The Wonder Spot

      Melissa Bank
     The Wonder Spot

Melissa Bank's runaway bestseller, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, charmed readers and critics alike with its wickedly insightful, tender look at a young woman's forays into love, work, and friendship. Now, with The Wonder Spot, Bank is back with her signature combination of devilishly self-deprecating humor, seriousness and wisdom.Nothing comes easily to Sophie Applebaum, the black sheep of her family trying to blend in with the herd. Uneasily situated between two brothers, Sophie first appears as the fulcrum and observer of her clan in "Boss of the World." Then, at college, in "The Toy Bar," she faces a gauntlet of challenges as Best Friend to the dramatic and beautiful Venice Lambourne, curator of "perfect things." In her early twenties, Sophie is dazzled by the possibilities of New York City during the Selectric typewriter era—only to land solidly back in Surrey, PA after her father's death. The Wonder Spot follows Sophie's quest for her own identity—who she is, what she loves, whom she loves, and occasionally whom she feels others should love—over the course of 25 years. In an often-disappointing world, Sophie listens closely to her own heart. And when she experiences her 'Aha!' moments—her own personal wonder spots—it's the real thing. In this tremendous follow-up to The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing, Bank again shares her vast talent for capturing a moment, taking it to heart, and giving it back to her readers.

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    The Fourth Ruby

      James R. Hannibal
     The Fourth Ruby

Jack and Gwen are back in this dynamic follow-up to The Lost Property Office.It's been a year since Jack Buckles discovered the Keep beneath Baker Street, an underground tower no Section Thirteen was ever supposed to see; a year since his dad fell into a coma. Nothing has been the same since. Jack's tracker abilities are on the fritz, Gwen's not speaking to him and, what's worse, there's a pounding voice in his head calling for "the flame." Jack and Gwen are framed for the theft of a historic crown jewel—the Black Prince's Ruby, one of three cursed rubies said to bring knowledge, loyalty, and the command of nations to whomever wields them all. Now, they must retrieve the other jewels before the true thief does, or risk unleashing a reign of terror unlike anything history's ever seen.

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    Sora's Quest (Cat's Eye #1)

      T. L. Shreffler
     Sora's Quest (Cat's Eye #1)

A noblewoman, an assassin, and a soul-stealing necklace.... Sora planned on running away from her wedding, but she never expected to be kidnapped! Dumped into a world of magical races, arcane jewelry and forgotten lore, she finds herself at the mercy of a dangerous assassin, haunted by an even darker past. She yearns for freedom, but he won't let her go -- not when her Cat's Eye necklace is the o

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    What Could Go Wrong?

      Willo Davis Roberts
     What Could Go Wrong?

Gracie and her cousins find themselves in the midst of a summer vacation gone awry in this thrilling adventure from three-time Edgar Award–winning author Willo Davis Roberts.Everyone thinks Charlie is nothing but trouble, since bad things tend to happen whenever he's around. But Gracie knows better. Now both kids have the chance to fly with their other cousin Eddie from Seattle to San Francisco without any adults. Gracie's father isn't sure the trip is a great idea, but Gracie's not worried. What could go wrong? Then things begin to go wrong...very wrong! Is it just Charlie's bad luck following them? Or have Gracie and her cousins stumbled into something more dangerous than they could have ever imagined?

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    Chester and Gus

      Cammie McGovern
     Chester and Gus

Critically acclaimed author Cammie McGovern presents a heartwarming and humorous middle grade novel about the remarkable bond that forms between an aspiring service dog and an autistic boy in need of a friend. "Joyful, inspiring, and completely winning, Chester and Gus is unforgettable," proclaimed Katherine Applegate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Newbery Medal winner The One and Only Ivan.Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his certification test, though, it seems like that dream will never come true—until a family adopts him. They want him to be a companion for their ten-year-old son, Gus, who has autism. But Gus acts so differently than anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester, and sometimes he doesn't even want Chester in the room. Chester's not sure how to help Gus since this isn't exactly the job he trained for—but he's determined to figure it out. Because after all, Gus is...

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    Lady Gregory's Toothbrush

      Colm Toibin
     Lady Gregory's Toothbrush

'It is the battle between those who use a toothbrush and those who don't.' So wrote Augusta Gregory to W.B. Yeats; she was referring to the riots at the Abbey Theatre over The Playboy of the Western World, and she knew which side she was on. In this remarkable biographical essay, Colm Toibin examines the contradictions that defined the position of this essential figure in Irish cultural history, The wife of a landlord and MP who had been personally responsible for introducing measures that compounded the misery of the Irish peasantry during the Great Famine, Lady Gregory devoted much of her creative energy to idealizing the same peasantry — while never abandoning the aristocratic hauteur, the social connections or the great house which her birth and marriage had bequeathed her. Early in her writing life, her politics were staunchly unionist — yet she campaigned for the freedom of Egypt from colonial rule. Later she wrote plays celebrating rebellion, but trembled in...

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    About Face

      Donna Leon
     About Face

At a dinner party given by his parents-in-law, Commissario Brunetti meets Franca Marinello, the wife of a prosperous Venetian businessman. He's charmed - perhaps too charmed, suggests his wife Paola - by her love of Virgil and Cicero, but shocked by her appearance. A few days later, Brunetti is visited by Carabinieri Maggior Filippo Guarino from the nearby city of Marghera. As part of a wider investigation into Mafia takeovers of businesses in the region, Guarino wants information about the owner of a trucking company who was found murdered in his office. He believes the man's death is connected to the illegal transportation of refuse - and more sinister material - in his company's trucks. No stranger to mutual suspicion and competition between rival Italian police departments, Brunetti is nevertheless puzzled by the younger man's behaviour.Eventually Guarino agrees to email a photo of his suspect, but by the time the photograph arrives,...

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    Black Jade

      Kylie Chan
     Black Jade

The epic conclusion to the Celestial Battle trilogy from the bestselling author of WHITE TIGER. The Heavenly defenses struggle to hold against the combined might of the Eastern and Western demon hordes. The God of War Xuan Wu is now at full strength - but is his might enough to safeguard the realm when half the Heavens are already in their hands? John and Emma fight a last-ditch desperate struggle to conserve their kingdom and their protect their families as everything around them falls apart.

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