Vikas Swarup's spectacular debut novel opens in a jail cell in Mumbai, India, where Ram Mohammad Thomas is being held after correctly answering all twelve questions on India's biggest quiz show, Who Will Win a Billion? It is hard to believe that a poor orphan who has never read a newspaper or gone to school could win such a contest. But through a series of exhilarating tales Ram explains to his lawyer how episodes in his life gave him the answer to each question.
Ram takes us on an amazing review of his own history - from the day he was found as a baby in the clothes donation box of a Delhi church to his employment by a faded Bollywood star to his adventure with a security-crazed Australian army colonel to his career as an overly creative tour guide at the Taj Mahal.
Vikas Swarup's Q & A is a beguiling blend of high comedy, drama, and romance that reveals how we know what we know - not just about trivia, but about life itself. Cutting across humanity in all its squalor and glory, Vikas Swarup presents a kaleidoscopic vision of the struggle between good and evil - and what happens when one boy has no other choice in life but to survive. Views: 689
Suze has gotten used to ghosts. They wake her up in the middle of the night. They haunt her locker at school. She's even spotted a few down at Carmel Beach. Suze is a mediator, after all, and communicating with the dead is all in a day's work for her. The last thing she ever expected was to fall in love with one: Jesse, a nineteenth-century hottie.
But when she and Paul Slater, himself a mediator of undeniable power (and dubious intent), discover that the powers they share aren't limited to helping ghosts resolve their earthly woes, but can also be used to determine whether or not they become ghosts in the first place, Suze can't help but freak. Not because she suddenly knows how to alter the course of history, but because Paul can, too. And Paul would like nothing better than to prevent Jesse's murder, keeping him from becoming a ghost and allowing him to live a natural life at last ... but in the nineteenth century. Meaning Jesse and Suze would never meet.
Suddenly, Suze is faced with the most important decision of her life: allow the only guy she's ever loved to have the life he's always longed for ... or keep him anchored forever in half-life at her side. Will Jesse choose to live without her, or die to love her? Views: 687
In this second entry in Neal Shusterman's Dark Fusion series, he twists the familiar fairy tale "Red Riding Hood" into a brooding story about a city plagued by gangs. Red, a boy famous for cruising around in a bloodcolored Mustang, takes on the Wolves after they rob his grandmother. He decides to beat them by joining them, to learn their weaknesses. After a while, however, he finds himself drawn to the pack. At the next full moon, will Red take up their murderous ways, or will he take them down? Ingenious twists and turns come fast and furious in this urban thriller. Views: 687
George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 – 16 November 1902) was a prolific English novelist and war correspondent. He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century.G. A. Henty was born in Trumpington, near Cambridge. He was a sickly child who had to spend long periods in bed. During his frequent illnesses he became an avid reader and developed a wide range of interests which he carried into adulthood. He attended Westminster School, London, and later Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he was a keen sportsman. He left the university early without completing his degree to volunteer for the Army Hospital Commissariat when the Crimean War began. He was sent to the Crimea and while there he witnessed the appalling conditions under which the British soldier had to fight. His letters home were filled with vivid descriptions of what he saw. His father was impressed by his letters and sent them to The Morning Advertiser newspaper which printed them. This initial writing success was a factor in Henty\'s later decision to accept the offer to become a special correspondent, the early name for journalists now better known as war correspondents. Shortly before resigning from the army as a captain in 1859 he married Elizabeth Finucane. The couple had four children. Elizabeth died in 1865 after a long illness and shortly after her death Henty began writing articles for the Standard newspaper. In 1866 the newspaper sent him as their special correspondent to report on the Austro-Italian War where he met Giuseppe Garibaldi. He went on to cover the 1868 British punitive expedition to Abyssinia, the Franco-Prussian War, the Ashanti War, the Carlist Rebellion in Spain and the Turco-Serbian War. He also witnessed the opening of the Suez Canal and travelled to Palestine, Russia and India. Views: 686
Alexander II was Russia's Lincoln, and the greatest reformer tsar since Peter the Great. He was also one of the most contradictory, and fascinating, of history's supreme leaders. He freed the serfs, yet launched vicious wars. He engaged in the sexual exploits of a royal Don Juan, yet fell profoundly in love. He ruled during the "Russian Renaissance" of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Turgenev -- yet his Russia became the birthplace of modern terrorism. His story could be that of one of Russia's greatest novels, yet it is true. It is also crucially important today.It is a tale that runs on parallel tracks. Alexander freed 23 million Russian slaves, reformed the justice system and the army, and very nearly became the father of Russia's first constitution and the man who led that nation into a new era of western-style liberalism. Yet it was during this feverish time that modern nihilism first arose. On the sidelines of Alexander's state dramas, a group of radical, disaffected you... Views: 686
This satirical novel tells the adventures of beautiful Kate, a fictional daughter of a planter turned pirate 'Major Stede Bonnet' who was known as The 'Gentleman Pirate.' Kate falls in love with her friend Dickory as they share adventures while trying to change the ways of her pirate father. Views: 685
A worldwide phenomenon and the most important French novelist since Camus, Michel Houellebecq now delivers his magnum opus–a tale of our present circumstances told from the future, when humanity as we know it has vanished.
Surprisingly poignant, philosophically compelling, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, The Possibility of an Island is at once an indictment, an elegy, and a celebration of everything we have and are at risk of losing. It is a masterpiece from one of the world’s most innovative writers. Views: 685
When twelve-year-old John Barr is forced to join the navy his life takes a dangerous turn. As he trains to become a powder monkey on board the mighty HMS Fearless, he soon learns that the ship hides many secrets. Thrust into a sinister world of spies and covert operations, John must go ashore accompanied by fellow shipmate Kit. But when their mission goes awry, the friends are abandoned and watch from the shore as the Fearless sail away. Can they now survive behind enemy lines? Views: 685
Paradise has been home to generations of Trevannions: Paradise, the house at the head of a sheltered Cornish valley where Mrs Trevannion lives, surrounded by her family. Frail and elderly Honor Trevannion, bedridden following a nasty fall, is inexplicably anxious and distressed by the arrival of a young American bearing an old black and white photograph of a double wedding and looking for a long-lost relation. Her children Bruno and Emma, granddaughter Joss and faithful cousin Mousie try to nurse Honor back to health, unaware of the secrets which she keeps from those closest to her. Increasingly troubled and confused, she begs Joss to find a cache of letters which have been hidden for fifty years.Too late to hear the story from Honor herself, the family are faced with revelations which could destroy the tranquillity of life in their beloved valley. Will they be torn apart or can they unite in admiration for one woman's courage in standing by the life-changing decision she... Views: 681
The Essentials of Living Aboard educates both dreamers and explorers with information about this wonderful and rewarding lifestyle. Mark Nicholas has combined his experience of life aboard with the advice of other liveaboards, marina owners, technicians, boat manufacturers and advocates in order to detail the challenges and offer real advice for success. This lifestyle, typically thought to be out of reach or "for other people," is now available to all who dream. Essentials explains, among other things how to: •Figure out your needs •Choose the right boat •Buy your boat •Choose the right marina •Prepare for the lifestyle •Outfit your boat •Plan for all climates •Forecast your costs •and more! Views: 681
On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more.
Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone's throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga - Greece's former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip... Views: 681
From popular author Donna Fletcher comes an intriguing romance about a man who must chose between identical twin sisters.When Fiona of the MacElder clan is told that she must wed Tarr of Hellewyk so the two clans can unite, she is furious that she has to marry a man she does not love. Fortunately, Fiona's identical twin sister Aliss also cannot imagine a worse fate than a forced marriage and the two boldly concoct an outlandish scheme — to become indistinguishable to the groom — and it works.Tarr, frustrated that he cannot tell the difference between Fiona and Aliss, nevertheless finds himself drawn to a particular twin. Unfortunately, as soon it becomes clear to him that Fiona is the one who has captured his heart, Tarr must battle with an unexpected enemy to keep his newfound love. Views: 679
Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt presents this charming middle grade novel about two border collie puppies growing up on a farm—a brother and sister who couldn't be more different from each other...or so they think. "Voigt's touch with dogs is as deft as it is with humans," raved The Horn Book.
Angus and Sadie are siblings, but that doesn't mean they're the same. Angus is black-and-white and bigger. He is a good, brave, and clever dog—and he likes that. Sadie, on the other hand, is red-and-white and small. She isn't as quick to learn—or to obey. Angus thinks she's scared of everything, but Sadie knows that's not true. She's just different.
This heartwarming story of two wonderful border collie siblings growing up on a farm in Maine is perfect for young readers who enjoyed Ann M. Martin’s A Dog’s Life and John Grogan’s Marley books, animal lovers of all ages, and anyone who's ever had—or wondered what it would be like to have—a brother or sister just like themselves, but very, very different. Views: 677
At any given time in our lives we're either winning or losing money. Unfortunately more Americans are losing the money game. Our goal is to help change that for you!
Have you ever asked yourself, "What happened to my paycheck?", "What happened to my finances?" At some point you may have lost your job, your 401K, and you are just trying to get by. Or at some point you may have wondered how can I live the life I want without constantly worrying about money?
You cannot change the past, you can only change your future and your habits surrounding money!
Whether you are just getting started in your professional life, or are in a serious financial situation, this book can help you learn from your money mistakes.
In this practical , life changing , and goal-oriented book, Adam Carroll and Chad Carden walk you through the mistakes and the lessons they have learned along the way. They will walk you through simple things you can be doing right now. Whatever your situation may be, they will help you win the money game!
In this book, the reader will learn:
How to make and save money Identifying your needs vs wants Tricks and tips on essential money skills Your money choices and the consequences How to grow with your money Your personal assets vs. liabilities How to monitor your progress How to evaluate yourself more than valuing money Views: 676
