In this sixteenth Galaxy Zack adventure, Nebulon falls into a complete cosmic blackout!Zack loves everything about his new planet, Nebulon. There's Ira, his Indoor Robotic Assistant, who makes him delicious food every day. There's Zack's hyperphone for playing games with friends. Even his desk at school is pretty grape. But Zack wakes up one morning to discover that everything awesome about his new planet is out of order. Nebulon has fallen into a complete cosmic blackout. Without power, how will Zack and his friends ever get through the day? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Galaxy Zack chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. Views: 35
"The Dive from Clausen's Pier is one of those small miracles that reinforce our faith in fiction. It does what the best novels so often do, making the largest things visible by its perfect rendering of life on the smaller scale. It is witty, tragic and touching, and beguiling from the first page." --Scott Turow A riveting novel about loyalty and self-knowledge, and the conflict between who we want to be to others and who we must be for ourselves. Carrie Bell has lived in Wisconsin all her life. She’s had the same best friend, the same good relationship with her mother, the same boyfriend, Mike, now her fiancé, for as long as anyone can remember. It’s with real surprise she finds that, at age twenty-three, her life has begun to feel suffocating. She longs for a change, an upheaval, for a chance to begin again.That chance is granted to her, terribly, when Mike is injured in an accident. Now Carrie has to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the meaning of home. She must ask: How much do we owe the people we love? Is it a sign of strength or of weakness to walk away from someone in need?The Dive from Clausen’s Pier reminds us how precarious our lives are and how quickly they can be divided into before and after, whether by random accident or by the force of our own desires. It begins with a disaster that could happen, out of the blue, in anybody’s life, and it forces us to ask how we would bear up in the face of tragedy and what we know, or think we know, about our deepest allegiances. Elegantly written and ferociously paced, emotionally nuanced and morally complex, The Dive from Clausen’s Pier marks the emergence of a prodigiously gifted new novelist. Views: 35
Jack and Melissa find themselves in an investigation of broken promises and lives manipulated by someone people should have been able to trust. Father Clayton, the beloved local priest, welcomes them under the assumption Melissa needs help after losing her husband, John. They just want the truth. Jack demanded. The truth is never what is seems. Melissa cried out. Views: 35
Turning the American Civil War literally upside-down, this winning fantasy brings to life a war to free the blond serfs of the North and raise them to equality beside their swarthy masters. Turtledove not only swaps South for North but replaces rifles with crossbows, horses with unicorns and railways with magic carpets. The book opens in the fourth year of the war, when it's clear that the gray-clad armies of King Avram of Detina have the advantage over the followers of the traitorous Grand Duke Geoffrey, who has proclaimed himself king of the seceded North. Many Northern infantrymen have been reduced to robbing Southern bodies for shoes and warm clothing; and while the North has the best wizards, the Southern engineers have invented a rapid-firing crossbow that gives their soldiers a tremendous advantage in battle. The course of this war closely parallels the real one, which makes for a somewhat predictable story but clears the way for a focus on the various entertaining and well-drawn characters, including numerous homages to-or parodies of-various historical figures. Charm and humor balance out the grimly realistic depictions of battlefields and occupied towns, flavor the beautifully subtle treatment of racism and help to mask the occasional lack of descriptive detail. While perhaps best suited to Civil War buffs, this tale proves quite enjoyable for the less tactically inclined, and it's a must-have for any fan of alternate histories. Views: 35
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cathryn Fox comes the scorching Blue Bay Crew series, that follows the sexy, blue collar Owens men who take over their family's construction business in the small town of Blue Bay, CT.Jamie Owens doesn't trust women. Especially not the rich, entitled women looking for a summer fling with a boy from the wrong side of town. But one look at Kylee Jensen in a tiny bikini, and Jamie decides that some rules are made to be broken. Kylee is tired of being the obedient daughter, and Jamie—shirtless, in a tool belt—is the perfect opportunity to do something for herself, so she hires Blue Bay Construction to work on her cottage. Their hot summer days turn scorching until it's revealed that Kylee has ties to Jamie's dark past, forcing them to decide if their dreams, and their relationship, are worth fighting for. Leveled is a steamy page turner with sizzling emotional intensity... Views: 35
Passing through a small Texas town, Seth Blackhawk found himself rescuing a set of young twins in trouble. His bravery resulted in an injury that had the lone wolf agreeing to Hannah Michaels's more than generous offer to recuperate inside her home. Seth had spent years going deep under cover, hiding his emotions, but sweet Hannah had his cool composure at the breaking point. Yes, he could show her the passion she so desired, but could he give Hannah the commitment her romance-wary soul demanded? Seth was used to living his life on the edge, but this time it was his heart on the line.... Views: 35
For almost a year, Madison has been Adam’s hook-up every time his band, Sole Regret, tours through Dallas. But in spite of the way he sets her body ablaze with passion, the occasional night of rock-her-world sex isn’t enough anymore. She has no problem tempting into her bed, but can she tempt a rock god to take a chance on love? Views: 35
Love isn't on her agenda… Olympia Lincoln is so relieved when her new assistant shows up, she sets him to work immediately. What she doesn't realize is that he is none other than Primo Rinucci, her new Italian boss! But he has other ideas! Primo can't resist playing along with the harmless deception. After all, this way he can get really close to the beautiful and attractive Olympia. But Olympia has been betrayed before, so when she discovers the truth will she ever be able to trust him again? Views: 35
Dan Callahan's daughter was supposed to take care of her fourth grade class's pet mice over the Christmas vacation—or so she claimed. Melissa Logan, the little girl's teacher, wondered why she had gotten close with the handsome single dad, only to have him back off unexpectedly. But when the mice went missing, the truth about everything came out, and the search for the elusive creatures led not only to unexpected secrets from the past but also to the answers that two lonely people had been seeking without even knowing it.NAUGHTY OR MICE is a heartwarming Christmas novelette from award-winning author Livia J. Washburn. Funny, poignant, and romantic, it's a charming "tail" you won't soon forget. Views: 35
Charles Yu experiments with form and genre to explore the stories we tell ourselves while navigating contemporary life. In "Third Class Superhero," a would- be good guy must come to terms with the darkness in his heart. A couple living in the Luxury Car Commercial subdivision in "401(k)" are disappointed when their exotic vacation turns into a Life Insurance/Asset Management pitch. The author struggles to write the definitive biography of his mother in "Autobiographical Raw Material Unsuitable for the Mining of Fiction." In these and other stories, Yu's characters run up against the conventions and parameters of their artificial story lines while tackling the terrifying aspects of existence: mothers, jobs, spouses, the need to express feelings.Heartbreaking, hilarious, smart, and surprising, Third Class Superhero marks the arrival of an impressive new talent. Views: 35
