The illicit affair of a devout woman in London ignites a shattering family crisis in the author's "ruthlessly honest" first play (The Guardian). In a dour Holland Park house with rooms and secrets long shuttered live three unyielding forces for morality: rigidly religious sisters Helen and Teresa, and their brother, a Roman Catholic priest. Into the lives of this insular trio comes their young grandniece, Rose Pemberton, following the death of her mother. To the mortification of her aunts, Rose has also brought her lover, Michael Dennis, who is twenty-five years Rose's senior, married, and a psychology lecturer dictated by reason, not faith. In a home that reeks of sanctimony, Rose and Michael are as welcome as sin. But it's the arrival of Michael's distraught wife—armed with righteous emotional blackmail and worse—that ignites an unexpected fury and makes real the family's greatest fears. Premiering in London in 1953 and... Views: 436
“An excellent novel. A lovely and moving portrait of society’s outcasts…affirms the essential humanity of its poor and stubborn residents, for whom each day of survival is a victory” (The New York Times Book Review).
Set on the high ground at the heart of Cape Ann, the village of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and “witches.” Among the inhabitants of this hamlet are Black Ruth, who dresses as a man and works as a stonemason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of his aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself against all imaginable odds.
Rendered in stunning, haunting detail, with Anita Diamant’s keen ear for language and profound compassion for her characters, The Last Days of Dogtown is an extraordinary retelling of a long-forgotten chapter of early American life. Views: 436
Irish writer Edward J. M. D. Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, ranks among the twentieth century's great masters of supernatural and science fiction. An outstanding dramatist whose supernatural plays anticipated the theater of the absurd, Dunsany was also a virtuoso writer of short stories and essays. This selection presents the finest of his works, gathered from long-out-of-print sources.Contents include the famous "Three Sailors' Gambit," possibly the best chess story ever written; the remarkable trilogy about Nuth and the Gnoles, Thangobrind the Jeweller, and the Gibbelins; exploits of the Gods, including both "The Gods of Pengana" and adventures from other books; and favorite adventures of Jorkens, prince of liars. Dunsany's spellbinding tales are complemented by the remarkable visions of Sidney H. Sime, whose delicate illustrations form an indispensable complement to the stories. Views: 435
'I loved this book' Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path'Utterly absorbing' Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden Wishing to leave behind the quiet isolation of her Orkney island life, Amy Liptrot books a one-way flight to Berlin. Searching for new experiences, inspiration and love, she rents a loftbed in a shared flat and looks for work. She explores the streets, nightclubs and parks and seeks out the city's wildlife – goshawks, raccoons and hooded crows. She looks for love through the screen of her laptop. Over the course of a year Amy makes space hoping for the unexpected. And it comes with an erotic jolt, in the form of a love affair that obsesses her. The Instant is an unapologetic look at the addictive power of love and lust. It is also an exploration of the cycles of the moon, the flight paths of migratory birds, the mesmerising power of Neolithic stonework and the trails followed by a generation who exist online. Views: 434
The hero of One Fat Englishman, a literary publisher and lapsed Catholic escaped from the pages of Graham Greene to the campus of Budweiser College in provincial Pennsylvania, is philandering, drunken, bigoted, and very very fat, not to mention in a state of continuous spluttering rage against everything, not least his own overgrown self. In America, Roger Micheldene must deal with not so obliging suburban housewives, aspiring Jewish novelists who as good as clean his clock, stray deer, bad cigars, children who beat him at Scrabble (“It was no wonder that people were horrible when they started life as children”), and America itself, while making ever-more desperate and humiliating overtures to Helen, a Scandinavian ice queen. If only Roger would dare to show some real feeling of his own. This comic masterpiece—about the 1950s crashing drunkenly into the consumerist 1960s and a final scion of a disintegrating Old World empire encountering its upstart New World offspring—is one of Kingsley Amis’s greatest and most caustic performances. Views: 434
Lili turns demon – it’s not her fault. For her father, he thinks another way. He believes there is no fairness in justice. He wants her dead, or worse. Lili is never too young to die. Her father will save her from the corrupted life. Lili will fight.In the land of Eluria, honor is everything. As in "Life or death" everything.Join Kendalion,Tokonami, Karutoshi, and Karuka in their quest to stay alive and conquer their worst nightmares. It may all seem jolly in the beginning, but that is just a mere illusion. The world of Eluria is a vast continent, but there's only room for a few champions to be considered "honorable" and these four are on their way to many challenges, both with their allies and foes...Let's just hope that they can put their differences aside and work together first... Views: 433
From the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids and M Train, a profound, beautifully realized memoir in which dreams and reality are vividly woven into a tapestry of one transformative year.Following a run of New Year's concerts at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore, Patti Smith finds herself tramping the coast of Santa Cruz, about to embark on a year of solitary wandering. Unfettered by logic or time, she draws us into her private wonderland with no design, yet heeding signs—including a talking sign that looms above her, prodding and sparring like the Cheshire Cat. In February, a surreal lunar year begins, bringing with it unexpected turns, heightened mischief, and inescapable sorrow. In a stranger's words, "Anything is possible: after all, it's the Year of the Monkey." For Smith—inveterately curious, always exploring, tracking thoughts, writing—the year evolves as one of reckoning with the changes in life's gyre: with loss,... Views: 432
Originally published in 1934, Seven Gothic Tales, the first book by "one of the finest and most singular artists of our time" (The Atlantic), is a modern classic. Here are seven exquisite tales combining the keen psychological insight characteristic of the modern short story with the haunting mystery of the nineteenth-century Gothic tale, in the tradition of writers such as Goethe, Hoffmann, and Poe. Views: 432
In the aftermath of a fatal texting and driving accident, a mother and daughter must come to terms with the real meaning of forgiveness. Liz Johnson single-handedly raised an exemplary daughter. Jessica is an honor-student, track star, and all-around good kid. So how could that same teenager be responsible for the death of the high school's beloved football coach? This is Texas, where high school football ranks right up there with God, so while the legal battle wages, the public deals its own verdict. Desperate for help, Liz turns to a lawyer whose affection she once rejected and attempts to play nice with her ex-husband. Jessica faces her angry peers and her own demons as she awaits a possible prison sentence for an accident she doesn't remember. A tragic, emotional, ultimately uplifting story, Blind Turn is a natural book club pick. Views: 429
In this second book of twelve year old Tania's adventures, a love-struck Tania has the idea that the world would be a better place if EVERYONE was happily in love. She pursues this goal with her usual tenacity, turning the whole world's secret services upside down, causing international incidents and not doing the health of her parents much good either.Love is Just a Moment. So live it...Rebecca knows she’s not a coward—after all she was brave enough to embark on the trip of a lifetime, a student exchange program to Italy, alone—but try telling that to the crippling anxiety that has hounded her whole life and followed her all the way to Europe, making her feel like just as much of a social outcast here as it did back home. Now the dream vacation is turning into a slow ordeal, but she’s not ready to give up just yet…As her time abroad draws to a close, Rebecca makes one last effort to face her fears and strikes out on a journey to the magnificent island of Sicily. She doesn’t know what she’s looking for or what she expects to find but she’s determined to make a change that lasts. And then she meets him.Thoughtful, deep, spontaneous, and above all drop-dead gorgeous, Piero is the kind of guy Rebecca would usually run a mile from just to save herself the embarrassment of screwing up. But this time is different. Piero believes in making the most of life, living in the moment, and with him Rebecca has finally found someone she can be herself around. But Piero’s quest to live life to the full comes with a price. Impelled by belief in a destiny of revenge, he has travelled to the island to face down the men responsible for the death of his father, many years ago—and time is already running out.Love is Just a Moment is a New Adult Romance novella by author Taylor Hill. This edition also includes the first four chapters of her novel “Romeo of the Streets” as a free sample. Views: 428
Nothing says "home" like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers. Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she's not the only thing that's been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world. Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped. . . and Jane's just the halfling for the job. Views: 426
From the author of The Wave comes a poignant and timely novel about a group of seventh graders who are brought together—and then torn apart—by an afterschool club that plays a video game based on WW2.There's a new afterschool club at Ironville Middle School.Ms. Peterson is starting a video game club where the students will playing The Good War, a new game based on World War II. They are divided into two teams: Axis and Allies, and they will be simulating a war they know nothing about yet. Only one team will win. But what starts out as friendly competition, takes an unexpected turn for the worst when an one player takes the game too far. Can an afterschool club change the way the students see eachother...and how they see the world?"By using a gaming lens to explore the students’ entrée to prejudice and radicalization, he succeeds in lending immediacy and accessibility to his cautionary tale."—Kirkus... Views: 422
Jed Namara quits a top job to hunt hidden diamonds in Polynesia and discovers pursuing Kami, a local girl, promises even more sparkle.Jed Namara quits a top job and sets out on a madcap hunt for hidden diamonds in a group of Polynesian islands untouched by time. No power, roads, cars, telephones, internet, hotels or bars. Just leaky wooden boats, bullock carts and donkeys for transport. This fast-paced hunt with bad guys on his tail allows time to pursue Kami, a local girl, too. Views: 420
Business in North Korea: a paradoxical and fascinating situation is interpreted by a true insider.
In 2002, the Swiss-Swedish power company ABB appointed Felix Abt its country director for North Korea. The Swiss Entrepreneur lived and worked in North Korea for seven years, one of the few foreign businessmen there. After the experience, Abt felt compelled to write A Capitalist in North Korea to describe the multifaceted society he encountered.
North Korea, at the time, was heavily sanctioned by the UN, which made it extremely difficult to do business. Yet, he discovered that it was a place where plastic surgery and South Korean TV dramas were wildly popular and where he rarely needed to walk more than a block to grab a quick hamburger. He was closely monitored, and once faced accusations of spying, yet he learned that young North Koreans are hopeful - signing up for business courses in anticipation of a brighter, more open, future. In A Capitalist in North Korea, Abt shares these and many other unusual facts and insights about one of the world's most secretive nations.
Author Felix Abt is a politically neutral businessman and, therefore, does not share partisan views about North Korea. He is, however, critical of unfair North Korea reporting and does what he can to contribute to a more objective view of a country he knows much better than the journalists and bloggers writing about it.
Abt is a former investor at several legitimate Joint Venture companies in North Korea which are now being driven into bankruptcy by U.N. "sanctions." Views: 420
