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Showing 16881 - 16900 of 17128 items
By Jane Smiley. 2024
From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, a soaring, soulful novel about a folk musician who rises to fame across our…
changing timesBefore Jodie Rattler became a star, she was a girl growing up in St. Louis. One day in 1955, when she was just six years old, her uncle Drew took her to the racetrack, where she got lucky—and that roll of two-dollar bills she won has never since left her side. Jodie thrived in the warmth of her extended family, and then—through a combination of hard work and serendipity—she started a singing career, which catapulted her from St. Louis to New York City, from the English countryside to the tropical beaches of St. Thomas, from Cleveland to Los Angeles, and back again. Jodie comes of age in recording studios, backstage, and on tour, and she tries to hold her own in the wake of Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell. Yet it feels like something is missing. Could it be true love? Or is that not actually what Jodie is looking for?Full of atmosphere, shot through with longing and exuberance, romance and rock 'n' roll, Lucky is a story of chance and grit and the glitter of real talent, a colorful portrait of one woman's journey in search of herself.By Joe Fassler. 2024
&“An immersive fever dream of a novel, beautifully written and boldly imagined.&” —Leslie Jamison, New York Times bestselling author of…
The Empathy ExamsFrom prizewinning writer Joe Fassler comes a brilliant modern reimagining of the myth of Daedalus and Icarus as a story of obsession, longing, and the radical pursuit of utopiaIt&’s 2005, and 24-year-old Jane is miserable. Overworked, buried in debt, she senses the life she wanted slipping away—while the world around her veers badly off course, hurtling toward economic and ecological collapse. She wants to find something better. But she has no idea where to start. In a sudden and unprecedented burst of rebellion, Jane decides to abandon everything she knows, leaving behind her relationships and responsibilities to go on the road. That&’s how she meets Barry, a brilliant and charismatic recluse living on an isolated homestead near New York&’s Canadian border. For years, in secret, Barry&’s chased an unlikely obsession: to build a pair of wings humans can fly in, with designs inspired by an obscure precursor to the Wright Brothers. It&’s no mere hobby. He&’s convinced his dream of flight will spark a revolution, delivering us from the degradation of modern capitalism and the climate chaos that awaits us. Jane is captivated by Barry&’s radical vision, even as his experiments become more dangerous. But she&’s equally drawn to the enigmatic Ike, Barry&’s gentle, thoughtful son, who&’s known no other reality—and who only wants to keep his father alive, tethered to ground and to reason. So begins an inventive, dazzlingly beautiful story about the human desire for transcendence—our longing to escape the mundane and glide into a euphoric future. Inspired by the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, The Sky Was Ours is a powerful and imaginative debut that explores the question: If you had access to technology that allowed you to escape the confines of your life, would you use it? And if Barry&’s wings really could change the world, would that be freedom?By Taylor Caldwell. 1963
New York Times Bestseller: In Victorian Britain, an affluent woman hosts a group of Catholic priests in her home—and listens…
as they tell their stories. Rose, a young girl visiting her grandmother, sits among eleven priests from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. As each guest shares the most challenging moments of their vocations, tests of faith that have brought them face-to-face with the miseries, temptations, and evils that lurk beyond the peaceful confines of the rectory, their worldly, wealthy hostess and her granddaughter come to learn the struggles and outcomes of these confrontations with the human condition. &“The priests themselves represent a mixed lot—men of exalted backgrounds, culture, worldly experience, who have found their hardest task bringing themselves down to the humble people of their flocks; men who understand only the intellectual, realistic aspects of their faith—and must learn to accept the mystical as well; men who hide their saintliness under uncouth exteriors, who learn the hard way to love their fellow men, who encounter devils as well as saints, murderers, sinners. . . . Lively reading.&” —Kirkus ReviewsBy Taylor Caldwell. 1960
A parade of people in need of solace find a mysterious sympathizer, in this uniquely moving classic by a New…
York Times–bestselling author. They come day and night to confess their troubles to an anonymous listener positioned behind a curtain. Could it be a priest, a psychiatrist, a friend, or a judge? Each person draws a different conclusion. From a businessman who feels betrayed by someone he trusted, to a society woman with contempt for her husband, to a scientist troubled by what his work has wrought, the visitors&’ situations vary widely as they struggle with grief, denial, prejudice, and fear. But in this small sanctuary, there are no office hours, the listener is always listening, and the visitors&’ lives are forever changed. This inspiring and inventive work of fiction comes from the award-winning author of Captains and the Kings, Testimony of Two Men, and many other bestsellers. &“The gift of narration and characterization which Taylor Caldwell brings to each of her books is here in strong measure.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“I believe [Caldwell] wanted to instill hope, renew faith, and foster love in what she saw as a society on the decline. The year was 1960. But the issues can be universally applied today.&” —The Book CafeBy Taylor Caldwell. 1961
The story of a Boston heiress who wishes for nothing—except happiness—by a New York Times–bestselling author who &“never falters when…
it comes to storytelling&” (Publishers Weekly). Caroline Ames is rich beyond imagining. But after a childhood with a cold, rejecting father, she is irrationally terrified of poverty, seething with hostility, and incapable of giving or receiving love. Those who cross her path tend to find themselves at the very least suffering, if not thoroughly broken.A Prologue to Love introduces three generations of the Ames family during the Gilded Age and the early twentieth century—painting a compassionate portrait of a difficult woman, those who have hurt her, and those she has hurt. It is a vivid, profoundly moving novel that explores the damage that everyday evil can do—and what it takes to overcome it.By Brian Copeland. 2024
A TV investigative reporter and his sister, a San Francisco PD homicide detective, look into the slayings of Bay Area…
cops who have shot unarmed African Americans yet faced no repercussions in this debut crime thriller.&“Brian Copeland&’s thrilling debut novel is a revelation from an excitingly fresh voice &‘of color&’ in the arena of crime fiction . . . He manages to take a &‘ripped from the headlines&’ topic, the shooting of unarmed African Americans by police, and turn it into an exciting and entertaining blend of action, mystery, and social commentary.&” —New York Times bestselling author JONATHAN KELLERMAN When San Francisco Police Officer Mickey Driscoll is gunned down in the driveway of his suburban Bay Area home in broad daylight, the suspects are numerous. Was the murder committed by someone close to him? An arrestee seeking revenge? Or was it one of the many rioters, activists, and militant groups harassing his family since he accidentally shot and killed an unarmed African American honor student? TV investigative reporter Topher Davis, the only Black journalist on that beat, has exactly three weeks to do one final story before his position is eliminated due to corporate budget cuts. Enlisting the aid of his sister, SFPD Homicide Detective Lynn Sloan, he decides to investigate what the families of Blacks killed by police--and the families of the cops themselves--go through when tragic events like this occur. Instead, they find themselves involved in an ever-expanding mystery as more officers who&’ve committed the same offense turn up dead. Weaving their way through a world of grieving mothers and widows, African American militias, dirty cops, and drug dealers, they search for the truth that threatens to leave one . . . or both . . . siblings dead.By Alana S. Portero. 2023
"I urge you, read Alana S. Portero's Bad Habit to fully grasp the degree of adversity, pain, and danger endured by those…
growing-up trans." –Pedro Almodóvar"Raw, unapologetic, and ingenious in its expressions of pain, Bad Habit bravely bares the scars of being queer in an unaccepting society while illuminating unexpected pockets of hope and tenderness." –BooklistCombining the raw realism and vulnerability of Shuggie Bain and Detransition, Baby with the poignant sensibility of Pedro Almodóvar, a staggering coming-of-age novel deeply rooted in the struggles of a trans woman growing up in Madrid.Anchored by the voice of its sweet and defiant narrator, Bad Habit casts a trans woman’s trying youth as a heartfelt odyssey. Raised in an animated yet impoverished blue-collar neighborhood, Alana S. Portero’s protagonist struggles to find her place. As the city around her changes–the heroin epidemic that ravages Madrid through the '80s and '90s, rallying calls of worker solidarity and the pulsing beat of the city's night scene– she becomes increasingly detached from the world and, most crucially, herself.Yet through her eyes, the streets and people of Madrid are illuminated by a poetry absent from everyday life. And by this guiding light she begins to plot her own course, from Margarita, the local trans woman whose unspoken kinship both captivates and frightens her, to Jay, her first love and source of an inevitable heartbreak, to the irrepressible diva Caramel. As she forges ahead, she sets her compass to a personal north star: endeavoring to find herself. But with each step forward, she is confronted by a violence she doesn’t yet know how to counter; in this exciting, often terrifying, world each choice is truly a matter of life and death. With her first novel, Alana S. Portero strikingly underscores the ties between gender and class, the search for identity, and the power of sisterhood and community. Gentle but blistering, Bad Habit is a mesmerizing story of self-realization that speaks to the outsider in all of us. Translated from the Spanish by Mara Faye LethemBy Samuel Miller. 2024
Outer Banks meets Bone Gap in New York Times bestselling author Samuel Miller’s propulsive and genre-bending YA mystery, following a group of teenagers who discover…
a dead body while playing an app-based adventure game that sends players to “random” locations, unlocking a much deeper mystery about their small town. In Calico Springs, Willie’s life has been defined by two powerful forces: God and the river. The “miracle boy” died for five minutes as a young child, and ever since, Willie is certain he survived for a reason, but that purpose didn’t become clear until he found the Game.The Game is called Manifest Atlas, and the concept is simple: enter an intention and the Game provides a target—a blinking blue dot on the map. Willie’s second time playing Manifest Atlas, his intention takes him to an ominous target: three empty graves. Willie is sure the Game is telling him he’s going to die.Willie’s older brother, Bones, doesn’t believe him, but their friends are intrigued. Sarai, a girl from across the river, sets the next intention: something bloody. The group follows the Game’s coordinates and they discover something even more unsettling than the graves: a dead body. Sarai’s stepfather’s body. The Game is suddenly personal.Willie is dedicated to proving the Game works while Sarai is set on finding out what happened to her stepdad. Bones just wants to enjoy his last summer before real life begins. As the group digs deeper into Manifest Atlas, stranger and wilder things begin to appear, unlocking a much deeper mystery running like an undercurrent through the small town.By Hazel Hayes. 2024
One of Zibby Mag's Most Anticipated Books Coming Out in 2024 | One of SheNet's Highly Anticipated Books of 2024A…
genre-bending story about love and loss, hope and heartbreak, and the healing to be found in life&’s little limbos, those in-between spaces where you&’re no longer who you were and not yet the person you will be About her debut, Out of Love, Hazel Hayes said, &“The journey from writing horror to writing love stories was a short one. There is nothing more horrific than love.&” In her new novel, she sets out to prove it. This genre-defying, meta-modern novel is unlike anything you have ever read, and yet at its core it is a story we all deeply understand. A story of love and liminality, and the ways in which grief grips us all. Prepare to laugh and cry; Hazel Hayes will break your heart, but then she&’ll mend it for you. Following a breakup, Kate and Finn decide to keep sharing their house until the lease runs out in twelve weeks&’ time, alternating week by week so that they are occupying the same space but never at the same time. Practically, the plan makes sense, but coming back each Sunday to a home where Finn has been and gone feels far too much like living with a ghost. Kate lost her mother at a young age and now this fresh grief dredges unhealed sorrows up to the surface, and soon, Kate finds herself adrift in her own subconscious, trapped in the liminal space between loving someone and letting go.By David Nicholls. 2015
***Pre-order David Nicholls' new novel YOU ARE HERE now - Coming April 2024***THE BOOKER PRIZE-LONGLISTED NOVEL BY BELOVED BESTSELLER DAVID…
NICHOLLSA brilliant, bittersweet novel about love and family, husbands and wives, parents and children'Perfect' INDEPENDENT 'I honestly can't imagine loving a novel much more' SUNDAY TIMES 'Funny and sweet - a lovely, lovely book' GRAHAM NORTON 'A sad, funny, soulful joy' OBSERVER 'I loved this book. Funny, sad, tender: for anyone who wants to know what happens after the Happy Ever After' JOJO MOYES Douglas and Connie - scientist and artist, husband and wife - live a quiet and quietly unremarkable life in the suburbs of London. Until, suddenly, after more than twenty years of marriage, Connie decides she wants a divorce. Heartbroken but determined, Douglas comes up with the perfect plan: he is going to win back the love of his wife and the respect of Albie, their teenage son, by organising the holiday of a lifetime. The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed. What could possibly go wrong?ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED WRITERS'One of the most astute chroniclers of England as it is now'FINANCIAL TIMES'An uncanny ability to make us laugh out loud, but also care passionately about his characters'DAILY TELEGRAPH'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love'THE TIMES'No one else writes novels that are both relatable and revelatory in the way he does'EVENING STANDARD'Genuinely brilliant'NEW STATESMANBy Bobby Palmer. 2024
'Powerful' JOANNA GLEN'Beautiful' KATE SAWYER'A triumph' JENNIE GODFREYThe eagerly awaited new novel from Bobby Palmer, author of the critically acclaimed…
debut Isaac and the Egg.If you stood before sunrise in this wild old place, looking through the trees into the garden, here's what you'd see:A father and son, a fox standing between them.Jack, home for the first time in years, still determined to be the opposite of his father.Gerry, who would rather talk to animals than the angry man back under his roof.Everything that follows is because of the fox, and because Jack's mother is missing. It spans generations of big dreams and lost time, unexpected connections and things falling apart, great wide worlds and the moments that define us.If you met them in the small hours, you'd begin to piece together their story.'A magical, comforting read that touches on father-son relationships, male mental health and the healing power of nature' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'A beautiful examination of love and loss' HEAT'Tender and touching' GLAMOUR PRAISE FOR ISAAC AND THE EGG'A tender story of love, grief and the transformative power of friendship' Guardian'Truly one of the most beautiful stories you will ever read' Joanna Cannon'Will linger longer after the final page' Independent'Unique, tender and funny' Pandora Sykes'A future classic' Clare Mackintosh'Like nothing I've ever read before' Stylist'An arresting debut novel about grief in the most wonderfully oblique way' Reverend Richard Coles'Just magic' Kate SawyerBy David Nicholls. 2019
***Pre-order David Nicholls' new novel YOU ARE HERE now - Coming April 2024***A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT FIRST LOVE FROM BELOVED…
BESTSELLER DAVID NICHOLLSA tragicomedy about the rocky path to adulthood and that one summer that changes your life forever'A beautiful paean to young love' OBSERVER 'Fizzing' GUARDIAN 'A glorious escape to the sunlit uplands of the 1990s' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Exquisite' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'The sense of nostalgia is visceral and intense, almost time-bending' SUNDAY TIMES It's summer 1997, school is over and Charlie Lewis's life is in shambles. His family is breaking up, his father is falling apart and the long, empty holidays stretch ahead towards an uncertain future. And then, quite by chance, Charlie meets Fran Fisher and it's as if a new world has opened before him. But can it last?ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED WRITERS'One of the most astute chroniclers of England as it is now'FINANCIAL TIMES'An uncanny ability to make us laugh out loud, but also care passionately about his characters'DAILY TELEGRAPH'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love'THE TIMES'No one else writes novels that are both relatable and revelatory in the way he does'EVENING STANDARD'Genuinely brilliant'NEW STATESMANBy David Nicholls. 2009
***Pre-order David Nicholls' new novel YOU ARE HERE now - Coming April 2024***THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER, NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX…
SERIES'A wonderful, wonderful book' THE TIMES 'Perfect' NEW YORK TIMES 'A modern classic' DAILY MIRROR 'You'd be hard pressed to find a sharper, sweeter romantic comedy' INDEPENDENT 'Big, absorbing, smart, fantastically readable' NICK HORNBYTWENTY YEARS, TWO PEOPLE, ONE DAY15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows?ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED WRITERS 'One of the most astute chroniclers of England as it is now' FINANCIAL TIMES 'An uncanny ability to make us laugh out loud, but also care passionately about his characters' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love' THE TIMES 'No one else writes novels that are both relatable and revelatory in the way he does' EVENING STANDARD 'Genuinely brilliant' NEW STATESMANBy Charles Dickens. 2015
One of the most celebrated and influential novels of the past two centuries tells the vivid and unforgettable coming-of-age story…
of the orphan Pip In the marsh country of Victorian England, young Pip lives with his sister and her husband, the kindly blacksmith Joe, eking out a hardscrabble life. Pip&’s one true aspiration is to apprentice for Joe and become a blacksmith himself, a dream that sustains him and gives him hope. But though he doesn&’t know it, Pip&’s fates are about to turn. Alone in a graveyard one night, he encounters a grizzled and mud-smeared escaped convict. Dragging a heavy shackle from an injured leg, the man demands that Pip steal him food and help him remove the clanging iron. Cowed, Pip accommodates his commands without resistance. It isn&’t until years later, after Pip has forged a tender relationship with the eccentric Mrs. Havisham, fallen into unexpected prosperity in London, and found himself gripped by love for the charming-yet-fickle Estella, that the true consequences of that night in the graveyard finally come to light. Celebrated for its vibrant characters, engrossing plot, and universal themes of ambition and hope, Great Expectations stands as a pillar of Victorian literature and a preeminent entry in the Dickensian oeuvre. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.By Charles Dickens. 2017
A tale of family secrets and the damaging corruption of the British legal system from the author of Great Expectations…
and Oliver Twist. In Bleak House, Charles Dickens not only pries apart the stultifying and ponderous conduct and contracts of British moneyed society, but also takes specific aim at an English judicial system in desperate need of modernization and reform. Featuring the voice of Esther Summerson—Dickens&’s only female narrator—the story unfolds around a generations-old legal case involving numerous inheritances. It is Esther&’s hidden birthright that sparks the drama, bringing to light such memorable characters as the Lady Dedlock, haunted by her shameful past; John Jarndyce, whose seemingly infinite kindness is driven by hidden guilt; and the sly lawyer Mr. Tulkinghorn, who secretly relishes the power his position gives him over his clients. Weaving a complex web of plots and subplots, Dickens created one of his most dramatically satisfying and boldly ambitious narratives in Bleak House, as the novel offers a scathing indictment of the mores and moral injustices of his time. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.By F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2016
A master craftsman brings one of the most fascinating periods in American history to vivid life in these provocative and…
poignant short stories Born gray-haired and grumpy, Benjamin Button may be an infant, but his body and personality are those of an old man. Curiously, however, he grows younger with each passing year. Benjamin is aging backwards, which begs the question, when does a man become a man? And how do we recognize our true selves? A delightful fable that poses serious inquiries about the nature of existence, &“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button&” is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald&’s best-known stories and the centerpiece of this legendary collection. From the Jazz Age decadence of &“May Day&” to the delightful fantasy of &“The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,&” these evocative tales showcase one of the twentieth century&’s greatest authors at the height of his talent.By F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2016
Short stories by the author of The Great Gatsby, including the Jazz Age classic &“Bernice Bobs Her Hair.&” Bernice…
is pretty but awkward—she can&’t dance, flirt, or hold her liquor. When her sophisticated cousin, Marjorie, finally decides to help the poor girl, the results are dramatic—suddenly the boys are interested in Bernice. Too interested, thinks Marjorie. So she decides to play a cruel trick—but Bernice gets the last laugh. First published in the Saturday Evening Post, &“Bernice Bobs Her Hair&” is a classic tale of the Jazz Age and just one of the highlights of this classic story collection. Other gems include &“The Ice Palace,&” &“The Cut-Glass Bowl,&” and &“The Offshore Pirate,&” a delightfully clever story about a spoiled young girl who falls in love with an unlikely suitor. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.By Crystal King. 2017
Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize A Massachusetts Book Award &“Must Read&” Set amongst the scandal, wealth,…
and upstairs-downstairs politics of a Roman family, this &“addictively readable first novel&” (Kirkus Reviews) features the man who inspired the world&’s oldest cookbook and the ambition that led to his destruction.In the twenty-sixth year of Augustus Caesar&’s reign, Marcus Gavius Apicius has a singular ambition: to serve as culinary adviser to Caesar. To cement his legacy as Rome&’s leading epicure, the wealthy Apicius acquires a young chef, Thrasius, for the exorbitant price of twenty thousand denarii. Apicius believes that the talented Thrasius is the key to his culinary success, and with the slave&’s help he soon becomes known for his lavish parties and sumptuous meals. For his part, Thrasius finds a family among Apicius&’s household, which includes his daughter, Apicata; his wife, Aelia; and her handmaiden Passia, with whom Thrasius falls passionately in love. But as Apicius draws closer to his ultimate goal, his dangerous single-mindedness threatens his young family and places his entire household at the mercy of the most powerful forces in Rome. &“A gastronomical delight&” (Associated Press), Feast of Sorrow is a vibrant novel, replete with love and betrayal, politics and intrigue, and sumptuous feasts that bring ancient Rome to life.By Hannah McKinnon. 2015
Set in the weeks leading up to an idyllic New England wedding, this “enticing and refreshing” (Nancy Thayer, New York…
Times bestselling author) novel sparkles with wry wit, sweet romance, and long-kept family secrets.Iris Standish has always been the responsible older sibling: the one with the steady marriage, loving family, and sensible job. But all of a sudden, as her carefully-constructed life spins out of her control, a cryptic postcard from her estranged sister Leah arrives at the perfect time: Please Come. Iris seizes her chance to escape to her childhood lakeside home, where Leah is planning her summer wedding to a man their New Hampshire clan has never met. Against a backdrop of dress fittings, floral arrangements, and rehearsal dinners, Leah hides secrets of her own. And while her sister faces a past that has finally caught up to her, Iris prepares to say good-bye to a future that is suddenly far from certain. As new love beckons and Hampstead Lake shimmers in the background, Iris must decide when to wade in cautiously and when to dive—and, ultimately, how to ferry herself to safe harbors in this enticing novel of second chances and the ties that bind.By Ann Leary. 2022
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House, the &“harrowing, gripping, and beautiful&” (Laura Dave, New York…
Times bestselling author) story of two friends, raised in the same orphanage, whose loyalty is put to the ultimate test when they meet years later at an institution—based on a shocking and little-known piece of American history.It&’s 1927 and eighteen-year-old Mary Engle is hired to work as a secretary at a remote but scenic institution for mentally disabled women called the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. She&’s immediately in awe of her employer—brilliant, genteel Dr. Agnes Vogel. Dr. Vogel had been the only woman in her class in medical school. As a young psychiatrist she was an outspoken crusader for women&’s suffrage. Now, at age forty, Dr. Vogel runs one of the largest and most self-sufficient public asylums for women in the country. Mary deeply admires how dedicated the doctor is to the poor and vulnerable women under her care. Soon after she&’s hired, Mary learns that a girl from her childhood orphanage is one of the inmates. Mary remembers Lillian as a beautiful free spirit with a sometimes-tempestuous side. Could she be mentally disabled? When Lillian begs Mary to help her escape, alleging the asylum is not what it seems, Mary is faced with a terrible choice. Should she trust her troubled friend with whom she shares a dark childhood secret? Mary&’s decision triggers a hair-raising sequence of events with life-altering consequences for all. Inspired by a true story about the author&’s grandmother, The Foundling is compelling, unsettling, and &“a stunning reminder that not much time has passed since everyone claimed to know what was best for a woman—everyone except the woman herself&” (Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author).