The Final Showdown

      Jude Watson
$value['title']

An old enemy emerges for one last battle. A rivalry takes a life-changing turn. A Jedi Master loses his hold on his apprentice. The starling conclusion to the Jedi Quest series. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are closer than ever to capturing their fiercest rival, the mysterious Granta Omega. But in order to do it, Anakin will have to betray one of his fellow apprentices . . . and Obi-Wan will be pushed farther than he's ever gone before in his search for justice - and revenge. This is a book every Star Wars fan will have to own.

Read online

  • 1 222

    The Language of Solitude

      Jan-Philipp Sendker
$value['title']

This "vivid, fascinating, and haunting look at today's China" (Library Journal, starred review) and highly anticipated sequel to the "darkly beautiful, heart-wrenching" (Booklist) Whispering Shadows features a brooding German-American expat who is struggling to begin a new life—only to find himself embroiled in an investigation that could have dangerous environmental and personal consequences.Paul Leibovitz is determined to turn over a new leaf in Hong Kong and find peace after the death of his son. He believes that his love for Christine Wu will bring him the joy he desperately needs—but things change when Christine gets an unexpected letter from Da Long, the brother she hasn't seen in forty years, urging her to visit him in his remote village outside of Shanghai. Paul is compelled to travel with her, knowing full well that the mainland, with all of its menacing secrets, terrifies her. After an awkward reunion with her brother,...

Read online

  • 1 222

    Fire World

      Chris D'Lacey
$value['title']

After destroying a trace of dark fire, David, Zanna, and the Pennykettle dragons vanished. In a brand-new world, Co:per:nica, which runs parallel to that of Crescent Lane, firebirds roam the ancient librarium, a museum for books. But when 12-year-old David and Rosanna accidentally injure one of the firebirds, they are suddenly thrust into a remarkable adventure. The evil Ix have taken over one of the firebirds, turning it to the side of darkness, but the birds have a secret: They know about the existence of dragons. And from across the universe, one may come to their aid....

Read online

  • 1 222

    Lion Eyes

      Jennifer Ashley
$value['title']

Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to drive. Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all, wears no Collar … Seamus McGuire fears he’s gone crazy—feral—and become a killer. His only hope of getting away from the hunters and police on his tail is Bree, a human woman who not only knows a lot about Shifters but has great compassion for them. Things are more complicated than they seem, however. Seamus is on a mission, to protect those in his care after the destruction of Kendrick’s compound of un-Collared Shifters. Seamus must keep it together and keep his charges hidden, but at the same time, he’s pulled to Bree as he’s never been pulled to a woman before. He needs to prove he’s innocent and not crazy before it’s too late for himself, Bree, and those he’s vowed to protect. Lion Eyes debuted in the boxed set Dark and Damaged, in June 2015, then released on its own in print, e-book, and audio in late July 2015.

Read online

  • 1 222

    Cards of Grief

      Jane Yolen
$value['title']

An alien civilization is forever changed by the incursion of human social scientists—and an ancient prophecy—in this award-winning novel. The year is 2132 when members of the Anthropologist’s Guild set down on the planet Henderson’s IV, or L’Lal’lor as it is known to the native population. Charged with the nonintrusive study of alien cultures, the crew discovers a society containing no love or laughter. It is, instead, centered around death—a world of aristocratic and common folk in which grieving is an art and the cornerstone of life. But the alien civilization stands on the brink of astonishing change, heralded by the discovery of Linni, the Gray Wanderer, a young woman from the countryside whose arrival has been foretold for centuries. And for Anthropologist First Class Aaron Spenser, L’Lal’lor is a place of destructive temptations, seducing him with its mysterious, sad beauty, and leading him into an unthinkable criminal act. Told from the shifting viewpoints of characters both alien and human, and through records of local lore and transcripts of court martial proceedings, Cards of Grief is a thoughtful, lyrical, and spellbinding tale of first contact. It is a true masterwork of world building from Jane Yolen, a premier crafter of speculative fiction and fantasy. This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

Read online

  • 1 222

    Brush of Wings

      Karen Kingsbury
$value['title']

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes the third novel in the unforgettable Angels Walking series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life for a group of friends. Despite needing a heart transplant and against the advice of her doctor, Mary Catherine moves to Uganda to work at a brand new orphanage. Whatever time she has left, Mary Catherine wants to spend it helping children—especially since there will be no children of her own. The only problem is Major League Baseball player Marcus Dillinger, the man she never meant to fall in love with. Neither Marcus nor Mary Catherine’s other friends—Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson—know just how serious her heart condition is. Still, Marcus is sure in the depths of his soul that something isn’t right. Ultimately his correspondence with Mary Catherine leads him on a desperate life-or-death mission to rescue her and get her to a US hospital before time runs out. Meanwhile, Sami and Tyler struggle with issues of their own. In a season when Tyler plans to ask Sami to marry him, the very core of their relationship is in jeopardy. The team of angels walking is busier than ever in this epic battle between life and death. A Brush of Wings is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of faith.

Read online

  • 1 222

    Tipperary: A Novel of Ireland

      Frank Delaney
$value['title']

“My wooing began in passion, was defined by violence and circumscribed by land; all these elements molded my soul.” So writes Charles O’Brien, the unforgettable hero of bestselling author Frank Delaney’s extraordinary new novel–a sweeping epic of obsession, profound devotion, and compelling history involving a turbulent era that would shape modern Ireland.  Born into a respected Irish-Anglo family in 1860, Charles loves his native land and its long-suffering but irrepressible people. As a healer, he travels the countryside dispensing traditional cures while soaking up stories and legends of bygone times–and witnessing the painful, often violent birth of land-reform measures destined to lead to Irish independence. At the age of forty, summoned to Paris to treat his dying countryman–the infamous Oscar Wilde–Charles experiences the fateful moment of his life. In a chance encounter with a beautiful and determined young Englishwoman, eighteen-year-old April Burke, he is instantly and passionately smitten–but callously rejected. Vowing to improve himself, Charles returns to Ireland, where he undertakes the preservation of the great and abandoned estate of Tipperary, in whose shadow he has lived his whole life–and which, he discovers, may belong to April and her father. As Charles pursues his obsession, he writes the “History” of his own life and country. While doing so, he meets the great figures of the day, including Charles Parnell, William Butler Yeats, and George Bernard Shaw. And he also falls victim to less well-known characters–who prove far more dangerous. Tipperary also features a second “historian:” a present-day commentator, a retired and obscure history teacher who suddenly discovers that he has much at stake in the telling of Charles’s story. In this gloriously absorbing and utterly satisfying novel, a man’s passion for the woman he loves is twinned with his country’s emergence as a nation. With storytelling as sweeping and dramatic as the land itself, myth, fact, and fiction are all woven together with the power of the great nineteenth-century novelists. Tipperary once again proves Frank Delaney’s unrivaled mastery at bringing Irish history to life. Praise for Frank Delaney’s TIPPERARY: “[T]he narrative moves swiftly and surely…A sort of Irish Gone With the Wind, marked by sly humor, historical awareness and plenty of staying power.” — *Kirkus Reviews “[A]nother meticulously researched journey…Delaney’s careful scholarship and compelling storytelling bring it uniquely alive. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal* (starred) “Sophisticated and creative.” — Booklist “Delaney’s confident storytelling and quirky characterizations enrich a fascinating and complex period of Irish history.” — Publishers Weekly “Read just a few sentences of Frank Delaney’s writing and you’ll see why National Public Radio called him ‘the world’s most eloquent man.’” — Kirkus Reviews, “Big Book Guide 2007”** From the Hardcover edition.

Read online

  • 1 222

    Don't Ask My Neighbor

      Kristofer Clarke
$value['title']

Samantha Wells loved and honored, but what she did best is betray. Her final act brings her face to face with Ryle Lucas. She came into in his life, not once, but twice, and like she did his and the lives of many after him, she left them wondering how or why they had succumb to her—allowing her beauty to blind them to the evil ways she had so eloquently crafted. She treated the men who came into her life like the welcome mat at her front door. She displayed her good girl image to get what she wanted, and then played dirty when what she wanted no longer included them. Now with her sights on eligible bachelor and successful attorney J.B. Graybourne, Samantha, who had seemingly buried her checkered past, must try to keep the truth from destroying the life she thinks she deserves. She is ready to shelve her bad girl image for good, but one woman, and Samantha's colorful past, stands in the way of her happily ever after. Samantha might not be the only good girl who has gone bad, and her fate may no longer be in her own hands. Jelani Graybourne has his reasons for leading the single, bachelor life. The last time he allowed someone to take him off the market, he was left standing with his heart in his hand, and a bag of lies to sift through. Since then, he took a vow he’s been able to stick to, never letting another disrupt his life. Then he met Samantha Wells. After letting his guard down, Jelani found himself poised to make another trip to holy matrimony, until the enigma that is Samantha began to unravel before him. With her lies surfacing, Jelani is willing to give Samantha an out, but what he knows might not be the root of her evils. Is Samantha’s world with Jelani about to end, or will he allow her to conceal her deceptions and achieve her ultimate goal?

Read online

  • 1 222

    The Jagged Orbit

      John Brunner
$value['title']

Matthew Flamen, the last of the networks' spoolpigeons, is desperate for a big story. He needs it to keep his audience and his job. And there is no shortage of possibilities: the Gottschalk cartel is fomenting trouble among the knees in order to sell their latest armaments to the blanks; which ties in nicely with the fact that something big is brewing with the X Patriots; and it looks as if the inconceivable is about to happen and that one of Britain's most dangerous revolutionaries is going to be given a visa to enter America. And then there's the story that just falls into his lap. The one that suggests that the respected Director of the New York State Mental Hospital is a charlatan... John Brunner's brilliant and scathing vision of a society disintegrating under the impact of violence, drugs, high-level corruption and the casual institutionalization of the 'insane' was a powerful and important statement in 1969. It remains a compelling and chilling tour de force three decades on.

Read online

  • 1 222

    Starlings

      Jo Walton
$value['title']

An intimate first flight of short fiction from award-winning novelist Jo Walton (Among Others, The King’s Peace). A strange Eritrean coin travels from lovers to thieves, gathering stories before meeting its match. Google becomes sentient and proceeds toward an existential crisis. An idealistic dancer on a generation ship makes an impassioned plea for creativity and survival. Three Irish siblings embark on an unlikely quest, stealing enchanted items via bad poetry, trickery, and an assist from the Queen of Cats. With these captivating initial glimpses into her storytelling psyche, Jo Walton shines through subtle myths and wholly reinvented realities. Through eclectic stories, subtle vignettes, inspired poetry, and more, Walton soars with humans, machines, and magic—rising from the everyday into the universe itself.

Read online

  • 1 222

    The Gathering Storm

      Robin Bridges
$value['title']

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue. An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn. The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Read online

  • 1 221

    The Broken Bridge

      Philip Pullman
$value['title']

At 16, Ginny finds that her love of painting connects her to the artistic Haitian mother she never knew and eases the isolation she feels as the only mixed-race teen in her Welsh village. When she learns she has a half-brother by her father's first marriage, her world is shattered. Ginny embarks on a quest for the truth that will allow her to claim her artistic heritage—and face her father.

Read online

  • 1 221

    Lizzie Leigh

      Elizabeth Gaskell
$value['title']

A poignant tale about illicit love, regret ending in delight. It deals with the story of a young girl Lizzie who commits a sin and its repercussions. Gaskell brilliantly portraits the deep and true relations of a family and ends the story with a moving reunion. Touching and emotional!

Read online

  • 1 221

    The Hunt (A Chilling Vampire Short Story)

      J. Thorn
$value['title']

The night brings more than darkness after the Fall. With her fangs bared, Tilla attacks a camp of savages until a mysterious young girl emerges from the wrecked, post-apocalyptic landscape. The Hunt was originally published as Retrograde and won first prize in the 2009 Boutique du Vampyre Short Story Contest."Thorn is the new, fresh face in horror and dark fantasy."JA Konrath (aka Jack Kilborn)"J. doesn't mess around, he jumps right into the action and delivers an inventive blend of genres."Scott Nicholson, bestselling author of the AFTER series"Thorn brings an intelligence and thoughtfulness to horror. Someone who treats the genre, and its readers, with the respect they deserve."David Wright, co-author of the bestselling horror and sci-fi Yesterday's Gone series"J. Thorn's dark visions make his novels a must for bookshelves of any fan of horror and fantasy fiction."Craig DiLouie, author of SUFFER THE CHILDREN

Read online

  • 1 221

    Bouvard and Pecuchet

      Gustave Flaubert
$value['title']

Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas, Corneille, Racine, Voltaire, Balzac, George Sand. Quiseram saber tudo sobre o amor, o sujeito filosófico, a política, o socialismo, o belo, a estética, o sublime, a escrita, Deus, a Bíblia, a educação. Apaixonaram-se, mas as mulheres revoltavam-nos. Quiseram saber tudo sobre tudo - "mas não tardaram a aborrecer-se, porque os seus espíritos precisavam de um trabalho, as suas vidas de um objectivo", escreve o autor. Flaubert explicou um dia, numa carta a Adèle Perrot, que "Bouvard e Pécuchet" seria "uma enciclopédia da estupidez humana - verá que o sujeito é ilimitado". Mas o autor de "Madame Bovary" não chegou a terminar esta obra, publicada postumamente. Metódico e disciplinado, deixou um plano escrito sobre como deveria acabar o romance. São essas explicações que vêm no final do livro, três páginas de tópicos sobre os destinos dos dois amigos. Aí se verá que a obra é fascinante - não é só um retrato da superficialidade dos conhecimentos, mas uma dura denúncia das banalidades da vida intelectual francesa. Numa carta a Ivan Turgueniev, em Agosto de 1874, Flaubert escreveu: "Parece-me que vou embarcar numa viagem enorme por regiões desconhecidas e de que não voltarei mais." Era mesmo verdade. “O estilo está antes sob as palavras do que nelas.”

Read online

  • 1 221

    Flow Down Like Silver: Hypatia of Alexandria

      Ki Longfellow
$value['title']

Ki Longfellow, author of the acclaimed The Secret Magdalene, has now written the astonishing life of Hypatia, famed throughout the Mediterranean world, a beauty and a genius, yet for 17 centuries ignored by history. As the Roman Empire fights for its life and emerging Christianity fights for our souls, Hypatia is the last great voice of reason. A woman of sublime intelligence, Hypatia ranks above not only all women, but all men. Hypatia dazzled the world with her brilliance, was courted by men of every persuasion and was considered the leading philosopher and mathematician of her age...yet her mathematics, her inventions, the very story of her life in all its epic and dramatic intensity, has gone untold. A heart-breaking love story, an heroic struggle against intolerance, a tragedy and a triumph, Hypatia walks through these pages fully realized while all around her Egypt's Alexandria, the New York City of its day, strives to remain a beacon of light in a darkening world.

Read online

  • 1 221

    Hey Rube: Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness: Modern History From the ESPN.com Sports Desk

      Hunter S. Thompson
$value['title']

SPORTS, POLITICS, AND SEX COLLIDE IN HUNTER S. THOMPSON'S WILDLY POPULAR ESPN.COM COLUMNS. Insightful, incendiary, outrageously brilliant, such was the man who galvanized American journalism with his radical ideas and gonzo tactics. For over half a century, Hunter S. Thompson devastated his readers with his acerbic wit and uncanny grasp of politics and history. His reign as "The Unabomber of contemporary letters" (Time) is more legendary than ever with Hey Rube. Fear, greed, and action abound in this hilarious, thought-provoking compilation as Thompson doles out searing indictments and uproarious rants while providing commentary on politics, sex, and sports—at times all in the same column. With an enlightening foreword by ESPN executive editor John Walsh, critics' favorites, and never-before-published columns, Hey Rube follows Thompson through the beginning of the new century, revealing his queasiness over the 2000 election ("rigged and fixed from the start"); his take on professional sports (to improve Major League Baseball "eliminate the pitcher"); and his myriad controversial opinions and brutally honest observations on issues plaguing America―including the Bush administration and the inequities within the American judicial system. Hey Rube gives us a lasting look at the gonzo journalist in his most organic form―unbridled, astute, and irreverent.

Read online

  • 1 221

    Lifeguard

      James Patterson
$value['title']

**The danger isn't in the water. Working as a lifeguard at a Florida resort, Ned Kelly meets a woman he is wild about, the woman of his dreams. It feels perfect in every way - except that she is used to caviar and Manolo Blahniks, and he is used to burgers and flip-flops. She is a guest at the luxurious hotel - he lives above a garage. So when Ned's cousin offers to cut him in on a rich deal he's been commissioned to execute, Ned can't turn him down. The plan is simple, just a fast break-and-enter. The risk is high, and the reward is even greater--$5 million. But on the night of the heist, something goes devastatingly wrong. Who will save the lifeguard? Ned walks away from his job, his town, and the woman he's fallen in love with. Runs away, actually, knowing that only velocity and secrecy can save his life. But who is pursuing him? The FBI? Whoever sabotaged the heist? Or is it all somehow tied into his new love - and his oldest enemies?**

Read online

  • 1 221

    The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

      Alexander McCall Smith
$value['title']

The eighth installment in the universally beloved, internationally bestselling series. In the life of Mma Ramotswe – a woman duly proud of her fine traditional build – there is rarely a dull moment, and in her newest round of adventures, challenges and intrigues, the same certainly holds true. But one thing above all else is keeping her occupied – her estimable husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. He has been hinting for some time now that he intends to do something special for their adopted daughter, Motholeli, and it seems that the time for this good deed has come. Of course, good deed or not, his plan is bound to hit some snags. And that’s when he will undoubtedly consider himself doubly – perhaps even triply – lucky to be married to the ever-resourceful, ever-understanding Precious Ramotswe. From the Hardcover edition.

Read online

  • 1 221

    The High Druid of Shannara Trilogy

      Terry Brooks
$value['title']

The complete three-book series In one handsome collector’s edition hardcover, here are all three novels that comprise Terry Brooks’s bestselling High Druid of Shannara trilogy—Jarka Ruus, Tanequil, and Straken. These thrilling novels demonstrate this acclaimed author’s magic of invention and mastery of storytelling. Twenty years have passed since Grianne Ohmsford denounced her former life as the dreaded Ilse Witch. Fulfilling the destiny predicted for her, she has established the Third Druid Council and dedicated herself to its goals of peace and defense of the Four Lands. But the intrigue, treachery, and sinister deeds that have haunted Druid history for generations continue to thrive. And despite her devotion to the greater good as Ard Rhys, the High Druid of Paranor, Grianne still has bitter enemies who will stop at nothing to see her deposed—or destroyed. As wicked plots are hatched, the Ard Rhys suddenly disappears in the dead of night and without a trace. Now, barely a step ahead of the malevolent forces at work, Grianne’s brave nephew, Pen Ohmsford, embarks on a dangerous mission to find and deliver the High Druid of Shannara from wherever she may be held. With no shortage of adventure, exhilaration, suspense, and enchantment, the High Druid of Shannara trilogy proves why Terry Brooks is one of the most beloved fantasy authors of all time. From the Hardcover edition.

Read online

  • 1 221

    Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester

      Alfred Bester
$value['title']

Alfred Bester took science fiction into hyperdrive, endowing it with a wit, speed, and narrative inventiveness that have inspired two generations of writers. And nowhere is Bester funnier, speedier, or more audacious than in these seventeen short stories—two of them previously unpublished—that have now been brought together in a single volume for the first time. Read about the sweet-natured young man whose phenomenal good luck turns out to be disastrous for the rest of humanity. Find out why tourists are flocking to a hellish little town in a post-nuclear Kansas. Meet a warlock who practices on Park Avenue and whose potions comply with the Pure Food and Drug Act. Make a deal with the Devil—but not without calling your agent. Dazzling, effervescent, sexy, and sardonic, Virtual Unrealities is a historic collection from one of science fiction's true pathbreakers. CONTENTS: Disappearing Act Oddy and Id Star Light, Star Bright (1953) 5,271,009 (1954) Fondly Fahrenheit (1954) Hobson's Choice (1952) Of Time and Third Avenue (1952) Time is the Traitor (1953) The Men Who Murdered Mohammed (1958) The Pi Man (1959) They Don't Make Life Like They Used To (1963) Will You Wait? (1959) The Flowered Thundermug (1964) Adam and No Eve (1941) And 3 1/2 to Go Galatea Galante (1979) The Devil Without Glasses

Read online

  • 1 221