Grunt tackles the science behind some of a soldier's most challenging adversaries—panic, exhaustion, heat, noise—and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them. Mary Roach dodges hostile fire with the U.S. Marine Corps Paintball Team as part of a study on hearing loss and survivability in combat. She visits the fashion design studio of U.S. Army Natick Labs and learns why a zipper is a problem for a sniper. She visits a repurposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for the shock and gore of combat wounds. At Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, in east Africa, we learn how diarrhea can be a threat to national security. Roach samples caffeinated meat, sniffs an archival sample of a World War II stink bomb, and stays up all night with the crew tending the missiles on the nuclear submarine USS Tennessee. She answers questions not found in any other book on the military: Why is DARPA interested in ducks? How is a wedding gown like a bomb suit? Why are shrimp more dangerous to sailors than sharks? Take a tour of duty with Roach, and you’ll never see our nation’s defenders in the same way again.

Anna Walsh is officially a wreck. Physically broken and emotionally shattered, she lies on her parents' Dublin sofa with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job In The World™ and above all, it means her husband, Aidan. But nothing in Anna's life is that simple anymore... Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical and emotional scars – but Aidan seems to have vanished. Is it time for Anna to move on? Is it even possible for her to move on? A motley group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births and one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers – and change her life forever.

A, B, C: Three Short Novels contains the first three novels of Samuel R. Delany’s long and illustrious career.   The Jewels of Aptor is a science-fantasy story about a seafaring quest that sets out to find powerful magic jewels on a mystical, forbidden island where unimaginable danger lies. The Ballad of Beta-2 is about a future academic searching for the true story behind an interstellar voyage, a journey over multiple generations that ended in tragedy. They Fly at Çiron is a fantasy about the clash between a marauding army and a peaceful village at the foot of a mountain from which a race of winged people oversees both sides. Presenting these three novels in this omnibus volume for the first time, along with a new foreword and afterword by the author, A, B, C showcases Delany’s masterful storytelling ability and deep devotion to his craft.

What's going on with the BSC? Meetings have never been like this before. Members are showing up late, arguing about jobs, even pushing to get rid of Friday meetings. Extra schoolwork is making everybody tense, too. Then a favorite sitting charge gets hurt, right under Kristy's nose. It feels like the last straw to Kristy. Maybe she's not such a good sitter--and maybe the Baby-sitters Club isn't such a great idea. But Kristy wouldn't disband the club. . .would she?

An exciting new series about those adorable pets that just won't behave--it's Marley & Me for middle-grade readers! Parker hadn't considered getting a dog, but when playful Merlin, the golden retriever, comes into his life, Parker is thrilled. The two are inseparable from day one--because whenever Parker tries to leave, Merlin escapes his fence or cage and follows him! Can anything make this loveable dog sit and STAY?

Robert E. Howard is one of the most famous and influential pulp authors of the twentieth century. Though largely known as the man who invented the sword-and-sorcery genre-and for his iconic hero Conan the Cimmerian-Howard also wrote horror tales, desert adventures, detective yarns, epic poetry, and more. This spectacular volume, gorgeously illustrated by Jim and Ruth Keegan, includes some of his best and most popular works. Inside, readers will discover (or rediscover) such gems as "The Shadow Kingdom," featuring Kull of Atlantis and considered by many to be the first sword-and-sorcery story; "The Fightin'est Pair," part of one of Howard’s most successful series, chronicling the travails of Steve Costigan, a merchant seaman with fists of steel and a head of wood; "The Grey God Passes," a haunting tale about the passing of an age, told against the backdrop of Irish history and legend; “Worms of the Earth,” a brooding narrative featuring Bran Mak Morn, about which H. P. Lovecraft said, "Few readers will ever forget the hideous and compelling power of this] macabre masterpiece"; a historical poem relating a momentous battle between Cimbri and the legions of Rome; and "Sharp's Gun Serenade," one of the last and funniest of the Breckinridge Elkins tales. These thrilling, eerie, compelling, swashbuckling stories and poems have been restored to their original form, presented just as the author intended. There is little doubt that after more than seven decades the voice of Robert E. Howard continues to resonate with readers around the world. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

“The life of a good dog is like the life of a good person, only shorter and more compressed,” writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anna Quindlen about her beloved black Labrador retriever, Beau. With her trademark wisdom and humor, Quindlen reflects on how her life has unfolded in tandem with Beau’s, and on the lessons she’s learned by watching him: to roll with the punches, to take things as they come, to measure herself not in terms of the past or the future but of the present, to raise her nose in the air from time to time and, at least metaphorically, holler, “I smell bacon!” Of the dog that once possessed a catcher’s mitt of a mouth, Quindlen reminisces, “there came a time when a scrap thrown in his direction usually bounced unseen off his head. Yet put a pork roast in the oven, and the guy still breathed as audibly as an obscene caller. The eyes and ears may have gone, but the nose was eternal. And the tail. The tail still wagged, albeit at half-staff. When it stops, I thought more than once, then we’ll know.” Heartening and bittersweet, Good Dog. Stay. honors the life of a cherished and loyal friend and offers us a valuable lesson on our four-legged family members: Sometimes an old dog can teach us new tricks. From the Hardcover edition.

Noble is a knight with a heart that's true and, well, noble. With his not-so-trusty sword, Smite, he fights his way through a vicious, unfriendly landscape, sure (or at least, he thinks he's sure) that one day he'll defeat the bad guys (whoever they are) and win the heart (at least he guesses that's the idea) of a beautiful princess. Then one day Rufus comes along and turns his world upside down. Rufus has his own ideas about how to get ahead: don't fight, negotiate! Don't play by the rules! Suddenly, life is more interesting--and less painful--than ever before. But the new rules are harder to live by than the old ones, and suddenly, it appears possible that Rufus might have an ulterior motive--at the very least! With a slippery, ever twisting plot that is set inside a very confused computer, Catherine Jinks's latest novel will pull in fans of adventure, computer games, and just plain fun. Releases simultaneously in electronic book format (ISBN 978-1-60684-284-3)

My family has secrets. I’m always the good girl, doing what’s necessary to keep my loved ones safe. I've kept the darkest secrets from everyone I know. As painful as it is to hold them all inside where they live and gnaw away at me, that’s where they must stay. I haven't seen my closest childhood friend, Christian Bear, since I was a teenager—he hasn't changed a bit. He’s still temperamental and plays by his own rules with the law following two steps behind him. Christian remembers me. But he doesn’t know the first thing about me anymore. I should've shared my feelings with him the day before I moved away with my family, promising him I'd stay in touch. It broke my heart when he didn't keep his end of the bargain. As a consequence, we haven't spoken in years. Even though Christian and I have always had undeniable chemistry, I won't let him shatter my heart a second time. Christian has shown up in my life again with secrets of his own, and demanding answers. That doesn't mean I'm willing to give them. He'll know my secrets when I’m ready. Our secrets, the risks we’re taking, and the danger he imposes make it impossible to know what our future holds. Either our tethered souls will bind back together, or our secrets will separate us forever.

Adam Levin’s debut novel The Instructions was one of the most buzzed-about books of 2010, a sprawling universe of “death-defying sentences, manic wit, exciting provocations and simple human warmth” (Rolling Stone). Now, in the stories of Hot Pink, Levin delivers ten smaller worlds, shaken snow-globes of overweight romantics, legless prodigies, quixotic dollmakers, Chicagoland thugs, dirty old men, protective fathers, balloon-laden dumptrucks, and walls that ooze gels. Told with lust and affection, karate and tenderness, slapstickery, ferocity, and heart, Hot Pink is the work of a major talent in his sharpest form. *Hot Pink comes in three resplendent colors (pink, gray and blue).

The Ministry of Serendipity at Mornington Crescent runs everything. And that is everything. When the Ministry learns of' a spacecraft that crashed four thousand years ago into the Pacific Ocean, it sends Sir John Rimmer and his elite team of' paranormal investigators to recover it. Amongst Sir John's team is Danbury Collins, and Danbury isn't keen. He's seen the movies. He knows how it works: spacecraft is brought up from the depths. Mad alien thaws out. Hell and horror all around. Thousands flee in terror. And bloody big explosion at the end. Danbury knows just what should be done. Nuke it, and nuke it now. But will anybody listen? No! Porrig has Inherited a planet or it might be a bookshop, or it might be a gateway into another world. And Porrig is worried because he has learned a terrible secret. But if he told people all about it, would they listen? No! But perhaps they should, because a spacecraft has been brought up from the depths, a mad alien has thawed out, there is hell and horror all around and thousands are fleeing In terror. And there is every likelihood of there being a bloody big explosion at the end. In this, his eighteenth novel, Robert Rankin takes a classic science fiction theme, turns it inside out and upside down and blends it with horror and humour to produce something all his own.

As lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the riffs, the lyrics, and the songs that roused the world. A true and towering original, he has always walked his own path, spoken his mind, and done things his own way. Now at last Richards pauses to tell his story in the most anticipated autobiography in decades. And what a story! Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records in a coldwater flat with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, building a sound and a band out of music they loved. Finding fame and success as a bad-boy band, only to find themselves challenged by authorities everywhere. Dropping his guitar's sixth string to create a new sound that allowed him to create immortal riffs like those in "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Falling in love with Anita Pallenberg, Brian Jones's girlfriend. Arrested and imprisoned for drug possession. Tax exile in France and recording Exile on Main Street. Ever-increasing fame, isolation, and addiction making life an ever faster frenzy. Through it all, Richards remained devoted to the music of the band, until even that was challenged by Mick Jagger's attempt at a solo career, leading to a decade of conflicts and ultimately the biggest reunion tour in history. In a voice that is uniquely and unmistakably him--part growl, part laugh--Keith Richards brings us the truest rock-and-roll life of our times, unfettered and fearless and true. Richards' rich voice introduces the audiobook edition of LIFE and leads us into Johnny Depp's performance, while fellow artist Joe Hurley bridges the long road traveled before Richards closes with the final chapter of this incredible 23-hour production, which includes a bonus PDF of photos.

At a time when the state of Poland was constantly undergoing political turmoil, Henryk Sienkiewicz wasn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. Having already achieved success in his career around the end of the 19th century, the Polish journalist negatively portrayed the Teutonic Order at a time in which his audience lived under German rule. At the same time, he meticulously included historical language in his works, a sort of celebration of authenticity and the past. He would earn a Nobel Prize in 1905 for "outstanding merits as an epic writer." Sienkiewicz mastered historical novels that vividly put readers in places as distinct as 17th century Poland and Ancient Rome. He is still well regarded today for novels like With Fire and Sword, The Deluge, Quo Vadis, and Fire in the Steppe.  

Griffins, Dragons, and BNPs (Bugs of Nightmarish Proportions). Who knew? It seemed harmless enough. See a mysterious door and step through to see what happens, right? Now stranded in a magical kingdom, husband and wife search for a way home. However, enlisting the aid of the king and queen has given them their biggest shock yet: Royal Babysitters. Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed.Dragons, griffins, and BNPs (Bugs of Nightmarish Proportions). Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined what was in store for them. After learning he had inherited an enormous mansion and a huge tract of land from a reclusive set of relatives, Steve Miller, along with his wife Sarah, decide to take a few days off to investigate their new-found fortune in the quiet resort town of northern Idaho, Coeur d’Alene. While taking inventory of the vast manor, they discover a unique set of doors on the top floor. Mistaking them to be an ornate decoration, the doors are accidentally activated, presenting the two new homeowners with a tantalizing decision: step through or ignore? No harm could possibly befall them by simply walking through an open door, right? Curiosity getting the better of them, they step through and both are sent on a one-way journey to a land of unimagined wonder! Realizing they were now stranded on a world populated with creatures that should exist only in one’s imagination, they enlist the aid of the local king and queen. Their troubles continue to escalate, however, as it is revealed their arrival had been long foretold by an ancient local prophecy, bestowing upon them the status of Royal Bodyguards to the young crown prince. Stuck on a foreign world where mythical creatures abound, trying to avoid being attacked by griffins, and hoping to impress a living, breathing dragon, the newly appointed babysitters must find a way to return home soon before harm could befall the young prince.Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed.

Setzer is bored with life after Kefka's demise. Until he meets a lady who embroils his life with mystery, passion, and a myriad of things that Lady Luck apparently doesn’t want him to have.*(PG-13; this is a work of fan-fiction; events take place after those of Final Fantasy VI)Setzer Gabbiani.Ship captain. Gambler. Lover of women and the feel of the wind in his air. Years ago he loved and lost. Determined to never again feel the agony of despair, he loves all women no matter their walk of life. But should they begin to clamor too much for his presence, he weighs anchor.Before the war he experienced a passionate affair with the region’s star of the operatic stage. After the war, the desire to re-introduce himself into her life builds . . . and then he meets fellow ship captain, Maree. Her black hair and sultry curves goad his passions to life once more, and she welcomes the intensity of his attentions.But when a friend stumbles into a dire emergency, he is thrust into the path of suspicions that lead him to an unexpected introduction.*(PG-13; this is a work of fan-fiction; events take place after those of Final Fantasy VI)

New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton return in this stunning new novel from the ?master of the medical thriller? (New York Times)?a ripped-from-the-headlines tale of an innovative doctor's dangerous downward spiral.

This spectacular collection of 13 dark, haunting tales by bestselling author Straub exposes the terrors that hide beneath the surface of the ordinary world, behind the walls of houses without doors. "Straub at his spellbinding best".--Publishers Weekly.

Wandering sea gypsy Johnny Rossendale is caught up in a series of violent events as he investigates the strange history of a painting, the most treasured part of his family's inheritance. But Johnny, Earl of Stowey, has eight centuries of robber-baron blood in his veins, all boiling for revenge.

A camp-out trip is almost spoiled by loud music and the disappearance of a lantern—and Grandfather.

Corley Brown murdered his wife and children, and it's the most gruesome crime Detective Sergeant Aaron Kincaid has ever seen. Even though Kincaid—along with everyone else—knows Brown did it, the detective isn't satisfied until he knows why. But understanding the mind of a multiple murderer may be too much for Kincaid to suffer through.Romance can be a surprise, even if you're ready for everything…Parajumper Nic D'Onofrio just buried his best friend. The motto of his rescue squad is Simpliciter Paratus: Absolutely Ready, but the only thing Nic feels ready for is vacation. After finding a damsel in distress on the side of the road, he can't help but spring into action.Julie is stranded, out of gas, and beautiful. She's also wearing her pajamas and can only remember her first name. When she won't let Nic take her to the hospital, they'll do the only logical thing: go back to his condo together.When Nic learns that Julie's family has been murdered and someone shows up looking for her, he knows this is a situation he can't handle alone. He needs the teamwork and the camaraderie of the entire Air Force 506th Rescue Squad to save the day.True Valor is the first installment in a five-book military romance series. If you like heartwarming chemistry, page-turning suspense, and wholesome romance, then you'll love this series starter.

Viv wasn't sure about the new zombie pool boy. That is, until he walked out of the shallow end... and straight into her heart!FLASH FICTION SHORT STORYJacob and Talon get a surprise when they head out to target practice. A zombie. Not a big deal in their world post-infection. But this zombie is different. And it just might change everything.This is a FLASH fiction short story. It is a prequel to the upcoming EMPTY (Evolution Zombie Book 1) coming out in July 2011. --FLASH FICTION SHORT STORY--1270 wordcount--Approximately 5 pages