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Neil Ansell spent five years living between the back of beyond and the middle of nowhere, on his own, with no electricity, gas or water and effectively only the wildlife around him for company. His dilapidated cottage, rented for £100 per year, is so exposed to the elements that it appears to rain uphill, and so remote that you can walk for twenty miles west without seeing a single other dwelling. As the years pass he feels himself dissolving into, and becoming, just another part of the landscape. Views: 61
This early (1924) spy adventure is one of five Buchan novels featuring the heroic Richard Hannay. Hannay is called out of retirement to rescue the kidnapped offspring of three highly placed British citizens. Hannay soon uncovers a global syndicate supporting a single man who has notions of world domination. The story suffers from exaggerated descriptions of its characters. For instance, the kidnapper, Medina, is not just a good shot, he's the best shot in England next to the King. The British are portrayed as wonderful people, but other races fare less well. Yet the story is undoubtedly good fun and is enhanced by the modulated voice and subtle characterizations of British actor Edmund Dehn. For large suspense collections. Views: 61
Imagination matters most in a world where art can keep monsters trapped—or set them free.Lots of twins have a special connection, but twelve-year-old Matt and Emily Calder can do way more than finish each other’s sentences. Together, they are able to bring art to life and enter paintings at will. Their extraordinary abilities are highly sought after, particularly by a secret group who want to access the terrors called Hollow Earth. All the demons, devils, and evil creatures ever imagined are trapped for eternity in the world of Hollow Earth—trapped unless special powers release them.The twins flee from London to a remote island off the west coast of Scotland in hopes of escaping their pursuers and gaining the protection of their grandfather, who has powers of his own. But the villains will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within. With so much at stake, nowhere is safe—and survival might be a fantasy.From School Library JournalGr 5-10-Em and Matt Calder, 12, inherited the attributes of their Guardian father, Malcolm, and their Animare mother, Sandie. This unprecedented combination puts them in danger from those who want to extinguish their powers and those who want to exploit them for evil ends. When the twins begin to reveal their Animare ability to turn their artistic imaginings into real-world manifestations, they flee with Sandie to an island off the Scottish coast. There their paternal grandfather, Renard, a powerful Guardian, can offer some protection and explanations of the Animare and Guardian attributes and responsibilities. However, no one explains what happened to Malcolm or what is in the satchel Sandie keeps with her. After she disappears and Renard is severely injured, the siblings use their powers to animate their way out of dangerous encounters. Aided by a deaf teenager with lip-reading ability and technological know-how, they thwart those who want to use the twins to open the door to Hollow Earth, a place where all evil creatures are trapped for eternity. A parallel story set in the Middle Ages reveals how an Animare monk illuminating manuscripts saved the island's inhabitants from Viking invaders. Both past and present victories over dark forces rely on the intervention of a peryton, a fantastical creature. At the conclusion, readers can pause for breath from the plot's heart-pounding pace. Added to the elements of history and myth are references to paintings by artists such as Van Gogh and descriptions of the island. These topics should supply readers with plenty to explore while they wait eagerly for the next installment.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankatoα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. About the AuthorJohn Barrowman has appeared onstage, including on London’s West End, and on-screen. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood, as well as appearances on Desperate Housewives. He also appears in Arrow, a drama on the CW.Carole E. Barrowman is a journalist and a professor of English in Wisconsin. Views: 61
The sixth and concluding volume of selected letters and diary entries of the beloved author of Gift from the Sea.Although Anne Morrow Lindbergh published five volumes of letters and diary excerpts in her lifetime, when she died in 2001 there was a treasure trove of material left unpublished. This new volume begins in 1947, as Mrs. Lindbergh is agonizing over whether or not to terminate an unwanted pregnancy (which will eventually end in a miscarriage). We observe the genesis of the idea for the book that became Gift from the Sea, and we follow its hugely successful publication. We are privy to her complicated and sometimes difficult relationship with her beloved but largely absent husband, the aviator Charles Lindbergh, who we now know was spending time with secret common-law families in Europe. We watch as she struggles to balance caring for her children and her writing career, and we listen in as she comments on events of the day. She is... Views: 61
Review"The great American novel . . ." -- Edith Wharton Product DescriptionLorelei Lee and her best friend Dorothy take the world by storm in their search for the ideal suitor, the richer the better. Lorelei meets an American millionaire who might just be the one. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was made into a delightful classic film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell (1953) and features the song 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend'. Views: 60
From New York Times bestselling biographer Bob Spitz, a full and rich biography of an epic American life, capturing what made Ronald Reagan both so beloved and so transformational.More than five years in the making, based on hundreds of interviews and access to previously unavailable documents, and infused with irresistible storytelling charm, Bob Spitz's REAGAN stands fair to be the first truly post-partisan biography of our 40th President, and thus a balm for our own bitterly divided times.It is the quintessential American triumph, brought to life with cinematic vividness: a young man is born into poverty and raised in a series of flyspeck towns in the Midwest by a pious mother and a reckless, alcoholic, largely absent father. Severely near-sighted, the boy lives in his own world, a world of the popular books of the day, and finds his first brush with popularity, even fame, as a young lifeguard. Thanks to his first great love, he imagines a way out, and makes the... Views: 60
From a great master of historical fiction comes a brilliant tale of love amid war. James A. Michener combines powerful storytelling with gentle sensitivity in this novel of a U.S. army man who falls for a fascinating Japanese woman against all odds. Major Lloyd Gruver considers himself lucky. The son of an army general, dating the daughter of another powerful military family, his future looks impossibly bright. Stationed in beautiful, exotic Japan, he just can’t understand guys like Private Joe Kelly, who throws away his life in the States by marrying one of the local girls. Then Lloyd meets Hana-ogi. After that, nothing matters anymore . . . nothing but her. Views: 60
In such modern classics as Chesapeake, Centennial, Hawaii, Alaska, and Texas, James A. Michener proved time and again that his understanding of and love for his country was unparalleled. This Noble Land is Michener's most personal statement about America, an examination of the issues that threaten to fragment and undermine the nation--racial conflict, the widening gulf between rich and poor, the decline of education, the inadequacies of our health care system--as well as a thought-provoking prescription for sustaining our "outstanding success." First published shortly before Michener's death, This Noble Land stands as a wake-up call for a troubled era, infused with the wisdom and passion of a lifetime. Praise for This Noble Land "A book-length essay on the often worrying, often inspiring course of America in the nine decades of Michener's life."--The Washington Post "Michener is... Views: 60
Retail NookOne would think that with Jen Lancaster’s impressive list of bestselling self-improvement memoirs—Bitter Is the New Black; Bright Lights, Big Ass; Such a Pretty Fat; Pretty in Plaid; My Fair Lazy; and Jeneration X—that she would have it all together by now.One would be wrong. Jen’s still a little rough around the edges. Suffice it to say, she’s no Martha Stewart. And that is exactly why Jen is going to Martha up and live her life according to the advice of America’s overachieving older sister—the woman who turns lemons into lavender-infused lemonade.By immersing herself in Martha’s media empire, Jen will embark on a yearlong quest to take herself, her house, her husband (and maybe even her pets) to the next level—from closet organization to craft making, from party planning to kitchen prep.Maybe Jen can go four days without giving herself food poisoning if she follows Martha’s dictates on proper storage....Maybe she can grow closer to her girlfriends by taking up their boring-ass hobbies like knitting and sewing.…Maybe she can finally rid her workout clothes of meatball stains by using Martha’s laundry tips.… Maybe she can create a more meaningful anniversary celebration than just getting drunk in the pool with her husband....again. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll discover that the key to happiness does, in fact, lie in Martha’s perfectly arranged cupboards and artfully displayed charcuterie platters.Or maybe not. ReviewPRAISE FOR JEN LANCASTER HERE I GO AGAIN"Lancaster's as adept at fiction as she is at telling her own stories—no matter what she's writing, it's scathingly witty and lots of fun."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Readers will find it easy to root for the frank and funny heroine of this winsome, whimsical tale. Lancaster's downright fun novel is chick lit at its best."—Booklist (starred review)"In a whimsical twist on the Back to the Future scenario, a bully returns to her high school days to right some wrongs...Quantum physics was never funnier. A great read."—Kirkus (starred review)IF YOU WERE HERE “Witty and hilarious.”—People “Jen Lancaster has the kind of scathing wit that makes you wish she was your best friend but thankful she’s not your new neighbor.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Carrie RyanMY FAIR LAZY “Hilarious...My Fair Lazy does not ‘suck it.’ It rocks it.”—Examiner.com“Light and fun and full of pop-culture musings.”—Chicago Sun-Times *PRETTY IN PLAID *“Like that dreamy pair of heels that [is] somehow both comfy and chic…a hilarious tribute to her early fashion obsessions.”—People SUCH A PRETTY FAT “She’s like that friend who always says what you’re thinking—just 1,000 times funnier.” —People BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG ASS“A bittersweet treat for anyone who’s ever survived the big city.” —#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer WeinerBITTER IS THE NEW BLACK“She’s absolutely hilarious.”—Chicago Sun-TimesAbout the AuthorJen Lancaster is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books. She has appeared on Today, The Joy Behar Show, and NPR’s All Things Considered. She resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and their ever-expanding menagerie of ill-behaved pets. Views: 60
THE HEIRS OF CAHIRA O'CONNOR SERIES - BOOK THREE It is said that as Cahira, daughter of the great Irish king Rory O'Connor, lay dying of a wound from a Norman blade, she lifted her hand toward heaven and beseeched God that others would follow...breaking forth from the courses to which they are bound to restore right in this murderous world...To Kathleen O'Connor, Cahira's story was nothing more than a legend--until research divulged that the tale was true. Stunned, Kathleen realizes she herself bears Cahira's mark. Is she destined to continue the legacy? To find the truth, Kathleen must delve into the past to find the truth about The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor... When Flanna O'Connor, a young medical student in Boston, is cut off from her family in Charleston at the start of the Civil War, she decides to disguise herself and move south with the Union Army. While in disguise, she must prove herself as a soldier and a doctor, both to her messmates... Views: 60
A stunning new way to celebrate the small moments that make up a life.In flashes of vivid prose -- sometimes in pieces only one page long -- Abigail Thomas breaks up the notion of what is "memoir" to tell us some true stories from her life: about love and upheaval, mistakes and loyalties, adventures and domesticities; marriage and motherhood at a very young age; a second husband who becomes both an ex and a dear friend in need; a smart-mouthed sister who helps her get through hard times; the many shades of feminine power and female rage; the changing face of desire. Safekeeping is a book in which white space speaks as eloquently as what is revealed. Openhearted and effortlessly funny, these brilliantly selected glimpses of the arc of a life are, in the age of too much confession, a welcome breath of fresh air.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 60
Spanning the years of 1940-1965, THE LAST LION picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister-when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill conjured up by William Manchester and Paul Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action. THE LAST LION brilliantly recounts how Churchill organized his nation's military response and defense; compelled FDR into supporting America's beleaguered cousins, and personified the "never surrender" ethos that helped the Allies win the war, while at the same time adapting himself and his country to the inevitable shift of world power from the British Empire to the United States. More than twenty years in the making, THE LAST LION presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic leader. This is popular history at its most stirring.From BooklistStarred Review The second volume of the late Manchester’s Churchill biography (The Last Lion: Alone, 1988) left its audience in suspense with Churchill’s appointment as British prime minister in May 1940 and in anticipation of how Manchester would present Churchill’s and Britain’s finest hour in WWII. Foiled by illness, Manchester tapped Paul Reid, who has magnificently completed Manchester’s work. Opening with a character sketch of Churchill in his multifaceted guises of sentimentality, egotistical insensitivity, and brilliance, Reid dives into Churchill’s war leadership in 1940 that is the cynosure of his place in history. Reid’s got the research right, down to the day, down to the minute. He shows Churchill defying Hitler and appeasers––the French leadership and figures in the British government––who even in 1940 thought peace could be arranged with the triumphant Nazis. As Reid chronicles Churchill’s public speeches, communications, and strategy sessions, he affords regular glimpses at Churchill’s private aspects—his wittiness, sybaritic consumption of scotch and cigars, and moods bordering on depression. If reading Churchill’s life after 1945 entails an unavoidably anticlimactic quality, Reid nevertheless ably chronicles its main events of writing his WWII memoirs and assuming his second premiership of 1951–55. Manchester was one of the best Churchill biographers, and this capstone to his magnum opus ought not be missed. --Gilbert Taylor Review“Majestic . . . This book is superb. It has tremendous pace, rich detail and immense drama.”—The Washington Post “Masterful . . . The collaboration completes the Churchill portrait in a seamless manner, combining the detailed research, sharp analysis and sparkling prose that readers of the first two volumes have come to expect.”—Associated Press“Matches the outstanding quality of biographers such as Robert Caro and Edmund Morris, joining this elite bank of writers who devote their lives to one subject.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Breathtaking . . . brilliant and beautiful, evocative.”—The Boston Globe“A must-read finale for those who loved Manchester’s first two books.”—USA Today“The final volume is . . . majestic and inspiring.”—*People*“One of the most thorough treatments of Churchill so far produced.”—Library Journal (starred review) Views: 60
