April is over, basically, today was the last day I could possibly get mail this month at least because the mail room is not open on the weekend at all, so it's time for April's mail call post. It felt like a rather slow month, but if the trend keeps up, I'm going to get a half dozen books on Monday, because I'm pretty sure the mail room puts my books aside to give them to me all at once, one day a week. I can't prove it, but the evidence supports my theory.
A Wedding For Christmas by Lori Wilde
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The whole town is ready for the holidays: The Cookie Club is baking, Main Street glitters with lights, the carolers sing . . .There’s even a Christmas wedding.
When bodyguard Ryder Southerland sees his best friend’s sister Katie at an L.A. Christmas party, he mistakes the slinky blonde for a celebrity stalker and tackles her. Then they tackle each other . . . at his place. The next morning, Katie’s gone, and Ryder tells himself it’s for the best. It isn’t. Now, one Christmas later, Ryder’s falling for the woman he’s been missing in the town he hasn’t missed at all . . .
Katie Cheek’s outgrown the romantic fantasies she had about Ryder when she was fifteen. Katie’s packed their hot night away in a box labeled “fling”—or tried to. But Twilight’s bad boy is the best man in her brother’s wedding. And up-close and personal, Ryder’s impossible to ignore. So Katie can either go into hiding—or surrender to Christmas magic.
When bodyguard Ryder Southerland sees his best friend’s sister Katie at an L.A. Christmas party, he mistakes the slinky blonde for a celebrity stalker and tackles her. Then they tackle each other . . . at his place. The next morning, Katie’s gone, and Ryder tells himself it’s for the best. It isn’t. Now, one Christmas later, Ryder’s falling for the woman he’s been missing in the town he hasn’t missed at all . . .
Katie Cheek’s outgrown the romantic fantasies she had about Ryder when she was fifteen. Katie’s packed their hot night away in a box labeled “fling”—or tried to. But Twilight’s bad boy is the best man in her brother’s wedding. And up-close and personal, Ryder’s impossible to ignore. So Katie can either go into hiding—or surrender to Christmas magic.
Ultimatum by K.M. Walton
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
One decision will change both of their lives.
It’s not Oscar’s fault that he’s misunderstood. Ever since his mother died, he’s been disrespected by his father and bullied by his self-absorbed older brother, so he withdraws from his fractured family, seeking refuge in his art.
Vance wishes his younger brother would just loosen up and be cool. It was hard enough to deal with their mother’s death without Oscar getting all emotional. At least when Vance pushes himself in lacrosse and parties he feels alive.
But when their father’s alcoholism sends him into liver failure, the two boys must come face-to-face with their demons—and each other—if they are going to survive a very uncertain future.
It’s not Oscar’s fault that he’s misunderstood. Ever since his mother died, he’s been disrespected by his father and bullied by his self-absorbed older brother, so he withdraws from his fractured family, seeking refuge in his art.
Vance wishes his younger brother would just loosen up and be cool. It was hard enough to deal with their mother’s death without Oscar getting all emotional. At least when Vance pushes himself in lacrosse and parties he feels alive.
But when their father’s alcoholism sends him into liver failure, the two boys must come face-to-face with their demons—and each other—if they are going to survive a very uncertain future.
A Life Discarded by Alexander Masters
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Unique, transgressive and as funny as its subject, A Life Discarded has all the suspense of a murder mystery. Written with his characteristic warmth, respect and humour, Masters asks you to join him in celebrating an unknown and important life left on the scrap heap.
A Life Discarded is a biographical detective story. In 2001, 148 tattered and mould-covered notebooks were discovered lying among broken bricks in a skip on a building site in Cambridge. Tens of thousands of pages were filled to the edges with urgent handwriting. They were a small part of an intimate, anonymous diary, starting in 1952 and ending half a century later, a few weeks before the books were thrown out. Over five years, the award-winning biographer Alexander Masters uncovers the identity and real history of their author, with an astounding final revelation.
A Life Discarded is a true, shocking, poignant, often hilarious story of an ordinary life. The author of the diaries, known only as ‘I’, is the tragicomic patron saint of everyone who feels their life should have been more successful. Part thriller, part love story, part social history, A Life Discarded is also an account of two writers’ obsessions: of ‘I’s need to record every second of life and of Masters’ pursuit of this mysterious yet universal diarist.
A Life Discarded is a biographical detective story. In 2001, 148 tattered and mould-covered notebooks were discovered lying among broken bricks in a skip on a building site in Cambridge. Tens of thousands of pages were filled to the edges with urgent handwriting. They were a small part of an intimate, anonymous diary, starting in 1952 and ending half a century later, a few weeks before the books were thrown out. Over five years, the award-winning biographer Alexander Masters uncovers the identity and real history of their author, with an astounding final revelation.
A Life Discarded is a true, shocking, poignant, often hilarious story of an ordinary life. The author of the diaries, known only as ‘I’, is the tragicomic patron saint of everyone who feels their life should have been more successful. Part thriller, part love story, part social history, A Life Discarded is also an account of two writers’ obsessions: of ‘I’s need to record every second of life and of Masters’ pursuit of this mysterious yet universal diarist.
Those Texas Nights by Delores Fossen
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The Granger siblings thought they'd left their ranching days behind, until fate sends them home to Wrangler's Creek, Texas—and into the passionate arms of those they'd least expect…
It's some run of bad luck when Sophie Granger loses her business and gets left at the altar all in one day. Desperate to not appear jilted, Sophie begs Clay McKinnon, Wrangler's Creek's smoking-hot police chief, to pretend they're having an affair. But Clay refuses, leaving Sophie to retreat to the family ranch to lick her wounds.
Hoping to leave his disreputable past behind, Clay moved to Wrangler's Creek for a fresh start. But that looks unlikely when Sophie's ex-fiancé shows up married to Clay's impulsive kid sister. Overcome, Sophie resuggests the affair—but this time for real. Clay is hesitant. City-girl Sophie isn't usually his type. But he can't deny the desire she elicits—or his yearning to have her plant her cowboy roots for good.
It's some run of bad luck when Sophie Granger loses her business and gets left at the altar all in one day. Desperate to not appear jilted, Sophie begs Clay McKinnon, Wrangler's Creek's smoking-hot police chief, to pretend they're having an affair. But Clay refuses, leaving Sophie to retreat to the family ranch to lick her wounds.
Hoping to leave his disreputable past behind, Clay moved to Wrangler's Creek for a fresh start. But that looks unlikely when Sophie's ex-fiancé shows up married to Clay's impulsive kid sister. Overcome, Sophie resuggests the affair—but this time for real. Clay is hesitant. City-girl Sophie isn't usually his type. But he can't deny the desire she elicits—or his yearning to have her plant her cowboy roots for good.
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
More amazing and inspiring than your tired, old bedtime story.
Classics Reimagined is a library of stunning collector's editions of classic novels illustrated by contemporary artists from around the world. Each artist offers his or her own unique, visual interpretation of the most well-loved, widely read, and avidly collected literature from renowned authors. From Grimm's Fair Tales to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and from Edgar Allen Poe to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, art lovers and book collectors alike will not be able to resist owning the whole collection. Enjoy Jane Austen's witty novel of love and misunderstanding as you've never seen it before! Alice Pattullo's modern, illustrative interpretation of Pride and Prejudice follows the romantic adventures of Bennett sisters, Mr. Bingley and his dour friend Mr. Darcy. The lush, multi-faceted images breathe new life into this classic novel, making it a collectible for book and art lovers every where.
Classics Reimagined is a library of stunning collector's editions of classic novels illustrated by contemporary artists from around the world. Each artist offers his or her own unique, visual interpretation of the most well-loved, widely read, and avidly collected literature from renowned authors. From Grimm's Fair Tales to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and from Edgar Allen Poe to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, art lovers and book collectors alike will not be able to resist owning the whole collection. Enjoy Jane Austen's witty novel of love and misunderstanding as you've never seen it before! Alice Pattullo's modern, illustrative interpretation of Pride and Prejudice follows the romantic adventures of Bennett sisters, Mr. Bingley and his dour friend Mr. Darcy. The lush, multi-faceted images breathe new life into this classic novel, making it a collectible for book and art lovers every where.
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined—an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding
Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resistor murdered in the failed July, 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows.
First, Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naïve Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resistor’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war.
As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war—each with their own unique share of challenges.
Written with the devastating emotional power of The Nightingale, Sarah’s Key, and The Light Between Oceans, Jessica Shattuck’s evocative and utterly enthralling novel offers a fresh perspective on one of the most tumultuous periods in history. Combining piercing social insight and vivid historical atmosphere, The Women in the Castle is a dramatic yet nuanced portrait of war and its repercussions that explores what it means to survive, love, and, ultimately, to forgive in the wake of unimaginable hardship.
Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resistor murdered in the failed July, 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows.
First, Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naïve Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resistor’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war.
As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war—each with their own unique share of challenges.
Written with the devastating emotional power of The Nightingale, Sarah’s Key, and The Light Between Oceans, Jessica Shattuck’s evocative and utterly enthralling novel offers a fresh perspective on one of the most tumultuous periods in history. Combining piercing social insight and vivid historical atmosphere, The Women in the Castle is a dramatic yet nuanced portrait of war and its repercussions that explores what it means to survive, love, and, ultimately, to forgive in the wake of unimaginable hardship.
Miramar Bay by Davis Bunn
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
In the tender, heartwarming tradition of Nicholas Sparks, this compelling novel of two strangers in a small coastal town marks a romantic tour de force for internationally bestselling author Davis Bunn.
He had not come all this way just to break another woman's heart.
When Connor Larkin boards a late night bus in downtown LA, he's not sure where he's going or for what he's looking. Putting his acting career and his fiancee on hold, he's searching for something he can't define, a part of himself he lost on the road to success. Once he dreamed of being a singer in the classic style of Sinatra and Bennett. But his lean good looks soon landed him in movies as the sexy bad guy and in the arms of a famous young heiress. Now, with his wedding day approaching, Connor finds himself stepping into the sleepy seaside town of Miramar Bay where one remarkable woman inspires him to rethink all of his choices.
She needed to know his secrets, and to see if he'd tell her the truth.
Sylvie Cassick is nothing like the pretentious starlets back in Hollywood. The daughter of a nomadic painter, she's had to work hard for everything unlike Connor's fiancee. When Connor hears familiar music drifting out of Sylvie's restaurant, he feels as if he's finally come home. Sylvie isn't sure what to think when this impossibly handsome stranger applies for a waiter's job. Yet once he serenades her customers and slowly works his way into her heart she realizes there's more to him than he's letting on. And Connor realizes he's found his destiny.
But as the outside world encroaches, threatening their fragile bond, Connor will have to risk losing everything to gain the life he longs for, and be the man Sylvie deserves.
Filled with bittersweet longing, Miramar Bay is an unforgettable journey through doubt and desire to the truth that can be discovered along the road less taken.
He had not come all this way just to break another woman's heart.
When Connor Larkin boards a late night bus in downtown LA, he's not sure where he's going or for what he's looking. Putting his acting career and his fiancee on hold, he's searching for something he can't define, a part of himself he lost on the road to success. Once he dreamed of being a singer in the classic style of Sinatra and Bennett. But his lean good looks soon landed him in movies as the sexy bad guy and in the arms of a famous young heiress. Now, with his wedding day approaching, Connor finds himself stepping into the sleepy seaside town of Miramar Bay where one remarkable woman inspires him to rethink all of his choices.
She needed to know his secrets, and to see if he'd tell her the truth.
Sylvie Cassick is nothing like the pretentious starlets back in Hollywood. The daughter of a nomadic painter, she's had to work hard for everything unlike Connor's fiancee. When Connor hears familiar music drifting out of Sylvie's restaurant, he feels as if he's finally come home. Sylvie isn't sure what to think when this impossibly handsome stranger applies for a waiter's job. Yet once he serenades her customers and slowly works his way into her heart she realizes there's more to him than he's letting on. And Connor realizes he's found his destiny.
But as the outside world encroaches, threatening their fragile bond, Connor will have to risk losing everything to gain the life he longs for, and be the man Sylvie deserves.
Filled with bittersweet longing, Miramar Bay is an unforgettable journey through doubt and desire to the truth that can be discovered along the road less taken.
Starfire by Dale Brown
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown—“the best military writer in the country” (Clive Cussler)—is back with Starfire, a masterful military thriller that explores a future all too possible and all too close: the weaponization of space.
With the death of his heroic father, bomber and space warfare veteran Patrick McLanahan, Bradley McLanahan must now fly solo, leading a team of young engineers designing Starfire, the world’s first orbiting solar power plant.
Starfire will not only deliver unlimited and inexpensive electricity anywhere on planet Earth, it can also transmit power to the moon, and even to spacecraft and asteroids. It’s a crucial first step in the exploration of the solar system, and Bradley and his team are on the cutting edge.
But U.S. president Kenneth Phoenix’s plans to militarize and industrialize Earth’s orbit sparks an arms race in space that eclipses the darkest and most terrifying days of the Cold War. Before he can prevent it, Bradley and his team are caught at the center of a battle that threatens to become an all-out global conflict for control of space.
With the death of his heroic father, bomber and space warfare veteran Patrick McLanahan, Bradley McLanahan must now fly solo, leading a team of young engineers designing Starfire, the world’s first orbiting solar power plant.
Starfire will not only deliver unlimited and inexpensive electricity anywhere on planet Earth, it can also transmit power to the moon, and even to spacecraft and asteroids. It’s a crucial first step in the exploration of the solar system, and Bradley and his team are on the cutting edge.
But U.S. president Kenneth Phoenix’s plans to militarize and industrialize Earth’s orbit sparks an arms race in space that eclipses the darkest and most terrifying days of the Cold War. Before he can prevent it, Bradley and his team are caught at the center of a battle that threatens to become an all-out global conflict for control of space.
Shattered by Kimberly Rae
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Revenge, Fears, and Lies...
Can Anyone Be Trusted?
Jean is finding freedom from her past and Grant has hopes for their future. Slash is in jail, and Candy moves forward with her new ministry despite it scandalizing half the church and forcing the rest to face their own prejudices and fears. When a former friend calls for help, Candy and Jean must decide to either trust her or turn her away. Is she truly seeking freedom, or is her request a cover for someone else's darker purpose?
The choice they make will have consequences for every person they love, and every hope they have for the future.
Can Anyone Be Trusted?
Jean is finding freedom from her past and Grant has hopes for their future. Slash is in jail, and Candy moves forward with her new ministry despite it scandalizing half the church and forcing the rest to face their own prejudices and fears. When a former friend calls for help, Candy and Jean must decide to either trust her or turn her away. Is she truly seeking freedom, or is her request a cover for someone else's darker purpose?
The choice they make will have consequences for every person they love, and every hope they have for the future.
Dangerous Ally by Jessica Lauryn
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
When Reporter Lilah Benson takes a job in the home of diamond smuggling kingpin Lucas Ramone, she believes she has a chance to write the story of a lifetime. But when she meets the man who was supposed to be her nemesis, Lilah is tempted by a passion far stronger than the desire to see her name in print...There was no doubt in Lucas's mind that eliminating his father's new executive assistant--namely, the bastard he's hired to help steal Project Gemstone--would be effortless. But with eyes like green jewels and a body made for a man's hands, Lilah Benson isn't exactly the adversary he was expecting to face...Though Lilah may be the one person capable of bringing him to his knees, Lucas will stop at nothing to keep his empire secure. He will have it all: His Fortune, His Legacy, and Lilah Benson in his bed...
The Flight of the Silvers by Daniel Price
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Without warning, the world comes to an end for Hannah and Amanda Given. The sky looms frigid white. The electricity falters. Airplanes everywhere crash to the ground. But the Givens are saved by mysterious strangers, three fearsome and beautiful beings who force a plain silver bracelet onto each sister's wrist. Within moments, the sky comes down in a crushing sheet of light and everything around them is gone.
Shielded from the devastation by their silver adornments, the Givens suddenly find themselves elsewhere, a strange new Earth where restaurants move through the air like flying saucers and the fabric of time is manipulated by common household appliances.
Soon Hannah and Amanda are joined by four other survivors from their world--a mordant cartoonist, a shy teenage girl, a brilliant young Australian, and a troubled ex-prodigy. Hunted by enemies they never knew they had and afflicted with temporal abilities they never wanted, the sisters and their companions begin a cross-country journey to find the one man who can save them--before time runs out.
"I could list the wonders of this new world for a while, but I'd rather let you discover them for yourself when you read the book. You should read this book! I loved "The Flight of the Silvers." I found it very difficult to put it aside to deal with my own life...It really is an amazing book." -SF Crow's Nest
Shielded from the devastation by their silver adornments, the Givens suddenly find themselves elsewhere, a strange new Earth where restaurants move through the air like flying saucers and the fabric of time is manipulated by common household appliances.
Soon Hannah and Amanda are joined by four other survivors from their world--a mordant cartoonist, a shy teenage girl, a brilliant young Australian, and a troubled ex-prodigy. Hunted by enemies they never knew they had and afflicted with temporal abilities they never wanted, the sisters and their companions begin a cross-country journey to find the one man who can save them--before time runs out.
"I could list the wonders of this new world for a while, but I'd rather let you discover them for yourself when you read the book. You should read this book! I loved "The Flight of the Silvers." I found it very difficult to put it aside to deal with my own life...It really is an amazing book." -SF Crow's Nest
Regretting Motherhood by Orna Donath
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Women who opt not to be mothers are frequently warned that they will regret their decision later in life, yet we rarely talk about the possibility that the opposite might also be true—that a woman who becomes a mother might regret it. Sociologist Orna Donath dispels the silence around this profoundly taboo subject in a powerful work that draws from her years of research interviewing women who wish they had never become mothers.
Donath treats regret as a feminist issue: as regret marks the road not taken, we need to consider whether alternative paths for women may currently be blocked off. Donath asks that we pay attention to what is forbidden by our contemporary rules governing motherhood, time, and emotion, including the cultural assumption that motherhood is a “natural” role for women—for the sake of all women, not just those who regret becoming mothers.
Donath finds that the women in her study became mothers for a wide variety of reasons: some did so to avoid divorce, exclusion from their family, or alienation from their friends; others did not think about it at all, but accepted it as the “next step” of what society considers to be a normal and natural life course. Others experienced regret despite initially having an strong desire to become mothers. Though they may love their children, these women each describe the agonizing guilt and suffering they have experienced as a result of becoming mothers, and consider the different ways they have each come to recognize and deal with these conflicts.
Donath treats regret as a feminist issue: as regret marks the road not taken, we need to consider whether alternative paths for women may currently be blocked off. Donath asks that we pay attention to what is forbidden by our contemporary rules governing motherhood, time, and emotion, including the cultural assumption that motherhood is a “natural” role for women—for the sake of all women, not just those who regret becoming mothers.
Donath finds that the women in her study became mothers for a wide variety of reasons: some did so to avoid divorce, exclusion from their family, or alienation from their friends; others did not think about it at all, but accepted it as the “next step” of what society considers to be a normal and natural life course. Others experienced regret despite initially having an strong desire to become mothers. Though they may love their children, these women each describe the agonizing guilt and suffering they have experienced as a result of becoming mothers, and consider the different ways they have each come to recognize and deal with these conflicts.
Burning Through Their Eyes by Eugene Knight
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Burning Through Their Eyes by Eugene Knight is a stunning sci-fi with a unique concept and surprising originality. When Toby decides to move to Chicago, it is because he wants to start a new life with his family and to get close to the place where his father was killed. But Toby is shocked with the things he learns, understanding that the University where he works runs a very dangerous program operated by the NSA. But that isn’t enough; one of his sons is kidnapped and could be in grave danger; his son would be subject to a dangerous research which aims at harnessing the ability to manipulate the dreams of others and to pry into their thoughts through their eyes. Now Toby must rescue his son, and to do so, he must use his own set of exceptional skills. The only problem, apart from a deadly adversary, is when a gifted seer of the future reveals that he’s seen Toby killed in a vision
you're drawn into the story from the very start with the great writing and the author’s ability to lead readers into the conflict. The story starts with action and the major conflict is introduced in the very first pages. I wanted to know who the man being tortured was because he seems to have been deceived. In his thoughts, the young man remembers the words of Dr. Niles from the University of Chicago, telling them she needed their help because “You guys have great potential.” The element of suspense is introduced right at the beginning of the story and the author uses it so wonderfully to keep the reader interested and focused. Eugene Knight’s Burning Through Their Eyes is a powerful work that combines crime and intrigue to create an absorbing plot, great characters, and a drama that readers will enjoy. It reads like a motion picture.
you're drawn into the story from the very start with the great writing and the author’s ability to lead readers into the conflict. The story starts with action and the major conflict is introduced in the very first pages. I wanted to know who the man being tortured was because he seems to have been deceived. In his thoughts, the young man remembers the words of Dr. Niles from the University of Chicago, telling them she needed their help because “You guys have great potential.” The element of suspense is introduced right at the beginning of the story and the author uses it so wonderfully to keep the reader interested and focused. Eugene Knight’s Burning Through Their Eyes is a powerful work that combines crime and intrigue to create an absorbing plot, great characters, and a drama that readers will enjoy. It reads like a motion picture.
Voices Behind the Curtain by Gordon Zuckerman
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
In 1946, peak military industrial contracting has been cut by 400 billion dollars. Some of the same industrial organizations responsible for creating a military arsenals capable of supplying six different wars on four separate continents have become concerned. The economic impact of converting their-war time manufacturing to peace-time production represents risks they are not willing to accept. A consortium of these companies determine they must find a new way to restore the lost military contracting. Their plan calls for them to manipulate the Congressional military appropriations process for their own self-interests.
Hearing of the plot, the Sentinels decide to challenge. "Voices Behind the Curtain" is a story about powerful and resourceful people, those who endeavor to implement their plan of corruption, and those who oppose.
Jacques Roth and Mike Stone return to lead the Sentinel opposition and devise a plan capable of opposing one of the world's largest conglomerates.
Meet Miss Mercedes, a former Miss Universe winner, who's ambition to become a celebrated actress have led to her downfall. Follow her life as she re-invents herself and influence those around her.
Natalie Cummins, the retired star of the London and New York musical stages, is determined to use her entertainment experience to find British employment for "Back Listed" Hollywood actors, writers and directors.
Marco Tanfredi and Don Cerreta, two second-generation Sicilians, who have learned to it is necessary to resist the 'temptations of the street', if they wish to pursue their American Dream"
The reader is allowed to ride side-saddle with these principal characters as they proceed to protect the integrity of Congressional Appropriations process. Their journey leads them through the entertainment industry in Mexico, Southern California, London and New York.
Hearing of the plot, the Sentinels decide to challenge. "Voices Behind the Curtain" is a story about powerful and resourceful people, those who endeavor to implement their plan of corruption, and those who oppose.
Jacques Roth and Mike Stone return to lead the Sentinel opposition and devise a plan capable of opposing one of the world's largest conglomerates.
Meet Miss Mercedes, a former Miss Universe winner, who's ambition to become a celebrated actress have led to her downfall. Follow her life as she re-invents herself and influence those around her.
Natalie Cummins, the retired star of the London and New York musical stages, is determined to use her entertainment experience to find British employment for "Back Listed" Hollywood actors, writers and directors.
Marco Tanfredi and Don Cerreta, two second-generation Sicilians, who have learned to it is necessary to resist the 'temptations of the street', if they wish to pursue their American Dream"
The reader is allowed to ride side-saddle with these principal characters as they proceed to protect the integrity of Congressional Appropriations process. Their journey leads them through the entertainment industry in Mexico, Southern California, London and New York.
Bad Imagination by Jexter James
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
Bad Imagination is a story for all creators. Most suitable for those gone slightly mad.
When we first met I thought we were each other’s equilibrium. That when we intertwined, with pieces melded while others flowed independent and free, we were the answer to the question. And I was so happy. Loved. I belonged, I mattered and I was not alone.
When we first met I thought we were each other’s equilibrium. That when we intertwined, with pieces melded while others flowed independent and free, we were the answer to the question. And I was so happy. Loved. I belonged, I mattered and I was not alone.
He Always Still Tastes Like Dynamite by Trevor Dodge
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
He Always Still Tastes Like Dynamite is a flash-fictional evisceration of toxic masculinity, a difficult yet tender exploration of the implicit and explicit violences men do to those they are afraid to love, those they pretend to hate, and those hearts, minds, and bodies they nervously call their own. In stories set amidst the sagebrush and clay of drive-through territories of the contemporary intermountain West, Trevor Dodge writes honestly and forcefully about characters trapped inside their own cartoon performances.
Here language dances between the highly abstract and grittily realistic, between the structurally provocative as well as the emotionally stark. Dodge's latest short story collection delivers scenes of domestic realism in an array of inventive, energetic, and poignant prose styles that invite readers to both literally and figuratively read between the lines.
Here language dances between the highly abstract and grittily realistic, between the structurally provocative as well as the emotionally stark. Dodge's latest short story collection delivers scenes of domestic realism in an array of inventive, energetic, and poignant prose styles that invite readers to both literally and figuratively read between the lines.
Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Nebula Award–winning author Elizabeth Moon makes a triumphant return to science fiction with a thrilling series featuring Kylara Vatta, the daring hero of her acclaimed Vatta’s War sequence.
After nearly a decade away, Nebula Award–winning author Elizabeth Moon makes a triumphant return to science fiction with this installment in a thrilling new series featuring the daring hero of her acclaimed Vatta’s War sequence.
Summoned to the home planet of her family’s business empire, space-fleet commander Kylara Vatta is told to expect a hero’s welcome. But instead she is thrown into danger unlike any other she has faced and finds herself isolated, unable to communicate with the outside world, commanding a motley group of unfamiliar troops, and struggling day by day to survive in a deadly environment with sabotaged gear. Only her undeniable talent for command can give her ragtag band a fighting chance.
Yet even as Ky leads her team from one crisis to another, her family and friends refuse to give up hope, endeavoring to mount a rescue from halfway around the planet—a task that is complicated as Ky and her supporters find secrets others will kill to protect: a conspiracy infecting both government and military that threatens not only her own group’s survival but her entire home planet.
After nearly a decade away, Nebula Award–winning author Elizabeth Moon makes a triumphant return to science fiction with this installment in a thrilling new series featuring the daring hero of her acclaimed Vatta’s War sequence.
Summoned to the home planet of her family’s business empire, space-fleet commander Kylara Vatta is told to expect a hero’s welcome. But instead she is thrown into danger unlike any other she has faced and finds herself isolated, unable to communicate with the outside world, commanding a motley group of unfamiliar troops, and struggling day by day to survive in a deadly environment with sabotaged gear. Only her undeniable talent for command can give her ragtag band a fighting chance.
Yet even as Ky leads her team from one crisis to another, her family and friends refuse to give up hope, endeavoring to mount a rescue from halfway around the planet—a task that is complicated as Ky and her supporters find secrets others will kill to protect: a conspiracy infecting both government and military that threatens not only her own group’s survival but her entire home planet.
True Reagan by James Rosebush
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Senior Advisor to Ronald Reagan and Chief of Staff to Nancy Reagan, James Rosebush had unique access to the 40th President. Now he shares his observations to reveal the heart of the man--the thinking, beliefs, and character many have declared "mysterious and unknowable."
Peeling back layers of Reagan to explore his outsized values and character, Rosebush relies on what Reagan revealed to him personally, and observations while working and traveling the world with him. According to Rosebush, Reagan's story is best told when focused on the fundamental belief systems that gave way to his strategies, how he came by them, and how he created and delivered foreign and domestic policy based on them...and thereby changed history. Focusing on qualities that made him a great leader, Rosebush helps readers understand the roots of Reagan's leadership and astounding communication skills, so that we might apply them to global challenges confronting our world today.
Peeling back layers of Reagan to explore his outsized values and character, Rosebush relies on what Reagan revealed to him personally, and observations while working and traveling the world with him. According to Rosebush, Reagan's story is best told when focused on the fundamental belief systems that gave way to his strategies, how he came by them, and how he created and delivered foreign and domestic policy based on them...and thereby changed history. Focusing on qualities that made him a great leader, Rosebush helps readers understand the roots of Reagan's leadership and astounding communication skills, so that we might apply them to global challenges confronting our world today.
Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The New York Times bestselling author of A Certain Age transports readers to sunny Florida in this lush and enthralling historical novel—an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal, and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach.
Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. While an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, she meets a charismatic British army surgeon whose persistent charm opens her heart to the possibility of love. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets—secrets that will damage their eventual marriage and propel her back across the Atlantic to the sister and father she left behind.
Five years later, in the early days of Prohibition, the newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in the tropical boomtown of Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. Despite the evidence, Virginia does not believe Simon perished in the fire that destroyed the seaside home he built for her and their young daughter. Separated from her husband since the early days of their marriage, the headstrong Virginia plans to uncover the truth, for the sake of the daughter Simon never met.
Simon’s brother and sister welcome her with open arms and introduce her to a dazzling new world of citrus groves, white beaches, bootleggers, and Prohibition agents. But Virginia senses a predatory presence lurking beneath the irresistible, hedonistic surface of this coastal oasis. The more she learns about Simon and his mysterious business interests, the more she fears that the dangers that surrounded Simon now threaten her and their daughter’s life as well.
Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. While an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, she meets a charismatic British army surgeon whose persistent charm opens her heart to the possibility of love. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets—secrets that will damage their eventual marriage and propel her back across the Atlantic to the sister and father she left behind.
Five years later, in the early days of Prohibition, the newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in the tropical boomtown of Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. Despite the evidence, Virginia does not believe Simon perished in the fire that destroyed the seaside home he built for her and their young daughter. Separated from her husband since the early days of their marriage, the headstrong Virginia plans to uncover the truth, for the sake of the daughter Simon never met.
Simon’s brother and sister welcome her with open arms and introduce her to a dazzling new world of citrus groves, white beaches, bootleggers, and Prohibition agents. But Virginia senses a predatory presence lurking beneath the irresistible, hedonistic surface of this coastal oasis. The more she learns about Simon and his mysterious business interests, the more she fears that the dangers that surrounded Simon now threaten her and their daughter’s life as well.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.
Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . .
. . .and what he discovers changes his life forever.
Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.
Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . .
. . .and what he discovers changes his life forever.
Trump's War by Michael Savage
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
The wall, taxes, tariffs, deportations, Obamacare, guns, military strength, schools, abortion, religion - what will the new president do? The "Godfather of Trumpmania," Michael Savage, examines the initial appointments, speeches, tweets and history of Donald Trump and offers his insights and analysis. The man many consider to be the determining factor in driving Trump over the finish line by motivating millions of undecideds and the "Deplorables," who would have otherwise sat out the election, provides a crucial first look at the early direction of the Trump presidency. Savage has waged a twenty-five year war on the radio to save America's borders, language and culture from a progressive onslaught that is already turning Europe into a socialist, multiculturalist nightmare, where violent gangs of radical Islamic refugees terrorize defenseless citizens on a daily basis. While most in the chattering classes around the world dismissed Trump's campaign, conservative radio icon Dr. Michael Savage championed Trump's platform and helped him galvanize the support of disaffected middle Americans left behind by the globalist central planners in their distant capitol. Savage's army of listeners on The Savage Nation was instrumental in electing Donald Trump to take the fight to Washington. But electoral victory was only the beginning. Trump now has an even bigger challenge in delivering on the promises he made to millions of American voters. He faces relentless opposition from special interests in both parties who stand to lose trillions if Trump's America First policies become the law of the land.Dr. Michael Savage has been on the front line of this fight for decades and knows what Trump and his administration are up against. He lays out a path to victory for the new, conservative American revolutionaries in Trump's War.
The Code Economy by Philip E. Auerswald
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
What do Stone Age axes, Toll House cookies, and Burning Man have in common? They are all examples of code in action.
What is "code"? Code is the DNA of human civilization as it has evolved from Neolithic simplicity to modern complexity. It is the "how" of progress. It is how ideas become things, how ingredients become cookies. It is how cities are created and how industries develop.
In a sweeping narrative that takes readers from the invention of the alphabet to the advent of the Blockchain, Philip Auerswald argues that the advance of code is the key driver of human history. Over the span of centuries, each major stage in the advance of code has brought a shift in the structure of society that has challenged human beings to reinvent not only how we work but who we are.
We are in another of those stages now. The Code Economy explains how the advance of code is once again fundamentally altering the nature of work and the human experience. Auerswald provides a timely investigation of value creation in the contemporary economy-and an indispensable guide to our economic future.
What is "code"? Code is the DNA of human civilization as it has evolved from Neolithic simplicity to modern complexity. It is the "how" of progress. It is how ideas become things, how ingredients become cookies. It is how cities are created and how industries develop.
In a sweeping narrative that takes readers from the invention of the alphabet to the advent of the Blockchain, Philip Auerswald argues that the advance of code is the key driver of human history. Over the span of centuries, each major stage in the advance of code has brought a shift in the structure of society that has challenged human beings to reinvent not only how we work but who we are.
We are in another of those stages now. The Code Economy explains how the advance of code is once again fundamentally altering the nature of work and the human experience. Auerswald provides a timely investigation of value creation in the contemporary economy-and an indispensable guide to our economic future.
Ray & Joan by Lisa Napoli
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
The dramatic relationship between Ray Kroc, the man who amassed a fortune as chairman of one of America’s most controversial and iconic companies—McDonald’s—and the passionate woman, his wife, Joan, who then gave that fortune away.
Ray & Joan is a quintessentially American tale of corporate intrigue and private passion: a struggling Mad Men–era salesman with a vision for a fast-food franchise that would become one of the world’s most enduring brands, and a beautiful woman willing to risk her marriage and her reputation to promote controversial causes that touched her deeply.
Ray Kroc was peddling franchises around the country for a fledgling hamburger stand in the 1950s—McDonald’s, it was called—when he entered a St. Paul supper club and encountered a beautiful young piano player who would change his life forever. The attraction between Ray and Joan was instantaneous and instantly problematic. Yet even the fact that both were married to other people couldn’t derail their roller coaster of a romance.
To the outside world, Ray and Joan were happy, enormously rich, and giving. But privately, Joan was growing troubled over Ray’s temper and dark secret, something she was reluctant to publicly reveal. Those close to them compared their relationship to that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. And yet, this volatility paved the way for Joan’s transformation into one of the greatest philanthropists of our time. A force in the peace movement, she produced activist films, books, and music and ultimately gave away billions of dollars, including landmark gifts to the Salvation Army and NPR.
Together, the two stories form a compelling portrait of the twentieth century: a story of big business, big love, and big giving.
Ray & Joan is a quintessentially American tale of corporate intrigue and private passion: a struggling Mad Men–era salesman with a vision for a fast-food franchise that would become one of the world’s most enduring brands, and a beautiful woman willing to risk her marriage and her reputation to promote controversial causes that touched her deeply.
Ray Kroc was peddling franchises around the country for a fledgling hamburger stand in the 1950s—McDonald’s, it was called—when he entered a St. Paul supper club and encountered a beautiful young piano player who would change his life forever. The attraction between Ray and Joan was instantaneous and instantly problematic. Yet even the fact that both were married to other people couldn’t derail their roller coaster of a romance.
To the outside world, Ray and Joan were happy, enormously rich, and giving. But privately, Joan was growing troubled over Ray’s temper and dark secret, something she was reluctant to publicly reveal. Those close to them compared their relationship to that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. And yet, this volatility paved the way for Joan’s transformation into one of the greatest philanthropists of our time. A force in the peace movement, she produced activist films, books, and music and ultimately gave away billions of dollars, including landmark gifts to the Salvation Army and NPR.
Together, the two stories form a compelling portrait of the twentieth century: a story of big business, big love, and big giving.
Singleton by Jack Cady
 |
| Photo Credit: Goodreads |
Synopsis
"There was one good thing and that was the truck. Any time the weight got too heavy you could at least be free, or at least look free. You could climb in the rig and go."
Singleton wasn't a simple man; he merely has simple needs, and he speaks them simply. He hauls cargo across the United States, and lives a life that many would classify as that of a drifter. But Singleton chose the road. He chose the endless hauling and empty destinations. Not because he was fleeing any sort of stable, constant life, but because he was working. And working was all he knew.
Much like Hemingway and Steinbeck, Cady wrote about the condition of the American working man. Singleton is both a memoir of and a meditation on the open road, written by the writer the Atlanta Constitution calls "a lasting voice in modern American literature."
Singleton wasn't a simple man; he merely has simple needs, and he speaks them simply. He hauls cargo across the United States, and lives a life that many would classify as that of a drifter. But Singleton chose the road. He chose the endless hauling and empty destinations. Not because he was fleeing any sort of stable, constant life, but because he was working. And working was all he knew.
Much like Hemingway and Steinbeck, Cady wrote about the condition of the American working man. Singleton is both a memoir of and a meditation on the open road, written by the writer the Atlanta Constitution calls "a lasting voice in modern American literature."
So that is all the books that I got in the mail this past month. I'm most excited to read The Women in the Castle and The Flight of the Silvers. Which of these books are you most interested in reading my review on? - Katie
No comments:
Post a Comment