Her mother destroyed her. The garden saved her. Poppy was six years old when she was rescued from her abusive mother and taken to her grandparents' farm to recover. There, under a wide South African sky, Poppy succumbs to the magic of their garden. Slowly, her memories fade and her wounds began to heal. But as Poppy grows up into a strange, fierce and beautiful young woman, her childhood memories start to surface. And then a love affair with a troubled older man explodes her world... Views: 30
The biography of the Englishwoman who has become a world-renowned spiritual leader and a champion of the right of women to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Following Tenzin Palmo's life from England to India, including her seclusion in a remote cave for 12 years, leading to her decision to found a convent to revive the Togdenma lineage. Amazon.com Review It sounds like a legend out of medieval Tibet: the ascetic who leaves home to join the Buddhist order, then spends 12 years in a cave, 15 hours a day in a meditation box. This is no legend, but you could call Tenzin Palmo legendary in her single-minded pursuit of higher realizations. From the East End of London to halfway up the Himalayas, she is now back in society, attempting to pull medieval Tibetan Buddhism into the modern era--women's rights and all. As biographer Vickie Mackenzie says by way of background, a group of elite women practitioners called "Togdemnas" still existed just decades ago. Tenzin Palmo, having studied with her male counterparts, is now canvassing the planet, welcoming women into full participation in Tibetan Buddhism and building support for an academy of Togdemnas that she plans to establish in the Himalayas. Mackenzie helps raise awareness for women's roles in Tibetan Buddhism by going into some detail about obstacles still faced by women as well as heroines who have overcome those obstacles, such as Yeshe Tsogyel (Sky Dancer) and Machig Lapdron, a mother who started her own lineage. If Mackenzie has it her way, it won't be long before Tenzin Palmo joins that list of heroines. – Brian Bruya – This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Views: 30
A haunted house becomes the focus of a demonic investigation so Brenda teams up with a trio of werewolves to solve the mystery. But when the house eats her, can they find a way to save her? I met a trio of furballs when my BFF was dealing with a demon issue and since then, I can't stop thinking about them. When the chance to investigate a possessed house appears on my desk—after I filch it from someone else's—I know it's fate we team up again. However, I might have bitten off more than I can chew because suddenly my hunky puppies are demanding I become their permanent chew toy. Me, mated? Eek, but also yum. Did I mention they totally make my body purr? Before we can indulge in a sweatily-ever-after, though, they'll need to save me from Mr. Peabody's house, because I do believe it ate me. Author's Note: A raunchy, reverse harem, paranormal romantic comedy. (Now say that fast five times!) Views: 30
In Persephone the Phony, Persephone develops a crush on bad-boy Hades. Her mom (Ceres) and friends don't approve, and Persephone finds herself sneaking around to see him. Hades convinces her to tell the truth, and it's revealed that he isn't all that bad, just misunderstood! Views: 30
Ellis Portal has resigned from solving mysteries. Or so he thinks. When a profound personal tragedy propels him into a puzzling case with no suspects and no clues, he's forced back into the world of crime. Against the drama of a Toronto conference that brings world leaders to the city, Ellis finds himself surrounded with new enemies and old allies, one of whom threatens to make demands on him he's in no position to meet...Rosemary Aubert has achieved world-wide attention with her Ellis Portal series. She is a Toronto writer, teacher, speaker and criminologist who mentors fresh mystery writers and treasures classic ones.Critical acclaim for Ellis Portal and the Ellis Portal mystery series:The New York Times"...in Ms. Aubert's sensitive treatment, a character with great dignity and unusual moral depth."Washington Post"Rosemary Aubert has a touch of the poet."Kirkus Reviews"Heartfelt and often piercing in its portrayal of life on the edge."New Brunswick Reader"An absorbing read that... Views: 30
Buckle up for a race for the championship and the prize of a lifetime in this heartfelt reunion romance.When racing team director Brad Thomas needs a new driver, his boss insists there's only one answer: Gabrielle Marquez. The Indycar ace has newly returned to the United States after becoming one of the European circuit's top drivers. But ten years ago, Gabrielle caused a crash that ended Brad's racing career and killed their mutual best friend, along with the burgeoning crush they were exploring. Gabby's ready to put the past behind her, even though she knows making amends and regaining Brad's trust won't be easy. Rebuilding their professional relationship paves the way for healing, and old feelings soon rekindle, but a rival's dangerous game of sabotage may threaten their team's chance at the title. Then an irresistible offers lands on Gabby's windshield, forcing her to choose between her heart and her hard-fought career. Will achieving her professional... Views: 30
One of the gerbils has gone missing and it is up to Henry, Lassie, and Murdock to find him. Before it is too late... Views: 30
It is 1320 and civil war is looming in England as the monk Ralph of Houndeslow rides into Crediton. Ralph faces a daunting task in his new position as Master of St Lawrence's, the leper hospital. Not only are his charges grievously ill, they are also outcasts of society, shunned and feared by all healthy folk. The citizens of Crediton have other concerns as well. The murder of goldsmith Godfrey of London and the assault on his daughter Cecily, for instance, crimes all too easily attributed to John of Irelaunde, a womaniser who has in the past tried to defraud the church. Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, is not convinced that John is wicked enough to commit murder, and soon he is following other leads, with the able assistance of Bailiff Simon Puttock. But only when they discover the identity of the man overheard talking to Cecily before the attack will the astounding truth begin to emerge. Meanwhile, feeling against the lepers is growing, fed by rumours deliberately spread. Unless the burghers of Crediton can be made to see reason, Baldwin and Simon could have full-scale slaughter on their hands. Views: 30
Spain is poised to suffer its worst internal strife in a thousand years. Certain well-placed Spanish diplomats sense it. Op-Center intelligence corroborates it. All the United States and Spain have to do is find a way to avert it. Before they can, an Op-Center agent is assassinated in Madrid on her way to a top secret diplomatic meeting. Now all fears are confirmed. Someone very powerful wants another Spanish civil war — no matter what the cost. Views: 30
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Even the considerable length of Lauren Belfer's City of Light can't prepare the reader for all the novel holds. In turn-of-the-century Buffalo, she illuminates (among other concerns) the struggles of women, blacks, immigrants and lesbians, labor unions and socialists; the birth of environmentalism; the back-room dealings of industrialists; and the illegitimate children of predatory U.S. Presidents. The novel truly contains multitudes, yet it finds its heart in, and its focus through, Louisa Barrett. The headmistress of the Macauley School for Girls, Louisa is "tall, slender, almost-blond, sensitive, and basically shy though sometimes appearing on the surface bossy and a know-it-all." A salon of noted intellectuals convenes at her home, and she enjoys the protection of the powerful men who sit on the school's board. She is considered "one of the boys," yet Louisa merely enjoys proximity to power and must still struggle with the strictures society places on her gender. In hope that there might be a future in which women of equal intellect will enjoy true equality, she exposes her students to all things (e.g. poverty, hydroelectricity) under the cover of producing marriageable young women. One student, Grace Sinclair, occupies her more than the others. She is Louisa's godchild and has been acting strangely, frightening other girls with her morbidity; this in itself is not surprising, as Grace's mother, Margaret, has recently died. Her father, Thomas, attempts to understand his daughter while simultaneously directingthenew hydroelectric project at Niagara Falls. A true believer in industry's possibilities, Thomas is hoping to "change the world with electricity" and is impatient with any resistance to this new source of energy. Electricity is still little understood by Buffalo's society, but expectations run high: "it seemed like magic, but it was science. Magic had become science, science had become magic, anything was possible and the future was ours." At the Sinclairs' home one evening, Louisa overhears Thomas arguing with an engineer, Karl Speyer; when Speyer turns up dead the next morning, Louisa begins to suspect Thomas. His surprise gift of one million dollars to the Macauley School exacerbates her suspicions she wonders if he's trying to buy her silence. The world these characters inhabit is fraught with intrigue, every action fueled by old secrets and whispers, hopes of profit. Louisa seeks the truth, the light that casts the shadows; at the same time, she strives to protect those she loves and to keep her own dark secret hidden. In the world of City of Light , to know someone's secrets is to determine his or her actions. This is a book about control, and about forces that can only be controlled at some cost. Just as men restrain and channel those women who seek knowledge and access to power, they harness the force of Niagara Falls and the labor of the underclass. Belfer's writing is also characterized by control; her narrator, Louisa, is ingeniously selective in how she reveals herself, while at the same time exposing (and drawing the reader into) her own blind spots. The prose is taut and precise, rich but rarely too rich, rife with surprising insights. Here's Louisa, entering a room illuminated by electricity: "the air itself seemed clear, vibrant, and somehow invigorating. All at once I knew why: Gaslight consumed the oxygen in a room; electricity did not." Later, taking leave of a man she fears, she wonders "Could he possibly have formed a romantic attachment to me, or did he simply regret losing the opportunity to torture me? Or were the two the same to him?" Louisa seems to possess a political sensibility of the 1990s, yet she must continually hold herself back. "[I]f I lost my reputation," she reasons, "I would lose everything I had worked for." While the reader chafes along with her, this is not the only frustration that finds its expression in Louisa. Certainly, as its narrator, she is responsible for the novel's greatest delights; however, she must also be held accountable for its often confounding tone. The wealth of historical information sometimes threatens to overwhelm the narrative's dramatic momentum; early on, especially, the novel can feel more like an education than an entertainment. Louisa speaks with great historical precision for pages at a time, invoking names, dates, architects, and other obscure details, and this works against the process of identifying with her, of bringing her into proximity. The return from such encyclopedic flights to more personal dramas is not always an easy one, and occasionally we get stilted sentiment where heat might be desired. The effect on the reader is a strange combination of longing, frustration, and fascination Louisa often calls us closer only to hold us away. It is easy to understand why so many of the novel's characters seek to form attachments with her. City of Light could be a slicker, smoother book, but it would be less of one. The novel's ambition can't be denied and must be acknowledged and appreciated. If the sheer range of all Lauren Belfer attempts to include leads to some awkwardness, it's a small price to pay. Through ingenious storytelling, she does not merely re-create a world, she creates one, and populates it with finely textured characters some historical, some fictional, some a mixture: all real. Just when the plot begins to seem too carefully set up, the characters too choreographed, and the mysteries too perfectly explained, another level of secrets is exposed. This book unfolds. And in the end, the story turns in a way that explains the reason behind its telling, the force behind its shape and tone. The result is a novel that is alive, haunted, and large in every sense of the word. Views: 30
Having freed himself from the stone forests of Skandi, Tiger and Del return to
the South. They originally fled the South because, to save Del’s life, Tiger
broke his vows as a seventh level sword-dancer, declaring himself elaii-ali-ma.
Every sword-dancer in the South, even ones he once considered his friends, are
now bound to kill him. They don’t even have to invite him into the circle,
where sword-dances are usually conducted, they can execute him any way they
deem the simplest. Tiger returns to this land, originally, because the South is
his home and he hopes to rebuild the shodo at Alimat, where he was trained.
Soon he is haunted by dreams, dreams of a skeleton, of a woman’s voice that
commands him — "Find me," she says, "And take up the sword." Views: 30
Frozen in silence, I squinted into the eerie, pale light. Hands popped up from beneath the ground. They shook off dirt and stretched. A dozen hands poked up, shimmering yellow and green in the moonlight.And then heads. Human heads. Hair caked with dirt. Skin loose, hanging from their skulls. They stared at me with pleading eyes, faces twisted, mouths hanging open in pain."Take me with you", one of them called in a dry whisper. Views: 30
