Annie is the eldest daughter of a laundress in Acton, London, raised to keep the rich families of Kensington spick and span. As she grows up in poverty in the 1920s and 1930s, her life centres on the family business, working long hours of hard physical labour. When she's not in the laundry she's looking after her younger brother and two step-sisters. But she's haunted by thoughts of her real father and what happened to him. All she knows is that he died in the Great War - her mother will not talk about him and his very existence is shrouded in secrecy. Annie's search for the truth angers and frightens her mother, who throws her out of the house. Undaunted, Annie continues, convinced that solving the puzzle holds the key to her future happiness, as she simply doesn't seem able to trust men. Can Annie cut the apron strings binding her to the drudgery of life in the laundry business and find the love that had eluded her so far? Author Beezy Marsh's first book,... Views: 57
Ten-year-old Manami did not realize how peaceful her family's life on Bainbridge Island was until the day it all changed. It's 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Manami and her family are Japanese American, which means that the government says they must leave their home by the sea and join other Japanese Americans at a prison camp in the desert. Manami is sad to go, but even worse is that they are going to have to give her and her grandfather's dog, Yujiin, to a neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat and gets as far as the mainland before she is caught and forced to abandon Yujiin. She and her grandfather are devastated, but Manami clings to the hope that somehow Yujiin will find his way to the camp and make her family whole again. It isn't until she finds a way to let go of her guilt that Manami can reclaim the piece of herself that she left behind and accept all that has happened to her family. Views: 57
Commander Rochelle "Rocky" Jackson is aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan when the "unsinkable" naval vessel and its entire fleet are attacked from the depths and sunk. As Rocky struggles to stay alive, a monstrous mechanical steel stingray surfaces, plowing through the seas it now commands.
A U.S. Navy-designed futuristic nuclear stealth submarine the length of a football field in the shape of a giant stingray. Simon Covah, a brilliant scientist whose entire family were the victims of terrorism has hijacked the sub. Believing violence is a disease, Covah aims to use the Goliath and its cache of nuclear weapons to dictate policy to the world regarding the removal of oppressive regimes and nuclear weapons.
Could the threat of violence forge a lasting peace?
But there is another player in this life-and-death chess match. Unbeknownst to Covah and the Goliath crews, Sorceress , the Goliath's biochemical computer brain has become self-aware.
And that computer brain is developing its own agenda. Views: 57
Fin de siècle Paris: the world of Verlaine and Zola, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec; a time of anarchists, scientists, and occultists, when can-can skirts were raised at the Moulin Rouge and fortunes were lost on the Panama Canal. Armand de Valois was one of these latter unfortunates, stricken by yellow fever at the site of his ruin. When his widow Odette disappears into his tomb in the Père-Lachaise cemetery and never returns, her maid Denise fears the worst. Alone in the great metropolis, Denise knows just one person she can go to for help: Odette's former lover, Victor Legris. When the frightened girl turns up at his bookshop, Victor feels there must be a simple explanation for Odette's disappearance. But it soon becomes apparent that something sinister lies behind events at the Père-Lachaise. When Denise turns up drowned in the Seine, and Odette's corpse is found buried in an overgrown backyard, Victor throws himself into his second... Views: 57
A magical mixture of East meets West, mothers in conflict with daughters, and the healing power of food. 'I cannot easily put into words why I told my children their father had died. What was I supposed to tell them? The truth? ''Monu, Mol, your father has had enough of responsibility, he has another family, he's gone, left us.'' Maybe there are one hundred shades for explaining truth, a spectrum from light to dark, depending on the vulnerability of those who have to hear it. Things are not always clear cut, they are not either black or white, life just isn't like that.' Nalini and her two young children are transplanted from luxury in India to the bewildering confusion of London, only to be abandoned by her negligent husband. At first survival is a struggle, but Nalini turns to what she does best: cooking. Her mouthwatering pickles bring financial stability and domestic happiness, as well as affecting everyone who tastes them. Everyone, that is, except... Views: 57
A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical TalesThe contributors to this Christmas anthology include well-known writers with strong fan followings such as Bram Stoker and Hugo Award-winning author of "American Gods" Neil Gaiman, Hugo Award winner Connie Willis, Anne McCaffrey, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker, and many others.From BooklistStarred Review Anticipating pop singers, genre (i.e., "pop") fiction writers have put out "Christmas albums" ever since Dickens--the prototypical pop novelist, after all--"sang" A Christmas Carol. This fine anthology demonstrates that, on the whole, this has been a good thing. Editor Thomsen re-presents Christmas tales by sf and fantasy hands, mostly, although yarns by two mystery scribes, Donald E. Westlake and James Powell (obscurer than the delicious "Plot against Santa Claus" entitles him to be); Oz-inventor L. Frank Baum; and ur-western writer Bret Harte (in fine form in "How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar") appear, too. Short-shorts by Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, and Richard Christian Matheson open the collection, and four Santa-substitute stories follow (points of interest: Gaiman's "Nicholas Was . . ." began as a greeting card, and Harlan Ellison's "Santa Claus vs. S.P.I.D.E.R." is as nasty as its date, 1968). Then come five first-raters, of which Clive Barker's "The Yattering and Jack" is probably the best known, but Connie Willis' "Miracle," a fantasia based on two classic Christmas movies, is the best. Maureen F. McHugh's pensive "A Foreigner's Christmas in China" and, in the section with "classic" authors Harte and Baum, Anne McCaffrey's philosophical "A Proper Santa Claus" tie for next best. Regard this as your one-stop source of great "new" readings for Christmas story hours. Ray OlsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedcontentsSanta ShortsNicholas Was . . .Cyber-ClausHolidaySanta SubstitututesNacklesSanta Claus vs. S.P.I.D.E.R.O Come Little Children . . .It’s a Wonderful Miracle on 34th Street’s Christmas CarolVariations on the Holiday ThemeThe Yattering and JackIcicle MusicMiracleA Foreigner’s Christmas in ChinaHousehold Words; Or, The Powers-That-BeClassic Tales of Christmas Science Fiction, Fantasy and WhimsyA Kidnapped Santa ClausHow Santa Claus Came to Simpson’s BarA Proper Santa ClausThe Plot Against Santa ClausAbout the AuthorBrian M. Thomsen is an editor of science fiction who has worked at Warner Books and TSR, Inc. A Hugo award nominee and the author of two novels Once Around the Realms and The Mage in the Iron Mask and over 40 short stories, Brian has also edited several anthologies including Oceans of Space, Oceans of Magic, and The Repentant. He has just published a critical anthology titled The American Fantasy Tradition. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Donna and two cats. Views: 57
In her acclaimed mysteries set in the age of the British Raj, Barbara Cleverly brilliantly captures a fascinating collision of cultures against a backdrop of jasmine-scented nights and neatly trimmed English gardens. In her gripping new novel, the author of The Last Kashmiri Rose and Ragtime in Simla transports us to the remote and exotic setting of India’s North-West Frontier, where a group of travelers is swept into a spellbinding drama of kidnapping, vengeance, and murder.Scotland Yard Detective Joe Sandilands has been given the unenviable mission of guarding a spirited young American woman with far more wealth than sense. Lily Coblenz, accompanied by a cunning businessman, a woman doctor, and two quarreling military strategists, expects the adventure of a lifetime when she arrives at a remote British outpost. But when the son of a Pathan tribal leader is discovered dead, Sandilands, a decorated war veteran, knows that his mission to protect Lily has suddenly taken a startling new turn that may bring them all to the brink of war. Now, from the far reaches of an empire, Joe Sandilands must separate lies from truths, innocents from killers—and find the one person with a desperate motive for murder and the key to India’s destiny.From Publishers WeeklyDevotees of classic Golden Age whodunits will delight in British author Cleverly's third Joe Sandilands mystery set in India in 1922; it evokes, and in some ways surpasses, the work of Agatha Christie. The resourceful and insightful Sandilands assumes a glorified babysitting assignment when a rich and attractive American heiress expresses a desire to tour India's dangerous northwest frontier with Afghanistan during a period of heightened political tension. The heiress and Sandilands end up at a frontier outpost with a motley collection of companions—a Pathan prince and his kinsman, a female doctor en route to serve the amir ruling Afghanistan, a sleazy entrepreneur, an RAF pilot hoping to gain support for an increased military aerial presence and a veteran civil servant advocating a British retreat. When the prince is found dead, evidence suggesting foul play is suppressed. Sandilands is forced to act on his suspicions when the victim's kinsman takes a hostage and imposes a one-week deadline for a solution to the crime. Cleverly does a masterful job of combining traditional puzzle elements, including false endings and subtle fair-play clues, with convincing period atmosphere and characters with more complexity and sophistication than Christie typically provided. This marvelous historical delivers on the promise of the author's first two mysteries—The Last Kashmiri Rose (2002) and Ragtime in Simla (2003)—and should add to her growing U.S. fan base. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistScotland Yard commander Joe Sandilands never seems to get a real vacation. His third attempt finds him again in India during the Raj, this time near the Afghan border in the northwest. While visiting an old army friend, James Lindsay, Sandilands receives orders to chaperone American heiress Lily Coblenz, who is in search of adventure and the "real" India. The situation at Gor Khatri, a frontier fort, is tense. The fragile peace with the local Pathan tribesmen is broken, a Pathan prince dies, and British hostages are taken. Sandilands and his crew have one week to identify, arrest, and execute the prince's killer and avoid a war. As she did in The Last Kashmiri Rose (2002) and Ragtime in Simla (2003), Cleverly uses her portrayal of life at the fort to capture the essence of the declining British Empire. She also introduces several strong feminist characters who prove that they are more than capable of surviving in the harsh frontier environment. This excellent historical mystery gains immediacy in light of recent events in the region. Barbara BibelCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Views: 57
As an on-the-run single mother out to protect her little girls, Lisa Connors needed two things: money, and to keep her identity secret. But it was just her luck that the possibility of the former would threaten the latter -- for as the caretaker of the hunk-next-door with two broken legs, her ability to keep her distance was already shaky. When she found out said hunk's profession -- FBI agent -- it was downright demolished.... Gage McKinnon had spent most of his life trying to keep away from all things familial, so the last thing he needed was to have two adorable little girls take root next door. But it was their mother who posed his greatest threat. For in Lisa he felt that door in his heart -- the one that had been slammed shut twenty-five years ago -- start to open, just a crack. Views: 57
From Publishers WeeklyHalf of the writing team responsible for Relic, The Cabinet of Curiosities and other adventure bestsellers takes a solo flight, as Preston's writing partner, Lincoln Child, did in last year's Utopia. Like Child, Preston flies high and fast, turning in a briskly involving science-based thriller. The titular book is a Mayan artifact containing the sum of that people's knowledge about the medical applications of indigenous plants. The information is worth billions to any pharmaceutical company, but the Codex, along with numerous other priceless objects, was taken deep into the Honduran jungle by dying legendary tomb robber Maxwell Broadbent, to be buried along with him in a secret crypt. Max left instructions to his three grown sons that the only way to get their inheritance will be for them to track him and find the tomb. Max, who viewed his progeny as "quasi-failures," reasoned that by accomplishing this daunting task, the three-a veterinarian, a hippie spiritual seeker and a second-rate professor-will have proven themselves as men. What follows is rip-roaring jungle adventure, outfitted with a nasty villain (a sadistic PI who's also after the treasures), a beautiful blonde (partner to the vet), two memorable Indian characters, hosts of wild animals, terrific atmosphere and cliffhangers galore. The novel's main weakness is its lack of a strong central protagonist-the characters work more as an ensemble cast-such as Preston/Child have presented in their wonderful series detective, Special Agent Pendergast. Yet as always, Preston delivers the goods in a first-rate beach novel that most readers will be enjoying-at least in hardcover-while looking at snow rather than sand. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Amazing Race! A fast-paced, clever adventure."--Entertainment Weekly (A-) on The Codex "Preston keeps the adventure high, springing plenty of nifty surprises along the way."---People (3 1⁄2 Stars) on The Codex "Fascinating characters, exotic jungle scenery, and surprising twists make this nonstop thrill ride well worth deciphering. For all fiction collections."--Library Journal on The Codex "A fun dig with just a touch of Indiana Jones."--Kirkus Reviews on The Codex "Preston flies high and fast . . . a briskly involving science-based thriller. Rip-roaring jungle adventure, outfitted with a nasty villain, a beautiful blonde, two memorable Indian characters, hosts of wild animals, terrific atmosphere, and cliffhangers galore. Preston delivers the goods."--Publishers Weekly on The Codex Views: 57
Because paying attention can be tricky.Veronica Conti's on a mission. She wants a trophy. She needs a trophy. She will not rest until a glorious golden trophy is in her hands! So when her school's 100 Day Contest is announced, Veronica vows to take home the grand prize. But when Veronica gets teamed up with none other than Matthew Sawyer, her biggest enemy, she thinks all hope is lost. Matt gets distracted and has a history of losing stuff, not to mention that he and Veronica can't stop arguing. To win the prize, Matt needs to organize. And to do that, he needs the Fix It Friends! Together, the friends help Matt and Veronica discover that unexpected friendship is the best prize of all. Eyes on the Prize is the fifth adventure in this funny and relatable chapter book series that teaches emotional intelligence. It includes tools to stay focused, which are applicable for kids with ADD and ADHD. Includes a toolbox of expert advice on... Views: 57
The cave of Lascaux may be closed to the public, but five scholars a day are allowed inside, and Nora Barnes has finagled an appointment. True, she may have fudged a bit in her letter to the authorities, but she does teach art history, and she isn't about to miss her chance to see the world's most famous prehistoric paintings. Nora and her high-spirited husband, Toby, are visiting the Dordogne, in the southern French region of the Aquitaine. Aware that the Dordogne's renown for cave art is matched only by its reputation for delicious cuisine, the couple has also signed up for a cooking class at a nearby château, but they soon find that more than food is on their minds.During their tour of the cave, another visitor is murdered. When the local inspector pegs Nora and Toby as suspects, they embark on a mission to solve the crime, tracing strange links between a Cro-Magnon symbol and a thirteenth-century religious cult. As they match wits with the crusty inspector, Nora... Views: 57
Cathryn Whitmore doesn't want a vacation, not even in beautiful Cape May, New Jersey. Being forced to take a week off is bad enough, but twiddling her thumbs on the beach when she lives in Florida feels like a waste of time.But when she encounters a handsome college professor at a bed and breakfast that happens to house a lovesick ghost, Cathryn decides that combining work and pleasure is exactly what she needs. Views: 57
Inspired by the beauty and magic of the Azorean archipelago, this collection transports readers from the natural to the supernatural. Views: 57
