George Orwell was first and foremost an essayist, producing throughout his life an extraordinary array of short nonfiction that reflected—and illuminated—the fraught times in which he lived. "As soon as he began to write something," comments George Packer in his foreword, "it was as natural for Orwell to propose, generalize, qualify, argue, judge—in short, to think—as it was for Yeats to versify or Dickens to invent."Facing Unpleasant Facts charts Orwell's development as a master of the narrative-essay form and unites such classics as "Shooting an Elephant" with lesser-known journalism and passages from his wartime diary. Whether detailing the horrors of Orwell's boyhood in an English boarding school or bringing to life the sights, sounds, and smells of the Spanish Civil War, these essays weave together the personal and the political in an unmistakable style that is at once plainspoken and brilliantly complex. Views: 60
If last-minute shopping isn't killer enough, Santa is! When Anna Sanford is attacked by a vengeful Saint Nick, a mystery man saves her life. But the real mystery isn't why this man, Brody Carpenter, pledges to protect Anna through the holidays - it's why he left her in the first place.and why she never told him she was pregnant with his child. In four turbulent years, he'd transformed from local sheriff into an international bodyguard for hire - and Anna is in serious need of protection. Brody wants to help her put her life back together, but dodging bullets is easier done than dodging the past.especially when she is about to give him the ultimate Christmas surprise.. Views: 60
In a small town at the foot of the northern highlands in Albania, a decade after the fall of the Communist regime, the harsh blood-for-blood law of the fearsome Kanun mountain folk is emerging from hibernation, like everything else that was forbidden under the fifty years of Communist rule. Mysterious happenings that are two thousand years old, two centuries old, or even just two years old reemerge in daily life. The marriage of a girl and a snake is not just a legend but a news item—a cyclical event that is as much part of the modern world as of the ancient one. Set against this Kafkaesque backdrop, a simple and sensual love story between a painter and a young woman stands out as light against dark. With its rich and somber story of local traditions and universal themes, Spring Flowers, Spring Frost is a masterpiece belonging to Kadare’s purest classical vein.** Views: 60
A Christmas fairy tale in New York? This Christmas, Emma Darcy has decided, is going to be perfect! Not only has she exchanged her glamorous London life to jet out to the even more glitzy New York, but she has her gorgeous boyfriend finally by her side, and her dream job comes with an invite to their super-dazzling Christmas party. Ooooh, what to wear?!To celebrate, this year she's planning a Christmas like you see in the movies; her tinsel-topped to-do list includes ice-skating outside Rockefeller Center, strolling around a snow-covered Central Park and Christmas (window) shopping at Tiffany.That plan goes slightly out the window with news that her Mum, sister and niece Lily will be visiting her – that's a lot of Darcy women, even in the Big Apple! With family drama and a work disaster to avoid too, this might not quite be the picture-perfect Christmas she'd had in mind...!A Not Quite Perfect short story. Praise for Annie Lyons 'a humorous, lighthearted read' - Fiona's Book... Views: 60
Barbara Constantine's And Then Came Paulette has climbed the European bestseller charts providing many smiles and laughs as along the way. When his son's family move away, widower Ferdinand is left with only a sadistic kitten for company on a farm that was built for a family. Just as loneliness starts to bite, he discovers his neighbor Marceline has long been shivering beneath a leaky roof. He welcomes her to his farm, temporarily of course, and also provides a home for her dog and her gluttonous donkey. As each begrudgingly adjusts to the other's quirks, yet more new arrivals appear. It seems that Ferdinand isn't the only one who was all-alone, and the dusty farm becomes a haven for lost souls of every age to share their sorrows and set about rediscovering their joie de vivre. Amidst the newfound hustle and bustle, one final uninvited guest threatens to upset the apple cart once and for all. Constantine has created a delightful and poignant novel of people coming together to create new interpersonal relationships of support. Views: 60
CATTLE WARTimes were tough in Wolf Bench...and they were about to get tougher. Low beef prices had all the cattlemen going hungry, and rumbling bellies led to itchy trigger fingers. Only one man had been able to keep things under rein, and that was John Mason, not only the most powerful cattleman in the area, but the head of the bank to boot. But then Mason was killed.With Mason dead, all bets were off—and everyone knew it. Every spread for miles around was arming themselves for an all-out range war. Boundaries were going to be re-drawn, fences moved and moved back...and men were going to die. Before it all ended there would be a lot of blood spilled on the...WINTER RANGE. Views: 60
The popular BOYSTOWN series contiues in BOYSTOWN Season Five. Views: 60
