The fate of Brooke Astor, the endearing philanthropist with the storied name, has generated worldwide headlines since her grandson Philip sued his father, Anthony Marshall, in 2006, alleging mistreatment of Brooke. Shortly after her death in 2007, Anthony was indicted on charges of looting her estate.New York journalist Meryl Gordon has interviewed not only the elite of Mrs. Astor's social circle but also the large staff who cared for her during her declining years. The result is the behind-the-headlines story of the Astor empire's unraveling, filled with never-before-reported scenes. This powerful, poignant saga takes the reader inside the gilded gates of an American dynasty to tell of three generations' worth of longing and missed opportunities and is filled with secrets of the sort that have engaged Americans from the era of Edith Wharton to the more recent days of Truman Capote. Even in this territory of privilege, no riches can put things right once they've been torn... Views: 56
Graduate student Rachel Cole is feeling the weekend blues and heads to her favorite lesbian hangout, looking for Ms. Right Now. She is immediately attracted to a brown-haired, brown-eyed, flannel-wearing soulful singer named Bobby Layton. But when Bobby introduces himself to Rachel, Rachel questions things about herself—things like her own sexuality and her very identity. Could she be falling for this sweet boy?
Bobby Layton lost a lot when he came out as trans. And he's sworn off dating lesbians because dealing with hate from the straight world is hard enough. Who needs the drama? But something about wild girl Rachel Cole keeps him coming back.
Love may be enough to take them to unexpected places beyond their expectations. Views: 56
A long time ago magic faded away, leaving behind only yo-yos, the extremely useful compass-pointing-to-North enchantment and the spell that keep bicycles from falling over. Things are about to change. Magical power is on the rise and King Snodd IV of Hereford has realised that he who controls magic controls almost anything. One person stands between Snodd and his plans for power and riches beyond the wildest dreams of avarice. Meet Jennifer Strange, sixteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam, the employment agency for sorcerers and soothsayers. With only one functioning wizard and her faithful assistant 'Tiger' Prawns, Jennifer must use every ounce of ingenuity to derail King Snodd's plans. It may involve a trip on a magic carpet at the speed of sound to the Troll Wall, the mysterious Transient Moose, and a powerless sorceress named Once Magnificent Boo. But one thing is certain: Jennifer Strange will not relinquish the noble powers of magic to big business and commerce without a fight. Views: 56
A hilarious new series for younger readers, following the misadventures of an ordinary boy at an extraordinary school for young spies...SPUD has set up a secret base under the school pond and is using radio-controlled duck-cameras to gather information. But the chief SPUD agent has made the mistake of having his weekly edition of SPUD's Nasty Newsletter redirected to his new base - by Alfie's dad, the local postman! It doesn't take long for the gang to work out what SPUD are up to.Can Alfie and his friends find a way of turning the SPUD infiltration to their advantage? Of course they can - and soon the school is teaching the pupils using even more bizarre methods than usual, all for SPUD's benefit. Will the evil organisation really believe in assassination by daffodil? Or that trained hamsters are used to infiltrate their bases? Of course they will... Views: 56
Pieces of terror, pieces of suspense, pieces of darkness combine to create PIECES OF HATE, master storyteller Ray Garton's short story collection. Nine works, including "A Gift From Above", a new novel that will surely hit you from below, are here compiled for the sole purpose of scaring you onto the next page. Garton illuminates the dark corners in us all and highlights the depths of the human condition. He takes our ordinary, daily assumptions and turns them on the reader to frightening effect. He makes reading terrifying yet compulsive. He scares us in so many ways. Here are a but a few brilliant examples in this one collection.Table of Contents:"A Gift From Above""Choices""Pieces""Cat Hater""Bad Blood""Ophilia Raphaeldo""The Devil's Music""Bait""God's Work" Views: 56
One kiss at a time, he plans to steal her heart...Ianthe Wynn is weary of life as a courtesan and longs for quiet green pastures to raise horses. Her biggest problem is her distinct lack of cash and a chilling new patron. There's also the matter of the youth lounging in her parlour with his feet on the furniture and the promises in his gaze that she can never accept.Quinn Muir might be the only wolf unable to shift, but he knows his mate when he spies her. He just needs to break through the wall she has constructed around her heart. Winning a bet and moving into her house for a week should do it, one kiss at a time.But demons lurk in the shadows and they are reaching for Ianthe. Quinn must rescue her before her heart and life are lost forever... Views: 56
Jihad vs. McWorld is a groundbreaking work, an elegant and illuminating analysis of the central conflict of our times: consumerist capitalism versus religious and tribal fundamentalism. These diametrically opposed but strangely intertwined forces are tearing apart--and bringing together--the world as we know it, undermining democracy and the nation-state on which it depends. On the one hand, consumer capitalism on the global level is rapidly dissolving the social and economic barriers between nations, transforming the world's diverse populations into a blandly uniform market. On the other hand, ethnic, religious, and racial hatreds are fragmenting the political landscape into smaller and smaller tribal units. Jihad vs. McWorld is the term that distinguished writer and political scientist Benjamin R. Barber has coined to describe the powerful and paradoxical interdependence of these forces. In this important new book, he explores the alarming repercussions... Views: 56
" Disneyland with the Death Penalty " is an article about Singapore written by William Gibson. His first major piece of non-fiction, it was first published as the cover storyfor Wired magazine's September/October 1993 issue (1.4). The article follows Gibson's observations of the architecture, phenomenology and culture of Singapore, and the clean, bland and conformist impression the city-state conveys during his stay. Its title and central metaphor—Singapore as Disneyland with the death penalty—is a reference to the authoritarian artifice the author perceives the city-state to be. Singapore, Gibson details, is lacking any sense of creativity or authenticity, absent of any indication of its history or underground culture. He finds the government to be pervasive, corporatist and technocratic, and the judicial system rigid and draconian. Singaporeans are characterised as consumerists of insipid taste. The article is accentuated by local news reports of criminal trials by which the author illustrates his observations, and bracketed by contrasting descriptions of the South-East Asian airports he arrives and leaves by. Though Gibson's first major piece of non-fiction, the article had an immediate and lasting impact. The Singaporean government banned Wired upon the publication of the issue, and the phrase "Disneyland with the death penalty" became a byword for bland authoritarianism that the city-state could not easily discard. Views: 56
Passionate Princess Alecia sets out to avenge the slaying of her first love. Captain Vard Anton is dealing with his own dark secrets. When he is appointed Alecia’s protector, both find it hard to ignore the chemistry between them. Can Alecia resist the enigmatic Vard while trying to exact revenge? Will their fatal attraction ultimately lead to tragedy or can love unite Alecia and Vard forever? Views: 56
Ambulance Ship is a 1979 science fiction novel by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. “Contagion” — An ancient sleeper ship is found whose last occupants died only months before. The rescue ship and ambulance crews come down with a mysterious illness. “Quarantine” — The sole survivor from a spacewreck is brought back to the hospital, and stuns everyone by downing half the surgical team. “Recovery” — A ship is found with absolutely no visible markings. A torture corridor inside beats on whatever passes, including a violent non-sentient and a telepathic sentient who communicates with the ambulance staff about the Blind Ones’ need. Views: 56
