A dystopian novel for the digital age, The Word Exchange offers an inventive, suspenseful, and decidedly original vision of the dangers of technology and of the enduring power of the printed word.In the not-so-distant future, the forecasted “death of print” has become a reality. Bookstores, libraries, newspapers, and magazines are things of the past, and we spend our time glued to handheld devices called Memes that not only keep us in constant communication but also have become so intuitive that they hail us cabs before we leave our offices, order takeout at the first growl of a hungry stomach, and even create and sell language itself in a marketplace called the Word Exchange.Anana Johnson works with her father, Doug, at the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL), where Doug is hard at work on the last edition that will ever be printed. Doug is a staunchly anti-Meme, anti-tech intellectual who fondly remembers the days when people used email (everything now is text or videoconference) to communicate—or even actually spoke to one another, for that matter. One evening, Doug disappears from the NADEL offices, leaving a single written clue: ALICE. It’s a code word he devised to signal if he ever fell into harm’s way. And thus begins Anana’s journey down the proverbial rabbit hole . . .Joined by Bart, her bookish NADEL colleague, Anana’s search for Doug will take her into dark basements and subterranean passageways; the stacks and reading rooms of the Mercantile Library; and secret meetings of the underground resistance, the Diachronic Society. As Anana penetrates the mystery of her father’s disappearance and a pandemic of decaying language called “word flu” spreads, The Word Exchange becomes a cautionary tale that is at once a technological thriller and a meditation on the high cultural costs of digital technology.From the Hardcover edition.ReviewAlena Graedon's spectacular debut is a story for our age of 'accelerated obsolescence.' A genuinely scary and funny mystery about linguistic slippage and disturbance, it's also a moving meditation on our sometimes comic, sometimes desperate struggles to speak, and to listen, and to mean something to one another. To borrow Graedon's own invention, The Word Exchange is 'Synchronic' -- a gorgeous genre mashup that offers readers the pleasures of noir, science fiction, romance and philosophy. It's an unforgettable joyride across the thin ice of language." -Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!, and *Vampires in the Lemon Grove"Wow! This highly addictive future noir is also terrifyingly prescient. Set in a parallel New York filled with language viruses, pneumatic tubes, and heartbreak, Alena Graedon's book is luminous and haunting at every turn. I will never look at words in quite the same way—and neither will you."*-Reif Larsen, author of The Selected Works of T.S. SpivetAbout the AuthorAlena Graedon was born in Durham, NC, and is a graduate of Carolina Friends School, Brown University, and Columbia University’s MFA program. She was Manager of Membership and Literary Awards at the PEN American Center before leaving to finish The Word Exchange, her first novel, with the help of fellowships at several artist colonies. Her writing has been translated into nine languages. She lives in Brooklyn. Views: 40
April, 1925 finds ace pilot Jack McGraw fleeing hostile fighter planes and a mysterious zeppelin over the skies of New Jersey. Then a woman from his past invites him to dinner at Thomas Edison's home and drafts him into the A.E.G.I.S. foundation.And that's just Monday.Jack's mission is to fly an experimental aircraft and lead a crew consisting of his comrades from the Great War against a well-funded secret society bent on pillaging history's great treasures and amassing dangerous power.Together with their crewmates, Jack McGraw and Dorothy "Doc" Starr encounter sky pirates, Haitian voodoo, terrifying creatures of the deep, an Amazon tree-city, rocket zombies, and an ancient temple where Aleister Crowley attempts to open a dimensional portal and summon a bloodthirsty demon!Based on the Airship Daedalus comic strip by Todd Downing and Brian Beardsley, A Shield Against the Darkness is the origin story of the Daedalus crew, and a... Views: 40
Science Fiction/Fantasy. 56494 words long. Views: 40
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ELLE CASEY, brings readers Book 1 of 3 in the New Adult Romance Series, REBEL WHEELS.
With over 3,000 5-star ratings on Goodreads for Book 1, readers love the Rebel Wheels series!
Teagan Cross, college senior, rebel, and wiseass extraordinaire, goes from princess to pauper in a single phone call. Overnight, her life of privilege becomes one of survival, and no matter where she turns, it seems like the world is out to get her. She's not going to fall apart, though. She's a rebel and she's strong … determined to live life on her own terms … and nothing's going to stop her from getting things done and making things right. But when a twist of fate brings her to the doorstep of a different kind of Rebel, she's forced to figure out when something's worth fighting for and when something's worth letting go.
Content Warning: Contains sexy adult situations, creative foul language, and some mild violence. May not be appropriate for younger readers.
Rebel Wheels Series Reading Order
Rebel (Rebel Wheels Book 1)
Hellion (Rebel Wheels Book 2)
Trouble (Rebel Wheels Book 3)
**Review
HERE'S WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT REBEL (REBEL WHEELS BOOK 1):
"This book is *SO FREAKING FUNNY. Seriously, I loved it so hard. Both characters are absolutely perfect, and the secondary characters were made of gold!! I laughed so freaking hard through out the entire book. *Such a funny, sexy read. I can't wait to read what happens next!" ~ Leah D., Amazon Reviewer
"5+ stars! This book was *sweet, sexy, and laugh out loud funny. Teagan is such a lovable heroine and *Rebel is more than a little swoon worthy. It was *a breath of fresh air for me and I would recommend it to anyone looking for *a fresh, funny read." ~ Dizzy J., Amazon Reviewer
"...'Rebel' was everything I could have wanted from *a hilariously entertaining new adult romance and I'm delighted that I finally read this novel and *fell page over spine in love with everything about this book. *You want funny, sexy and entertainment? Then you don't want to miss out..."* Lisa Jayne, Goodreads Reviewer
"You don't often come across such a wonderful novel, it has *everything that is great in a book (humour, love, strong friendship and a bit of suspense) and left you with a smile. I devoured EVERY WORD on EVERY PAGE." *~ Amazon reviewer
"This book is *absolutely amazing! What I love most about it, aside from Elle's never ending wit, is that *the plot goes so much deeper than the steamy romance (and boy, is it steamy)..." ~ Amazon reviewer
From the Author
Normally this is the spot where I write what inspired the story or the series you see above, and usually it's a tale about a person I knew or heard about, or a dream I had ... but this time, nope. Not at all. This entire series was inspired by the cover model on Book 1. I saw his photos on a website, and a little voice inside my head said, "Ooo la laaaa," and the story just came to me from there. I know. Man candy. What can I say? I'm addicted. Views: 40
In this sweet romance, pretty and naive Cecelia Wood has lived all her life isolated Penyclawdd at the edge of the Black Mountains and on the border between Wales and England. Her beloved childhood home is entailed on a cousin. Invalided out of the army in Spain after a disastrous battle, he arrives at the estate with his new fiancée in tow. A tangle of love, jealousy and misunderstanding ensues. Views: 40
First in a brand new thought-provoking science fiction series. The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he's crazy... Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he's part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he's certified and working. Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship's secrets, but all they've learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius. The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the... Views: 40
An American teenage boy is trapped in a parallel worlld where things are very different. Views: 40
