Bad Day in a Banana Hammock
Zach wakes up with no memory, no phone, and no clothes except his stripper g-string. And oh yeah! There's that pesky naked dead guy in bed next to him. Problem is Zach's not gay. Or a murderer. At least, he doesn't think so. Only one person can help him, his sister, Zora. Of course Zora's got problems of her own-she has three kids at home and is eight months pregnant with the fourth. So she's a bit cranky. But that's not going to stop her from helping her brother. With kids in tow, the siblings set out to find the true killer, clear Zach's name, and reassure Zach he's not gay. ***** "An hilarious murder mystery romp. Ride along with Zach and Zora on this most entertaining of mysteries." -Heather Brainerd, author of the Jose Picada, P.I. mystery series "A fun, quirky whodunit so full of wild antics, it will keep you guessing...when you're not giggling." -Heather Greenis, author of The Natasha Saga "Bad Day in a Banana Hammock will have you wiping up tears of hysterical laughter." -Suzanne de Montigney, author of the Shadow of the Unicorn series
Murder by Massage
Zach, the friendly neighborhood "male entertainer dancer," is back and mixed up in another suspicious murder case! But just like last time, big sister, Zora-private investigator supreme-comes to the rescue, complete with four kids in tow. Nuttiness, chaos, and mystery ensue as Zach and Zora race against the clock to prove his innocence. No clue is too big, no clue is too small. Even if it involves dancing cops, ex-radical hippy militants, pompous pastors, or a creepy set of "Furries" (don't ask!)
Isn't Life Strange?
This book that I wrote was due to humorous thoughts that came to mind as I was coming off竅 medication prescribed by my psychiatrist. I was busy taking notes and drawing funny images on my computer. I was having the best time of my life trying to make light of the otherwise stressful world we live in. Just needed to have some fun poking at certain situations that would pop into my mind. Life is too short not to see the humor in it and realize that if we can laugh at ourselves and others we can heal from past hurts and move forward! I'd like to thank my Lord Jesus for giving me the opportunity to find humor in this life and to share the love and joy to others. I feel really blessed!!
Vastness of Pace
Luke and Melissa, newlyweds, live temporarily in the Provence, France on an assignment from Luke's employer in the States. They live to make each other happy and their life is calm and relaxed.An invitation to a wedding in Cholet from Melissa's friend seems to be a wonderful opportunity for a relaxed trip through France. A blue-sky day sets a relaxed start to their trip. However, an unexpected traffic jam, an eighteen-wheeler on one side and concrete barriers forcing them to merge into its lane, forgotten wedding clothes, running low on gas late at night high up in the mountains, reckless driving on Luke's part, not merely minor damages to the car, and other incidences turn their life, moods, and emotions upside down. The tension not only tests their patience but their love for each other and their relationship.What valuable lessons will they learn about themselves and each other? Will this trip, turned chaotic and stressful, emotions flying high, end in separation or bring them closer together?It seems impossible to mix humor with the high pressure, chaos, and strained emotions; but fasten seat-belts and get ready for an exciting ride.
Masterpieces Of American Wit And Humor
As the title claims, the book is a real collection of the best examples of the American humorous literature. The editor gathers valuable pieces by the prominent authors like Washington Irving, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain and many more. It was compiled at the turn of the 19th and 20th century and its aim was to bring relaxing notes into the craze for moral seriousness in all literature, which was characteristic of that period. CONTENTS AGNES REPPLIER - A Plea for Humor MARIETTA HOLLEY - An Unmarried Female FITZHUGH LUDLOW - Selections from a Brace of Boys ROBERT JONES BURDETTE - Rheumatism Movement Cure OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES - An Aphorism and a Lecture JOSHUA S. MORRIS - The Harp of a Thousand Strings SEBA SMITH - My First Visit to Portland WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT - The Mosquito JOHN CARVER - Country Burial-places DANFORTH MARBLE - The Hoosier and the Salt-pile ANNE BACHE - The Quilting FITZ-GREENE HALLECK - A Fragment Domestic Happiness CHARLES F. BROWNE - ("Artemus Ward") One of Mr. Ward's Business Letters On "Forts" JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL - Without and Within LOUISA MAY ALCOTT - Street Scenes in Washington ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE - Mis' Smith JAMES JEFFREY ROOHE - A Boston Lullaby CHARLES GRAHAM HALPINE - Irish Astronomy SAMUEL MINTURN PEOK - Bessie Brown, M. D. ROBERT C. SANDS - A Monody CAROLYN WELLS - The Poster Girl JAMES GARDNER SANDERSON - The Conundrum of the Golf Links HARRIET BEECHER STOWE - The Minister's Wooing WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS - Mrs. Johnson ANONYMOUS - The Trout, the Cat and the Fox The British Matron
Fatherhood for Fuckheads
Behold, Fuckhead, what you have become: A FATHER.A DAD. But what's that noise? To whom do you speak at night and who's that devil telling you about that lady over who's got a hell of an rump on her? Don't forget about those boobs of hers and how they deliciously joggle as she shifts; don't forget about those beers in the fridge, how cold they are and how they'll make you tingle from your head down to your tootsies. His name is Ken, and he is loud, and he is you, and you must kill him so your family might thrive. Will you survive?
Low Country Lamentations
A new novel by the author of Recondite Oblivion. "A striking, character-driven tale . . ." Kirkus Reviews When news of her long-lost brother's reappearance reaches Savannah D'Bergeolet, she begins a quest to uncover the many secrets that surround both him and their childhood in the South Carolina low country. For her, and her friends and family who are dragged into the ever-thickening plot, things will never be the same.
Naked Ambition
"You're a politician, a public figure. What on earth were you thinking?" Up-and-coming junior minister Gregory Buchanan has had a portrait painted of himself by the acclaimed artist Sophie White--a painting she intends to enter in this year's Archibald Prize. Until then, Gregory has hung it in pride of place on his dining-room wall. It's a life-sized standing portrait, practically photographic in nature. And it's a nude. His wife will be home soon and he thinks the painting will be a pleasant surprise. Even more surprising will be an unexpected accumulation of guests: his sardonic mother, his fundamentalist mother-in-law, his lesbian sister, and the state governor, Louisa Wetherly--a senior government member has just resigned in scandalous circumstances, and she needs Gregory to step into the spotlight ahead of the coming election. It's going to be a wild afternoon, and an even wilder campaign--to do something about Gregory's naked ambition.
Crushin' Candy
So damn sweet, I cause cavities.S'up? I'm Candy. Excuse the name. Mom was a stripper back in her prime and I was a client gone wrong. Now stuck behind the bar, she was eager for me to join the family business. No thanks. The only circles I run in are the ones my bubblegum bubbles make. Don't worry about my teeth though, sugar-free as always. I'm not a complete psycho. Oh, except for my passive-aggressive, potty-mouthed, imaginary best friend who happens to be a gummy bear. That part is pretty nuts.I was thoroughly enjoying myself, doing whatever the hell I wanted until a group of model-worthy bikers try to muscle in on my heist. They don't seem to realise those with barely any personal belongings tend to grow protective of what's theirs, and by taking one of my beloved possessions, they've signed their own death warrants.Fooling them with a sickly sweet smile, I'll slip past their defences and claim back what's rightfully mine, no matter the cost. Putting bullies back in their place when no one else can is my speciality. No one screws over Candy Crystal twice. P.S, yeah - stripper name game is on point.Trigger Warning: This is book one of the I Love Candy series, featuring a feisty female lead. Candy is spontaneous, impulsive and reckless, which makes this book inappropriate for under 18's. She gives as good as she gets, causing chaos and leaves you wondering who is bullying who! Expect excessive amounts of steam, violence and cursing throughout. This series is a Why Choose trilogy with a HEA...eventually.
Funny Cartoons and Insightful Sayings
Here's my book "Funny Cartoons and Insightful Sayings." I drew and wrote this book so people can get a laugh out of it. We all need a laugh from time to time. I'm 90 years old and loved doing the book. Pick up a book and have a laugh . . . ha ha ha!
Dashboard Elvis Is Dead
A failed writer connects the murder of an American journalist, a drowned 80s musician and a Scottish politician's resignation, in a heart-wrenching novel about ordinary people living in extraordinary times. Renowned photo-journalist Jude Montgomery arrives in Glasgow in 2014, in the wake of the failed Scottish independence referendum, and it's clear that she's searching for someone. Is it Anna Mason, who will go on to lead the country as First Minister? Jamie Hewitt, guitarist from eighties one-hit wonders The Hyptones? Or is it Rabbit - Jude's estranged foster sister, now a world-famous artist? Three apparently unconnected people, who share a devastating secret, whose lives were forever changed by one traumatic night in Phoenix, forty years earlier... Taking us back to a school shooting in her Texas hometown, and a 1980s road trip across the American West - to San Francisco and on to New York - Jude's search ends in Glasgow, and a final, shocking event that only one person can fully explain...
Prejudice
PREJUDICE is a storyline that tells the tale of conflicts resulting from misgivings between faiths, cultures, generations and social classes. this novel brings before us the struggles that everyone can honestly identify with as it tells of people who strive earnestly to break loose from such shackles; sometimes successfully, other times getting into deeper struggles as a result.This novel is a pleasant narrative anyone would like to read from start to finish, the plots are very tight and full of suspense- it is a skilful piece of art indeed.Prejudice uses three major families to graphically display the happenings going on in the country Nigeria and the challenges they face in the greatly diverse country.
Confessions of a Predatory Lender
The year is 2006 and everyone knows you can make a killing in mortgage lending. Christy and Megan, two small-town girls from the Palouse region of Eastern Washington, arrive in Seattle with newly minted finance degrees and dollar signs in their eyes. Both are eager to grab their chance at becoming mortgage loan officers. If only they can pass the training class! "Good girl" Christy is our guide through the maze of predatory lending with BFF Megan her ever-present and irreverent sidekick. Together, they're an irresistible combination as they love, shop, and lend their way through this hilarious novel toward an ending we're all too familiar with.
The Great Social Security Heist
"A lot of people in America think there is a trust-that we take your money in payroll taxes and then we hold it for you and then when you retire, we give it back to you, but that's not the way it works. There is no trust fund-just IOUs that I saw firsthand." - President George W. BushYou're right, Mr. President. A lot of people in America still think that, but what you probably don't know is that back in 1972 when Nixon was president, the war de jour was Vietnam, and I was wearing bell-bottoms, four of the U's in those IOUs came looking for their money. I'm talking about a bunch of over-the-hill seventy year-olds: a WWI vet who paid his dues in the trenches of Europe, a small-time crook who paid his in regular installments behind bars, a hotheaded Irishman who thought dues were don'ts, and a giant gorilla who... well... He's a gorilla. Gorillas don't pay dues, and they usually get what they want.And then there's me. I'm Danny Maxwell. I went along for the ride. You'll never guess what happened, but if you hit that BUY button and I'll tell you the whole story.
Caf矇 Chronicles
Funny, dark, quirky, warm are just some of the adjectives used to describe this collection of 27 stories written and set in 27 different cafes from Buenos Aires, Chicago, Bogot獺, New York, and other cities. These deeply personal tales came from several years of travel to different parts of the Americas. Each story was inspired by a different cafe and gives the reader a chance to visit those cafes and experience, if only briefly, the universal in the local.
Mustang To Paducah
It's 1969. A spur-of-the-moment road trip. A borrowed car. A dubious destination. Two flaky hippies. What could possibly go wrong? Everything.Cruiser and Peanut, two aimless Miami stoners, are returning a car for a tourist from Kentucky who's gone romping on his new lover's yacht. Arriving at their destination, the pair stumble onto a multiple murder. Before long, the duo are on the lam as the prime suspects with an unhinged FBI agent and a mob contract killer hot on their trail.Nestled slyly into this madcap road trip is the cultural awakening of two young Miami refugees, one from Cuba, the other from Georgia. Being a hippie is more a fashion statement than a lifestyle for Cruiser and Peanut, the offspring of working-class parents who, like most migrants, came to Miami seeking a better life. After venturing outside their inner-city world for the first time, the pair discover a form of hippie heresy: The flower child ethos of dropping out and going back to the land feels less like liberation and more like a step back to the hardships their parents fled in Havana and Waycross.
If at First You Don't Succeed, Fly Again
What do you do when a career in family history turns your life into a mystery? At last Caity Shaw is engaged to her Irish love, Declan. However, rather than planning their future together, she is stuck organizing other couples' weddings and special events at her uncle's English estate. Desperate to escape the manor's media frenzy due to the home's recent appearance on a popular TV show, Caity quits despite her sister Rachel's objection. To everyone's surprise, including her own, Caity hires her former coworker and archenemy as her replacement. Shortly after returning home to Declan in Ireland's tranquil countryside, Caity lands a job assisting a renowned probate genealogist, a.k.a. heir hunter. Her first task is to deliver a family heirloom to a beneficiary in Scotland. What seems like a simple courier job soon has Caity involved in an intriguing family mystery. Caity's wedding plans are put on hold and her genealogy skills are put to the test when she must solve the mystery to save her and her boss's reputation.
Sunshine on My Mind
AUGUST 1977...A time when Elvis was king, Iceland had recently won the bitterly disputed 'Cod Wars' - and Hull City started a new football season that would ultimately end in relegation.For 12-year-old Tony, it meant going to East Yorkshire for two weeks of holiday and spending time with caring relatives who doted on him.All the ingredients were in place for a memorable vacation. After all, what could possibly go wrong in just 14 days?Critical praise for Philip Yorke's writing: "The kind of novel one could read over and over again.""A gem.""I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a warm heart and is very funny."
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Vol. 3
Following their victory at the debate, Alya and Masachika have some downtime to strategize for the upcoming closing ceremony. But can you really call an impromptu lunch date, hypnosis chaos, and vigorous study sessions "downtime"? Either way, it draws to a close when Masachika suddenly gets sick. It's an opportunity for Alya to play nurse...but it's also a chance for Yuki to execute a sneak attack! As the semester comes to an end, Yuki and Masachika are going to ramp up their sibling rivalry!
New Support for the Backbone
The 'new support' is 18-year-old Bella Anstruther, just qualified as a medical secretary, embarking on her first job in St Regis District General Hospital in Chelsea, London. The 'backbone' refers to all the clerical and back office staff required to run the hospital. The book follows Bella's progress from a shaky start to successful promotion. As a floating bank secretary, she moves around departments and meets many interesting characters! Jill, her motherly supervisor, the Typing Poolers and other secretaries she works with, the jovial post-room boys including awkward Norman, desperate to ask her out, Lulabelle their statuesque and wise tea lady and Lottie "The Lush", an ex-medical secretary who is found in the pub over the road, to mention just a few. St Regis itself is suffering: the buildings require urgent repairs and the staff's morale is in decline due to poor conditions, low pay and terrible food. The Hospital Administrator, Frank Cumbridge, also new to St Regis, attempts to instigate management schemes but only adds to staff resentment. Little does he know that he is playing into the hands of the powers that be in the DHSS and their plan for St Regis. This is a light-hearted and affectionate reflection of life in a London hospital in the late 1970's and is book one of the Bella quartet. The characters and hospital are entirely fictional but are based on experiences and encounters during the author's early days working as an agency temp in London during the mid 1970s.
Cigar Boys
You have to be a certain type of individual to be a regular at a cigar shop. At the Box that statement couldn't be any truer. Those who frequent the Box are one sorry collection of humanity, and we here at the Box Burns Gazette love them for it. The Gazette was created in order to document all of the crazy stories and events that have happened at the Box and to its customers. So follow along as we detail all the shenanigans our friends and lovable losers manage to get themselves into in Cigar Boys: Stories from the Ashes, a collection of short stories by Lou Rossi.
The Therapist
Frank is a successful psychologist struggling to deal with a shady past and an unhealthy taste for alcohol.Late on a Friday, he counsels a man with an unbreakable masturbation addiction. But, the session leaves Frank feeling dislodged. His career and personal life begin to spiral out of control, and a series of mind-bending events leave Frank wondering if he is the therapist or the patient."The Therapist is a dark, funny ride through the mind of an intelligent man coming to terms with his past.""A jarring insight into the male libido""Disturbing, hopeful, funny and depressing" Frank T Bird is an indie author of unique psychological fiction. He was born in Northern England during the pre-Thatcher nineteen seventies. After failing at life for many years, he was then shipped off to Australia to fail at life in a warmer climate. The Therapist is Frank's second book.
She's In a Better Place
Jennifer Graham is struggling to make ends meet while running the Fairlawn Funeral Home, raising two children, and studying for her national board exam. Her work takes on a new dimension when Gerald Huffman, her assistant and mentor, reveals that he has a serious illness. When she learns that he and his daughter haven't spoken in years, Jen decides to help them reconcile . . . but things don't go exactly as she planned. Jennifer is longing for stability in her life . . . but she soon discovers that life isn't stagnant; it's always changing. Once again, the mortuary is a setting for lessons of laughter, love, and life.
An Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman
I think, almost everybody will find something in this book to offend them. If you're upset by an Irish joke or disgusted by cursing, or believe some subjects are sacrosanct, then it's best to put the book down; now. If political correctness is important to you then it's also probably best not to proceed. If you're comfortable you're not racist, sexist or any other 'ist' and are prepared to accept it as it comes, even if you might consider a subject, or some of the language, a little dubious, you might find something to make you smile. This is a book of adaptions and interpretations of a few old jokes. Lest, because of modern mores and sensibilities, some oral traditions slip away or disappear through lack of telling. There are also four original short stories which may amuse. Disclaimer: Analysis tells me I share 39% of my DNA with those of Irish descent and 4% with European Jewish people. I was born in Hackney in East London, my paternal grandfather was Scottish and my maternal, Irish. Also, my forebears must have come out of Africa the same as everyone else.
Micromegas
Micromegas, has been considered important throughout human history. In an effort to ensure that this work is never lost, we have taken steps to secure its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for both current and future generations. This complete book has been retyped, redesigned, and reformatted. Since these books are not scans of the authors' original publications, the text is readable and clear.
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories
Biting wit and lush descriptions combine in this striking new edition of Oscar Wilde's short story collection, which contains Wilde's most famous story, "The Canterville Ghost." Originally published in 1887 in the British literary magazine, The Court and Society Review. "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: A Study of Duty" headlines this anthology, first published in 1891. In addition to the title work, Wilde added "The Canterville Ghost," "The Model Millionaire," and "The Sphinx Without a Secret." Editions dated after 1900 (including this one) also contain "The Portrait of Mr. W. H."In the 132 years since the publication of this collection, numerous actors, writers, and even musicians wrote adaptations of "The Canterville Ghost," the most popular of the stories in this volume. But those adaptations also made significant changes in the plot.Now with a foreword by Hugo-award nominee Paul Di Filippo, go back to the original. Read "The Canterville Ghost," and the other stories as Oscar Wilde wrote them.
Living the Dream - Life’s Outtakes 16
52 humorous/inspirational short stories, one for each week of the year, from the popular syndicated column, Life's Outtakes. From the humor of a city girl learning to teach in a rural school to her little sister in Teaching and Learning, to the heartwarming tale of playing Santa after a year of Covid, these stories will make you laugh, reminisce, and contemplate what matters most in life.
The Deli Diaries
Fresh out of art school with a pile of debt and a broken heart, Della moves into her parents' basement in suburban Nebraska and lands a "temporary" job as a deli clerk. Struggling to smile under the small talk of corporate commands, she contends with mind-numbing eight-hour shifts, bumbling management, ruthless secret shoppers, and a crew of misfit coworkers. Despite the monotonous drudgery, can Della stay true to herself and find creative inspiration in a life behind the counter? With inimitable quirkiness and fever dream flair, Ella Weber's debut novel is a hysterical yet heartfelt parody of millennial plight, Midwest mediocrity, overweening artistic ambition, and the inanity of the daily delicatessen grind. As inventive and entertaining as autofiction gets, The Deli Diaries is an unforgettable slice of life unafraid to ask the big questions: Who ham I? What ham I? Where ham I?Praise for The Deli Diaries: "A stream-of-consciousness tour through a shift that is at once one day and many days, with Della pontificating on life, reality shows, dating, the patriarchy, and everything in between." --Kirkus Reviews"Weber sees to the depths of America's depravity and manages to keep on laughing. The thing is to both see it and survive it, and somehow Ella Weber and her fictional alter ego, Della, the Sybil of the supermarket, has done this. Caustic and suave, serious and weightless, ecstatic and dangling over the abyss, The Deli Diaries is the Great American Novel I have been waiting for." --Sofi Thanhauser, author of Worn: A People's History of Clothing
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories
Biting wit and lush descriptions combine in this striking new edition of Oscar Wilde's short story collection, which contains Wilde's most famous story, "The Canterville Ghost." Originally published in 1887 in the British literary magazine, The Court and Society Review. "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: A Study of Duty" headlines this anthology, first published in 1891. In addition to the title work, Wilde added "The Canterville Ghost," "The Model Millionaire," and "The Sphinx Without a Secret." Editions dated after 1900 (including this one) also contain "The Portrait of Mr. W. H."In the 132 years since the publication of this collection, numerous actors, writers, and even musicians wrote adaptations of "The Canterville Ghost," the most popular of the stories in this volume. But those adaptations also made significant changes in the plot.Now with a foreword by Hugo-award nominee Paul Di Filippo, go back to the original. Read "The Canterville Ghost," and the other stories as Oscar Wilde wrote them.
The Canterville Ghost
The Canterville Ghost is set in the English countryside in the late 19th century. Most of the story takes place in Canterville Chase, which is described as an old mansion with secret rooms and passageways, long corridors stained glass windows, and oak paneling. Pictures of long-dead Canterville ancestors, ancient tapestries, and a suit of armor add to the medieval-like setting. Overall, it seems to fit the stereotype of a haunted house.The book follows fairy tale conventions and Wilde introduces Virginia Otis, a fairy-tale type heroine. Otis must believe that there is a soul worth saving in the murderous and grisly Sir Simon. Her actions, however, lead to a happy ending. Otis marries a Duke and receives a casket of valuable jewels from the Ghost.
License to Die
"Haris Orkin has renewed not-so-secret agent John Flynn's license to thrill in this delightful mash-up of James Bond and Maxwell Smart in another charming, thrilling and amusing page-turner that makes me sad for the rest." -Mark A. Altman, author of Nobody Does It Better: The Complete Oral History of James BondHornitos State Mental Hospital houses the worst of the worst. Those convicted of violent criminal behavior and judged not guilty by reason of insanity. Mass murderers, serial killers, mad bombers, arsonists, terrorists, and now... James Flynn. Still convinced he's an international super spy, Flynn finds himself in the most dangerous predicament of his life.He faces off with old enemies, new enemies, and psycho killers who just want to watch the world burn. He also meets a fierce and beautiful woman who might be even more dangerous and delusional than he is.Together they walk a tightrope between objective reality and clinical insanity and, with the help of Flynn's reluctant sidekick, Sancho, uncover a mad plot to bring on Armageddon.
The Jewel Of Seven Stars
Irish author Bram Stoker's horror book, The Jewel of Seven Stars, was initially made available by Heinemann in 1903. The story is a first-person narrative of a young guy who becomes involved in an archaeologist's scheme to bring Queen Tera, an Egyptian mummy, back to life. At the request of his daughter Margaret, renowned Egyptologist Abel Trelawny summons Malcolm Ross to his home. Malcolm observes that others in the room are affected by the "mummy scent," which is there due to the abundance of Egyptian artifacts in Margaret's room. The doctor believes Silvio is to blame for the scratch wounds on Abel's elbow since a huge mommy cat bothers Margaret's cat. Corbeck describes his journey to Egypt with Trelawny in search of the tomb containing the sarcophagus. He thinks that by opening the coffer, some magic will be released, reviving the mummy and reawakening Tera's spirit. According to Trelawny, ancient Egyptians possessed contemporary scientific knowledge, such as the discovery of radium and the invention of electricity. Malcolm worries about the impact on religion if the power of the ancient Egyptian gods is proven. As the lamps are lit, the coffer begins to glow, emitting a green vapor that passes into the sarcophagus. Suddenly, a storm shatters a window, blowing vapor around the room.
The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist from the 19th century, wrote The Idiot. It was initially serialized in The Russian Messenger in the years 1868-1869 The title is a wry allusion to the story's protagonist, Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, a young man whose benevolence, open-hearted innocence, and guilelessness cause many of the worldlier persons he meets to believe falsely that he lacks wisdom and understanding. After spending four years receiving treatment for an epileptic illness in a Swiss facility, Prince Myshkin is now returning to Russia. He meets Parfyon Semyonovich Rogozhin, a young trader, and is deeply moved by his ardor for a lady. Nastasya Filippovna struggles to decide between Myshkin and Rogozhin for the ensuing six months. They separate as friends despite their conflict, but the Prince is still worried. Aglaya seems to share Myshkin's fascination as he starts to fall in love with her. She frequently makes fun of him or violently chastises him for his innocence and excessive humility. A dinner party is planned since her mother thinks it's appropriate to introduce the Prince to their elite group. Although Aglaya tries to instruct him on proper behavior since she does not share her parents' admiration for these individuals, she curtly advises him to be as quirky as he pleases.
Arms And The Man
Arms and the Man is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's Aeneid, in Latin: Arma virumque cano. The play discusses how war is made, how it is fought, and how parties sue for peace at the close of it. Indeed, the play's title is a direct quote from Virgil's Aeneid, the Roman epic that glorifies war. George Bernard Shaw's three-act comedy, Arms and the Man, follows Raina Petkoff as she learns the reality of the world around her. Set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, Shaw's play takes a critical look at the romanticizing of love and war, the challenges of self-reflections, and the gray world of absolute truth.
The Eunuch
Why would a eunuch want to write a secret history of life in the court of ancient Babylon's most famous king? To get back at his brother: that's why. Abducted as young boys by soldiers during the conquest of Nineveh, the brothers Uruk and Nergal receive very different fates in the ancient kingdom of Babylon. Uruk enjoys favors and climbs the Ziggurat of power to become a trusted advisor and the chief propaganda minister of King Nebuchadnezzar II, while Nergal is castrated and assigned to keep records of the daily life of the King's harem. While Uruk's cushioned prosperity is enviable, his real life is anxious because the King is viewed as the Divine Plowman who must seed the land and bring forth a bountiful harvest -- in other words, make whoopie in the harem and father many children because as the King's virility goes, so goes the harvest -- but the King is both crazy and chronically impotent, and a severe drought has withered the grain fields of the kingdom, so Uruk works nervously to spin propaganda into the official court records to hide the real state of affairs. Mostly out of contempt for his brother and his brother's official history, but also partly because of a deep respect for truth, Nergal the eunuch decides to write his his own secret, eye-witness, tell-all account of the real life inside the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, in all of its hilarious and embarrassing unseemliness. All goes well until, at a crucial moment during a high festival orgy, the King calls for Nergal to assist him in performing a mating ritual with a harem concubine chosen to be the symbolic holy bride of Babylon. Eager to please the King his master, Nergal unexpectedly receives a caressing touch from the concubine, Siduri of Megiddo, and he nearly swoons with love for her. The moment turns Nergal's life upside down and tosses him in a nearly treasonous bind of mixed loyalties. Although he does not know it at the time, the moment changes not only Nergal's life but also everyone else's, because it is the first of a series of events that result in the collapse of the kingdom. So The Eunuch is a laugh-out-loud funny narrative that begins as an effort to extirpate the lies of the hagiographic official history of Babylon, becomes a story of a very peculiar love triangle between a King with mental health issues, an alluring and manipulative concubine, and an obsessive eunuch slave-scribe, and then ends by describing the fall of an empire.
Kindness, Capers, and Conundrums
This book examines multiple situations that occur day to day that we often dismiss but which offer a lesson and encourage us to examine our own humanity. Cruelty and kindness alike exist. This book prefers to advocate kindness, still recognizing that there is the other side to our being.
The Heart of a Goof
"A brilliantly funny writer--perhaps the most consistently funny the English language has yet produced." -- The Times (London) It was a morning when all nature shouted, "Fore!" Thus begins this hilarious anthology of P. G. Wodehouse's collection of nine short golf stories. Originally published in magazines between 1921 and 1926, the tales lead readers on an amusing nine-hole course of courtship, friendship, and business relationships. The narrator, the golf club's oldest member, observes the club's constituents' various golfing emotional setbacks and victories and forces his audience to listen to long anecdotal stories, presenting the sport as an eternal metaphor. Reflecting Wodehouse's brilliant humor, piercing satire, and sharp wit, the compilation includes "The Awakening of Rollo Podmarsh," "Chester Forgets Himself," "The Heart of a Goof," "High Stakes," "Jane Gets Off the Fairway," "Keeping in with Vosper," "The Magic Plus Fours," "The Purification of Rodney Spelvin," and "Rodney Fails to Qualify."
In the Time of the Dented-Pan and The Strange Quiet
Who was the greatest moose that ever lived? Well, there once was a moose who was handsome and brilliant, and while sometimes he smelled a bit pungent, his hearing and problem-solving skill sets were off the charts; for a moose. Mashuga Moose was the Sherlock Holmes of the Maine woods. When the human world went quiet from the Global Pandemic and the impact became evident to even the woodland creatures, Mashuga Moose thought, "Maybe I can help." "In the Time of the Dented-Pan and the Strange Quiet" is an illustrated children's book about a moose who wakes up one morning to find that the world had changed overnight. Like most wild animals, Mashuga Moose had been taught to stay safe by listening to human sounds. The "Strange Quiet" made Mashuga Moose feel afraid, anxious, and lonely. Despite his fears, Mashuga Moose knew that to protect his herd, he would have to journey around the lake to "town;" he had to find out what had happened to the humans.
The Timing of Maria
Carlos was walking down the street minding his own business. It's something he tried very hard to do. Minding his own business, that is. That and staying under the radar. But what he saw he couldn't ignore. A little girl was being dragged toward the open door of a van. The girl resisted. The kidnapper slapped her to the ground. Carlos wanted to ignore it, but he couldn't. He intervened. Things got violent turning his already challenging life upside down. Carlos soon realized the crime he stopped was one piece of a multifaceted puzzle, and the solving of every piece came down to unlocking the mystery of that one little girl, the timing of Maria.
Raft
Death doesn't scare me; I'm just terrified by the prospect of not being alive.Clark Whitaker needs a break. His kids are driving him batty, his marriage has hit a rough patch, and his job as a children's book author and illustrator is a creative nightmare. It's enough to make any self-respecting man walk headlong into traffic. Fortunately for Clark, he's about to get gobsmacked with perspective when he wakes up one morning to discover ... he's a penguin!Told in the four voices of the Whitaker family members, this funny and touching tale by award-winning screenwriter Stu Krieger follows one suburban family through an unforgettable summer as they flock together to solve the most unusual riddle of their lives.
Re-Told Traditional Tales
As this book relates to 'Traditional Folklore Tales' - presented in the form of monologues - it will appeal to all ages as they are immediately midentifiable with the stories that we all already know - now being able to be simply read and / or performed with their simple humour. As the various characters are highlighted in different colours, they can also be 'performed' by an individual, or a small group of adults and/or children, as a 'play' ... perhaps at parties or just for fun at home with friends and family of all ages, using different 'voices' for the characters. You can also try out changing to be the different characters yourself, by changing to the different 'voices' needed. Good fun for all listening to and watching the characters come to life in front of you.The style of Don's writing is based on the traditional type of 'monologues' with an easy flowingrhythm and phrasing. He hopes they will bring back all the memories of these stories to youthat may have been forgotten. Enjoy reliving them.
Cocktails and Crime (An Anthology of the Lighter Side of Francis Durbridge)
Francis Durbridge was the twentieth century's foremost writer of thrillers for radio and television creating, among many others, amateur sleuths Paul Temple and Tim Frrazer. But there was another side to Francis Durbridge's writing - a much lighter side which included musical comedies and sketches. This book publishes for the first time ever a selecdtion of these works.Titles included are: Stranger, BewareThe House on the CornerCocktails With CupidWe Were Strangers Mary Ann Worth Taking Excuses The Knave The Ace Paul Jones In Training The Customer Is Always Right Parents The Daily Dodge (6 episodes)
Raft
Death doesn't scare me; I'm just terrified by the prospect of not being alive.Clark Whitaker needs a break. His kids are driving him batty, his marriage has hit a rough patch, and his job as a children's book author and illustrator is a creative nightmare. It's enough to make any self-respecting man walk headlong into traffic. Fortunately for Clark, he's about to get gobsmacked with perspective when he wakes up one morning to discover ... he's a penguin!Told in the four voices of the Whitaker family members, this funny and touching tale by award-winning screenwriter Stu Krieger follows one suburban family through an unforgettable summer as they flock together to solve the most unusual riddle of their lives.
One Before Bedtime
Ten unusual short stories guaranteed to tease the mind, move your heart, and tweak your soul. Often, what we imagine to be routine and regular in our lives may deceive us and run the other way. Without forewarning, even friends and family may occasionally reveal surprises. Not everything we experience in our lifetime can ever be adequately explained. In One Before Bedtime, storyteller Nathaniel Johnson guides us through peculiar and unfamiliar domains.
BEA'S MAGICAL SUMMER GARDEN a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy
Lilac-haired Bea Appleton can't wait to create a buzz about the honey festival at her fantastic garden. The only thorn in her side is her awful next-door neighbour. Ever since he moved in, he and his poisonous assistant Carla have been complaining about Bea's beautiful climbing plants ruining the 'clean lines' of his garden. The ongoing feud has Bea worried. Will her horrible neighbours pose problems for her festival? Enter handsome TV presenter Marcus Rainton. He's the polar opposite of her horrible neighbour. He's entranced by both Bea and her beautiful garden, not to mention the buzzing bees and a certain black cat. Marcus is only meant to be here visiting his cousin, but he certainly seems determined to stick around. Is Bea the attraction? But is all as it seems? Nothing is ever straightforward in Bea's Garden . . .
Ellie and Jack
Ellie and Jack: Third Grade Ghost Hunters is written by Ryan Crawley, a certified Reading Specialist who has helped thousands of children become better readers. Two simple research-based strategies to improve reading skills are to have the child read more often and do repeated readings of the same book. This means finding books that kids are interested in reading! Through the author's research over the years, he noticed over and over that children love to read books that have a bit of mystery and paranormal, characters they can identify with, stories with pets, and a lot of humor. Ellie and Jack has all of this and more! And since we love animals so much, 20 percent of all profits from the book sales of Ellie and Jack: Third Grade Ghost Hunters will be donated to no-kill animal shelters that could really use extra funding. Ellie and Jack are twins who have noticed some strange things happening in the creepy, abandoned house next door. Never one to turn down an adventure, they plan on discovering exactly what is going on in that spooky dwelling while hoping their parents don't find out what they are up to in the process.
Things We Didn’t Tell You At The Time
What really happened to Aunt Agnes? Didn't we have a cat named Gunther? Did my best friend really suddenly move one day? "Things We Didn't Tell You at the Time" begins with a macabre disclosure and goes on to reveal what was behind all the misdirection adults dispensed during childhood.
Ghost I Have Met And Some Others
The funny short stories and sketches in "Ghost I Have Met And Some Others" are the work of John Kendrick Bangs. The book contains a number of clever and fantastical stories about run-ins with ghosts, spirits, and other paranormal creatures. The tales range in tone from playful and lighthearted to darkly funny, and many of them parodies popular ghost stories. In one tale, a group of ghosts gathers to share their own ghost stories until a living man interrupts them and demands to join their club. In other stories, characters are plagued by their own anxieties and insecurities or end up in strange and puzzling circumstances involving ghosts and other supernatural beings. Readers still find the collection of stories to be enjoyable now since it is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Also, "Ghost I Have Met And Some Others" is a timeless piece of amusing supernatural fiction that will captivate both ghost tale enthusiasts and anybody who appreciates clever and creative storytelling.
