Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins, by Mark Twain, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to... Views: 540
The elder vampire Ashayt was once a simple peasant girl living in Egypt, on the outskirts of the great city of Memphis. Her life changes first when she meets a man -- Amun Sa -- with whom she falls in love, and second when she meets a deadly creature in the reeds, who bestows upon her both the gift and curse of immortality.This story is a spoiler-free excerpt from The Children of the Sun.The elder vampire Ashayt was once a simple peasant girl living in Egypt, on the outskirts of the great city of Memphis. Her life changes first when she meets a man -- Amun Sa -- with whom she falls in love, and second when she meets a deadly creature in the reeds, who bestows upon her both the gift and curse of immortality.This two-chapter story is a spoiler-free excerpt from The Children of the Sun, the upcoming conclusion to the II AM Trilogy by Christopher Buecheler. Views: 540
In celebration of the forthcoming novel The Silent Sister, Diane Chamberlain introduces Riley MacPherson in the e-short story The Broken String.
As seventeen-year-old Riley MacPherson rushes to the side of her brother who has been gravely injured in Iraq, she recalls their growing up years when he was her protector and best friend. Why did that relationship fall apart? She longs for a second chance to connect with her brother, not realizing that family secrets may prevent them from ever having that closeness again. Views: 540
Ray Bradbury, the undisputed Dean of American storytelling, dips his accomplished pen into the cryptic inkwell of noir and creates a stylish and slightly fantastical tale of mayhem and murder set among the shadows and the murky canals of Venice, California, in the early 1950s.
Toiling away amid the looming palm trees and decaying bungalows, a struggling young writer (who bears a resemblance to the author) spins fantastic stories from his fertile imagination upon his clacking typewriter. Trying not to miss his girlfriend (away studying in Mexico), the nameless writer steadily crafts his literary effort--until strange things begin happening around him.
Starting with a series of peculiar phone calls, the writer then finds clumps of seaweed on his doorstep. But as the incidents escalate, his friends fall victim to a series of mysterious "accidents"--some of them fatal. Aided by Elmo Crumley, a savvy, street-smart detective, and a reclusive actress of yesteryear with an intense hunger for life, the wordsmith sets out to find the connection between the bizarre events, and in doing so, uncovers the truth about his own creative abilities. Views: 540
From star-crossed matches to unexpected love triangles, summer on Nantucket always holds the promise of romance in this sensational novel from New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer. Lisa Hudson feels more alive than she has in a long time after hiring hunky carpenter Mack Whitney to renovate her old Nantucket home. There's no denying the spark growing between them—despite the fact that Mack is ten years her junior. But her twentysomething children, Juliet and Theo, on the island for the summer, worry that the new relationship will only lead to Lisa's heartbreak. Yet Juliet and Theo are in for tangled love stories all their own. When dreamy Cooper Hastings moves to the island to pursue a new environmental venture, Juliet feels an unwelcome attraction, her rocky romantic history pushing her to steer clear of love. Theo only has eyes for Mack's daughter, Bethany, with whom he was bound by an unspeakable tragedy in high... Views: 540
The Captain peered into the eyepiece of the telescope. He adjusted the focus quickly. "It was an atomic fission we saw, all right," he said presently. He sighed and pushed the eyepiece away. "Any of you who wants to look may do so. But it's not a pretty sight." "Let me look," Tance the archeologist said. He bent down to look, squinting. "Good Lord!" He leaped violently back, knocking against Dorle, the Chief Navigator. But when they got there, nothing moved or stirred. Everything was silent, dead. Only the gun showed signs of life . . . and the trespassers had wrecked that for all time. The return journey to pick up the treasure would be a cinch . . . Views: 540
Following her husbands death in a suspicious car accident, beautiful young widow Joan Medford is forced to take a job serving drinks in a cocktail lounge to make ends meet and to have a chance of regaining custody of her young son. At the job she encounters two men who take an interest in her, a handsome young schemer who makes her blood race and a wealthy but unwell older man who rewards her for her attentions with a 50,000 tip and an unconventional offer of marriage... Views: 540
Winner of two Hugo Awards, one Nebula Award, and named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, Brian W. Aldiss has, for over fifty years, continued to challenge readers' minds with literate, thought-provoking, and inventive science fiction. Now, E-Reads is proud to make available in eBook format the classic works of Aldiss.Now with a New Introduction by the Author!SOMEWHERE EAST OF LIFEBook Four of the Squire Quartet.Architectural historian Roy Burnell has been tasked with traveling the globe and listing architectural gems in danger of being destroyed. But when Burnell is in Budapest, ten years of his memory, mostly his architectural knowledge and sexual experiences, is stolen. In this near-future, thieves using EMV ("e-mnemonicvision") sell memories on the black market. In the wake of this event, Burnell tries to resume his life, while also searching for the "bullet" that will restore his memory. Views: 540
New York Times Bestseller
In this new holiday-themed novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mistletoe Promise and The Walk, a man receives the best Christmas present he could ask for: the chance to re-write the past.
Bestselling romance author Jacob Churcher hasn't been home for almost twenty years—not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics.
But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love. Views: 540
It's not much of a life, taking bounty hunts on vampires. But as a disgraced former deputy, Lincoln Marshall's not exactly knee-deep in job offers, and airplane tickets are expensive after the apocalypse. His dying father is all the way across the country in Northgate. It's Lincoln's last chance to see him, and he'll do whatever it takes to get there - even though the werewolf pack in Northgate is still out for his blood.
Sophie Keyes, the one and only Historian, needs Lincoln's help. She fears the gods may be out to kill her. So Lincoln drags her back home despite his better instincts - only to learn that home's not exactly safer than Reno. Some preternatural monster is killing hospice patients in Northgate.
Sheriff Noah Adair is convinced the killers are werewolves. The werewolves are convinced Lincoln Marshall is the killer. And Lincoln thought surviving the post-apocalypse had been bad enough before all this crap.
Book 2 of the A Fistful of Daggers series.
** Views: 540
I'm exactly where every woman dreams of being at thirty-five: I have a lovely house, a handsome, loving husband and two perfect children. All right, so Jeffrey's "loving" can only be counted on to happen once a week, with lights off and pajamas on. And the children--well, is it normal for children to remind their mother to eat her vegetables? It might be time to make a few changes--which is why I signed up for this summer retreat, to concentrate on finding myself. Yes, this is the week for thinking about me. Not my bumptious best friend Sonia's attempts to shag our instructor. Not the perils of leaving Jeffrey alone for the week with a stunning Australian au pair. And definitely, definitely not my handsome classmate Ben Mahler.... Views: 540
Bill Pronzini's riveting western mystery, The Peaceful Valley Crime Wave, takes on the modern world with old-fashioned violence—and his Peaceful Valley is anything but... Nothing much happens in Peaceful Valley, Montana. And that's just how Sheriff Lucas Monk likes it.Aside from the occasional drunken brawl or minor disturbance out on the reservation, he hasn't had to resort to his fists or sidearm in years.That is, until mid-October, 1914, when the theft of a wooden cigar store Indian sets off a crime wave like nothing Lucas has ever seen. Teenager Charity Axthelm goes missing, Reba Purvis's housekeeper is poisoned with cyanide Reba is sure was meant for her, and Lucas's gut tells him that this is only the beginning.It's not long before the first corpse shows up, bringing the peace in the valley to a thundering end.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM)... Views: 539
It's perilous penning this blurb. It's fine when man is modest about his work. It even affords him the aura of an invisible crown!But what about his work? Were it an art or craft, it is there for all to see.What of a literary work of an unheralded author? Well, lauding the same might raise one's eyebrows. Failing to praise wouldn't make a 'jewel-less crown' either! Why not see, if this is the great Indian novel.This is the story of the rise and fall of an ambitious man, the decline, and the decay of his conniving wife, the trials, and tribulations of their wayward son as well as the grit and gall of a spirited woman, who enters into his life. This depiction of their life and times not only pictures the facets of ambition and achievement, intrigue and betrayal, compulsion and compromise, sleaze and scandal, trial and sentence, but also portrays the possibilities of repentance and resolution, love and empathy coupled with compassion and contribution, leading to the spirituality of materialism, and that makes it the saga of our times.The story of a lifetime, truly.This story is scripted inBook One, Artha and Kama,1. Party Gone Sour2. Trauma at Tihar3. Mind of the Maligned4. Twist at Tis-Hazari5. Trial in Camera6. Dilemma of Qualms7. Moment of Reckoning8. End within End9. Vestiges of Prestige10. High on Rebound11. Bellows of Delhi12. Dicing with Life13. Spidering Spadework14. Loss to Order15. Daring the Fate16. Victims of Deceit17. Baring the Soul18. Garland of Guilt.Book Two, Dharma and Moksha1. Bliss of Being2. Collage of Crime3. Domain of the Devil4. Renaissance of Life5. Sprouts of Love6. Despair of Hope7. Turn at the Bend8. Amity of Empathy9. Day to Remember10. Spirituality of Materialism11. Sense of Reincarnation12. Epilogue.Book excerpt for the feel of its literary style - Party Gone SourThat New Year's Eve, all the nouveau riche of
New Delhi
seemed to have gathered at the Misty Nest in their ubiquitous wear. While women
wore designer dresses, men turned up in safari suits. Hosting them at their
grand dwelling in the Defense Colony were the Gautams, Prabhu and Sneha. By the
time the last guest was hugged in welcome, Gautam’s silk kurta and Sneha’s mink coat were truly crumpled. Augmenting the
warmth of their bonhomie was the Glenfiddich with soda. In time, while
the lure of the Scotch drove many into the lap of Bacchus, the allure of Venus
enticed others to ogle at the desirable. But, above all, it was Gautam’s good-humored
banter and Sneha’s sensuous charm that lent aura to that midnight rendezvous.When
the New Year was an hour away in its coming, what with the inebriated becoming
tardy in their tangos, the going got really bawdy. As Sneha too got into the act,
there was a virtual riot for a round with her. When someone went overboard to
bottom pinch her, she paid back with a belly punch that regaled the gathering.As the
gigantic clock was all set to halve the night, the antique chandeliers were put
off. When the radium hands went straight up on the dial, the ribaldry reached a
new low on the floor. At that, as the Gautams goaded all to raise their hands
to fold out the year on hand, the boozers struggled to get on to their feet to
welcome the year in the offing. But, for its part, the antique piece welcomed
the incoming year with the first of its twelve chimes that reverberated in that
sprawling banquet hall.In the
prevailing darkness, the euphoria that followed led to a fresh round of
bear-hugs amongst the sexes before the stewards switched on the chandeliers as
though to let those bear witness to the goings on. As if that translucence
showed the revelers the reality of life, sanity was restored in that exuberant
setting, and soon the pangs of hunger made the gathering scamper for the buffet
of varied cuisines, brought from the capital’s five-star restaurants.When
the hosts went up to the table to pick up their plates, a steward alerted
Gautam to an urgent telephone call. Soon, seeing her man turn all pale, Sneha
made her way to him in apprehension. When Gautam made her privy to their
unfolding tragedy in an undertone, Sneha nearly swooned into his arms. The news
of Suresh Prabhu, the heir to their business empire, hauled up in the lock-up
was enough to unnerve her. That he was booked for rape and murder as well
ravaged her soul no end. In her state of shock, she was unable to comprehend
what Gautam mumbled into her ear to lift up her spirits.Having
realized that they were attracting undue attention, Gautam led his wife into
the anteroom, leaving the gathering with a free rein on the rumor mill. The
breaking news, set in motion by someone who had eavesdropped on the hosts’
conversation, gained circulation with understandable exaggeration. And there
followed an intense debate about the eventual outcome of the current indictment
that led to the Gautams’ predicament. The indignant gathering, in one tone,
roundly censured the hosts for the fall of their only offspring. For once,
everyone seemed to agree that loose morals would only bring ruin in the end,
even for the rich and famous. Of course, even the mighty of the world are bound
to fail on the false path, so emerged the consensus. Even those who professed
closeness to the Gautams maintained that they knew all along that things would
come to this pass with Suresh, sooner than later.Such
are the ways of the world that the lows of life would turn the admirers into
critics, and what is worse; make the naive speak as the know-all.Closeting
with Sneha, Gautam assured her that he would pull out all the stops to free
Suresh in no time. But Sneha was terrified that the magnitude of the indictment
might be beyond the endurance of their son. In spite of her awareness of their
political clout and the loopholes of law, her sixth sense gave a dissenting
note, making her apprehensive about the possibility of her son coming clean out
of this messy case. But as hope coupled with her confidence in her go-getter
man calmed her nerves a little, Gautam led her back into the banquet hall.When
the besieged couple resurfaced, what with everyone feigning camaraderie and
volunteering help, hypocrisy seemed to rule the roost on the human stage. As if
to show up the fallacy of human sympathy, appeared malice to induce innuendoes
about the perceived closeness of Sneha with the powers that be.'Why,
in this topsy-turvy,’ said a naughty one, ‘her leeway is bound to come in
handy, won’t it?’Not to
be left out, curiosity too entered the arena to tie the crowd to the unfolding
drama. When the hosts tried to make light of the incident as but a storm in the
teacup, the guests maintained that they would not desert the ship in the storm.
With his appeals for a premature adieu falling on deaf ears, Gautam left for
South Extension with an entrapped feeling. Thereafter, preyed upon by her
guests, Sneha remained a prisoner in her own palace. Views: 539
It's not sleigh bells that are ringing this Christmas. As the holidays approach, Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends in the Women's Murder Club have much to celebrate. Crime is down. The medical examiner's office is quiet. Even the courts are showing some Christmas spirit. And the news cycle is so slow that journalist Cindy Thomas is on assignment to tell a story about the true meaning of the season for San Francisco. Then a fearsome criminal known only as "Loman" seizes control of the headlines. He is planning a deadly surprise for Christmas morning. And he has commissioned dozens of criminal colleagues to take actions that will mask his plans. All that Lindsay and the SFPD can figure out is that Loman's greed — for riches, for bloodshed, for attention — is limitless. Solving crimes never happens on schedule, but as this criminal mastermind unleashes credible threats by the hour, the month of December is upended for the... Views: 539
Atlit is a holding camp for illegal immigrants in Israel in 1945. There about 270 men and women await their future and try to recover from their past. Diamant with infinite compassion and understanding tells the stories of the women gathered in this place. Shayndel is a Polish Zionist who fought the Germans with a band of partisans. Leonie is a Parisian beauty. Tedi is Dutch a strapping blond who wants only to forget. Zorah survived Auschwitz. Haunted by unspeakable memories and too many losses to bear these young women along with a stunning cast of supporting characters who work in or pass through Atlit begin to find salvation in the bonds of friendship and shared experience as they confront the challenge of re-creating themselves and discovering a way to live again. Views: 539
