Perfect for fans of Carolyn Haines and Donna Andrews, Lillian Bell makes the return with her second Funeral Parlor mystery featuring funeral director Desiree Turner. When an unnatural cause of death finds one of her clients, Desiree must get to the bottom of the murder before she's fitted for a coffin, herself.Funeral director Desiree Turner deals with death by natural causes all the time. Death by unnatural causes? Not so much. Yet, she and her boyfriend Nate have heard some not-so-dear things about the recently departed. A suspicious remark by the late Frank Fiore's daughters sparks some concern. And when Violet Daughtry faints behind the wheel of her car, Desiree suspects she's got a front seat to murder. Desiree can't help but look into Violet's untimely end, but soon after, rumors begin to spread that she's accusing her clients of murder, which quickly spurs a mass cancellation and Desiree is on the verge of going out of business. What began as an... Views: 64
Sharing Sean is a fabulously entertaining, and comedic debut novel in which four women in their late thirties–with no time, or desire for a full time relationship–hatch a plan to "share" a man. Not all women read bridal magazines, shop for dates on the internet, and covet the letters M., R., and S.. Some women prefer their baggage to be the purse variety and aren't seeking love or even fidelity–just a man who is willing to play by her rules. In the smart, wry, entertaining debut novel, Sharing Sean, Frances Pye introduces four such women in their late thirties–with no time, or desire for a committed relationship–and the unintended consequences that result when they hatch a bold plan to share one Mr. Right. Singles Lily, Terry, Jules and Mara meet for Sunday brunch at least once a month to bemoan the lack of a man who'll meet their individual needs. Lily longs for two or three nights a week of uncomplicated–but... Views: 64
Three great scientific revolutions have shaped our understanding of the cosmos and our relationship to it. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed the Copernican Revolution, which bodychecked the Earth as the pivot point of creation and joined us with the rest of the cosmos as one planet among many orbiting the Sun. Three centuries later came the second great scientific revolution: the Darwinian Revolution. It removed us from a distinct, divine biological status to place us wholly in the ebb and flow of all terrestrial life. This book describes how we're in the midst of a third great scientific revolution, five centuries in the making: the Stardust Revolution. It is the merging of the once-disparate realms of astronomy and evolutionary biology, and of the Copernican and Darwinian Revolutions, placing life in a cosmic context. This book takes readers on a grand journey that begins on the summit of California's Mount Wilson, where astronomers first realized that the... Views: 64
Erotica/Fantasy. 23218 words long. First published in 2007-11-01, 2007 Views: 64
"Invigorating . . . Savagely effective . . . Displays the same wit and ironic compassion that gained so many fans for her novels."--The New York Times Book ReviewModern stories for modern times, Crash Diet is at once brilliant and bitter, happy and heartbreaking. In eleven stories, acclaimed novelist Jill McCorkle tells the varied tales of today's southern women, the lives they end up leading, and the loves that distract them. Sandra knows that the best revenge is her ex-husband's credit card; Ruthie is stuck owning a motel that the highway has bypassed; Anna is a widow who goes to airports and looks in on other people's lives; Bunny waits eagerly for her absent sister's postcards for advice on how to live.Stuck in the slow lane, gunning their motors, they are women living the real life, hoping things will get better, but surprised when they occasionally do.From Publishers WeeklyIn this peppery, potent collection by McCorkle ( Ferris Beach ), 11 memorable women, ranging from high school student to retiree, confide details of troubled relationships. Without fail, their voices, hopes and sorrows hit the mark; it's easy to empathize with them and to uneasily recall moments when our own lives have mirrored theirs. Optimism and sorrow are here in equal measure: the title story's chronic dieter, abandoned by her husband, surprises herself by coping with marital crisis and unwittingly losing weight. The selective, feisty narrator of "Man Watcher" admits that her search for a male partner may be a "snipe hunt," the undeniably odd main character of "Comparison Shopping" learns with dismay that a couple on The New Newlywed Game consider her their "weirdest friend," and the teenage heroine of "Carnival Lights" discovers that the hottest gossip in town is about her boyfriend's mom. In the wrenching "Departures," an inconsolable widow spends time utterly alone in busy airports and malls, and in "Waiting for Hard Times to End," a girl worries when an expected postcard from her freewheeling, fearless older sister fails to arrive. McCorkle imbues her capable women with extraordinary depth and dimension, and she resolves their situations with enchanting grace and wit. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalIn her first short story collection, McCorkle resumes her remarkable storytelling skills, already demonstrated in four well-received novels: The Cheer Leader (Algonquin, 1984), July 7th (Algonquin, 1984), Tending to Virginia ( LJ 9/1/87), and Ferris Beach ( LJ 9/15/90). Widows, recent divorcees, teenage girls, retired women, and single mothers populate these pages. Each woman imparts to McCorkle's fortunate readers a touching, downright bone-tickling account of her individual struggle in the New South. Despite the variety of voices, any of these women might easily conclude, as does Norlina in "Comparison Shopping," "I feel for the first time that there is a place for me in this world and I no longer need a passport to get there." Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/92.-Faye A. Chadwell, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., ColumbiaCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 64
