EARTH'S COLONY HAS ONLY ONE CHANCE OF SURVIVALLa Nueva Temporada is Earth's only extrasolar colony – an Earthtype planet caught in the grip of a very Earth-type Ice Age.Alex Mateo wants nothing more than to stay and contribute to the terraforming of his homeworld. But tragedy strikes the colony, and to save it from starvation and collapse, Alex must reluctantly entrust himself to the Phoenicia, the only starship in existence, to make the long slower-than-light journey back to Earth.But it is his brother Quin, who loathes La Nueva Temporada and all the people on it, who must watch his world collapse around him and become its saviour... while everyone watches the skies for the return of the Phoenicia. Views: 51
Acclaimed historian Margaret MacMillan explores here the many ways in which history affects us all. She shows how a deeper engagement with history, both as individuals and in the sphere of public debate, can help us understand ourselves and the world better. But she also warns that history can be misused and lead to misunderstanding. History is used to justify religious movements and political campaigns alike. Dictators may suppress history because it undermines their ideas, agendas, or claims to absolute authority. Nationalists may tell false, one-sided, or misleading stories about the past. Political leaders might mobilize their people by telling lies. It is imperative that we have an understanding of the past and avoid these and other common traps in thinking to which many fall prey. This brilliantly reasoned work, alive with incident and figures both great and infamous, will compel us to examine history anew—and skillfully illuminates why it is important to treat the past with care.From Publishers WeeklyMacMillan, author of the acclaimed Paris 1919, reminds readers that history matters: It is particularly unfortunate that just as history is becoming more important in our public discussions, professional historians have largely been abandoning the field to amateurs. According to MacMillan, this is a grave mistake. Governments and leaders use history to invent tradition and subvert the past. In a world hungry for heroes, badly researched historical biographies fly off bookstore shelves. In this highly readable and polished book, readers learn of the dangers of not properly tending to the past, of distorting it and ignoring inconvenient facts. If done correctly, history helps unlock the past in useful ways. The author explores the ways history has present meaning—not always constructively: in providing a sense of identity for groups, as a basis of nationalism or national pride, as a tool for redress of past wrongs and as an ideological tool. In this important work, we learn that history is more than presenting facts, it is about framing the past. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the importance of correctly understanding the past.From Bookmarks MagazineIn this compelling, persuasive treatise, MacMillan investigates the innumerable ways that history has been twisted, embellished, and politicized to serve one purpose or another throughout, well, history. Based on a series of lectures delivered at the University of Western Ontario, Dangerous Games details MacMillan's expert analyses and arguments, presented in her incisive, witty prose. Critics praised MacMillan's reasoning, even if they did not always agree with her proposed solutions. For example, her appeal to leave history to the "professional historians" rankled the critics who believe that amateurs add energy and relevance to the field. Others pointed out that professionals are not without their own biases. Despite these complaints, MacMillan's balanced defense of the importance of the study of history is eloquent and timely. Views: 51
1807, Cambridge, England.A young woman is murdered in a boarding house, and nobody knows what to do about it. The volunteer watchman who patrols the streets of this placid college town has no idea how to investigate a serious crime and the private bounty hunters the girl's family has hired to catch the killer employ methods that are questionable, at best.What Cambridge needs is a hero, and, in a situation such as this, it's very easy for a gentleman with a romantic disposition to mistake himself for one.19 year-old Lord Byron, the outlaw poet, is a student at Trinity College, though he can only be described as a "student" in the loosest sense of the word: He rarely attends class and, instead, spends his time day-drinking, making love to faculty wives, and feeding fine cuisine and expensive wine to the bear he keeps as a pet.Catching a killer seems like a fine diversion, however, and Byron decides that solving the crime must take precedence over... Views: 51
A lonely girl, a wild horse, and a Hawaiian island full of possibilities . . . Every horse has its bad habits, but Sugarfoot's are becoming a real problem. Despite this, Darby's best friend Ann will not give up on him — even when her parents' insurance company threatens to shut down their equine rescue program if Ann can't make the horse behave. With Sugarfoot's future on the line, Darby and Ann find the perfect outlet for his energy: the island's charity race.As the big day approaches, though, Ann's leg injury flares up. Time is running out and the two girls must rely on the most undependable person they know — or Sugarfoot will be sent away forever. Views: 51
I hear a dragging sound followed by my father's limping appearance at the door.I look at him in horror.He's starting at me, glasses askew, waving the birds' nest.'You imbecile. You left me hanging there.What were you trying to do? Kill me?'If only he knew. I'm not trying to kill him.I'm trying not to kill him!'The tender yet unsparing depth of characterisation in the novel is matched by the limped beauty of the writing, the sensual evocation of the snowfields setting and the compelling nature of the story.'Weekend Australian'A dark, gripping tale.' The Age'The ending is a dramatic as they come.'Sydney Morning Herald Views: 51
Even with a huge problem to worry about, Father McKenzie still manages to see the good in everyone. His job is made more difficult by his nosy housekeeper and the gossips from the shop down the road. Will they succeed in spoiling things, or will Father McKenzie's advice win the day?This charming tale shows the ups and downs of everyday life in a truly heart-warming way. It will have you laughing out loud and shedding a tear -- both at the same time. Views: 51
There are times when a tree can no longer withstand the pain inflicted on it, and the wind will take pity on that tree and topple it over in a mighty storm. All the other trees who witnessed the evil look down upon the fallen tree with envy. They pray for the day when a wind will end their suffering.I pray for the day when God will end mine. In a time and place without moral conscience, fourteen-year-old Ansel knows what is right and what is true.But it is dangerous to choose honesty, and so he chooses silence.Now an innocent man is dead, and Ansel feels the burden of his decision. He must also bear the pain of losing a friend, his family, and the love of a lifetime.Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honoree Julius Lester delivers a haunting and poignant novel about what happens when one group of people takes away the humanity of another. Views: 51
Psychiatrist Jenna James loved Matt Wilson since her first day of work at Fairview Hospital. Though Matt left to become a detective for Miami P.D., they still carried on a red-hot affair...until Matt suddenly became unreachable three months ago. So when a young woman is brought to the hospital exhibiting frightening physical changes, Jenna calls Matt—just to see him again, even if he can't help her patient. But Matt does know what's wrong the woman. She's been bitten by a werewolf...just as he was three months ago. Matt's willing to help the girl deal with her transition, though doing so will expose his own beastly secret...and may cost him Jenna's love. Views: 51
With Hannah protecting her heart and Garret’s only objective being sex, they compromise with wild passionate weekends until their arrangement threatens to wreck them both. Views: 51
Award-winning author Deborah Bedford tells the story of a young couple in love, a troubled teenage girl, and a confession that will rock one small community to the core.Lydia Porter has waited a long time to be happy. She loves everything about being a school counselor at Shadrach High School, and she loves everything about teacher Charlie Stains, her new fiancé. So when one of her students confides that she's been sexually abused by a teacher and is terrified of what he'll do if she tells, Lydia is devastated: the student claims the abuser is Charlie. Now Lydia is legally bound to report the girl's charges. What happens next will test her love, her resolve to uncover the truth, and her belief in the power of faith to comfort, redeem, and heal. Views: 51
Amazon.com Review Book Description Beautiful, elusive, and refined, Etta Place captivated the nation at the turn of the last century as she dodged the law with the Wild Bunch, led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Her true identity and fate have remained a mystery that has tantalized historians for decades. Now, for the first time, Gerald Kolpan envisions this remarkable woman’s life in a stunning debut novel. Kolpan imagines that Etta Place was born Lorinda Jameson, the daughter of a prominent financier, who becomes known as the loveliest of the city’s debutantes when she makes her entrance into Philadelphia society. Though her position in life is already assured, her true calling is on horseback. She can ride as well as any man and handle a rifle even better. But when a tragedy leads to a dramatic reversal of fortune, Lorinda is left orphaned, penniless, homeless, and pursued by the ruthless Black Hand mafia. Rechristened “Etta Place” to ensure her safety, the young woman travels to the farthest reaches of civilization, working as a “Harvey Girl” waitress in Grand Junction, Colorado. There, fate intervenes once more and she again finds herself on the run from the ruthless Pinkerton Detective Agency. But this time she has company. She soon finds herself at the legendary hideout at Hole-in- the-Wall, Wyoming, where she meets the charismatic Butch Cassidy and the handsome, troubled Harry Longbaugh, a.k.a. the Sundance Kid. Through a series of holdups and heists, Etta and Harry begin an epic and ultimately tragic romance, which will be the greatest of Etta’s life. Then, when Etta meets the young and idealistic Eleanor Roosevelt, her life is changed forever. Blending a compelling love story, high adventure, and thrilling historical drama, Etta is an electrifying novel. With a sweeping 1900s setting, colorful storytelling, and larger-than-life characters, Etta is a debut that is both captivating and unforgettable. Amazon Exclusive: Gerald Kolpan on Etta Until I actually wrote a novel of my own, I thought all those authors were lying. I would read interviews with them in newspapers and magazines. I would hear them on NPR and see them on television; and they always seemed to say the same thing: "I really had to follow the characters where they wanted to go. At some point, they developed minds of their own." Yeah, right. These seasoned scribes sat down at their PCs and Macs, and after having composed outlines, drawn diagrams, attended workshops and generally obsessed about a plot, sometimes for years, they were now prepared to stand by and watch the creatures they'd created stand up, stretch, and light off for literary parts unknown. Sounded like a lot of pretentious nonsense to me. Well, I'm here to tell you that those writers were as truthful as Lincoln. All anyone has to do is take a look at the initial outline of my novel, Etta, and then read the finished work to realize that once those heroes and villains start moving around on a page, they're apt to end up anywhere. A few examples: Kid Curry, one of the two primary evildoers of Etta, is only mentioned twice in the outline. By page 100 of the first draft, he's the book's biggest bogeyman. Surprise, surprise. In the outline, Etta challenges the notorious (and historical) outlaw Harry Tracey to a gunfight and kills him. By the time I got to page 61 of draft one, Tracey had morphed into the entirely fictional Earl Charmichael Dixon. Etta offs him, instead. Who knew? Etta's husband, Ralph Worthington Carr, never appears in the outline at all. In the first draft, he is mentioned only once. But by page 294 of draft five, he's a full-fledged cast member, even saving my leading lady from a bottle of vitriol aimed at her face. The original plan called for Etta to develop a mystical relationship with the Indian chief Sitting Bull while they are both cast members of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Somehow, the Chief failed to show up for the book. Draft six contained a mini-epic detailing the first meeting of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid during a murderous range war. It was never in the initial plan, but I had to write it. I slaved over this deathless prose for weeks only to see my editor, Robin Rolewicz, cut all thirteen pages from the manuscript. Maybe authors can't control characters, but sometimes editors can control authors: especially when they're right. Trotsky appeared out of nowhere! Sundance became a socialist! Eleanor Roosevelt hijacked Hyde Park! Did I foresee any of this? Hell, no. So not only do people in books have minds of their own, it's a good idea for their creators to hotfoot it after them when they stray into uncharted territory; you never know what wonders they'll find. Besides, it gives you a great comeback when readers and critics question why your main character did one thing instead of another. "Hey... it was her idea, not mine." --Gerald Kolpan (Photo © Jonathan Rubin) From Publishers Weekly The sketchy details of the life of Etta Place, outlaw and paramour of William Sundance Kid Longabaugh, are imaginatively filled in by first-time novelist Kolpan in this winning tale of the Wild West. After her wealthy father's disgrace and demise, Etta departs Philadelphia society and heads west to become a Harvey Girl on the railroad in Colorado, where a series of misadventures leads her to the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. Romanced by Longabaugh and the fugitive lifestyle, Place earns an integral part in the gang through her shooting and riding skills as well as her beauty and sophistication. Pursued by the police, Pinkertons, the Black Hand and rival desperado Kid Curry, Etta and the Sundance Kid make their way across the country, diving from one daring adventure to another. The novel is not without its flaws: Etta's friendship with a young Eleanor Roosevelt and her encounters with other luminaries can seem precious, and her proto-feminism feels too canned. But the wide-screen drama of Etta's life makes these choices forgivable, and Kolpan's snappy storytelling makes it impossible not to want to ride along as the characters careen toward their tragic ends. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 51
