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The Summer He Didn't Die

"Jim Harrison's new book, The Summer He Didn't Die, is a collection of novellas showcasing the flair that has made him a contemporary master of the form, and a celebration of love, the senses, and family, no matter how untraditional." The Summer He Didn't Die exults with life and all its magic. In the title novella, Brown Dog, a hapless Michigan Indian loved by Harrison's readers, is trying to parent his two step-children and take care of his family's health on meager resources - it helps a bit that his charms are irresistible to the new dentist in town. Republican Wives is a witty satire on the sexual neuroses of the Right, the mystery of why any person desires another, and the irrational power of love that, when thwarted, can turn so easily into an urge to murder. Tracking is a meditation on Harrison's fascination with place, telling his own familiar mythology through the places he has seen and the intellectual loves he has known in a vivid stream of consciousness that transfigures how we look at our own surroundings.
Views: 708

The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories

P.G. Wodehouse was an English writer best known for humorous fiction, particularly his stories on the brilliant valet Jeeves. Wodehouse’s Jeeves stories led to the famous search browser “Ask Jeeves.”
Views: 707

It's in His Kiss

IF IT'S IN HIS HEART... IT'S IN HIS KISS MEET OUR HERO... Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth's sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past... and the key to his future. The problem is—it's written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word. MEET OUR HEROINE... All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She's fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken, and according to Gareth, probably best in small doses. But there's something about her—something charming and vexing—that grabs him and won't quite let go... MEET POOR MR. MOZART... Or don't. But rest assured, he's spinning in his grave when Gareth and Hyacinth cross paths at the annual—and annually discordant—Smythe-Smith musicale. To Hyacinth, Gareth's every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other... and that there is nothing as simple—or as complicated—as a single, perfect kiss.
Views: 706

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 2 Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective.  Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction’s most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers to all of life’s questions, large and small. In this delightful second installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s bestselling detective series, the irrepressibly curious Isabel Dalhousie gets caught up in a highly unusual affair of the heart.When Isabel is asked to cover for vacationing Cat at her delicatessen, Isabel meets a man with a most interesting problem. He recently had a heart transplant and is suddenly haunted by memories of events that never happened to him.The situation piques her insatiable curiosity: Could the memories be connected with the donor’s demise? Naturally, Isabel’s friend Jamie thinks it is none of Isabel’s business. Meanwhile, Grace, Isabel’s housekeeper, has become infatuated with a man at her spiritualist meeting, and Cat brings home an Italian lothario. That makes for some particularly tricky problems–both practical and philosophical–for Isabel to unravel in this enormously engaging and highly unusual mystery. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Views: 705

Runaway Mistress

Jennifer Chaise prides herself on being the perfect mistress. Her latest boyfriend, wealthy high-roller Nick Noble, is good to her, showering her with money, gifts, and trips to exotic places. Unfortunately, on this particular trip to Las Vegas, Nick's spouse shows up, and Jennifer walks into a scene where the wife's bloody body is sprawled facedown on the bed. To make matters worse, Jennifer hears Nick barking orders to his goons to take care of her, too. Terrorized, Jennifer, a head-turning beauty, shaves her head and eyebrows and hides out in Boulder City, finding a job as a waitress in a mom-and-pop cafe. It's hard for Jennifer, now "Doris," to keep a low profile in such a friendly little town, especially when her neighbor turns out to be a cop.
Views: 703

Equality

The story of this utopian novel takes up immediately after the events of the novel “Looking Backward” with the main characters from the first novel, Julian West, Doctor Leete, and his daughter Edith. West tells his nightmare of return to the 19th century to Edith, who is sympathetic. West’s citizenship in the new America is recognized, and he goes to the bank to obtain his own account, or “credit card,” from which he can draw his equal share of the national product. He learns that Edith and her mother do not normally wear the long skirts he has seen them in (they had been wearing them so as not to offend his 19th century sensibilities): when Julian tells Edith that he would not be shocked to see them dressed in the modern fashion, Edith immediately runs into the house and comes out dressed in a pants suit. Clothing has revolutionised and is now made of strengthened paper, recycled when dirty, and replaced at very little cost (shoes and dishes are made of variations on the same substance). Julian learns that women are free to compete in many of the same trades as men; the manager of the paper factory he visits with Edith is a woman. Edith herself is in the second year of the three year general labor period required of everyone before choosing a trade, but has taken leave to spend time with Julian. The two tour a tenement house, in which no one now lives, kept as a reminder of the evils of private capitalism. Julian opens his safe (a device unknown in 2000 outside museums). Dr. Leete sees his mortgages and securities not as long-obsolete claims to ownership interest in things, but rather in people and their labor. The papers are worthless except as antiques, as most papers of the sort were burned at the conclusion of the economic transition, in a great blaze on the former site of the New York Stock Exchange. The gold coins in the safe are admired for their prettiness, but are also worthless. Julian learns more about the world of the year 2000. Handwriting has been virtually replaced by phonograph records, and jewelry is no longer used, since jewels are now worthless. Julian is amazed by a television-like device, called the electroscope. World communication is simplified, since everyone now speaks a universal language in addition to their native tongue. Not only are there motor cars, but also private air cars. Everyone is now vegetarian, and the thought of eating meat is looked upon with revulsion. The book concludes with an almost uninterrupted series of lectures from Dr. Leete and other characters, mostly concerning how the idyllic state in which West has arrived was achieved.
Views: 698

Maximum Security

The CIA have been hunting Jane Oxford, an international weapons dealer, for thirty years. Her only weak point is her son, Curtis. It's a job for CHERUB. CHERUB kids are highly trained professionals. Their essential advantage: a criminal never suspects that a kid could be spying on him. This is James Adams' most dangerous mission so far, working undercover inside a maximum security prison. Over the years, CHERUB has put hundreds of criminals behind bars. Now, for the first time ever, they've got to break one out.
Views: 697

Zero

When Brian Niemand accepts a position as a research assistant in the theoretical physics department at the university, he has no idea that he’s about to become a part of one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. The implications are staggering, but such knowledge always comes at a price, and as Brian finds out, the cost is measured in lives. Where did the project get its test subject, an amputated leg, and what’s inside Brian’s house that stalks him at night? The answers are buried where only he can exhume them, but when he finds himself surrounded by a series of brutal slayings, he learns that before he can take the first step to saving his own life, he must go back to Zero. BONUS MATERIAL An exclusive short story: The Hands of GodExcerpt from Michael McBride's forthcoming novel, Vector Borne*Excerpt from Bloodletting, also by Michael McBride PRAISE FOR MICHAEL McBRIDE “McBride is one of the very best new horror writers out there, and he’s destined to go far. Get in now at the start. You won’t be sorry.” - Tim Lebbon, author of Echo City and Fallen “Zero is a creepy, effective blend of science and the supernatural.” - Brian Knight, author of Feral and Broken Angel “A scintillating tale, beautifully paced and visually stunning; Zero is thought provoking and eloquent. One hell of a fine read from an author on the fast track.” - James A. Moore, author of Deeper and Serenity Falls “I was hooked on the first page.” - Horror World “With ZERO, Michael McBride has crafted a Science Fiction-Horror hybrid that would have been perfect as one of the better episodes of The Outer Limits.” - Hellnotes ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael McBride is the author of Burial Ground, Vector Borne, Bloodletting, Innocents Lost, and Predatory Instinct. He lives in Westminster, Colorado with his wife and five children.
Views: 696

A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery 3: Murder Alfresco

Returning from a party late one night, chef Sunny McCoskey is the first to discover the body of a murdered woman left outside a local winery, and she may even have witnessed the killer driving away. Thrust into the center of a crime that has rattled the tranquil Napa Valley, Sunny pursues her own investigation, a journey that takes her from Northern California's wine country to the insular houseboat community along the San Francisco Bay. Uncovering a tangle of secret liaisons, Sunny closes in on the murderer, who responds with one more desperate act. With Murder Alfresco, author Nadia Gordon again takes us into the heart of the food and wine culture of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, and introduces us to an array of irreverent characters. As the Los Angeles Times said, "Sunny is a welcome, energetic heroine. . . . She and her pals are fun to be around."From BooklistOn her way home from a late-night party, chef Sunny McCoskey sees a corpse hanging from a tree at one of Napa Valley's premier wineries. Since she may have seen the murderer drive off, and the murderer may have seen her, Sunny is concerned for her personal safety. The police consider her a material witness and caution her not to discuss the case, but she cannot resist a little independent investigating. With the help of her eclectic group of cooks and vintners, she ignores the danger and mucks about among the wine country's high society and the colorful community of houseboat dwellers in Sausalito. Readers will turn pages quickly as they long for a glass of chardonnay and a meal at the Wildwood Cafe. Recommend this thoroughly engaging series--Murder Alfresco was preceded by Sharpshooter (2001) and Death by the Glass (2003)--to fans of the movie Sideways. Barbara BibelCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview"An amusing romp in the culinary underworld." Booklist"Highly enjoyable." –Washington Post Book World
Views: 696

The Savage King

NYT & USAT Bestselling Author Cat-shifting King Kirill knows he must do his duty by his people. When his father unexpectedly dies, it's his destiny to take the throne and all of the responsibility that entails. What he hadn't prepared for is the troublesome prisoner that's now his to deal with. Undercover Agent Ulyssa is no man's captive. Trapped in a primitive forest awaiting pickup, she's going to make the best out of a bad situation...which doesn't include falling for the seductions of a king. Lords of the Var Series The cat-shifter princes were raised to not believe in love, especially love for one woman, and they will do everything in their power to live up to their father's expectations. Oh, how the mighty will fall. Cat-Shifter Romance
Views: 694

Strange Itineraries

Ghosts, accidental time travel, a secret clan of immortals, and Maxwell's Demon are all subjects in this complete collection of short stories by Tim Powers. Elusive and evocative, these stories are excursions into strange and dangerous worlds and are as colorful and inventive as Powers's novels. A pioneer of the popular "Steampunk" genre of speculative fiction, his complex and tightly researched "secret histories" blend with compelling fantastical elements to create some of today's most memorable modern science fiction. Contents “Itinerary” “Night Moves” “Pat Moore” “The Way Down the Hill” “Through and Through” “Where They Are Hid” “Fifty Cents” “The Better Boy” “We Traverse Afar”
Views: 694

City of Flowers

Sky stepped out into the sunshine, blinking, still holding the bottle, and a black man, robed like the others, took him by the arm and whispered, 'God be praised, it has found you!' Everything changes for Sky when he finds a perfume bottle that whiskes him away to the city of Giglia, an ancient city similar to Florence. This may be the beautiful City of Flowers, but things that seems beautiful might also be deadly. As a new Stravagante - someone who can travel through space and time with the help of a talisman - Sky finds himself caught up in a deadly feud between Giglia's two ruling families. Now, the Stravaganti must do all they can to avoid further bloodshed as politics, conspiracy and espionage unfold.
Views: 693

Where the River Runs

New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry delivers an engaging novel about a South Carolina woman who goes back home to face the past—and discovers herself... Meridy Dresden was once a free-spirited, fun-loving girl. All that changed when the boy she loved was killed in a tragic fire. Since then, she alone has carried the burden of a terrible secret. Now, years later, married to a wonderful man and mother of a teenage son, she is shocked to learn that a childhood friend is being blamed for that long-ago fire. Fearful but determined, Meridy returns to the South Carolina Low Country and summons the courage to make a decision that may destroy her well-ordered life, her family's reputation, her contented marriage, and everything she's worked so hard to protect...including her heart."Brilliant. Powerful. Magical. Do not miss this book."—New York Times bestselling author Haywood Smith
Views: 692

Killing Kelly

Playing a malicious diva on a popular daytime soap, actress Kelly Trent has garnered more than her fair share of hate mail. She doesn't believe anyone would really confuse her with her character, but when an accident on the set hits too close for the producers' comfort, Kelly is unceremoniously put on hiatus. At her agents suggestion, she agrees to appear in a music video, thinking the time away filming in the Florida Keys might be just the thing to put her life in perspective. But with two left feet, Kelly only hopes dance instructor Doug O'Casey can work miracles. A former Miami cop Doug still has a lawman's instinct for trouble, and the continued threats made against Kelly tell him that she is in danger. Now, as a deranged fan closes in, Doug realizes that someone close to Kelly wants more than her character killed off the show--someone wants her stone-cold dead.
Views: 690