A highly contagious book virus, a literary society and a Snow Queen-like disappearing author'She came to realise that under one reality there's always another. And another one under that.'Only very special people are chosen by children's author Laura White to join 'The Society', an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back.Now a tenth member has been selected: Ella, literature teacher and possessor of beautifully curving lips.But soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual, 'The Game'? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura's winter party, in a whirlwind of snow? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her?Slowly, disturbing secrets that had been buried come to light...In this chilling, darkly funny novel, the uncanny brushes up against the everyday in the most beguiling and unexpected of ways. Views: 31
Master Conjuror Cornelius Quaint returns in a thrilling and irresistible new adventure.Directly on the heels of his Egyptian adventures in The Eleventh Plague, Cornelius Quaint finds himself drawn into another gripping and treacherous plot. This time, Quaint must intercept Cho-Zen Li's scheme to assassinate the Queen and unleash a devastating plague on Victorian England. Before long he is enlisted by the Queen herself to hunt Li down and put an end to his cruel reign over the Yahn Province of China. But even the brilliant conjuror does not realise the extent of the danger in his path. A storm is heading in Quaint's direction, and neither he nor his companions from the travelling circus can do to anything to prevent itIn The Lazarus Curse, Quaint sets his sights on Q'in Mountain and his most perilous adventure yet. Views: 31
From Publishers WeeklyAuthor and editor Allen (Mythic) has compiled a neatly packaged set of short stories that flow cleverly and seamlessly from one inspiration to another. In "The City of Blind Delight" by Catherynne M. Valente, a man inadvertently ends up on a train that takes him to an inescapable city of extraordinary wonders. In "All the Little Gods We Are," Hugo winner John Grant takes a mind trip to possible parallel universes. Modern topics make an appearance among the whimsy and strangeness: Ekaterina Sedia delves into the misunderstandings that occur between cultures and languages in "There Is a Monster Under Helen's Bed," while Tanith Lee gleefully skewers gender politics with "The Woman," giving the reader a glimpse of what might happen if there was only one fertile woman left in a world of men. Lush descriptions and exotic imagery startle, engross, chill and electrify the reader, and all 19 stories have a strong and delicious taste of weird. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 31
"Smart, funny, and compulsively readable." —Kirkus (starred review)As a young girl, Neave was often stuck in a world that didn't know what to do with her. As her mother not unkindly told her, she was never going to grow up to be a great beauty. Her glamorous sister, Lilly, moved easily through the world, a parade of handsome men in pursuit. Her brother didn't want a girl joining his group of friends. And their small town of Lynn, Massachusetts, didn't have a place for a girl whose feelings often put her at war with the world — often this meant her mother, her brother, and the town librarian who wanted to keep her away from the Dangerous Books she really wanted to read. But through an unexpected friendship, Neave finds herself with a forbidden copy of The Pirate Lover, a steamy romance, and Neave discovers a world of passion, love, and betrayal. And it is to this world that as a grown up she retreats to again and again when real... Views: 31
V5The author of The Soul of a Chef looks at the new role of the chef in contemporary culture For his previous explorations into the restaurant kitchen and the men and women who call it home, Michael Ruhlman has been described by Anthony Bourdain as ?the greatest living writer on the subject of chefs?and on the business of preparing food.? In The Reach of a Chef, Ruhlman examines the profound shift in American culture that has raised restaurant cooking to the level of performance art and the status of the chef to celebrity CEO. Bibliophiles and foodies alike will savor this intimate meeting with some of the most famous chefs in the kitchens of the hottest restaurants in the world. ** Views: 31
Spread across the geographies, the imminent danger of the rise of a new world order constantly looms. Radical extremists, politicians, bureaucrats and tycoons together form an unholy alliance constantly disrupting world peace. While working on a routine reconnaissance mission, agent Lucas uncovers something that could in turn change the world order. Can Lucas prevent the inevitable. Views: 31
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., master of science fantasy, returns to the world of Corus to continue the epic trilogy begun in Alector's Choice. It is the story of the fall of a great civilization and the tale of the Alector, Colonel Dainyl, and Captain Mykel, the Corian human with special abilities. The world Corus has been redesigned to become the new home of a superior race from a distant world whose very life depends on drawing sustenance from the biological life force of a planet. Meanwhile, their plans are supervised by a staff of Alectors, who in effect rule the world. The Alectors alone have access to the huge flying Pteridons they have bred, and the superior weapons that underpin their psychic talents.The time is now fast approaching for the transfer of the whole population from the old world nearly bled dry of life force to Corus. But neither the Alectors (who will be reduced in status when the real powers arrive) nor the local humans (who seem destined to... Views: 31
The full story of the rise and spectacular comeback of the band hailed as the saviors of punk rock and the next U2It's hard to believe that in early 2004 Green Day was considered over — the band was still together, but they were dismissed as a strictly 90s phenomenon, incapable of re-creating the success of their groundbreaking album Dookie. Then American Idiot debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, stayed on the charts for nearly 18 months, and went on to sell more than four million records and to win Record of the Year (for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams") at this year's Grammy's.Combining unique access to Green Day with a seasoned journalist's nose for a great story, Marc Spitz gives the complete account of the band, from their earliest days to their most recent explosion of popularity and critical acclaim. Foremost, Nobody Likes You is a story of friendship and the transporting power of playing very loud music. It is the story of how high school... Views: 31
AT CARDS AND WITH WOMEN,BILL MAYNARD KNEW HOW TO CHEAT On the mend after getting run out of Chicago, professional cardsharp Bill Maynard is hungry for some action--but not nearly as hungry as Joyce Rogers, the tantalizing wife of Bill's latest mark. Together they hatch an ingenious scheme to get rid of her husband. But in life as in poker, the other player sometimes has an ace up his sleeve... Views: 31
Sherry Moore, a beautiful, blind psychic, has the extraordinary ability to 'see' the last eighteen seconds of a murder victim's life by touching the corpse. She uses her gift to help others solve mysteries only she can tap into. Serial killer Earl Sykes never got caught for his vicious murders. Instead, it was a deadly auto accident that landed him in prison. Now, years later, he is free and hungry for revenge. Setting his sights on Lieutenant Kelly O'Shaunisy, the daughter of his captor, he returns to his seaside hometown of Wildwood, New Jersey -- and to his gruesome, murderous ways. When Lieutenant O'Shaunisy begins to investigate the disappearance of young women from desolate areas of the boardwalk, she encounters frustrating dead-end clues and more deaths. Her desperation leads her to accept Sherry's help, but not without consequences. Together, the two women set out to discover the identity of the killer and become entangled in a dangerous web that could cost them their... Views: 31
When living abroad, there are two rules to be followed: 1—If you are lucky enough to find a place you belong, you should never actually live there. And 2—Never live with a man you think you could never live without. But then, what fun would that be? In this funny, forthright, and charming memoir, Helen Stevenson chronicles her experiences as a young British expatriate living in the countryside of France. With emotional depth and lyrical sensitivity, Stevenson introduces readers to the myriad residents of the quaint hamlet known only as "le village." There's Stefan, the Maoist tennis buff, who has his own unique way of showing empathy for the masses; Gigi, the chic Parisian who uses her boutique to dress her ex-lovers' girlfriends; and Luc, the cowboy painter and part-time dentist, who, overcoming his aversion to blondes, becomes enamored of the Englishwoman who has been warmly embraced by the rural community. But her troubled love affair... Views: 31
