In this fascinating, informative, and entertaining collection, internationally acclaimed, award-winning author Colm Tóibín turns his attention to the intricacies of family relationships in literature and writing.In pieces that range from the importance of aunts (and the death of parents) in the English nineteenth-century novel to the relationship between fathers and sons in the writing of James Baldwin and Barack Obama, Colm Tóibín illuminates not only the intimate connections between writers and their families but also, with wit and rare tenderness, articulates the great joy of reading their work. In the piece on the Notebooks of Tennessee Williams, Tóibín reveals an artist "alone and deeply fearful and unusually selfish" and one profoundly tormented by his sister's mental illness. Through the relationship between W.B. Yeats and his father, or Thomas Mann and his children, or J.M. Synge and his mother,... Views: 149
It could be the mysterious bloodstained man who tries to stop their coach, or the fact no one seems to be around at the brand-new activity centre when Lance and the rest of his class arrive for the Year 6 school trip, but something is definitely not right at Crater Lake! What follows is a fight for survival that sees five pupils band together to save their classmates from an alien fate far worse than death. But whatever happens, they must never, ever fall asleep!Times Children's Book of the Week and #PrimarySchoolBookClub read. Views: 148
If there's a problem in school, there's no substitute for the world-saving substitute teachers of the S.O.S.! This is the second book of this hilarious, highly illustrated early chapter book series.Oh no! Noah—part time classroom pet, full-time evil mastermind—has his paws set on setting free all the animals at the city zoo.Good thing that when there's a problem, there's no substitute for the super substitute teachers of the S.O.S.! HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read! Views: 148
Chapter OneOctober 1928 "I still don't understand why we had to come to France," Nate grumbled as he dragged his rucksack on the ground behind him. Not liking the bumpy ride, his pet gremlin, Greasle, scampered up the pack's buckles and straps to Nate's shoulder. "We came to France because our lives can't stand still while we wait for news of Obediah Fludd to surface," Aunt Phil explained. "We still have a job to do, Nate. And today, being a beastologist brings us to France." She stopped walking and Nate bumped into her. "Sorry," he mumbled, embarrassed. Aunt Phil reached out a hand to steady him. "We have scouts everywhere, keeping an eye out for Obediah. If he's spotted, we'll know soon enough. Now, pull yourself together. We've work to do." Cornelius, Aunt Phil's talking dodo, sniffed. "If the boy were a true Fludd, he wouldn't snivel so much." As Nate glared at him, Greasle piped up. "Seems to me there was a certain dodo doing an awful lot of sniveling this... Views: 148
Belinda, just fifty, wistfully reflects how much better she is at sex now than when she was young and gorgeous, and then discovers to her fury that her husband Tom is having an affair. ALL THE HOPEFUL LOVERS tracks the emotional roller coaster she lives through over the seven days following her discovery. At the same time we learn whatís going on inside the mind of Tom and of his lover Meg. Weaving through this web of middle-aged lovers is a tangle of teenage ones, as Belindaís flirty daughter Chloe tries to set up Jack with shy Alice, without realising that Jack is full of secret longings for her. These personal dramas are unfolding in December in the tense run-up to Christmas: our own familiar world, rendered pacy, funny and emotionally on the button. Views: 146
It's the Chinese Year of the Dog, and as Pacy celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." Universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one's passion in life make this novel appealing to readers of all backgrounds. This funny and profound book is a wonderful debut novel by a prolific picture book author and illustrator and has all the makings of a classic. Views: 141
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Views: 141
Hauntingly beautiful and heartbreaking, Colm Tóibín's sixth novel, Brooklyn, is set in Brooklyn and Ireland in the early 1950s, when one young woman crosses the ocean to make a new life for herself. Views: 140
Olive thought she'd uncovered all the house's secrets. She was wrong.It's Halloween night when strangers come to Linden Street...and something dear to Olive goes missing. To what lengths will she go to get it back? Can she trust the strangers? Will she turn to a new and dangerous magic within the paintings of Elsewhere? Or will she put her faith in her own worst enemies to save the people and home she loves?The stakes grow higher, the secrets more dangerous, and mystery and magic abound as Olive, the boys, and the cats uncover the true nature of the house on Linden Street. A must-read fantasy series for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch, Coraline, and Septimus Heap. Views: 139
Handsome, ambitious, and newly wealthy, Maccus Brawley has severed ties with his dangerous past and is close to securing his place in polite society. All he requires is some guidance in fashionable manners—and who better to instruct him than a young lady with breeding, brains, wealth...and a scandalous reputation? Lady Fayre Carlisle needs his help as much as he needs hers, but their scheme soon gives way to unbridled bliss. And although Maccus is known for his daring, dallying with the fiery, vulnerable beauty might be his riskiest venture yet. With one false step, Fayre lost both her honor and her heart, thanks to her father's scheming ex-mistress. Others might retreat in shame from the ton's gossipmongers, but Fayre is determined to pay back those who humiliated her, and Maccus Brawley is proving to be an unexpected and seductive ally. With all that Fayre has learned about temptation, how can she risk her heart a second time? Yet with every... Views: 136
