In Lesley Glaister's spellbinding outback thriller, a young couple's flight from a cold and dreary English winter traps them in a sunbaked nightmare For Cassie, the ad in the newspaper is a dream come true. Spending a year managing a farm in western Australia away from everything and everyone she and her commitment-phobic boyfriend, Graham, know could be exactly what he needs to realize it's time to think about getting married and starting a family. But their fantasy adventure isn't quite what Cassie imagined. Woolagong, an old sheep station, is on the remote fringes of the desert, where the weather is stifling hot all the time. And the outback is crawling with all manner of lethal creatures. There's no telephone, no radio, and no electricity—no contact with the outside world. Cassie and Graham send letters home but never receive any in return. And then there are the employers. Larry and his wife, Mara, live a very private life,... Views: 50
Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and the Betty Trask Award:Lesley Glaister's first novel is a twisty Gothic tale of familial terror and steadily mounting suspense In a decaying house in the marshy lowlands of England, four spinster sisters live in self-imposed isolation. For more than sixty years, Milly, Agatha, and the identical twins Ellen and Esther—"Ellenanesther"—have been trapped together, haunted by the specter of their dead father, whose evil reaches out from beyond the grave. Now nearing eighty, Milly reminisces over their shared history, reliving memories of domestic tranquility, strife, and young love thwarted in its prime. But the sisters are harboring secrets. Why is Milly always counting the knives? Did their mother really drown in the roaring waters under the dyke? And who is baby George, locked away in the cellar? As Honour Thy Father moves between past and present, the truth gradually emerges. It is... Views: 49
RetailWhen General George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. Instead, Washington rallied—thanks in large part to a little-known, top-secret group called the Culper Spy Ring. Washington realized that he couldn’t beat the British with military might, so he recruited a sophisticated and deeply secretive intelligence network to infiltrate New York. So carefully guarded were the members’ identities that one spy’s name was not uncovered until the twentieth century, and one remains unknown today. But by now, historians have discovered enough information about the ring’s activities to piece together evidence that these six individuals turned the tide of the war. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger have painted compelling portraits of George Washington’s secret six: Robert Townsend, the reserved Quaker merchant and reporter who headed the Culper Ring, keeping his identity secret even from Washington; Austin Roe, the tavern keeper who risked his employment and his life in order to protect the mission; Caleb Brewster, the brash young longshoreman who loved baiting the British and agreed to ferry messages between Connecticut and New York; ?Abraham Woodhull, the curmudgeonly (and surprisingly nervous) Long Island bachelor with business and family excuses for traveling to Manhattan; James Rivington, the owner of a posh coffeehouse and print shop where high-ranking British officers gossiped about secret operations; Agent 355, a woman whose identity remains unknown but who seems to have used her wit and charm to coax officers to share vital secrets. In George Washington’s Secret Six, Townsend and his fellow spies finally receive their due, taking their place among the pantheon of heroes of the American Revolution. Views: 48
After being cast out from his home village, Sevim wanders through the marshes, fatally wounded and waiting for death from hunger or cold. His dying mind plays tricks on him and he imagines shapes in the mist - fantastic creatures, monsters and spirits.One of these spirits seems more than just imaginary; it re-visits Sevim many times, talking to him, comforting him. It appears as a young boy, his name is Spall, and he is lonely. When he offers to save Sevim's life, there is a catch, because Spall is no normal ghost, he is called into being by the dying dreams of men. He is a Sin Eater.
About Lesley Glaister Novelist Lesley Glaister was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. She grew up in Suffolk, moving to Sheffield with her first husband, where she took a degree with the Open University. She was 'discovered' by the novelist Hilary Mantel when she attended a course given by the Arvon Foundation in 1989. Mantel was so impressed by her writing that she recommended her to her own literary a Novelist Lesley Glaister was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. She grew up in Suffolk, moving to Sheffield with her first husband, where she took a degree with the Open University. She was 'discovered' by the novelist Hilary Mantel when she attended a course given by the Arvon Foundation in 1989. Mantel was so impressed by her writing that she recommended her to her own literary agent.Lesley Glaister's first novel, Honour Thy Father (1990), won both a Somerset Maugham Award and a Betty Trask Award. Her other novels include Trick or Treat (1991), Limestone and Clay (1993), for which she was awarded the Yorkshire Post Book Award (Yorkshire Author of the Year), Partial Eclipse (1994) and The Private Parts of Women (1996), Now You See Me (2001), the story of the unlikely relationship between Lamb, a former patient in a psychiatric ward, and Doggo, a fugitive on the run from the police, As Far as You Can Go (2004), a psychological drama, in which a young couple, Graham and Cassie, travel to a remote part of Australia to take up a caretaking job, only to be drawn into the dark secrets of their mysterious employers. Nina Todd Has Gone (2007) was another complex psychological thriller.Lesley Glaister lives with her husband in Edinburgh with frequent sojourns in Orkney. She has three sons and teaches Creative Writing at the University or St Andrews. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Views: 48
An irresistible, entertaining peek into the privileged realm of Wordsworth and Wodehouse, Chelsea Clinton and Hugh Grant, Looking for Class offers a hilarious account of one man's year at Oxford and Cambridge -- the garden parties and formal balls, the high-minded debates and drinking Olympics. From rowing in an exclusive regatta to learning lessons in love from a Rhodes Scholar, Bruce Feiler's enlightening, eye-popping adventure will forever change your view of the British upper class, a world romanticized but rarely seen. Views: 48
Some problems are really unrecognized opportunities. Suppose, for example, that certain common “exaggerations” are simple truth… Views: 47
With their penetrating psychological insight and their emphasis on human dignity, respect and forgiveness, Dostoyevsky's early short stories contain the seeds of the themes that came to his major novels. Poor Folk, the author's first great literary triumph, is the story of a tragic relationship between an impoverished copy clerk and a young seamstress, told through their passionate letters to each other. In The Landlady Dostoyevsky portrays a dreamer hero who is captivated by a curious couple and becomes their lodger. Mr Prokharchin, inspired by a true story, is a sly comedy centring on an eccentric miser, and Polzunkov is a powerful character sketch which, in common with the other tales in this volume, questions the very nature of existence. Views: 47
In the spirit of the mega-selling On Bullshit, philosopher Aaron James presents a philosophical and behavioral theory of the asshole that is both intellectually provocative and existentially necessary.What is it for someone to be an asshole? The answer is not obvious, despite the fact that we are often personally stuck dealing with people for whom there is no better name. Try as we might to avoid them, assholes are found everywhere--at work, at home, and in the public sphere. Encountering one causes great difficulty and personal strain, especially because we often cannot understand why exactly someone should be acting like that. Asshole management begins with asshole understanding. Doing for assholes what Machiavelli did for princes, this book gives us the concepts finally to think or say why some people disturb us so, and explains why assholes seem part of the human social condition, especially in an age of raging narcissism and... Views: 46
"In a work of outstanding clarity and sheer brilliance Steven Pinker banishes forever fears that a biological understanding of human nature threatens humane values" - Helena Cronin, author of THE ANT and THE PEACOCK."A mind blowing, mind openingexposé. Pinker's profoundly positive arguments for the compatibility of biology and humanism are unrivalled for their scope and depth and should be mandatory, if disquieting, reading"Patricia Goldman-Rakic - Past President of the Society for Neuroscience. Views: 46
Learning to Bow has been heralded as one of the funniest, liveliest, and most insightful books ever written about the clash of cultures between America and Japan. With warmth and candor, Bruce Feiler recounts the year he spent as a teacher in a small rural town. Beginning with a ritual outdoor bath and culminating in an all-night trek to the top of Mt. Fuji, Feiler teaches his students about American culture, while they teach him everything from how to properly address an envelope to how to date a Japanese girl. Views: 46
