On November 28, 1979, squadron commander and Navy pilot Peter Rodrick died when his plane crashed in the Indian Ocean. He was just thirty-six and had been the commanding officer of his squadron for 127 days. Eight thousand miles away on Whidbey Island, near Seattle, he left behind a grief-stricken wife, two daughters, and a thirteenyear-old son who would grow up to be a writer--one who was drawn, perhaps inevitably, to write about his father, his family, and the devastating consequences of military service.In The Magical Stranger, Stephen Rodrick explores the life and death of the man who indelibly shaped his life, even as he remained a mystery: brilliant but unknowable, sacred but absent--an apparition gone 200 days of the year for much of his young son's life--a born leader who gave his son little direction. Through adolescence and into adulthood, Rodrick struggled to grasp fully the reality of his father's death and its permanence. Peter's picture and memory... Views: 10
Winner of the Prix Médicis, this multifaceted literary novel follows the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher across 17th century Europe and Eleazard von Wogau, a retired French correspondent, through modern Brazil.When Eleazard begins editing a strange, unpublished biography of Kircher, the rest of his life seems to begin unraveling--his ex-wife goes on a dangerous geological expedition to Mato Grosso; his daughter abandons school to travel with her young professor and her lesbian lover to an indigenous beach town, where the trio use drugs and form interdependent sexual relationships; and Eleazard himself starts losing his sanity, escalated by loneliness, and his work on the biography. Patterns begin to emerge from these interwoven narratives, which develop toward a mesmerizing climax.Shortlisted for the Goncourt Prize and the European Book Award, and already translated into 14 languages, Where Tigers Are At Home is large-scale epic, at once literary... Views: 10
Lou Colson is a transporter and a biker. He moves people from one place to another safer location for money. His many contacts in and out of the club have made him one of the best in the business. A lot of money buys the safest passage in Lou's care. Most of his clients are men who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and need out. Not this time. This time his oldest brother and President of the club is asking him to go into enemy territory to retrieve a spilled Southern belle. Barbara Whitmore is fresh from grad school and finally home for more than a few days for the first time since she was a child barely out diapers. Just when she thought her life was about to take a normal course of taking over the family plantation and finding some handsome young lawyer for a husband, Lou walks into her office. All her southern charm goes out the window when he tosses her over his shoulder and takes her on a forced road trip to save her life. Little does she know her life is about to begin, as she fights to keep it from ending. Views: 10
Unexpected Top Cassandra Carr Sometimes a wife has to go to extreme measures to save her marriage. Cissy Holden isn’t happy. Her husband Len doesn’t help out around the house and shows little respect for her. Even worse, their sex life leaves much to be desired. The chemistry they enjoyed when they first met has faded and Cissy is at her wits’ end. She decides to take matters into her own hands—literally—and introduces her wayward husband to the concept of a Female-Led Relationship (FLR). At first he’s all for it since he’s getting sexual favors for doing chores, but as Cissy ratchets up the control, Len starts to wonder if he’s less of a man if he lets her. Even more confusing is the fact that the sex, another area where Cissy has taken control, is through the roof. What does that say about him? Only time will tell if Len will fully jump on board, or if Cissy has made the biggest mistake of her life. A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave Views: 10
In Apple Valley, Washington, friends are always near, neighbors have no secrets—even if they’d like to—and long-held wishes have a way of coming true. . .Interior designer Tessa McKenzie has built a good life far from her Washington hometown. She intends to get back to it—as soon as she sells the cluttered Victorian house and antiques shop she inherited from her sister, Emily. But leaving Apple Valley a second time won’t be so easy. There’s her grieving nephew, Alex, to consider. And there’s Sheriff Cade Cunningham, the adolescent crush who could easily break her heart again if she let him. To Cade, Tessa was simply his high school sweetheart’s kid sister. But now there’s no denying she’s a beautiful and caring grown woman, one he’d like to get to know. Except that Tessa is determined to leave again. If Cade wants to change her mind, he’ll have to show her that small-town life has its lovable side—and that he does too. Most of all, he’ll have to convince Tess they’re good together, and that every step has led her right where she was always meant to be. . . Views: 10
This book is a remarkable and moving account of life on the home front in Manchester during the Second World War. Based on transcripts of recorded interviews with senior civilians and former members of the Armed Services, this book provides a first-hand narrative of what it was like to live under the shadow of war. The everyday hardships and heroism are recalled: the Blitz, rationing, the Home Guard, evacuees, war work, and the American presence prior to D-Day. Despite all the tragedy and difficulties, the Mancunian spirit shines through with the frequent dash of unquenchable humour. Richly illustrated, and filled with true accounts of local heroism and of the unbreakable spirit of the people of Manchester during these tumultuous years, this book looks at how the city fared during the Second World War, played her part in victory, and how the day-to-day life of her people was affected. Views: 10
The Seeds of Man is a full-length never before released science fiction novel.With The Seeds of Man New York Times bestselling science fiction author William C. Dietz offers us a post apocalyptic future where bullets can be used to purchase anything, and only the strongest will survive. Millions were killed during a brief nuclear war. But now, fifty years later, the world is locked in the cold embrace of a nuclear winter and food is scarce. Billions of people are dead of starvation and the survivors are battling each other for what remains.Lora Larsy is one of the more fortunate people because she was raised in a doomsday seed vault called the Sanctuary. It was constructed to ensure that the survivors of a nuclear war, widespread famine, or pandemic would have the seeds required for a fresh start. But most of those who live in the Sanctuary are afraid to venture outside because of the barbarians, religious fanatics, and feudal lords who rule the wastelands. But Lora's father and a small group of rebels are determined to leave the Sanctuary and take a supply of seeds with them. Lora decides to go along. Thus begins a long dangerous trek that test Lora in every possible way, take her into terrible danger, and will eventually place the Sanctuary's fate in her hands. Meanwhile Tre Ocho ekes out a living by scavenging for food, tech, and books in the ruins of devastated cities. When he falls in with a group bandits led by a charismatic man called Crow, Tre finds something more than a means to survive, he finds a purpose. A path to a better future. If he can stay alive long enough to do so. A young man, a young woman, with everything at stake... The Seeds of Man. Views: 10
The story of Gabrielle d'Estrées is one of love, betrayal, intrigue and tragedy. All she wanted was to marry for love, and enjoy the respectability of a happy marriage. But in the court of sixteenth century France this was almost impossible to achieve. She was sold by her own mother to three different lovers before catching the eye of a king. Henry has a weakness for beautiful women with fair hair and blue eyes, and once he sees Gabrielle, he knows he must have her. She bears him children and he promises to marry her, despite still being married to the exiled Queen Margot. Is the love of a king enough to secure Gabrielle the happiness and respectability she craves, and a crown for her son as the next dauphin of France? Views: 10
The extraordinary and eventful personal account of the life of Pearl S. Buck, the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for LiteratureOften regarded as one of Pearl S. Buck's most significant works, My Several Worlds is the memoir of a major novelist and one of the key American chroniclers of China. Buck, who was born to missionary parents in 1892, spent much of the first portion of her life in China, experiencing the Boxer Rebellion first hand and becoming involved with the society with an intimacy available to few outside observers. The book is not only an important reflection on that nation's modern history, but also an account of her re-engagement with America and the intense activity that characterized her life there, from her prolific novel-writing to her loves and friendships to her work for abandoned children and other humanitarian causes. As alive with incident as it is illuminating in its philosophy, My Several Worlds is essential reading for travelers and... Views: 10
