When God Isn't Green by Jay Wexler
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
In this lively, round-the-world trip, law professor and humorist Jay Wexler explores the intersection of religion and the environment.
Did you know that
• In Hong Kong and Singapore, Taoists burn paper money to appease “hungry ghosts,” filling the air with smoke and dangerous toxins?
• In Mumbai, Hindus carry twenty-foot-tall plaster of Paris idols of the elephant god Ganesh into the sea and leave them on the ocean floor to symbolize the impermanence of life, further polluting the scarce water resources of western India?
• In Taiwan, Buddhists practicing “mercy release” capture millions of small animals and release them into inappropriate habitats, killing many of the animals and destroying ecosystems?
• In Central America, palm frond sales to US customers for Palm Sunday celebrations have helped decimate the rain forests of Guatemala and southern Mexico?
• In New York, Miami, and other large US cities, Santeria followers sprinkle mercury in their apartments to fend off witches, poisoning those homes for years to come?
• In Israel, on Lag B’omer, a holiday commemorating a famous rabbi, Jews make so many bonfires that the smoke can be seen from space, and trips to the emergency room for asthma and other pulmonary conditions spike?
Law professor and humorist Jay Wexler travels the globe in order to understand the complexity of these problems and learn how society can best address them. He feasts on whale blubber in northern Alaska, bumps along in the back of a battered jeep in Guatemala, clambers down the crowded beaches of Mumbai, and learns how to pluck a dead eagle in Colorado, all to answer the question “Can religious practice and environmental protection coexist?”
Did you know that
• In Hong Kong and Singapore, Taoists burn paper money to appease “hungry ghosts,” filling the air with smoke and dangerous toxins?
• In Mumbai, Hindus carry twenty-foot-tall plaster of Paris idols of the elephant god Ganesh into the sea and leave them on the ocean floor to symbolize the impermanence of life, further polluting the scarce water resources of western India?
• In Taiwan, Buddhists practicing “mercy release” capture millions of small animals and release them into inappropriate habitats, killing many of the animals and destroying ecosystems?
• In Central America, palm frond sales to US customers for Palm Sunday celebrations have helped decimate the rain forests of Guatemala and southern Mexico?
• In New York, Miami, and other large US cities, Santeria followers sprinkle mercury in their apartments to fend off witches, poisoning those homes for years to come?
• In Israel, on Lag B’omer, a holiday commemorating a famous rabbi, Jews make so many bonfires that the smoke can be seen from space, and trips to the emergency room for asthma and other pulmonary conditions spike?
Law professor and humorist Jay Wexler travels the globe in order to understand the complexity of these problems and learn how society can best address them. He feasts on whale blubber in northern Alaska, bumps along in the back of a battered jeep in Guatemala, clambers down the crowded beaches of Mumbai, and learns how to pluck a dead eagle in Colorado, all to answer the question “Can religious practice and environmental protection coexist?”
From Piggybank to Portfolio by Brian Perry CFA
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
From compounding, which Einstein called the most powerful force in the universe, to investor motivation and asset allocation, money manager Brian Perry has put together an easy-to-understand primer for those heretofore uninterested in financial matters. His easy-to-follow guidebook is perfect for the student just starting out in the workplace, as well as for those who -- at any age -- have been uninterested in the basic tenets of investing and wealth creation. Written with a keen teacher's voice, From Piggybank to Portfolio deserves a place on every financial newbie's desk.
The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job by Don Raskin
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Drawing on his extensive experience evaluating applicants for his marketing agency, and featuring stories based on real-life situations, sample cover letters, resumes, and straightforward advice, Don Raskin’s The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job offers all the necessary tools for navigating the tough job market and securing your dream job.
Don Raskin owns and operates MME, an advertising and marketing agency in New York City. During his twenty-five years at the agency he has interviewed hundreds of new college graduates for positions within his agency and has placed a strong emphasis on entry-level recruitment for positions in creative, account management, traffic, and production. Raskin has also mentored countless students and their parents on best practices for the job search. Over the years, Raskin has kept exceptionally detailed notes on the interviews he has conducted, observing the good, the bad, the ridiculous, the irreverent. He also has a treasure trove of over-the-top cover letters, resumes, interviews, and post interview follow-ups he has conducted and received. Now, he wants to share all the wisdom and insider secrets he has gathered to help students and first-time job seekers find a job in this economy.
Based on his remarkable expertise, Raskin's book provides exclusive insight into the job search process and lets readers in on all of the dirty little secrets to landing their first job—or a new one—and finding career success.
Don Raskin owns and operates MME, an advertising and marketing agency in New York City. During his twenty-five years at the agency he has interviewed hundreds of new college graduates for positions within his agency and has placed a strong emphasis on entry-level recruitment for positions in creative, account management, traffic, and production. Raskin has also mentored countless students and their parents on best practices for the job search. Over the years, Raskin has kept exceptionally detailed notes on the interviews he has conducted, observing the good, the bad, the ridiculous, the irreverent. He also has a treasure trove of over-the-top cover letters, resumes, interviews, and post interview follow-ups he has conducted and received. Now, he wants to share all the wisdom and insider secrets he has gathered to help students and first-time job seekers find a job in this economy.
Based on his remarkable expertise, Raskin's book provides exclusive insight into the job search process and lets readers in on all of the dirty little secrets to landing their first job—or a new one—and finding career success.
Rise and Fire by Shawn Fury
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
It’s hard to believe that there was a time when the jump shot didn’t exist in basketball. When the sport was invented in 1891, players would take set shots with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Defenders controlled the sport, the pace was slower, and games would frequently end with scores fit for a football field. It took almost forty years before players began shooting jump shots of any kind and sixty-five years before it became a common sight. When the first jump shooting pioneers left the ground, they rose not only above their defenders, but also above the sport’s conventions. The jump shot created a soaring offense, infectious excitement, loyal fans, and legends. Basketball would never be the same.
Rise and Fire celebrates this crucial shot while tracing the history of how it revolutionized the game, shedding light on all corners of the basketball world, from NBA arenas to the playgrounds of New York City and the barns of Indiana. Award-winning journalist Shawn Fury obsesses over the jump shot, explores its fundamentals, puzzles over its complexities, marvels at its simplicity, and honors those who created some of basketball’s greatest moments. Part history, part travelogue, and part memoir, Rise and Fire bounces from the dirt courts of the 1930s to today’s NBA courts and state-of-the-art shooting labs, examining everything from how nets and rims affect a shooter to rivalries between shooting coaches to how the three-pointer came to rule the game. Impeccably researched and engaging, the book features interviews and profiles of legendary figures like Jerry West, Bob McAdoo, Ray Allen, and Denise Long---the first woman ever drafted by the NBA, plus dozens more, revealing the evolution of the shot over time.
Analyzing the techniques and reliving some of the most unforgettable plays from the greats, Fury creates a technical, personal, historical, and even spiritual examination of the shot. This is not a dry how-to textbook of basketball mechanics; it is a lively tour of basketball history and a love letter to the sport and the shot that changed it forever.
Rise and Fire celebrates this crucial shot while tracing the history of how it revolutionized the game, shedding light on all corners of the basketball world, from NBA arenas to the playgrounds of New York City and the barns of Indiana. Award-winning journalist Shawn Fury obsesses over the jump shot, explores its fundamentals, puzzles over its complexities, marvels at its simplicity, and honors those who created some of basketball’s greatest moments. Part history, part travelogue, and part memoir, Rise and Fire bounces from the dirt courts of the 1930s to today’s NBA courts and state-of-the-art shooting labs, examining everything from how nets and rims affect a shooter to rivalries between shooting coaches to how the three-pointer came to rule the game. Impeccably researched and engaging, the book features interviews and profiles of legendary figures like Jerry West, Bob McAdoo, Ray Allen, and Denise Long---the first woman ever drafted by the NBA, plus dozens more, revealing the evolution of the shot over time.
Analyzing the techniques and reliving some of the most unforgettable plays from the greats, Fury creates a technical, personal, historical, and even spiritual examination of the shot. This is not a dry how-to textbook of basketball mechanics; it is a lively tour of basketball history and a love letter to the sport and the shot that changed it forever.
Keeping Your Church Alive by Wayne J. Vaughan
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Do you want to make a difference for the cause of Christ?
Across the country in many houses of worship, there has been a decline in attendance. Sometimes this was due to factors outside of the control of churches, but several reasons for decline are avoidable. Drawing from personal experience in church leadership and discussions with other churchgoers, author Wayne Vaughan has written Keeping Your Church Alive: Advice for Pastors, Leaders and Active Members. Focusing on common, preventable issues, Vaughan shares insights and solutions to church challenges.
Are you ready to make a change in the life of your church, and bear witness to what God has to offer? Keeping Your Church Alive will help you understand the importance of: communication as you work together to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, stewardship and discipleship—learning to lead and follow, financial management, and being accountable for what goes on in your life, and the life of the church.
If you are ready to begin your journey to live the life of ministry God intended for you, Keeping Your Church Alive should be your first step.
The book is for church members that want to see their churches survive and thrive rather than decline. The book focuses on areas that are common issues that cause churches to decline but that are preventable. The book provides guidance to church leaders and active members in areas such as the importance of communication, financial management, spreading the gospel, training church workers, teaching, working with others, being accountable, living the Christian life and more. The book will help churches to focus on the mission God has called them to rather than focusing on other work. The book will also help church leadership to lead better so that God can receive the glory from the work of their church.
Across the country in many houses of worship, there has been a decline in attendance. Sometimes this was due to factors outside of the control of churches, but several reasons for decline are avoidable. Drawing from personal experience in church leadership and discussions with other churchgoers, author Wayne Vaughan has written Keeping Your Church Alive: Advice for Pastors, Leaders and Active Members. Focusing on common, preventable issues, Vaughan shares insights and solutions to church challenges.
Are you ready to make a change in the life of your church, and bear witness to what God has to offer? Keeping Your Church Alive will help you understand the importance of: communication as you work together to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, stewardship and discipleship—learning to lead and follow, financial management, and being accountable for what goes on in your life, and the life of the church.
If you are ready to begin your journey to live the life of ministry God intended for you, Keeping Your Church Alive should be your first step.
The book is for church members that want to see their churches survive and thrive rather than decline. The book focuses on areas that are common issues that cause churches to decline but that are preventable. The book provides guidance to church leaders and active members in areas such as the importance of communication, financial management, spreading the gospel, training church workers, teaching, working with others, being accountable, living the Christian life and more. The book will help churches to focus on the mission God has called them to rather than focusing on other work. The book will also help church leadership to lead better so that God can receive the glory from the work of their church.
Rich is Not a Four-Letter Word by Gerri Willis
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
In a fiery polemic on our personal finances, Gerri Willis, anchor and personal finance correspondent for Fox Business News, reveals how liberal policy has decimated our wallets.
In "Rich Is Not a Four-Letter Word," veteran financial journalist and pundit Gerri Willis takes on the progressive mind-set championed by liberals that gives government bureaucrats the right to decide what's best for us, resulting in bigger government programs, more bureaucracy, and more wasted taxpayer money. She dissects Obamacare and Democratic tax initiatives to show how they have hamstrung the average American. Then she shows us how to overcome these left wing financial hurdles and grow our nest eggs, despite the political pickpocketing from Washington.
Among the topics she tackles in the book:
. How the progressive agenda has robbed Americans of their financial freedom (a new Blackrock survey shows that 4 out of 10 Americans haven't even started saving for retirement)--and how to get it back;
. How the wide-open spigot of college loan dollars has encouraged college administrators to boost tuition each and every year--and how we can successfully navigate the system;
. How, with a stroke of President Obama's pen, company-sponsored health-care coverage was put on deathwatch, as companies have begun to abandon employee health-care coverage and opt to pay a less expensive federal penalty;
. Why the knee-jerk progressive response to the 2008 market crash and subsequent recession has acted as an albatross on the shoulders of American corporations, keeping corporate tax rates at sky high levels among Western nations--and what we can do to create jobs and jumpstart the economy."
In "Rich Is Not a Four-Letter Word," veteran financial journalist and pundit Gerri Willis takes on the progressive mind-set championed by liberals that gives government bureaucrats the right to decide what's best for us, resulting in bigger government programs, more bureaucracy, and more wasted taxpayer money. She dissects Obamacare and Democratic tax initiatives to show how they have hamstrung the average American. Then she shows us how to overcome these left wing financial hurdles and grow our nest eggs, despite the political pickpocketing from Washington.
Among the topics she tackles in the book:
. How the progressive agenda has robbed Americans of their financial freedom (a new Blackrock survey shows that 4 out of 10 Americans haven't even started saving for retirement)--and how to get it back;
. How the wide-open spigot of college loan dollars has encouraged college administrators to boost tuition each and every year--and how we can successfully navigate the system;
. How, with a stroke of President Obama's pen, company-sponsored health-care coverage was put on deathwatch, as companies have begun to abandon employee health-care coverage and opt to pay a less expensive federal penalty;
. Why the knee-jerk progressive response to the 2008 market crash and subsequent recession has acted as an albatross on the shoulders of American corporations, keeping corporate tax rates at sky high levels among Western nations--and what we can do to create jobs and jumpstart the economy."
Amazon
A Declaration of Independents by Greg Orman
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A Declaration of Independents by Greg Orman
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Challenge the two-party system and choose a better path: Independence.
In 2014, Greg Orman made headlines with his historic Independent run for the U.S. Senate in Kansas. Voters gravitated to Orman’s campaign in unprecedented numbers, challenging the entrenched dominance of the two major parties over American politics.
In A Declaration of Independents Orman describes how hyper-partisanship, division, and a win-at-all-costs environment in Washington have created a toxic culture of self-interest that has left average Americans behind. Orman makes a persuasive case that without fundamental change our standard of living, our status in the world, and the very existence of the middle class are at risk. His withering critique of our ruling partisan duopoly explains why voters are choosing unconventional candidates in increasing numbers— from his own 2014 Senate race to the nation’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Taking direct aim at the corrupt practices that keep the two parties in power despite historically low approval ratings, Orman argues convincingly that the system is rigged for the benefit of special interests who buy access to power. Drawing on his own journey to political independence, Orman lays out a plan for taking back our government by rejecting party politics and embracing a new Independent point of view.
In 2014, Greg Orman made headlines with his historic Independent run for the U.S. Senate in Kansas. Voters gravitated to Orman’s campaign in unprecedented numbers, challenging the entrenched dominance of the two major parties over American politics.
In A Declaration of Independents Orman describes how hyper-partisanship, division, and a win-at-all-costs environment in Washington have created a toxic culture of self-interest that has left average Americans behind. Orman makes a persuasive case that without fundamental change our standard of living, our status in the world, and the very existence of the middle class are at risk. His withering critique of our ruling partisan duopoly explains why voters are choosing unconventional candidates in increasing numbers— from his own 2014 Senate race to the nation’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Taking direct aim at the corrupt practices that keep the two parties in power despite historically low approval ratings, Orman argues convincingly that the system is rigged for the benefit of special interests who buy access to power. Drawing on his own journey to political independence, Orman lays out a plan for taking back our government by rejecting party politics and embracing a new Independent point of view.
Let's Go Fishing by Eric Dregni
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Anglers are simply superior because of their contemplative pastime, according to Izaak Walton. And few who fish would disagree. In fact, the habit of amplifying the sport is documented at least as long ago as 75 A.D., when Plutarch wrote that Mark Antony faked a catch to impress Cleopatra. From Bible verse to Grandpa’s latest whopper, fishing has figured in our spiritual and cultural lore, to say nothing of our cuisine, as far back as we remember, and nowhere is this truer, perhaps, than in the great north woods.
A celebration of the sport in the land of 10,000 lakes and beyond, where the fish fry is a near-holy Friday ritual, the running of smelt heralds spring, and a village of ice-fishing huts springs up on every frozen lake, this irresistible book tells the full story from trivia to sacred tradition. Eric Dregni, who has entertained countless readers with enlightening tales of Midwest marvels, here shows his considerable skills as a raconteur and cultural historian of the fun and the facts of fishing in the Great Lakes region.
Fishing contests and taxidermy, lures and earthworms, fishing scenes on beer cans, and the peculiar genre of fishing photographs: no detail is too small, reflection too deep, or bridge too far to escape his eye and ready wit, from gear madness to true grit, angling heroics to solitary pleasures, small-town festivals to sport-fishing meccas. And he has the images to prove it. Lavishly illustrated with postcards, advertisements, historical prints, and tourist snapshots, this book is an always fascinating, occasionally hilarious, and often oddly informative compendium of fishing lore destined to reel in the uninitiated and to occupy the aficionado in those long, empty hours between seasons.
A celebration of the sport in the land of 10,000 lakes and beyond, where the fish fry is a near-holy Friday ritual, the running of smelt heralds spring, and a village of ice-fishing huts springs up on every frozen lake, this irresistible book tells the full story from trivia to sacred tradition. Eric Dregni, who has entertained countless readers with enlightening tales of Midwest marvels, here shows his considerable skills as a raconteur and cultural historian of the fun and the facts of fishing in the Great Lakes region.
Fishing contests and taxidermy, lures and earthworms, fishing scenes on beer cans, and the peculiar genre of fishing photographs: no detail is too small, reflection too deep, or bridge too far to escape his eye and ready wit, from gear madness to true grit, angling heroics to solitary pleasures, small-town festivals to sport-fishing meccas. And he has the images to prove it. Lavishly illustrated with postcards, advertisements, historical prints, and tourist snapshots, this book is an always fascinating, occasionally hilarious, and often oddly informative compendium of fishing lore destined to reel in the uninitiated and to occupy the aficionado in those long, empty hours between seasons.
Been There, Done That by Jen Funk Weber
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
When Cole's visit with his friend Helena nears its end, he asks where all the wild animals are and she takes him on a trail, showing signs of beavers, snowshoe hares, eagles, and more along the way. Includes activities.
101 Things for Kids to do Outside by Dawn Isaac
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Let them go outside and play! More parents are heeding the advice of specialists who urge them to do just that. By playing outside with friends, kids learn valuable interpersonal and negotiation skills and how to make decisions. Outdoor play teaches about the natural world, fosters creativity, and encourages physical activity.
"101 Things For Kids To Do Outside" is ideal for parents, teachers, and all those working with youth. This book is ideal for the children who like gaming, TV, movies, the soft couch, and even too many snacks. The kids who believe "there's nothing to do outside" can learn and be encouraged to experience the joy of outdoor play.
Each activity is described in language easy for a 6- to 9-year-old and illustrated with engaging graphics. Younger children may need direction, at least the first time. Large pictures display all the fun to be had. The activities range from 10 minutes to hours and hours of fun. Some require creativity, make-believe or physical exertion but they are all outside. Perfect for rainy days, sunshiny days, even snowy days.
Examples of the 101 activities are: Weave a bird's nest Set up a potion lab Make nature rubbings Build a crawl tunnel Hold a mini Olympics Build a human sundial Make a nature walk bracelet Capture animal tracks Fly a homemade kite Make a rain gauge Make a snow maze.
"101 Things For Kids To Do Outside" is ideal for parents, teachers, and all those working with youth. This book is ideal for the children who like gaming, TV, movies, the soft couch, and even too many snacks. The kids who believe "there's nothing to do outside" can learn and be encouraged to experience the joy of outdoor play.
Each activity is described in language easy for a 6- to 9-year-old and illustrated with engaging graphics. Younger children may need direction, at least the first time. Large pictures display all the fun to be had. The activities range from 10 minutes to hours and hours of fun. Some require creativity, make-believe or physical exertion but they are all outside. Perfect for rainy days, sunshiny days, even snowy days.
Examples of the 101 activities are: Weave a bird's nest Set up a potion lab Make nature rubbings Build a crawl tunnel Hold a mini Olympics Build a human sundial Make a nature walk bracelet Capture animal tracks Fly a homemade kite Make a rain gauge Make a snow maze.
Willow's Smile by Lana Button
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
“Sometimes Willow smiled without even trying. But sometimes when she wished she could and knew she should, her smile slipped straight off her face.” So when her teacher tells the class that Picture Day is coming, shy Willow starts to worry. What if she isn't able to smile for the camera? How can she have her picture taken without smiling? But then on Picture Day, Willow gets the opportunity to watch the other children being photographed. She sees that all of her friends' expressions are unique, and perfect in their own way. And by the time it's her turn, she's realized that she doesn't need to worry about smiling for her picture. She just needs to be herself.
In this sweet picture book, author Lana Button has created a relatable and reassuring story that offers children a terrific model for how to deal with a difficult experience in a socially and emotionally competent way. The simple illustrations by Tania Howells beautifully capture the story's focus through the range of emotions so clearly expressed by Willow and her classmates. This book provides opportunities for character lessons on self-respect, empathy and resilience. It would work for a classroom introduction to the annual ritual of Picture Day as well, a subject not often covered yet very significant to young children. It could also lead to a conversation about why we take pictures and what makes a great picture, and to activities such as making a class photo album.
In this sweet picture book, author Lana Button has created a relatable and reassuring story that offers children a terrific model for how to deal with a difficult experience in a socially and emotionally competent way. The simple illustrations by Tania Howells beautifully capture the story's focus through the range of emotions so clearly expressed by Willow and her classmates. This book provides opportunities for character lessons on self-respect, empathy and resilience. It would work for a classroom introduction to the annual ritual of Picture Day as well, a subject not often covered yet very significant to young children. It could also lead to a conversation about why we take pictures and what makes a great picture, and to activities such as making a class photo album.
Miles of Smiles by Karen Kaufman Orloff
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
When someone smiles, who knows where it goes? Baby smiles at Mommy, Mom keeps it for a while . . . and then passes it on. As the smile begins its joyful journey—moving from a first-grade class to a soccer team, from Gran to a garbage man, even to a puppy—it spreads happiness throughout the community, bringing everyone together. A sunny picture book guaranteed to make kids SMILE!
The Misunderstood Mister Yeti by John Hinterreiter
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
There was an abominable snowman who was gravely misunderstood. His name was Mister a Yeti and his heart was filled with good. Meet Mister Yeti. He's a caring and gentle creature who looks like a scary beast. He only wished others could see his heart or feel his kindness in the least. In "The Misunderstood Mister Yeti," this abominable snowman searches for friendship but realizes that due to his fearsome looks friends are very hard to find. Mister Yeti's story will captivate kids, and adults who are kids at heart, with clever rhymes, vibrant pictures, and a woven message of accepting and respecting the differences in others.
The Monster's Anonymous Club: Don't Play with Dead Things by J.L. Lipp
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Dead people can be super cranky when they’re mad. Just ask Jeremy Bauer, second vice-president of the Monsters’ Anonymous Club and first place winner in the “World’s Worst Brother” contest. He found out the hard way.
Jeremy should have known better than to taunt the unseen spirits that lurked around every corner in his hometown of Bayview, Michigan. After so many close calls with wild werewolves and vicious vampires and ghastly ghosts, he should have had the common sense not to play with dead things. But common sense wasn’t one of Jeremy’s stronger traits, especially if there was any possibility to make a joke or get a laugh.
And so, at 9:42 p.m. on Sunday, July 2nd, Jeremy Bauer cast aside all caution to play a little prank on his mother. Unfortunately for Jeremy, he never realized that he was breaking rule number three of the Monsters’ Anonymous Club: Never play a joke on your parents when dead people are watching.
Jeremy should have known better than to taunt the unseen spirits that lurked around every corner in his hometown of Bayview, Michigan. After so many close calls with wild werewolves and vicious vampires and ghastly ghosts, he should have had the common sense not to play with dead things. But common sense wasn’t one of Jeremy’s stronger traits, especially if there was any possibility to make a joke or get a laugh.
And so, at 9:42 p.m. on Sunday, July 2nd, Jeremy Bauer cast aside all caution to play a little prank on his mother. Unfortunately for Jeremy, he never realized that he was breaking rule number three of the Monsters’ Anonymous Club: Never play a joke on your parents when dead people are watching.
The Deadly 7 by Garth Jennings
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
When eleven-year-old Nelson's beloved older sister goes missing, he is devastated. She's his only friend and means the world to him. Then his parents join the search and leave Nelson in the care of his crazy uncle Pogo, a plumber who is working at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. There in a dusty crypt Nelson stumbles across an ancient machine that accidentally extracts the so-called seven deadly sins from his soul. The machine turns them into ugly, cantankerous, and embarrassing creatures who follow him everywhere. But there is more to these monsters than meets the eye, and in this off-the-wall debut novel about making friends and taking courage, Nelson finds that these strange newcomers are just the companions he needs for a quest across the globe to rescue his big sister.
Relentless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Revenge is easy, but justice is worth fighting for…
Kenna is tired of being lied to—and hunted by the very allies she once trusted. Unearthing the dark secrets of the superhero world has not only endangered her life, now her boyfriend faces execution for crimes he didn’t commit and her mother is being held captive in a secret governmental prison.
Kenna is determined to stand up for what’s right and save those she loves from unspeakable fates. It’s time for the betrayal to end. It’s time for the real criminals to face justice.
But the truth is even more terrifying than Kenna could imagine. A conspiracy threatens the fate of heroes, villains, and all of humanity. If Kenna’s going to survive, she must draw on her deepest strength: her resilience. Because when Kenna’s pushed to the limit, she doesn’t break down. She fights back.
Kenna is tired of being lied to—and hunted by the very allies she once trusted. Unearthing the dark secrets of the superhero world has not only endangered her life, now her boyfriend faces execution for crimes he didn’t commit and her mother is being held captive in a secret governmental prison.
Kenna is determined to stand up for what’s right and save those she loves from unspeakable fates. It’s time for the betrayal to end. It’s time for the real criminals to face justice.
But the truth is even more terrifying than Kenna could imagine. A conspiracy threatens the fate of heroes, villains, and all of humanity. If Kenna’s going to survive, she must draw on her deepest strength: her resilience. Because when Kenna’s pushed to the limit, she doesn’t break down. She fights back.
The Loyalist's Wife by Elaine Cougler
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
When American colonists resort to war against Britain and her colonial attitudes, a young couple caught in the crossfire must find a way to survive. Pioneers in the wilds of New York State, John and Lucy face a bitter separation and the fear of losing everything, even their lives, when he joins Butler's Rangers to fight for the King and leaves her to care for their isolated farm. As the war in the Americas ramps up, ruffians roam the colonies looking to snap up Loyalist land. Alone, pregnant, and fearing John is dead, Lucy must fight with every weapon she has.
Armada by Ernest Cline
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.
But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.
And then he sees the flying saucer.
Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.
No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.
It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?
At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.
But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.
And then he sees the flying saucer.
Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.
No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.
It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?
At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.
See Me Not by Réal Laplaine
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
On her eighth birthday, instead of getting a cake or a present like other children her age, Hann’Sha was sold into sexual slavery by her own father for the equivalent of ten US dollars. For four years the young girl lives a life of sexual abuse and slavery, until one day, a university student discovers her plight and he makes it his mission to free her. The road they must walk however is a dark and dangerous one, not only fighting the criminal underworld of human trafficking, but the corruption of local officials who turn a blind eye. It is a story about one man’s courage and a young girl’s undying hope. A story that has already inspired many people.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A freshly observed, joyful and wrenching, funny and true new novel from Anne Tyler
"It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon." This is how Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she fell in love with Red that day in July 1959. The Whitshanks are one of those families that radiate togetherness: an indefinable, enviable kind of specialness. But they are also like all families, in that the stories they tell themselves reveal only part of the picture. Abby and Red and their four grown children have accumulated not only tender moments, laughter, and celebrations, but also jealousies, disappointments, and carefully guarded secrets. from Red's father and mother, newly-arrived in Baltimore in the 1920s, to Abby and Red's grandchildren carrying the family legacy boisterously into the twenty-first century, here are four generations of Whitshanks, their lives unfolding in and around the sprawling, lovingly worn Baltimore house that has always been their anchor.
Brimming with all the insight, humour, and generosity of spirit that are the hallmarks of Anne Tyler's work, A Spool of Blue Thread tells a poignant yet unsentimental story in praise of family in all its emotional complexity. It is a novel to cherish.
"It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon." This is how Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she fell in love with Red that day in July 1959. The Whitshanks are one of those families that radiate togetherness: an indefinable, enviable kind of specialness. But they are also like all families, in that the stories they tell themselves reveal only part of the picture. Abby and Red and their four grown children have accumulated not only tender moments, laughter, and celebrations, but also jealousies, disappointments, and carefully guarded secrets. from Red's father and mother, newly-arrived in Baltimore in the 1920s, to Abby and Red's grandchildren carrying the family legacy boisterously into the twenty-first century, here are four generations of Whitshanks, their lives unfolding in and around the sprawling, lovingly worn Baltimore house that has always been their anchor.
Brimming with all the insight, humour, and generosity of spirit that are the hallmarks of Anne Tyler's work, A Spool of Blue Thread tells a poignant yet unsentimental story in praise of family in all its emotional complexity. It is a novel to cherish.
Taken At Night by Christa A. Ludlow
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The year is 1900, and photographer Beatrix Spencer has just opened her photographic studio in the bustling colonial metropolis of Sydney. But it is a turbulent time to start a new business. A deadly outbreak of bubonic plague is threatening the city, causing public panic, putting ships into quarantine and causing unrest on the wharves. The colony is preparing to send soldiers to the Boer War. Women are struggling to gain rights and recognition.
When a mysterious passenger disappears from a quarantined ship, Beatrix is drawn into the investigation led by Detective Fergus Blair, who has secrets of his own. Against a backdrop of disease, politics and violence, Fergus and Beatrix find that their city has an underworld that is more dangerous than either of them realized. And somewhere, another more sinister photographer is at work…
Taken at Night recreates a dangerous and fascinating era of colonial history, interwoven with a complex historical mystery and intriguing characters.
When a mysterious passenger disappears from a quarantined ship, Beatrix is drawn into the investigation led by Detective Fergus Blair, who has secrets of his own. Against a backdrop of disease, politics and violence, Fergus and Beatrix find that their city has an underworld that is more dangerous than either of them realized. And somewhere, another more sinister photographer is at work…
Taken at Night recreates a dangerous and fascinating era of colonial history, interwoven with a complex historical mystery and intriguing characters.
Serendipity by Liam Livings
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
These three novellas by Liam Livings chronicle the serendipitous relationship of lovers David and Christian as they meet and fall in love. Along the way, there are bets between friends on how soon the two men take before sleeping together, and old-fashioned family attitudes pose a problem they must overcome. But there’s plenty of British humour, letter-boxing, visits to hospital, and even talk of adopting babies, as well as plenty of time for the men to express their love for one another as they learn to love and live together.
Contains the stories Christmas Serendipity, Serendipity Develops, and The Next Christmas.
Contains the stories Christmas Serendipity, Serendipity Develops, and The Next Christmas.
Cookie Therapy by Karla Brandenburg
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
To escape notoriety from her role in the school shooting she barely survived, Elizabeth Lambert moves from Houston to Hoffman Grove, Illinois. Plagued by panic attacks and nightmares, she’s determined to embrace her second chance at life, knowing that death could take her in an instant. A one-night stand with a local handsome firefighter should remind her that she’s alive, but like a good cookie, once is not enough to satisfy her craving. Will he reject her when he learns about the blood on her hands?
Firefighter and paramedic Matt Billings fights his attraction to the alluring new bookshop manager. She dangles a one-night stand under his nose, but the last time he gave in to such an offer he ended up with a child. He is determined to be a better man than his philandering father. Can he convince Elizabeth that her past is not as terrifying as suddenly being a parent, and a relationship is worth more than just a checkbox on her bucket list?
Firefighter and paramedic Matt Billings fights his attraction to the alluring new bookshop manager. She dangles a one-night stand under his nose, but the last time he gave in to such an offer he ended up with a child. He is determined to be a better man than his philandering father. Can he convince Elizabeth that her past is not as terrifying as suddenly being a parent, and a relationship is worth more than just a checkbox on her bucket list?
The Secret Keepers by Geoffrey M. Gluckman
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
In the sequel to award-winning spy thriller, Deadly Exchange, when Sara Nardell and Peter Wellington meet with a man telling a tale of an upscale brothel in the heart of Manhattan, it disrupts the easy life of reunion that Sara and Frank Revere have enjoyed over the last year and a half.
Peter springs into action and assembles the Team, now part of a United Nations Special Operations unit. And Sara soon discovers a world rampant with sex trafficking, from Vancouver to China.
What begins as a relatively simple mission blows up into something with much larger consequences, including economic world dominance, which endangers members of the Team and citizens of all western nations. At the center of it, shrouded in deception, hides a Chinese government-sanctioned group, known only as The Elders.
Like sediment stirred in a stream, deeper layers only further muddy the waters of truth…and increase peril for all.
Fabled Circus by J. Stephen Howard
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
The world is a circus, and our genes are the clowns. Fabled Circus, like the characters inhabiting its pages, is a genetic hybrid of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. At the center of the maelstrom is a twelve-year-old named Teddy. In the year 2082, if you have two different-colored eyes, you stand out as something that needs to be fixed. His father, with his right clubfoot twisting body and mentality, has warped his son’s view of himself. Fleeing the horror scene that was his home, Teddy initially finds refuge in the orphanage, St. Benedict's Home for Boys. But when he believes the police are looking for him, he hitches a ride in the circus trailer parked outside. His life will never be the same under the Fabled Circus tent where Chiron the centaur and Aello the harpy inspire him to fully realize his identity. Friends like Isaac from the orphanage, whose smart mouth keeps him from ever getting adopted, and Corliss, who ran away from her rich adoptive family to find and be with her real parents at the circus, give Teddy a sense of belonging that he never felt before. But the sinister underpinnings of Fabled Circus, responsible for genetic mutations like Chiron and Aello, will draw Teddy into its tangled mystery. Once he learns the secret, he'll be fighting more than the ghost of his twisted father.
Detective Fiction by William Wells
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A serial killer is on the loose in Naples, Florida, an enclave of wealth and privilege on the Southwest Gulf Coast. At first, the murders have been disguised as accidents, but when Police Chief Wade Hansen becomes suspicious, Mayor Charles Beaumont orders him to apprehend the killer before the truth becomes public knowledge.
Hansen reaches out to retired Chicago homicide detective Jack Starkey. Starkey, who has been shot three times: twice on the job and once in the army, is enjoying every cop's retirement dream, but at the same time, misses the thrill of the hunt, so he accepts the job.
As the bodies stack up like cordwood, Starkey searches for anything that the victims might have in common. He decides to go undercover as a member of the Naples elite in an attempt to get himself noticed by the killer, drawing the attention of Count Vasily Petrovich, who operates a hedge fund named for the Atocha, a Spanish galleon that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622.
When Starkey discovers that all of the victims so far had been investors in that fund, and that the count is not a count at all, but a member of the Russian mafia he suspects that the Atocha Fund might have a substantial penalty for early withdrawal.
Meanwhile, William Stevens, a Chicago Tribune police reporter, has been writing a series of best-selling crime novels based upon his pal Starkey's career. Starkey's alter-ego is Chicago homicide detective Jack Stoney.
Things are not what they seem, plot twists abound, and the bullets begin to fly. Starkey, in desperation, reaches out to the fictional Stoney, to help him catch the killer.
Hansen reaches out to retired Chicago homicide detective Jack Starkey. Starkey, who has been shot three times: twice on the job and once in the army, is enjoying every cop's retirement dream, but at the same time, misses the thrill of the hunt, so he accepts the job.
As the bodies stack up like cordwood, Starkey searches for anything that the victims might have in common. He decides to go undercover as a member of the Naples elite in an attempt to get himself noticed by the killer, drawing the attention of Count Vasily Petrovich, who operates a hedge fund named for the Atocha, a Spanish galleon that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622.
When Starkey discovers that all of the victims so far had been investors in that fund, and that the count is not a count at all, but a member of the Russian mafia he suspects that the Atocha Fund might have a substantial penalty for early withdrawal.
Meanwhile, William Stevens, a Chicago Tribune police reporter, has been writing a series of best-selling crime novels based upon his pal Starkey's career. Starkey's alter-ego is Chicago homicide detective Jack Stoney.
Things are not what they seem, plot twists abound, and the bullets begin to fly. Starkey, in desperation, reaches out to the fictional Stoney, to help him catch the killer.
A Touch of Templeton by P.E. Campbell
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
When sassy, fiery lawyer, Patsy Cunningham enters court she looks her opponent straight in the eye, making it clear from the start that her single purpose is to wipe the floor with her adversary, walking away triumphant! Never showing any sign of weakness. Yet, "someone" is about to throw Patsy a curve ball, sending her crashing full-force onto a road of ecstasy, deceit, jealously, even death, leaving a confident, unwavering woman, who once revelled in a life starved of emotion, hating herself, not because she knows what she is doing is wrong, but because she likes it so much...
Tailored for Trouble by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A sassy, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com between the hottest man never to be tamed and the woman crazy enough to try
SHE WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
Taylor Reed is no stranger to selfish, uncaring CEOs. She was fired by one, which is why she has created her own executive training program—helping heartless bosses become more human. So Taylor shocks even herself when she agrees to coach Bennett Wade, the cutthroat exec who got her unceremoniously canned. She’d love to slam the door in his annoying but very handsome face, but the customers aren’t exactly lining up at her door. Plus, this extreme makeover will give Taylor the golden opportunity to prove that her program works like a charm.
HE WANTS TO BUY IT.
Bennett Wade is many things—arrogant, smug, brusque—but trusting isn’t one of them. Women just seem to be after his billions. So when he hires Taylor Reed, he has no desire to change. Bennett is trying to win over the feminist owner of a company he desperately wants to buy, but something about the fiery Taylor thaws the ice around his heart, making Bennett feel things he never quite planned on. And if there’s one thing Bennett can’t stand, it’s when things don’t go according to plan.
They are a match tailor-made for trouble.
SHE WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
Taylor Reed is no stranger to selfish, uncaring CEOs. She was fired by one, which is why she has created her own executive training program—helping heartless bosses become more human. So Taylor shocks even herself when she agrees to coach Bennett Wade, the cutthroat exec who got her unceremoniously canned. She’d love to slam the door in his annoying but very handsome face, but the customers aren’t exactly lining up at her door. Plus, this extreme makeover will give Taylor the golden opportunity to prove that her program works like a charm.
HE WANTS TO BUY IT.
Bennett Wade is many things—arrogant, smug, brusque—but trusting isn’t one of them. Women just seem to be after his billions. So when he hires Taylor Reed, he has no desire to change. Bennett is trying to win over the feminist owner of a company he desperately wants to buy, but something about the fiery Taylor thaws the ice around his heart, making Bennett feel things he never quite planned on. And if there’s one thing Bennett can’t stand, it’s when things don’t go according to plan.
They are a match tailor-made for trouble.
The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Mary Russell is used to dark secrets—her own, and those of her famous partner and husband, Sherlock Holmes. Trust is a thing slowly given, but over the course of a decade together, the two have forged an indissoluble bond.
And what of the other person to whom Mary Russell has opened her heart: the couple’s longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson? Russell’s faith and affection are suddenly shattered when a man arrives on the doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Hudson’s son.
What Samuel Hudson tells Russell cannot possibly be true, yet she believes him—as surely as she believes the threat of the gun in his hand. In a devastating instant, everything changes. And when the scene is discovered—a pool of blood on the floor, the smell of gunpowder in the air—the most shocking revelation of all is that the grim clues point directly to Clara Hudson.
Or rather to Clarissa, the woman she was before Baker Street.
The key to Russell’s sacrifice lies in Mrs. Hudson’s past. To uncover the truth, a frantic Sherlock Holmes must put aside his anguish and push deep into his housekeeper’s secrets—to a time before her disguise was assumed, before her crimes were buried away.
There is death here, and murder, and trust betrayed.
And nothing will ever be the same.
And what of the other person to whom Mary Russell has opened her heart: the couple’s longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson? Russell’s faith and affection are suddenly shattered when a man arrives on the doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Hudson’s son.
What Samuel Hudson tells Russell cannot possibly be true, yet she believes him—as surely as she believes the threat of the gun in his hand. In a devastating instant, everything changes. And when the scene is discovered—a pool of blood on the floor, the smell of gunpowder in the air—the most shocking revelation of all is that the grim clues point directly to Clara Hudson.
Or rather to Clarissa, the woman she was before Baker Street.
The key to Russell’s sacrifice lies in Mrs. Hudson’s past. To uncover the truth, a frantic Sherlock Holmes must put aside his anguish and push deep into his housekeeper’s secrets—to a time before her disguise was assumed, before her crimes were buried away.
There is death here, and murder, and trust betrayed.
And nothing will ever be the same.
When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
When the Moon Was Ours follows two characters through a story that has multicultural elements and magical realism, but also has central LGBT themes—a transgender boy, the best friend he’s falling in love with, and both of them deciding how they want to define themselves.
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.
But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.
But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
Golden State by Stephanie Kegan
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Growing up in the 1960s in one of California’s most prominent political families, Natalie Askedahl worshipped her big brother, Bobby, a sensitive math prodigy who served as her protector and confidante. But after Bobby left home at sixteen on a Princeton scholarship, something changed between them. Now that Natalie has a career and a family of her own, her only real regret is losing Bobby.
Then, a bomb explodes in the middle of her seemingly ideal life. Her oldest daughter is on the Stanford campus when one person is killed and another maimed. Other attacks follow across California. Frightened for her family, Natalie grows obsessed with the case of the so-called Cal Bomber, until she makes an unthinkable discovery: the bomber’s manifesto reads alarmingly like the last letter she has from Bobby. Unsure of whom to sacrifice and whom to protect, Natalie is confronted with a terrible choice. As her life splits irrevocably into before and after, she begins to learn that some of the most dangerous things in the world are the stories we tell ourselves.
Then, a bomb explodes in the middle of her seemingly ideal life. Her oldest daughter is on the Stanford campus when one person is killed and another maimed. Other attacks follow across California. Frightened for her family, Natalie grows obsessed with the case of the so-called Cal Bomber, until she makes an unthinkable discovery: the bomber’s manifesto reads alarmingly like the last letter she has from Bobby. Unsure of whom to sacrifice and whom to protect, Natalie is confronted with a terrible choice. As her life splits irrevocably into before and after, she begins to learn that some of the most dangerous things in the world are the stories we tell ourselves.
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
"Reader, I murdered him.”
A sensitive orphan, Jane Steele suffers first at the hands of her spiteful aunt and predatory cousin, then at a grim school where she fights for her very life until escaping to London, leaving the corpses of her tormentors behind her. After years of hiding from the law while penning macabre “last confessions” of the recently hanged, Jane thrills at discovering an advertisement. Her aunt has died and her childhood home has a new master: Mr. Charles Thornfield, who seeks a governess.
Burning to know whether she is in fact the rightful heir, Jane takes the position incognito, and learns that Highgate House is full of marvelously strange new residents—the fascinating but caustic Mr. Thornfield, an army doctor returned from the Sikh Wars, and the gracious Sikh butler Mr. Sardar Singh, whose history with Mr. Thornfield appears far deeper and darker than they pretend. As Jane catches ominous glimpses of the pair’s violent history and falls in love with the gruffly tragic Mr. Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him—body, soul, and secrets—without revealing her own murderous past?
A satirical romance about identity, guilt, goodness, and the nature of lies, by a writer who Matthew Pearl calls “superstar-caliber” and whose previous works Gillian Flynn declared “spectacular,” Jane Steele is a brilliant and deeply absorbing book inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre.
Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
In Karen Marie Moning’s latest installment of the epic #1 New York Times bestselling Fever series, the stakes have never been higher and the chemistry has never been hotter. Hurtling us into a realm of labyrinthine intrigue and consummate seduction, FEVERBORN is a riveting tale of ancient evil, lust, betrayal, forgiveness and the redemptive power of love.
When the immortal race of the Fae destroyed the ancient wall dividing the worlds of Man and Faery, the very fabric of the universe was damaged and now Earth is vanishing bit by bit. Only the long-lost Song of Making—a haunting, dangerous melody that is the source of all life itself—can save the planet.
But those who seek the mythic Song—Mac, Barrons, Ryodan and Jada—must contend with old wounds and new enemies, passions that burn hot and hunger for vengeance that runs deep. The challenges are many: The Keltar at war with nine immortals who’ve secretly ruled Dublin for eons, Mac and Jada hunted by the masses, the Seelie queen nowhere to be found, and the most powerful Unseelie prince in all creation determined to rule both Fae and Man. Now the task of solving the ancient riddle of the Song of Making falls to a band of deadly warriors divided among—and within—themselves.
Once a normal city possessing a touch of ancient magic, Dublin is now a treacherously magical city with only a touch of normal. And in those war-torn streets, Mac will come face to face with her most savage enemy yet: herself.
When the immortal race of the Fae destroyed the ancient wall dividing the worlds of Man and Faery, the very fabric of the universe was damaged and now Earth is vanishing bit by bit. Only the long-lost Song of Making—a haunting, dangerous melody that is the source of all life itself—can save the planet.
But those who seek the mythic Song—Mac, Barrons, Ryodan and Jada—must contend with old wounds and new enemies, passions that burn hot and hunger for vengeance that runs deep. The challenges are many: The Keltar at war with nine immortals who’ve secretly ruled Dublin for eons, Mac and Jada hunted by the masses, the Seelie queen nowhere to be found, and the most powerful Unseelie prince in all creation determined to rule both Fae and Man. Now the task of solving the ancient riddle of the Song of Making falls to a band of deadly warriors divided among—and within—themselves.
Once a normal city possessing a touch of ancient magic, Dublin is now a treacherously magical city with only a touch of normal. And in those war-torn streets, Mac will come face to face with her most savage enemy yet: herself.
Assassin's Silence by Ward Larsen
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
When it comes to disappearing, David Slaton has few equals. Police in three countries have written off trying to find him. His old employer, Mossad, keeps no forwarding address. Even his wife and son are convinced he is dead. So when an assault team strikes, Slaton is taken by surprise. He kills one man and manages to escape.
Half a world away, in the baleful heat of the Amazon, an obscure air cargo company purchases a derelict airliner. Teams of mechanics work feverishly to make the craft airworthy. On the first flight, the jet plunges toward the ocean.
The CIA assesses the two spectacles: a practiced killer leaving a trail of bodies across Europe, and a large airplane disappearing without a trace. The two affairs are increasingly seen to be intertwined. Langley realizes the killer is a man long thought to be dead, and the lost airliner has been highly modified into a tool of unimaginable terror.
When their worst fears are realized, Langley must trust the one man who can save them: David Slaton, the perfect assassin.
Half a world away, in the baleful heat of the Amazon, an obscure air cargo company purchases a derelict airliner. Teams of mechanics work feverishly to make the craft airworthy. On the first flight, the jet plunges toward the ocean.
The CIA assesses the two spectacles: a practiced killer leaving a trail of bodies across Europe, and a large airplane disappearing without a trace. The two affairs are increasingly seen to be intertwined. Langley realizes the killer is a man long thought to be dead, and the lost airliner has been highly modified into a tool of unimaginable terror.
When their worst fears are realized, Langley must trust the one man who can save them: David Slaton, the perfect assassin.
Let It Be by Chad Gayle
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Let it be is a touching tale of loss, longing, and forgiveness that chronicles the breakup of a marriage, the destruction of a family, and the struggle to come together in the aftermath of what remains.
Searching for the love and happiness she feels she deserves, Michelle Jansen leaves her abusive, overbearing husband behind and takes her two kids to Amarillo, Texas, where she begins to learn how to stand on her own two feet, supporting herself and her children with the money she earns from a low-paying job as she becomes increasingly involved with a coworker who is an even bigger fan of the Beatles than she is.
But Michelle doesn’t realize that her ex-husband is willing to do whatever he can to destroy her new life. When Michelle is betrayed by her very own son, this already fractured family will be damaged in an almost unimaginable way. Can they find forgiveness in the midst of so much sorrow and guilt, or will love give them the strength that they need to let it be?
Part family saga, part coming of age tale, Let it be is a story intimately linked to the music of the Beatles, a debut novel filled with true-to-life characters who want nothing more than a second chance.
Searching for the love and happiness she feels she deserves, Michelle Jansen leaves her abusive, overbearing husband behind and takes her two kids to Amarillo, Texas, where she begins to learn how to stand on her own two feet, supporting herself and her children with the money she earns from a low-paying job as she becomes increasingly involved with a coworker who is an even bigger fan of the Beatles than she is.
But Michelle doesn’t realize that her ex-husband is willing to do whatever he can to destroy her new life. When Michelle is betrayed by her very own son, this already fractured family will be damaged in an almost unimaginable way. Can they find forgiveness in the midst of so much sorrow and guilt, or will love give them the strength that they need to let it be?
Part family saga, part coming of age tale, Let it be is a story intimately linked to the music of the Beatles, a debut novel filled with true-to-life characters who want nothing more than a second chance.
The Most Important Thing by Avi
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
One of the most beloved writers of our time presents seven short stories exploring the vital ties between fathers and sons.
Luke sees the ghost of his father but can’t figure out what Dad wants him to do. Paul takes a camping trip with the grandfather he’s just met and discovers what lies behind the man’s erratic behavior. Ryan has some surprising questions when he interviews his prospective stepfather for the job. In a compellingly honest collection of stories, multiple-award-winning author Avi introduces seven boys — boys with fathers at home and boys whose fathers have left, boys who spend most of their time with their grandfathers and boys who would rather spend time with anyone but the men in their lives. By turns heartbreaking, hopeful, and funny, the stories show us boys seeking acceptance, guidance, or just someone to look up to. Each one shines a different light on the question "What is the most important thing a father can do for his son?"
Luke sees the ghost of his father but can’t figure out what Dad wants him to do. Paul takes a camping trip with the grandfather he’s just met and discovers what lies behind the man’s erratic behavior. Ryan has some surprising questions when he interviews his prospective stepfather for the job. In a compellingly honest collection of stories, multiple-award-winning author Avi introduces seven boys — boys with fathers at home and boys whose fathers have left, boys who spend most of their time with their grandfathers and boys who would rather spend time with anyone but the men in their lives. By turns heartbreaking, hopeful, and funny, the stories show us boys seeking acceptance, guidance, or just someone to look up to. Each one shines a different light on the question "What is the most important thing a father can do for his son?"
Reunion Pass by Emily March
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART.
Six years ago, Chase Timberlake bought an engagement ring for his high school sweetheart Lori Reese. Then ... life happened. Chase's adventure photography career took off, Lori's dream of getting into veterinary school came true, and their happily ever after never came to pass.
When Chase's jet-setting life takes a tragic turn, he returns to Eternity Springs a damaged man. Who better to help mend his spirit than the woman who has dedicated her life to healing broken wings? Long summer days spent together rekindles the love that never died and Chase dares to dream of a future he'd thought lost. But Lori can't help but wonder whether this high-flying man really wants a small-town girl with roots sunk deep into the Colorado Rockies. Can she and Chase turn back the hands of time and pick up where they left off -- and give forever a chance?
Six years ago, Chase Timberlake bought an engagement ring for his high school sweetheart Lori Reese. Then ... life happened. Chase's adventure photography career took off, Lori's dream of getting into veterinary school came true, and their happily ever after never came to pass.
When Chase's jet-setting life takes a tragic turn, he returns to Eternity Springs a damaged man. Who better to help mend his spirit than the woman who has dedicated her life to healing broken wings? Long summer days spent together rekindles the love that never died and Chase dares to dream of a future he'd thought lost. But Lori can't help but wonder whether this high-flying man really wants a small-town girl with roots sunk deep into the Colorado Rockies. Can she and Chase turn back the hands of time and pick up where they left off -- and give forever a chance?
Outlaw Cowboy by Nicole Helm
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Ever since his father’s accident, Caleb Shaw vowed he’d mend his wild ways, and he means to keep his word. He’s a changed man. A better man. And he knows he should want absolutely nothing to do with his crazy old life…or the maddening temptation that is Delia Rogers.
Because Delia? Is nothing but trouble.
Delia’s been stealing her sisters away from their violent father ever since she was old enough to fight back. But now with the police on her trail and all her bridges burned, there’s nowhere left to run but back into the arms of the one cowboy she knows she shouldn’t need. Caleb has always been too good for her, no matter how bad he claimed to be. Yet when close quarters turn into something more, Delia and Caleb are forced to decide what really matters: mending their reputations or healing their wary hearts…
Because Delia? Is nothing but trouble.
Delia’s been stealing her sisters away from their violent father ever since she was old enough to fight back. But now with the police on her trail and all her bridges burned, there’s nowhere left to run but back into the arms of the one cowboy she knows she shouldn’t need. Caleb has always been too good for her, no matter how bad he claimed to be. Yet when close quarters turn into something more, Delia and Caleb are forced to decide what really matters: mending their reputations or healing their wary hearts…
King's Ransom by Amelia Autin
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Reunion with the king turns forbidden…and dangerous
Internationally renowned actress Juliana Richardson should be concentrating on the role of a lifetime, not on the man who broke her heart years earlier. Yet King Andre Alexei IV is no longer a young prince-in-training—he's an undeniably sexy monarch with seduction on his mind. Juliana's heart is at risk, but after a series of deadly coincidences, it becomes clear her life is on the line, too.
Andre vows to protect the stubborn star even as she pushes him away. But as the threat to Juliana's life grows more intense, Andre must choose between saving the vulnerable beauty or letting her go forever…
Internationally renowned actress Juliana Richardson should be concentrating on the role of a lifetime, not on the man who broke her heart years earlier. Yet King Andre Alexei IV is no longer a young prince-in-training—he's an undeniably sexy monarch with seduction on his mind. Juliana's heart is at risk, but after a series of deadly coincidences, it becomes clear her life is on the line, too.
Andre vows to protect the stubborn star even as she pushes him away. But as the threat to Juliana's life grows more intense, Andre must choose between saving the vulnerable beauty or letting her go forever…
A Father's Desperate Rescue by Amelia Autin
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The latest chapter in the Man on a Mission series spotlights a film star in his darkest drama yet.
Widower Dirk DeWinter is a screen legend, but his favorite role is caring for his twin toddlers. So when his daughters are kidnapped while he's on location in Hong Kong, the desperate dad enlists the help of private investigator Mei-li Moore to track them down. But digging up secrets from Dirk's past unleashes something more potent—and dangerous—than either of them ever expected.
Mei-li knows Dirk is off-limits, both professionally and emotionally, yet she still can't help but fall for the doting father. As their mission threatens to unravel, will they risk their hearts and lives to save the twins—and each other?
Widower Dirk DeWinter is a screen legend, but his favorite role is caring for his twin toddlers. So when his daughters are kidnapped while he's on location in Hong Kong, the desperate dad enlists the help of private investigator Mei-li Moore to track them down. But digging up secrets from Dirk's past unleashes something more potent—and dangerous—than either of them ever expected.
Mei-li knows Dirk is off-limits, both professionally and emotionally, yet she still can't help but fall for the doting father. As their mission threatens to unravel, will they risk their hearts and lives to save the twins—and each other?
The Winemakers by Jan Moran
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| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
A young woman
A family secret
A devastating truth that could destroy the man she loves
Many years ago, the Rosetta family’s hard-won dreams of staking their claim in the vineyards of California came to fruition. Now high-spirited, passionate Caterina Rosetta, who has inherited both her mother’s talent for crafting the finest wines and also her indomitable will, wants nothing more than to win her mother’s approval and work at her side. But that can never happen, because Caterina is keeping a secret that could ruin her: a daughter of her own, fathered by the love of her life, who left her without explanation. Just as she feels she has nowhere to turn, Caterina discovers that she has inherited a vineyard in the Tuscan countryside in Italy, from a grandmother she’s never heard of, and she seizes the chance to start a new life for herself and her child.
But the past is not so easily outrun. In the country of her ancestors, Caterina meets the family of the father she never knew, and discovers that her mother is also hiding her own secret—a secret so devastating it threatens the future of everything her family has worked for. As an old murder comes to light, and Caterina uncovers a tragedy that may destroy the man she loves, she realizes her happiness will depend on revealing the truth of her mother’s buried past—if she has the strength to face it.
From author Jan Moran comes The Winemakers, a sweeping, romantic novel that will hold you in its grasp until the last delicious sip.
A family secret
A devastating truth that could destroy the man she loves
Many years ago, the Rosetta family’s hard-won dreams of staking their claim in the vineyards of California came to fruition. Now high-spirited, passionate Caterina Rosetta, who has inherited both her mother’s talent for crafting the finest wines and also her indomitable will, wants nothing more than to win her mother’s approval and work at her side. But that can never happen, because Caterina is keeping a secret that could ruin her: a daughter of her own, fathered by the love of her life, who left her without explanation. Just as she feels she has nowhere to turn, Caterina discovers that she has inherited a vineyard in the Tuscan countryside in Italy, from a grandmother she’s never heard of, and she seizes the chance to start a new life for herself and her child.
But the past is not so easily outrun. In the country of her ancestors, Caterina meets the family of the father she never knew, and discovers that her mother is also hiding her own secret—a secret so devastating it threatens the future of everything her family has worked for. As an old murder comes to light, and Caterina uncovers a tragedy that may destroy the man she loves, she realizes her happiness will depend on revealing the truth of her mother’s buried past—if she has the strength to face it.
From author Jan Moran comes The Winemakers, a sweeping, romantic novel that will hold you in its grasp until the last delicious sip.
So that is all 42 books that I received in the mail in the month of April. The Winemakers is not pictured in the collage because I have already loaned it out to a friend to read (because it's so good I want to share it) and the coloring book from the middle photo on the top row of the collage didn't get a spot in the main post because it's promotional material that arrived along with one of the other books (and it's awesome promotion considering the current coloring book craze.) Which of these books that I received this month are you most interested in reading my review of?
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