"Col felt a stab of fear in his stomach. The Sirens were now close enough for him to see their crimson mouths open in a scream, pale faces blazing with white-hot anger, their bird claws tearing at the air."
When eleven-year-old Connie is sent to live with her eccentric aunt by the sea, she’s not expecting anything great—not to make friends with Col, the coolest guy in town, and certainly not to discover that mythical creatures still exist, that an ancient society has protected them for centuries, and that a dark and treacherous force is lurking in their midst. Most of all, she doesn’t expect to learn that she has the rarest of talents, greater even than her secret ability to communicate with animals. With Col’s help, she could achieve unimaginable power—and face the terrifying choices that come with it.
In the tradition of Eragon, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Golden Compass, the first book in the Companions Quartet is a boldly original adventure that will ignite the imaginations and emotions of fantasy readers everywhere. Views: 260
Anna Katharine Green (November 11, 1846 – April 11, 1935) was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories.Green has been called "the mother of the detective novel. Views: 260
"Voodoo Planet" features Dane Thorson, a young man fortunate enough to land a job on the Free Trader ship, the "Solar Queen." Plying their trade among the stars, Free Traders visit planets -- known and unknown -- in search of profit. (Another novel featuring Dane Thorson, "Plague Ship," is also available from Wildside Press.) In "Voodoo Planet," Captain Jellico and the ship\'s medic, Tau, are invited to Khatka, a world settled by African refugees, to help unravel the secret of a witch doctor\'s growing power. Dane is invited along as cover, much to his delight. Khatka has been set up as an exclusive hunting preserve for the rich. With mysterious, possibly supernatural deaths at the hands of otherworldly creatures, disappearing equipment, and a witch doctor\'s "magic" (not to mention poachers!), it may be more than the crew of the Solar Queen can handle! Includes a new introduction by best-selling author John Gregory Betancourt written especially for this edition. Views: 259
America has always had a fascination with the Wild West, and schoolchildren grow up learning about famous Westerners like Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hicock, as well as the infamous shootout at O.K. Corral. Pioneering and cowboys and Indians have been just as popular in Hollywood, with Westerners helping turn John Wayne and Clint Eastwood into legends on the silver screen. HBO’s Deadwood, about the historical 19th century mining town on the frontier was popular last decade.Not surprisingly, a lot has been written about the West, and one of the best known writers about the West in the 19th century was Francis Bret Harte (1836-1902), who wrote poetry and short stories during his literary career. Harte was on the West Coast by the 1860s, placing himself in perfect position to document and depict frontier life. Views: 259
The Assassins of Isis: A Story of Ambition, Politics and Murder Set in Ancient EgyptThe mysterious Sebaus--a sect taking its name from demons--has stolen a powerful secret, and the wrath of the fiery Hatusu knows no bounds. But when the empire's great military hero, General Suten, is bitten to death by vipers, it appears events have spiraled out of her control.Meanwhile, a dark shadow lies across the Temple of Isis. The peace of this holy place, renowned as an oasis of calm and healing, has been disturbed. Four of the Hesets, the temple handmaids, have vanished without a trace. Will Lord Amerotke, Pharaoh's Chief Judge, unravel the mysteries before further violence erupts? Or will he find the perpetrators in league with forced beyond his jurisdiction? Views: 259
CHAPTER I A SUMMER IN THE SADDLE "Hello, hello! Oh, what is the matter with central!" The dark-haired, pink-cheeked girl at the telephone jiggled the receiver impatiently while a straight line of impatience marred her pretty mouth. "Oh dear, oh dear!" "At last! Is that you, Mollie Billette? I\'ve been trying to get you for the last half hour. What\'s that? You\'ve been home all morning twiddling your thumbs and wondering what to do with yourself? Of course! I knew it was central\'s fault all the time! Now listen! Goodness, what are you having over at your house? A jazz dance or something? I can hardly hear you speak for the noise." "No, it isn\'t a dance," came back Mollie\'s voice wearily from the other end of the wire. "It\'s just the twins. They want to talk to you. Hold the wire a minute while I shut them in the other room." Followed a silence during which Betty Nelson could distinctly hear the wails of Mollie\'s little brother and sister as they were ushered forcibly into an adjoining room. Then Mollie\'s voice again at the phone. "Hello," she said. "Still there, Betty? Guess I can hear you a little better now. Mother\'s out, and I\'ve been taking care of the twins. Just rescued the cat from being dumped head down in the flour barrel." "Sounds natural," laughed the dark-haired, pink-cheeked one, as she visualized Mollie\'s little brother and sister, Dodo and Paul. They were twins, and always in trouble. "Anything special you called up about?" asked Mollie\'s voice from the other end of the wire. "Want to go for a ride or something?" "Not the kind of ride you mean," said the brown-eyed, pink-cheeked one, with a knowing little smile on her lips. At the lilt in her voice Mollie, at her end of the wire, sat up and stared inquiringly into the black mouth of the telephone. "Betty," she said hopefully, "you are hiding something from me. You have something up your sleeve." "You\'re right and wrong," giggled Betty. "I\'m hiding something from you, but I can\'t get it up my sleeve, it\'s too big!" "Hurry up!" commanded Mollie in terrific accents. "Are you going to tell me what\'s on your mind, Betty Nelson?" "When will you be around?" countered Betty. "In five minutes." "Good!" "Betty, wait! Is it good news?" "The best ever," and Betty rang off. She twinkled at the telephone for a minute, then called another number. "That you, Gracie?" The fair-haired, tall, and very graceful girl at the other end of the wire acknowledged that it was. "Please suggest something interesting, Betty," she added plaintively, as she took a chocolate from the ever-present candy box and nibbled on it discontentedly. "I woke up with the most awful attack of the blues this morning." "What, with a whole summer full of blessed idleness before you?" mocked Betty. "Too much idleness," grumbled Grace. "That\'s the trouble." "Enter," said Betty drolly, "Doctor Elizabeth Nelson." Grace digested this remark for a moment, staring at the telephone in much the same manner as Mollie had done a few minutes before. Then she swallowed the last of her chocolate in such haste that it almost choked her.... Views: 259
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY - Book 7
Fans around the world adore the best-selling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe—with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi—navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea.
Life is good for Mma Ramotswe as she sets out with her usual resolve to solve people’s problems, heal their misfortunes, and untangle the mysteries that make life interesting. And life is never dull on Tlokweng Road. A new and rather too brusque advice columnist is appearing in the local paper. Then, a cobra is found in the offices of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Recently, the Mokolodi Game Preserve manager feels an infectious fear spreading among his workers, and a local doctor may be falsifying blood pressure readings. To further complicate matters, Grace Makutsi may have scared off her own fiancé. Mma Ramotswe, however, is always up to the challenge. And Blue Shoes and Happiness will not fail to entertain Alexander McCall Smith’s oldest fans and newest converts with its great wit, charm, and great good will.
From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 259
With The House of Meetings, Martin Amis may finally have written the novel his critics thought would never come. By taming his signature (and polarizing) stylistic high-wire act, Amis has crafted a sober tale of love and cynicism against the grim curtain of Stalin's Russia. The book's anonymous narrator--a Red Army veteran and unapologetic war criminal--and his passive, poetic half-brother, Lev, become pinned in a politically dangerous love triangle with the exotic Zoya, though their tactics (and intentions) are as divergent as their personalities. Swept up in the wave of Stalin's paranoid purges, the brothers are sent independently to Norlag, a Siberian internment camp where their respective fates are cast through their contrasting reactions to the depravity of the prison. Zoya and Lev share a night in "The House of Meetings," a room provided for conjugal visits with the prisoners, and the events of that night reverberate through the decades, the details of the liaison remaining concealed until the story's devastating denouement.
Amis's main achievement is his depiction of the cruel realities of the Soviet gulags. Drawing heavily on his research for Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million, his half-history/half-memoir of political imprisonment and mass killing in Soviet Russia, Amis has created his own Animal Farm--without metaphors to mask the blood, filth, and death of the camps. Amis vividly recreates the social structure of gulag life, as the inmates and guards sort themselves into distinct hierarchies and stations in their struggles to survive the rigors of the gulag. Here The House of Meetings may accomplish what Amis had intended for the unfocused Koba: to cast a searing light on an often overlooked episode of 20th century inhumanity, injustice, and murder. --Jon Foro Views: 258
Get in on Christy’s Senior Year
The last three books, collected in one page-turning volume, conclude the bestselling Christy Miller series with hope and promise! At the start of her senior year, Christy looks forward to growing closer to Todd, but her friendship with Katie is on the rocks, threatening the year she was certain would be A Time to Cherish. With Sweet Dreams comes the start of a romantic summer. She’d be entirely swept off her feet if it wasn’t for the most difficult decision she’s ever had to make. And in A Promise Is Forever, Christy discovers foreign adventure is just her cup of tea. Follow Christy Miller as she stays true to her identity in Christ, drawing closer to God for help in realizing her dreams and dealing with her disappointments.
Whether you’re meeting her for the first time or have known her for years—
Christy Is a Forever Friend
*A Time to Cherish *
For Labor Day weekend, Christy Miller is on a houseboat at Lake Shasta. What could be better? She’s about to find out! Before they know it, both Christy and her best friend, Katie, are receiving some unexpected male attention. But somehow these best friends are at odds just when they should be having the most fun together. Christy soon realizes that sometimes you have to stand back and let people make their own decisions, even when they’re headed for a fall. And although life is never perfect, this is definitely a time to cherish.
*Sweet Dreams *
Christy Miller’s senior year is delicious, especially the time she spends with Todd. But her best friend, Katie, is struggling—she’s realized she needs to break up with Michael. It’s not easy! Fortunately both Doug and Disneyland help Katie to cheer up. Christy is learning to let go and get out of the way so that her friends can become who they’re meant to be...even when it jeopardizes her own sweet dreams.
*A Promise Is Forever *
Christy Miller’s going to Europe! It’s a three-week missions trip with Doug, Katie, and Tracy. First stop: London for some sightseeing, and then a castle in the English countryside for group training. Christy is so excited to be headed for Belfast with her friends—despite some tension among them. But when plans go topsy-turvy at the last minute, Christy must face her fears and realize that some things are more important than her own comfort...and that even when she can’t foresee the end result, a promise truly is forever.
Story Behind the Book
“The Christy Miller series was actually born when a group of thirteen-year-olds challenged me to write a novel. I’d been questioning the content of their favorite books when they said, ‘Why don’t you write a book for us?’ I told them no, I only wrote picture books. But they persisted: ‘How hard could it be? We’ll even tell you what to write! We want a love story with teenagers at the beach.’ And there you go. Summer Promise first released seventeen years ago and is now translated into five languages. I continue to hear from readers all over the world, many girls saying that they gave their life to Christ after reading Summer Promise . I love that!” —Robin Jones Gunn
From the Hardcover edition. Views: 256
"What of our children—the second and third generations born on this new world? They will have no memories of Terra\'s green hills and blue seas. Will they be Terrans—or something else?"
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition. Views: 256
The classic book has always read again and again. Views: 255
In the Carquinez Woods by Bret Harte Views: 255
Robert Hugh Benson AFSC KC*SG KGCHS (18 November 1871 – 19 October 1914) was an English Anglican priest who in 1903 was received into the Roman Catholic Church in which he was ordained priest in 1904. He was lauded in his own day as one of the leading figures in English literature, having written the notable novel Lord of the World (1907). BY WHAT AUTHORITY? is Robert Hugh Benson\'s (1871-1914) first published historical novel. In it he portrays the story of the English Reformation in Elizabethan times from the Catholic point of view. This he achieved without the use of the stereotypes that characterized virtually all such productions in his day to the detriment of both sides of the question. Views: 254
Louis XIV, the highly-feted “Sun King”, was renowned for his political and cultural influence and for raising France to a new level of prominence in seventeenth-century Europe. And yet, as Antonia Fraser keenly describes, he was equally legendary in the domestic sphere. Indeed, a panoply of women—his mother, Anne; mistresses such as Louise de la Vallière, Athénaïs de Montespan, and the puritanical Madame de Maintenon; and an array of courtesans—moved in and out of the court. The highly visible presence of these women raises many questions about their position in both Louis XIV’s life and in France at large. With careful research and vivid, engaging prose, Fraser makes the multifaceted life of one of the most famous European monarchs accessible and vibrantly current. Views: 254
Jan Karon’s Mitford Years series is a publishing phenomenon that, since 1996, has sold more than twenty-five million books and attracted millions of devoted readers around the world. With the series now complete, Karon’s fans have raced through nine novels—and then sat down and read them again and again. For all those who love returning to Mitford, this gorgeously packaged companion will be the perfect book to curl up with. What was that Uncle Billy joke about the census taker? Where was that beautiful prayer Father Tim offered? The Mitford Bedside Companion will make it easy to find the greatest of the countless gems that grace each of Karon’s novels.Featuring favorite scenes, casts of characters, Mitford crossword puzzles, plus a hilarious read-aloud scene and lots of trivia questions for fan gatherings and family get-togethers, and much, much more, The Mitford Bedside Companion is an enchanting collection. Here, too, are new essays from Karon on everything from the life of a writer to her grandmother’s secret to good health. Beautifully packaged and filled with eye-catching art, The Mitford Bedside Companion is a book that any fan will cherish, relishing favorite scenes from each book and, in one volume, fondly reliving the best times spent in the little town with the big heart. Views: 254
