Trinidad Noir reveals the Caribbean island’s darkness and its appeal with an unexpected and gratifying result.Features brand-new stories by Robert Antoni, Elizabeth Nunez, Lawrence Scott, Ramabai Espinet, Shani Mootoo, Kevin Baldeosingh, Vahni Capildeo, Willi Chen, Lisa Allen-Agostini, Keith Jardim, Reena Andrea Manickchand, Tiphanie Yanique, and more.From Publishers WeeklyThe volumes in Akashic's locale-based noir anthology series set outside North America (Dublin Noir, etc.) offer more variety than those set in different major U.S. cities, and this one is no exception. The editors' brief but insightful introduction makes clear that the sun and sea tourist image of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is at odds with the country's political climate of excess and corruption and an element of society afloat in drugs and guns. While one entry, Robert Antoni's How to Make Photocopies in the Trinidad & Tobago National Archives, mostly comprising stream-of-consciousness letters to mr. robot, may be tough going for noir fans who prefer traditional storytelling, the other 17 stories are solid. The two standouts are Keith Jardim's mystical The Jaguar and Lawrence Scott's Prophet, in which a series of child disappearances in a small but corrupt community builds to an appropriately bleak ending. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistTrinidad Noir is the best of the international entries in Akashic’s series. Covering the entire island of Trinidad, the stories take readers from the steamy jungle countryside to the tropical beaches and on to the city streets of the capital, where political intrigue thrives. The stories evoke an atmosphere so strong the reader can practically feel the heat, smell the marijuana, and hear the calypso music. The authors do an especially good job with the dialogue, portraying the speech rhythms and slang of the distinctive Caribbean island. --Jessica Moyer Views: 52
The New Yorker is, of course, a bastion of superb essays, influential investigative journalism, and insightful arts criticism. But for eighty years, it's also been a hoot. In fact, when Harold Ross founded the legendary magazine in 1925, he called it "a comic weekly," and while it has grown into much more, it has also remained true to its original mission. Now an uproarious sampling of its funny writings can be found in a hilarious new collection, one as satirical and witty, misanthropic and menacing, as the first, Fierce Pajamas. From the 1920s onward--but with a special focus on the latest generation--here are the humorists who set the pace and stirred the pot, pulled the leg and pinched the behind of America. S. J. Perelman unearths the furious letters of a foreign correspondent in India to the laundry he insists on using in Paris ("Who charges six francs to wash a cummerbund?!"). Woody Allen recalls the "Whore of Mensa," who excites her... Views: 52
The threat of terrorism and biological warfare become all too real in this riveting thriller when the danger comes from a family's most cherished pets. Tessa Sanderson, ex-FBI agent, has moved to a sleepy Maryland town to escape her tragic past. When the town's beloved dogs begin viciously attacking pet owners, federal CDC agents determine that the dogs are carrying a mutated flu affecting the aggression center of their brains, for which their is no known cure. Tessa offers to help round up and quarantine the dogs, even though some unconvinced locals are preparing to protect their pets by any means necessary. But she has another reason for getting involved—someone has been sending her threatening emails in Arabic claiming responsibility for the virus, and Tessa is resolved to go deep undercover to expose this deadly conspiracy. Combining hard science with thoughtful narrative, this chilling tale of science fiction explores the complex relationships between dogs and their... Views: 52
A desirable body.... Suspended from her retail job, nursing a broken arm, and still reeling over an encounter with her long-lost fugitive father, Carlotta Wren is about to lose her mind. So when handsome body mover Cooper Craft invites her to go to Florida with him for a VIP body pickup, it's just what the doctor ordered... Brings out the body snatchers.... But when Coop's plans for a vacation getaway are thwarted by the appearance of too-many chaperones and attempts to steal their precious cargo, they both just want to get home alive! 4 1/2 stars! "Bond continues her popular Body Movers series with a fast-paced and wickedly humorous story that skewers fame and celebrity obsession with deadly accuracy." -Romantic Times Book Reviews "Where the [Body Movers] series goes next continues to be an intriguing mystery. Readers who love a combination of suspense and sexy romance will find their thrills in Bond's latest offering." -BookPage "Stephanie Bond's Body Movers Series is an absolute hoot!" TheRomanceReadersConnection.c Views: 52
After the collapse of 'Aquazure', his swimming pool construction business, Larry and Miriam Kendall have exiled themselves to a sleepy French village. When Miriam is summoned to her mother's deathbed in Oxford, Larry begins to formulate a dazzling new idea: the creation of the most beautiful, the most artistic swimming pool of all. Around them, Rose Tremain weaves the intricate fabric of the lives of two communities: Miriam's mother, Leni, clever, beautiful and arrogant. Polish Nadia, tortured by the passions of her sad and guilty past. Gervaise the peasant woman - content with her boisterous German lover and confused husband. And the young tearaway Xavier, in love with the virginal Agn-s. Views: 52
It is 1839. Nine-year-old Ethan does not want to be an indentured servant, but his family has no other way to pay off their debt, so Ethan must work for Mr. Lyman, a wealthy shopkeeper in their Massachusetts town. At first, Ethan tries to make friends with the other indentured servant, Daniel, a moody Irish teenager. But Daniel, as everyone says, is a difficult boy, and wants nothing to do with him. Ethan is shocked to see Mr. Lyman beat Daniel. Soon he too is suffering Mr. Lyman's blows. Self-preservation finally drives the two boys together and they begin to form a friendship, but when the boys discover a dark secret about the past, their lives may be changed forever. Set against the exciting backdrop of American history, this stunning first novel from a talented new voice shows what it takes to be a friend. Views: 52
Summoning the dark powers of their family to bring back their dead daughters, Angelica and Simon Fear unflinchingly begin an act of black magic that calls for the sacrifice of two innocent girls. Views: 52
This fictional account of one woman's journey to recover her family and heritage won the 1990 David Unaipon Award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers. Set in the towns, pastoral stations and repressive institutions of Western Australia, it is a moving story of three generations of Yamatji women. Kate begins her journey with the life of her grandmother, Lucy, a domestic servant. She discovers how her mother's love for a young Aboriginal stockman ended tragically. Kate was born into the Settlement, taught Christian doctrine and trained for a career as a domestic. Gradually and painfully she sheds this narrowly prescribed identity, setting out on the pilgrimage home. Views: 52
Hoping to get away from emotional baggage in Los Angeles, Venus and Jake move to Atlanta. Yet the constant cloud of the past follows them: a difficult pregnancy and Jake being charged for the murder of his accountant. Though Jake never spent one night in jail, he fears the case will be reopened and he'll once again have to fight for his freedom. And the timing couldn't be worse since Airic, the biological father of Venus' daughter Mya, suddenly demands parental rights with the child he hasn't seen since her birth. A nasty custody battle ensues. Airic's new wife, Trevelle Doval, a famous TV evangelist—may be behind his sudden interest. Venus is in for the biggest fight of her life. Views: 52
Every so often, a book comes along that makes us cry and makes us strong, that makes us want to hug our children and call our old friends. This is one of those rare books.On January 19, 2000, a fire raged through Seton Hall University’s freshman dormitory, killing three students and injuring 58 others. Among the victims were Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, roommates from poor neighborhoods who made their families proud by getting into college. They managed to escape, but both were burned terribly. AFTER THE FIRE is the story of these young men and their courageous fight to recover from the worst damage the burn unit at Saint Barnabas hospital had ever seen. It is the story of the extraordinary doctors and nurses who work with the burned. It is the story of mothers and fathers, of faith and family and the invisible ties that bind us to each other. It is the story of the search for the arsonists--and the elaborate cover-up that nearly obscured the truth. And it is the story of the women who came to love these men, who knew that real beauty is a thing not seen in mirrors.
SUMMARY:On January 19, 2000, a fire raged through SetonHallUniversity's freshman dormitory, killing three students and injuring 58 others. Among the victims were Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, roommates from poor neighborhoods who made their families proud by getting into college. They managed to escape, but both were burned terribly. AFTER THE FIRE is the story of these young men and their courageous fight to recover from the worst damage the burn unit at Saint Barnabas hospital had ever seen. It is the story of the extraordinary doctors and nurses who work with the burned. It is the story of mothers and fathers, of faith and family and the invisible ties that bind us to each other. It is the story of the search for the arsonists--and the elaborate cover-up that nearly obscured the truth. And it is the story of the women who came to love these men, who knew that real beauty is a thing not seen in mirrors.
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Three students died and 58 were injured in the January 2000 fire that arsonists set in the student lounge of Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Newark Star Ledger reporter Fisher tells the story of the two most badly burned survivors (roommates Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos), proceeding from the devastating fire through the grueling medical treatment into their life-affirming future. A medical education and a detective story unfold within this consistently dramatic account, as Fisher joins a reporter's curiosity and objectivity to a near-familial access to the principals. Unsparing in her description of the hard path to recovery (The gruesome nature of the work meant that few ever became old-timers in the occupation of treating burns), Fisher takes the reader inside Saint Barnabas Burn Center, where the charismatic director of the burn unit, Hani Mansour; the nurses; the physical and occupational therapists work miracles, celebrating victories and agonizing over setbacks. Honest and intimate in her account of the stress of distraught parents, the intense strain upon marriages and relationships, the prolonged suffering and multiple surgeries of the survivors and the evolving friendship of the accidental roommates, Fisher conveys a deep respect and compassion for all involved—except the arsonists. She succeeds in making what might have been yesterday's news into today's inspiration. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"Unimaginably moving--readers will want to keep a box of tissues at hand--and deeply compassionate." (People ) "A riveting and intimate read. That these two men survived is almost a miracle. That Fisher was there to document it is our good fortune." (Minneapolis Star Tribune ) "Keep some Kleenex handy." (Rocky Mountain News )
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