Science Fiction/Fantasy. 74064 words long. Views: 7
First published in 1856, five years after the appearance of Moby Dick, The Piazza Tales comprises six of Herman Melville's finest short stories. Included are two sea tales that encompass the essence of Melville's art: 'Benito Cereno,' an exhilarating account of mutiny and rescue aboard a disabled slave ship, which is a parable of man's struggle against the forces of evil, and 'The Encantadas,' ten allegorical sketches of the Galapagos Islands, which reveal nature to be both enchanting and horrifying. Two pieces explore themes of isolation and defeat found in Melville's great novels: 'Bartleby, the Scrivener,' a prophetically modern story of alienation and loss on nineteenth-century Wall Street, and 'The Bell-Tower,' a Faustian tale about a Renaissance architect who brings about his own violent destruction. The other two works reveal Melville's mastery of very different writing styles: 'The Lightning-Rod Man,' a satire showcasing his talent for Dickensian comedy, and 'The Piazza,' the title story of the collection, which anticipates the author's later absorption with poetry. Views: 7
The mysterious death of Bryn Wallace draws American Nora Tierney to Oxford to clear her close friend Val Rogan, who has been wrongfully accused of Bryn’s murder. Or has she? Nora quickly becomes embroiled in the murder investigation, much to the dismay of Detective Inspector Declan Barnes and the illustrator of Nora’s children’s book, Simon Ramsey. Simon’s efforts to save Nora from herself become increasingly frantic as Nora is forced to use her wits and her wiles to prove Val’s innocence. The first in a series of Nora Tierney mysteries, The Blue Virgin is a compelling story of love and intrigue. Nothing, Nora learns, is what it seems, and even the most innocent of choices can lead to murder and revenge. Views: 7
Amazon.co.uk Review "Namma" meaning bride is the first-hand account of Kate Karko, a designer from London and her husband Tsedup, a Tibetan nomad. The couple met, fell in love and married in India where Kate was travelling and Tsedup was living in exile. After an absence of nine years, four of which were spent in London waiting for the right documents to come through, Tsedup was finally able to return to his family on the roof of the world. With very limited grasp of the Amdo dialect, Kate throws herself into life with her new family. She keeps an open mind to all new experiences and approaches her time with the nomads with enduring positivity-not many erstwhile city dwellers would have been able to cope with the complete lack of personal space and the constant smell of burning yak dung. Kate's position within the family group gave her remarkable access to nomadic life in the 21st century and full-colour photographs help bring her descriptions of her numerous in-laws to life. The reader is left with the impression of a beautiful country and a proud people whose cultural heritage is under threat of extinction. Indeed, the reality of nomadic life does not quite match up with Kate's early romantic imaginings: The nomads were a tough and diligent people but now the men had been rendered impotent. Because of the fences there was no reason to herd the animals and it was more difficult for bandits to attack an enclosed encampment. Their role in the family had been all but erased. The new laws had tragically accomplished their goal of nomad domestication. Given the author's emotional involvement with the family and the many difficulties she must have encountered during her six-month stay with the Amdo tribe, her pervasive objectivity is something of a disappointment. The reader learns very little, for example, about the real impact of her stay on her relationship with her husband or of the more day-to-day frustrations. Despite such minor flaws, Namma remains an absorbing insight into a deeply spiritual yet fun-loving people, written by a woman whose son has become a bridge between two worlds. -Simon Priestly -This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Geographical Magazine 'Fascinating read… a glimmering insight into the nomadic lifestyle inherent to the country' Views: 7
OUT OF THE BROTHEL...Wrongly accused of theft, innocent Celina Shelley is cast out of the brothel she calls home and flees to Quinn Ashley, Lord Dreycott, for safety. But the heat in the daredevil adventurer's eyes tells Lina that the danger is just beginning....AND INTO THE RAKE'S BEDROOM!Lina dresses like a nun, looks like an angel, but flirts like a professional—and the last thing Quinn expects to discover is that she's a virgin! Views: 7
SynopsisBook 5Autumn, 1944: the Allies are invading Italy. At home in Britain, along with everyone else, the Campion family are doing their part—working tirelessly in the hope that the end of the war is now in sight. Lou, separated from her twin Sasha, is spreading her wings quite literally in her new role as a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary, flying new planes to Royal Air Force bases. She is soon confronted with a man from her past—Kieron Mallory. Newly engaged to Bobby, Sasha is filled with increasing fear, both for Bobby and about the terror that engulfs her whenever she thinks about being trapped in the bomb shaft that nearly took her life. Emily, newly widowed, loves living in Whitchurch with Tommy—her adopted son, her pride and joy. But a chance sighting of Tommy turns Emily's world upside down and reawakens for Fran all the pain of her past. Back in London, Katie hopes that she is finally over Luke, until a surprise letter from him arrives. But can they ever build a friendship on the ashes of their love? Views: 7
In his first venture into non-fiction, the celebrated novelist Rupert Thomson has produced one of the most extraordinary and unforgettable memoirs of recent years. On a warm, sunny day in July 1964, Thomson returned home from school to discover that his mother had died suddenly while playing tennis. Twenty years later, Thomson and his brothers receive word that their father, who suffered chronic lung damage during the war, has died alone in hospital. In an attempt to come to terms both with their own loss and with their parents’ legacies, the three brothers move back into their father’s house. The time they spend in this decadent, anarchic commune leads to a rift between Thomson and his youngest brother, a rift that will not be addressed for more than two decades. This Party’s Got to Stop works Thomson’s memories into a powerful mosaic that reveals the fragility of family life in graphic and often heartbreaking detail. It is both a love letter to a lost brother and a chronicle of the murderousness and longing that can characterize blood relationships. Views: 7
So begin Annie Dawson’s breathtaking adventures as she leaves her home in Brookfield, Texas and drives 2,000 miles to Stony Point, Maine to settle her grandmother’s estate. Ever since Annie’s husband died just a year ago, she’d felt she was lacking direction and purpose. Might Grey Gables be the begin-ning of a new chapter in Annie Dawson’s life? Just one look at the rambling old Victorian house she’s inherited from her grandmother transports her back to the summers she spent there when she was growing up. As she makes her way up the narrow stairs to the attic, she feels a childhood sense of adventure and mystery. Gram had stored everything she ever owned in the attic. But in this clutter of boxes, furniture, clothing, and “stuff” Annie notices a large, sheet-covered object set off in a far corner. Compared to everything else, it looks relatively new with very little dust on it. When did Gram put this up here, she wonders as she tugs the sheet free. What is revealed makes her gasp. Standing in a roller frame is the largest, most detailed cross-stitch canvas she’s ever seen. It features a woman sitting on a porch. It’s Grey Gables’ porch, of that Annie is sure. But who is this lady? And why did her grandmother hide such a beautiful example of her famed handiwork away in the attic? The Lady in the Attic is the story of Annie Dawson’s hunt to solve the mystery of “The Lady.” And it is a heartwarming story of the lives and loves in this Maine coastal town of Stony Point. Annie finds new friends among the townsfolk, especially at the Hook and Needle Club, a stitchery group sponsored by the local needlecraft shop, A Stitch in Time. The members’ warm-hearted enthusiasm for her search helps her in her quest. With them, will she also be able to find a new direction for her life? Join Annie and her new friends as they unravel the mystery of The Lady in the Attic. Views: 7
How an American teenager became the youngest person ever to build a working nuclear fusion reactor By the age of nine, Taylor Wilson had mastered the science of rocket propulsion. At eleven, his grandmother's cancer diagnosis drove him to investigate new ways to produce medical isotopes. And by fourteen, Wilson had built a 500-million-degree reactor and become the youngest person in history to achieve nuclear fusion. How could someone so young achieve so much, and what can Wilson's story teach parents and teachers about how to support high-achieving kids?In The Boy Who Played with Fusion, science journalist Tom Clynes narrates Taylor Wilson's extraordinary journey—from his Arkansas home where his parents fully supported his intellectual passions, to a unique Reno, Nevada, public high school just for academic superstars, to the present, when now nineteen-year-old Wilson is winning international science competitions with devices designed to... Views: 7
Science Fiction. 66120 words long. Views: 7
Charlie is invited to a plush Santa Fe spa, a week-long spiritual/medical retreat with her friend Linda Casper. The massages and spa treatments sound great, but she doesn't realize that there is something darker going on at the mountain resort. Meanwhile, Drake has his own set of concerns. He's been asked to testify as an expert witness in a helicopter crash case and it's causing him more anxiety than any feat of flying ever did. It seems that Charlie and Drake are each on their own, but their two cases overlap and they find their lives in danger, in more ways than one. Views: 7
