A striking historical novel about an ordinary young British woman sent to uncover a network of spies and war criminals in post-war Germany that will appeal to fans of The Huntress and Transcription.World War II has just ended, and Britain has established the Control Commission for Germany, which oversees their zone of occupation. The Control Commission hires British civilians to work in Germany, rebuild the shattered nation and prosecute war crimes. Somewhat aimless, bored with her job as a provincial schoolteacher, and unwilling to live with her stuffy genteel parents any longer, twentysomething Edith Graham applies for a job with the Commission—but is instead recruited by the OSS. To them, Edith is perfect spy material...single, ordinary-looking, with a college degree in German. And there's another thing—the OSS knows that Edith's brother went to Oxford with one of their most hunted war criminals, Count Kurt von Stabenow, who Edith... Views: 163
A kid who considers himself an epic fail discovers the transformative power of love when he deals with adoption in this novel from Cynthia Kadohata, winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award.
Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.’ That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby—to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels...nothing.
But when they get to Kazakhstan, it turns out the infant they’ve travelled for has already been adopted, and literally within minutes are faced with having to choose from six other babies. While his parents agonize, Jaden is more interested in the toddlers. One, a little guy named Dimash, spies Jaden and barrels over to him every time he sees him. Jaden finds himself increasingly intrigued by and worried about Dimash. Already three years old and barely able to speak, Dimash will soon age out of the orphanage, and then his life will be as hopeless as Jaden feels now. For the first time in his life, Jaden actually feels something that isn’t pure blinding fury, and there’s no way to control it, or its power.
From camels rooting through garbage like raccoons, to eagles being trained like hunting dogs, to streets that are more pothole than pavement, Half a World Away is Cynthia Kadohata’s latest spark of a novel. Views: 163
From the acclaimed author of The Undertaker's Assistant comes a powerful novel of fact-based historical fiction in which a 1920s Hollywood socialite is forcibly quarantined in the real-life Carville leper hospital in Louisiana—a story of resilience and courage that will resonate with fans of Kristina McMorris and Ellen Marie Wiseman. 1920s Los Angeles: Socialite Mirielle West's days are crowded with shopping, luncheons, and prepping for the myriad glittering parties she attends with her actor husband, Charlie. She's been too busy to even notice the small patch of pale skin on the back of her hand. Other than an occasional over-indulgence in gin and champagne, which helps to numb the pain of recent tragedy, Mirielle is the picture of health. But her doctor insists on more tests, and Mirielle reluctantly agrees. The diagnosis—leprosy—is devastating and unthinkable. Changing her name to shield Charlie and their two young... Views: 163
Should she pretend to be the woman he loves?Working with new client and ex-lover Risk Boone is bound to be...enticing. So April Adams dons a fake engagement ring to ward off temptation. But when they're stranded together at a remote lodge, there's no running from their attraction—especially after Risk hits his head and wakes up thinking April's his fiancée! Will she tell him the truth...or go along for the ride? Views: 163
Gifted novelist Fowler ( Sarah Canary and The Sweetheart Season ) delights in the arcane, and as a result, these 15 clever tales are occasionally puzzling but never dull.
In the long title story, "Black Glass", temperance activist Carry Nation is resurrected in the 1990s ("We're talking about a very troubled, very big woman," says one shaken barman to reporters) and becomes such a nuisance that the DEA is forced to dispatch her with voodoo. Other plots are only slightly less outrageous in conceit. In "Lieserl," a lovesick madwoman dupes Albert Einstein into believing he has a daughter; in "The Faithful Companion at Forty," Tonto admits to second thoughts about his biggest life choice ("But for every day, for your ordinary life, a mask is only going to make you more obvious. There's an element of exhibitionism in it").
"The Travails" offers a peek at the one-sided correspondence of Mary Gulliver, who wants Lemuel to come home already and help out around the house. The homage to Swift makes sense, for, when Fowler doesn't settle for amusing her readers, she makes a lively satirist.
The extraterrestrials who appear in her stories (whether the inscrutably sadistic monsters in "Duplicity" or the members of a seminar studying late-1960s college behavior in "The View from Venus: A Case Study") seem stand-ins for the author herself, who, in elegant and witty prose, cultivates the eye of a curious alien and, along the way, unfolds eccentric plots that keep the pages turning.
Contents:
Black Glass (1991)
Contention (1986)
Shimabara (1995)
The Elizabeth Complex (1996)
Go Back (1998)
The Travails (1998)
Lieserl (1990)
Letters from Home (1987)
Duplicity (1989)
The Faithful Companion at Forty (1987)
The Brew (1995)
Lily Red (1988)
The Black Fairy's Curse (1997)
The View from Venus (1986)
Game Night at the Fox and Goose (1989) Views: 163
Unexpected Hero: A Band of Brothers Romance Views: 163
Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets...
Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.
Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections? Views: 162
After the loss of her husband—and her left foot—Ophelia Shaw threw herself into running his distinguished cousin's country estate, to great success. But managing the Duke of Montrose himself was never a task she'd anticipated...until he returns from London without a bride, determined never to search for another. Well aware of the gruff duke's appeal, Ophelia is equally determined to change his mind and school him in the art of courtship—only to be swept off her one remaining foot! Harry has returned home to the Widow Shaw in a very bad mood indeed, though not because he was jilted. In truth, the one woman he wants is not the lady who received his proposal. Now, Ophelia is resolute he should try again, insisting love doesn't always happen at first sight. If she only knew... To placate her, Harry agrees, keen to have his "lessons" over and done with. They'll either prove Ophelia wrong—or deliver his perfect bride right into his waiting arms.... Views: 162
The Scent of Love (Book of Love, Book Five) Views: 162
Brides of the North (Guardian of Darkness, The Lion of the North, The Warrior Poet, The Questing) Views: 162
Barry Unsworth’s Losing Nelson is a novel of obsession, the story of a man unable to see himself separately from the hero he mistakenly idolizes Admiral Lord Nelson. Charles Cleasby is, in fact, a Nelson biographer run amok. He is convinced that Nelson—Britain's greatest admiral, who finally defeated Napoleon, and lost his own life, in the Battle of Trafalgar—is the perfect hero, but in his research he has come upon an incident of horrifying brutality in Nelson's military career that simply stumps all attempts at glorification. Views: 162
