On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift-- that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die... But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband. A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever. A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.

Troubled by an inability to find any meaning in his life, the 25-year-old narrator of this deceptively simple novel quits university and eventually arrives at his brother's New York apartment. In a bid to discover what life is all about, he writes lists. He becomes obsessed by time and whether it actually matters. He faxes his meteorologist friend. He endlessly bounces a ball against the wall. He befriends a small boy who lives next door. He yearns to get to the bottom of life and how best to live it. Funny, friendly, enigmatic and frequently poignant - superbly naive.

Ever since legwarmers were cool, best friends Tara, Katherine, and Fintan have survived small-town ennui, big-city heartbreak, and endless giddy nights out on the town. But now that they've graduated to their slightly more serious thirties, only Fintan has what can honestly be called a "love life." With Tara struggling daily with her eternal diet—and her dreadful, penny-pinching boyfriend—and Katherine keeping her single existence as organized as her drawer full of matching bra and panty sets, it seems they'll never locate the exit door out of the "last chance saloon." But it's always when you are least ready for change that fate insists on one. And when catastrophe inevitably follows crisis, the lives of three best friends are sure to change in unexpected ways ... and not necessarily for the worse. You devoured the hilarious antics of Claire in Watermelon. You laughed 'til you cried in Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married. You took a vacation gone mad in Rachel's Holiday. You flew away with Margaret—good girl gone bad—in Angels. You got a peek inside the cutthroat world of women's fashion magazines in Sushi for Beginners. Now, raise your glass to Tara, Katherine, and Fintan in Last Chance Saloon.

Reluctant hero Hiccup is back in the fifth installment of his hilarious misadventures. Someone has stolen the Fire-Stone. Now the volcano on Volcano Island has become active and the tremors are hatching the eggs of the Exterminator dragons! Can Hiccup return the Fire-Stone to the Volcano, stop the Volcano from erupting, and save the Tribes from being wiped out by the terrible sword-claws of the Exterminators? A fast paced plot, slapstick humor, witty dialogue and imaginative black and white illustrations enhance this exciting tale.

The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods–then killed in a horrifying fashion. When Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver stumble upon the body, both become consumed with finding out who killed the pretty young woman. For them, a harrowing journey begins, one that will test their own turbulent relationship and draw dozens of life into the case. For as Jeffrey and Sara move further down a trail of shocking surprises and hidden passions, neither is prepared for the most stunning discovery of all: the identity of a killer who is more evil and dangerous than anyone could have guessed.

Two 19th century stage illusionists, the aristocratic Rupert Angier and the working-class Alfred Borden, engage in a bitter and deadly feud; the effects are still being felt by their respective families a hundred years later. Working in the gaslight-and-velvet world of Victorian music halls, they prowl edgily in the background of each other's shadowy life, driven to the extremes by a deadly combination of obsessive secrecy and insatiable curiosity. At the heart of the row is an amazing illusion they both perform during their stage acts. The secret of the magic is simple, and the reader is in on it almost from the start, but to the antagonists the real mystery lies deeper. Both have something more to hide than the mere workings of a trick.

The second novel in a unique and action-packed urban fantasy series from the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley series!  An ancient evil is unleashed in the modern world— unless one fearless P.I. can hunt it down. . . . Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress, returns in this new novel in the acclaimed series by Jenna Black. As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backward may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

When Travis and Rebecca marry, rumors quickly spread that he has done so only for her dying father's ranch. Confused and convinced that Travis can never truly love her, Rebecca strikes out on her own. She disappears to make a new life for herself in a town far away, but her friends there are few, and life is hard. When desperate circumstances drive Rebecca home to Travis, she can see the change in the man she left behind. In her absence, he has grown from a rough-hewn cowboy to a confident rancher. Still, her wounded heart is hesitant. Is she more afraid to love—or to be loved?

Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle's resident sleuth when the zoo's newest addition goes missing—before she even arrives!—in Panda-monium, the latest novel in Stuart Gibbs's FunJungle series.FunJungle is frenzied, awaiting the arrival of its most thrilling animal yet—Li Ping—a rare and very expensive giant panda that the zoo went to enormous lengths to secure. But when the truck transporting Li Ping shows up, its precious cargo has vanished into thin air. The FBI steps in to investigate, and Teddy is happy to leave the job in their (supposedly) capable hands. After all, FunJungle has never encountered a crime this serious. But when someone threatens to blackmail Teddy's girlfriend, Summer, if he doesn't solve the crime, his involvement in this mystery is no longer black and white.

Deuce's whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she's a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven't changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out. Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols―those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They're watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don't intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.Outpost is the second book in Ann Aguirre's page-turning The Razorland Trilogy.

When Molly gets kicked out of the Naval Academy, she loses more than just another home, she loses the only two things that truly matter: flying in space and her training partner, Cole. A dull future seems to await, until a marvelous discovery changes everything. Her father's old starship, missing for a decade, turns up halfway across the galaxy. Its retrieval launches Molly and Cole on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will have lasting consequences for themselves and billions of others. What starts off as a simple quest to reconnect with her past, ends up forging a new future. And the forgotten family she hoped to uncover becomes one she never foresaw: a band of alien misfits and runaways-the crew of the starship Parsona.

Old Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit can't keep track of her three kittens, Moppet, Mittens, and Tom. On baking day, she finds two of them, but Tom is missing. She will need the help of John Joiner and his saw to find Tom, and discover what is making the roly-poly sounds coming from the attic. Beatrix Potter wrote the first book of her Tales as an illustrated letter to a young friend. Published in 1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was followed by 22 others. These charming stories are best-sellers around the world and have captivated generations of children. As a child, Potter studied art and natural history. Although she grew up in London, she enjoyed spending family holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, where she loved the animals and countryside. The original Peter Rabbit was a household pet.

Deep in the labyrinth that snakes under the Colosseum, a Thracian gladiator waits for the chance to write his fate into the sands.An Adventure that is great fun, educational,and heroic. The kids love it.

Two tired but happy punchers rode into the coast town and dismounted in front of the best hotel. Putting up their horses as quickly as possible they made arrangements for sleeping quarters and then hastened out to attend to business. Buck had been kind to delegate this mission to them and they would feel free to enjoy what pleasures the town might afford. While at that time the city was not what it is now, nevertheless it was capable of satisfying what demands might be made upon it by two very active and zealous cow-punchers. Their first experience began as they left the hotel. "Hey, you cow-wrastlers!" said a not unpleasant voice, and they turned suspiciously as it continued: "You've shore got to hang up them guns with the hotel clerk while you cavorts around on this range. This is fence country." They regarded the speaker's smiling face and twinkling eyes and laughed. "Well, yo're the foreman if you owns that badge," grinned Hopalong, cheerfully. "We don't need no guns, nohow, in this town, we don't. Plumb forgot we was toting them. But mebby you can tell us where lawyer Jeremiah T. Jones grazes in daylight?" "Right over yonder, second floor," replied the marshal. "An' come to think of it, mebby you better leave most of yore cash with the guns—somebody'll take it away from you if you don't. It'd be an awful temptation, an' flesh is weak." "Huh!" laughed Johnny, moving back into the hotel to leave his gun, closely followed by Hopalong. "Anybody that can turn that little trick on me an' Hoppy will shore earn every red cent; why, we've been to Kansas City!" As they emerged again Johnny slapped his pocket, from which sounded a musical jingling. "If them weak people try anything on us, we may come between them and their money!" he boasted.

They say when you lose someone you love, you can wish them back in another person… This was the case for me. My name is Cody and this is my story about a wish for love to find me. My story takes place in a small ranching town in North Dakota called Twin Rivers where ever body knows everybody. One day when I was least expecting it a special girl walked into my life.On the surface, the galaxy seems peaceful. Humankind prospers from the Capital World to the far reaches of The Corridor. But to those who can see the signs, it's clear something is wrong. Long, dark fingers are pulling strings inside the military, making clandestine deals with enemy states, and fulfilling some dark design.Calvin is an intelligence agent working for the Imperial government. He's young, his methods are unorthodox, but he gets results. So when a former military hero steals a warship and goes rogue--threatening to start a war, Calvin is sent to eliminate him.But as he chases his prey across the stars, he realizes they are both pawns in a shadowy chess game that shakes kingdoms, divides empires, and threatens civilization everywhere. And if he is to uncover the mystery and expose the conspiracy he must confront--and embrace--the darkest elements of the galaxy and throw himself, his career, and everyone he loves into the line of fire.

When celebrity sidekick Stacey Blyth gets her memoirs serialised, everyone’s intrigued. The scrawny blonde says she's the heir to an immense oil fortune - but a sceptical tabloid hack who thought she was Stacey’s biographer remains sceptical. Her remembrances of their time together, spent piecing together Ms Blyth’s murky past, don’t exactly tally with the excerpts in the papers...When celebrity sidekick Stacey Blyth gets her memoirs serialised, everyone’s intrigued – what’s so special about this scrawny blonde? The answer: she’s the heir to an immense oil fortune. Or so she says... A tabloid hack who befriended her on the showbiz circuit is sceptical – she thought she was Stacey’s biographer, and her remembrances of their time together, piecing together Ms Blyth’s murky past, don’t exactly tally with the excerpts in the papers. So is Stacey Blyth really the richest girl in the world, or an absolute fabulist?

When 15 year old Jonathan Peters falls in love for the first time, it is as unwelcome as it is unexpected because he falls in love with another boy. As his love deepens, his internal struggle with being homosexual spills into the open, impacting on his relationships with family, friends and teachers, who must all adjust their ambitions for him and the way they relate to himOut: A Schoolboy’s TaleWhen 15 year old Jonathan Peters falls in love for the first time, it is as unwelcome as it is unexpected because he falls in love with another boy. As his love deepens, his internal struggle with being homosexual spills into the open, impacting on his relationships with family, friends and teachers, who must all adjust their ambitions for him and the way they relate to him.

Zack Robenstein is an eligible bachelor, a multimillionaire playboy who never has to remember the name of his ex-girlfriend. His single status changes after he falls in love with Sara Aaland his secretary. Sara is not what she seems she has a secret which she has been hiding from everyone,Will love be enough for them to be able to share their secrets?Zack Robenstein is an eligible bachelor, a multimillionaire playboy who never has to remember the name of his ex-girlfriend. His single status changes after he falls in love with Sara Aaland his secretary. Sara is not what she seems she has a secret which she has been hiding from everyone, Lovers share all their secrets. Will love be enough for her to be able to share it with Zack? What will be her reaction when she comes to know of the secret Zack has been hiding from everyone? Filled with twists and suspense this romantic journey will show you that love is worth fighting for.