A junior novel based on the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock 2, with a full-color insert! Views: 22
Visiting a villa built by Lorenzo de Medici outside Pisa, David Gilmour fell into conversation about the unification of Italy with a distinguished former minister: ''You know, Davide,' he said in a low conspiratorial voice, as if uttering a heresy, 'Garibaldi did Italy a great disservice. If he had not invaded Sicily and Naples, we in the north would have the richest and most civilized state in Europe.' After looking cautiously round the room he added in an even lower voice, 'Of course to the south we would have a neighbour like Egypt.'' Was the elderly Italian right? The Pursuit of Italy traces the whole history of the Italian peninsula in a wonderfully readable style, full of well-chosen stories and observations from personal experience, and peopled by many of the great figures of the Italian past, from Cicero and Virgil to Dante and the Medici, from Cavour and Verdi to the controversial political figures of the twentieth century. The book gives a clear-eyed view of the Risorgimento, the pivotal event in modern Italian history, debunking the influential myths which have grown up around it. Gilmour shows that the glory of Italy has always lain in its regions, with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities and cuisine. The regions produced the medieval communes and the Renaissance, the Venetian Republic and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, two of the most civilized states of European history. Their inhabitants identified themselves not as Italians, but as Tuscans and Venetians, Sicilians and Lombards, Neapolitans and Genoese. This is where the strength and culture of Italy still comes from, rather than from misconceived and mishandled concepts of nationalism and unity. This wise and enormously engaging book explains the course of Italian history in a manner and with a coherence which no one with an interest in the country could fail to enjoy. Views: 22
The second book from Chief-Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn series. Views: 22
British journalist Hadley Arnold—who is based in Hong Kong—is employed by a mysterious American “casting agent” to help destroy the reputation of an actor tipped to become the next James Bond. With only his questionable ethics and even worse instincts to guide him, Arnold’s quest takes him from sleazy bars in Hong Kong to deadly beaches in Sri Lanka. Filled with biting wit and an oddball sense of humor, this novel is a cleverly crafted dark comedy. Views: 22
THE WEST TEXANSWelcome back to West Texas--and the Parker Ranch!There's a rebel in every family--even the Parkers. Jodie Parker has been resisting her family heritage since birth, even going so far as to briefly run off with a no-account cowboy named Rio. Still, after five years of college, then a year spent gallivanting around Europe, Jodie's come home....Which leaves the Parkers with an age-old problem: How are they going to keep Jodie down on the "farm" after she's seen "Paree"?A certain Texas lawman may be the answer. Jodie's been a thorn in Sheriff Tate Connelly's side for years. Now he's got two choices. He can arrest her for aiding and abetting a wanted man, her ex-lover, Rio. Or he can help her prove Rio's innocence--but on one condition. That Jodie settle down once and for all. In the arms of the law! Views: 22
For a century, wealthy New York girls have been trained for the rigors of upper class life at the Theban, an exclusive private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Kate Fansler is lured back to her alma mater to teach a seminar on Antigone. But a hostile note addressed to Kate, the uniform mistrustfulness of her six, bright students, and the Dobermans that patrol the building at night suggest trouble on the spot. As Kate leads her class through the inexorable tragic unfolding of Antigone, a parallel nightmare envelops the school and everyone connected with it. . . .From the Paperback edition. Views: 22
Ruby Lu returns--in paperback! Can this spunky middle-grader solve her family's money troubles?Ruby is starting third grade, and she can't wait! She'll get to join fun clubs, learn cursive, and play in the orchestra. But there's one big change Ruby Lu isn't expecting: Her father loses his job. Now he's taking care of her and Oscar while her mother works, and it's definitely not all fun and games, especially with money so tight. So Ruby, determined and resourceful as ever, sets out to make a million dollars! And though she soon learns that making money isn't easy, she also discovers that having a loving family is the most valuable thing of all. Views: 22
After the vampire named Gabriel came into her world, Mariah Lyander was forced to face her own true nature and admit to the terrible things she had done--things he could not forgive. To redeem herself, to recover her own humanity--and Gabriel's love--she sets out on a perilous journey across the haunted land, in search of a rumored cure. And Gabriel, blood-bonded to her, is compelled to follow. Together--yet not together--they will face danger and death. And what they find is not a place where monsters can be cured--but one where they are born... Views: 22
This is a short, sweet, erotic story of a hot woman pleasuring herself. After a string of bad dates, Ashley realizes she's not ready for a relationship. She discovers her body in a new way, and resolves to make some changes. Views: 22
As if being a CEO to a multi national company wasn't enough Terry had to deal with her growing attraction towards her new drop dead gorgeous administrative director Sean Carman. Sean couldn't believe his eyes, his new boss was the most beautiful, sexy woman he had ever laid eyes on, he wanted her and was going to get no matter what everyone said. Views: 22
Now a major motion picture, Manhattan Night, starring Adrien Brody, Campbell Scott, Yvonne Strahovski, and Linda LavinPorter Wren is a Manhattan tabloid writer with an appetite for scandal. On the beat he sells murder, tragedy, and anything that passes for the truth. At home, he is a dedicated husband and father. But when a seductive stranger asks him to dig into the unsolved murder of her husband, he is drawn into a very nasty case of sexual obsession and blackmail—one that threatens his job, his marriage, and his life. Manhattan Nocturne is a brilliantly drawn tableau of the gritty, gaudy city, and a thrilling literary noir. Views: 22
There is an unseen world most people can't begin to imagine... ... Where the most ordinary things can turn against you. The village of Templeton was evacuated during World War 2. Now even the ghosts are leaving - because something terrible stayed behind. Ben and his new friends at the School of Night must find out what's going on. But they are soon trapped in the village, where even the trees and plants turn against them. Could you survive against all the odds? Could you solve the ancient mystery and free the village from a curse that threatens the whole world? If you could, then maybe you have what it takes to join The School of Night Views: 22
