An NYRB Classics OriginalAlexander Pushkin's short novel is set during the reign of Catherine the Great, when the Cossacks rose up in rebellion against the Russian empress. Presented as the memoir of Pyotr Grinyov, a nobleman, The Captain's Daughter tells how, as a feckless youth and fledgling officer, Grinyov was sent from St. Petersburg to serve in a remote part of southern Russia. Traveling to take up this new post, Grinyov loses his shirt gambling and then loses his way in a terrible snowstorm, only to be guided to safety by a mysterious peasant. With impulsive gratitude Grinyov hands over his fur coat to his savior, never mind the cold. Arrived at Fort Belogorsk, Grinyov falls in love with Masha, the beautiful young daughter of his captain. Then Pugachev, leader of the Cossack rebellion, surrounds the fort. Resistance, he has made it clear, will be met by death. At once a fairy tale and a thrilling historical novel, this singularly... Views: 29
Not far in the future, Francesca is an apprentice in the idyllic, agrarian community of Heron Fleet. She loves her impetuous partner Anya and the community acts as mother and father to her, as its founders intended. But outside Heron Fleet, the world is violent. Only a remnant of city populations, organised into violent despotic scavenger gangs, cling on by combing through rubble in search of food. They are the survivors of an ecological disaster. The causes have been forgotten, but the climate suffers with harsh, cold winters and short, hot summers. Between these two worlds, Tobias trades food gathered from agrarian communities for raw materials from the cities. But most of all he seeks books that might help him understand what happened to the climate; he believes that if humans are to have a long-term future, the agrarian communities must expand. Francesca rescues Tobias when his boat is wrecked by a storm and his arrival coincides with a crisis in Francesca and Anya's... Views: 28
Fate has a funny way of helping people out when tough decisions need to be made. In two different places and two different times, with the spin of a globe, she decides that Matt and Emily should end up in a place where they can both begin to heal. Maine. Emily Jackson holds everything in and keeps everyone at arm’s length. She has become a new person. A shell of who she once was. All for good reason. One she can never reveal. Matthew Anderson leaves everything behind because he can’t handle his past and what has become his future. He’s set out to move on and leave everything behind. A new place, faces, and job are exactly what he needs right now. One instant connection. Two tainted souls. From the instant their eyes meet, they feel it. They just decide it’s not worth the risk. However, Fate has other plans. Can Emily and Matt let go just a little to see where things could lead as more than friends? Can they let go of their demons long enough to realize that what they need most could be each other? Or will they continue to live beautifully tainted? Views: 28
Set in Wyoming, Chico's Challenge follows a young buckskin quarter horse who is trade to Sierra, a teen who works her father's ranch and dreams of becoming a cutting horse champion. Chico seems to have the makings of a great cow horse, but...he has never seen a cow in his life! Can he and Sierra, both novices, learn to work together as a team? Views: 28
A human lie detector sets off in search of a revolution There are 1,500 hand grenades in Alabama's Styx River, and none of them work. Rebels are attacking UN peacekeeping forces in Burma and Honduras, but just when the battle gets started, they find their guns don't fire. Someone is selling defective weaponry to violent men around the globe, and the United Nations needs to find him. In a world where even the good men are liars, it will take Shelby Kent to see the truth. Shelby is the world's only human lie detector, a psychic who sees a buzzing red aura around anyone—including her husband—who tells a lie. Shelby is happy to use her unique powers for the sake of world peace, but she'll find that unthinkable evil lies behind this strange scheme, and clairvoyance is no protection against a madman with a gun. Views: 28
In this evocative and moving book, composer and broadcaster Andrew Ford shares the vivid musical experiences – good, bad and occasionally hilarious – that have shaped his life.Ford's musical journey has traversed genres and continents, and his loves are broad and deep. The Memory of Music takes us from his childhood obsession with the Beatles to his passion for Beethoven, Brahms, Vaughan Williams, Stockhausen and Birtwistle, and to his work as a composer, choral conductor, concert promoter, critic, university teacher and radio presenter.The Memory of Music is more than a wonderful memoir – it also explores the nature and purpose of music: what it is, why it means so much to us and how it shapes our worlds. The result is a captivating work that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.'Andrew Ford's wide-ranging musical autobiography is a pleasure to read. Accessible, informative and packed with anecdotes, it's an excellent guide to... Views: 28
