The last decades of the nineteenth century were a violent period in China’s history marked by humiliating foreign incursions and domestic rebellion, ultimately ending in the demise of the Ch’ing dynasty. The only constant during this tumultuous time was the power wielded by one person, the resilient, ever-resourceful Tzu Hsi, Lady Yehonala -- or Empress Orchid, as readers came to know her in Anchee Min’s critically acclaimed novel covering the first part of her life.
The Last Empress is the story of Orchid’s dramatic transition from a strong-willed, instinctive young woman to a wise and politically savvy leader who ruled China for more than four decades. Moving from the intimacy of the concubine quarters into the spotlight of the world stage, Orchid must face not only the perilous condition of her empire but also a series of devastating personal losses, as first her son and then her adopted son succumb to early death. Yearning only to step aside, and yet growing constantly into her role, only she—allied with the progressives, but loyal to the conservative Manchu clan of her dynasty—can hold the nation’s rival factions together.
Anchee Min offers a powerful revisionist portrait based on extensive research of one of the most important figures in Chinese history. Viciously maligned by the western press of the time as the “Dragon Lady,” a manipulative, blood-thirsty woman who held onto power at all costs, the woman Min gives us is a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly, and who sacrificed all she had to protect those she loved and an empire that was doomed to die. Views: 755
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF NEED AND CAPTIVATE
Winner of the 2008 Maine Literary Award! Dylan is Belle's true love-maybe even her soulmate. Until one day when Dylan drops the ultimate bomb; he's gay. Where, Belle wonders, does that leave her? And how will the rest of their small town deal with an openly gay Homecoming King? This beautifully written debut explores what happens when you are suddenly forced to see someone in a new light, and what that can teach you about yourself.
"Provocative . . . The author's poetic prose ably captures her heroine's emotional upheavals." -Publishers Weekly "It's good to have [Carrie Jones'] talent in the field." -KLIATT "Jones offers an atypical perspective of the coming-out story by legitimizing the love that is not lost, but changed, when young people grow up and apart." -School Library Journal "From the first sentence of Carrie Jones' novel I could tell that here was a bright new writer who was going to set the world of young adult letters aflame." -Kathi Appelt, award-winning poet and author Views: 752
Toby Maytree first sees Lou Bigelow on her bicycle in postwar Provincetown, Massachusetts. Her laughter and loveliness catch his breath. Maytree is a Provincetown native, an educated poet of thirty. As he courts Lou, just out of college, her stillness draws him. Hands-off, he hides his serious wooing, and idly shows her his poems.
In spare, elegant prose, Dillard traces the Maytrees' decades of loving and longing. They live cheaply among the nonconformist artists and writers that the bare tip of Cape Cod attracts. When their son Petie appears, their innocent Bohemian friend Deary helps care for him. But years later it is Deary who causes the town to talk.
In this moving novel, Dillard intimately depicts willed bonds of loyalty, friendship, and abiding love. She presents nature's vastness and nearness. Warm and hopeful, The Maytrees is the surprising capstone of Dillard's original body of work. Views: 751
Sinful pleasure and forbidden desire rule in #1 bestselling author Lora Leigh's story For Maggie's Sake, previously published in the anthologies Real Men Do It Better and Taken, now exclusively in e.
Maggie Chavez is in protective custody with a member of her former lover's SEAL team. Joe, her ex-lover, thinks Maggie is hiding information from him about a powerful drug lord and the deaths of some SEALs. He intends to seduce her and get the information before she can sell it back to the drug cartel. But the desire crackles between them and their attraction is undeniable. How can Joe use her and leave her, when all he wants is to hold her close and never let go? Views: 750
Douglas Aspine knew that being CEO of a public company was twenty times more lucrative than winning the lottery.
He was forty-five and time was running out when fate dealt him an unexpected opportunity. The company was old, staid and well-respected but it was under performing and Aspine was determined to turn it around *no matter who he had to crush. *
Soon he was at war with the company's employees, unions, suppliers, financiers and co-directors * but nothing was going to stop him. * Not his chairman, not his wife, not his mistress, not the anonymous death threats and definitely not the press. Aspine could almost taste the glory, the riches and peer recognition he'd craved for so long. He knew he had countless detractors and enemies who he contemptuously labelled "losers"and paid no heed to.
Would this prove to be a miscalculation of monumental proportions or would he prevail? Views: 749
Schuyler Van Alen is starting to get more comfortable with her newfound vampire powers, but she still has many unanswered questions. A trip to Italy in search of her grandfather only serves to make things more confusing. What secrets are the leaders of The Committee hiding? Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the famous Four Hundred Ball. In true Blue Blood fashion, the ball is totally fab, complete with masks - and hidden behind this masquerade is a revelation that will change the course of a young vampire's destiny. The thrilling sequel in Melissa de la Cruz's vampire mythology has all the glamour, attitude, and vampire lore that made the first book a hit. Views: 748
We're the D'Artigo Sisters: Half-human, half-Faerie, we're savvy--and sexy--operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But our mixed-blood heritage short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch whose magic is as unpredictable as the weather. My sister Menolly is a vampire trying to get the hang of being undead. And me? I'm Delilah. When I'm under stress, I transform into a tabby cat--and a series of violent murders is really getting me bent out of shape. . . "Someone's been slaughtering the Weres of the Rainier Puma Pride, and my sisters and I have been enlisted to investigate by Zachary Lyonnesse, golden boy of the werepumas. Right away we smelled demon trouble, and we tracked it directly into the snare of the Hunters Moon Clan, sworn enemies of Puma Pride. But there's more than Were rivalry at work. It's that old demon Shadow Wing who is setting a deadly snare for the pumas. We have to find out why, which means a visit one to of the Immortals. Unfortunately, for my sisters and me, our half-human blood is just enough to put us in mortal danger. " "At the Wayfarer Inn, a portal to Otherworld and the local hangout for humans and beasties alike, our fellow operative Jocko's been murdered. Every clue points to Shadow Wing, the soul-munching, bad-ass leader of the Subterranean Realms. He's made it clear that he aims to raze humankind to the ground, turning both Earth and Otherworld into his private playground. Our assignment: keep Shadow Wing and his minions from creeping into Earth via the Wayfarer. The demons figure they're in like Flynn. After all, with only my 'bumbling' sisters and me standing in the way, how can they miss? But we've got a secret for them: faulty wiring or not, nobody kicks ass like the D'Artigo girls. " Views: 748
Token Creek, Montana Territory — 1880
Cassidy Norton is a fine seamstress who makes her living sewing for others. Amid the bustle of a busy frontier town, her life is rich. What time her business doesn’t take, her friends and church family fill. But Cassidy hasn't always lived in Token Creek, and few people know her full story. So she struggles with a nagging unsettledness in her heart.
Cassidy's friend Meg is married to a rancher and has a baby, something Cassidy wants for herself. But that would mean revealing the details of her life. Will Cassidy find the strength to take that risk? Views: 748
. . . .He knew better. But he did write a nice round hand, like a boy's hand. He knew Spanish, and enough English. For the sector that was assigned to him he would not need a map. He knew it better than anyone else, certainly better than any mapmaker. Besides, he was poor and needed the money. Views: 747
STOP. You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands. NO, don't put it down. It's too late. They're watching you. My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you'll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it's too late. You touched the book. You're in the game. You're under the eye. The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.
The important thing is this: The drug is called Soy Sauce and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do. I'm sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: None of this was my fault. Views: 747
Mystic Renaldi might have been born to guard the border between the human and supernatural worlds, but in her mind she will never measure up to the other Renaldi Angelini. She can dance, mix drinks, play hostess, manage the music and even sing along with a band, all the things necessary for a good party — but not what's required of a hunter. When she slips away from the Howl for an adventure in Las Vegas, little does she know she's stepping into her Angelini destiny. Her first hunt awaits, along with three alpha males who are ready to convince her she's the equal of any Renaldi female. For Roman, Mystic is the mate who'll appease the gryphon he was before becoming vampire. For Hawk, she's the mate who'll gain him a pack of his own. For Christian, a lone wolf, she's the mate he never dreamed possible. But once she's theirs, she becomes so much more than they imagined. Nothing's left to chance when an Angelini takes a mate. And everything is claimed — body, heart and soul. Views: 747
PETER RABBIT PLANS A JOKE The Imp of Mischief, woe is me,Is always busy as a bee. That is why so many people are forever getting into trouble. He won\'t keep still. No, Sir, he won\'t keep still unless he is made to. Once let him get started there is no knowing where he will stop. Peter Rabbit had just seen Jimmy Skunk disappear inside an old barrel, lying on its side at the top of the hill, and at once the Imp of Mischief began to whisper to Peter. Of course Peter shouldn\'t have listened. Certainly not. But he did. You know Peter dearly loves a joke when it is on some one else. He sat right where he was and watched to see if Jimmy would come out of the barrel. Jimmy didn\'t come out, and after a little Peter stole over to the barrel and peeped inside. There was Jimmy Skunk curled up for a nap. Peter tiptoed away very softly. All the time the Imp of Mischief was whispering to him that this was a splendid chance to play a joke on Jimmy. You know it is very easy to play a joke on any one who is asleep. Peter doesn\'t often have a chance to play a joke on Jimmy Skunk. It isn\'t a very safe thing to do, not if Jimmy is awake. No one knows that better than Peter. He sat down some distance from the barrel but where he could keep an eye on it. Then he went into a brown study, which is one way of saying that he thought very hard. He wanted to play a joke on Jimmy, but like most jokers he didn\'t want the joke to come back on himself. In fact, he felt that it would be a great deal better for him if Jimmy shouldn\'t know that he had anything to do with the joke. As he sat there in a brown study, he happened to glance over on the Green Meadows and there he saw something red. He looked very hard, and in a minute he saw that it was Reddy Fox. Right away, Peter\'s nimble wits began to plan how he could use Reddy Fox to play a joke on Jimmy. All in a flash an idea came to him, an idea that made him laugh right out. You see, the Imp of Mischief was very, very busy whispering to Peter. "If Reddy were only up here, I believe I could do it, and it would be a joke on Reddy as well as on Jimmy," thought Peter, and laughed right out again. "What are you laughing at?" asked a voice. It was the voice of Sammy Jay. Right away a plan for getting Reddy up there flashed into Peter\'s head. He would get Sammy angry, and that would make Sammy scream. Reddy would be sure to come up there to see what Sammy Jay was making such a fuss about. Sammy, you know, is very quick-tempered. No one knows this better than Peter. So instead of replying politely to Sammy, as he should have done, Peter spoke crossly: "Fly away, Sammy, fly away! It is no business of yours what I am laughing at," said he. Right away Sammy\'s quick temper flared up. He began to call Peter names, and Peter answered back. This angered Sammy still more, and as he always screams when he is angry, he was soon making such a racket that Reddy Fox down on the Green Meadows couldn\'t help but hear it. Peter saw him lift his head to listen. In a few minutes he began to trot that way.... Views: 745
When a horrifying attack leaves one of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt.
Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department are racing to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies, but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom. Amid uncertainty and rising panic, Lindsay juggles the possibility of a new love with an unsolvable investigation, and the knowledge that one member of the club could be on the brink of death.
And just when everything appears momentarily under control, the case takes a terrifying turn, putting an entire city in lethal danger. Lindsay must make a choice she never dreamed she'd face-with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success. Views: 745
Never Say Die
Twenty years after her father's plane crashed in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Willy Jane Maitland travels to the other side of the world to track his final moves. She recognizes the danger in what she's doing, but her search for the truth about that fateful flight is the only thing that matters. Irreverent former army officer Guy Barnard knows the jungles and the workings of the mystical land so unfamiliar to Willy--and Willy knows she couldn't proceed without him. But in a place where truth has many faces, she suspects even Guy has hidden motives. What she couldn't have prepared for are the shocking secrets and undeniable attraction she must face. Whistleblower
He emerges from the mist, right in front of Cathy Weaver's car--running from killers who are closing in. Victor Holland's story sounds like the ravings of a man on the brink of madness, but his claim to be a fugitive is confirmed by the haunted look in his eyes--and the bullet hole in his shoulder. As each hour brings his pursuers closer, Cathy has to wonder: Is she giving her trust to a man in danger...or trusting her life to a dangerous man? Views: 745
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)
From Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz: the three magnificent novels-published in an omnibus edition for the first time--that form anancient-Egyptian counterpart to his famous "Cairo Trilogy."
Mahfouz reaches back thousands of years to bring us tales from his homeland's majestic early history-tales of theEgyptian nobility and of war, star-crossed love, and the divine rule of the pharoahs. In "Khufu's Wisdom," the legendary Fourth Dynasty monarch faces the prospect of the end of his rule and thepossibility that his daughter has fallen in love with the man prophesied to be his successor. "Rhadopis of Nubia" is the unforgettable story of the charismatic young Pharoah Merenra II and the ravishingcourtesan Rhadopis, whose love affair makes them the envy of all Egyptian society. And "Thebes at War" tells the epic story of Egypt's victory over the Asiatic foreigners who dominated the country for twocenturies.
"Three Novels of Ancient Egypt" gives us a dazzling tapestry of ancient Egypt and reminds us of the remarkable artistry of NaguibMahfouz. "From the Hardcover edition." Views: 744
