As noted by Quill & Quire, Frances Itani is an award-winning writer. Most recently, she won the Tilden/Saturday Night/CBC Literary Award for two consecutive years; an impressive feat as the stories are submitted to the jurors for evaluation anonymously. Now, Itani expands her control of the short story medium, with her new novel, Leaning, Leaning Over Water, a series of connected short stories.Almost all the narration is by Trude, the middle child of the King family. She has been told that her position in the family makes her the family collector and teller of stories. The stories she recounts crystallize crucial moments during the life of her family, the people around them, and the social climate of pre-Quiet Revolution Quebec.The stories begin after the father has moved his family to a rural area on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River, where he has taken a job painting fleur-de-lis on tin trays in a nearby factory. For the children this means they grow up in delightful wilderness surrounded by people and customs which are completely new, but leaves their English speaking, non-swimming mother in isolation. The family is cut off from much of the world, but there is much of the world around them. They learn of their individuality through the cultural differences they find between themselves and their nearest neighbours, the Roman Catholic family down the way. They learn about sex and despair first hand through the few adults around them. And they are constantly exposed to life and death, and miracles through their constant contact with the river itself.The Ottawa River (the "water" referred to in the title) borders the King family abode and wends its way through every story in the novel -- always rushing past, bringing with it joys and sorrows, its power never to be underestimated, nor taken lightly -- underscoring the frailty of life lived on its banks.

"A feverishly paced action adventure" (The New York Times) about a long-lost Shakespeare work and a killer who reenacts the Bard's most bloody murdersJennifer Lee Carrell's highly acclaimed debut novel is a brilliant, breathlessly paced literary adventure. The action begins on the eve of the Globe's production of Hamlet when Shakespeare scholar and theater director Kate Stanley's eccentric mentor Rosalind Howard gives her a mysterious box, claiming to have made a groundbreaking discovery. Before she can reveal it to Kate, the Globe is burned to the ground and Roz is found dead...murdered precisely in the manner of Hamlet's father.Inside the box Kate finds the first piece in a Shakespearean puzzle, setting her on a deadly, highstakes treasure hunt. From London to Harvard to the American West, Kate races to evade a killer and solve a tantalizing string of clues hidden in the words of Shakespeare, which may unlock one of history's greatest secrets.

The party was at her house. The photos were posted to her Facebook account. That's all the evidence anyone needed to condemn Nikki Baylor for a cyberbullying incident that humiliated a classmate and nearly resulted in the girl's suicide. Now Nikki's been expelled from her old school, her friends have abandoned her, and even her own parents can't look her in the eye. With her plans for the future all but destroyed, Nikki resigns herself to being the girl everyone hates - almost as much as she hates herself. But then Nikki meets Pax, a spirited wheelchair rugby player who knows what it's like when one mistake completely shatters your life. Refusing to judge her because of her past, he shows her that everyone deserves a second chance... and everyone deserves to be loved.

The stunning sequel -and conclusion-to Sarah Crossan's Breathe. A haunting and provocative dystopian adventure in which three teens confront danger, uncertainty, and the yearning to live-and breathe-freely. For fans of Veronica Roth and Patrick Ness.What would you do if you were desperate? Bea, Alina, and Quinn are outlaws. They started a rebellion and have been thrown out of the pod-the only place where there's enough air to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. What will they find, now that they are refugees in the perilous Outlands? Their final safe haven may be harboring dark secrets. But together, the three teens find the will to keep fighting, to save one another, and to break free from everything that's holding them back. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, shattered society, and brought to life three heartbreakingly relatable teenagers who come into their own. A wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel. Sarah Crossan is the author of Breathe. She has taught high school English and creative writing, and has also been a freelance magazine writer, a book reviewer, and an educational writer. She lives in New Jersey.@sarahcrossanhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Crossan/266594186686482www.sarahcrossan.com

Deadly power lurks beneath Marina’s skin, wildness, a magical creature born of fire and ice. Crossing dimensions to the Dragon Lands where she is a Princess and descendant from a powerful Phoenix, Marina has chosen to enter the tournament Aver to win the Frost Wreath. She must conquer four savage quests to be crowned Queen of the Ice Realm and win the right to hunt her mate, Dragon King Koen Raad. Assassination attempts, a growing darkness in her adopted son, and the bloodthirsty quests of Aver itself. Marina's chances of survival grow dimmer by the day.

Romance > HumorKat Larson never intended to fall in love online. Then she met Nick Appelby.To outsiders their relationship seems doomed. Nick is a sophisticated, wealthy, and athletic writer who lives in London. Kat is an overweight PR assistant from Tennessee. But Kat is deeply and profoundly in love, and she'll do anything to keep Nick. So in a moment of panic, Kat lies to about her weight, pretending to be a slim and fit size 4 with a "flat stomach." She's terrified of what will happen when Nick learns the truth.Kat’s prayers are answered when she lands a spot on a new American reality show called “From Fat to Fabulous.” Now a team of nutritionists, personal trainers, and professional stylists will attempt to make Kat over into a more glamorous (and much skinnier) version of herself while a camera crew documents the process. Kat is elated! All she has to do is postpone meeting Nick until she's undergone her "fabulous" transformation; then they'll live together happily ever after.Or so that's the plan. The reality might prove to be a little different....

In the future computer enhancements are the only way to keep up with the pace of development and ever increasing work demands. When our character can't keep up he is removed from his job and his home and sent to a work camp outside the metro. His efforts at improving his work performance lead to the modification of an android work 'companion' and a near disaster which only makes things worse.

SUMMARY: The success of the Battletech TV series, comic books, and toys has led to a huge demand for the Battletech books. In this second book of the trilogy, the Clans have wreaked destruction across the Inner Sphere, forcing the Five Successor Houses to accept an uneasy alliance.

When the Magic Wagon comes to town, folks get a genuine medicine show that includes a wrestling ape, fancy shooting, and a peek at the petrified body of Wild Bill Hickok himself. They also get bottles of a whiskey-laced elixir to drown their aches and pains. Old Albert drives the wagon, a rawboned youngster named Buster Fogg does the odd jobs, and "champion" trick shooter Billy Bob Daniels.