'Oh dear,' said Mr Majeika, 'I seem to have made the spell too strong.'Class Three has fun during Book Week, when famous storybook characters suddenly appear! But there's trouble ahead with Wilhemina Worlock the witch at the school's Olympic Sports Day...Will Mr Majeika manage to magic up a solution? Views: 38
Edward Dacres is an unforgettable anti-hero, a dissolute abstract painter whose fortunes in London have dwindled to nothing.When a misdirected letter invites him to take part in a delegation to bring art to the "Colonies," Dacres seizes the opportunity. Once in North America, however, a series of mishaps forces Dacres to abandon the troupe and try his luck in the puritan climate of 1939 Toronto, most of whose citizens have their thoughts on the war and don't care a whit for his painted triangles. Most, that is, with the notable exception of a beautiful heiress with an eye for art and a wilful determination to save Dacres from himself. Goya's Dog is a love story laced with satire and a historical novel bearing on contemporary truths. A picaresque tale of gin, cowardice, and artistic paralysis, it toys with our notions of the artist's role in times of war and considers the selfishness inherent in our passions—and the self-sacrifice fundamental to love. Views: 38
The office cat lady understands better than the rest what it means to be a people person. The kleptomaniac steals because no one can give her what she really needs. And the unemplyed carpenter? He doesn't need the spotlight - he's just happy to make the stage. These are the unlikely stars of And Also Sharks: misfits and "losers" whose inability to fit in has less to do with personal failings than it does with the hostile strangeness of modern life. In this collection, Jessica Westhead manages the rare feat of writing with both her tongue in her cheek and her heart on her sleeve, infusing humour, charm, and humanity into everyday absurdities. Views: 38
"Admissions. Admission. Aren't there two sides to the word? And two opposing sides...It's what we let in, but it's also what we let out." For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a Princeton University admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own ultimate admission.Admission is at once a fascinating look at the complex college admissions process and an emotional examination of what happens when the secrets of the past return and shake a woman's life to its core.From Publishers WeeklyPortia Nathan, the overly dedicated 38-year-old Princeton admissions officer, narrator of Korelitz's overthought fourth novel, finds purpose in her gatekeeper role. But her career and conscience are challenged after she visits a down-at-the-heels New England town on a scouting trip and meets Jeremiah, a talented but rough-around-the-edges 17-year-old who maybe doesn't measure up as Princeton material. The real rub is how making his acquaintance forces Portia to confront a painful secret from her past that ties into some domestic discord with her professor friend, David, and may lead her into a career-endangering fracas with the admissions board. The narrative is slow out of the gate, though it gets some pep once the Jeremiah-Portia angle comes into focus. And even if Portia tends to ruminate in an precious way, Korelitz makes good use of the sociological issues tied up in elite university admissions. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From The New YorkerPortia Nathan is a thirty-eight-year-old admissions officer at Princeton University, a place so discriminating that it can afford to turn down applicants who are “excellent in all of the ordinary ways” in favor of the utterly extraordinary—“Olympic athletes, authors of legitimately published books, Siemens prize winners, working film or Broadway actors, International Tchaikovsky Competition violinists.” Portia compares her job to “building a better fruit basket” and achieves career success by helping her institution pluck the most exotic specimens, but her personal life is permanently on hold because of a traumatic incident from her own college years that she has never come to terms with. Although the reader may unravel the mystery of Portia’s past before the plot does, the novel gleams with acute insights into what most consider a deeply mysterious process. Copyright ©2008 Click here to subscribe to The New Yorker Views: 38
Some of the best-loved stories in the world, originating in Persia, India and Arabia, retold especially for children. Views: 38
Book 4 of Survivor of Nam by Donald E. Zlotnik. Views: 38
From Publishers WeeklyRomance author Lynxwiler (_Along Came a Cowboy_) tries to set up a city girl/country boy attraction of opposites in this tale of aspiring actress Crystal McCord, who flees New York for her parents' ranch in Arkansas after her urban cad of a boyfriend sleeps with her roommate. But since the city girl is from the country, there really isn't much fish-out-of-water tension, nor a lot of any other kind of plot tension. The titular cowgirl isn't sufficiently reluctant around her handsome rancher neighbor Jeremy Buchanan, and a dark plot complication—a missing child—resolves itself rather quickly. Crystal's family history provides another wrinkle, and a smidgen of depth. Clever dialogue flows easily and wittily, almost screenplay-like, the best thing about this romance. Those who like their inspirational romance over easy will be happy to meet the McCord family, with enough siblings and backstories to kick off a series. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ReviewTop Pick! This old-fashioned romance set in present-day Arkansas is the first book in Lynxwiler''s fantastic new must-read McCord Sisters series. Crystal and Jeremy begin as friends, and their love develops over time. Be prepared to drop everything and settle down in a nice cozy place, because you will not want to leave Crystal and Jeremy until their story is told.(Cheryl Hanson Romantic Times 20090310) Overall, The Reluctant Cowgirl is a very humorous and heartwarming story of love, loss, redemption, and how God''s always waiting for his lost children to come home. Lynxwiler definitely ended this mesmerizing story much too quickly.(Kelsey Shade CBA Retailers and Resources 20090224) Romance author Lynxwiler (Along Came a Cowboy) tries to set up a city girl/country boy attraction of opposites in this tale of aspiring actress Crystal McCord, who flees New York for her parents'' ranch in Arkansas after her urban cad of a boyfriend sleeps with her roommate. But since the city girl is from the country, there really isn''t much fish-out-of-water tension, nor a lot of any othe kind of plot tension. The titular cowgirl isn''t sufficiently reluctant around her handsome rancher neighbor Jeremy Buchanan, and a dark plot complication--a missing child--resolves itself rather quickly. Crystal''s family history provides another wrinkle, and a smidgen of depth. Clever dialogue flows easily and wittily, almost screenplay-like, the best thing about this romance. Those who like their inspirational romance over easy will be happy to meet the McCord family, with enough siblings and backstories to kick off a series.(_Publisher's Weekly_ ) The longing Crystal has for home and family comes off the page as clearly as if they were your own. As she battles with her memories and longs for what she lost when she moved away, love unexpectedly creeps into her heart in the form of a neighborly cowboy. Jeremy is the epitome of what makes us all love a cowboy. He’s kindhearted, has a great work ethic, a heart of gold, and a heartache all his own that he bears silently. The twists and turns of the story make it a journey worth taking. This is truly a sweet, heart-warming story that makes you happy to share in the heartache and the joy. Definitely a page turner! (Donna Bas Novel Editions ) What can I say? I''ve read Ms. Lynxwiler''s books before and like them. That is part of the reason I chose this one. And...I like it. Easy enough to say. What did I like about it? Probably a lot of it had to do with the fact that I like just about anything to do with cowboys/cowgirls/country life. I like the friends-turn-boyfriend/girlfriend angle. I like the during-the-hard-times-you-lean-on-God story line. This book had all three. As an added bonus, the heroine has brothers and sisters, and it''s book one. And that means...you guessed it...more books! Yay! This story is about faithfulness, forgiveness, family, and friends. (Did I just alliterate? Comes from living with a former Bible college graduate.) Anyway...Crystal McCord and her twin dreamed of being on Broadway. When her twin is killed in a car wreck their senior year of high school, Crystal goes alone. For almost 7 years she worked hard to make it, but only had supporting roles in off-Broadway productions. Her current play closes at the same time her family needs help on the ranch so she goes back to visit. Her intentions of going right back to The Big Apple change when she is the only one able to stay and help. Crystal has to face that maybe her dream isn''t what she thought it was. When she re-discovers the faithfulness of God, she is able to recognize that fact. Neighbor Jeremy Buchanan has his own troubles, but sacrifices his time to help out, also. His ex-wife has taken their daughter and he can''t find her. When his situation looks like it is taking a turn for the worse, he has to learn about trust and forgiveness. Crystal and Jeremy become friends and she helps him look for his daughter. Things seem to be going well, until Crystal has a call to try out for a part, a lead part, on Broadway. Will she stay or go? I can''t tell you, you have to read for yourself. :) I will tell you this: I look forward to reading the rest of this series. (Jen T Many Blessings Equals Busy Life Blog ) Heeding Sinatra’s advice, Crystal McCord left Arkansas to make it as an actress in New York City. In spite of good reviews for her acting, the play she is in making a Splash folds as the critics kill it. When she returns to her rent controlled apartment, Crystal finds her boyfriend Brad who missed her performance sleeping with her roommate Sasha. Since her family called for a meeting anyway, the Arkansas traveler decides to go home to her parents’ ranch to heal from the play’s closing and the betrayals. When neighboring rancher Jeremy Buchanan and Crystal meet, sparks fly. She metaphorically considers him to be her potential leading man in this regional theater, but he has a history with her type. As they fall in love, both have decisions to make and stereotypes to overcome. How you’re going to keep her down on the ranch after she’s seen New York is the underlying theme in this entertaining contemporary romance in which author Christine Lynxwiler avoids dissing either the location as tastes and desires matter. THE RELUCTANT COWGIRL is a fun tale due to the misconceptions of the lead couple re the other. With a strong supporting cast, readers will enjoy this light inspirational as the wannabe in the clouds actress and the grounded rancher fall in love. See ALONG CAME A COWBOY for an even deeper Arkansas character study. (Harriet Klausner The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews ) Views: 38
There's a new sheriff in town, and he's got the Nightside's rich and powerful quaking in their boots. He's The Walking Man, and it's his mission to exorcise sinners — with extreme prejudice. Problem is, the Nightside was built on sin and corruption, and The Walking Man makes no distinction between evildoers and those simply indulging themselves. He'll leave the place a wasteland unless someone stops him, and P.I. John Taylor has been handed the job. No known magic or science can affect The Walking Man, and if John can't discover his weakness, he'll be facing the very Wrath of God. Views: 38
Jonathan's Legacy returns to the roots of the Jonathan Trilogy: the love for those weakest amongst us, children, particularly the undesired ones, street kids who find new homes and love, just as Jonathan and Dan once had, in their youth.We follow the Jackson family, founded by Jonathan and Dan, as they grapple with the loss of their family patriarch. Parker and Cody set out to start a patchwork family of their own, while Marc comes to terms with his loss. And who is Kim Hwan?This is the third and final book in this accidental trilogy, a book written out of the desperate search for answers, to bring hope where there was only despair, and to find much-needed closure. Anything but a happily ever after is unimaginable.In this trilogy:Jonathan's Hope (Book 1)Jonathan's Promise (Book 2)Jonathan's Legacy (Book 3) Views: 38
She was in there, he knew it. He'd been following her for weeks and knew every move she made. There'd be no escaping him. Time was on his side. "I'm waiting, Steph. I've been waiting a long, long time."
Stephanie thought she was ordinary. Her life was stable, or at least it was until the stranger appeared. Was he the answer to her dreams or a nightmare? Views: 38
