May Sarton's powerful and profound novel of an extraordinary life, and of one woman's efforts to preserve the force and vitality of her experiences on the pages of a bookFor the second time in my life—and I am now seventy—I am embarking on an effort which may well come to nothing but which has possessed my mind, haunts, and will not let me sleep. From her opening statement, Cam, the narrator of The Magnificent Spinster, declares her grand intentions: to write a novel—a worthy and important one in celebration of her recently deceased friend and teacher, Jane Reid, whose dearth of family threatens the memory of her almost tangible greatness. And so she writes, re-creating Jane's childhood, adolescence, and years as a teacher—including the one in which Cam was her student. She writes of Jane's irrepressible spirit and the charming letters Jane penned about her adventures, and she recounts Jane's growing isolation as... Views: 65
In Jeremiah, Ohio, Adam Sol reinvents the Biblical prophet and doomsayer Jeremiah for the postmodern age, and sends him on a reeling road trip through the strip malls and back roads of the United States with an ordinary, everyman companion, Bruce. The mismatched pair are thrown together by accident, but come to value each other as they travel in early September toward the promised city of New York.The verse in this ambitious, politically charged, and beautiful book alternates between the two main characters while Jeremiah delivers strange, super-charged prophecies full of incendiary language and deliberately mixed metaphors, Bruce offers down-to-earth catalogues of mundane details and daily struggles in the American empire. With these inspired creations, Adam Sol fully delivers the mastery of language and subtlety of insight promised in his earlier work. Views: 65
Farewell, I'm Bound to Leave You is rich with the music of the Southern mountains and the stories of their people. In this novel from acclaimed author Fred Chappell, Jess Kirkman's grandmother is dying, and Jess remembers the tales she and his mother have passed down to him—a chorus of women's voices that sing and share and celebrate the common song of life. Views: 65
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842-1914) was an American editorialist, journalist, short-story writer and satirist, today best known for his The Devil's Dictionary (1911). He wrote some of his books under the pseudonyms Dod Grile and J. Milton Sloluck. Bierce's lucid, unsentimental style has kept him popular when many of his contemporaries have been consigned to oblivion. His dark, sardonic views and vehemence as a critic earned him the nickname, "Bitter Bierce. " Such was his reputation that it was said his judgment on any piece of prose or poetry could make or break a writer's career. His short stories are considered among the best of the 19th century, providing a popular following based on his roots. He wrote realistically of the terrible things he had seen in the war in such stories as An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Killed at Resaca, and Chickamauga. His works include: The Fiend's Delight (1873), Cobwebs from an Empty Skull (1874), Black Beetles in Amber (1892), Fantastic Fables (1899), Shapes of Clay (1903), A Son of the Gods, and A Horseman in the Sky (1907), Write It Right (1909) and A Cynic Looks at Life (1912). Views: 65
"The E. Nesbit Megapack" collects 26 novels and short stories by Edith Nesbit (who wrote as E. Nesbit), including her most famous novels and series (The Bastable family stories, The Psammead series, etc.) Included are: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN THE MAGIC CITY FIVE CHILDREN AND IT THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET THE STORY OF THE AMULET THE MARBLE CHILD THE ENCHANTED CASTLE THE STORY OF THE TREASURE SEEKERS THE WOULDBEGOODS THE ROAD TO ROME; OR, THE SILLY STOWAWAY THE CONSCIENCE-PUDDING ARCHIBALD THE UNPLEASANT OVER THE WATER TO CHINA THE YOUNG ANTIQUARIES THE INTREPID EXPLORER AND HIS LIEUTENANT THE TURK IN CHAINS; OR, RICHARD'S REVENGE THE GOLDEN GONDOLA THE FLYING LODGER THE SMUGGLER'S REVENGE ZAIDA, THE MYSTERIOUS PROPHETESS OF THE GOLDEN ORIENT THE LADY AND THE LICENSE; OR, FRIENDSHIP’S GARLAND THE POOR AND NEEDY AN OBJECT OF VALUE AND VIRTUE THE RUNAWAYS THE ARSENICATORS THE ENCHANCERIED HOUSE And don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more entries in this series, covering science fiction, fantasy, mystery, westerns, classics -- and much, much more! (Sort by publication date to see the most recent entries.) Views: 65
Henry Fleming, a raw Union Army recruit in the American Civil War, is anxious to confirm his patriotism and manhood—to earn his "badge of courage." But his dreams of heroism and invulnerability are soon shattered when he flees the Confederate enemy during his baptism of fire and then witnesses the horrible death of a friend. Plunged unwillingly into the nightmare of war, Fleming survives by sheer luck and instinct. This edition of Stephen Crane's poignant classic is supplemented by five of his acclaimed short stories as well as selected poetry, offering the full range of this great American author's extraordinary talent. Views: 64
Growing up in Philadelphia in 1975, 14-year-old Charmaine Upshaw is obsessed with justice. Unfortunately, she gets none of it in her life: not from her parents, who make her share a room with her tap-dancing brother Leo; not at school, where light-skinned, Barbie-doll-haired Dinah Coverdale steals all the boys' attention and makes sure dark-skinned Charmaine knows it; and certainly not from Tracy John, her six-year-old cousin who's taken over the family. When Charmaine is charged with babysitting her spoiled cousin after school, that's the last straw--something's gotta give. And when Charmaine cracks, she starts to see the world in a whole new light. Can Charmaine learn to love herself, her mahogany skin, and her attention-starved little cousin? Sometimes when everything falls apart, putting it back together can help you see the truth.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 64
A gripping short biography of the extraordinary Alfred Hitchock, the master of suspense. Alfred Hitchcock was a strange child. Fat, lonely, burning with fear and ambition, his childhood was an isolated one, scented with fish from his father's shop. Afraid to leave his bedroom, he would plan great voyages, using railway timetables to plot an exact imaginary route across Europe. So how did this fearful figure become the one of the most respected film directors of the twentieth century? As an adult, Hitch rigorously controlled the press's portrait of him, drawing certain carefully selected childhood anecdotes into full focus and blurring all others out. In this quick-witted portrait, Ackroyd reveals something more: a lugubriously jolly man fond of practical jokes, who smashes a once-used tea cup every morning to remind himself of the frailty of life. Iconic film stars make cameo appearances, just as Hitch did in his own films: Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, and James Stewart... Views: 64
To find a blackmailer's killer, Marian Larch investigates the extortionist's victims A. J. Strode would kill for command of House of Glass, the corporation that controls everything from plate-glass windows to fiberglass insulation, and he nearly has it within his grasp. Only three stockholders—a violinist, a helicopter pilot, and a mercenary—stand between the businessman and his goal. But no matter how much Strode offers, they refuse to sell. And when money doesn't talk, he turns to blackmail. Strode invites his three targets to his townhouse, intending to close the deal once and for all, but his plan backfires. When Strode is found in his library with three knives buried in his chest, the case falls to Marian Larch, a no-nonsense NYPD detective who's hardly prepared for the brutality she'll find inside House of Glass.He Huffed and He Puffed is the 2nd book in the Marian Larch Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. Views: 64
