/11 occurred. That I had been writing about Islamic culture and its relation to 20th century America felt uncanny. And when we went to war, the fact that I had been writing about a soldier felt uncomfortable. I put the book away for a while. My daughter was two, and not long after, I had another baby.</p><p>But I could not stop thinking about cymbals and about the soldier. I worked on the book in my head while I pushed my daughters on the swings in Washington Square Park, the destruction at ground zero so close but at the same time, in the playground, seemingly very far away.</p><p>Eventually, the strands I had been working on came together, found each other in a way, in one larger narrative about families and love stories and the world that goes on while war is happening someplace else. Of course I am still searching for that secret formula. </p><p>(Photo © Nick Davis)   </p><hr /><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>This digressive novel by the author of <em>I Was Amelia Earhart</em> probes intersecting tales that emerge from the work done by a masseuse-cum-shaman. Honor is a 21-year-old physical therapist at the Bronx VA hospital; Milo Hatch is a particularly traumatized patient who was severely wounded in Iraq. During Milo's treatment, both he and Honor begin having visions of people they don't know. The narrative breaks up in pursuit of the stories behind the visions of the late 1930s love triangle between Joe, a saxophone player and law student; his wife, Pearl, unable to have children after many miscarriages; and Pearl's cousin, Vivian, who shares with Joe a passion for jazz. (Mendelsohn provides, for instance, a tidy excursus on the significance of cymbals in jazz, tracing their provenance to 17th-century Istanbul.) The fallout from Joe and Vivian's messy affair connects back to present day, yet the music evoked by this ponderously embellished work remains a vague, distant noise. <em>(June)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Danger lurks in the shadows and desire shimmers in the sultry heat as leopard shifter Drake Donovan is sent to a Louisiana bayou to investigate a murder. He's ready for anything except the insatiable hunger that rocks him when he meets Saria Boudreaux, a woman with a compelling motive-and ability-to distract him from the task at hand... </p>

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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>In the middle of the year, in the middle of her life, Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth.</p><p>They're driving to Florida for Ruth's 50th high-school reunion. A longtime widow, Ruth would like to reconnect with Royce, the love of her teenage life. She's heard he's alone, too…and, well, she's curious. Maybe even hopeful.</p><p>Bethanne herself needs time to reï ¬ ‚ ect, to ponder a decision she has to make. Her ex-husband, Grant—her children's father—wants to reconcile now that his second marriage has failed. Bethanne's considering it….</p><p>Meanwhile, Annie's out to prove to her onetime boyfriend that she can live a <em>brilliant</em> life without him!</p><p>So there they are, three women driving across America. They have their maps and their directions—but even the best-planned journey can take you to a turn in the road. Or lead you to an unexpected encounter—like the day Bethanne meets a man named Max who really <em>is</em> a hero on a Harley. That's when Bethanne's decision becomes a lot harder. Because Grant wants her back, but now there's Max….</p><p>From Seattle's Blossom Street to the other end of the country, this is a trip that could change three women's lives. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Debbie Macomber, the author of Hannah’s List, 1022 Evergreen Place, Summer on Blossom Street, 92 Pacific Boulevard, and Twenty Wishes, is a leading voice in women’s fiction. Three of her novels have scored the #1 slot on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle was Hallmark Channel's top-watched movie for 2009. Winner of the 2005 Quill Award for Best Romance, the prolific author has more than 140 million copies of her books in print worldwide. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>What happens in Vegas . . . doesn't always stay there. </p><p>Autumn Haven's Las Vegas "to-do" list said to catch a show and play the slots—not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam LeClaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her to run. And she did—right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality, and before she could say "pass the coffee," Sam was gone. </p><p>Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn hasn't clapped eyes on the heartbreaking hockey superstar for over two years . . . until she organizes his teammate's "Special Day," where Sam makes a big play to pick up where he left off! But she has vowed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever? </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>With the publication of <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author Rachel Gibson's first book, readers discovered one of contemporary romance's freshest voices. Four of her novels were named among the Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year by Romance Writers of America. She has won numerous awards, including Borders Bestselling Romantic Comedy, National Reader's Choice, and two RITA® Awards for the Best Single Contemporary Romance Title of the Year. </p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"Kenyon boldly goes where no author has gone before and claims yet another genre as her own. With her League series, she has created a new, addictive universe and proven herself the undisputed master of the cross-genre novel." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> )  </p><p>"[A] publishing phenomenon...[Sherrilyn Kenyon is] the reigning queen of the wildly successful paranormal scene." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> )  </p><p>"Kenyon's writing is brisk, ironic, sexy, and relentless imaginative." (<strong><em>Boston Globe</em></strong> )  </p><p>"Kenyon delivers the goods readers have come to expect, and more." (<strong><em>Booklist</em></strong> ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>In a world where the League and its assassins rule, where betrayal and treachery are everywhere . . . the only survivors are those ones who are . . . </em>  </p><p><strong>BORN OF SHADOWS</strong>  </p><p>For Caillen Dagan, a defiant soldier of fortune, survival isn't a right, it's a brutal daily battle. Moving through the Ichidaian universe like a wraith, his brushes with the law and death are legendary. But when an act of rare heroism reveals his hidden birthright, he's forced into a world much more dangerous and cold-hearted than the bloody streets where he was raised-one of obscene wealth and lethal politics.  </p><p>Ferocious and determined, Desideria serves as an official bodyguard for her queen. Born of questionable genetics, she will do anything to prove herself worthy of the weapons she carries and the position she's won by combat. But when she uncovers a ruthless plot to assassinate the queen and overthrow her country's government, Desideria is caught in the crosshairs.  </p><p>With assassination contracts out on both of them, Caillen and Desideria must learn to fight together or die alone. And if they fail, their governments will fall into the hands of an unimaginable evil.  </p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>Worth Dying For</em> finds our battered hero hiding in plain sight in a tiny Nebraska town, trying to recover from the catastrophe he left behind in South Dakota (no spoilers here, but readers are still arguing over <em>61 Hours</em>’s cliffhanger ending). Fans rarely see such a physically vulnerable Reacher (in the first part of the book he is barely able to lift his arms) but it just adds to the fist-pumping satisfaction of seeing our weary good guy take on the small-town baddies. --_Daphne Durham_</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In Child's exciting 15th thriller featuring one-man army Jack Reacher (after 61 Hours), Reacher happens into a situation tailor-made for his blend of morality and against-the-odds heroics. While passing through an isolated Nebraska town, the ex-military cop persuades the alcoholic local doctor to treat Eleanor Duncan, who's married to the abusive Seth, for a "nosebleed." Reacher later breaking Seth's nose prompts members of the Duncan clan, who are involved in an illegal trafficking scheme, to seek revenge. Reacher, who easily disposes of two hit men sent to get him, winds up trying to solve a decades-old case concerning a missing eight-year-old girl. While Child convincingly depicts his hero's superhuman abilities, he throws in a few lucky breaks to enable the outnumbered Reacher to survive. Crisp, efficient prose and well-rounded characterizations (at least of the guys in the white hats) raise this beyond other attempts to translate the pulse-pounding feel of the Die Hard films into prose. (Nov.) (c) <br>Copyright © PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p></div>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>Hunter masterfully weaves a sensual web . . . Fans will be delighted </p><p>--Publishers Weekly  </p><p>The depth of characterization and intense emotions will enthrall readers. . . the tight plotting and masterful storytelling will captivate.  Brava! --_RTBookclub_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The breathtaking finale of Madeline Hunter's magnificent quartet...   </p><p>Outrageously wealthy, the Duke of Castleford has little incentive to curb his profligate ways-gaming and whoring with equal abandon and enjoying his hedonistic lifestyle to the fullest. When a behest adds a small property to his vast holdings, one that houses a modest flower business known as The Rarest Blooms, Castleford sees little to interest him...until he lays eyes on its owner. Daphne Joyes is coolly mysterious, exquisitely beautiful, and utterly scathing toward a man of Castleford's stamp-in short, an object worthy of his most calculated seduction.   </p><p>Daphne has no reason to entertain Castleford's outrageous advances, and every reason to keep him as far away as possible from her eclectic household. Not only has she been sheltering young ladies who have been victims of misfortune, but she has her own closely guarded secrets. Then Daphne makes a discovery that changes everything. She and Castleford have one thing in common: a profound hatred for the Duke of Becksbridge, who just happens to be Castleford's relative.   </p><p>Never before were two people less likely to form an alliance-or to fall in love... </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Jess O'Brien has overcome a lot—the challenges of attention deficit disorder, the near bankruptcy of her beloved Inn at Eagle Point and her self-perception as a screwup in a family of overachievers. Now she's ready to share the future with a man. Her friends persuade her to join a dating service—but she gets no takers! Which is fine with her childhood friend, psychologist Will Lincoln, who's already chosen the perfect man for Jess: himself.</p><p>Will has loved Jess practically forever. He knows her faults and her strengths. But for all Will's sincerity <em>and</em> charm, Jess fears he views her as some psychological case study. With her family and the town of Chesapeake Shores behind him, Will finally makes his case. But is it enough to convince Jess to take the risk of a lifetime? </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. She's also especially partial to small towns, wherever they may be. A member of Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home, with its lighthouse view, in Key Biscayne, Florida. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Atlanta homicide detective Patrick 'Tick' Kelly turned his back on the world the day his wife and children were murdered. Abandoning his city and his career, he holed up in a beach house on Mango Key, Florida, and drowned his grief in Jack Daniels. Now sober and a bestselling author, Tick would gladly stay a recluse forever if his brother Pete didn't keep trying to drag him back to the land of the living. After years of sacrificing her personal life in favour of her DEA job, special agent Kate Rush resigned and moved back to her native Miami. But the unofficial assignment that has just come her way is too intriguing to pass up. She and a fellow ex-agent are relocated to Mango Key to keep an eye on an imposing, mysterious fortress believed to be at the centre of a human trafficking ring. At first, the Kelly brothers are suspected of involvement, but Kate is sure Tick poses no danger - except for the slow-burning gaze that makes her breath catch and her heart race. Tick finds himself fascinated by Kate's investigation - and by her inviting mix of courage and kindness. Teaming up, they uncover a web of betrayal, blackmail, and ruthless greed. And as danger mounts, Tick realizes how far he'll go to protect the rare and surprising gift that's come his way: a second chance at a happy ending. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>FERN MICHAELS is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood series, Mr. and Miss Anonymous, Up Close and Personal, and dozens of other novels and novellas. There are over seventy million copies of her books in print. Fern Michaels has built and funded several large day-care centers in her hometown, and is apassionate animal lover who has outfitted police dogs across the country with special bulletproof vests. She shares her home in South Carolina with her four dogs and a resident ghost named Mary Margaret. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.</p><p>Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…. </p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In <em>Liberty Defined</em>, congressman and #1 <em>New York Times </em>bestselling author Ron Paul returns with his most provocative, comprehensive, and compelling arguments for personal freedom to date. The term "Liberty" is so commonly used in our country that it has become a mere cliché. But do we know what it means? What it promises? How it factors into our daily lives? And most importantly, can we recognize tyranny when it is sold to us disguised as a form of liberty? Dr. Paul writes that to believe in liberty is not to believe in any particular social and economic outcome. It is to trust in the spontaneous order that emerges when the state does not intervene in human volition and human cooperation. It permits people to work out their problems for themselves, build lives for themselves, take risks and accept responsibility for the results, and make their own decisions. It is the seed of America. This is a comprehensive guide to Dr. Paul's position on fifty of the most important issues of our times, from Abortion to Zionism. Accessible, easy to digest, and fearless in its discussion of controversial topics, LIBERTY DEFINED sheds new light on a word that is losing its shape. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Dr. Ron Paul is a physician and twelve-term congressman from Texas who ran for president in 2008. He is the chairman of the domestic monetary policy subcommittee, and the author of eight books, including the <em>New York Times </em>bestsellers <em>The Revolution: A Manifesto </em>and <em>End The Fed.</em> An advocate of sound money, personal liberty, free markets, and international peace, he is chairman of the FREE Foundation, founder of the Campaign for Liberty, and distinguished counselor to the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He and Carol, his wife of fifty-three years, have five children, eighteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. At the start of bestseller Sandford's superb 20th Lucas Davenport thriller (after <em>Wicked Prey</em>), the getaway vehicle from a botched early morning robbery, which results in a pharmacy employee's death, almost collides with the car driven by Lucas's surgeon wife, Weather Karkinnen. Weather, who was on her way to work at the Minnesota Medical Research Center, becomes a key witness. Sandford masterfully handles both sides of the equation as the thieves—planner Lyle Mack, his brother, Joe, and their henchmen—work to cover their crime. The investigation belongs to Minneapolis deputy chief Marcy Sherrill, but Lucas of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension pulls out all the stops to protect his wife. Sandford creates additional drama throughout as Weather and a skilled team of doctors perform an operation to separate twins joined at the skull. Sharply drawn characters, intricate plotting, and smooth dialogue make this a sure-fire winner. <em>500,000 first printing; author tour. (May)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>It was an inside job, and it should have been easy. Rob the pharmacy at Minneapolis’ largest hospital: in, out, wait till things cool down, and then sell the drugs for a half million or so. But the old man had to be a hero. Who knew he’d be on blood thinners and die after he was kicked? A robbery turned murder means Lucas Davenport and his Bureau of Criminal Apprehension team are called in to assist the investigation. There’s another element to the case for Davenport: his wife, Weather, a surgeon at the hospital, may be able to identify one of the killers. The case starts to escalate. An attempt is made on Weather’s life. The bodies of two motorcycle gang members are found in a rural area. Davenport guesses the gang is imploding from the pressure and murdering its members. Weather, under 24-hour guard, is part of a surgical team working to separate conjoined twins in a procedure that’s captured the attention of the world’s media. Meanwhile, Davenport and his team keep finding bodies of likely robbers but can’t seem to isolate either the brains behind the theft or the hospital insider who pointed them at the pharmacy. The twenty-second Prey novel includes most of the elements readers expect: sharp plot, snappy dialogue, and believable action, but the background playfulness and gallows humor that usually fill in the gaps are in short supply. But hey, that’s nitpicking. On balance, this is another fine entry in a wildly popular series. --Wes Lukowsky </p></div>


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<p class="description">David Thorne has quickly established himself as the world's leading internet troublemaker. Since his emailed efforts to settle an overdue account with a drawing of a spider achieved massive worldwide online exposure in 2008, millions of people have followed Thorne's hilarious exchanges with unwitting victims reported via the mainstream media, online and email inboxes globally. Thorne's razor-sharp writings, compiled here, say something about everyday life we can all relate to.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>As he is driving home from a minister's conference, Baptist minister Don Piper collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He is pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Piper experiences heaven where he is greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace. Back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man is dead. Piper miraculously comes back to life and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery. For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Over 600,000 in print. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this collection of essays, musings, and drawings, Comedy Central host Martin (Important Things with Demetri Martin) gently skewers contemporary social trends, conventions, and insecurities, taking on topics from social hotlines to family and relationships. With a gift for describing awkward situations, Martin challenges readers to recognize the human need for connection and recognition. The theme is seen in a panel in which a limousine displaying two flags on its hood is labeled "important"; another displaying seven flags is "very important." He also answers the big questions with essays like "Who I Am" in which he declares: "I am bravery. I am courage. I am valor. I am daring. I am holding a thesaurus." Throughout, Martin jokes in many guises, silly one moment, barbed the next, and he achieves a satirical brilliance that moves easily among surprising topics, like philosophy, to easy targets, like healthy lifestyles. (Apr.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"This book embodies the essence of Demetri's comedy to perfection, which is a good thing since he wrote it. Silly but incredibly smart, it's exactly what puts me in awe of his work."<br>-<strong>Will Ferrell</strong>  </p><p>"When I first saw <em>Important Things With Demetri Martin</em>, I said to myself, "this is the funniest thing ever." I was wrong. <em>This Is A Book</em> is better." -<strong>Malcolm Gladwell</strong>, author of <em>Outliers: The Story of Success</em>  </p><p>"This book is so funny I forgot to laugh. I know that sounds like a childish criticism, but I mean it literally: This book is so funny, I forgot a whole bunch of things--who I am, what I stand for, large chunks of my childhood, my sense of equilibrium, how to fall asleep, and when I'm supposed to laugh at things."<strong>-Chuck Klosterman</strong>  </p><p>"Demetri Martin has a very funny and original mind. If I could draw a graph explaining how funny and original he is, I would. But I don't do that. Demetri does that."-<strong>Conan O'Brien</strong></p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>A mid-life crisis and a latent sense of adventure caused book editor South to give up her life in publishing and take up residence on the Bossanova, a steel-hull trawler she bought before knowing how to captain it. The subtitle is largely hyperbolic-South's time "at sea" was really a short, if perilous, sail from Florida to Sag Harbor, where the boat is now docked-but South makes an interesting memoir from her skillful observation of the sailing life: "Good seamanship isn't the thoughtless instinct that salty dogs make it seem to be. It's the good habit of always asking yourself the right questions in the right order and answering them thoughtfully." Sometimes, she seems to have forgotten landlubbers might pick up her book; a sentences like, "One danger is that your bow will slow and your stern will get kicked out to the side, causing you to be beam-to," is just one head-scratcher of many for the uninitiated. She can be clumsy when transitioning between sailing stories and other aspects of her life ("This sailing was happiness. For a time, happiness, too, had been Leslie."), but her clear-eyed perspective and involving stories keep the narrative moving. This small but well-observed memoir is a worthwhile read for anyone stuck in the workaday rut. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>South, a successful book editor with stints at Ballantine and Houghton Mifflin, turns 40 with "a complicated concoction of ennui and despair," an average midlife crisis. But her next step is far from ordinary: she abruptly walks away from her well-paying job, sells her recently acquired house in Pennsylvania and most of her belongings, and buys a used 40-foot, 30-ton trawler, planning to pilot it up the coast from Florida to Maine. South recounts the rigors of her nine-week course at the Chapman School of Seamanship, where her classmates include an aging executive, a pony-tailed trucker, an Alaskan fisherman, and a documentary filmmaker. She describes her sometimes harrowing, always challenging trip up the Atlantic coast, assisted by a fellow student and novice, a trip marked by sudden storms, tricky inlet currents, long, energy-sapping days, and incredibly gorgeous seascapes. Though not as daring as "climbing Everest or sailing solo around the world," for South the voyage was the most "intensely meaningful" thing she had ever done, and well worth relinquishing luxuries and security. <em>Deborah Donovan</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born illegitimately in Greenwich, London, in 1875to actors Mary Jane Richards and T. H. Edgar. As an infant he wasadopted by George Freeman, a porter at Billingsgate fish market. Aged eleven, Wallace sold newspapers at Ludgate Circus and upon leaving school took a job with a printer. He later enlisted in the Royal West Kent Regiment, beforetransferring to the Medical Staff Corps, and was sent to South Africa. In 1898 he published a collection of poems called The Mission that Failed, and subsequently left the army to become acorrespondent for Reuters.South African war correspondent for The Daily Mail followed and hisarticles were later published as Unofficial Dispatches. His outspokenness infuriated Lord Kitchener, who removed his credentialsas a war correspondent. He thenedited the Rand Daily Mail, but gambled disastrously on the South African Stock Market. Returning to England, he at first reportedon crimes and hanging trials, before becomingeditor of The Evening News. It was in 1905 that he founded the Tallis Press, publishing Smithy, a collection of soldier stories, and The Four Just Men. The latter waspublished with the ending removed as anadvertising stunt and he offered £500 to readers who could successfully guess the ending. Unfortunately, many did and he was almost bankrupted. At various times Wallacealso worked as a journalist on The Standard, The Star, The Week-End Racing Supplement and The Story Journal. In 1917, he became a Special Constable at Lincoln's Inn and also a special interrogator for the War Office. The Daily Mail sent Wallace to investigate atrocities in the Belgian Congo, a trip that provided material for his Sanders of the River books. In 1923 he became Chairman of the Press Club and in 1931 stood as a Liberal Parliamentary candidatefor Blackpool. mHis first marriage in 1901 to Ivy Caldecott, daughter of a missionary, ended in divorce in 1918 and he later married his much younger secretary, Violet King. Along with countlessarticles, some 23 screenplays and many short stories,Wallacewrote more than 170 books, which have been translated into 28 languages and sales of which have exceeded 50 million copies. Over 160 films have been made from his books - more than any other author. In the 1920's one of Wallace's many publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him. His sales were exceeded only by The Bible. He died in 1932 whilst workingon the screenplay for King Kong, </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>'Taking the little paper from the pigeon's leg, Hamilton saw it was from Sanders and marked URGENT. Send Bones instantly to Lujamalababa... Arrest and bring to head-quarters the witch doctor.' It is a time when the world's most powerful nations are vying for colonial honour, a time of trading steamers and tribal chiefs. In the mysterious African territories administered by Commissioner Sanders, Bones persistently manages to create his own unique style of innocent and endearing mischief. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born illegitimately in Greenwich, London, in 1875to actors Mary Jane Richards and T. H. Edgar. As an infant he wasadopted by George Freeman, a porter at Billingsgate fish market. Aged eleven, Wallace sold newspapers at Ludgate Circus and upon leaving school took a job with a printer. He later enlisted in the Royal West Kent Regiment, beforetransferring to the Medical Staff Corps, and was sent to South Africa. In 1898 he published a collection of poems called The Mission that Failed, and subsequently left the army to become acorrespondent for Reuters.South African war correspondent for The Daily Mail followed and hisarticles were later published as Unofficial Dispatches. His outspokenness infuriated Lord Kitchener, who removed his credentialsas a war correspondent. He thenedited the Rand Daily Mail, but gambled disastrously on the South African Stock Market. Returning to England, he at first reportedon crimes and hanging trials, before becomingeditor of The Evening News. It was in 1905 that he founded the Tallis Press, publishing Smithy, a collection of soldier stories, and The Four Just Men. The latter waspublished with the ending removed as anadvertising stunt and he offered £500 to readers who could successfully guess the ending. Unfortunately, many did and he was almost bankrupted. At various times Wallacealso worked as a journalist on The Standard, The Star, The Week-End Racing Supplement and The Story Journal. In 1917, he became a Special Constable at Lincoln's Inn and also a special interrogator for the War Office. The Daily Mail sent Wallace to investigate atrocities in the Belgian Congo, a trip that provided material for his Sanders of the River books. In 1923 he became Chairman of the Press Club and in 1931 stood as a Liberal Parliamentary candidatefor Blackpool. mHis first marriage in 1901 to Ivy Caldecott, daughter of a missionary, ended in divorce in 1918 and he later married his much younger secretary, Violet King. Along with countlessarticles, some 23 screenplays and many short stories,Wallacewrote more than 170 books, which have been translated into 28 languages and sales of which have exceeded 50 million copies. Over 160 films have been made from his books - more than any other author. In the 1920's one of Wallace's many publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him. His sales were exceeded only by The Bible. He died in 1932 whilst workingon the screenplay for King Kong, </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Moat County, Fla., is located where the St. John's River flows north-a geographical rarity and, in literature, a signal that we've entered the strange and violent world of National Book Award-winner Dexter (Paris Trout). Narrator Jack James is the son of the Moat County Tribune's editor and publisher. While Jack's older brother, Ward, reports for the Miami Times, Jack has settled for a job delivering papers for the Tribune. But when Ward and his partner, evil dandy Yardley Acheman, come to Moat County to investigate the four-year-old murder of the local sheriff, Jack assists them in the inquiry. After a vicious beating by two sailors lands Ward in the intensive care unit, Yardley finishes the story without Ward and Jack, fabricating evidence to do so. Accompanying his traumatized brother Ward back to Miami, Jack takes a job as a copyboy at the Times. It isn't long, however, before Yardley's wrongdoing comes to light, generating more trouble for the Jameses. Dexter's writing is rock-solid, he offers acute observations about the nature of reporting and his grip on the Southern male psyche is unquestionable. The powerful thematic drive of Paris Trout is missing here, however, and the story line is so complicated that it loses focus and then almost peters out. But if this isn't Dexter's best, it's still a provocative offering from one of the most exciting novelists around. Major ad/promo. <br>Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>W.W. ("World War") James is editor of the Moat County (Florida) Tribune and the father of two boys. Ward, the elder, is a reporter for the Miami Times. Jack is a college dropout who delivers papers for his father. With his reporting partner Yardley Acheman, Ward returns to Moat County to investigate the murder of the sheriff and the subsequent trial of Hillary Van Wetter, who was imprisoned for the murder. The investigation calls Van Wetter's guilt into question, and he is freed from death row. But at what price? Dexter (Brotherly Love, LJ 10/1/91) is a taut storyteller who keeps the pages turning. Though he offers a cast of characters recalling the best of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard, his chillingly satisfactory new work should not be relegated to the ranks of genre writing. Highly recommended.<br><em>--David Dodd, Univ. of Colorado, Colorado Springs</em><br>Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>I long to embrace, to include in my own short life, all that is accessible to man. I long to speak, to read, to wield a hammer in a great factory, to keep watch at sea, to plow. I want to be walking along the Nevsky Prospect, or in the open fields, or on the ocean -- wherever my imagination ranges."  </p><p>-- Anton Chekhov  </p><p>If any one writer can be said to have invented the modem short story, it is Anton Chekhov. It is not just that Chekhov democratized this art form; more than that, he changed the thrust of short fiction from relating to revealing.  </p><p>And what marvelous and unbearable things are revealed in these Forty Stories. The abashed happiness of a woman in the presence of the husband who abandoned her years before. The obsequious terror of the official who accidentally sneezes on a general. The poignant astonishment of an aging Don Juan overtaken by love. Spanning the entirety of Chekhov's career and including such masterpieces as "Surgery," "The Huntsman," "Anyuta," "Sleepy-head," "The Lady With the Pet Dog," and "The Bishop," this collection manages to be amusing, dazzling, and supremely moving -- often within a single page.  </p><p>Vintage Classic are-quality paperback editions of the world's greatest written works. They are durably bound and are printed exclusively on acid-free paper. </p><h3>Language Notes</h3><p>Text: English (translation)<br>Original Language: Russian </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Goodheart, a historian and journalist who will be writing a column on the Civil War for the New York Times online, makes sophisticated use of a broad spectrum of sources for an evocative reinterpretation of the Civil War's beginnings. Wanting to retrieve the war from recent critics who dismiss the importance of slavery in the Union's aims, he reframes the war as "not just a Southern rebellion but a nationwide revolution" to free the country of slavery and end paralyzing attempts to compromise over it. The revolution began long before the war's first shots were fired. But it worked on the minds and hearts of average whites and blacks, slaves and free men. By 1861 it had attained an irresistible momentum. Goodheart shifts focus away from the power centers of Washington and Charleston to look at the actions and reactions of citizens from Boston to New York City, from Hampton Roads, Va., to St. Louis, Mo., and San Francisco, emphasizing the cultural, rather than military, clash between those wanting the country to move forward and those clinging to the old ways. War would be waged for four bitter years, with enduring seriousness, intensity, and great heroism, Goodheart emphasizes. 15 illus. (Apr.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Exhilarating ... inspiring ... irresistible ... <em>1861</em> creates the uncanny illusion that the reader has stepped into a time machine." <strong></strong></p><p><em></em> <br>      --<strong></strong>New York Times Book Review (cover review)<strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong> <em></em></p><hr><p>"In his marvelous book...Goodheart brings us into 19th-century America, as ambiguous, ambitious and fractured as the times we live in now, and he brings to pulsing life the hearts and minds of its American citizens." <strong></strong></p><p><em></em> <br>     <strong></strong>--Huffington Post<strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong> <em></em></p><hr><p>"Riveting and thought-provoking narrative." <strong></strong></p><p><em></em> <br>       --Library Journal (<em>starred review</em>)<strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong> <em></em></p><hr><p>"Hardly a page of this book lacks an important insight or a fact that beguiles the readers. ... Goodheart shows us that even at 150 years' distance there are new voices, and new stories, to be heard about the Civil War." <strong></strong></p><p><em></em> <br>   <strong></strong> --Boston Globe<strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong> <em></em></p><hr><p>"Beautifully written and thoroughly original--quite unlike any other Civil War book out there." <strong></strong></p><p><em></em> <br>      --Kirkus Reviews (<em>starred review</em>)<strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong> <em></em></p><hr><p>advance praise for Adam Goodheart’s <em>1861</em>  </p><p>“_1861_ is the best book I have ever read on the start of the Civil War. Sumter, secession, and Lincoln appear in a wonderfully fresh and illuminating light, supported by a cast of extraordinary players that few Americans know about.  Penetrating, eloquent, and deeply moving, this is a classic introduction to the nation’s greatest conflict.”<br>            <strong>—Tony Horwitz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of <em>Confederates in the Attic</em></strong>  </p><p>“Combining a master historian’s sure command of original sources and a novelist’s deft touch with character and narrative, Adam Goodheart has produced the young century’s liveliest book about how a generation of remarkable and ordinary Americans alike variously provoked, resisted, and endured the dissolution of their country and the tragic march toward civil war. Major and minor characters, political movements, and whole towns and villages come alive under Goodheart’s expert scrutiny. The result is that rarest of history books: a work of remarkable original scholarship crafted into an irresistible read.”<br>           <strong>—Harold Holzer, chairman of The Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation and author of <em>Lincoln President-Elect</em></strong>  </p><p>“Adam Goodheart brings to this book a rare combination of talent: passion and precision as a historian, grace and generosity as a writer. <em>1861</em> puts us in the young nation that was about to shed its skin and begin life as something new.” <br>            <strong>—Richard Ben Cramer, winner of the Pulitzer Prize </strong>  </p><p>“No one could capture Whitman’s ‘hurrying, crashing, sad, distracted year’ more vividly than Adam Goodheart has done in this magnificent book.  <em>1861</em> isn’t merely a work of history; it’s a time-travel device that makes a century and a half fall away and sets us down, eyes and ears wide open, right in the midst of the chaos and the glory.”<br>            <strong>—Anne Fadiman, author of <em>The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down</em>, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award</strong>  </p><p>“With boundless  verve, Adam Goodheart has sketched an uncommonly rich tableau of America on the cusp of the Civil War. The research is impeccable, the cast of little-known characters we are introduced to is thoroughly fascinating, the book is utterly thought-provoking, and the story is luminescent. What a triumph.”           <br>           <strong>—Jay Winik, author of New York Times best-sellers <em>April 1865</em> and </strong>_<strong>The Great Upheaval</strong>  </p><p>_“Adam Goodheart is a Monet with a pen instead of a paintbrush. Like an impressionist painting, <em>1861</em> reveals layers of meaning and beauty as one studies it closely.”<br>            <strong>—James McPherson, author of <em>Battle Cry of Freedom</em></strong></p></div>


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A suicide on a dark bridge over a rushing river is interrupted. A young woman's dream of opening her own bakery is ruined by the discovery of an unknown stairwell. A student's Internet plagiarism has dire consequences. All this and much more on the winding path among A Fine Cast of Characters.  J. Dane Tyler weaves a web of short stories in this, his debut publication.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Bitterman explains that his love of salt began after eating a sublime steak at a relais on a trip to France. After learning about the cooking method and cut of meat, Bitterman concluded it was the "hefty nuggets of opalescent salt" that were responsible for his unforgettable meal, and he set out to meet the family of salt makers responsible. After opening an artisanal-product boutique with his wife, which includes a showcase of salts, Bitterman takes on the role of official "selmelier." In this entertaining and well-researched volume, he profiles 80 varieties of artisan salts, along with a quick reference guide to more than 150 salts for an easy-to-understand crash course on salt. The text-heavy though beautifully photographed title covers the history of salt and all things related. Recipes round out the work, and although pedestrian dishes such as hamburgers, potato chips, and sauerkraut are included, beginners may be intimidated by sophisticated selections like roasted marrowbones with sel gris; salt crust–roasted partridge with figs and chocolate-balsamic syrup; and jal jeer (an Indian lemonade). An informative and easy-to-follow "Cooking on Salt" chapter just may have the more adventurous home cooks and the DIY crowd running out for their very own Himalayan salt block. (Oct.) (c) <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"If you care about salt you will be over the moon about <em>Salted </em>by Mark Bitterman." --6 best food books coming this fall, Christian Science Monitor --csmonitor.com/Books/2010/0916/6-best-food-books-coming-this-fall/Salted-by-Mark-Bitterman  </p><p>“This illustrated volume changed the way I cook.”<br />—Newsday, 2010  </p><p>“As the FDA considers lower salt standards for Americans, salt has never been a hotter chef's ingredient. This is part cookbook (Roasted Peaches in Bourbon Syrup with Smoked Salt), part salt tract (positing "Five Rules of Strategic Salting)," part reference tome.”<br />—Cooking Light, Favorite Cookbooks, 2010  </p><p>“This book isn't really a cookbook, not in the recipe-driven sense of the word. It's more of a user guide, and an inspiring one at that. From the lively introduction, in which Bitterman recounts his first experience with sea salt, to the geeky chapters on the history and science of the stuff, to the slim selection of recipes broken into categories like "brining," "curing," "salt crust" and "cooking on salt blocks," this book is aimed at inspiring and educating people on the virtues of natural salt.”<br />—Portland Oregonian, Best of 2010, 12/21/10  </p><p>“Flipping through the stellar new <em>Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral With Recipes</em>, we are reminded that the world is made up of so much more than <em>fleur de sel</em>. You could buy a bottle of $15 tequila to gift along with the book, but you get the sense author Mark Bitterman would consider that a margarita sacrilege on par with using kosher salt ("a battery-operated puppy with no hair, trying to comfort you with its soulless antics"). After all, you're handing over a book written by a man who uses <em>sel gris</em>, three full cups of the pricey French salt, in his preserved lemons recipe.”<br />—LA Weekly, Squid Ink blog, Top 10 Cookbook And Drink Gift Pairings, 12/14/10  </p><p>“My pick for personal favorite of the season is Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes by Mark Bitterman, which I’ve enthusiastically blurbed. My reverence for salt is bettered only by Bitterman’s who sells salt and chocolate at The Meadow. Bitterman writes well about the history of salt, the amazing array of salts available, and offers numerous recipes and techniques for using these salts.”<br />—Michael Ruhlman, Books for the Holidays, 12/13/10  </p><p>“I am a walking salt lick and Mark Bitterman’s <em>Salted</em> more than satisfies. Described as a manifesto, the title contains a useful “Salt Reference Guide” of 150 salts, many of which are Asian in provenance.  . . . Salt is salty but if you want to explore their subtle differences, get <em>Salted</em>!”<br />—Andrea Nguyen, Viet World Kitchen, 2010 Cookbook Picks, 12/11/10  </p><p>“You might be one of those people who think, ‘Salt? What’s the big deal?’ But turn the pages of this major treatise on the various kinds of salts from around the world (including how they’re harvested and what makes them so special), and you’ll learn what to do with them as well. Mark Bitterman is a <em>selmelier</em> who owns an artisanal-product boutique that specializes in salt. But you don’t need to take a trip there to learn all about salt. <strong>Salted</strong> is going to be my go-to reference when I find a new type of salt and am wondering what to do with it.” <br />—DavidLebovitz.com, Favorite Cookbooks of 2010, 12/6/10  </p><p>“Salt is so essential to cooking that a volume on the topic might seem redundant. Not for Mark Bitterman: His book gets into geeky detail about salt types for flavor academics. However, the "Salting" section, which outlines tips and tricks for coaxing flavor out of your meal with the mineral, is very useful for home cooks.” <br />—Tasting Table National, 12/3/10  </p><p>“In the intimidating world of artisan salts, <em>Salted</em> is our new road map and companion. This book is a trove of good information and we will certainly return to its pages again and again.”<br />—TheKitchn.com, 12/1/10  </p><p>“Salt is one of those ingredients that isn’t often dealt with at length, yet is elemental to the craft of cuisine. In his book, Mark Bitterman seeks to educate the cook on the creativity, flavor, and quality that can be enhanced in a dish by using the correct salt. He approaches his subject scientifically, economically, culturally, and nutritionally. . . .After absorbing Salted the reader will understand Cassiodorus’ belief that ‘man can live without gold… but not without salt.’”<br />—StarChefs.com, Top 10 Cookbooks 2010, November 2010  </p><p>"Everyone writes about exotic salts but no one says how to use them beyond saying sprinkling them on steak and tomatoes, says [Amy] Sherman, 'but Bitterman does.'"<br />—FoxNews.com, The Fox Foodie: Sixteen Sweet Cookbooks, 11/30/10  </p><p>"Whether your only exposure to salt is the box of kosher in your cupboard or you’ve got a gourmet line up, <em>Salted</em> makes an excellent gift for the foodie that has it all." <br />—Guest blogger Kathy Casey, Al Dente, Amazon food blog, 11/15/10  </p><p>"In <em>_</em>Salted_, Mark Bitterman (sommelier at The Meadow in Portland, Oregon) profiles 80 artisan varieties of the magical ingredient. When you’re done geeking out, the recipes — popcorn salted six ways, mango salsa with Hawaiian black lava salt — satisfy cravings."<br />—DailyCandy, The Best New Fall Cookbooks, 11/12/10  </p><p>"His new book <em>Salted</em> lays it all out methodically, but the text is far from dry or academic for such an info-packed tome. Bitterman is a great writer, his conversational is clear and funny and, yes, occasionally salty. Though I'm deliberately taking my time to soak up <em>Salted</em>, especially the history and the particulars of each type of salt, reading this book has already caused a sea change in my kitchen." <br />—Al Dente, Amazon food blog, 11/2/10   </p><p>"<strong><em>Salted</em></strong> is transformative; it will change the way you cook."<br />—The Christian Science Monitor, 6 best food books coming this fall, 9/16/10  </p><p>Bitterman explains that his love of salt began after eating a sublime steak at a relais on a trip to France. After learning about the cooking method and cut of meat, Bitterman concluded it was the "hefty nuggets of opalescent salt" that were responsible for his unforgettable meal, and he set out to meet the family of salt makers responsible. After opening an artisanal-product boutique with his wife, which includes a showcase of salts, Bitterman takes on the role of official "selmelier." In this entertaining and well-researched volume, he profiles 80 varieties of artisan salts, along with a quick reference guide to more than 150 salts for an easy-to-understand crash course on salt. The text-heavy though beautifully photographed title covers the history of salt and all things related. Recipes round out the work, and although pedestrian dishes such as hamburgers, potato chips, and sauerkraut are included, beginners may be intimidated by sophisticated selections like roasted marrowbones with sel gris; salt crust–roasted partridge with figs and chocolate-balsamic syrup; and jal jeer (an Indian lemonade). An informative and easy-to-follow "Cooking on Salt" chapter just may have the more adventurous home cooks and the DIY crowd running out for their very own Himalayan salt block. (Oct.)<br />—_Publishers Weekly_, 9/20/10  </p><p>“_Salted_ is a remarkable work. Written with uncommon energy and style and packed with excellent information and recipes, this book should be considered a must-have for any chef worth their salt and anyone who cares about food and cooking. I <em>love</em> this book.”<br />—Michael Ruhlman, author of <em>Ratio</em>, <em>The Making of a Chef</em>, <em>Charcuterie</em>, and co-author of <em>The French Laundry Cookbook</em><br /><em> </em><br />“_Salted_ has a transformative effect. Mark embraces not only those magical crystals but also captures you with his passion for people and exploring the diversity of food and salt. His irrepressible will to learn and share is expressed in his writing.”<br />—Michael Recchiuti, chocolatier, author of <em>Chocolate Obsession</em><br /><em> </em><br />“In this day and age it is imperative to not only know where our food comes from but also to learn about the very thing that brings out all of the flavors we tirelessly source—salt. In <em>Salted</em>, Mark Bitterman takes us on an epic journey, distilling everything from salt’s early formation in the primordial ocean to thoughtful recipes and detailed tasting notes on many of the world’s finest artisanal salts. A virtual encyclopedia of salt, <em>Salted</em> is a wonderful resource for cooks and lovers of great food everywhere.”<br />—Naomi Pomeroy, chef-owner of Beast Restaurant, James Beard nominee, <em>Food &amp; Wine</em> Best New Chef </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>An entertaining follow-up to their popular book A Lion's Tale, international wresting superstar Jericho and co-writer Fornatale continue their chronicle of Jericho's wild ride through the wacky world of professional wrestling. This book picks up where the earlier book ended—with Jericho in 1999 joining Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Enterprise, the most important venue in wresting—and ends with Jericho's return to the ring in 2007 after a two-year retirement. Jericho hilariously details these key years as WWE's resident bad guy. His feuds with WWE's colorful (and colorfully profane) cast, including the likes of X-Pac, Ken Shamrock, Chyna, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and Christian, are solidly recounted, although most of this will be old news to hardcore WWE fans. But the most interesting stories involve his battles on- and off-stage with such better-known stars as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Goldberg—whom Jericho once had run over by a limousine during an episode of WWE's Raw series. It is here that Jericho shines and proves once again that, next to Mick Foley, he is an insightful and funny observer of pro wrestling's absurd universe. (Feb.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The eagerly awaited follow-up to the <em>New York Times </em>bestselling <em>A Lion's Tale</em> documents Chris Jericho's meteoric rise to wrestling glory in the WWE.  </p><p><em>A Lion's Tale</em> gave readers a portrait of Jericho as a young man. Fighting his way through Mexico, rinky-dink leagues and a battery of thieving, sleazy promoters/managers, the book ended with the author's WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) debut. Never one to leave his fans hanging, as demonstrated by his recent return to wrestling glory, Jericho now tells the story of life in the big leagues. But "making it" in the premier wrestling league in the world comes with its own set of obstacles and hard lessons. Jericho, in his witty, hilarious, and surprisingly endearing manner, lays it all out: the good, the bad, and the spandex. </p>


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The latest YA fantasy book from Bones of Faerie author Janni Lee Simner!After her mother mysteriously disappears, sixteen-year-old Haley convinces her father to take her to Iceland, where her mother was last seen. There, amidst the ancient fissures and crevices of that volcanic island, Haley meets gorgeous Ari, a boy with a dangerous side who appoints himself her protector.When Haley picks up a silver coin that entangles her in a spell cast by her ancestor Hallgerd, she discovers that Hallgerd's spell and her mother's disappearance are connected to a chain of events that could unleash terrifying powers and consume the world. Haley must find a way to contain the growing fires of the spell—and her growing attraction to Ari.Janni Lee Simner brings the fierce romance and violent passions of Iceland's medieval sagas into this twenty-first-century novel, with spellbinding results.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> This powerful and intense third novel in Perry's WWI series (after 2004's Shoulder the Sky) continues the Reavley family's anguished search for the "Peacemaker," a shadowy figure responsible for their parents' murders two years earlier, and now intent on Anglo-German world domination as a means toward world peace. After Chaplain Joseph Reavley is badly wounded in Flanders attempting to rescue fellow Brits under fire, he returns home to bucolic St. Giles for rehabilitation, but finds the village consumed by issues raised by the war. Perry's deeply held antiwar feelings are again apparent in this moving story in which "the searing scarlet of grief" destroys families of loved ones lost in the service, and the local vicar questions fundamental beliefs in the wake of mounting casualties. When Theo Blaine, a scientist working on a secret weapon to end the war, is mysteriously slain, the town is torn apart by fears of a spy in their midst. Joseph's brother, Matthew, an intelligence expert, must work with seductive Irish double agent Detta Hannassey to determine the extent of Germany's knowledge of Britain's war strategies, despite his revulsion for her duplicity. A climactic U-boat hunt and naval battle conclude this stirring work. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>The third entry in Perry's World War I series moves from the horror of the trenches to the English countryside, where chaplain Joseph Reavley, wounded at the front, has returned to recuperate under his sister's Hannah's care. Still fresh is his grief for their parents, both killed by the mysterious Peacemaker, who, in the guise of seeking an end to the conflict, is sabotaging Britain's war effort. The murder of a scientist whose work might have ensured Allied success leads Joseph (and his brother, Matthew, who works for British intelligence) on a twisted trail that they hope will lead to the Peacemaker. As in previous books in this series and in her Victorian detective series, Perry creates a meticulously detailed backdrop, whether home front or frontlines, while leaving plenty of room for her characters to contemplate issues of honor, loyalty, and love: Will Joseph return to the front or minister to the bereft at home? Will Matthew's growing affection for Irish double agent Detta Hannassey interfere with his mission? The characters, familiar now after two books, grow stronger and richer here, as Perry illuminates the emotional and physical character of war and asks the inevitable question, At what cost peace? <em>Stephanie Zvirin</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this excellent sequel to 2003's <em>No Graves As Yet</em>, bestseller Perry continues the exploits of the Reavley children, who lost their parents in a devastating car crash that proved to be no accident on the eve of WWI. The implications of that double homicide continue to dog Joseph, a military chaplain in the thick of trench warfare at Ypres; his sister, Judith, a volunteer driver/translator for the general in command of that front; and their brother, Matthew, an intelligence officer. While justice of a sort was meted out to the man directly responsible for the murder of their parents, the Reavleys believe a master manipulator and traitor they have dubbed the "Peacemaker," who seeks a radical alliance between king and kaiser to end the bloodshed, was the prime mover. When Joseph finds the corpse of an arrogant, bullying journalist in no-man's land, he soon realizes that a British hand was responsible, and that even in the midst of war's savagery, his conscience demands that he seek out the truth. This classic puzzle is nicely paralleled by Matthew's dogged search for the Peacemaker's identity. Perry cleverly resolves some plot lines while reserving the solution of others for future mysteries. Though her depiction of the ravages of war is not at the level of a Charles Todd, she does a superb job of bringing the grimness and waste to life, in a nice shift of gears from her two 19th-century historical series. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Adult/High School - In the trenches of Flanders, the Reverend Joseph Reavley goes about the task of trying to keep up the morale of the British soldiers, extending his duties to assisting in bringing men back from the barbed-wired and mud-mired "no man's land." When he retrieves the body of an egotistical correspondent, Eldon Prentice, every person who knew him confesses to being glad he was killed. However, it wasn't the Germans who murdered him, but one of their own, and Reavley decides to investigate. Perry's eye for historical detail masterfully places the main characters in settings exactingly correct for the era, whether London, the trenches, or the English countryside. The characters' emotions and thoughts capture the confusion, frustration, and determination of those fighting the war. Without describing too graphically the horrors of the front, the author presents memorable tableaux of a soldier, an ambulance driver, a doctor, a field nurse, and those in positions of leadership and trust. The murder investigation and espionage greatly enhance the action and interest in the complex plot._ - Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA_ <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>This absorbing mystery/spy thriller, set in tranquil Cambridge just before the onset of the Great War, marks a powerful start to bestseller Perry's much anticipated new series. In a lush and deceptively peaceful opening scene, college professor and chaplain Joseph Reavley is interrupted while watching a cricket game by his intelligence officer brother, Matthew, who reports the sudden death of their parents in a car crash. This horrifying news sets off a long but compelling investigation by the brothers that takes them across verdant summertime England, looking for a secret document that their father was trying to deliver to Matthew at the time of his death. Against a backdrop of ominous news from the continent, Perry artfully weaves connections between pacifist students at Cambridge, one of whom is also murdered, and German agents who may be planning "a conspiracy to ruin England and everything we stand for." The intrigue is further complicated by jilted lovers and jealous spouses at the university, all with grudges against an alleged blackmailer in their midst who may also be privy to exam cribbing and other illicit goings-on. Perry's title, a quotation from G.K. Chesterton, is a portent of the carnage that soon awaits the youth of England, yet by the final resolution of this gripping case, many graves have regrettably already been filled in Cambridge's serene churchyards.<br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>PRAISE FOR ANNE PERRY AND HER VICTORIAN NOVELS  </p><p><em></em>“Intelligently written and historically fascinating.”<br />_—The Wall Street Journal  </p><p>_“You can count on a Perry tale to be superior.”<br />_—The San Diego Union-Tribune  </p><p>_“[A] master of crime fiction who rarely fails to deliver a strong story and a colorful cast of characters.”<br />—_The Baltimore Sun  </p><p>_The Reavley Chronicles  </p><p><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“Inviting, comforting holiday fare.”—_Washington Post  </p><p><em>“[A] heartwarming, if crime-tinged, complement to the holiday season.”—</em>Booklist<br />_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Here are two holiday mysteries set in remote, snow-covered regions of Victorian Britain–where the nights are indeed silent but all is not calm, and where some will sleep in eternal peace.  </p><p>A CHRISTMAS BEGINNING<br />While spending Christmas on the island of Anglesey off the coast of Wales, Superintendent Runcorn of Scotland Yard, a lonely bachelor, stumbles upon the lifeless body of the vicar’s younger sister in the village churchyard. Everyone insists that only a stranger to the island could have committed the heinous crime, but the evidence proves otherwise. Intending to uncover the identity of the ruthless killer, Runcorn never dreams that the case may also, miraculously, open the door to a new future for himself.  </p><p>A CHRISTMAS GRACE<br />With Christmas just around the corner, Thomas Pitt’s sister-in-law, Emily Radley, is suddenly called from London to be with her dying aunt on the western coast of Ireland. Emily soon discovers that painful memories of an unsolved murder haunt the lonely Irish town and sets out to unmask the culprit. When a lone shipwreck survivor washes up onshore, he brings with him not only the key to solving the terrible crime but the opportunity for the townspeople to make peace with the past–and with one another. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>At the start of DeWeese's engaging debut, Paul, a bank manager in the Pacific Northwest, loses his three-year-old daughter, Miranda, for a short time while trick-or-treating. After Miranda disappears 22 years later, on the day of her wedding, Paul begins a series of increasingly frustrating attempts to locate and talk with her. Unable to read relationship cues, Paul is often surprised or angered by the actions of those he thinks he knows well, including his now ex-wife, Sandra, and Grant, a friend who became his daughter's intended without his awareness. Paul's bank is robbed on the day of the wedding by the same man who robbed it two decades earlier, which adds to the trauma and confusion. Essentially decent, caring, and loyal, Paul is more valued than he suspects. Paul learns some valuable lessons as he retraces and re-evaluates his life in this insightful novel. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>With deep compassion and wry humor, DeWeese examines the intricacies of fatherhood, friendship, and happenstance in his stylistically uneven first novel. Hours before Paul's daughter Miranda is to marry his best friend, Paul receives news that someone has robbed the bank he manages in a Pacific Northwest city. But Paul is more concerned that neither he nor anyone else has been able to contact Miranda all day. To make matters worse, he discovers that the robber is the same man who held him up 25 years earlier at the same bank, an incident that has given Paul the one worthwhile story of his life to tell. As Paul's day proves increasingly more complicated, he reevaluates his tumultuous past, including the coincidental bank robberies and his relationships with his daughter, ex-wife, current girlfriend, and best friend, who is soon to become his son-in-law. While Paul's narration is at times heartfelt and wise, DeWeese's prose is often clunky and distracting, leaving the otherwise admirable story feeling forced. --Jonathan Fullmer </p>


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<h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Brother Curry's second cookbook is a natural companion volume to his first, The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. He presents 60 recipes for soups from a variety of cuisines, both simple and more elaborate. But the recipes are only part of the book, as Curry introduces each one with mini-essays whose subjects range from theological questions to religious history to his own 40-plus years of experience in the Jesuit community. A cookbook that intersperses recipes w0not appeal to everyone, but Curry, who is also the founder and director of the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped, is a natural storyteller, and his text is very readable. For larger collections and others where the first book was popular. <br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In his early years as a novice, Brother Rick Curry learned that the quickest route to popularity among his peers was to master the art of cooking. Soup is one of the staple foods in a Jesuit community, and there is almost always a pot simmering on the stove. In more than forty years as a Jesuit brother, Brother Curry has traveled the world, lived in many different communities, and prepared many, many pots of soup. This collection includes recipes for sixty of his most popular soups-everything from an exotic Roasted Red Pepper Soup to the classic Minestrone Milanese to a hearty Corn Chowder, from a relatively simple chicken soup to the more complex Mussels Soup Billy-bi. But Brother Curry writes about a great deal more than soup. He includes stories to savor about his life in the community of Jesuits: the people he's met; the meals he's enjoyed; and the daily practices of patience, reverence, humility, and care that go into making a good soup and a good life. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Refusing to pander to audiences expecting Dr. Phil-type quick fixes, Glass (who has appeared on Oprah herself) chooses "a new, fact-based, scientifically and therapeutically responsible approach" to a subject she contends is fraught with public and professional misconceptions. Drawing on research studies (her own and others') and clinical cases from her 25 years as a psychotherapist, she explores "the new crisis of infidelity" resulting from platonic relationships that become progressively intense. Personal and professional friendships between men and women have become so prevalent and accepted that, according to Glass, even "good" people in "good" marriages can be swept away in a riptide of emotional intimacy more potent than sheer sexual attraction. Glass scrutinizes affairs and offers well-defined guidelines, including tips for determining how vulnerable individuals and relationships are to temptation, and prescriptions for keeping relationships "safe," repairing betrayal-induced damages and recovering from the trauma. Glass's credentials and commitment lend this book credence as a valuable resource; Staeheli's easy, personable style and the well-organized format make it user-friendly, too. <br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>MicheleWeiner-Davis Author of <em>The Divorce Remedy</em> and <em>The Sex-Starved Marriage</em> Every once in a while a book comes along that is so illuminating, instructive, down-to-earth, and inspiring that it truly transforms lives. Since no marriage -- including yours -- is immune to infidelity, <em>NOT "Just Friends"</em> is a godsend for couples.  </p><p>John M. Gottman, Ph.D. Author of <em>The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work</em> and <em>The Relationship Cure</em> In this long-awaited, breakthrough book, Dr. Glass has provided practical advice with a scientific basis and profoundly sensitive clinical experience about the highly destructive problem of infidelity. She alerts us to the new crisis of infidelity and shows us how to safeguard our most precious relationships from this danger.  </p><p>Pat Love, Ed.D. Author of <em>The Truth about Love</em> and <em>Hot Monogamy</em> I love this book and loaned it to a friend whose husband was "not just friends" with a coworker. They believe it prevented a serious breach from forming in their marriage. A must-read for anyone who ever hopes to be happy in a long-term relationship.  </p><p>Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., Author of <em>Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples</em> <em>NOT "Just Friends"</em> puts a new face on infidelity using clinical experience and current research. I recommend it for anyone considering an affair, in an affair, or recovering from an affair.  </p><p>Frank Pittman, M.D. Author of <em>Private Lies: Infidelity and the Betrayal of Intimacy</em> I treasure Dr. Shirley Glass, and I treasure this book. No one understands affairs better than she does. She offers her traumatized readers compassion, wisdom, and unshakeable common sense.  </p><p>Peggy Vaughan Host of DearPeggy.com and author of <em>The Monogamy Myth</em> This is the most comprehensive book on affairs that I have ever read and the only one that completely reflects the reality of affairs. No matter how many other books you have read on this subject, read this one. It is absolutely wonderful!  </p><p>Ira Glass Host of National Public Radio's <em>This American Life</em> It's a relief my mom wrote a great book so I can be totally honest on the jacket cover. <em>NOT "Just Friends"</em> offers one surprising, radical insight after another, including: Infidelity doesn't start the first time your partner sleeps with someone else; it begins when your partner becomes closer to someone else than to you. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Prince Khaemwaset is a powerful man. The son of Ramses II and a revered physician, his wisdom is respected throughout Egypt. But Khaemwaset harbours a strong and secret desire—to find the mysterious Scroll of Thoth and receive the power to raise the dead.</p><p>When Khaemwaset hears of the discovery of a hidden tomb on the plain of Saqqara, he is quick to break its seal and take its secrets—secrets that he soon learns he should never have disturbed.</p><p>Richly detailed with the exotic realities of Ancient Egypt, Scroll of Saqqara is a compelling tale of power, lust, and obsession.</p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"A lovely autobiography, equal parts dish and pathos."--_Vanity Fair_</p><p>"[Lowe] writes viscerally and insightfully...He looks back at the aberrant highs of his heart-throb days, the changing nature of stardom in Hollywood, the trade-off he has made between high life and home life, and the step-by-step effort behind his show business survival. He looked like the callowest kid in the "Outsiders" crew. Now he looks like the sturdiest of them all"--_The New York Times_</p><p>"I really enjoyed it...Thoroughly entertaining: the Brat Pack years, the Wayne's World years, the Alcoholic Obscurity, the Glamorous Romances (Princess Stephanie of Monaco!), the Inevitable Rehab, and the Triumphant Comeback on The West Wing."--_Time Magazine_</p><p>"[Lowe's] charming, honest, even affectionate memoir is the story of strong guts behind a strikingly handsome face...A book to recommend widely."--_Booklist_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>A wryly funny and surprisingly moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye</strong></p><p>A teen idol at fifteen, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at twenty, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-seventies Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood. </p><p><em>The Outsiders</em> placed Lowe at the birth of the modern youth movement in the entertainment industry. During his time on <em>The West Wing</em>, he witnessed the surreal nexus of show business and politics both on the set and in the actual White House. And in between are deft and humorous stories of the wild excesses that marked the eighties, leading to his quest for family and sobriety. </p><p>Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last twenty-five years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this stand-alone high fantasy set in the same universe as her Wayfarer Redemption series (Enchanter, etc.), Australian Douglass fashions a promising milieu of elemental Gnostic magic within a rugged coastal setting. Unfortunately, stock characters wending their way down standard plot-lines to a foregone conclusion obscure her world-building. Garth Baxtor, an apprentice healer who's inherited an extra helping of "the Touch" (the ability to feel-and, to some degree, alleviate-his patients' pain), journeys to the Veins, a complex of underground mines. While tending condemned workers in the shafts, Garth happens upon prisoner 859, whom Garth's Touch reveals to be Prince Maximilian, the missing heir to the throne of Escator. Later, in the Land of Dreams, Garth has a conversation with the ancient heraldic beast of Escator, the droll monster Manteceros, who agrees to confirm the identity of the true king if Garth can rescue prisoner 859 from the Veins and have him challenge the vile pretender, King Cavos. In an overly complicated finale Manteceros administers a moral test of worthiness to the two kingly claimants. Maximilian's near-instantaneous transformation after 17 years' hard labor from broken-minded wretch to dashing, lighthearted prince strains credibility, while a spate of hand-waving mystical exposition at book's end does more to confuse than resolve the story. Still, the atmosphere of maritime magic is diverting, and, for fans of the author's Redemption books, this may be enough. <br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Fourteen-year-old Garth and his father are healers gifted with "the Touch." Because the physicians of Escator are required to spend three weeks each year ministering to the prisoners confined in the dank, underground mine called the Veins, Garth's father brings his son, still an apprentice, along when he goes to fulfill his obligation. Using his own powers to heal, Garth senses the king's mark on a prisoner and suspects that beneath layers of dirt lies the young prince who disappeared 17 years ago and had been presumed dead. Aided by a marsh witch, a mythical creature, an order of monks, and his own courage, Garth sets out to rescue the prince and restore him to his kingdom. Australian Douglass' latest American release is packed with sympathetic characters and heroic challenges. Lacking the violence and sex of Douglass' <em>Hades Daughter</em> [BKL Ja 1 &amp; 15 03], this is a rousing fantasy for all ages. <em>Candace Smith</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p><strong>PRAISE FOR EYE OF THE CROW:</strong><br />"The first intriguing volume in an ambitious new series ... plenty of readers will ... find themselves irresistibly drawn into his thrilling adventures."<br />— <em>Booklist</em>, Starred Review  </p><p><strong>PRAISE FOR DEATH IN THE AIR: THE BOY SHERLOCK HOLMES, HIS SECOND CASE:</strong><br />"This is an exciting mystery, well written and fast paced...."<br />— _School Library Journal  </p><p>_"This novel is written for the young adult, but adult readers will also find it satisfying.... The fast-paced adventure is a treat."<br />— <em>The Globe and Mail</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>It is 1868, the week that Benjamin Disraeli becomes Prime Minister of the Empire. Sherlock's beautiful but poor admirer, Beatrice, the hatter's daughter, appears at the door late at night. She is terrified, claiming that she and her friend have just been attacked by the Spring Heeled Jack on Westminster Bridge and the fiend has made off with her friend. At first Sherlock thinks Beatrice simply wants his attention, and he is reluctant to go back to detective work. He also believes that the Jack everyone fears is a fictional figure. But soon he is suspicious of various individuals, several of them close friends.  </p><p>Set at a time when many in England were in a state of fear because a Jew was running the country, Shane Peacock presents a compelling story filled with an atmosphere of paranoia and secrets and surprises played out on late-night London streets. Sherlock gets drawn deeper and deeper into the pursuit of the Spring Heeled Jack, whose attacks grow in number until it seems that there are Jacks everywhere.  </p><p><strong>The Secret Fiend</strong> is the fourth book in Shane Peacock's award-winning Boy Sherlock Holmes series, combining brilliant storytelling with fascinating historical detail and a mystery worthy of one of the greatest sleuths in English literature. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Discover the magic of Trudi Canavan with her brand new novel in the Traitor Spy Trilogy...  </p><p>Living among the Sachakan rebels, Lorkin does his best to learn about their unique magic. But the Traitors are reluctant to trade their secrets for the Healing they so desperately want.  </p><p>Meanwhile, Sonea searches for the rogue, knowing that Cery cannot avoid assassination forever. The rogue's influence over the city's underworld, however, is far greater than she feared.  </p><p>And in the University, two female novices are about to remind the Guild that sometimes their greatest enemy is found within...  </p><p>The Traitor Spy Trilogy, which began with <em>The Ambassador's Mission</em>, is the new series set in the world of the international bestselling Black Magician Trilogy. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Trudi Canavan published her first story in 1999 and it received an Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story. Her debut series, The Black Magician Trilogy, made her an international success and her last five novels have been <em>Sunday Times</em> bestsellers in the UK. Trudi Canavan lives with her partner in Melbourne, Australia, and spends her time knitting, painting and writing. You can visit her website at www.trudicanavan.com. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In the fourth and final volume in his Age of Unreason series (Newton's Cannon, etc.), Keyes brings his multi-threaded yarn to a thrilling conclusion. Based on the premise that Sir Isaac Newton devised a theory of alchemy that led to the industrial use of demons, the book builds to a climactic confrontation to see who will reshape the universe. Chief among Newton's apprentices are wizard/scientist Benjamin Franklin, South Carolina's ambassador to the court of New Paris (Mobile), and Adrienne de Montchevreuil, sorceress and heir to a secret tradition. Against them is Adrienne's son, Nicolas (aka the Sun Boy), with his army of Russians, Mongols and Coweta natives that sweeps over the Great Plains. Such imaginative devices as demon-levitated airships and aetherschreibers (wireless sets) lend interest to the author's alternate 18th-century world, as do revelations behind certain historical events, like the identity of who helped Louis XIV drop a comet on London. Keyes entertains both with details of everyday life and with the conversations of people who may not have met but should have. He produces a fine pastiche of the formal writing of Voltaire (who appears as Franklin's friend and rival), marred only by a more modern "crash cut" narrative, which occasionally jumps mid-scene or reverses chronology, diffusing the suspense. Still, with the unfolding of secrets and past deeds, Keyes brings a welcome level of character uncertainty to the deterministic Newtonian novel. </p><p>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.</p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>The universe lies on the verge of destruction as demons and angels use mortal wizards and scientists as their agents in a war that pits the forces of a devastated Europe against a handful of American colonists struggling for freedom and survival. In Keyes's heady conclusion to his epic sf tetralogy (which includes Newton's Cannon, A Calculus of Angels, and Empire of Unreason) alchemical wizard Benjamin Franklin uses magic and diplomacy to unite warring factions in a grand alliance to save humanity. Spicing his alternate historical fantasy with Swedenborgian metaphysics and Newtonian physics, Keyes peoples his story with a cast of unforgettable fictional and historical characters. Though dependent on the earlier books, this vivid story of a world in the throes of revolution is highly recommended for all collections. <br />Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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WITHOUT A WORD is a riveting memoir that blends remarkable achievement with passion, sacrifice, love, pain, and human interest. It takes the reader into the lives of a celebrity couple, Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, and his wife, Jill, to reveal the Kelly family's private struggle and how seven years with their severely disabled, terminally ill son, Hunter, unfolded in a redemptive and transforming manner. The light of Hunter's love through his brief and silent life shone into the shadowed corners of Jill and Jim's lives resulting in Jill believing that Jesus Christ was authentic, her learning to forgive Jim of past indiscretions, and finally resulting in Jim's seeking and finding God. Lessons gleaned from Hunter's life and death, and Jim and Jill's struggle to save their marriage during tumultuous times, make this a compelling and inspiring read.


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.” —Democratic National Convention, 1980</p><p>“Like my brothers before me, I pick up the fallen standard. Sustained by the memory of our priceless years together, I shall try to carry forward that special commitment to justice, to excellence, and to courage that distinguished their lives.” —Speech given before the start of the 1968 Democratic Convention</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>The mantras, witticisms, and philosophies of Ted Kennedy, collected by the editor of the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling <em>The Kennedy Wit</em>.</strong></p><p><em>“The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”</em><br />      —Democratic National Convention, 1980   </p><p><em>“Like my brothers before me, I pick up the fallen standard. Sustained by the memory of our priceless years together, I shall try to carry forward that special commitment to justice, to excellence, and to courage that distinguished their lives.”</em><br />      —Speech given before the start of the 1968 Democratic Convention   </p><p>A collection of quotations and philosophies from Ted Kennedy, grouped thematically in categories (“Words of Inspiration,” “On the Kennedy Family and its Legacy,” “Personal Reflections,” “On Religion and Public life,” “Lighter Moments,” etc.). Each section will include a brief introduction by the editor to set off the group of quotes, which range from charming little one-liners to Kennedy's letter to Pope Benedict that President Obama hand-delivered to the Vatican in July 2009. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>PRAISE FOR CHINA MIÉVILLE  </p><p>Embassytown  </p><p><em></em>“I cannot emphasize enough how terrific this novel is. It's definitely one of the best books I've read in the past year, perfectly balanced between escapism and otherworldly philosophizing.” --Io9.com<br /><em></em><br />Kraken<em></em>  </p><p>“The stakes [are] driven high and almost anything can happen. The reader is primed for a memorable payoff, and Miéville more than delivers.”—_San Francisco Chronicle_  </p><p><strong> The City &amp; The City</strong>  </p><p>“If Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler’s love child were raised by Franz Kafka, the writing that emerged might resemble . . . <em>The City &amp; The City</em>.”—_Los Angeles Times<br /> _<br /><strong> Perdido Street Station</strong>  </p><p>“Compulsively readable . . . impossible to expunge from memory.”—_The Washington Post Book World_  </p><p><strong>The Scar</strong>  </p><p>“A fantastic setting for an unforgettable tale . . . memorable because of Miéville’s vivid language [and] rich imagination.”—_The Philadelphia Inquirer<br /> _<br /><strong>Iron Council</strong><br /><hr />“A masterwork . . . a story that pops with creativity.”—_Wired _  </p><p><strong>Un Lun Dun</strong>  </p><p>“Endlessly inventive . . . [a] hybrid of <em>Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz </em>and <em>The Phantom Tollbooth</em>.”—Salon </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>China Miéville doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Relentlessly pushing his own boundaries as a writer—and in the process expanding the boundaries of the entire field—with <em>Embassytown</em>, Miéville has crafted an extraordinary novel that is not only a moving personal drama but a gripping adventure of alien contact and war.  </p><p>In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak.  </p><p>Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.  </p><p>When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties—to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her. </p>


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This American author describes her ordinary 1950's childhood in Pittsburgh with extraordinary clarity and humour. Her father quits the family firm and takes a boat down the Ohio River alone for a few months. Her mother teaches the three daughters how to tell a joke and bet a poker hand.


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em></em>Recipes from <em>Molto Gusto</em><strong> </strong>  </p><p>Summer Caprese Salad <br>Serves 6<br><em></em></p><p>10 ounces fresh mozzarella<br>1½ pounds assorted ripe tomatoes (choose a combination of colors, types, and sizes), such as Brandywine, purple Cherokee, cherry, pear, peach, and/or Green Zebra<br>2 tablespoons champagne vinegar<br>6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br>1 small bunch basil (Genovese, lemon, Thai, or fino verde), leaves removed, or about 1 cup mixed fresh basil leaves<br>Maldon or other flaky sea salt  </p><p>With a sharp knife, cut the mozzarella into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving platter, reserving any milky liquid from the cheese in a small cup.</p><p>If using cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them in half; reserve the juices. Core the remaining tomatoes and slice them, reserving the juices. Arrange the tomatoes on the cheese.</p><p>Whisk the vinegar, reserved tomato juices, any liquid from the mozzarella, and the olive oil together in a small bowl.</p><p>Tear the basil leaves over the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over it, sprinkle with salt, and serve.</p><p><em></em>Spaghetti alla Carbonara <br>Serves 6<em></em></p><p>Kosher salt<br>5 ounces sliced pancetta, cut into ½-inch-wide strips<br>¼ cup extra virgin olive oil<br>1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper<br>6 fresh large eggs<br>1 pound spaghetti<br>½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving<br>¼ cup grated pecorino romano  </p><p>Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.</p><p>Meanwhile, combine the pancetta and oil in another large pot and cook over medium-high heat until the pancetta has rendered some of its fat and is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the pepper and remove from the heat.</p><p>Separate the eggs, being careful to keep the yolks intact, putting the whites in a small bowl and the yolks in a shallow dish.</p><p>Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving cup of the pasta water.</p><p>Add the reserved pasta water to the pan¬cetta and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the egg whites and cook, whisking furiously, until they are frothy but not set, about 1 minute. Add the pasta, stirring and tossing well to coat. Stir in the cheeses.</p><p>Divide the pasta among six bowls, making a nest in the center of each portion. Gently drop an egg yolk into each nest and serve immediately, advising your guests to stir the yolk into the pasta so it will cook. Pass additional grated Parmigiano on the side.</p><h3>Review</h3><p>“The breadth of vegetable preparations in “Molto Gusto” is infectious. Armed with Batali’s suggestions, it seems, readers could tackle almost any vegetable they bring home.” (Buffalo News (NY) )  </p><p>“If you could eat with your eyes, you’d swoon while reading Mario Batali’s MOLTO GUSTO.” (San Francisco Book Review ) </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Fans of the first three books in this WWI series from Perry, best known for her Victorian police procedurals, will eagerly pick up this fourth volume to learn more of the ongoing saga of the three Reavley siblings: Joseph, a chaplain working with soldiers on the front line in France; Matthew, a British intelligence officer; and Judith, an ambulance driver. (Newcomers may struggle to understand the backstory.) Matthew continues his search for the traitorous mastermind—the "Peacemaker"—plotting to align Britain with Germany to end the war, while Joseph is working on a smaller mystery: was British officer Howard Northrop killed by one of his own men? Exposition slows down the pace in places, but the author vividly captures the unspeakable horrors of the Great War. Readers won't have long to wait for the fifth and final entry in the series, <em>We Shall Not Sleep</em> (Reviews, Feb. 5). <em>(Mar.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>The fourth entry in Perry's World War I series finds chaplain Joseph Reavley three years into his service in the trenches of Ypres on the western front. The British army has suffered appalling losses, and the men are exhausted, hungry, and afraid. Now an incompetent officer, the son of a general, unwilling to take advice from more experienced soldiers, is sending his men to certain death by making wrongheaded, uninformed decisions. When the officer's body is discovered, it falls to Joseph to determine whether he was killed by his own men. The investigation is complicated when Joseph's sister, Judith, a fearless ambulance driver, is drawn into the dispute. Meanwhile, their brother, Matthew, who works for British intelligence, is seeing indications of the work of the Peacemaker, who, under the guise of seeking an end to the conflict, is sabotaging Britain's war effort. Perry explores the shifting nature of loyalty, conscience, and honor when set against the backdrop of a blood-soaked battlefield, and her grisly descriptions of that battlefield are heartrending. <em>Joanne Wilkinson</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>A charming debut by a former waiter at the New York City restaurant Per Se slips in some high-end tricks of the trade. Vermont-bred foodie Damrosch was a few years out of Barnard College when she landed a job at chef Thomas Keller's Per Se. Fast-talking and prone to do her homework, in this case assiduously absorbing Keller's <em>French Laundry Cookbook</em>, Damrosch starts as a backserver, and her training is intensive: attending food seminars, memorizing the acreage of Central Park and learning how not to interrupt dining couples holding hands. In a few months, she's elevated to captain (a rare job for a woman), which entails navigating guests through the elaborate menus and essentially learning the subtleties of putting the guest at ease. Anticipating desire becomes Damrosch's role, as well as making sure <em>New York Times</em> food critic Frank Bruni has the best meal of his life. (Indeed, the place receives four stars.) She begins a romance with Andre the sommelier. Much of the latter half of this youthful, exuberant memoir is overtaken by their burgeoning affair, although the most delightful chapter, I Can Hear You, is full of vignettes of Damrosch's real-life waiting, i.e., the delivery of the Fabergé egg as a marriage proposal, and the parade of celebrities she meets along the way. <em>(Oct.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Damrosch details her brief, yet remarkably fulfilling, career as a waiter and lays bare for readers the intimate workings of restaurant table service. Damrosch's ascent through the ranks at chef Thomas Keller's Midtown Manhattan's Per Se offered her a unique glimpse into high-end dining. Demystifying the hierarchy of captains, waiters, and busboys, Damrosch gives the uninitiated a crash course in those management and organizational issues that keep food streaming in perfect synchronization from kitchen to table. Although maintaining perfect service is a good restaurant's habit, success flows equally from good publicity. So Damrosch describes the frenzy produced in the kitchen by every sighting of a critic in the dining room. Without naming names, Damrosch also offers tales of overbearing, self-involved celebrities and their dining foibles. Tips on how to earn a waiter's respect (don't be a no-show; don't send back an entrée that you've nearly finished) pepper the text. Knoblauch, Mark </p></div>


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<p class="description">Mayonnaise "takes" when a series of liquids form a semisolid consistency. Eggs, a liquid, become solid as they are heated, whereas, under the same conditions, solids melt. When meat is roasted, its surface browns and it acquires taste and texture. What accounts for these extraordinary transformations? The answer: chemistry and physics. With trademark clarity and wit, Herve This launches a wry investigation into the chemical art of cooking. Unraveling the science behind common culinary technique and practice, Herv This breaks food down to its molecular components and matches them to cooking's chemical reactions. He translates the complex processes of the oven into everyday knowledge for professional chefs and casual cooks; demystifies the meaning of taste and the making of flavor; describes the properties of liquids, salts, sugars, oils, and fats; and defines the principles of culinary practice, which endow food with sensual as well as nutritional value. For fans of Herv This's popular volumes and for newcomers to his celebrated approach, The Science of the Ovenfuses the physiology of taste to the molecular structure of bodies and food, expertly expanding the possibilities of the kitchen.</p>


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<p class="description">Here is the first book all the great sauces of practical, workable system. Raymond Sokolov, the widely admired former Food Editor of The first to point out that the hitherto mysterious saucier's art, as practiced by the best restaurant chefs, is based on what amounts to an elegant "fast food" technique. And this is what he demonstrates in his unique, useful, and witty book:-- How to prepare, at your leisure, the three fundamental classic sauces (the "mother" sauces from which all others evolve: Brown, White, and Fish Veloute)...-- How to freeze them in one-meal-size containers, ready for use at a moment's notice...-- How to transform any of these basic put-away sauces, quickly and easily, into the exact ones that French chefs are famous for and serve in the finest restaurants...-- How to prepare the classic dish for which each sauce is traditionally used, with suggestions for enhancing simpler fare (the recipes run the gamut from Duckling a la Bigarade to Poached Eggs Petit-Duc -- that is, with Chateaubriand Sauce).Mr. Sokolov has conceived, then, a comprehensive collection of recipes -- authoritative, clear, and easy to follow -- as well as an inventive method of cooking for the average kitchen. Peppered with culinary lore and with reassuring accounts of the author's own experiences as a modern-day Saucier's Apprentice, here is a book that will appeal to every good amateur cook who wants to produce sumptuous fare at home for occasions great and small.</p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"An entertaining and sometimes murderous satire on campus life." -- <em>--</em><em>New York Times Book Review</em>  </p><p>"Satire is Stephenson's major." -- <em>--</em><em>Los Angeles Times Book Review</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>The New York Times Book Review</em> called Neal Stephenson's most recent novel "electrifying" and "hilarious".  but if you want to know Stephenson was doing twenty years before he wrote the epic <em>Cryptonomicon</em>, it's back-to-school time. Back to The Big U, that is, a hilarious send-up of American college life starring after years our of print, <em>The Big U</em> is required reading for anyone interested in the early work of this singular writer.</p></div>


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<p class="description">Anne Perry’s magnificent Victorian mysteries established her as one of the world’s best known and loved historical novelists. Now, in her vividly imagined World War I novels, Perry’s talents “have taken a quantum leap” (The Star-Ledger), and so has the number of her devoted readers. We Shall Not Sleep, the final book in this epic series featuring the dedicated Reavley family, is perhaps the most memorably enthralling of all Perry’s novels.After four long years, peace is finally in sight. But chaplain Joseph Reavley and his sister Judith, an ambulance driver on the Western Front, are more hard pressed than ever. Behind the lines, violence is increasing: soldiers are abusing German prisoners, a nurse has been raped and murdered, and the sinister ideologue called the Peacemaker now threatens to undermine the peace just as he did the war.Then Matthew, the third Reavley sibling and an intelligence expert, suddenly arrives at the front with startling news. The Peacemaker’s German counterpart has offered to go to England and expose his co-conspirator as a traitor. But with war still raging and prejudices inflamed, such a journey would be fraught with hazards, especially since the Peacemaker has secret informers everywhere, even on the battlefield.For richness of plot, character, and feeling, We Shall Not Sleep is unmatched. Anne Perry’s brilliantly orchestrated finale is a heartstopping tour de force, mesmerizing and totally satisfying.</p>


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<p class="description">From bestselling and award-winning country/pop star Shania Twain, an in-depth look at her hard-scrabble childhood and her rise to worldwide fame.</p>


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<div><p>Genesis is a confident and brash time-traveler, sure of her abilities, and ready to use them on behalf on anyone in need of fixing a past mistake. But when she tries to help a young Holocaust survivor prevent World War II, she is forced to recognize that her powers are not without a price.</p> <p>Defeated and filled with regret, James Grant suddenly enters her life. Depressed over a lost love, James is taken back in time on a journey to save his parent's marriage while learning that living in the past will destroy his future.</p> <p>Still filled with remorse, Genesis tries to leave James - the man she now loves - and live a life of solitude when she learns of her true origin and loses all of her powers...and just when humanity will need them the most!</p> <p>Halfway around the world, an organization bent on destroying civilization and starting anew is gathering its final members for a mission into Earth's future to gather weapons of mass destruction. When James is dragged into their scheme, he is forced to choose between saving Genesis, his new bride, and the rest of the world. What follows is an adventure filled with backstabbing parents, ruthless secret societies, and a battle across time and space between Genesis reborn and the organization's most twisted agent.</p></div>


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<p class="description">The Modern Library is proud to include Virginia Woolf's first novel, The Voyage Out--together with a new Introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Cunningham. Published to acclaim in England in 1915 and in America five years later, The Voyage Out marks Woolf's beginning as one of the twentieth century's most brilliant and prolific writers.Less formally experimental than her later novels, The Voyage Out none-theless clearly lays bare the poetic style and innovative technique--with its multiple figures of consciousness, its detailed portraits of characters' inner lives, and its constant shifting between the quotidian and the profound--that are the signature of Woolf's fiction. Rachel Vinrace, Woolf's first heroine, is a motherless young woman who, at twenty-four, embarks on a sea voyage with a party of other English folk to South America. Guileless, and with only a smattering of education, Rachel is taken under the wing of her aunt Helen, who desires to teach Rachel "how to live."Arriving in Santa Marina, a village on the South American coast, Rachel and Helen are introduced to a group of English expatriates. Among them is the young, sensitive Terence Hewet, an aspiring writer, with whom Rachel falls in love. But theirs is ultimately a tale of doomed love, set against a chorus of other stories and other points of view, as the narrative shifts focus between its central and peripheral characters. E. M. Forster praised The Voyage Out as "a book which attains unity as surely as Wuthering Heights, though by a different path."This edition includes a new Introduction by Michael Cunningham, bestselling author of The Hours. Cunningham at once unfolds an engaging short essay of Woolf's early life and career, an insightful exploration of the themes to which Woolf returns again and again in her fiction, and a spirited defense of the relevance and lasting importance of her art. Katherine Anne Porter wrote of Woolf: "The world of arts was her native territory; she ranged freely under her own sky, speaking her mother tongue fearlessly."</p>


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<p>Meet the men in Diana Joseph's life: "The boy," Diana's fourteen-year-old son, who supports the NRA and dreams of living in a house with wall-to-wall carpeting; Diana's father, who's called her on the telephone twice, ever, and who sat her down when she was twelve to caution her against becoming a slut (she didn't listen); Diana's brothers, or, as her father calls them, "the two assholes"; Diana's ex-husband, a lumberjack with three ex-wives, yet he's still the first one she calls when she's in a jam; and Diana's common-law husband, Al, an English professor who's been mistakenly called mentally challenged. Ostensibly organized around the various men in Diana's life, this is really a memoir about what it's like to be a modern, smart woman making her way in the world. </p>


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“Larson is a marvelous writer...superb at creating characters with a few short strokes.”—New York Times Book Review  Erik Larson has been widely acclaimed as a master of narrative non-fiction, and in his new book, the bestselling author of Devil in the White City turns his hand to a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power. The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.


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<p>The long-anticipated biography of Robert Redford.  </p><p>Among the most widely admired Hollywood stars of his generation, Redford has appeared onstage and on-screen, in front of and behind the camera, earning Academy, Golden Globe, and a multitude of other awards and nominations for acting, directing, and producing, and for his contributions to the arts. His Sundance Film Festival transformed the world of filmmaking; his films defined a generation. America has come to know him as the Sundance Kid, Bob Woodward, Johnny Hooker, Jay Gatsby, and Roy Hobbs. But only now, with this revelatory biography, do we see the surprising and complex man beneath the Hollywood façade.  </p><p>From Redford's personal papers--journals, script notes, correspondence--and hundreds of hours of taped interviews, Michael Feeney Callan brings the legendary star into focus. Here is his scattered family background and restless childhood, his rocky start in acting, the death of his son, his star-making relationship with director Sydney Pollack, the creation of Sundance, his political activism, his artistic successes and failures, his friendships and romances. This is a candid, surprising portrait of a man whose iconic roles on-screen <em>(Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Natural)</em> and directorial brilliance_ (Ordinary People, Quiz Show)_ have both defined and obscured one of the most celebrated, and, until now, least understood, public figures of our time.  </p><p><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em></p>


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<p>There is September 11 and then there are the days after, and finally the years. </p><p><em>Falling Man</em> is a magnificent, essential novel about the event that defines turn-of-the-century America. It begins in the smoke and ash of the burning towers and tracks the aftermath of this global tremor in the intimate lives of a few people.</p><p>First there is Keith, walking out of the rubble into a life that he'd always imagined belonged to everyone but him. Then Lianne, his es-tranged wife, memory-haunted, trying to reconcile two versions of the same shadowy man. And their small son Justin, standing at the window, scanning the sky for more planes.</p><p>These are lives choreographed by loss, grief and the enormous force of history.</p><p>Brave and brilliant, <em>Falling Man</em> traces the way the events of September 11 have reconfigured our emotional landscape, our memory and our perception of the world. It is cathartic, beautiful, heartbreaking. </p>


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What does it take to create your New American Dream? Suze Orman, the woman millions of Americans have turned to for financial advice, says it’s time for a serious reconsideration of the American Dream—what promise it still holds, what aspects are in need of revision, and how it must be refashioned to fit our lives so that we can once again have faith that our hard work will pay off and that a secure and hopeful future is within our reach. In nine electrifying chapters, Orman delivers a master class on personal finance for this pivotal moment in time. She addresses every aspect of the American Dream—home, family, career, retirement. She teaches us that in order to create lasting security we must learn to stand in our truth. We must recognize, embrace, and be honest about what is real for us today and allow that understanding to inform the choices we make.  The New American Dream is not the things we accumulate, says Orman, but the confidence that comes from knowing that which we’ve worked so hard for cannot be taken away from us. In THE MONEY CLASS, Orman teaches us how to take control over our present—right here, right now—in order to build the future of our dreams.  Whether navigating the complicated mix of money and family, offering the most comprehensive retirement resource available today, or delivering a bracing dose of reality when it comes to recalibrating our expectations and our goals, Orman educates us with her signature no-nonsense approach and laser-like clarity. She empowers us to live a life of integrity and honesty that will create an enduring legacy for future generations—a New American Dream that lies in truth, security, financial freedom, and peace of mind.


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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERPulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres"Rousing . . . Action-packed . . . A gripping story about love, fortitude, and convictions that are worth fighting for."--Los Angeles TimesA NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK"POWERFUL . . . Smiley takes us back to Kansas in 1855, a place of rising passions and vast uncertainties. Narrated in the spirited, unsentimental voice of 20-year-old Lidie Newton, the novel is at once an ambitious examination of a turning point in history and the riveting story of one woman's journey into uncharted regions of place and self."--Chicago Tribune"[A] grand tale of the moral and political upheavals igniting antebellum frontier life and a heroine so wonderfully fleshed and unforgettable you will think you are listening to her story instead of reading it. Smiley may have snared a Pulitzer for A Thousand Acres . . . but it is with Lydia (Lidie) Harkness Newton that she emphatically captures our hearts. . . . The key word in Smiley's title is Adventures, and Lydia's are crammed with breathless movement, danger, and tension; populated by terrifically entertaining characters and securely grounded in telling detail."--The Miami Herald"SMILEY BRILLIANTLY EVOKES MID-19TH-CENTURY LIFE. . . . Richly imagined and superbly written, Jane Smiley's new novel is an extraordinary accomplishment in an already distinguished career."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution"A SPRAWLING EPIC . . . A garrulous, nights-by-the-hearth narrative not unlike those classics of the period it emulates. In following a rebellious young woman of 1855 into Kansas Territory and beyond, the novel is so persuasively authentic that it reads like a forgotten document from the days of Twain and Stowe."--The Boston Sunday Globe"CONSISTENTLY ENTERTAINING, FILLED WITH ACTION AND IDEAS."--The New York Times Book Review"ENGAGING . . . [A] HARROWING ADVENTURE . . . This picaresque tale presents a series of remarkable characters, particularly in the inexperienced narrator, whose graphic descriptions of travel and domestic life before the Civil War strip away romantic notions of simpler times. . . . Smiley has created an authentic voice in this struggle of a young woman to live simply amid a swirl of deadly antagonism."--The Christian Science Monitor"A fine historical novel that describes a fascinating time and place . . . It is both funny and subtle, rich in ideas . . . Smiley has created a better all-around piece of fiction than any of her previous work, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Thousand Acres."--The Wall Street Journal"Smiley is a writer of rare versatility who travels widely in her creative endeavors. She proved her mastery of both short fiction and the novel with three sterling works (The Age of Grief, Ordinary Love and Good Will, and A Thousand Acres); her fondness for history had already been established with The Greelanders. In 1995, she successfully extended her repertoire to comedy with the hilarious academic satire Moo. What her new novel shares with all these works is its authorial intelligence."--The Boston Sunday Globe                                                         "Jane Smiley is nothing if not protean, a literary ventriloquist of incredible range. . . . This is a novel that manages to combine the evocative storyteller's voice with the moviemaker's sense of drama and visuals, an old-fashioned tale told with contemporary steam and panache."--The Philadelphia Inquirer"Not only is this a rollicking feminist tale of a woman who can handle herself in the thick of the Kansas Wars, The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton is also a coming of age story as well as a lasting portrait of the genuinely tumultuous time just before the Civil War."--The Raleigh News & Observer"A tale of love and war, revenge and betrayal, Smiley's fictional memoir invites comparisons with Gone with the Wind, even War and Peace. . . . Lidie Newton has the ring of honesty and truth. It also carries the stamp of its author's historical sense, stylistic verve, and moral passion."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch"Full of the same arresting authenticity of detail that carried A Thousand Acres."--New York Daily News"LIDIE IS AN UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER . . . The All-True Travels is a showcase for Smiley's range and dexterity, dead-on in its emotional impact and resonant in the painful truths it conveys."--San Diego Union-Tribune"Rendered in sharply lucid prose and filled with wonderful period detail . . . Lidie's story reads like a long and various dream, brightly colored and brilliantly observed--a journey into a world as troubled, ambiguous, and full of life as our own."--Chicago Tribune"An adventure story, full of suspense, near-misses, and coincidence . . . The first and sustaining marvel of [Smiley's] new novel is Lydia Newton's voice: grounded in 19th-century reserve, yet honest, self-aware, and curious."--Toronto Globe & Mail"Smiley nabbed a Pulitzer for A Thousand Acres. This stunning new effort should win equally thunderous acclaim."--Mademoiselle        "An immensely appealing heroine, a historical setting conveyed with impressive fidelity and a charming and poignant love story make Smiley's new novel a sure candidate for bestseller longevity. . . . Propelled by Lidie's spirited voice, this narrative is packed with drama, irony, historical incident, moral ambiguities, and the perception of human frailty. . . . This novel performs all the functions of superior fiction: in reading one woman's moving story, we understand an historical epoch, the social and political conditions that produced it, and the psychological, moral, and economic motivations of the people who incited and endured its violent confrontations."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Gloriously detailed and brilliantly told, this is a hugely entertaining, illuminating, and sagacious vision of a time of profound moral and political conflict, and of one woman's coming to terms with the perilous, maddening, and precious world."--Booklist (starred review)"Smiley scales another peak with this bighearted and thoughtful picaresque novel. . . . [A] richly entertaining saga of a woman who might have been well matched with Thomas Berger's Little Big Man, and whom Huck Finn would have been proud to claim as his big sister."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)        "HER FINEST WORK YET . . . Resembling a cross between the writing of Jane Austen, Stephen Crane, and Mark Twain . . . A fast-paced historical ride through a defining moment in our nation's history as seen through the eyes of a remarkable woman. . . . Smiley's biggest triumph is in the character of Lidie. One can actually 'see' her growth throughout the story as Lidie learns about the ambiguity of human morality--and that true justice is rarely served."--San Antonio Express-News"Highly recommended . . . Trust Smiley to take a situation charged with both social significance and novelistic opportunity and ride it for all its worth. . . . Smiley gives us a rich lode of historical detail yet keep the story moving, so that it seems to flow by like a river while at the same time yielding up its riches in leisurely fashion."--Library Journal (starred review)"Like Cold Mountain and Beloved--and with more than a casual nod to Mark Twain--this sprawling saga by the Pulitzer-winning author of A Thousand Acres connects readers to the historical issues of the time."--Glamour"Our heroine is a horse-riding, river-swimming, plain-faced young woman with a distinctly well-calibrated mind of her own."--The Baltimore Sun"A long, wild adventure . . . Lidie never loses her pluck, and her story becomes both a rich homage to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and a thrilling variation on the derring-do of Lonesome Dove."--Outside magazine"[A] gripping, epic new novel . . . The All-True Travels is consistently absorbing, thanks in large part to the strong, vibrant voice of the unforgettable Lidie Newton."--Good Housekeeping"Packed with action in a setting worthy of a Western shoot-'em-up."--Newark Star-Ledger                                                         "ROUSING . . . ACTION-PACKED . . . A gripping story about love, fortitude, and convictions that are worth fighting for regardless of the outcome. . . . The voice Smiley creates for her sympathetic and wonderfully human heroine is sharp, engaging, wry, and wise."--Los Angeles Times


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<p>The Horsekin are assembling along Prince Dar's northern border, and the Deverry alliance doesn't have the men or resources to prevent their enemies from moving into the wilderness areas known as the Ghostlands. But then the Dwrgi folk and the dragons come to Dar's aid, tipping the balance in their favor and offering Dar's people a chance to defeat the Horsekin once and for all. </p>


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Drawing on Celtic lore, the Deverry series has become a popular staple of the modern fantasy reader's library. Now A Time of Omens signals the intertwining of the two world of the series: Deverry, the world of humans and elves, and the astral plane, where powerful immortals dwell.


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<p>A <em>New York Times</em> Notable Book of the Year  </p><p>Winner of the Mountains and Plains Book Seller's Association Award  </p><p>"Sprawling in scope. . . . Mr. Egan uses the past powerfully to explain and give dimension to the present." --_The New York Times_  </p><p>"Fine reportage . . . honed and polished until it reads more like literature than journalism." --_Los Angeles Times_  </p><p>"They have tried to tame it, shave it, fence it, cut it, dam it, drain it, nuke it, poison it, pave it, and subdivide it," writes Timothy Egan of the West; still, "this region's hold on the American character has never seemed stronger." In this colorful and revealing journey through the eleven states west of the 100th meridian, Egan, a third-generation westerner, evokes a lovely and troubled country where land is religion and the holy war between preservers and possessors never ends.  </p><p>Egan leads us on an unconventional, freewheeling tour: from America's oldest continuously inhabited community, the Ancoma Pueblo in New Mexico, to the high kitsch of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where London Bridge has been painstakingly rebuilt stone by stone; from the fragile beauty of Idaho's Bitterroot Range to the gross excess of Las Vegas, a city built as though in defiance of its arid environment. In a unique blend of travel writing, historical reflection, and passionate polemic, Egan has produced a moving study of the West: how it became what it is, and where it is going.  </p><p>"The writing is simply wonderful. From the opening paragraph, Egan seduces the reader. . . . Entertaining, thought provoking." <br />--_The Arizona Daily Star Weekly_  </p><p>"A western breeziness and love of open spaces shines through <strong>Lasso the Wind</strong>. . . . The writing is simple and evocative."<br />--_The Economist_  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p>


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Draws on period newspaper accounts, eyewitness testimony, archival footage, and weather forecasters to provide an in-depth account of the Great Hurricane of 1938, which left a trail of death and destruction across seven communities and obliterated entire communities and families. 50,000 first printing.


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<p>A radical and powerful reappraisal of the impact of Constantine's adoption of Christianity on the later Roman world, and on the subsequent development both of Christianity and of Western civilization.  </p><p>When the Emperor Contstantine converted to Christianity in 368 AD, he changed the course of European history in ways that continue to have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects of the religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a course from the relatively open, tolerant and pluralistic civilization of the Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the rule of fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings of Ptolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. Only a thousand years later, with the advent of the Renaissance and the emergence of modern science, did Europe begin to free itself from the effects of Constantine's decision, yet the effects of his establishment of Christianity as a state religion remain with us, in many respects, today. Brilliantly wide-ranging and ambitious, this is a major work of history.  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p>


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<p>How does a simple piece of wood become the king of instruments?</p><p>The violin does something remarkable, magical, and evocative. It is capable of bringing to life the mathematical marvels of Bach, the moan of a Gypsy melody, the wounded dignity of Beethoven's Concerto in D Major. No other instrument is steeped in such a rich brew of myth and lore — and yet the making of a violin starts with a simple block of wood. <em>The Violin Maker</em> takes the reader on a journey as that block of wood, in the hands of a master craftsman, becomes an instrument to rival one made by the greatest master of all time. </p>


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Deep within the remote backlands of nineteenth-century Brazil lies Canudos, home to all the damned of the earth: prostitutes, bandits, beggars, and every kind of outcast. It is a place where history and civilization have been wiped away. There is no money, no taxation, no marriage, no census. Canudos is a cauldron for the revolutionary spirit in its purest form, a state with all the potential for a true, libertarian paradise--and one the Brazilian government is determined to crush at any cost. In perhaps his most ambitious and tragic novel, Mario Vargas Llosa tells his own version of the real story of Canudos, inhabiting characters on both sides of the massive, cataclysmic battle between the society and government troops. The resulting novel is a fable of Latin American revolutionary history, an unforgettable story of passion, violence, and the devastation that follows from fanaticism.  Mario Vargas Llosa is the author of eight novels, most recently The Way to Paradise (FSG, 2003), and was the recipient of the PEN/Nabokov Award in 2002. He lives in London. Deep within the remote backlands of nineteenth-century Brazil lies Canudos, home to all the damned of the earth: prostitutes, bandits, beggars, and every kind of outcast. It is a place where history and civilization have been wiped away. There is no money, no taxation, no marriage, no census. Canudos is a cauldron for the revolutionary spirit in its purest form, a state with all the potential for a true, libertarian paradise—and one the Brazilian government is determined to crush at any cost.In perhaps his most ambitious and tragic novel, Mario Vargas Llosa tells his own version of the real story of Canudos, inhabiting characters on both sides of the massive, cataclysmic battle between the society and government troops. The resulting novel is a fable of Latin American revolutionary history, an unforgettable story of passion, violence, and the devastation that follows from fanaticism.  “A magnificent storyteller . . . [Vargas Llosa] gives us a cast of unforgettable characters swept up in the upheaval . . . This is the work of a master, coming into full realization of his powers.”—The Boston Sunday Globe “A powerful and haunting historical novel.”—Robert Stone, The New York Times Book Review“A modern tragedy on the grand scale . . . As dark as spilled blood.”—Salman Rushdie, The New Republic“A vast, fantastic, thunderous novel.”—The Times (London)“A magnificent storyteller . . . [Vargas Llosa] gives us a cast of unforgettable characters swept up in the upheaval . . . This is the work of a master, coming into full realization of his powers.”—The Boston Sunday Globe“An extraordinary achievement. The author gives a wonderfully vivid and impartial picture of individuals and communities.”—The Guardian (London)“His masterpiece.”—Madison Smartt Bell


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<p>The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since.</p><p>Timothy Egan's critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic chapter of American history from the shadows in a tour de force of historical reportage. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of catastrophe, Egan does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, “the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect" (New York Times).</p><p>In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, The Worst Hard Time is “arguably the best nonfiction book yet" (Austin Statesman Journal) on the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land and a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of trifling with nature. </p>


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<p>Having survived Borneo, Amazonia, and the Congo, the indefatigable Redmond O'Hanlon sets off on his next adventure: his own perfect storm, in the wild waters off the northern tip of Scotland. Equipped with a fancy Nikon, an excessive supply of socks, and no seamanship whatsoever, O'Hanlon joins the commercial fishing crew of the <em>Norlantean</em>, a deep-sea trawler,_ _ to stock a bottomless hull with their catch, even as a hurricane roars around them. Rich in oceanography, marine biology, and uproarious humor, <em>Trawle</em>r is Redmond O'Hanlon at his finest.  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p>


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<p><em>Uncommon Grounds</em> tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in ancient Abyssinia to the advent of Starbucks. In this updated edition of the classic work, Mark Pendergrast reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade, from the disastrous "Coffee Crisis" that caused global prices to plummet to the rise of the Fair Trade movement and the "third-wave" of quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs. As the scope of coffee culture continues to expand, Uncommon Grounds remains more than ever a brilliantly entertaining guide to the currents of one of the world's favorite beverages. </p>


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<p>What do you get when you mix nine parts of speech, one great writer, and generous dashes of insight, humor, and irreverence? One phenomenally entertaining language book_._  </p><p>In his waggish yet authoritative book, Ben Yagoda has managed to undo the dark work of legions of English teachers and libraries of dusty grammar texts. Not since <em>School House Rock</em> have adjectives, adverbs, articles, conjunctions, interjections, nouns, prepositions, pronouns, and verbs been explored with such infectious exuberance. Read _If You Catch an Adjective, Kill It <em>and:</em>_  </p><p>Learn how to write better with classic advice from writers such as Mark Twain ("If you catch an adjective, kill it"), Stephen King ("I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs"), and Gertrude Stein ("Nouns . . . are completely not interesting").   </p><p>Marvel at how a single word can shift from adverb ("I did okay"), to adjective ("It was an okay movie"), to interjection ("Okay!"), to noun ("I gave my okay"), to verb ("Who okayed this?"), depending on its use.   </p><p>Avoid the pretentious preposition <em>at</em>, a favorite of real estate developers (e.g., "The Shoppes at White Plains").   </p><p>Laugh when Yagoda says he "shall call anyone a dork to the end of his days" who insists on maintaining the distinction between <em>shall</em> and <em>will</em>.   </p><p>Read, and discover a book whose pop culture references, humorous asides, and bracing doses of discernment and common sense_ _convey Yagoda's unique sense of the "beauty, the joy, the artistry, and the fun of language."</p>


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<p>"We're born in blood. Our family histories are contained in it, our bodies nourished by it daily. Five quarts run through each of us, along some sixty thousand miles of arteries, veins, and capillaries."<br />--from_ <em>Five Quarts</em>_  </p><p>In the national bestseller Sleep Demons, Bill Hayes took us on a trailblazing trip through the night country of insomnia. Now he is our guide on a whirlwind journey through history, literature, mythology, and science by means of the great red river that runs five quarts strong through our bodies.  </p><p>Profusely illustrated, the journey stretches from ancient Rome, where gladiators drank the blood of vanquished foes to gain strength and courage, to modern-day laboratories, where high-tech machines test blood for diseases and dedicated scientists search for elusive cures. Along the way, there will be world-changing triumphs: William Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood; Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's advances in making the invisible world visible in the early days of the microscope; Dr. Paul Ehrlich's Nobel-Prize-winning work in immunology; Dr. Jay Levy's codiscovery of the virus that causes AIDS. Yet there will also be ignorance and tragedy: the widespread practice of bloodletting via incision and the use of leeches, which harmed more than it healed; the introduction of hemophilia into the genetic pool of nineteenth-century European royalty thanks to the dynastic ambitions of Queen Victoria; the alleged spread of contaminated blood through a phlebotomist's negligence in modern-day California.   </p><p>This is also a personal voyage, in which Hayes recounts the impact of the vital fluid in his daily life, from growing up in a household of five sisters and their monthly cycles, to coming out as a gay man during the explosive early days of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, to his enduring partnership with an HIV-positive man.  </p><p>As much a biography of blood as it is a memoir of how this rich substance has shaped one man's life, <em>Five Quarts</em> is by turns whimsical and provocative, informative and moving. It will get under your skin.  </p><p><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em></p>


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It was 1982 when Bill Lee was famously booted from the Montreal Expos after he went AWOL in protest of another player’s mistreatment by management. His reputation for antics both on and off the field guaranteed that no other club would pick him up. The Ace from Space had landed on professional baseball’s blacklist, and so it was that one of the most popular major-league pitchers of our day was fated to pack his bags and wander the globe searching for a ball game. Have Glove, Will Travel is the chronicle of an amazing odyssey that began more than twenty years ago and continues today. Unable to live without baseball, Lee went anywhere he could find a game, beginning in the dank and dreary locker room of a Canadian hockey team that later became a softball team. We follow him around the world as he competes in pickup games, town tournaments, senior leagues, and fantasy camps, barnstorming like a modern Satchel Paige around the United States, South America, China, Cuba, Russia, and every province in Canada.At the heart of this story are the rollicking, colorful characters Lee meets during his travels, and the mishaps that befall him whether he’s sober or stoned. There’s the eccentric Latin pitching master Lee plays with in Cuba, who once struck out Ernest Hemingway. And a hilarious story that takes place in the backwoods of a British Columbia timber town, where Lee and Hall-of-Famer Ferguson Jenkins go fishing and end up being chased back to their pickup truck by a 450-pound black bear.Have Glove, Will Travel is so much more than the average baseball book. Lee’s humor, keen eye for detail, and extraordinary pitching intellect are always on display, but in the end this book is a love story about a middle-aged maverick who refused to stop pursuing his passion for a boy’s game long after the grown-ups told him he couldn’t play on their team anymore. Readers who loved Lee’s bestselling The Wrong Stuff, also written with Richard Lally, will find the long wait for this rich and wonderful sequel well worth it. Those who haven’t yet encountered the literary Bill Lee have a great treat in store.


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“A reeling, contagious story of hope and interspecies empathy.” (Publishers Weekly ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><blockquote><p>From the author of <em>Still Life with Elephant</em> comes the story of one woman and her quest to save a majestic animal. </p></blockquote><p>After a year spent caring for baby elephants in Africa, Neelie Sterling is preparing to return to the States and a life filled with exes—ex-boyfriend, ex-husband, ex-house, ex-horse. But she is leaving behind some unfinished business in Zimbabwe: a very special elephant targeted for execution. With the help of her new friend Diamond-Rose Tremaine, an eccentric safari operator, Neelie manages to buy some time for the imperiled pachyderm, knowing that when she lands in New York they'll need to raise funds for his rescue. </p><p>Once they're home, everything becomes a struggle. Neelie and Diamond-Rose now must relearn how to survive in an urban jungle of table manners and real beds while coping with the overbearing affections of Neelie's family. Harder still, Neelie desperately needs the help of her wealthy conservationist ex-boyfriend, Tom, to save the magnificent creature—and swallowing her pride just might be the biggest challenge of all. </p>


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<p>Twelve luminous stories alive with friendship and secrets introduce a remarkable writer. Daphne Kalotay's characters confront regrets and unrealized hopes in tales tinged with gentle humor. A newly independent woman finds herself in bed with an ex-husband of long ago. A little girl gets a surprising glimpse into adulthood when she catches her mother in a moment of uninhibited pleasure. A thirteen-year-old boy contends with the unwanted attentions of a younger girl. And for two older women, a tie formed in their youth sustains them through varied twists of fate. These are dazzling intertwined tales of love, failure, and the comedy of human relationships.  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p>


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<p>The Deep</p><p>In a twilight land, two warring powers — the Reds and the Blacks — play out an ancient game of murder and betrayal. Then a Visitor from beyond the sky arrives to play a part in this dark and bloody pageant. From the moment he is found by two women who tend to the dead in the wake of battles, it is clear that the great game is to change at last.</p><h4>Beasts</h4><p>It is the day after tomorrow, and society has been altered dramatically by experimentation that enables scientists to combine the genetic material of different species, mixing DNA of humans with animals. Loren Casaubon is an ethologist drawn into the political and social vortex that results with Leo — a creature both man and lion — at its center.</p><h4>Engine Summer</h4><p>A young man named Rush That Speaks is growing up in a far distant world — one that only dimly remembers our own age, the wondrous age of the Angels, when men could fly. Now it is the "engine summer of the world," and Rush goes in search of the Saints who can teach him to speak truthfully, and be immortal in the stories he tells. The immortality that awaits him, though, is one he could not have imagined. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>New in the #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series-the basis for HBO(r)'s <em>True Blood</em>!</strong>   </p><p>With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows... </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Charlaine Harris</strong> writes both fantasies and mysteries. She lives in southern Arkansas with her family. </p>


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<p class="description">Frank Becker is a highly sought after, expert assassin. When Becker takes a mysterious job, he has no idea that it will force him to delve deeply into his own past. Undeterred by obstacles he is determined to complete his assignment. But he may realize too late that his success will permanently alter his future.</p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>Praise for the Chicagoland Vampires Novels:  </p><p>"A wonderfully compelling vampire heroine."<br>-_USA Today_ Bestselling Author Julie Kenner   </p><p>"If you loved Nancy Drew but always wished she was an undead sword-wielding badass, Merit is your kind of girl." <br>-Geek Monthly (geekmonthly.com)   </p><p>"Smart, sexy, and delightful. A must-read." <br>-Candace Havens, author of <em>Dragons Prefer Blondes</em>   </p><p>"A fun cast of quirky characters and smoking' hot sexual tension...A stunning combination." <br>-Tate Hallaway, author of <em>Honeymoon of the Dead</em>   </p><p>"There's a new talent in town, and if this debut is any indication, she's here to stay. Not only does Neill introduce an indomitable and funny heroine, her secondary characters are enormously intriguing and make terrific foils. While the tone of this first-person Chicagoland Vampire series starter is generally light, there is an undercurrent of danger. Truly excellent." <br>-_Romantic Times_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>"Neill creates a strong-minded, sharp-witted heroine who will appeal to fans of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake." -_Library Journal_ </strong>  </p><p>Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals-and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are...tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.   </p><p>Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society-a world full of vampires who seem ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands...   </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>Caleb's Crossing</em>, Brooks offers a compelling answer to the riddle of how--in an era that considered him an intellectually impaired savage--he left the island to compete with the sons of the Puritanical elite. She relates his story through the impassioned voice of the daughter of the island's Calvinist minister, a brilliant young woman who aches for the education her father wastes on her dull brother. Bethia Mayfield meets Caleb at twelve, and their mutual affinity for nature and knowledge evolves into a clandestine, lifelong bond. Bethia's father soon realizes Caleb's genius for letters and prepares him for study at Harvard, while Bethia travels to Cambridge under much less auspicious circumstances. This window on early academia fascinates, but the book breathes most thrillingly in the island's salt-stung air, and in the end, its questions of the power and cost of knowledge resound most profoundly not in Harvard's halls, but in the fire of a Wampanoag medicine man. --_Mari Malcolm_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>A richly imagined new novel from the author of the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller, <em>People of the Book</em>. </strong>   </p><p>Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure.   </p><p>The narrator of <em>Caleb's Crossing</em> is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures.   </p><p>Like Brooks's beloved narrator Anna in <em>Year of Wonders</em>, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha's Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart. Evocative and utterly absorbing, <em>Caleb's Crossing</em> further establishes Brooks's place as one of our most acclaimed novelists. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“Roll ‘em: Tyler’s memoir is a wild ride. Explicit and filled with expletives, it reads like an even wilder and louder version of Richards’ best-selling “Life.” Tyler, 63, settles back and tells story after story about life in the “most decadent, lecherous, sexiest, nastiest band in the land.”” (Associated Press )  </p><p>“Explicit and filled with expletives, the memoir -- titled Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? -- reads like an even wilder and louder version of Richards’ best-selling Life.” (The Oregonian (Portland) )  </p><p>“Steven Tyler is one of the giants of American music, who’s been influential for a whole generation of Rock-n-Roll fans around the world. Long May He Rock!” (Sir Paul McCartney )  </p><p>“Steven Tyler is an unalloyed genius” (New York Times )  </p><p>“Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll…gets a booster shot of head-spinning authenticity in Steven Tyler’s brash memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?...a frank, full, and colorful accounting of the band’s tumultuous history.” (USA Today ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>"I've been mythicized, Mick-icized, eulogized and fooligized, I've been Cole-Portered and farmer's-daughtered, I've been Led Zepped and 12-stepped. I'm a rhyming fool and so cool that me, Fritz the Cat, and Mohair Sam are the baddest cats that am. I have so many outrageous stories, too many, and I'm gonna tell 'em all. All the unexpurgated, brain-jangling tales of debauchery, sex &amp; drugs, transcendence &amp; chemical dependence you will ever want to hear." </p><p>The son of a classical pianist straight out of the Bronx of old Archie comics, Steven Tyler was born to be a rock star. Weaned on Cole Porter, Nat King Cole, Mick—and his beloved Janis Joplin—Tyler began tearing up the streets and the stage as a teenager before finally meeting his "mutant twin" and legendary partner Joe Perry. In this addictively readable memoir, told in the playful, poetic voice that is uniquely his own, Tyler unabashedly recounts the meteoric rise, fall, and rise of Aerosmith over the last three decades and riffs on the music that gives it all meaning. </p><p>Tyler tells what it's like to be a living legend and the frontman of one of the world's most revered and infamous bands—the debauchery, the money, the notoriety, the fights, the motels and hotels, the elevators, limos, buses and jets, the rehab. He reveals the spiritual side that "gets lost behind the stereotype of the Sex Guy, the Drug Guy, the Demon of Screamin', the Terror of the Tropicana." And he talks about his epic romantic life and his relationship with his four children. As dazzling, bold, and out-on-the-edge as the man himself, <em>Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?</em> is an all-access backstage pass into this extraordinary showman's life. </p></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>In June 2005 four US Navy SEALs left their base in Afghanistan for the Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs was alive.This is the story of team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, but it is also the story of his team who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left, blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing.Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him off, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in a a Pashtun tribe who risked everything to protect him from the circling Taliban killers.</p>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>Lost in Shangri-La</em>, Mitchell Zuckoff’s remarkable and inspiring narrative. Faced with the potential brutality of the Dani tribe, known throughout the valley for its violence, the trio’s lives were dependent on an unprecedented rescue mission--a dedicated group of paratroopers jumped into the jungle to provide aid and medical care, consequently leaving the survivors and paratroopers alike trapped on the jungle floor. A perilous rescue by plane became their only possible route to freedom. A riveting story of deliverance under the most unlikely circumstances, <em>Lost in Shangri-La</em> deserves its place among the great survival stories of World War II. <em>--Lynette Mong</em></p><hr><p><strong> Amazon Exclusive: Hampton Sides Reviews <em>Lost in Shangri-La</em> </strong>   </p><p><strong><em>Outside</em> magazine and the author of the international bestseller __, which won the 2002 PEN USA Award for nonfiction and the 2002 Discover Award from Barnes &amp; Noble, and also served as the basis for the 2005 Miramax film <em>The Great Raid</em>. </strong></p><hr><p>Although World War II was the greatest conflict in the history of this planet, many a jaded reader has come to the reluctant conclusion that there aren’t any more World War II stories left to tell. At least not good ones—not tales of the “ripping good yarn” variety. Yet remarkably, in his new book <em>Lost in Shangri-La</em>, Mitchell Zuckoff has found one, and he’s told it with reportorial verve, narrative skill, and exquisite pacing.</p><p>What makes this World War II story all the more fascinating is that it isn’t really a war story—not in a strict military sense. It’s more of an exotic adventure tale with rich anthropological shadings. In 1945, near the end of the war, an American plane crashes in a hidden jungle valley in New Guinea inhabited by Stone Age cannibals. 21 Americans die in the crash, but three injured survivors soon find themselves stumbling through the jungle without food, nursing terrible wounds and trying to elude Japanese snipers known to be holding out in the mountains.</p><p>The first contact between the three Americans and the valley’s Dani tribesmen is both poignant and comical. The Americans, Zuckoff writes, have “crash-landed in a world that time didn’t forget. Time never knew it existed.” The tribesmen, who have never encountered metal and have yet to master the concept of the wheel, think the American interlopers are white spirits who’ve descended on a vine from heaven, fulfilling an ancient legend. They’re puzzled and fascinated by the layers of “removable skin” in which these alien visitors are wrapped; the natives, who smear their bodies in pig grease and cover their genitals with gourds, have never seen clothes before.</p><p>The Americans, in turn, are pretty sure their boartusk-bestudded hosts want to skewer them for dinner.</p><p>What ensues in Zuckoff’s fine telling is not so much a cultural collision as a pleasing and sometimes hilarious mutual unraveling of assumptions. Though the differences in the two societies are chasmic, the Americans and the Dani become—in a guarded, tentative sort of way—_friends_.</p><p>But when armed American airmen arrive via parachute to rescue the survivors, relations become more tense. The Americans make their camp right in the middle of a no-man’s land between warring Dani tribes—a no-man’s land where for centuries they have fought the battles that are central to their daily culture. Here, Zuckoff notes, the ironies are profoundly rich. The Dani, untouched by and indeed utterly unaware of the great war that’s been raging all across the globe, become thoroughly discombobulated when their own war is temporarily disrupted.</p><p>Yes, there <em>are</em> still a few good World War II stories left to tell. And yes, this one meets all the requirements of a ripping good yarn. Zuckoff, who teaches journalism at Boston University, is a first-rate reporter who has spared no expense to rescue this tale from obscurity. His story has it all: Tragedy, survival, comedy, an incredibly dangerous eleventh-hour rescue, and an immensely attractive heroine to boot. It’s extraordinary that Hollywood hasn’t already taken this tale and run wild with it. If it did, the resulting movie would be equal parts <em>Alive</em>, <em>Cast Away</em>, and <em>The Gods Must Be Crazy</em>. It’s as though the Americans have arrived in the Stone Age through a wormhole in the space-time continuum. The Dani don’t know what to do with themselves—and life, as any of us know it, will never be the same.</p><hr><h3>Review</h3><p>“Zuckoff transforms impressive research into a deft narrative that brings the saga of the survivors to life.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )  </p><p>“Zuckoff delivers a remarkable survival story. . . . In this well-crafted book, Zuckoff turns the long-forgotten episode into an unusually exciting narrative. . . . Polished, fast-paced and immensely readable—ready for the big screen.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )  </p><p>“[An] engaging story. . . . This excellent book will be enjoyed by anyone who loves true adventure stories.” (Library Journal (starred review) )  </p><p>“This is an absorbing adventure right out of the Saturday-morning serials. . . . LOST IN SHANGRI-LA deserves a spot on the shelf of Greatest Generation nonfiction. It puts the reader smack into the jungle. ” (Cleveland Plain Dealer )  </p><p>“[A] gripplingly cinematic account. . . . A remarkable cast of characters. . . . A” (Entertainment Weekly ) </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>"My tendency to make up stories and lie compulsively for the sake of my own amusement takes up a good portion of my day and provides me with a peace of mind not easily attainable in this economic climate."--Chelsea Handler, from Chapter 10 of <em>Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang</em>   </p><p>It's no lie: Chelsea Handler loves to smoke out "dumbassness," the condition people suffer from that allows them to fall prey to her brand of complete and utter nonsense. Friends, family, co-workers--they've all been tricked by Chelsea into believing stories of total foolishness and into behaving like total fools. Luckily, they've lived to tell the tales and, for the very first time, write about them.   </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Friends, family members, and co-workers of Chelsea Handler, who are happy to write a new book for Chelsea to promote since she's feeling too lazy to write one herself. </p></div>


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<p>Jean-Louis Fournier did not expect to have a disabled child. He certainly did not expect to have two. But that is precisely what happened to this wry French humorist, and his attempts to live and cope with his Mathieu and Thomas, both facing extremely debilitating physical and mental challenges, is the subject of this brave and heartbreaking book. Fournier recalls the life he imagined having with his sons--but his boys will never really grow up, and he mourns the loss of every memory he thought he'd have.<br>Though a devoted father, he does not shy away from exploring the limits of his love, the countless times he is filled with frustration and disappointment with no relief in sight. Mathieu and Thomas can barely communicate, and each in turn repeats learned phrases, such as "Where we going, Daddy?" (a favorite in the car) in what feels to<br>Fournier to be an eternal loop.<br>In <em>WhereWe Going, Daddy? </em>Fournier reveals everything, and that is perhaps his most remarkable quality. He does not hide behind a mask of cliché, but gives voice to the darkness that comes with disability, and the rare moments of light. Through short, powerful vignettes Jean-Louis manages his grief with cynicism and humor. For parents of disabled children, this book will offer some relief from the courage they must garner every day, a chance to let down their guard, laugh at themselves, and embrace even the ugly emotions they feel. For the rest of us, it's an unsettling and heartfelt glimpse into an otherwise unimaginable life. </p>


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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><h2 style="font-size: 14px; ">The Plot</h2><p style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The twelve stories in this collection, written separately and published between 1950 and 1964, fit into a consistent future history that covers human development from the Second Age of Space to the era of rights for underpeople and the Rediscovery of Man. Many of the stories involve the Instrumentality, a ruling bureau- cracy that is not always admirable but ultimately manages “to keep man man.”</p><p style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Set in the Second Age of Space, “Scanners Live in Vain” concerns the scanners, men surgically cut off from their senses in order to endure the pain of space...</p></span>


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<p class="description">Chanrithy Him felt compelled to tell of surviving life under the Khmer Rouge in a way "worthy of the suffering which I endured as a child." In the Cambodian proverb, "when broken glass floats" is the time when evil triumphs over good. That time began in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia and the Him family began their trek through the hell of the "killing fields." In a mesmerizing story, Him vividly recounts a Cambodia where rudimentary labor camps are the norm and technology, such as cars and electricity, no longer exists. Death becomes a companion at the camps, along with illness. Yet through the terror, Chanrithy's family remains loyal to one another despite the Khmer Rouge's demand of loyalty only to itself. Moments of inexpressible sacrifice and love lead them to bring what little food they have to the others, even at the risk of their own lives. In 1979, "broken glass" finally sinks. From a family of twelve, only five of the Him children survive. Sponsored by an uncle in Oregon, they begin their new lives in a land that promises welcome to those starved for freedom.</p>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>As a teacher of English literature, Jamie Zeppa would understand how the story of her journey into Bhutan could be fit into the convenient box of "coming-of-age romance," a romance with a landscape, a people, a religion, and a dark, irresistible student. An innocent, young Catholic woman from a Canadian mining town who had "never been anywhere," Zeppa signed up for a two-year stint teaching in a remote corner of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Despite the initial shock of material privation and such minor inconveniences as giardia, boils, and leeches, Zeppa felt herself growing into the vast spaces of simplicity that opened up beyond the clutter of modern life. Alongside her burgeoning enchantment, a parallel realization that all was not right in Shangri-La arose, especially after her transfer to a college campus charged with the politics of ethnic division. Still she maintained her center by devouring the library's Buddhist tracts and persevering in an increasingly fruitful meditation practice. When the time came for her to leave, she had undergone a personal transformation and found herself caught between two worlds that were incompatible and mutually incomprehensible. Zeppa's candid, witty account is a spiritual memoir, a travel diary, and, more than anything, a romance that retraces the vicissitudes of ineluctable passion. <em>--Brian Bruya</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Zeppa's story is nearly an inversion of the ancient Buddhist tale of Siddhartha (in which a prince ventures from the paradise of his father's palace only to find the suffering and decay that he never knew existed) in that the author, at the age of 22, abruptly leaves a stale life in Canada to become a volunteer teacher in the remote and largely undisturbed Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. Cloaked in the airy mountains between India and China, Bhutan initially frustrates but eventually captivates Zeppa with its rudimentary lifestyle that forces her to question former values and plans for the future. Though the story line would seem to open itself to cloying romanticization, Zeppa's telling of her clumsy attempts to adapt rings with sincerity and inspires sympathy. She thinks to herself upon visiting a local house: "In one shadowy corner, there is a skinny chicken. I blink several times but it does not vanish. Is it a pet? Is it dinner?" Zeppa's lucid descriptions of the craggy terrain and honest respect for the daily struggles of the natives bring the tiny land to life in a way that is reverent but real. Though she tries to avoid what a friend terms "that Shangri-La-Di-Da business" and grapples with the poverty, sexism and political squabbles in Bhutan that bother her, there is little doubt that she sees the place in a largely positive light and is tempted to remain. In the end, Zeppa's is a lively tale of her earnest efforts to reconcile what she has learned with what she has known. (June) <br>Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">In **Snow Crash**, Neal Stephenson took science fiction to dazzling new levels. Now, in **The Diamond Age**, he delivers another stunning tale. Set in twenty-first century Shanghai, it is the story of what happens when a state-of-the-art interactive device falls into the hands of a street urchin named Nell. Her life-and the entire future of humanity-is about to be decoded and reprogrammed....</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">The dying Empire's most cunning and ruthless warlord—Grand Admiral Thrawn—has taken command<br>    of the remnants of the Imperial fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New<br>    Republic's destruction. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian race to find proof of treason<br>    inside the highest Republic Council—only to discover instead a ghostly fleet of warships that<br>    could bring doom to their friends and victory to their enemies.</p>
<p class="description">    Yet most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, risen from the ashes of a shrouded past,<br>    consumed by bitterness ... and scheming to corrupt Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side.</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the<br>    Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven the remnants of the old Imperial<br>    Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and<br>    expecting Jedi twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi<br>    Knights.</p>
<p class="description">    But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor's warlords has taken command of<br>    the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the<br>    new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy<br>    everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The<br>    explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and<br>    spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.</p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between. </strong>   </p><p>Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. <em>If You Ask Me</em> mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven- decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty's candid take on everything from her rumored crush on Robert Redford (true) to her beauty regimen ("I have no idea what color my hair is and I never intend to find out") to the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host <em>Saturday Night Live</em> despite her having declined the hosting job three times already.   </p><p>Featuring all-new material, with a focus on the past fifteen years of her life, <em>If You Ask Me</em> is funny, sweet, and to the point-just like Betty White. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Betty White</strong>'s award-winning career in television and film has spanned an impressive seven decades and has included iconic roles on <em>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</em> and <em>The Golden Girls</em>. Widely recognized for her lifelong work for animal welfare, she lives in Brentwood, California, with her golden retriever, Pontiac. </p></div>


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<p class="description">Dick Van Dyke, indisputably one of the greats of the golden age of television, is admired and beloved by audiences the world over for his beaming smile, his physical dexterity, his impeccable comic timing, his ridiculous stunts, and his unforgettable screen roles.              His trailblazing television program, The Dick Van Dyke Show (produced by Carl Reiner, who has written the foreword to this memoir), was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960s and introduced another major television star, Mary Tyler Moore. But Dick Van Dyke was also an enormously engaging movie star whose films, including Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, have been discovered by a new generation of fans and are as beloved today as they were when they first appeared. Who doesn’t know the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?              A colorful, loving, richly detailed look at the decades of a multilayered life, My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business, will enthrall every generation of reader, from baby-boomers who recall when Rob Petrie became a household name, to all those still enchanted by Bert’s “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” This is a lively, heartwarming memoir of a performer who still thinks of himself as a “simple song-and-dance man,” but who is, in every sense of the word, a classic entertainer.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>One of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries, Murder on the Orient Express was inspired by two real-life crimes and the author’s own experience being stranded on the Orient Express during Christmas of 1931. While traveling to Paris, a wealthy American is stabbed to death in his cabin on the Orient Express. With the train stuck in a snowdrift, there is no easy escape for the killer. Fortunately, detective Hercule Poirot is aboard and launches a clever investigation into the curious assortment of passengers, of whom each seems to have a motive.</p>


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<p>Meet the Wapshots of St Botolphs. There is Captain Leander Wapshot, venerable sea-dog and would-be suicide; his licentious older son, Moses; and Moses's adoring and errant younger brother, Coverly. Tragic and funny, ribald and splendidly picaresque, and partly based on Cheever's adolescence in New England, The Wapshot Chronicle is a family narrative in the finest traditions of Trollope, Dickens, and Henry James </p>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>World War II may have ended in 1945, but according to historian Tony Judt, the conflict's epilogue lasted for nearly the rest of the century. Calling 1945-1989 "an interim age," Judt examines what happened on each side of the Iron Curtain, with the West nervously inching forward while the East endured the "peace of the prison yard" until the fall of Communism in 1989 signaled their chance to progress. Though he proposes no grand, overarching theory of the postwar period, Judt's massive work covers the broad strokes as well as the fine details of the years 1945 to 2005. No one book (even at nearly a thousand pages) could fully encompass this complex period, but <em>Postwar</em> comes close, and is impressive for its scope, synthesis, clarity, and narrative cohesion. </p><p>Judt treats the entire continent as a whole, providing equal coverage of social changes, economic forces, and cultural shifts in western and eastern Europe. He offers a county-by-county analysis of how each Eastern nation shed Communism and traces the rise of the European Union, looking at what it represents both economically and ideologically. Along with the dealings between European nations, he also covers Europe's conflicted relationship with the United States, which learned much different lessons from World War II than did Europe. In particular, he studies the success of the Marshall Plan and the way the West both appreciated and resented the help, for acceptance of it reminded them of their diminished place in the world. No impartial observer, Judt offers his judgments and opinions throughout the book in an attempt to instruct as well as inform. If a moral lesson is to come from World War II, Judt writes, "then it will have to be <em>taught</em> afresh with each passing generation. 'European Union' may be an answer to history, but it can never be a substitute." This book would be an excellent place to start that lesson. --_Shawn Carkonen_</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> This is the best history we have of Europe in the postwar period and not likely to be surpassed for many years. Judt, director of New York University's Remarque Institute, is an academic historian of repute and, more recently, a keen observer of European affairs whose powerfully written articles have appeared in the <em>New York Times</em>, the <em>New York Review of Books</em> and elsewhere. Here he combines deep knowledge with a sharply honed style and an eye for the expressive detail. <em>Postwar </em>is a hefty volume, and there are places where the details might overwhelm some readers. But the reward is always there: after pages on cabinet shuffles in some small country, or endless diplomatic negotiations concerning the fate of Germany or moves toward the European Union, the reader is snapped back to attention by insightful analysis and excellent writing. Judt shows that the dire human and economic costs of WWII shadowed Europe for a very long time afterward. Europeans and Americans recall the economic miracle, but it didn't really transform people's lives until the late 1950s, when a new, more individualized, consumer-oriented society began to appear in the West. But <em>Postwar </em>is not just a history of Western Europe. One of its great virtues is that it fully integrates the history of Eastern and Western Europe, and covers the small countries as well as the large and powerful ones. Judt is judicious, even a bit uncritical, in his appraisal of American involvement in Europe in the early postwar years, and he's scathing about Western intellectuals' accommodation to communism. His book focuses on cultural and intellectual life rather than the social experiences of factory workers or peasants, but it would probably be impossible to encompass all of it in one volume. Overall, this is history writing at its very best. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p></div>


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<div><p>A brilliant follow-up to the Stephen Leacock Award-winner <strong>The Best Laid Plans</strong>, this deeply funny satire continues the story of Honest Angus McLintock, an amateur politician who dares to do the unthinkable: tell the truth.  </p><p>Just when Daniel Addison thinks he can escape his job as a political aide, Angus McLintock, the no-hope candidate he helped into Parliament, throws icy cold water over his plans. Angus has just brought down the government with a deciding vote. Now the crusty Scot wants Daniel to manage his next campaign.   </p><p>Soon Daniel is helping Angus fight an uphill battle against "Flamethrower" Fox, a Conservative notorious for his dirty tactics. Together they decide to take "The High Road" and -- against all odds -- turn the race into a nail-biter with hilarious ups and downs, cookie-throwing seniors, and even a Watergate-style break-in. But that's only the beginning. Add a political storm in the capital and a side-splitting visit from the U.S. President and his alcoholic wife, and Terry Fallis's second novel is a wildly entertaining read full of deft political satire and laugh-out-loud comedy.  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p></div>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Hollick (A Hollow Crown) constructs a magnificent epic in this unabashedly pro-Saxon recounting of a turning point in English history. Twenty-two years before the Battle of Hastings, Harold Godwinesson lives happily with his wife in the turbulent era of Edward the Confessor, but as a member of the most powerful noble family in England, Harold is drawn into a political drama that will eventually lead him to assume the rule of England as the last of the Saxon kings. While Edward's Norman associates stir resentment in England, an enemy is consolidating his position across the channel: the ruthless William, duke of Normandy, who considers himself heir to Edward's throne. Hollick's enormous cast and meticulous research combine to create a convincing account of the destructive reign of the hapless Edward and the internecine warfare that weakens England as William prepares to invade. Thanks to Hollick's masterful storytelling, Harold's nobility and heroism enthrall to the point of engendering hope for a different ending to the famous battle of 1066. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>Hollick's enormous cast and meticulous research combine to create a convincing account of the destructive reign of the hapless Edward and the internecine warfare that weakens England as William prepares to invade. Thanks to Hollick's masterful storytelling, Harold's nobility and heroism enthrall to the point of engendering hope for a different ending to the famous battle of 1066. (_Publishers Weekly_ 20110311)  </p><p>Shut off the phones, order takeaway, and have beverages at hand because once begun, this book is close to impossible to set down. I adored <em>I Am the Chosen King</em> and highly recommend it to all readers, do not be put off by the size of this book for in the end I fancy the reader will have wished it longer.<br />(_Rundpinne_ 20110311)  </p><p>This was a book that was very hard for me to put down. I found myself immersed in time and place and just about felt like I was THERE. Ms. Hollick is a master at delivering a tale that you don't want to end. (_The Broken Teepee_ 20110311)  </p><p>One thing for certain, reading a historical novel by Helen Hollick will leave you feeling satisfied if a little sad that the novel has ended. Even though you basically know the ending before you start the novel, it is in the telling of the story in between that will captivate you and keep you reading.  </p><p>(_Peeking Between the Pages_ 20110311)  </p><p>In the days when I was reading <em>I Am the Chosen King</em>, I felt I was kidnapped by this story of the Saxon England. When I couldn't read the book, I thought about it during the day, I researched what I didn't know online and when sleeping, I dreamed about the characters. I think it will not be an exaggeration when I say that Helen cast a spell on me, the one that made me fully absorbed in the world of <em>I Am the Chosen King</em>. (_Reading Extravaganza_ 20110311)  </p><p>The descriptions of the Battle of Hastings were breathtaking, and heartbreaking, I had goosebumps reading these scenes. Hollick's author notes were a wonderful addition and much appreciated by this reader. All up, another winner for Helen Hollick and fans of historical fiction. <br />(_Queen of Happy Endings_ 20110311)  </p><p>The genius of Hollick's writing is her rare ability to combine accurate historical fact with damned good storytelling. (_A Reader's Respite_ 20110311)  </p><p>Helen Hollick is an author who is conquering the world one country at a time with her intricate way of bringing the past to life, especially through the historical fiction favorite; I am the Chosen King. (_Suite 101 Romance_ 20110311)  </p><p>I really enjoyed this book and I know that historical fiction fans will absolutely love it. Hollick has the ability to take a very detailed historical account and give it life. Her style is very approachable and leaves the reader feeling like they have learned a lot, while still being entertained. (_Deb's Book Bag_ 20110510)  </p><p>Like Beethoven's Symphony Number 7, I am the Chosen King starts out quiet and touching and then slowly, almost without you realizing it, it moves to a stunning and powerful conclusion. For the last two hundred or so pages, I found myself totally obsessed with the book. (_Laura's Reviews_ )  </p><p>You'll find yourself sucked into a world from the past where everything is different, yet nothing is. (_Literary Litter_ )  </p><p>There are many historical fiction authors I admire: writers who can tell a good story, keep my interest, and whisk me away to times and places far away. There are, however, very few of whom I am in awe; ones whose writing skill and depth are so encompassing that I am no longer an observer of events, but a participant. Helen Hollick is that sort of author, and <em>I Am the Chosen King</em> is arguably her best writing. (_Historical Novels Review_ ) </p>


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Hailed by The New York Times as “a master of the British mystery,” award-winning author Elizabeth George is one of our most distinguished writers, cherished by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first collection of short stories is an extraordinary offering that deftly explores the dark side of everyday people—and the lengths to which they will go to get what they want most....In these five tantalizing and original tales, George plumbs the depths of human nature—and human weakness—as only she can. From the chilling tale of a marriage built on an appalling set of lies that only death can reveal, to the final, title story about a penniless schoolteacher whose ambition turns murderous, I, Richard is filled with page-turning drama, danger, and unmatched suspense. Whether the setting is urban or suburban, affluent or middle class, no one is safe from menace. Thanks to Inspector Thomas Lynley, a squabbling group of Anglophiles discovers a killer in its midst…But little help is on hand when a picture-perfect town is shattered by an eccentric new resident’s horrifying pet project.... And when a wealthy husband is haunted by suspicions about his much-younger wife, it becomes clear that a man’s imagination can be his own worst enemy...Ironic, revealing, and undeniably entertaining, this imaginative collection proves once again why Elizabeth George is one of today’s best-loved authors. I, Richard belongs in the library of each and every mystery devotee.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>According to this congenial biography by film journalist Munn, movie legend Wayne (1907–1979) was a hard worker who held tight to his beliefs and what he thought he should show on screen. Wayne's career did have its share of controversy (although he starred in cutthroat war films, Wayne didn't sign up for military service in WWII; he rejected communism, which made him the object of Stalinist threats; and the actor's given name is still debated), and Munn deftly addresses those hullabaloos while providing an overview of the actor's accomplishments. After playing football at USC, Wayne worked as a studio prop man, coming into early contact with director John Ford, who would direct Wayne in some of his most memorable performances, including 1952's The Quiet Man. Throughout their association, Ford treated Wayne erratically, disparaging his talents and lashing out at him for accepting a lead role from rival director Raoul Walsh (The Big Trail, 1930). Yet Ford and Wayne collaborated on 1939's Stagecoach, which gave birth to the serious western and the Ford-Wayne movie subgenre. Other highlights include Wayne's emergence as a heavy in 1948's Red River and his ferocious performance in 1956's The Searchers. Munn portrays the actor in his personal life as a man's man, who sustained friendships with tough cohorts like stuntman Yakima Canutt but failed in romance. Although the book takes an odd turn toward the end, when Munn links Wayne's patriotism and heroic persona to the heroic actions after September 11, overall, it's a fine tribute. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"A fine tribute." <br />-- <em>Publishers Weekly</em> (_Publisher's Weekly_ ) </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Drawing on 17th-century Dutch records of New Netherland and its capital, Manhattan, translated by scholar Charles Gehring only in recent decades, Shorto (Gospel Truth) brings to exuberant life the human drama behind the skimpy legend starting with the colony's founding in 1623. Most Americans know little about Dutch Manhattan beyond its first director, Peter Minuit, who made the infamous $24 deal with the Indians, and Peter Stuyvesant, the stern governor who lost the island to the English in 1664. These two seminal figures receive their due here, along with a huge cast of equally fascinating characters. But Shorto has a more ambitious agenda: to argue for the huge debt Americans owe to the culture of Dutch Manhattan, the first place in the New World where men and women of different races and creeds lived in relative harmony. The petitions of the colony's citizens for greater autonomy, penned by Dutch-trained lawyer Adriaen van der Donck, represented "one of the earliest expressions of modern political impulses: an insistence by the members of the community that they play a role in their own government." While not discounting the British role in the shaping of American society, the author argues persuasively for the Dutch origins of some of our most cherished beliefs and their roots in "the tolerance debates in Holland" and "the intellectual world of Descartes, Grotius, and Spinoza." Shorto's gracefully written historical account is a must-read for anyone interested in this nation's origins. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>As the song goes, "Even Old New York was once New Amsterdam." Unfortunately, for many Americans, that is the limit of their knowledge about the Dutch colony that was seized by the English in 1664. Shorto, author of two previous books and articles published in the <em>New Yorker</em> and the <em>New York Times</em> <em>Mag</em>azine, presents an outstanding and revealing chronicle of the Dutch presence on Manhattan Island. Much of his research is based on recently translated Dutch primary sources that have languished in archives in Albany. Written in elegant prose, this enthralling story provides original perspectives on several historical figures, including Henry Hudson, Peter Minuit, and Peter Stuyvesant. Shorto also highlights the contributions of Andriaen van der Donck, an energetic, charismatic man who played an integral part in creating a dynamic, diverse, and tolerant society that appears refreshing when compared to the neighboring Puritan-dominated colony in Massachusetts. This is an important work. <em>Jay Freeman</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong><em>THE QUEEN OF SUSPENSE IS BACK! </em></strong><strong>Mary Higgins Clark’s new novel—the thirtieth and most spine-chilling of her long career as America’s most beloved author of suspense fiction— is about the newest and most up-to-date of crimes: identity theft.</strong></p><p>Who has not read about—or experienced—with a sinking feeling the fear that someone else out there may be using your credit cards, accessing your bank account, even stealing your identity. </p><p>In <em>I ll Walk Alone</em>, Alexandra “Zan” Moreland, a gifted, beautiful interior designer on the threshold of a successful Manhattan career, is terrified to discover that somebody is not only using her credit cards and manipulating her financial accounts to bankrupt her and destroy her reputation, but may also be impersonating her in a scheme that may involve the much more brutal crimes of kidnapping and murder. Zan is already haunted by the disappearance of her own son, Matthew, kidnapped in broad daylight two years ago in Central Park—a tragedy that has left her torn between hope and despair. </p><p>Now, on what would be Matthew’s fifth birthday, photos surface that seem to show Zan kidnapping her own child, followed by a chain of events that suggests somebody—but who? Zan asks herself desperately, and why?—has stolen her identity. </p><p>Hounded by the press, under investigation by the police, attacked by both her angry ex-husband and a vindictive business rival, Zan, wracked by fear and pain and sustained only by her belief, which nobody else shares, that Matthew is still alive, sets out to discover who is behind this cruel hoax. </p><p>What she does not realize is that with every step she takes toward the truth, she is putting herself— and those she loves most—in mortal danger from the person who has ingeniously plotted out her destruction. </p><p>Even Zan’s supporters, who include Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner and amateur detective, and Father Aiden O’Brien, who thinks that Zan may have confessed to him a secret he cannot reveal, believe she may have kidnapped little Matthew. Zan herself begins to doubt her own sanity, until, in the kind of fast-paced explosive ending that is Mary Higgins Clark’s trademark, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place with an unexpected and shocking revelation. </p><p>Deeply satisfying, <em>I’ll Walk Alone </em>is Mary Higgins Clark at the top of her form. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Mary Higgins Clark</strong>'s books are world-wide bestsellers. In the U.S. alone, her books have sold over one hundred million copies. </p><p>She is the author of twenty-nine previous suspense novels. Her first book, a biographical novel about George Washington, was re-issued with the title, <em>Mount Vernon Love Story</em>, in June 2002. Her memoir, <em>Kitchen Privileges</em>, was published by Simon &amp; Schuster in November 2002. Her first children's book, <em>Ghost Ship</em>, illustrated by Wendell Minor, was published in April 2007 as a Paula Wiseman Book/Simon &amp; Schuster Books for Young Readers. </p><p>She is co-author, with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, of five holiday suspense novels <em>Deck the Halls</em> (2000), <em>He Sees You When You're Sleeping</em> (2001), <em>The Christmas Thief</em> (2004), <em>Santa Cruise</em> (2006), and <em>Dashing through the Snow </em>(2008). </p><p>Mary Higgins Clark was chosen by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. An annual Mary Higgins Clark Award sponsored by Simon &amp; Schuster, to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition, was launched by Mystery Writers of America during Edgars week in April 2001. She was the 1987 president of Mystery Writers of America and, for many years, served on their Board of Directors. In May 1988, she was Chairman of the International Crime Congress. </p></div>


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<p class="description">This novel tells the story of a devilish pair of twins whose enormous intellect is hidden behind a facade of idiocy.</p>


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<p>In a panoramic history of our criminal justice system from Colonial times to today, one of our foremost legal thinkers shows how America fashioned a system of crime and punishment in its own image. </p>


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<p class="description">Amazon.com  An extraordinary volume--even a masterpiece--about the early history of   Australia that reads like the finest of novels. Hughes captures everything  in this complex tableau with narrative finesse that drives the reader  ever-deeper into specific facts and greater understanding. He presents  compassionate understanding of the plights of colonists--both freemen  and convicts--and the Aboriginal peoples they displaced. One of the  very best works of history I have ever read.          From Library Journal  For 80 years between 1788 and 1868 England transported its convicts to Australia. This punishment provided the first immigrants and the work force to build the colony. Using diaries， letters， and original sources， Hughes meticulously documents this history. All sides of the story are told: the political and social reasoning behind the Transportation System， the viewpoint of the captains who had the difficult job of governing and developing the colonies， and of course the dilemma of the prisoners. This is a very thorough and accurate history of Australian colonization written by the author of the book and BBC/Time-Life TV series The Shock of the New . A definitive work that is an essential purchase for both public and academic libraries. BOMC and History Book Club main selections. Judith Nixon， Purdue Univ. Libs.， W. Lafayette， Ind.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information， Inc.   See all Editorial Reviews</p>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Like his elegant debut, <em>An Instance of the Fingerpost</em>, Iain Pears's <em>The Dream of Scipio</em> is an inventive, gloriously detailed historical novel told from multiple viewpoints. But Pears has set himself an additional challenge by spreading his narrators over several centuries: there's the fifth century French nobleman and bishop, Manlius, a civilized man who has embraced the uncouth Christian faith in order to protect what he holds dear; an 11th-century scholar and troubadour named Olivier de Noyen, the famously ill-fated admirer of a married girl; and Julien Barneuve, an early 20th-century scholar of de Noyen who discovers, through him, a magnificent manuscript of Manlius's called "The Dream of Scipio." Though all three men come from the same small Provençal town, it is this manuscript, derived from the teachings of a wise woman, that links the three narrative threads of Pears's story. At the heart of <em>The Dream of Scipio</em> and, one suspects, at the heart of its author, is the conflict between a classical ideal of learning and the contemplation of beauty, and the noisy, uncivilized, democratizing impulses of the Christian era. A novel of ideas like its predecessor, <em>The Dream of Scipio</em> is neither chilly nor didactic and doesn't shy away from depicting the costs of its narrators' unpopular devotions. <em>--Regina Marler</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Critic Harold Bloom once opined that literature is a series of misprisions, or misreadings, by writers of their predecessors. Although Pears might not have had Bloom in mind in his latest novel, the premise is an unlikely embodiment of Bloom's thesis. The story unfolds in three time frames, in each of which a man and a woman are in love, civilization itself is crumbling and Jews become the scapegoats for larger cultural anxieties. In the first scenario, Manlius is a wealthy Roman living in Provence in the empire's crepuscular 5th century. Although he has received the last echo of Hellenic wisdom, he is surrounded by believers in a nasty sect he despises Christianity but must find some means to protect Provence from the barbarians. In fighting for "civilization," he becomes a bishop and the promoter, almost accidentally, of one of the West's first pogroms. In the next narrative time period, a manuscript of Manlius's poem, "The Dream of Scipio," a neo-Platonic allegory, is discovered by Olivier de Noyen, a Provencal poet of the 14th century. As his 20th-century interpreter, Julien Barneuve, discovers in investigating his violent death, de Noyen was attacked because he got caught up in a political intrigue in Avignon while trying to save his love, Rebecca, from a pogrom unleashed by the Black Death. Barneuve, Pears's third protagonist, has a Jewish lover, too, but is enmeshed in the racist policies of Vichy France. Pears has a nice sense of what it means to live in a time when things fall apart, and not only the center but even the peripheries will not hold. But the readers who flocked to An Instance of the Fingerpost might not find the pages turning so fast in this less mystery-driven outing.<br>Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In his travels around the country and the world, Zen master and international best selling author Thich Nhat Hanh witnessed a growing unhappiness among the many people he encountered. He saw the hectic pace of our day-to-day lives taking a toll on our health and well-being. In response, the renowned teacher sat down to write <em>Peace Is Every Breath</em>, a book that makes the core teachings of Buddha accessible for everyone. In this jewel of a book, Thich Nhat Hanh does not suggest that we escape from reality and put our busy lives on hold. Far from it. Instead, he provides the insight and tools we need to incorporate the practice of mindfulness into our every waking moment. Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how we can transcend the mad rush of our days and discover within the here and now our own innate ability to experience inner peace and happiness.</p><p>Offering personal anecdotes, meditations, and advice for mindfully connecting with our present experience, Thich Nhat Hanh guides us around potential pitfalls along the way. We do not need to escape reality to harness the joy and peace that is possible with every breath we take—the power of mindfulness can heal us from the suffering caused by the many stresses that surround us. Including original calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh, <em>Peace Is Every Breath</em> is a timely book filled with timeless wisdom and practical advice that is destined to become a classic.</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen Master, poet, scholar, and peace activist. He is the author of many books, including such important classics as <em>Peace Is Every Step</em> and <em>The Art of Power</em>. Hanh lives in Plum Village, his meditation center in France, and travels worldwide, leading retreats on the art of mindful living. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Khoury's entertaining sequel to The Last Templar (2006) offers characters and plot lines that hew closely to the conventions of the religious thriller subgenre. In 1310, Templar knight Conrad of Tripoli stumbled on a trove of writings documenting the early days and divisions of Christianity. The Catholic Church has kept this material hidden since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, fearful that its release would undermine the church's authority and rock the foundations of Christian belief. In the present, Mansoor Zahed, an Iranian motivated by revenge for the CIA killing of his family in the 1950s, is bent on finding the trove and releasing it to undermine Western religion and stability. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Sean Reilly visits the Vatican on a quest to find a document that may help in his effort to rescue his love interest, Tess Chaykin, who's been kidnapped. The constant suspense, ever-mounting body count, and interesting historical lore will keep readers turning the pages. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>Khoury’s follow-up to his very popular The Last Templar (2006) begins in the year 1203. Constantinople is under siege; a small band of Knights Templars has snuck into the city and stolen valuable documents from the imperial library. After taking refuge in a monastery, the Templars are murdered, never having learned the contents of the documents. In the present day, an Iranian history professor is given an ultimatum: finish his work on a certain historical artifact, or his family will be killed. Meanwhile, FBI agent Sean Reilly—star of The Last Templar—is compelled to smuggle ancient documents out of the Vatican archives if he wants to see his lover, Tess, again. Are these the same documents we saw in the book’s opening scene? What is their import? Are Tess’ abduction and the threats against the historian’s family connected? Khoury answers these questions and a handful more in this very well constructed blend of historical mystery and present-day thriller. He doesn’t break any new ground, but there’s no denying he’s got the storytelling chops and the imagination to spin an exciting yarn. Fans of his earlier novels, especially this one’s predecessor, will eat this one up. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Khoury may be the best of the Da Vinci Code imitators, and the Templars continue to draw a crowd. --David Pitt </p></div>


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<P>The Woman by Jack Ketchum & Lucky McKee is the powerful story of the last survivor of a feral tribe of cannibals who have terrorized the east coast from Maine into Canada. Badly wounded in a battle with police, she takes refuge in a cave overlooking the sea. Christopher Cleek is a slick, amoral,and unstable country lawyer who sees her and decides to capture her, tame her and maker her his own.


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<h3>Review</h3><p>'If you like Sharpe, then this book is a must, your Christmas present solved.' Bernard Cornwell, Daily Mail 'A brilliant warts-and-all depiction of Wellington's famous riflemen.' Daily Telegraph </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>As part of the Light Division created to act as the advance guard of Wellington's army, the 95th Rifles are the first into battle and the last out. Fighting, thieving and raping their way across Europe, they are clearly no ordinary troops. The 95th are in fact the first British soldiers to take aim at their targets, to take cover when being shot at, to move tactically by fire and manoeuvre. And by the end of the six-year campaign they have not only proved themselves the toughest fighters in the army, they have also - at huge personal cost - created the modern notion of the infantryman. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>We must recognize all people for whom they truly are and not for the characters they <em>pretend </em>to be. A motion picture mogul learns that everyone in his life, including his Emmy-nominated wife, are out to gain more than his multimillionaire estate can buy. </p><p>Motion-picture mogul Parrish Clovis learns that everyone is in his life by design— including Hana Kafka, his wife. In just a few short hours, Parrish’s affluent life takes a downward plunge into a seedy world that lands him on the front page of every newspaper in America. He’s been accused of the unthinkable. One problem, though—he can’t remember brutally assaulting and raping his wife. In order for Hana and a crew of out-of-work actors to drain Parrish’s multimillion- dollar estate, they must first set the stage for Parrish to murder his sister by tricking him into thinking he’s really going to kill the woman he was forced to hate: Hana. </p><p>Parrish, however, discovers the con. He throws an ingenious twist in the script that will either win him an Oscar…or get him a closed-casket funeral. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Oasis (Duplicity) delivers a cookie-cutter urban drama that, while long on crime, violence, betrayals, and melodrama, is unfortunately short on coherence and logic. Greg "GP" Patterson is a family man and aspiring comic book artist who struggles to get by and isn't opposed to the occasional light crime to help make ends meet, but with his comic book dreams going nowhere and his luck getting harder—including a repo man who repossesses just about everything he owns and a trumped-up assault case that has his family separated—he hooks up with a friend to hustle money quickly to get his family back, only to unwittingly put them further in danger. Genre staples abound, but the characters are far from consistent or believable, while implausibilities (what are the odds of stumbling upon the mayor smoking crack with hookers?) and an unruly structure that ping-pongs between points of view and various overheated plot lines overpower the potentially entertaining cautionary tale at the center. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>A fast-paced tale of greed—_Push Comes to Shove _examines the pitfalls and struggles that an honest family faces to survive the perils of financial woes.</strong></p><p>The bills are due again for Greg “GP” Patterson, but this time, they won’t get paid. He and his wife are facing robbery charges when a simple assault they committed goes bad. After a few days in jail, the Pattersons lose everything they own and risk losing their children forever. </p><p>Luckily Aunty Jewels bails the Pattersons out, but GP must make some serious moves if he is to provide decent shelter for his family again. A visit to Squeeze, a villainous loan shark, leads to killer interest rates and a murderous default penalty. Nevertheless, GP accepts the terms. </p><p>When GP gives Jewels the loan money to flip in a high-stakes credit card scheme, she gets robbed for every single dime. Now GP has to figure out how to pay his debt and gain the respect of his family again, but in the meantime, Jewels has already figured out how to make everybody pay. </p><p>An entertaining, multicultural drama, <em>Push Comes to Shove </em>is a cautionary tale for today’s economically fraught times. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>If Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster were plopped into the 21st century, his adventures might resemble those of Charles Hythloday, the buffoonish hero of Murray's insouciant romp, shortlisted for the Whitbread. For three years, ever since his father died, 20-something Charles has been pottering around the family's crumbling seaside estate near Dublin, mixing himself gimlets and watching old movies. He sees himself as attempting to perfect <em>sprezzatura</em>, "the contemplative life of the country gentleman, in harmony with his status and history"; his formidable sister, Bel, and everyone else, however, view him as a shiftless drunkard, and Charles's own narration leaves little doubt whose judgment is more accurate. The reappearance of Charles's mother, who's been away at a clinic for alcoholics and is now determined to reform the rest of the family, means that his allowance is promptly cut off and he's required to get a job. This proves to be predictably difficult (a tech recruiter says, " 'So in short, Charles, it's fair to say you've <em>never</em> worked for a living, is that right?' "). Meanwhile, the family's Bosnian housekeeper smuggles her grown-up children into the country, and Bel starts a theater company at Amaurot with the housekeeper's striking daughter, Mirela, who's much too clever for smitten Charles. Murray's blend of drawing-room comedy and postindustrial hilarity is deft and jaunty, and well-timed snippets of foreshadowing keep the story moving briskly. If the characters occasionally seem too broadly drawn, they always operate in service to the novel's witty and satirical aims. This is a breezy, highly entertaining read. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Bookmarks Magazine</h3><p>Irish writer Murray makes a brilliant debut with <em>Long Goodbyes</em>, which was a finalist for the prestigious Whitbread First Novel Award after its publication in the U.K. in 2003. Often compared to P.G. Wodehouse, Noel Coward, John Kennedy Toole, and Flann O’Brien (an Irish satirist), with a touch of Chekhov thrown in, Murray has penned a solipsistic soliloquy that deftly mixes farce and melodrama with social commentary. Most critics had few complaints, though a few noted some blips in the plotting. And <em>The New York Times Book Review</em> noticed a lapse in Charles’ voice once he left his seaside home for the slums. Still, all agree that <em>Long Goodbyes</em> is a bittersweet, and above all memorable, first novel. </p><p><em>Copyright © 2004 Phillips &amp; Nelson Media, Inc.</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Like Down to This: Squalor and Splendour in a Big-City Shantytown, an account of the author's undercover year in Toronto's Tent City, Bishop-Stall's debut novel breaks hearts. Emotionally damaged by childhood and adolescent traumas, druggie drifter and alcoholic gambler Mason Dubisee pushes the "Dogfather" hot dog cart in downtown Toronto during the day and sporadically tackles his stalled novel at night. Between his agonizingly described hangovers, Mason also writes suicide notes for various disturbed personalities. He falls in desperate love with Willy, a hemiplegic with a heart of gold and a heroin habit of her own, and runs afoul of a psychopathic prisoner on parole, who steals Mason's file from Mason's sometime shrink, who has serious problems of her own. Bishop-Stall's gritty, experimental style and grungy subject matter may turn off some readers, but his occasionally inchoate if conventional message about the "toughness and grace" of people who have saved one another will resonate with many. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>Mason Dubisee, who has just turned 30, is struggling to churn out a novel as he battles his gambling and cocaine addictions. After his childhood friend and drug dealer, Chaz, finds him an apartment and a job selling hot dogs in Toronto, one of Mason’s lunchtime customers commissions him to write a love letter that later turns out to be a suicide note. This prompts Mason to seek out work as a suicide-note writer. He feels guilty about this occupation, spending long nights at Chaz’s illegal bar, The Cave, where he meets and slowly falls in love with Willy, a beautiful young hemiplegic woman addicted to heroin. As their romance develops, Mason becomes increasingly aware that crafting a suicide note for his latest customer, a recent ex-con, will be more dangerous than he bargained for. This somewhat sophomoric novel becomes increasingly more suspenseful as Mason struggles to save the lives of those closest to him and as he seeks out redemption for his former sins. An adventurous, wild page-turner of a debut from Canadian author Bishop-Stall. --Julie Hunt </p>


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In a landmark work of history, Russell Shorto presents astonishing information on the founding of our nation and reveals in riveting detail the crucial role of the Dutch in making America what it is today. In the late 1960s, an archivist in the New York State Library made an astounding discovery: 12,000 pages of centuries-old correspondence, court cases, legal contracts, and reports from a forgotten society: the Dutch colony centered on Manhattan, which predated the thirteen "original" American colonies. For the past thirty years scholar Charles Gehring has been translating this trove, which was recently declared a national treasure. Now, Russell Shorto has made use of this vital material to construct a sweeping narrative of Manhattan's founding that gives a startling, fresh perspective on how America began. In an account that blends a novelist's grasp of storytelling with cutting-edge scholarship, The Island at the Center of the World strips Manhattan of its asphalt, bringing us back to a wilderness island, a hunting ground for Indians, populated by wolves and bears, that became a prize in the global power struggle between the English and the Dutch. Indeed, Russell Shorto shows that America's founding was not the work of English settlers alone but a result of the clashing of these two seventeenth century powers. In fact, it was Amsterdam, Europe's most liberal city, with an unusual policy of tolerance and a polyglot society dedicated to free trade, that became the model for the city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan. While the Puritans of New England were founding a society based on intolerance, on Manhattan the Dutch created a free-trade, upwardly-mobile melting pot that would help shape not only New York, but America. The story moves from the halls of power in London and The Hague to bloody naval encounters on the high seas. The characters in the saga-the men and women who played a part in Manhattan's founding, range from the philosopher Rene Descartes to James, the Duke of York, to prostitutes and smugglers. At the heart of the story is a bitter power struggle between two men: Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony, and a forgotten American hero named Adriaen van der Donck, a maverick, liberal-minded lawyer whose brilliant political gamesmanship, commitment to individual freedom, and exuberant love of his new country would have a lasting impact on the history of this nation.


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“Trevor Cole has written an <em>Ordinary People</em> for the 21st century.” <br />— <em>Maclean’s</em>  </p><p>“Cole’s writing is reminiscent of that of Carol Shields: he can be hilariously funny and profoundly serious at the same time. . . . He not only cares about what’s right in front of him, he makes his readers care too.” <br />— <em>Montreal Gazette </em>  </p><p>“Impressive — funny, absorbing. . . . beautifully authentic.” <br />— <em>Winnipeg Free Press</em>  </p><p>“_The Fearsome Particles _is a workplace comedy enveloped by human tragedy, a sympathetic study of postwar trauma played to the laugh track of finely observed farce. . . . Pitch-perfect.” <br />— John Allemang  </p><p>“Humour that comes froma deeper, more satisfying place . . . . The book soars.” — <em>Quill &amp; Quire</em>  </p><p>“The novel is well-plotted, smart and perceptive, and very funny much in the same way that Kingsley Amis’s mature work was darkly humorous even at its most mordant . . . . Cole is one of the best young novelists in this country.” <br />— _Globe and Mail  </p><p>_“With writing like this, Trevor Cole is quickly gaining a reputation as a major talent, deservedly so.” <br />— <em>Edmonton Journal</em>  </p><p>“Trevor Cole is emerging as a master of obsessive-delusional-neurotic-tragicomic fiction. His two novels, <em>Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life</em> (which was shortlisted for a 2004 Governor General's Award for Fiction) and his latest, <em>The Fearsome Particles</em>, both told from the points of view of obsessive and delusional people, are distressing and sometimes cringe-making funny, their humour akin to that of David Brent trying to assert his power in the BBC TV series <em>The Office</em>. Cole's skill at evoking this humour suggests that he himself is quiveringly attuned to the tiny shudders–say, an inexplicable bid in a game of cards–that suggest the life-threatening fault lines in people's lives. And Cole's prose is so confident, compassionate and clear that it draws out that neurotic admission: I wish I'd written that.”<br />— <em>Literary Review of Canada</em>  </p><p>"Good writing declares itself immediately. How comforting for a reader to know — after only a few pages in Mr. Cole's company — that he is in such safe hands."<br />—Governor General’s Award winner David Gilmour  </p><p>"Cole belongs to the Truman Capote school of stylists; his prose is clear as a mountain stream."<br />— <em>Toronto Star</em>  </p><p>"Trevor Cole knows how to tell a story of the I-couldn’t-put-it-down variety. . . . Just delicious!"<br />— <em>Globe and Mail</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Trevor Cole’s bestselling debut novel garnered rave reviews and comparisons to Truman Capote and Kingsley Amis. Now the Governor General’s Award finalist is back with <em>The Fearsome Particles</em>, a brilliantly observed comic tragedy about the widening cracks in a family’s picture-perfect veneer.   </p><p>Gerald Woodlore, a window screen executive, wakes one morning to find, to his utter dismay, that he has reached the limits of what he can control. The company he works for is rapidly losing market share and a junior assistant seems to be the only one with an idea how to fix it. His wife, Vicki, a luxury real-estate dresser, appears to be bending under the pressures of constructing an image of perfect happiness both at work and at home. But most worrying of all is Gerald and Vicki’s twenty-year-old son, Kyle, who quit school to volunteer with the military’s civilian support staff in Afghanistan. Now he has returned early and retreated to his room in the wake of a mysterious and traumatic event.   </p><p>With his trademark wit and strong emotional insight, Trevor Cole has created a compelling, tender story that captures a family at a crucial turning point.  </p><p><em>The Fearsome Particles</em> has recently been optioned for film. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Terry Brooks Reviews <em>The Red Wolf Conspiracy</em></strong>   </p><p><strong>Terry Brooks is the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including the Genesis of Shannara novel <em>Armageddon’s Children</em>; <em>The Sword of Shannara</em>; the High Druid of Shannara trilogy: <em>Jarka Ruus</em>, <em>Tanequil</em>, and <em>Straken</em>; and the nonfiction book <em>Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life</em>. His novels <em>Running with the Demon</em> and <em>A Knight of the Word</em> were selected by the <em>Rocky Mountain News</em> as two of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the twentieth century. Read his guest review of <em>The Red Wolf Conspiracy</em>:</strong>   </p><p>Robert V. S. Redick has accomplished something rather extraordinary in his new fantasy adventure novel, <em>The Red Wolf Conspiracy,</em> the first in what I predict will be an eagerly awaited series. His accomplishment is in crafting a story that is a throwback to the days of the European Adventure story writers--Stevenson, Dumas, Scott and the like--a tale that is a gripping page-turner accessible to all ages. I seek stories like this constantly and seldom find them. Here we have a good one. The characters are memorable and fully realized, from the lowly tarboy Pazel Pashkendle to the unwilling young bride Thasha to the half-mad captain Nilus Rose to the powerful sorcerer Ramachni. As the story proceeds, we come to know and care about all of them, the good and the bad, the high and the low. We want to know their fates, and we will follow the writer to wherever we need to go to learn what they are. </p><p>It is a spirited and exciting journey. By crafting the bulk of the tale aboard the mega-ship Chathrand, the author has created what is essentially a seafaring tale that reminded me of every good seafaring tale from <em>Moby Dick</em> to <em>Treasure Island</em> to everything by Patrick O'Brian. All the necessary elements are there, and you can practically taste the salt water on your lips and feel the grit of it on the pages. I look for and expect a feeling of honesty and reality in my fiction choices, no less so in fantasy than in other forms, and I was not disappointed here. From the description of the ship and its component pieces to the intricate and dangerous relationships between the characters aboard her, it all rang true. </p><p>I don't find many books that I wish I had written, but every so often one comes along. I think the last one was Philip Pullman's <em>The Golden Compass</em>. Here is another. I admire this book for its scope and its power, its language and its imagery, and its fine tight-rope plotting. I could not put it down. I am betting a lot of other readers won't be able to put it down either. </p><p>So trust me on this one; you won't be disappointed. Except, of course, like me you have to sit by patiently waiting for the next book. The anticipation is akin to what I experienced growing up with chapter books, when it seemed that every single installment ended in a cliffhanger, and the characters and I were all left hanging together. In an effort to minimize the damage to our fingernails, I will use whatever magic I can conjure up to prod Mr. Redick onward towards completion of book two. You have my promise._--Terry Brooks_</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Insane god-kings, miniature warriors and sentient animals fight over a powerful ancient artifact in Redick's dramatic, complex debut. The Mzithrin and Arquali Empires have been locked in a 40-year cold war over the resources and riches of the Crownless Lands on their common frontier. Now the <em>Chathrand</em>, a floating city built as much by sorcerer as shipwright, bears young Thasha, an unwilling bride to an enemy prince. No one seems sure whether this is a sincere attempt to bind the two empires together in peace or merely a gambit in their political games. The tense atmosphere soon erupts as various factions struggle to find and control the myth-wrapped Red Wolf. Both adult and young adult readers will find much to enjoy in this tale of sea-faring and bloody diplomacy. <em>(May)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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In his acclaimed first novel, The Red Wolf Conspiracy, Robert V. S. Redick launched the gargantuan ship Chathrand and its motley crew of misfits, murderers, and monsters toward a landfall that may exist only in legend. Now Redick masterfully ratchets up the suspense with deep intrigue, ancient powers, and shocking new revelations.Though the immediate plans of the dark sorcerer Arunis have been thwarted, the battle for control of the Chathrand, on which the fate of empires hinges, is far from over. On board, a small band of allies bound together less by trust than by desperate need scrambles for a means to defeat the conspiracy, while the nobleborn Thasha Isiq and the lowly deckhand Pazel Pathkendle find themselves unwillingly drawn inward to the plot’s core—and into a deadly game that will force them to make hard sacrifices.The wizard Ramachni has left the travelers and retreated to his own world to nurse his battle wounds, but Arunis remains at large—weakened, yet still a terrifying foe. More pressing is the conspiracy of the Arquali Emperor, his chief assassin, Sandor Ott, and the Chathrand’s notorious captain, Nilus Rose, to use the dawn wedding of Thasha and a Mzithrin prince as a signal to launch a war.    With every move they make, Thasha and her compatriots find that they have more to lose—especially the deposed ixchel queen, Diadrelu, and the woken rat, Felthrup, who each harbor terrible secrets they dare not reveal.Worst of all is a hidden, festering horror lurking in the hold of the Chathrand. A danger that not even Ramachni could have foreseen, it is the twisted product of a malevolent power determined to pull down the pillars of the world.      Now, as the Chathrand sets course through the uncharted waters of the vast and mysterious Ruling Sea, the fragile bonds of trust and love beginning to form between the unlikely allies will be tested to the breaking point—by unspeakable terrors, magical wonders, and shattering betrayals that dwarf anything that has come before.


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>With ATOC (active table of contents):  </p><p>An Historical Mystery Honore De Balzac<br />The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan<br />The Baron's Quarry Egerton Castle<br />Trent's Last Case Edmund Clerihew Bentley<br />Gilbert Keith Chesterton<br />The Man Who Knew Too Much<br />The Man Who Was Thursday<br />Father Brown:<br />The Innocence of Father Brown<br />The Wisdom of Father Brown<br />Riddle of the Sands Robert Erskine Childers<br />Agatha Christie<br />The Mysterious Affair at Styles<br />The Secret Adversary<br />Wilkie Collins<br />The Dream Woman<br />The Haunted Hotel<br />The Moonstone<br />The Queen of Hearts<br />The Woman in White<br />The Mystery of Edwin Drood Charles Dickens<br />Arthur Conan Doyle<br />The Mystery of Cloomber<br />The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes<br />The Return of Sherlock Holmes<br />Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes<br />A Study in Scarlet<br />The Sign of the Four<br />The Hound of the Baskervilles<br />The Valley of Fear<br />His Last Bow<br />Anna Katharine Green<br />Agatha Webb<br />Initials Only<br />The Millionaire Baby<br />The Mill Mystery<br />The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow<br />A Strange Disappearance<br />The Rome Express Arthur Griffiths<br />The Three Strangers Thomas Hardy<br />Elusive Isabel Jacques Futrelle<br />The Mystery of the Yellow Room Gaston Leroux<br />The Lodger Marie Belloc Lowndes<br />The Red House Mystery Alan Alexander Milne<br />Edgar Allan Poe<br />The Murders in the Rue Morgue<br />The Mystery of Marie Roget<br />The Purloined Letter<br />The Bittermeads Mystery Ernest Robertson Punshon<br />Mary Roberts Rinehart<br />The Bat<br />The Circular Staircase<br />The Confession<br />Dangerous Days<br />The Man in Lower Ten<br />The Street of Seven Stars<br />Sax Rohmer<br />Bat Wing<br />The Hand Of Fu-Manchu<br />The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu<br />The Golden Scorpion<br />The Darrow Enigma Melvin Linwood Severy<br />The Golf Course Mystery Chester K. Steele<br />The Pavilion on the Links Robert Louis Stevenson<br />Under the Andes Rex Stout </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Amazon Best Books of the Month, April 2011</strong>: By the end of World War II, Silvana is a ghost of the wife Janusz once had. She and their 7-year-old son Aurek travel from Poland to England to reunite their family--a family that has been separated for 6 years. That's where <em>22 Britannia Road</em>, Amanda Hodgkinson's stunning debut novel, begins. As the past unfolds from multiple points of view, it becomes clear that despite their determination to make a fresh start, the hidden secrets of the past threaten to destroy Silvana and Janusz's dreams of becoming a family once again. The irreversible events that passed during their years of separation still linger, including the horrors of war, Janusz's betrayal by a love affair with another woman, and the devastating secret that Silvana will do anything to conceal. Hodgkinson's poetic voice is impossible to forget, and the shocking and hopeful ending of her remarkable historical novel will leave readers reeling--and satisfied. <em>--Miriam Landis</em></p><p><strong>Author Q&amp;A with Amanda Hodgkinson</strong></p><p><strong>Q:</strong> What drew you to this particular story of Polish World War II survivors living in England? </p><p><strong>A:</strong> As a child, I was always fascinated when the adults around me talked about World War II. These were older family members who had lived through it and I would try to stay quiet so I could listen without being discovered. Their voices changed to lower registers, there were weighted silences in the conversations, sad looks, secretive whispering and then somebody would notice me and send me out to play, their voice swinging up a register to convey a gaiety they probably didn’t feel. I would go to bed at night, sick at heart thinking about these stories, and wonder how the world ever managed to get back to the normal after that war. </p><p>Looking back, I think I never stopped wondering. Years later, I was standing in my kitchen and heard a Russian woman on the radio, describing her experiences of being a child during the war. “We were so hungry,” she said, “we ate the bark of the silver birch trees.” An image came to me, so clear and strong, it was more like a memory than an act of my imagination. I wrote down what I saw; a young woman in a silver birch forest. I had begun to write my novel. </p><p><strong>Q:</strong> From Silvana’s exile in the forest to the petrol rations in post-war Ipswich, you paint a vivid picture of the novel’s historical settings and events. What sort of research did you do to get the details right? </p><p><strong>A:</strong> I balanced my own imaginative input with research. I read social history books on the war and the postwar period, including a lot of oral histories on Polish immigrant experiences. I also read wonderful Polish poets like Zbigniew Herbert and Tadeusz Rózewicz, among others. I studied Polish fairytales and classic Polish literature from the nineteenth and early twentieth century. I discovered tango music had been very popular in Poland during the thirties, so I listened to some fabulous clips on YouTube and imagined myself there, in the 1930s, dancing at a club in Warsaw, just like Hanka, one of the characters in the book tells Silvana about. I immersed myself in books, music and literature and then I put aside all research and let my imagination go to work. Whenever I was unsure about a scene, I turned to my own thoughts and feelings, relying on my ability to imagine a moment and on my empathy for the characters, rather than history books, and I think this approach helped me really understand my characters and the time. </p><p><strong>Q:</strong> What does the title, the address of the home Janusz chooses for his reunited family, represent to you symbolically? Why that particular address? </p><p><strong>A:</strong> I wanted a very ordinary address. A typical English home. You can find a Britannia Road in most English towns and there is no mistaking the pronounced sense of place in this address. Janusz wants what the address offers. A new life and a new country. Ironically, this address, with its connotations of national identity and pride, also serves to highlight the sense of displacement Janusz, Silvana and Aurek, as an immigrant family, must have felt in a small town in Britain. Another reason I used an address was to show how important home was to the characters. For me, the novel is about finding a home, physically, psychologically and metaphorically. Home is a small word that holds within itself complex meanings. Change one letter and you have the word hope. And Janusz, Silvana and Aurek hope to make a home together. </p><p><strong>Q:</strong> A powerful theme in this book is the pain of survival—even Janusz, who had a relatively easy escape from Poland, suffers from having outlived Hélène and other loved ones. What personal discoveries did you make about this theme while writing the book? </p><p><strong>A:</strong> Writing the book and researching it made me very aware of how people are still suffering under wars. The mass movement of displaced people around the world continues and the number of children who are orphaned and families disrupted and broken by war does not diminish. </p><p><strong>Q:</strong> You do an exceptional job capturing the psyche of young Aurek, who has clearly been traumatized by his experiences. Did you draw from case studies of children with similar experiences, or did you find your way to this character instinctually? </p><p><strong>A:</strong> I wrote Aurek very instinctively. I felt I knew the boy from the moment I first wrote a small, tentative description of him, crouching in the back garden at 22 Britannia Road. I read Through <em>The Eyes of the Innocents: Children Witness World War II</em> by Emmy E Werner, which conveys the heartbreaking experiences of children, and that fed my own understanding of what Aurek might have been through but really, when I was writing Aurek, I found I could connect with him best on an emotional level. So I wrote what he <em>felt</em>. I tried to go beyond language with him and bring out his primitive sense of survival, his desire to feel loved and his need to love others. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>A Cup of Tea</em> adds a touch of class--and a love triangle--to the classic theme of parallel lives and their accidental crossing. New York City, in the uncertain days of World War I, is home to Rosemary Fells, who is the sort of woman with the time to strike stunning poses and rearrange her curls; Eleanor Smith, whom Rosemary finds under a street lamp, miserable and shivering, is certainly not. Miss Fells indulges a whim of beneficence, whisking "the creature" home to share warmth, tea, and a change of clothing. Once clean and dry--fortified with sandwiches and brandy--young Eleanor and Rosemary's fiancé meet in the hallway and exchange a look, the kind of look that will forever change the course of their lives. </p><p><em>A Cup of Tea</em> is a well-crafted, terse novel that reads like a good short story. It's a refreshing step back to yesterday, a time when the fates picnicked on the glass slopes of privilege. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>YA. Rosemary Fell, privileged and accustomed to having all that she wants, is set to marry Philip Alsop. Of the same social class, Philip struggled years to build his own shipping concern into a success after the death of his father. Now their future together seems to promise happiness. Then Rosemary invites Eleanor Smith home with her, offering the seemingly penniless young woman temporary shelter from the weather. Instead, Philip instantly falls in love with her and the star-crossed love pulls all three characters into a dramatic, sorrowful ending. Ephron writes short, intense chapters, yet allows room for emotions and imagination to expand fully. She maintains interest by ending the chapters exactly at the next eventful point in the story, making the novel a natural page-turner. Sustaining the tension between the characters, while subtly interweaving more complexities of the plot, the author builds towards the intense conclusion. Using precise historical details of 1917 New York society, from clothing to moral attitudes, Ephron captures the ambiance of the era as well as the differences in lifestyles between the wealthy and working classes.?Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA<br />Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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A powerful and unforgettable story of secrets, family, love, and destiny set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.      Following on the heels of the critically acclaimed  Ten Thousand Lovers  (finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award) and  Look for Me ,  A Wall of Light  tells the story of three generations of a Tel Aviv family. Meet Anna, whose passionate letters to a lover she left behind in Russia describe the experiences of Israel's postwar immigrants; her grandson, Noah, who in his diary documents his uncertain sexual identity and his idealism in the face of the tense political climate; and finally, Anna's daughter, Sonya, who takes us through one momentous day in August, a day on which she "kissed a student, pursued a lover, found her father, and left her brother."


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>May 1975. St. Louis. In a snow-swept street, a cop finds the body of a man who died fifty years ago. It's still warm. July 1866, Lidice, Bohemia: A teenage girl calmly watches her parents die as another being takes control of her body. August 2058, Prague: Three political rebels flee in to the past, taking with them a terrible secret. As past, present, and future collide, one man holds the key to the puzzle. And if he doesn't fit it together, the world he knows will fall to pieces. It's just A Matter of Time! </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Following up on the success of <em>Three Day Road</em>, Boyden delivers the powerful story of former bush pilot and Cree native Will Bird. The novel opens with Will in a coma, with his niece Annie, who just returned from an eight-month excursion in search of her sister, by his side. Narrated by Will and Annie, the story backtracks to tell of Will's fight to keep his bush-country Indian life alive and protected while he suppresses painful childhood memories (and befriends an old bear). Annie, a skillful hunter and animal trapper, dictates her escapades after rushing off to New York City in pursuit of her sister, Suzanne, a model who has shacked up with a member of the narcotics-smuggling Netmakers family. As Will struggles to survive and Annie reintegrates into the isolated bush, the two stories dovetail as the Netmakers cross paths with Will. Though the incongruously melodramatic denouement doesn't fit with the richly textured narrative preceding it, the novel as a whole is an intelligent, multilayered accomplishment, and well worth reading. <em>(Mar.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>A haunting novel about identity, love, and loss by the author of <em>Three Day Road</em></strong>  </p><p>Will Bird is a legendary Cree bush pilot, now lying in a coma in a hospital in his hometown of Moose Factory, Ontario. His niece Annie Bird, beautiful and self-reliant, has returned from her own perilous journey to sit beside his bed. Broken in different ways, the two take silent communion in their unspoken kinship, and the story that unfolds is rife with heartbreak, fierce love, ancient blood feuds, mysterious disappearances, fires, plane crashes, murders, and the bonds that hold a family, and a people, together. As Will and Annie reveal their secrets—the tragic betrayal that cost Will his family, Annie’s desperate search for her missing sister, the famous model Suzanne—a remarkable saga of resilience and destiny takes shape. From the dangerous bush country of upper Canada to the drug-fueled glamour of the Manhattan club scene, Joseph Boyden tracks his characters with a keen eye for the telling detail and a rare empathy for the empty places concealed within the heart. Sure to appeal to readers of Louise Erdrich and Jim Harrison, <em>Through Black Spruce</em> establishes Boyden as a writer of startling originality and uncommon power. </p>


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Enigmatic Pilot is Kris Saknussemm’s outrageously brilliant yet profoundly moving exploration and excavation of the American dream—and nightmare.   In 1844, in a still-young America, the first intimations of civil war are stirring throughout the land. In Zanesville, Ohio, the Sitturd family—Hephaestus, a clubfooted inventor; his wife, Rapture, a Creole from the Sea Islands; and their prodigiously gifted six-year-old son, Lloyd, whose libido is as precocious as his intellect—are forced to flee the only home they have ever known for an uncertain future in Texas, whence Hephaestus’s half-brother, Micah, has sent them a mysterious invitation, promising riches and wonders too amazing to be entrusted to paper. Thus begins one of the most incredible American journeys since Huck Finn and Jim first pushed their raft into the Mississippi. Along the way, Lloyd will learn the intricacies of poker and murder, solve the problem of manned flight, find—and lose—true love, and become swept up in an ancient struggle between two secret societies whose arcane dispute has shaped the world’s past and threatens to reshape its future. Each side wants to use Lloyd against the other, but Lloyd has his own ideas—and access to an occult technology as powerful as his imagination.


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<div><p>Indulge Yourself with the best classic literature on Your PDA. Navigate easily to any novel from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases. Author’s biography and free stories in the trial version.</p> <p><b>Features</b></p> <ul><li>Navigate from Table of Contents or search for words or phrases  </li><li>Make bookmarks, notes, highlights  </li><li>Searchable and interlinked.  </li><li>Access the e-book anytime, anywhere - at home, on the train, in the subway.  </li><li>Automatic synchronization between the handheld and the desktop PC. You could read half of the book on the handheld, then finish reading on the desktop. </li></ul><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p> <p>List of Works by Genre and Title<br>List of Works in Alphabetical Order <br>List of Works in Chronological Order<br>Charles Dickens Biography</p> <p><b>Fiction</b></p> <p>American Notes <br>Barnaby Rudge <br>The Battle of Life<br>Bleak House<br>The Chimes <br>A Christmas Carol <br>The Cricket on the Hearth<br>David Copperfield <br>Dombey and Son <br>Great Expectations <br>Hard Times <br>The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain <br>Holiday Romance<br>Hunted Down<br>The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices <br>Little Dorrit <br>The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman <br>Martin Chuzzlewit<br>Master Humphrey's Clock<br>A Message from the Sea <br>Mudfog and Other Sketches<br>The Mystery of Edwin Drood <br>Nicholas Nickleby <br>No Thoroughfare <br>The Old Curiosity Shop <br>Oliver Twist<br>Our Mutual Friend <br>The Pickwick Papers <br>Reprinted Pieces <br>Sketches by Boz <br>A Tale of Two Cities <br>The Uncommercial Traveller </p> <p><b>Short Stories </b></p> <p><b>Some Christmas Stories: </b><br>A Christmas Tree<br>The Child's Story <br>Nobody's Story<br>The Poor Relation's Story<br>The Schoolboy's Story<br>What Christmas is as we Grow Older</p> <p><b>Three Ghost Stories:</b><br>The Haunted House<br>The Signal-Man<br>The Trial For Murder</p> <p>Doctor Marigold <br>George Silverman's Explanation <br>Going into Society <br>The Boots at the Holly Tree Inn<br>The Holly-Tree<br>A House to Let<br>The Lamplighter <br>Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy<br>Mrs. Lirriper's Lodging<br>Mugby Junction <br>Perils of Certain English Prisoners<br>The Seven Poor Travellers <br>Sketches of Young Couples<br>Sketches of Young Gentlemen <br>Somebody's Luggage<br>Sunday under Three Heads<br>To Be Read at Dusk <br>Tom Tiddler's Ground<br>Wreck of the Golden Mary </p> <p><b>Non-Fiction</b></p> <p>A Child's History of England <br>Miscellaneous Papers (11 essays) <br>Pictures from Italy<br>Speeches: Literary and Social </p></div>


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<div><p>Palm Sunday is a self-portrait by an American genius. Vonnegut writes with beguiling wit and poignant wisdom about his favorite comedians, country music, a dead friend, a dead marriage, and various cockamamie aspects of his all-too human journey through life. It is a work that resonates with Vonnegut's singular voice: the magic sound of a born-story teller mesmerizing us with truth.  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p></div>


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<p class="description">A new collection of stories by Mavis Gallant is always a major publishing event. For this is the writer who–like Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro–has made Canadian short stories a presence on the world literary scene, and on our bestseller lists. InAcross the Bridgefour of the eleven stories are connected, following the fortunes of the Carette family in Montreal. In “1933” their widowed mother teaches Berthe and Marie to deny that she was a seamstress and to say instead that she was “clever with her hands.” In “The Chosen Husband” the luckless suitor Louis has to undergo the front-parlour scrutiny of Marie’s mother and sister: “But then Louis began to cough and had to cover his mouth. He was in trouble with a caramel. The Carettes looked away, so that he could strangle unobserved. ‘How dark it is,’ said Berthe, to let him think he could not be seen.” We then follow their marriage, the birth of Raymond, and Raymond’s flight from his mother and aunt to his eventual role as a motel manager in Florida. “‘The place was full of Canadians,’ he said. ‘They stole like raccoons...’” With the exception of “The Fenton Child,” an eerie story set in postwar Montreal, the other stories take place in the Paris Mavis Gallant knows so well. “Across the Bridge,” the title story, begins with the narrator’s mother throwing her reluctant daughter’s wedding invitations into the Seine. “I watched the envelopes fall in a slow shower and land on the dark water and float apart. Strangers leaned on the parapet and stared, too, but nobody spoke.” This is a superb collection of stories by a writer at the top of her form.</p>


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<div><h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>From the Toronto-based Mistry (Such a Long Journey, 1991), a splendid tale of contemporary India that, in chronicling the sufferings of outcasts and innocents trying to survive in the <code>State of Internal Emergency'' of the 1970s, grapples with the great question of how to live in the face of death and despair. Though Mistry is too fine a writer to indulge in polemics, this second novel is also a quietly passionate indictment of a corrupt and ineluctably cruel society. India under Indira Gandhi has become a country ruled by thugs who maim and kill for money and power. The four protagonists (all victims of the times) are: Dina, 40-ish, poor and widowed after only three years of marriage; Maneck, the son of an old school friend of Dina's; and two tailors, Ishvar and his nephew Om, members of the Untouchable caste. For a few months, this unlikely quartet share a tranquil happiness in a nameless city--a city of squalid streets teeming with beggars, where politicians, in the name of progress, abuse the poor and the powerless. Dina, whose dreams of attending college ended when her father died, is now trying to support herself with seamstress work; Maneck, a tenderhearted boy, has been sent to college because the family business is failing; and the two tailors find work with Dina. Though the four survive encounters with various thugs and are saved from disaster by a quirky character known as the Beggarmaster, the times are not propitious for happiness. On a visit back home, Om and Ishvar are forcibly sterilized; Maneck, devastated by the murder of an activist classmate, goes abroad. But Dina and the tailors, who have learned</code>to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair,'' keep going. A sweeping story, in a thoroughly Indian setting, that combines Dickens's vivid sympathy for the poor with Solzhenitsyn's controlled outrage, celebrating both the resilience of the human spirit and the searing heartbreak of failed dreams. -- <em>Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Astonishing. . . . A rich and varied spectacle, full of wisdom and laughter and the touches of the unexpectedly familiar through which literature illuminates life." --_Wall Street Journal  </p><p><em>"A serious and important work . . . the product of high intelligence and passionate conviction."</em> <em>--</em>New York Review of Books  </p><p><em>"Monumental. . . . Few have caught the real sorrow and inexplicable strength of India, the unaccountable crookedness and sweetness, as well as Mistry." --Pico Iyer, </em>Time  </p><p><em>"Those who continue to harp on the decline of the novel . . . ought to consider Rohinton Mistry. He needs no infusion of magic realism to vivify the real. The real world, through his eyes, is magical." --</em>The New York Times_</p></div>


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<p class="description">When Winston Niles Rumfoord flies his spaceship into a chrono-synclastic infundibulum he is converted into pure energy and only materializes when his waveforms intercept Earth or some other planet. As a result, he only gets home to Newport, Rhode Island, once every fifty-nine days and then only for an hour. But at least, as a consolation, he now knows everything that has ever happened and everything that ever will be. He knows, for instance, that his wife is going to Mars to mate with Malachi Constant, the richest man in the world. He also knows that on Titan -- one of Saturn's moons -- is an alien from the planet Tralfamadore, who has been waiting 200,000 years for a spare part for his grounded spacecraft...</p>


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<p>Six years in the making--with unprecedented access to Nancy Reagan and the couple's closest friends--here is the first volume in the definitive portrait of the remarkable, career-building partnership between Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis. 16-page photo insert.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>No one quite understands anyone else in Row's Hong Kong, a city suffused by a pervasive sense of alienation. In the seven stories of this debut collection, Row's protagonists—American expats and locals alike—flail about, either helplessly or harmfully, as blind as Alice in the first story, "The Secrets of Bats," who wanders around in a blindfold, trying to gain a bat's sense of orientation. The narrator of the title story, a wealthy man from Hong Kong, falls in love with a Chinese woman named Lin. Political strictures make their situation difficult, but cultural differences ultimately divide them. The narrator (whose family has lived in Hong Kong for five generations) is optimistic and resourceful; Lin (crushed all her life by the Chinese system) cannot abandon her pessimism. In "For You," the marriage of an American couple disintegrates after they move to Hong Kong, and the husband, Lewis, temporarily joins a Buddhist monastery—just one example of the way personal breakdowns tend to follow political displacement in Row's stories. At the monastery, Lewis is told: "Mistakes are your mirror.... They reflect your mind. Don't try to slip away from them." In sharp, lucid prose, Row molds a landscape of human error and uncertainty, territory well-aligned with the eerie topography of his space-age city. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>Debuting author Row makes new the archetypal theme of a stranger in a strange land in his seven tales of outsiders struggling to decode the mysteries of Hong Kong. In crystalline prose, Whiting Award winner Row animates intriguing and unpredictable characters and dramatizes subtle yet emblematic conflicts as he traces the vast cultural divides between America and Hong Kong, and cosmopolitan Hong Kong and locked-down mainland China. A young American man teaching English in a Chinese girls' school is baffled and seduced by a 16-year-old's potentially dangerous obsession with echolocation in the exquisite "The Secrets of Bats." In "The American Girl," a blind Chinese masseur puts up with the bossy insensitivity of an American graduate student who forces him to recall the brutal violence his family faced during the Cultural Revolution. In the title story, a well-off Hong Kong man becomes involved with a woman from Shenzhen whose life is cruelly proscribed. As Row choreographs thorny negotiations between naive newcomers and guarded insiders, he neatly and devastatingly contrasts dueling visions of faith, art, love, and freedom. <em>Donna Seaman</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<p>A master literary stylist, John Crowley has carried readers to diverse and remarkable places in his award-winning, critically acclaimed novels -- from his classic fable, <em>Little, Big</em>, to his <em>New York Times</em> Notable Book, <em>The Translator</em>. Now, for the first time, all of his short fiction has been collected in one volume, demonstrating the scope, the vision, and the wonder of one of America's greatest storytellers. Courage and achievement are celebrated and questioned, paradoxes examined, and human frailty appreciated in fifteen tales, at once lyrical and provocative, ranging fromthe fantastic to the achingly real. Be it a tale of an expulsion from Eden, a journey through time, the dreams of a failed writer, ora dead woman's ambiguous legacy, each story in <em>Novelties &amp; Souvenirs</em> is a glorious reading experience, offering delights to be savored ... and remembered. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Set during the 1990s in an overcrowded and politically corrupt Bombay, Rohinton Mistry's <em>Family Matters</em> depicts a family being torn apart by lies, love, and its unresolved demons of the past. Nariman Vakeel is an aging patriarch whose advancing Parkinson's disease and its related complications threaten to destroy his large Parsi family. When Nariman breaks his ankle and becomes bedridden, his two stepchildren turn his care over to their half-sister, Roxanne, who lives in a two-room flat with her husband and two sons. What follows is each character's reaction to this situation, from Roxanne's husband's struggle to provide for his family without neglecting his conscience to their sons' coming of age in an era of uncertainty. Expertly interspersed between these dilemmas are Nariman's tortured remembrances of a forbidden love and its inescapable consequences ("no matter where you go in the world, there is only one story: of youth, and loss, and yearning for redemption. So we tell the same story, over and over. Just the details are different").</p><p><em>Family Matters</em> is a compelling, emotional, and persuasive testimony to the importance of memories in every family's history. In a poetic style rich with detail, Mistry creates a world where fate dances with free will, and the results are often more familiar than anyone would ever care to admit. <em>--Gisele Toueg</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Warm, humane, tender and bittersweet are not the words one would expect to describe a novel that portrays a society where the government is corrupt, the standard of living is barely above poverty level and religious, ethnic and class divisions poison the community. Yet Mistrys compassionate eye and his ability to focus on the small decencies that maintain civilization, preserve the family unit and even lead to happiness attest to his masterly skill as a writer who makes sense of the world by using laughter, as one of his characters observes. Bombay in the mid-1990s, a once-elegant city in the process of deterioration, is mirrored in the physical situation of elderly retired professor Nariman Vakeel, whose body is succumbing to the progressive debilitation of Parkinsons disease. Narimans apartment, which he shares with his two resentful, middle-aged stepchildren, is also in terrible disrepair. But when an accident forces him to recuperate in the tortuously crowded apartment that barely accommodates his daughter Roxana, her husband and two young boys, family tensions are exacerbated and the limits of responsibility and obligation are explored with a full measure of anguish. In the ensuing situation, everyones behavior deteriorates, and the affecting secret of Narimans thwarted lifetime love affair provides a haunting leitmotif. Light moments of domestic interaction, a series of ridiculous comic situations, ironic juxtapositions and tenderly observed human eccentricities provide humorous relief, as the author of A Fine Balance again explores the tightrope act that constitutes life on this planet. Mistry is not just a fiction writer; he's a philosopher who finds meaning-indeed, perhaps a divine plan in small human interactions. This beautifully paced, elegantly expressed novel is notable for the breadth of its vision as well as its immensely appealing characters and enticing plot.<br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<p class="description">I grew up as the son of a man who could not possibly have been my father. Though there was never any doubt that my seed had come from another man, Moses Froben, Lo Svizzero, called me “son.” And I called him “father.” On the rare occasions when someone dared to ask for clarification, he simply laughed as though the questioner were obtuse. “Of course he’s not my son!” he would say. “Don’t be ridiculous.” But whenever I myself gained the courage to ask him further of our past, he just looked sadly at me. “Please, Nicolai,” he would say after a moment, as though we had made a pact I had forgotten. With time, I came to understand I would never know the secrets of my birth, for my father was the only one who knew these secrets, and he would take them to his grave. The celebrated opera singer Lo Svizzero was born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps where his mother served as the keeper of the loudest and most beautiful bells in the land. Shaped by the bells’ glorious music, as a boy he possessed an extraordinary gift for sound. But when his preternatural hearing was discovered—along with its power to expose the sins of the church—young Moses Froben was cast out of his village with only his ears to guide him in a world fraught with danger.  Rescued from certain death by two traveling monks, he finds refuge at the vast and powerful Abbey of St. Gall. There, his ears lead him through the ancient stone hallways and past the monks’ cells into the choir, where he aches to join the singers in their strange and enchanting song. Suddenly Moses knows his true gift, his purpose. Like his mother’s bells, he rings with sound and soon, he becomes the protégé of the Abbey’s brilliant yet repulsive choirmaster, Ulrich.  But it is this gift that will cause Moses’ greatest misfortune: determined to preserve his brilliant pupil’s voice, Ulrich has Moses castrated. Now a young man, he will forever sing with the exquisite voice of an angel—a musico—yet castration is an abomination in the Swiss Confederation, and so he must hide his shameful condition from his friends and even from the girl he has come to love. When his saviors are exiled and his beloved leaves St. Gall for an arranged marriage in Vienna, he decides he can deny the truth no longer and he follows her—to sumptuous Vienna, to the former monks who saved his life, to an apprenticeship at one of Europe’s greatest theaters, and to the premiere of one of history’s most beloved operas.  In this confessional letter to his son, Moses recounts how his gift for sound led him on an astonishing journey to Europe’s celebrated opera houses and reveals the secret that has long shadowed his fame: How did Moses Froben, world renowned musico, come to raise a son who by all rights he never could have sired?  Like the voice of Lo Svizzero, The Bells is a sublime debut novel that rings with passion, courage, and beauty.</p>


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<div><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Puzo has called this 1965 pre-Godfather novel his personal favorite of his oeuvre. It recounts the life of Lucia Santa Angeluzzi-Corbo, a Southern Italian immigrant who settles in New York in the 1920s. This "very colorful and perceptive novel" remains "highly readable" for today's audience (LJ 3/15/65).<br>Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>efore The Godfather and The Last Don, there was Puzo's classic story about the loves, crimes and struggles confronted by one family of New York City immigrants living in Hell's Kitchen. Fresh from the farms in Italy, Lucia Santa struggles to hold her family together in a strange land. At turns poignant, comic and violent, and with a new preface by the author, The Fortunate Pilgrim is Italian-American fiction at its very best.  </p><p><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em></p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>For generations the traditional focus for those wishing to understand the roots of the modern world has been France on the eve of the Revolution. Porter certainly acknowledges France's importance, but here makes an overwhelming case for considering Britain the true home of modernity - a country driven by an exuberance, diversity and power of invention comparable only to twentieth-century America. Porter immerses the reader in a society which, recovering from the horrors of the Civil War and decisively reinvigorated by the revolution of 1688, had emerged as something new and extraordinary - a society unlike any other in the world. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Roy Porter is Professor in the Social History of Medicine at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><blockquote><p>"She is my rock—the one person who keeps it real." —Barack </p><p>"I don't want anybody to think that it's easy. . . . We have a strong marriage, but it's not perfect." —Michelle </p></blockquote><p>They exploded onto the world scene and within a matter of a few short years captured the ultimate political prize. In so doing, they became a First Couple like no other: He—the biracial son of a free-spirited Kansas-born woman and a mercurial Kenyan father who abandoned him at an early age—was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia, educated at Columbia and Harvard, and launched his political career in America's heartland. She, by contrast, was the product of a solidly middle-American family with roots planted firmly in Chicago's working-class South Side—paving the way for her to achieve her dreams of an Ivy League education and a position at one of the nation's top law firms. </p><p>By the time they claimed the White House in one of the most hotly contested presidential races in modern history, Barack and Michelle Obama were seen by millions around the world as the new Jack and Jackie Kennedy—brilliant, attractive, elegant, youthful, <em>exciting</em>. Accompanied by their two young daughters, Malia and Sasha, the Obamas would arrive at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with the promise of a new Camelot all but assured. </p><p>Given the obvious historic significance of what they have accomplished together, the marriage of Barack and Michelle stands as one of the great personal and political partnerships in American history. Yet, incredibly, the true nature of that relationship has remained a mystery. Until now. </p><p>In the style of his No. 1 <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers <em>The Day Diana Died</em> and <em>The Day John Died</em>, as well as his bestselling books about the Kennedys, the Clintons, and the Bushes, author Christopher Andersen draws on important sources—some speaking here for the first time—to paint the first complete, compelling portrait of America's first black First Family. </p><p>Among the many intriguing insights and stunning revelations: </p><ul><li><p>New behind-the-scenes details of the Obamas' courtship and marriage—and the lovers who went before.</p> </li> <li><p>The early tragedies that shaped both Barack's and Michelle's personalities, and how those events haunt them to this day. Also, new information about Barack's rootless childhood, at times tortured adolescence, and the true extent of his early drug use.</p> </li> <li><p>How Barack's ambition put a strain on their relationship from the very beginning, how close the Obamas really came to breaking up, and how Michelle made the difficult decision that saved their marriage.</p> </li> <li><p>The little-known near-tragedy that brought Barack and Michelle closer than they had ever been. </p> </li> <li><p>How Michelle may have saved her husband's presidential campaign, and her surprising behind-the-scenes role as the president's chief advisor. </p> </li> <li><p>The pressures and delights of raising two young girls in the relentless glare of the media, and how, like Jack and Jackie Kennedy before them, Barack and Michelle strive to make the lives of America's two most famous children as "normal" as possible. </p> </li></ul><p><em>Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage</em> is an intimate and ultimately riveting look at their unique partnership, and the humor, faith, fortitude, and grace that defines it. It is, above all, an extraordinary American love story. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Christopher Andersen is the critically acclaimed author of twenty-eight books, which have been translated into more than twenty-five languages worldwide. A former contributing editor of <em>Time</em> magazine and senior editor of <em>People</em> magazine, Andersen has also written hundreds of articles for a wide range of publications, including <em>Life</em> magazine, the <em>New York Times</em>, and <em>Vanity Fair</em>. </p></div>


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<div><p><em>Only a special woman can win the heart of a brother...</em></p><p>Meet the Steeles: Chance, Sebastian, Morgan, and Vanessa. Running the family-owned Steele Corporation, these hard-working relatives are successful in business...and once they meet that special someone, they're lucky in love, too. Experience all the passion and romance of <em>USA TODAY</em> bestselling author Brenda Jackson's complete Forged of Steele series in one handy bundle. Bundle includes: <em>Solid Soul, Night Heat, Beyond Temptation,</em> and <em>Risky Pleasures</em>, plus the free bonus novella <em>Never Too Late</em> that introduces all the Steeles! </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When a man finds a beautiful woman asleep in his bed…</p><p>…he has only one choice. To seduce her with a night of lovemaking she'll never forget. Trouble is, Donovan Steele's sultry new housekeeper is just as determined <em>not</em> to become the legendary playboy's latest conquest.</p><p>Trading the Ivy League for down South, Natalie Ford is helping out with her ailing aunt's housecleaning service. But she finds that this powerful, potent man of Steele ignites a different kind of chemistry—one that defies every law of attraction the science professor ever learned.</p><p>Natalie knows she has to come clean to Donovan about who she really is…especially when he starts believing she's out to sabotage his family business. Will she lose her chance to love the real man behind the seductive legend? </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Donovan Steele opened the door to his home and walked inside with a huge smile on his face. Over the weekend in New Hampshire, his best friend from childhood, Bronson Scott, one of the most popular drivers for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, had placed in the top five.</p><p>Donovan was proud of Bronson's success because Donovan, of all people, knew how hard his friend had worked to achieve it. Bronson was not only a skilled driver but was also a racer for the team he owned, Scott Motorsports. Donovan's chest also swelled with pride at the fact that his family-owned business, the Steele Corporation, was a major sponsor of Scott Motorsports. That provided plenty of advertising for SC and offered Bronson the financial support he needed to pursue his lifelong dream.</p><p>Another reason for Donovan's smile was that at the race he'd been among friends and had managed to unwind and not think about how busy the coming months would be for him back at the office. A new product under development at SC, the first in several years, had everyone excited; especially Donovan since he headed the Product Administration Division. But Gleeve-Ware, as it was called, had to be completed in time for the annual Product Trade Show being held in Toronto this November.</p><p>Instead of returning to Charlotte yesterday like he'd planned, he and a good friend from college, Uriel Lassiter, as well as two of his cousins from Phoenix— Galen and Tyson Steele—decided to stay an additional day to celebrate with Bronson and Myles Joseph, another good friend and a Scott Motorsports driver.</p><p>And then there had been Joanne Summerville, a racetrack groupie who'd come on to him after finding out about his close relationship to Bronson and the other drivers. Even now he could still picture her standing under the July sun in those skintight jeans and that sky-blue T-shirt that had stretched snugly across a pair of well-endowed breasts.</p><p>Joanne had been a looker, all right, and he regretted not taking her up on what she'd been offering. He hadn't the time to squeeze in a short fling, no matter how tempting, and he could still see the sexy pout on her lips and the disappointment in her eyes when he'd turned her down. His only saving grace was that he figured he'd run into her again at a future race.</p><p>Donovan dropped his travel bag on the floor by the sofa instead of taking it upstairs to his bedroom. Due to an early flight out this morning, he'd missed breakfast and was hungry. He walked toward the kitchen, deciding that in desperate times even a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich sounded pretty good.</p><p>The moment Donovan walked into his kitchen he could tell his housekeeper had been there. Everything gleamed, from the stainless-steel appliances to the ceramic-tile floor. He appreciated the way she kept his house clean. He was a stickler when it came to neatness, but he also liked having a good time and had no desire to spend his weekends doing chores. He was too busy spending his time doing women.</p><p>It came as no surprise to those who knew him that he enjoyed and appreciated female company. There was no crime in that and at thirty-three, he enjoyed being single. He spent his time doing things he liked, which included a lot of traveling for pleasure, and refused to be tied down to a woman who'd have a hissy fit if he left her behind or one who felt entitled to accompany him.</p><p>He'd learned the hard way that women tended to get outright possessive. Alyson Greer had been such a creature, and even now he got cold chills remembering how she had resorted to stalking him. From that point on, he'd made a conscious effort to make sure any woman he became involved with knew the score.</p><p>There were simply too many beautiful ladies out there to get tied down to just one.</p><p>His three older brothers were wearing wedding bands and that was all well and good—for them. He was happy they had found wonderful women to fall in love with and marry. But he was not the marrying kind. He wasn't even the serious relationship kind. Short-term affairs suited him just fine.</p><p>Besides women, his favorite pastime was auto racing. Not that he would ever get behind the wheel of a race car but he totally enjoyed being a spectator. He couldn't describe the rush of adrenaline that flowed through his body while watching a race. Of course, sharing an orgasm with a woman was still number one in his book, but being at a race was a close second.</p><p>He reached to open his pantry when he noticed a pair of women's sandals on the floor by the sliding glass door to his screened patio. Where had they come from and whom did they belong to?</p><p>Had the cleaning lady left her shoes? Was she still there?</p><p>He picked up the sandals to study their design. Sleek and snazzy. He'd only seen his housekeeper once or twice, and although she wasn't a bad-looking older woman, he couldn't imagine her wearing a pair of stylish and trendy shoes. But then he might be wrong. He couldn't judge every fifty-something-year-old woman by his mother and his aunt's taste in fashion.</p><p>He cocked his right brow, his curiosity piqued, and for the moment his hunger was placed on the back burner. He went back into his living room and then the dining room and glanced around, noticing that the rooms were neat as a pin, tidy as could be and well-dusted. That was enough evidence to indicate his housekeeper had been here.</p><p>On the main level, he also had a guest bedroom and a spacious bath, with the master suite and his office and another bathroom upstairs. If and when he felt inclined to invite a woman to stay for the night, the downstairs guest room was where they would sleep. He considered it his entertainment room. At one time he'd installed mirrors in the ceiling over the bed until his nephew Marcus—who would come spend the night on occasion—got old enough to question why they were there.</p><p>The master bedroom was off-limits. He considered it his personal domain. No woman could lay claim to ever sleeping in what he considered his <em>real </em>bed. A number of them had tried, considered it a challenge, their ultimate goal. But so far none had ever made it up those stairs.</p><p>After checking the other rooms, he made his way upstairs. It didn't take him long to check the bathroom and his office before heading down the hall that led to his master suite. His bedroom door was closed, which wasn't unusual, but what <em>was </em>unusual were the sensations he began feeling in the pit of his stomach, similar to the ones he felt when he was standing on the sidelines waiting for the race to begin.</p><p>He opened the door, and his eyes quickly circulated the room, stopping first on the vacuum cleaner that was still plugged into the wall and then on the feather duster that was sitting on his dresser.</p><p>He stepped into the room and held his breath when he saw a woman asleep in his bed.</p><p><em>What the hell?</em></p><p>Quickly, he crossed the floor to his bed and stared down at the sleeping woman. She was definitely not his regular cleaning lady. This woman looked to be in her early twenties and was absolutely, undeniably beautiful.</p><p>She was lying on her side but her face was angled in a way that showed an ample portion of it. What he saw flooded his gut with something he'd never felt before, a sensual attraction so hard, gripping and intense that he had to struggle to get air past his lungs.</p><p>Her skin, a beautiful chocolate-brown, looked soft, satiny and smooth. Her long eyelashes fanned her eyes, and in sleep she looked totally at peace. Her hair, a dark brown shade, flowed to her shoulders with bouncy-looking curls at the end. He had encountered beautiful women countless times but never before did one have such a gripping effect on his libido. And that very thought downright unnerved him.</p><p>Pulling in a deep breath, he inhaled, then took his time releasing it after deciding it was time to wake her. Although his first instinct was to remove his clothes and get into the bed with her. Instead of feeling his privacy violated by the woman in his bed, he was feeling something else altogether. Lust. Bone-chilling, gut-wrenching lust to a degree he'd never experienced before.</p><p>He tried tamping down the sensations by thinking that he definitely had a number of questions for her… but first he had to get her out of his bed. With that thought in mind, he reached out and gently touched her shoulder, trying to ignore the way his fingers trembled at the contact. He then watched as she slowly stretched her body before cuddling into another position without opening her eyes.</p><p>Tempted to see the rest of her, he slowly lifted the covers… His sex immediately got hard, pressed tight against the fly of his jeans as his gaze lit on her lush, shapely body. His eyes raked over her khaki shorts and cotton top, taking in her long, toned legs, small waist, curvy thighs and flat tummy. And then there was her scent. It assailed his senses the moment he lifted the covers, a totally feminine aroma that clutched him in blatant desire.</p><p>Thinking he'd better do something before he totally lost it, he dropped the covers back in place and gently shook her awake. His fingers trembled for a second time when they came in contact with her shoulder.</p><p>He stared down at her face as her eyes fluttered open, blinked a few times, widened and then stared back. The color of flowing honey, her eyes were a perfect match for her complexion. The woman was even more beautiful with her eyes wide open looking like a deer caught in the headlights.</p><p>He watched as she opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but then changed her mind. Instead she moistened her top lip with the flick of her tongue before gnawing nervously on the bottom lip. He felt an immediate tightening in his stomach. An aura of sexual magnetism surrounded them, held them within its grip.</p><p>When he couldn't handle the sensations any longer, or the torture of imagining all the things he would love doing to her tongue and lips, he spoke up. "I believe you're sleeping in <em>my </em>bed, Goldilocks."</p><p>Though her mind was working just fine, Natalie Ford was speechless and incapable of movement.</p><p>When she'd opened her eyes, the last thing she expect... </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The prolific Jackson's 16th book in the Madaris Family and Friends series is a heated tale that fully lives up to all expectations. Construction company co-owner Blade Madaris arrives in Oklahoma City from Houston with two goals in mind: to complete several major projects, and to seduce Italian-African-American attorney Samari Di Meglio. He's a player who takes pride in his sexual conquests; she's just as fierce in despising and humiliating Romeos like him. In other words, a match made in romance reader's Harlequin. It's full steam ahead as the pair tantalize, fantasize and ultimately take each other to bed. But it isn't all fun and games, when mysterious stalker sends Sam anonymous bouquets a threat attached. As the danger mounts, what better bodyguard could she find than a man already dedicated to her body? Jackson is a master at writing about the bedroom games people play, and she handles the mystery with enough skill to keep readers guessing. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Blade Madaris has watched the men in his family surrender their single status one by one, and he has no plans to join them. But the gorgeous attorney he meets at his cousin's wedding would make a fine notch on his bedpost. And when circumstances bring them together for six months, Blade formulates a plan to sweep Samari Di Meglio off her feet and into his arms.</p><p>Though Blade is the kind of player Sam has spent years avoiding, a no-strings one-night stand is too tempting to resist. But their sizzling night together comes with unforeseen complications. Blade can't walk away from the most passionate woman he's ever met. To break through her resistance, the consummate bachelor will have to bare his soul and confess everything that's in his heart…. </p></div>


