With Fight Club and Choke, Chuck Palahniuk established his reputation as a tricky, unpredictable writer with enormous gifts and a highly individual vision. Lullaby -- an odd, unsettling, memorable, yet uncategorizable novel -- builds squarely on that foundation.
Researching a series of articles on sudden infant death syndrome, reporter Carl Streator uncovers a curious coincidence: At each crib-death site, he finds the very same book, Poems and Rhymes Around the World, always open to the same African lullaby. By way of experiment, he recites the lullaby to his editor, who dies the following evening. Convinced that he's stumbled onto a piece of dark, murderous magic, Streator hits the road on a mission to destroy all existing copies of Poems and Rhymes, accompanied by an eccentric team that includes two members of a local coven and a real estate agent who specializes in haunted houses. What follows is a charmingly demented road novel that moves from California to New York to New Mexico to Florida and encompasses witchcraft, militant vegetarianism, serial murder, political assassination, and ecological disaster.
Beneath its lurid, supernatural surface, Lullaby is a deeply serious work that has much to say about the pressures and problems of a frantic, overstimulated society. Magic, as Palahniuk describes it, is a potent metaphor for the endless distractions of seductive, predatory media, for the forces that invade -- and control -- our every waking moment, bombarding us endlessly with sensory input and mostly useless information. By turns funny, outrageous, and frightening, Lullaby is the work of a writer deeply attuned to the traumas and distortions of contemporary life. Views: 588
With the Stories: DUTCH COURAGE - TYPHOON OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN - THE LOST POACHER - THE BANKS OF THE SACRAMENTO - CHRIS FARRINGTON: ABLE SEAMAN - TO REPEL BOARDERS - AN ADVENTURE IN THE UPPER SEA - BALD-FACE - IN YEDDO BAY - WHOSE BUSINESS IS TO LIVE Views: 588
From the New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed comes a novel that shows how someone with a 'perfect life' can lose it all--and then find everything. Darcy Rhone thought she had it all figured out: the more beautiful the girl, the more charmed her life. Never mind substance. Never mind playing by the rules. Never mind karma. But Darcy's neat, perfect world turns upside down when her best friend, Rachel, the plain-Jane "good girl," steals her fiancé, while Darcy finds herself completely alone for the first time in her life...with a baby on the way. Darcy tries to recover, fleeing to her childhood friend living in London and resorting to her tried-and-true methods for getting what she wants. But as she attempts to recreate her glamorous life on a new continent, Darcy finds that her rules no longer apply. It is only then that Darcy can begin her journey toward self-awareness, forgiveness, and motherhood.... Views: 588
All I wanted for my 30th birthday was an epic night to remember…Instead, I got knocked up by my boss. Okay, wait. Before you start judging me (I can see you), I didn’t know he was my boss at the time. All I knew was that he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen in my life, complete with a deep British accent and lips that owned me for hours in bed. Yet, when he ASSumed he was getting a second round after insulting my “cracker box” apartment, I kicked him out, hoping I’d never see him again. Until four weeks later… That’s when I realized I was ‘late,’ when twenty different pregnancy tests revealed a truth I didn’t want to believe. And just when I thought I’d have to spend another four weeks searching for him, he waltzed through the company’s doors, and my supervisor announced that he was our new CEO. That’s not even the worst part about this situation, though. Not even close. Turns out, this man was harboring a secret on the night we first met, and the next eight months were about to get far more complicated than I could ever imagine… ‘Definitely Not Him’ is a sexy, standalone ‘single at 30’ story. Views: 588
The Japanese believe that until the age of three children, whether Japanese or not, are gods, each one an okosama, or "lord child." On their third birthday they fall from grace and join the rest of the human race. In Amélie Nothomb's new novel The Character of Rain, we learn that divinity is a difficult thing from which to recover. Views: 588
Tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks–forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected–and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.
Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line. Views: 588
Book Two in the Ellen Rockne Mystery Series! Views: 588
Thirty compressions, two breaths takes the reader inside the world of off-duty Sgt. Bobby Morris, as a quick coffee and a cruller instantly turn into a fight between life and death for a seventeen year-old woman injured in an automobile accident.Thirty compressions, two breaths takes the reader inside the world of off-duty Sgt. Bobby Morris, as a quick coffee and a cruller instantly turn into a fight between life and death for a seventeen year-old woman injured in an automobile accident.The incident takes on a whole new level of urgency when Morris recognizes the woman as one of a group of senior girl scouts he mentored. Battling time, a leaking gas tank and his own memories, Morris struggles to save the girl. Will Morris’ first aid and CPR skills help save the girl or will she succumb to her injuries? Find out in this WD James short story. Views: 588
In a classic story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen, two strangers navigate the territory of their hearts—and the irresistible pull of desire.
After taking a break from pop stardom to turn his musical hand to composing—earning both a Tony and an Oscar for his efforts—Rex Brody is making a triumphant return to performing with a sold-out, coast-to-coast tour. But he has one crucial stop to make first: his aunt’s home in New Hampshire. A local psychic is bilking his beloved aunt, and Rex is seeing red. But when he meets the woman’s gorgeous niece, his anger quickly yields to desire. Rex Brody always gets what he wants . . . and what he wants is to take this beautiful brunette on the road with him.
Tamara Ledford lives a quiet life in a rural community, and she’s quite happy with it. As a skilled herbalist and canny businesswoman, she’s making a name for herself—even if her reputation in other areas dates back to her high school years. Though she tries to be as discreet and reserved as possible, there’s a sultry woman burning at her core. But when the arrogant and extremely intriguing Rex Brody makes a play for her, Tamara fights her instincts. Their chemistry seems highly combustible, but can a small-town girl really find happiness with big-time star? Views: 587
From the writer of the classic Letters to a Young Poet, reflections on grief and loss, collected and published here in one volume for the first time."A great poet's reflections on our greatest mystery."—Billy Collins"A treasure . . . The solace Rilke offers is uncommon, uplifting and necessary."––The Guardian Gleaned from Rainer Maria Rilke's voluminous, never-before-translated letters to bereaved friends and acquaintances, The Dark Interval is a profound vision of the mourning process and a meditation on death's place in our lives. Following the format of Letters to a Young Poet, this book arranges Rilke's letters into an uninterrupted sequence, showcasing the full range of the great author's thoughts on death and dying, as well as his sensitive and moving expressions of consolation and condolence.Presented with care and authority by master translator Ulrich Baer, The Dark Interval is a... Views: 587
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Lonesome Dove comes the novel that became the basis for the film Hud, starring Paul Newman. In classic Western style Larry McMurtry illustrates the timeless conflict between the modernity and the Old West through the eyes of Texas cattlemen.
Horseman, Pass By tells the story of Homer Bannon, an old-time cattleman who epitomizes the frontier values of honesty and decency, and Hud, his unscrupulous stepson. Caught in the middle is the narrator, Homer's young grandson Lonnie, who is as much drawn to his grandfather’s strength of character as he is to Hud's hedonism and materialism.
When first published in 1961, Horseman, Pass By caused a sensation in Texas literary circles for its stark, realistic portrayal of the struggles of a changing West in the years following World War II. Never before had a writer managed to encapsulate its environment with such unsentimental realism. Today, memorable characters, powerful themes, and illuminating detail make Horseman, Pass By vintage McMurtry. Views: 587
How far would you go for the best friend who broke your heart? This internationally bestselling novel tells an enchanting tale of life's most unpredictable loves and heartaches, and the unforgettablebond between a single woman and an extraordinary five-year-old girl. From the moment they met in college, best friends Adele Brannon and Kamryn Matika thought nothing could come between them-until Adele did theunthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fianceeacute;, Nate. Now, after years of silence, the two women are reuniting, and Adele has a stunning request for her old friend: she wants Kamryn to adopt herfive-year-old daughter, Tegan.
Besides the difference in skin color-many will assume that headstrong, impulsive Kamryn is Tegan's nanny--there's the inconvenienttruth that Kamryn is wholly unprepared to take care of anyone, especially someone who reminds her so much of Nate. With crises brewing at work and her love life in shambles, can Kamryn somehow become the mother a littlegirl needs her to be?
In My Best Friend's Girl," " Dorothy Koomson takes us on a warm and wondrous journey through laughter and tears, forgiveness andhope-and the enduring love forged by the unlikeliest of families. "From the Trade Paperback edition." Views: 587
Lindsey is expecting silent nights this holiday. Just her and her boys while her husband serves overseas. But her blue Christmas turns merry when things start rockin' under the mistletoe thanks to a surprise gift from her naughty Santa.After all...the nice list is overrated. Views: 587
