In a desperate search for silence in the closing chapters of Synergy Charlie battled her ultimate fear and left the only sanctuary she has ever known. She has paid a devastating price for that fateful move. She lost her foundation. Views: 83
This collection of literature attempts to compile many classics that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them. Views: 82
Sherman Oaks Is A Rat.Sherman is so spoiled and rich that he threw away his allowance because some of the hundred-dollar bills were wrinkled!He and his goody-goody friends and Nyce House are always trying to get Bernie Bridges and his Rotten House buddies into trouble.Well Bernie's in big trouble now. Bernie has a dog in his room, Sherman know it -- and there are NO PETS ALLOWED at Rotten School!Bernie has to find a way to hide Gassy, his dog. But the dog stinks. Hey, why do you think they call him Gassy? Views: 82
In this third novel in her acclaimed Tears of Artamon saga, Sarah Ash once again transports readers to a realm where sorcery collides with political intrigue...and where one man haunted by a dark legacy is locked in a fierce struggle between the forces of good and evil battling for supremacy within him.... Gavril Nagarian is believed dead–perished in the heat of battle. But the Lord Drakhaon of Azhkendir lives on. Now he is entrusted with a sacred mission: to rescue the aged Magus, who has been kidnapped and in whose possession are the five priceless rubies that compose the fabled Tears of Artamon. Ancient law decrees that whoever possesses the coveted stones has the power to impose his rule over the five princedoms in the Empire of New Rossiya. But the task exacts a cost. The Drakhaoul that destroyed his forebears has penetrated Gavril’s psyche and is gaining power over his soul. With the dark forces inside him seeking immortality, Gavril must feed on the blood of innocents–or die. Toppled by the loss of the Tears of Artamon, Emperor Eugene of Tielen is tormented by his own daemon. Now he must defend his lands against King Enguerrand of Francia, who claims ownership of the Tears. But both men share a common goal: to destroy Gavril Nagarian and the Drakhaoul that lives within him once and for all. Ingenious and unforgettable, Children of the Serpent Gate delivers a thrilling conclusion to the epic trials of a man of honor in a world run amok–a calamity that can be laid to rest only by an Emperor’s Tears. From the Hardcover edition.**From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. At the start of the rousing conclusion to Ash's fantasy trilogy (after 2004's Prisoner of the Iron Tower), King Enguerrand of Francia has the five Tears of Artamon, the magical jewels that give their possessor claim to Novaya Rossiya. This means a crisis for Novaya Rossiya's Emperor Eugene, particularly since the Francians have kidnapped his chief magus, Kaspar Linnaius, and are going to burn him at the stake. Eugene makes an alliance of convenience with Gavril Nagarian, Lord Drakhaon of Azhkendir, who goes to Kaspar's rescue. Meanwhile, Gavril's prematurely aged lover, Kiukiu, must travel just as far in the opposite direction to find a cure; Eugene's pregnant empress, Astasia, runs away to Francia; and Eugene's daughter, Karila, has to go into hiding from would-be usurpers. The large cast may be hard to follow for new readers, but is uniformly well-developed and convincing, as is the whole world of the trilogy, with its vivid 18th-century European flavor and fallen angels who evoke Paradise Lost. Lovers of big, complex fantasy sagas (think Robert Jordan or George R.R. Martin) will be well pleased. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistGavril Nagarian's Drakhaoul daemon, Khezef, has lived among humans long enough to be taking on human characteristics. But Khezef is no longer the only daemon-dragon roaming the world. Four other Drakhaoul are free and plotting to gain the Tears of Artamon, which together will open the Serpent Gate and free the Drakhaoul prince Nagar from the Realm of Shadows. Then they will destroy the world. Meanwhile, the royal children of New Rossiya's five princedoms are growing sick and weak, and the Spirit Singer Kiukiu dreams of other, terrified children trapped in the Realm of Shadows. The connections between the shadow children, the royal children, and the Drakhaoul aren't clear to Kiukiu, but she knows that helping them all is critical. Finally, Kiukiu may have to discover deep magic within to heal the seemingly insurmountable evils threatening her world. Themes of redemptive transformation, a labyrinthine plot, and the spectacular Drakhaoul memorably conclude the Tears of Artamon trilogy, begun in Lord of Snow and Shadows (2003) and continued in Prisoner of the Iron Tower (2004). Paula LuedtkeCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Views: 82
Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear return with the third book in their Iskryne trilogy, An Apprentice to Elves. The trilogy began with A Companion to Wolves, and continued in The Tempering of Men. This novel picks up the story of Alfgyfa, a young woman who has been raised in the Wolfhall by her father Isolfr, who is the human leader of the queen-wolf Viridechtis' pack, and was the protagonist of the first book. The warrior culture of Iskryne forbids many things to women—and most especially it forbids them bonding to one of the giant telepathic trelwolves. But as her father was no ordinary boy, Alfgyfa is no ordinary girl. Her father has long planned to send his daughter to Tin, a matriarch among the elves who live nearby, to be both apprentice and ambassador, and now she is of age to go. Views: 82
A searching examination of all the dimensions of love, marriage, mourning, and kinship from two-time Booker Prize finalist Deborah Levy. To strip the wallpaper off the fairy tale of The Family House in which the comfort and happiness of men and children has been the priority is to find behind it an unthanked, unloved, neglected, exhausted woman.The Cost of Living explores the subtle erasure of women's names, spaces, and stories in the modern everyday. In this "living autobiography†? infused with warmth and humor, Deborah Levy critiques the roles that society assigns to us, and reflects on the politics of breaking with the usual gendered rituals. What does it cost a woman to unsettle old boundaries and collapse the social hierarchies that make her a minor character in a world not arranged to her advantage?Levy draws on her own experience of attempting to live with pleasure, value, and meaning—the making of a... Views: 82
Begun as the United States moved its armed forces into Iraq, Rashid Khalidi's powerful and thoughtful new book examines the record of Western involvement in the region and analyzes the likely outcome of our most recent Middle East incursions. Drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of the political and cultural history of the entire region as well as interviews and documents, Khalidi paints a chilling scenario of our present situation and yet offers a tangible alternative that can help us find the path to peace rather than Empire.We all know that those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Sadly, as Khalidi reveals with clarity and surety, America's leaders seem blindly committed to an ahistorical path of conflict, occupation, and colonial rule. Our current policies ignore rather than incorporate the lessons of experience. American troops in Iraq have seen first hand the consequences of U.S. led "democratization" in the region. The Israeli/Palestinian... Views: 81
More chilling suspense inspired by the smash hit movie series. When Annie Goodwin travels to the desert oasis of Las Vegas, she hopes to turn her life around for the better in the casinos. Life's dealt her a rotten hand and her current luck seems to be no different. But when Annie has a premonition of a terrible accident in which she and her husband Tom will die, she takes steps to stop it from happening. Annie, Tom and three other people survive the ordeal and cheat Death. But in a town where the odds are always in the house's favour, can Annie hope to beat the Reaper in this game when she's drawn the Dead Man's Hand?The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas plays host to the Grim Reaper-and his routine will slay them all! Views: 81
In the spring of 1453, the Ottoman Turks advanced on Constantinople in pursuit of an ancient Islamic dream: capturing the thousand-year-old capital of Christian Byzantium.During the siege that followed, a small band of badly organised defenders, outnumbered ten to one, confronted the might of the Ottoman army in a bitter contest fought on land, sea and underground, and directed by two remarkable men - Sultan Mehmet II and the Emperor Constantine XI. In the fevered religious atmosphere, heightened by the first massed use of artillery bombardment, both sides feared that the end of the world was nigh.The outcome of the siege, decided in a few short hours on 29 May 1453, is one of the great set-piece moments of world history. Views: 81
Madison. Becca. Porsche. Alexa. Vanessa. Chloe. The It Girls They're rich, fabulous...and dangerously underestimated. It Girl: Porsche Rothschild Mission: Pose as Hollywood big shot Jeremy Reins's girlfriend and find out who's making threats against the movie star. Being beautiful and rich simply wasn't enough — I needed to get a life. Then the Gotham Roses asked little-old-me to join their high-society crime-fighting team. But I'm so not sure about this first assignment — baby-sitting Jeremy Reins and his crazy entourage in L.A. He's been getting death threats, but is this pretty-boy actor making up the stalker to get more attention? I thought so — until the first bullet whizzed by me. At least my BFF, Marlena, is here. We'll ferret out the truth. Then it's back to important business — like picking out my Oscar dress.... Views: 80
