Elect

      Rachel Van Dyken
     Elect

Would you die for the one you love? Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the love of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family's enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him. Trace Rooks has fallen irrevocably in love with the son of her family's sworn rival, and she knows in her bones nothing can tear them apart. Until Nix suddenly pushes her away and into the arms of his best friend... But Trace isn't ready to give up on a future with Nix--and if he won't fight for them, she will. In the end, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a life. For what better way to cover a multitude of sins than with the blood of a sinner . . .

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    Second Chance Holiday

      Aurora Rose Reynolds
     Second Chance Holiday

Mike Rouger isn't looking for love. He decided long ago that he would rather stay single than get mixed up with a woman again. Then Kathleen Mullings comes back into his life with her teenage son and changes everything. What happens when a man set in his ways meets a sassy woman who knows what she wants? Mix in the Mayson clan and the Christmas season and you’re sure to enjoy the ride of Second Chance Holiday.

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    My Brief History

      Stephen Hawking
     My Brief History

**NATIONAL BESTSELLER Stephen Hawking has dazzled readers worldwide with a string of bestsellers exploring the mysteries of the universe. Now, for the first time, perhaps the most brilliant cosmologist of our age turns his gaze inward for a revealing look at his own life and intellectual evolution. My Brief History recounts Stephen Hawking’s improbable journey, from his postwar London boyhood to his years of international acclaim and celebrity. Lavishly illustrated with rarely seen photographs, this concise, witty, and candid account introduces readers to a Hawking rarely glimpsed in previous books: the inquisitive schoolboy whose classmates nicknamed him Einstein; the jokester who once placed a bet with a colleague over the existence of a particular black hole; and the young husband and father struggling to gain a foothold in the world of physics and cosmology. Writing with characteristic humility and humor, Hawking opens up about the challenges that confronted him following his diagnosis of ALS at age twenty-one. Tracing his development as a thinker, he explains how the prospect of an early death urged him onward through numerous intellectual breakthroughs, and talks about the genesis of his masterpiece A Brief History of Time—one of the iconic books of the twentieth century. Clear-eyed, intimate, and wise, My Brief History opens a window for the rest of us into Hawking’s personal cosmos.

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    Because of Anya

      Margaret Peterson Haddix
     Because of Anya

Ten-year-old girls don't wear wigs. So why is Anya wearing one? That's what Keely wants to know. But when Anya's wig falls off in front of the whole class, Keely realizes what she really wants is to help Anya, even though she's not sure how--and even though it means she'll have to do something she's afraid of: stand up to her friends.      As for Anya, she just wants her hair to grow back, but no one can tell her whether it ever will. How can she learn to accept her disease when she can't even look in the mirror?

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    Death in Midsummer and Other Stories

      Yukio Mishima
     Death in Midsummer and Other Stories

Recognized throughout the world for his brilliance as a novelist and playwright, Yukio Mishima is also noted as a master of the short story in his native Japan, where the form is practiced as a major art. Nine of his finest stories were selected by Mishima himself for translation in this book; they represent his extraordinary ability to depict, with deftness and penetration, a wide variety of human beings in moments of significance. Often his characters are sophisticated modern Japanese who turn out to be not so liberated from the past as they had thought. In the title story, "Death in Midsummer," which is set at a beach resort, a triple tragedy becomes a cloud of doom that requires exorcising. In another, "Patriotism," a young army officer and his wife choose a way of vindicating their belief in ancient values that is as violent as it is traditional; it prefigured his own death by seppuku in November 1970. There is a story in which the sad truth of the relationship between a businessman and his former mistress is revealed through a suggestion of the unknown, and another in which a working-class couple, touching in their simple love for each other, pursue financial security by rather shocking means. Also included is one of Mishima's "modern Nō plays," remarkable for the impact which its brevity and uncanny intensity achieve. The English versions have been done by four outstanding translators: Donald Keene, Ivan Morris, Geoffrey Sargent, and Edward Seidensticker. Photograph on back cover by T. Kamiya; cover design by David Ford

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    Running Mate

      Katie Ashley
     Running Mate

Barrett The name’s Barrett Callahan. Yeah, that Barrett Callahan—the one the press dubbed “Bare” after those naked sexting pictures surfaced. At twenty-five, I was armed with an MBA from Harvard, an executive position at my father’s Fortune 500 company, a penthouse, and a different piece of delectable eye candy in my bed every weekend. I had a life most men dreamed of. But then my father decided to run for president, and my playboy lifestyle became a liability to his campaign that was built on family values. My “makeover” comes in the form of a fake fiancée who I don't even get to choose--one who is an uptight, choirgirl acting priss but also sexy-as-hell. Addison My latest relationship had gone down in flames, and I was drowning in a sea of student loans when in true Godfather status, James Callahan made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Seven figures for seven months on the campaign trail pretending to be the adoring fiancée of his son, Barrett. As soon as he won the election, our engagement would be dissolved amicably for the press, I was free to ride off into the sunset a million dollars richer, and because of the NDA, no one would be the wiser. Sure, I’d never met the guy, but I’d been a theater nerd in high school. I could pull off any role from Lady Macbeth to Maria Von Trapp. But that was before I met my fake fiancé—the infuriating, self-absorbed, egotistical, drop-dead-sexy King of the Manwhores. The race will be a fight to the death finish, and that’s not even the actual campaign.

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    In Fire Forged

      David Weber
     In Fire Forged

Honor Harrington is arguably the most popular character in modern science fiction, but there are many other stories in the Honorverse besides those in which she has the central role. This fifth volume in the popular Worlds of Honor series explores some of those stories with the help of such top writers as best-selling author Jane LIndskjold, New York Times best-selling author Timothy Zahn, and more—including an all-new Honor Harrington adventure, set in her younger years, when a mob of space pirates made the mistake of tangling with Commander Harrington. That was a fatal mistake—for the pirates . . . Praise for the hottest series in military science fiction: “Nobody does space opera better than Weber, and his heroine, Honor Harrington . . . like a fusion of Horatio Hornblower, Robert A. Heinlein and Tom Clancy. . . .” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[At All Costs is] a fast-paced tale that brings together all the elements developed in previous books, and pushes them a good way along toward an ultimate conclusion. . . .” —Booklist (starred review) “Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! . . . unequivocally superb!” —Anne McCaffrey on Weber’s Echoes of Honor “Great stuff . . . compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.” —Locus

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    Prince Lindworm

      Ditte Gry Svensmark
     Prince Lindworm

A retelling of the classic fairy tale about the queen, who gives birth to a lindworm.A barren queen gives birth to a lindworm after making a terrible mistake. Now she and the king must find him a bride, before their other son can marry his beloved.

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    The Chiropractor's Assistant

      Barry Rachin
     The Chiropractor's Assistant

Epistemology - When Ronda Wickford, the assistant manager of Brandenburg’s ShopRite Supermarket, inadvertently hires a middle-age man with a PhD in philosophy to run the fresh produce department, weird things begin to happen. As events unfold, she learns a thing or two about Wittgenstein’s linguistic theories, common decency and how to fix a leaky faucet.Among the quirky short stories collected in The Chiropractor’s Assistant readers will find :Epistemology - When Ronda Wickford, the assistant manager of Brandenburg’s ShopRite Supermarket, inadvertently hires a middle-age man with a PhD in philosophy to run the fresh produce department, weird things begin to happen. As events unfold, she learns a thing or two about Wittgenstein’s linguistic theories, common decency and how to fix a leaky faucet.Two Pockets - According to Hasidic tradition, everyone must have two pockets, so they can reach into the one or the other, according to need. In the right pocket are to be the words: ‘For my sake was the world created,’ and in the left: ‘I am dust and ashes.’Leaky Pipes - During an escape weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, Bart Schroeder is accosted by a young girl who claims that the retired plumber visited her in a dream. Not a man of many words, the elderly gentleman finds his own wacky way to help a troubled soul make peace with her inner demons These are just a few of the intriguing stories contained in the collection, The Chiropractor’s Assistant. Mr. Rachin favors traditional story telling techniques where intriguing characters and plot are always center stage.

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    Cassandra: A Short Story

      Amani
     Cassandra: A Short Story

A monster from Cassandra's past has come back to haunt her. The monster, Thing, has done unspeakable things to Cassandra, things that have affected her well into adulthood. Plagued by violent and horrific dreams Cassandra seeks the help of therapist Zakiyyah. Can Zakiyyah save Cassandra from Thing and herself, or is it already too late?Growing up Cassandra wasn’t afraid of the monster in her closet or the thing under her bed. Growing up Cassandra was afraid of Thing, her very own flesh and blood monster. Thing did unspeakable things to Cassandra, things that affect her well into adulthood. Cassandra’s life starts to spiral out of control when she begins to have dreams about killing Thing. Afraid of what she may become Cassandra seeks the help of therapist Zakiyyah. Can Zakiyyah save Cassandra from Thing and herself, or is it already too late?

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    Bully's Best Friend

      Emma L Saville
     Bully's Best Friend

Mitchell is the ultimate bully. In fact, he’s pretty much ruining Austin’s life. So, when the bully needs to be rescued, will Austin save him and face his worst fear at the same time? What would you do? This fast-paced adventure will have you wondering which is worse - to be the 'bully' or the 'bullied'!Austin is just a normal adolescent boy, trying to fit in and be popular, when his worst enemy shows up at his school. Mitchell is one of those automatically popular kids, and for some reason he is intent on making Austin’s life as miserable as possible. He succeeds. But, when they embark on a field trip to the Florida Keys, the true meaning of courage and heroism is revealed. This exciting, action packed novel delves deeper into what is really going on inside the minds of the bully and the bullied, and the outcome may surprise you.

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    The Dragon's Christmas Gift

      Terence O'Grady
     The Dragon's Christmas Gift

It was the first weeks of winter and Bostwick the dragon knew that he was missing something. Something unusual was going on in the village at the foot of the mountain and he had to discover what it was. Along with his dragon pal Mortimer, Bostwick manages to save the villagers from a terrible disaster and at the same time discover the meaning of Christmas and “peace on earth, good will to all."Fellow dragons Bostwick and Mortimer live in a cave on top of a mountain overlooking the nearby village. Although they love their home on the mountain’s peak, Bostwick grows more curious about the villagers below as they began to prepare for Christmas. He sneaks into the village at night to investigate the situation but leaves more puzzled than ever about Christmas and what it means.But as the eve of Christmas arrives, so does a storm. And with a deadly avalanche looming, the entire village and all its inhabitants are now in grave danger. With a disaster of mythical proportions approaching, only two mythical beasts have the power to stop it, save Christmas, and discover for themselves and the village what “peace on earth, good will to all” really means.

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