WINNER OF THE 2015 ROONEY PRIZE FOR IRISH LITERATURELONGLISTED FOR THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD 2015SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR, IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015You find me on a Tuesday, on my Tuesday trip to town. A note sellotaped to the inside of the jumble-shop window: COMPASSIONATE & TOLERANT OWNER. A PERSON WITHOUT OTHER PETS & WITHOUT CHILDREN UNDER FOUR.A misfit man finds a misfit dog. Ray, aged fifty-seven, 'too old for starting over, too young for giving up', and One Eye, a vicious little bugger, smaller than expected, a good ratter. Both are accustomed to being alone, unloved, outcast – but they quickly find in each other a strange companionship of sorts. As spring turns to summer, their relationship grows and intensifies, until a savage act forces them to abandon the precarious life they'd established, and take to the road. Spill Simmer Falter... Views: 40
Jack Valentine and Phoebe Honeycutt hate each other on sight when they run into one another by accident on the vast Texas plain. When they have to join forces in order to survive, Phoebe is certain God hates her. Jack isn't sure about God, but he figures he's being punished for some black sin in his past. It astonishes both of them when they discover they're wrong about each other and themselves. Views: 40
This compelling coming of age story will leave older teenage boys alternatively snorting with laughter and silently shivering in recognition at the strength and power of bullies. Dak Sifter grows from a bright, 12-year-old beginning to notice how men treat their sons and wives, through the suicide of an abused friend, to buying his first car, writing poetry and helping a friend connect with a girl. And arching over all his teenage years is Dak's love for Zoe Perry, whom he adores and relentlessly pursues in spite of her view of him as a friend, her relationships with other boys and her left-leaning politics. Scarsbrook has nailed the Canadian teenage boy's insecurities, victories over bullies and persistent sexual longing to the wall. In a laugh-out-loud-funny style laced with witty, sardonic remarks by our hero, Dak, Scarsbrook brings alive the pain of rejection, the excitement of real friendship and the ache of a lost love. This novel is divided into twelve loosely connected stories tied to Dak's school years (for example, Cruisin' Machine - Grade 10") from grade 7 to first year university. Although there are some classroom scenes (notably a very funny send up of hippy teacher Quentin Alvinstock's approach to writing), most of these linked stories take place at home and work and at (a howlingly funny) MacDonald's where Dak is refused service because he isn't wearing a shirt. (Just another reminder to teachers that the most important, memorable time in teenagers' lives do not happen at school and are intimately connected to other teens.) Scarsbrook's first person style moves the action along quickly and effortlessly. Dak's self-deprecating remarks and the sharp, witty dialogue allow the reader in on both Dak's feelings and other characters' strengths and weaknesses. Other teenage boys and some of the adult male characters use profanity in surprise and in anger, as they do in real life. Dak's voice is that of the gifted teenage boy: articulate, insightful, lustful, and more thoughtful as he ages. Dak's life story plays out in Faireville, a mythical yet typical suburb of the southern Ontario strip between Toronto and Ottawa. From school bus horrors to the local pickle factory to the ubiquitous MacDonald's, this story could be taking place anywhere in southern Canada. The time is a little less clear. It could be present day (they drive on Hwy 401), but it could be almost any time in the 1990's. The hero finds out about sex from Winifred Bright, the older loose woman who will sleep with any young man around. It would be more likely today for Dak to find out about sex from one of his willing classmates. This is the only odd note in an otherwise sharp photo of how a teenage boy becomes a wonderful man. Dak is a very sympathetic character who tries to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, a boy who is honest and thoughtful, and is, above all, the observer, the person who watches and reports on the wacky situations and people around him. He survives Xmas with weird relatives, the brutality of the local bullies, the viciousness of the pickle factory boss, the dishonesty of an evangelist, and having to share an art gallery job with his sister. Along the way, he gathers wisdom and the determination to live well. Secondary characters, such as Zoe and Dak's parents and neighbours, reveal their ideals and personalities through their actions and dialogue." —CM MaterialsReviewA very funny and heartwarming debut. --Books in Canada. About the AuthorRichard Scarsbrook has published fiction and poetry in numerous joutnals, magazines and anthologies. He has published three novels. Scarsbrook lives and works in Toronto. Views: 40
Come and meet some adorable characters in this special collection of Jenny Dale's Kitten Tales illustrated with black and white pictures.Felix the Fluffy Kitten certainly lives up to his name - his fluffy fur gets everywhere - even in the bath! Will Jodie's mum learn to deal with fluff?Nell the Naughty Kitten can't stop making mischief! On the farm where she lives she is always pestering the pigs and disturbing the ducks. Will she ever learn to be a real farm kitten?Meet Snuggles the Sleepy Kitten - he spends all his time snoozing! But in his dreams he's a fierce and brave hero, chasing mice and climbing trees. Will he ever find his real world as exciting as his dreams? When Star the Snowy Kitten is found by Michael it seems like the perfect fit - Michael has always wanted a kitten, and Star really wants a new home. But Michael's mum says he's not old enough to look after a kitten yet. Will he be able to keep... Views: 40
Arriving in Seattle on the eve of World War II, Japanese-born Mitsuko falls for Tom, a widowed pastor, and becomes surrogate mother to his fair-haired American toddler, Bill. But the bombing of Pearl Harbor strains the newly formed family as U.S. government mandates and Tom's growing discomfort with all things Japanese force Mitsuko and young Bill to leave Seattle and Tom behind for the Minidoka Internment Camp, unsure if they will ever return.Two decades later, memories of Minidoka and long-lost Mitsuko haunt Bill, sparking an arduous journey that leads him from Seattle's International District to newly reconstructed Japan to find his Japanese mother and learn the truth about their shared past.Jay Rubin is one of the foremost English-language translators of Japanese literature. He is best known for his numerous translations of works by Haruki Murakami, Japan's leading contemporary novelist, and the study Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words. Most recently, he has... Views: 40
This book is about a hotel full of animals. And an evil ice maker. And glass eyeballs — oh, and really old panty hose and Possibly Fake Hair. But mostly, it's about Leon Zeisel and his epic quest to survive fourth grade, despite his teacher, Miss Hagmeyer, and his archenemy, Lumpkin the Pumpkin, a human tank with a deadly dodgeball throw. Luckily, Leon has friends who will stand by him even if his magical plans for rescue and revenge involve ... SPIT! Views: 40
Suddenly something was more important to rookie officer Josh Taylor than busting a campus drug ring and making detective. Because when Josh's undercover investigation strangely intersected with his older and pregnant professor, Rachel Livesay, sparks of danger -- and passion -- ignited. Rachel had no one to turn to until Josh vowed to protect her from the sperm donor who threatened to snatch her newborn child from her arms. But Josh was her "student," not a knight in shining armor -- and falling for him could be deadly for them both! Views: 40
Erotica/Romance. 44408 words long. Views: 40
"Vampires with a difference! And the difference is Fred Saberhagen. His writing mesmerizes." --Brian Lumley
The Southerland family left the old world to start anew in America, but little did they know that a blood-feud, older than history itself, would follow them through the generations to come. Kate Southerland, the first born of the latest generation of Southerlands, has been murdered, but she is not dead. Her little brother, Johnny, has also vanished, a severed, bloody finger the only clue. But the Southerlands have no clue what they've fallen into. Their enemy is no mortal madman, but the undying mistress of evil enchantment, Morgan Le Fay, and the Southerlands are not her true target. She seeks to do battle with their protector, their defender, the only man who is capable of saving this mortal family from a war they've never realized was waged. Views: 40
