Apasionado, extraño, divertido y melancólico. Un originalísimo elogio de la lectura. La inconfundible voz de Alejandro Zambra se oye con fuerza y delicadeza en las páginas de este libro que, alentados por la paradoja del título, podemos comprender como un originalísimo elogio de la lectura.Inventario de filias, fobias y caprichos, delicioso álbum de citas, proyectos frustrados y declaraciones de amor –a las fotocopias, a la penumbra, a la palabra borrador, a la poesía chilena y a los orilleros del boom latinoamericano–, No leer es un libro apasionado, extraño, divertido y melancólico, de quien es uno de los escritores latinoamericanos más talentosos y reconocidos de los tiempos recientes. Views: 97
A pall of smoke, dark, ugly, threatening, hung over a wood in which the Thirty-ninth Troop of the Boy Scouts had been spending a Saturday afternoon in camp. They had been hard at work at signal practice, semaphoring, and acquiring speed in Morse signaling with flags, which makes wireless unnecessary when there are enough signalers, covering enough ground. Views: 97
Ever since his best friend, Andy, was in a car accident that left him in a coma, Charley Finch has been having nightmares in which he helps Andy escape the clutches of the demon, Zorl who is on a mission, it seems, to push Andy through the Door of Death. Within these dreams, Charley and Andy are sometimes cartoon characters in wild animations, or merely boys in hazardous escapades evading Zorl on steep mountains, dark forests or hiding in a shadowy ancient castle. After a month of these nightmares, Charley's family doctor refers him to a child psychiatrist, the towering dark, T. Arambaala. After several sessions, Dr. Arambaala sends Charley to a sleep lab of a local university where it is decided that lucid dreaming may be the only way for Charley to take control of his dreams and defeat Zorl. After Dr. Sybil Galt, the Dream Witch, teaches Charley how to become a lucid dreamer, or an oneironaut, a relentless battle ensues between Charley and Zorl until, after several... Views: 97
From the author of What the Body Remembers, an extraordinary story of love and espionage, cultural tension and displacement, inspired by the life of Noor Inayat Khan (code name “Madeleine”), who worked against the Occupation after the Nazi invasion of France. When Noor Khan’s father, a teacher of mystical Sufism, dies, Noor is forced to bow, along with her mother, sister and brother, to her uncle’s religious literalism and ideas on feminine propriety. While at the Sorbonne, Noor falls in love with Armand, a Jewish musician. Though her uncle forbids her to see him, they continue meeting in secret. When the Germans invade in 1940, Armand persuades Noor to leave him for her own safety. She flees with her family to England, but volunteers to serve in a special intelligence agency. She is trained as a radio operator for the group that, in Churchill’s words, will “set Europe ablaze” with acts of sabotage. She is then sent back to Occupied France. Unwavering courage is what Noor requires for her assignment and her deeply personal mission — to re-unite with Armand. As her talisman, she carries her grandmother’s gift, an heirloom tiger claw encased in gold. The novel opens in December 1943. Noor has been imprisoned. She begins writing in secret, tracing the events that led to her capture. When Germany surrenders in 1945, her brother Kabir begins his search through the chaos of Europe’s Displaced Persons camps to find her. In its portrayal of intolerance, The Tiger Claw eerily mirrors our own times, and progresses with moments of great beauty and white-knuckle tension towards a moving and astonishing denouement.Review“The Tiger Claw is a first-rate spy thriller and also first-rate literature. Set in the 1940s in Occupied Paris with haunting similarities to the world today, this is a novel that reminds us that sometimes only fiction can really tell us the truth…. The story of one woman’s courage in the face of racism, betrayal and hypocrisy on one hand and the veils of war on the other. It is also a love story between a Muslim and a Jew told in a language that resonates with mysticism and romance – yet it is brutally honest in its assessment of motives and ambiguities.”—The Giller Prize Jury “Baldwin’s luminous prose captures the reader’s attention. . . . [She] immerses the reader in the atmosphere of the Vichy era, replete with undercurrents of terror and prejudice. . . . Readers, especially those interested in history and politics, will be intrigued by this gripping, richly textured novel penned by a consummate storyteller.”—Winnipeg Free Press “Baldwin has succeeded in crafting yet another indelible story based in fact.”—The Edmonton Journal “The Tiger Claw brilliantly reveals the shifting sands of allegiance in times of war and the duplicity required for survival when all who are operating underground are interdependent but no one can be trusted fully.”—The Gazette (Montreal) “The Tiger Claw is a brilliant novel, a harrowing story of espionage and love, of loyalty and betrayal in the treacherous world of WWII Europe. Shauna Singh Baldwin has an astonishing ability to paint a very large canvas with amazing detail. You are there. ‘Impressive’ hardly even begins to describe it: masterful. I could not put it down. A stunning achievement, but most of all, important.”—Sandra Gulland “A deeply felt, richly evocative novel that resurrects and reinvents a remarkable life, The Tiger Claw tells an affecting story of love and loss amidst the turbulence of war and human dislocation. It confirms Shauna Singh Baldwin as a major literary voice that transcends the borders that divide human experience.”—Shashi Tharoor “The Tiger Claw is a fascinating story of moral complexity, inner conflict and exile, a magnificent portrait of a very courageous woman, Noor Inayat Khan, the legendary French Resistance fighter, whose divided conscience is reflected in the drama of Nazi-occupied France and British-occupied India. That Noor strikes us a modern figure of heroism and doubt is because of the compelling vision of Shauna Singh Baldwin.”—Marie-Claire Blais Praise for *What the Body Remembers:“A stunning first novel. Intensely atmospheric — an artistic triumph.”—Publishers Weekly* (starred review) “An impressive achievement. . .rich, fascinating, epic. . . An original, extremely readable book that dramatizes the plight of Indian women with great sympathy and love.”—The Gazette (Montreal) “A captivating jewel of a novel by a seasoned and sophisticated writer. . . Beyond being a compelling tale of individuals, What the Body Remembers offers a gimlet-eyed view of a pluralistic society’s disintegration into factionalism and anarchy.”—The Washington PostFrom the Inside FlapFrom the author of What the Body Remembers, an extraordinary story of love and espionage, cultural tension and displacement, inspired by the life of Noor Inayat Khan (code name "Madeleine"), who worked against the Occupation after the Nazi invasion of France. When Noor Khan's father, a teacher of mystical Sufism, dies, Noor is forced to bow, along with her mother, sister and brother, to her uncle's religious literalism and ideas on feminine propriety. While at the Sorbonne, Noor falls in love with Armand, a Jewish musician. Though her uncle forbids her to see him, they continue meeting in secret. When the Germans invade in 1940, Armand persuades Noor to leave him for her own safety. She flees with her family to England, but volunteers to serve in a special intelligence agency. She is trained as a radio operator for the group that, in Churchill's words, will "set Europe ablaze" with acts of sabotage. She is then sent back to Occupied France. Unwavering courage is what Noor requires for her assignment and her deeply personal mission -- to re-unite with Armand. As her talisman, she carries her grandmother's gift, an heirloom tiger claw encased in gold. The novel opens in December 1943. Noor has been imprisoned. She begins writing in secret, tracing the events that led to her capture. When Germany surrenders in 1945, her brother Kabir begins his search through the chaos of Europe's Displaced Persons camps to find her. In its portrayal of intolerance, The Tiger Claw eerily mirrors our own times, and progresses with moments of great beauty and white-knuckle tension towards a moving and astonishing denouement. Excerpt from *The Tiger ClawDecember moved in, taking up residence with Noor in her cell, and freezing the radiator. Cold coiled in the bowl of her pelvis, turning shiver to quake as she lay beneath her blanket on the cot. Above, snow drifted against the glass and bars. Shreds of thoughts, speculations, obsessions ... some glue still held her fragments together. The flap door clanged down. "Herr Vogel..." The rest, in rapid German, was senseless. Silly hope reared inside; she reined it in. The guard placed something on the thick, jutting tray, something invisible in the dingy half-light. Soup probably. She didn't care. She heard a clunk and a small swish. Yes, she did.* Views: 97
Shawn Fairfield is an erotica author who had always used his wife as the sexual inspiration for his novels. Be it a dark erotica or something a little softer, he had always felt the need to make the sexual scenes accurate.After the death of his wife, he became a recluse. After over a year, when he finally ventured from his home, he met a very unlikely woman who was willing to act as his muse. Cheryl Baker is a religious woman who comes from a very strict and religious background. She admits to Shawn, after they meet the first time, that she enjoys reading erotic novels. She is immediately drawn to the author, and is intrigued by his writings, and his personality. She agrees to have a sexual relationship with the author, acting as his inspiration and muse. There's only one problem, she has no idea of what type of book Shawn was working on when his wife died. Calling the unfinished novel dark doesn't quite do it justice. And Shawn is determined to finish it, using Cheryl as his muse. Views: 97
Talk about Working out Your Faith with Fear and Trembling.The biggest thing to happen to Skary, Indiana, is renowned horror novelist Wolfe Boone--or, "Boo," as the locals fondly call him. For the past sixteen years, the reclusive writer has been the town's greatest attraction, having unintentionally turned the once-struggling Skary into a thriving tourist-trap for the dark side: from the Haunted Mansion restaurant, famous for its "bloody fingers" (fries splattered with ketchup) to Spooky's Bookstore (where employees dress like the walking dead). But when a newly reformed Wolfe suddenly quits the genre and subsequently starts to pursue Skary's favorite girl-next-door, Ainsley Parker, the little town made famous by his writings becomes truly horrified. Soon, a scheme is plotted to put the fright back into Skary--and get their most famous resident out of love and back into the thrill business. Filled with humor, small town charm, and a gentle message of... Views: 97
From USA Today bestselling author Beth Prentice comes an irresistible series full of romance, mystery, laughter, and just a bit of danger...When one door closes, another opens... or falls off its hinges.They say that love is blind. Sure, they weren't necessarily talking about old houses at the time, but that's the story I'm sticking with. And I like that theory a whole lot better than the one about me losing my mind. I knew that buying a fixer upper I'd be stumbling into an unknown abyss of demolition, dust and unfathomable costs, but I never expected to find an engagement ring and letters of forbidden love hidden under the attic floorboards. Nor did I expect the lazy cat, or the drop-dead gorgeous handyman. And I definitely didn't predict the stalker.As the renovation begins and the house starts to slowly return to its former glory, the letters dog my dreams. Who is the mysterious penman? Why was their love forbidden? And who is trying so hard to... Views: 97
Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street and Cedar Cove series have won thousands of fans, thanks to her signature blend of heartfelt romance, delightful humor, and warm wisdom. Now, in this original short story available exclusively as an eBook, Macomber shares a sneak peek into her new series set in Cedar Cove, which features Jo Marie, before she becomes the owner of the beloved Rose Harbor Inn. From the moment Jo Marie sits next to Paul inside the Seattle Seahawks' stadium, she feels a spark. Paul's striking blue eyes and kind smile tell her that he's someone special--different from any man she's met before. When they strike up a conversation, Jo Marie and Paul realize how much they have in common, yet there's one thing keeping them from a fairy-tale ending: Paul is in the military and will ship out of Seattle within the next six weeks. As Jo Marie wonders if she should once again open her heart, she decides that, no matter the stakes, she can't forgo her chance at... Views: 97
Join Effie Kostas as she fights to become Student Council President in her new school. With a campaign team of loveable misfits, she tackles the truly important subjects: gender imbalance, outdated school conventions... and good-looking boys stealing the last slice of chocolate cake at lunchtime. A laugh out-loud rallying call for switched-on kids everywhere. Views: 96
