Perception
Sam is a young man who has decided that the world he lives in is fundamentally flawed and in need of fixing-and he is determined to do something about it. The task is daunting and not without considerable risk. Unable to convince him to accept the status quo and in order to minimize the risk, his family opts to help him with astonishing results over the next two years. As Sam purposely acquires the label of terrorist, he takes on what he hopes is his final project. But in order for Sam to resume a normal life when his task is done, he will need even more help. What will happen when his family enlists the assistance of an old friend within the FBI that they hope will alter the world's current perception of Sam? Now only time will tell as the clock ticks away and Sam is led in a direction he never could have imagined. Perception is the tale of a young man's dangerous journey to repair what he feels is a flawed world, with help from his family, an old friend, and the highest office in the land.
Luscious
From USA Today Bestselling author Melissa Schroeder, get the second book in her wildly popular Camos and Cupcakes series!***Get the book at a discounted price through preorder!***When by the book Harry Bradley gets thrown together with his sister's best friend EJ, opposites don't just attract, they explode.She's my sister's best friend. A woman who calls to me on every level, but she can't stand me. Our one date ended when she deemed it over and left-before we even ordered food. So I shouldn't want her.But I do.Still, I've mastered controlling my emotions and my lusting...well, mostly. Of course, when she suggests we work together to promote both of our businesses, I jump at the chance. That chance leads to a kiss...and so much more.Now, if I can just restrain my control freak ways, all will be well.Warning: This book includes more cupcakes (of course), meddling friends, romance book references, a gun-toting Grandma, a trip out of state, wine, more cupcakes, and a dirty talking hero who not only surprised the heroine, but also this author. I'm not embarrassed...not really. Okay, maybe a little...a lot. Never mind. Just know that you have been warned and I will not be held responsible for any blushing in public. Also...CUPCAKES.
England, Their England
In an endeavour to write a book that captures the very essence of Englishness, a young Scot finds himself in 1920s England. To this end, he finds himself in typical English situations and circumstances, including participation in rural sports, international diplomacy, weekend trips to the country, and a village cricket match; all set to the backdrop of a nation going through significant social upheaval. This eloquent and affectionate novel will appeal to those with an interest in English culture and history, and it would make for a charming edition to any collection. Archibald Gordon Macdonell (1895 - 1941) was a Scottish writer, broadcaster, and journalist. Other notable works by this author include: "How Like An Angel" (1934), "The Autobiography of a Cad" (1938), and "Napoleon and his Marshals" (1934). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author. This book was first published in 1935.
Diary of a Pilgrimage
This early work by Jerome K. Jerome was originally published in 1891 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Diary of a Pilgrimage' is a novel set during a journey to Oberammergau, in Bavaria, to see the Passion play that is performed there every ten years. Jerome Klapka Jerome was born in Walsall, England in 1859. Both his parents died while he was in his early teens, and he was forced to quit school to support himself. In 1889, Jerome published his most successful and best-remembered work, 'Three Men in a Boat'. Featuring himself and two of his friends encountering humorous situations while floating down the Thames in a small boat, the book was an instant success, and has never been out of print. In fact, its popularity was such that the number of registered Thames boats went up fifty percent in the year following its publication.
The Inspector-General
This early work by Nikolai Gogol was originally published in 1836 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Inspector-General' is a play allegedly based on an anecdote recounted to Gogol by Pushkin, the great Russian Poet. The Play satirises human greed, stupidity, and the extensive political corruption of Imperial Russia. Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was born in Sorochintsi, Ukraine in 1809. In 1831, Gogol brought out the first volume of his Ukrainian stories, 'Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka'. It met with immediate success, and he followed it a year later with a second volume. 'The Nose' is regarded as a masterwork of comic short fiction, and 'The Overcoat' is now seen as one of the greatest short stories ever written; some years later, Dostoyevsky famously stated "We all come out from Gogol's 'Overcoat'." He is seen by many contemporary critics as one of the greatest short story writers who has ever lived, and the Father of Russia's Golden Age of Realism.
How Hard Can It Be?
Named a Best Book of Summer by People Magazine * USA Today * New York Magazine * New York Times Book Review * New York Post * PopSugar * Entertainment Tonight "Hugely entertaining." --Time Hilarious and poignant, How Hard Can It Be? is for women of all ages who have ever found themselves struggling to do it all, without breaking a sweat or missing a step. It's about starting over, growing older, falling down, and picking yourself back up again. And as a true heroine for our times, Kate Reddy proves it's never too late to rewrite your story. Kate Reddy had it all: a nice home, two adorable kids, a good husband. Then her kids became teenagers (read: monsters). Richard, her husband, quit his job, taking up bicycling and therapeutic counseling: drinking green potions, dressing head to toe in Lycra, and spending his time - and their money - on his own therapy. Since Richard no longer sees a regular income as part of the path to enlightenment, it's left to Kate to go back to work. Companies aren't necessarily keen on hiring 49-year-old mothers, so Kate does what she must: knocks a few years off her age, hires a trainer, and prepares a new resume that has a shot at a literary prize for experimental fiction. When Kate manages to secure a job at the very hedge fund she helped create, she finds herself in an impossible juggling act: proving herself (again) at work, dealing with teen drama, and trying to look after increasingly frail parents as the clock keeps ticking toward her 50th birthday. Then, an old flame shows up out of the blue, and Kate finds herself facing off with everyone from Russian mobsters to a literal stallion. Surely it will all work out in the end. After all, how hard can it be?
Sheetrock On the Road
As we deviate from my usual ramblings in the dusty worlds of the past and the wanderings of angels and fallen men, I ask you to join me on a possible journey through the life of no author in particular. Remember, as you root through the verbal attic of my mind, I am a writer of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living, dead, or currently haunting me is purely coincidental. These stories are intended to entertain and solicit some of your own memories. We all have tales to tell. Please enjoy some of my briefer ones because things happen sometimes. Aramis Thorn, writer, began his varied life in the South. After gaining many life experiences, his passion for the written word won out. Having published both researched works and fiction, his writing is as versatile as his life. Father of four children, Mr. Thorn currently resides in a beautiful area of the Northern United States. His main passion in life, which has led him down many paths, is to stand by the door for those who search for the way in and help them on the journey.
Dance of Chaos
Lazy, frivolous, conceited and totally self centred, Fiona MacDougall is not an asset to the workforce. When she applies for a transfer to the Infotech department of her company, she does so only in order to get an afternoon off work. Can she succeed in her challenging new job? Can she save her little brother from the consequences of his evil deeds? Will Moses do something embarrassing to the vicar's leg again? In this prequel to the acclaimed Gift of Continence, we see the hapless Fiona at work and in the bosom of her dysfunctional family.
Marlene Likes Cake Mixer
This combined books features the two books from the best author Sally Redwoods. Read the books to find out... Marlene Likes Dancing. When the night falls, the ground falls. It is the year 4567 and everyone is happy about their job, apart from one ambiguous girl called Marlene. When she is told that she must attend the midnight dance ball, hosted by the leader of All, she must make a choice. The party is at night-when the ground falls. Marlene has seen many people go through the ground; everyone thinks that if one falls down there, they die. This is when disaster struck: when Marlene goes to the ball, hours before the midnight dance ball starts, the ground starts to fall. And she is the only one who manages to go down there. She is trapped there, surrounded in tall gloomy shadows. She encounters many strange ducks, cakes and toilet paper. They are here to destroy people from the Up World. She must seek refuge before it is too late. The Cake Mixer. The only way to mix the cake is to mix it yourself. The troubles of mixing cake can be hard when you have no limbs. Since the Leader of All gave Marlene the Great Gas, her limbs feel numb, finding trouble in walking and doing daily activities. She must find an antidote to restore back what was once left in her limbs. But the antidote journey requires great strength, courage and patient. Marlene has none of those. Will she give up, or will she learn those skills to get what she desires back?This book were written by young Australian teens.
Ball Or Nothing
"Poignant and very funny" - The Sun He's been kicked out by his wife and she's already got a hunky new lover. There's only one way he can think of to win back her affections - become a football megastar Things aren't going well for football fan Richie Price. He's lost his job and been booted out of the family home by the wife he adores after an unfortunate "incident". But Richie has a clever plan to win back Julie's affections by becoming a Premier League footballer - despite the fact he's 42, well overweight and has always been terrible at playing the Beautiful Game. And as our hero struggles to make his ridiculous plan succeed, new enemies emerge who are determined to bring down soccer's unlikeliest superstar.
Lux
A searing, poignant, darkly comic novel set on Cape Cod by the author of the bestselling true crime story Invisible Eden. Young Alden Warren's husband has vanished without a trace. Her daily routine -- working for the National Park Service at the Cape Cod National Seashore, volunteering to take care of a cantankerous old activist she met through Meals on Wheels, monitoring bird migration counts, and applying for a foster baby -- provides many distractions and obstacles, but she's got bigger troubles as Miss Bride Interrupted. Alden is avidly courted but holds out emotionally -- until Lux Davis, a handsome landscape worker and her husbands undetected killer, tracks her down. Lux is smitten with Alden, but his immediate problem, unknown to her, is how to dispose of the body. Lux and Alden bond strongly in the face of their mutual demons, past and current, creating a charged and magical love story. In the meantime, his secret is on the verge of being discovered as the law closes in behind him. Maria Flook finds valiant people within the working-class population of an off-season resort community. Although unsteady and disenfranchised, her characters emerge intact, buoyed by their love for one another and for the natural world, and portrayed by Flook with her signature mixture of high poetic seriousness and a ribald, picaresque sensibility (The New Yorker).
Honeymoon
When FBI agent John O'Hara first sees her, she seems perfect. She has the looks. The career. The clothes. The wit. The sophistication. The tantalizing sex appeal. The whole extraordinary package - and men fall in line to court her. She doesn't just attract men, she enthralls them. If you dare. So why is the FBI so interested in Nora Sinclair? Mysterious things keep happening to people around her, especially the men. And there is something dangerous about Nora when Agent O'Hara looks closer - something that lures him at the same time that it fills him with fear. Is there something dark hidden among the unexplained gaps in her past? And as he spends more and more time getting to know her, is he pursuing justice? Or his own fatal obsession? With the irresistible attraction of the greatest Hitchcock thrillers, Honeymoon is a sizzling, twisting tale of a woman with a deadly appetite and the men who dare to fall for her.
Dumping Billy
A modern-day battle of the sexes - dished up with scathing wit, hilarity, and plenty of attitude.
Mouthing the Words
By turns harrowing and hilarious, this adroitly narrated winner of the Toronto Book Award re-creates the world in the imagination of Thelma. It's a world in which she can escape some of her more painful childhood realities, like those games her father likes to make her play, where he's the boss and she the naughty secretary. And her mother so fiercely favors her younger brother, the cherubic Willy, that Thelma finds herself perpetually in emotional exile. No wonder Thelma asks practically every adult she meets to adopt her. Along Thelma's bumpy way from a rural English village to Canada to a law degree at Oxford, she meets many potential parents and even makes some friends, but it is with the companions of her fertile imagination-with the scaredy-baby Janawee, moody and timid Ginniger, and big, strong, stoic Heroin-that Thelma finds comfort. With them, too, she loses an already tenuous connection to reality, though ultimately Thelma's spirit and humor prove to be as indomitable as her wit. "Moving and comic at once.... Hallucinatory, hilarious, and haunting."-Boston Globe "Prickly, unsentimental...a portrait of terrible comic humanity."-New York Times Book Review "Mesmerizing.... Lush, visceral prose ... rings with an authority rarely found in first novels."-Washington Post Book World "A novel of astonishing power .... An instantaneous classic."-Baltimore Sun "Elegant ... sings with an almost Victorian delicacy and sophistication."-San Francisco Chronicle
Dying to Meet You
WINNER! Book of the Year -Living Life With Joy"I devoured this gorgeous book in one day!" -Zooloo's Book Diary"Hooked me, enchanted me, and blew me away." -Bernadette Maycock Liz Parker doesn't like surprises, but winning the lottery isn't something she would complain about. Before she has time to think about how to spend her new fortune, she's hit with an even bigger shock than unexpected wealth. She has three months to live unless she finds a one-in-a-million bone marrow donor. While her medical team scrambles to locate her miracle, Liz throws together a bucket list, charters a private jet, and takes off to see the world. The journey of a lifetime holds even more surprises, including the hunky pilot she's falling for at the most inconvenient time. An uplifting romantic comedy about miracles, destiny, and happily ever afters.
On Your Dime
J. G. Mack tells a story about a genius yet aloof young man named Charlie Taylor, who takes us on a journey that questions our own sanity. What if we were in his shoes? How would we react to the many challenges this young man faced? Have you ever been misdiagnosed? Most of us have at one point in our lives, whether it's a broken foot or, even more dangerous, a broken mind like Charlie Taylor's. Charlie has struggled thirteen years with the wrong medication at the wrong time, place, and every situation that came down the pipe. He taught himself how to cope with his manic behavior and came out on top most of the time. This is a truly inspirational true story of a young man on a roller-coaster ride through the Midwest. It is humorous at times, and dark at others. Charlie Taylor may overcome. Or he may not. Follow us as the journey continues.
On Your Dime
J. G. Mack tells a story about a genius yet aloof young man named Charlie Taylor, who takes us on a journey that questions our own sanity. What if we were in his shoes? How would we react to the many challenges this young man faced? Have you ever been misdiagnosed? Most of us have at one point in our lives, whether it's a broken foot or, even more dangerous, a broken mind like Charlie Taylor's. Charlie has struggled thirteen years with the wrong medication at the wrong time, place, and every situation that came down the pipe. He taught himself how to cope with his manic behavior and came out on top most of the time. This is a truly inspirational true story of a young man on a roller-coaster ride through the Midwest. It is humorous at times, and dark at others. Charlie Taylor may overcome. Or he may not. Follow us as the journey continues.
Don Camillo’s Dilemma
Reading these stories about the little world between the Great River and the Mountains, is to travel to the Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy in the incomparable company of a cast of characters who testify to the exquisite humour and humanity of their creator.The year is 1953. The Soviet Union is the No. 1 enemy of the West, and the Vatican has issued its famous decree which makes voting communist a mortal sin.No.6 in the Don Camillo series provides the sharpest real-life context yet for the often hilarious feud between the battling village priest and the communist Mayor, Peppone. But, as ever, Guareschi is writing for all times and all places.SOME READER REVIEWS'An outstanding selection of the author's best writing on Don Camillo.' James P. Lisante, February 6, 2017'Sometimes laugh out loud funny, sometimes tearful - wonderful.' Helen P, 24 November 2015
Exodus According to Methuselah
Methuselah, the recording angel of history, is correcting the mistakes in Exodus that the dyslexic and nearsighted scribe who copied the Bible first made. For instance, Moses's mother takes an entire month to make the basket for the baby since Macy's has not yet come into existence. The infant's sister, Miriam, places the basket in the bulrushes of Nile to save the Hebrew baby from being killed. Pharaoh's daughter, who has severe psoriasis, rescues the infant and raises him in the palace. When Moses is ten, he is taught how to box. At the age of sixteen, he learns how to drive a chariot. That gives him the inspiration to initiate chariot races when he's seventeen-long before the Roman ones as depicted in Ben-Hur. Moses is placed in an anger management class that he hates. He becomes an unquestionably great leader but never fully controls his temper for the rest of his eventful life.
Crazy About My Job
Crazy About My Job is a dark comedy romance. Ralph Dumas lost the job he'd had for eleven years. Then his wife divorced him for not being ambitious enough in his career. Ralph is hired as the human resources manager at a company called Spendler Shoes. Norma Bates, the receptionist at Spendler Shoes, is planning to divorce her husband who is in prison. Find out how Norma and Ralph beat the odds and find true love with each other despite their different backgrounds and the craziness that is going on all around them.
Crazy About My Job
Crazy About My Job is a dark comedy romance. Ralph Dumas lost the job he'd had for eleven years. Then his wife divorced him for not being ambitious enough in his career. Ralph is hired as the human resources manager at a company called Spendler Shoes. Norma Bates, the receptionist at Spendler Shoes, is planning to divorce her husband who is in prison. Find out how Norma and Ralph beat the odds and find true love with each other despite their different backgrounds and the craziness that is going on all around them.
The Department of Sensitive Crimes
In the Swedish criminal justice system, certain cases are considered especially strange and difficult, in Malm繹, the dedicated detectives who investigate these crimes are members of an elite squad known as the Sensitive Crimes Division. These are their stories. The first case: the small matter of a man stabbed in the back of the knee. Who would perpetrate such a crime and why? Next: a young woman's imaginary boyfriend goes missing. But how on earth do you search for someone who doesn't exist? And in the final investigation: eerie secrets that are revealed under a full moon may not seem so supernatural in the light of day. No case is too unusual, too complicated, or too, well insignificant for this squad to solve. The team: Ulf "the Wolf" Varg, the top dog, thoughtful and diligent; Anna Bengsdotter, who's in love with Varg's car (and possibly Varg too); Carl Holgersson, who likes nothing more than filling out paperwork; and Erik Nykvist, who is deeply committed to fly fishing. With the help of a rather verbose local police officer, this crack team gets to the bottom of cases other detectives can't or won't bother to handle. Equal parts hilarious and heartening, The Department of Sensitive Crimes is a tour de farce from a true master.
To Be Honest
Chester K. Eddy isn't completely honest. But he's trying to be.When the struggling New York stage actor decides being totally open and honest is exactly the change he needs in his life, Chester doesn't expect being so obnoxiously transparent will only make things worse. After his brother kicks him out, his favorite bar cuts him off, and his best pal Melissa tells him she needs a break from their friends-with-benefits relationship, Chester quickly has few people left who still want to listen to him and his self-professed Honesty Movement.Along his way to newfound self-discovery, Chester will finagle his way into the tenuous role of Director's Assistant for a small-time theatre's production of an unknown play; he'll accidentally attend Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings; he'll find himself in the company of suspected serial killers; he'll drink a bit too much. And he might even have an eye-opening encounter with a talking dinosaur.But there's one truth Chester realizes he hasn't been capable of admitting: he's in love with Melissa. And he can't be completely honest until he's ready to tell her as much.
Be a Man
Growing up without a father, Walton must navigate through the toughest years of adolescence without having a positive male role model while living in a rough and tough town. After he and his family move into a new neighborhood, he is faced with new obstacles that normal teens never encounter. Walton easily adjusts to his new surroundings and begins making new friends and develops his first romantic relationship. Being awkward teenagers trying to navigate through life can be tough, but when the weight of the world falls on Walton's shoulders, does he learn from it to make him stronger? Growing up isn't always easy to do, and there are no exceptions with Walton and his crew. Through the adventures and misadventures, these guys work hard to keep their lives in check while growing up. Follow Walton, Rachelle, and their friends in this tale of their transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Be a Man
Growing up without a father, Walton must navigate through the toughest years of adolescence without having a positive male role model while living in a rough and tough town. After he and his family move into a new neighborhood, he is faced with new obstacles that normal teens never encounter. Walton easily adjusts to his new surroundings and begins making new friends and develops his first romantic relationship. Being awkward teenagers trying to navigate through life can be tough, but when the weight of the world falls on Walton's shoulders, does he learn from it to make him stronger? Growing up isn't always easy to do, and there are no exceptions with Walton and his crew. Through the adventures and misadventures, these guys work hard to keep their lives in check while growing up. Follow Walton, Rachelle, and their friends in this tale of their transition from adolescence to adulthood.
The Promise of Elsewhere
A comic novel about a Midwestern professor who tries to prop up his failing prospects for happiness by setting out on the Journey of a Lifetime. Louie Hake is forty-three and teaches architectural history at a third-rate college in Michigan. His second marriage is collapsing, and he's facing a potentially disastrous medical diagnosis. In an attempt to fend off what has become a soul-crushing existential crisis, he decides to treat himself to a tour of the world's most breathtaking architectural sites. Perhaps not surprisingly, Louie gets waylaid on his very first stop in Rome--ludicrously, spectacularly so--and fails to reach most of his other destinations. He embarks on a doomed romance with a jilted bride celebrating her ruined marriage plans alone in London. And in the Arctic he finds that turf houses and aluminum sheds don't amount to much of an architectural tradition. But it turns out that there's another sort of architecture there: icebergs the size of cathedrals, bobbing beside a strange and wondrous landscape. It soon becomes clear that Louie's grand journey is less about where his wanderings have taken him and more about where his past encounters with romance have not. Whether pursuing his first wife, or his estranged current wife, or the older woman he kissed just once a quarter-century ago, Louie reveals himself to be endearing, deeply touching, wonderfully ridiculous . . . and destined to find love in all the wrong places.
Major Grumpy Morning Man
Getting ready for work has most of us in a slight panic every morning. To be on time and ready to go for that big day at the office. For Major, Grumpy Morning Man though, it's a big day at the worksite, where he is a carpenter. As he gets ready for work, things don't really go to plan. Now, it's up to his beautiful wife to keep his head in the game and send him on his way. Will Major, Grumpy Morning Man make it on time? Can his beautiful wife calm him down? Find out in Major Grumpy Morning Man, Getting Ready for Work.
How to Eat a Millennial One Byte at a Time
This is a humorous look at intergenerational connectivity in the modern world.
How to Eat a Millennial One Byte at a Time
This is a humorous look at intergenerational connectivity in the modern world.
Staff Picks
It's Father's Day 1972 and a young boy's dad takes him to visit a string of unimpressive ex-girlfriends that could have been his mother; the unconventional detective work of a koan-speaking, Kung Fu-loving uncle solves a case of arson during a pancake breakfast; and a former geology professor, recovering from addiction, finds himself sharing a taxicab with specters from a Jim Crow-era lynching. Set in and around the fictional town of Steepleburg, South Carolina, the loosely tied stories in George Singleton's Staff Picks place sympathetic, oddball characters in absurd, borderline surreal situations that slowly reveal the angst of southern history with humor and bite. In the tradition of Donald Barthelme, T. C. Boyle, Flannery O'Connor, and Raymond Carver, Singleton creates lingering, darkly comedic tales by drawing from those places where familiarity and alienation coexist. A remarkable and distinct effort from an acclaimed chronicler of the South, Staff Picks reaffirms Singleton's gift for crafting short story collections that both deliver individual gems and shine as a whole.
Us Against You
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown returns with an unforgettable novel "about people--about strength and tribal loyalty and what we unwittingly do when trying to show our boys how to be men" (Jojo Moyes). Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too. A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don't expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they've always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it's a cruel blow when they hear that Beartown ice hockey might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. As the tension mounts between the two adversaries, a newcomer arrives who gives Beartown hockey a surprising new coach and a chance at a comeback. Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you'll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the town's enmity with Hed grows more and more acute. As the big game approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt intensifies. By the time the last goal is scored, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after everything, the game they love can ever return to something as simple and innocent as a field of ice, two nets, and two teams. Us against you. Here is a declaration of love for all the big and small, bright and dark stories that give form and color to our communities. With immense compassion and insight, Fredrik Backman--"the Dickens of our age" (Green Valley News)--reveals how loyalty, friendship, and kindness can carry a town through its most challenging days.
I'd rather glue me nut sack to a bullet train
When Hakim, an Iranian lands in Australia, he hitches a ride with Bluey and they set out on a road trip to the big smoke. It's a steep learning curve for a new arrival. From up shit creek to sweet as a nut Hakim learns what it is to be an Aussie. of course there is more to the yarn than a couple of coldies, a set of false teeth and a dog the farts, much more.
Humor Deeper Than A Holler
Enjoy another downhome anthology of humor, misadventure, and common sense country insight. Travel from the farm to the city and the mountains to the coast. Join Lucius as he crosses paths with cabin loving bears and beer loving motorcycle enthusiasts. Follow his coastal escapades as he ponders tourists, encounters coed minstrels, and outruns a Carolina hurricane. Contemplate with our hillbilly as he experiences a first-hand miracle and tangles with specters and spooks. Carolina laughter and a few thrills await.
Lake City
"Lake City is a darkly funny and extremely relevant debut novel about American inequality and moral authority, featuring a sad-sack antihero who takes way too long to grow up. When he finally does, the results are beautiful, and the book ultimately becomes an elegy for a now-gone Seattle, and a lesson in how the place we're from never fully lets us go." --Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See Hunkered down in his childhood bedroom in Seattle's worn-out Lake City neighborhood, idealistic but self-serving striver Lane Bueche licks his wounds and hatches a plot to win back his estranged Manhattanite wife. He discovers a precarious path forward when he is contracted by a wealthy adoptive couple to seduce and sabotage a troubled birth mother from his neighborhood. Lane soon finds himself in a zero-sum game between the families as he straddles two cultures, classes, and worlds. Until finally, with the well-being of the toddler at stake, Lane must choose between wanting to do the right thing (if he could only figure out what that is) and reclaiming his idea of privilege. "Snarky social commentary on the world of Seattle have-nots." --Kirkus Reviews
State of Chaos
Mike Good had a plan to make the world a happier place while living in paradise. Too bad it was illegal. After Mother Nature and Maui Vice took away Mike's partner, marijuana crop, and life savings, his friend Tom offers a dubious solution. "Forget Maui. We can grow tons in Chaos." Growing tons sounded good. Going to Chaos sounded atrocious. A pestilential hellhole in the Mississippi delta, the place was infested with poisonous snakes, venomous insects, and noxious plants. Also, gators, bigoted rednecks, and the world's worst weather. Some funky stuff, too. No one sane wanted to go there. On the bright side, Chaos was a lawless state. With a history of bad decisions, and Maui Vice closing in, Mike moves to Chaos-right next door to the moonshining Gump boys and their gorgeous sister, Missy Gump, an environmental lawyer hoping to save Chaos's environment. Fellow environmentalist Mike hopes to team up with Missy in more ways than one. Though Chaos seems perfect for their clandestine mission, things get complicated when a scouting flight leads to a major smuggling operation with old pal Pablo Escobar. Throw an outraged Governor, the CIA, the Coast Guard, Tuck the Game Warden, the Cali Cartel, things in Chaos got, well, chaotic. Can Mike stop a cartel war, avoid arrest, get rich, and find love while helping his girlfriend save Chaos's environment? If you like zany crime capers, quirky characters, and snappy dialogue, you'll love State of Chaos, book #6 in the Se簽or Bueno series. Get it now!
The Absolute Bull of New Zealand
This book is a satire of the judicial system of New Zealand (or for that matter, in most countries of the world). The word is out that the system is "soft" on certain elements of society, as seen not only by disillusioned victims of criminality but also by the horrified majority at large. There are, of course, exceptions when the punishment fits the crime, but they are few and far between. In a sense, this book is rather unusual. It has no romance, no well-defined characters, no geographical setting, and only a smattering of narrative. It has a beginning and an end and a large middle. It doesn't have a plot. In short, it breaks every rule in the . . . er, book. It's probably one of few books in the world that can be described as "conversational" for at least 80 percent of the pages. And if that's not bizarre enough, the conversation involves a bull, a meerkat, and a shark. Go figure.
The Absolute Bull of New Zealand
This book is a satire of the judicial system of New Zealand (or for that matter, in most countries of the world). The word is out that the system is "soft" on certain elements of society, as seen not only by disillusioned victims of criminality but also by the horrified majority at large. There are, of course, exceptions when the punishment fits the crime, but they are few and far between. In a sense, this book is rather unusual. It has no romance, no well-defined characters, no geographical setting, and only a smattering of narrative. It has a beginning and an end and a large middle. It doesn't have a plot. In short, it breaks every rule in the . . . er, book. It's probably one of few books in the world that can be described as "conversational" for at least 80 percent of the pages. And if that's not bizarre enough, the conversation involves a bull, a meerkat, and a shark. Go figure.
The Idiot
Despite the harsh circumstances besetting his own life-abject poverty, incessant gambling, the death of his youngest child-Dostoevsky produced a second masterpiece, The Idiot, after completing Crime and Punishment. In it, a saintly man, Prince Myshkin, is thrust into the heart of a society more concerned with wealth, power, and sexual conquest than with the ideals of Christianity. Myshkin soon finds himself at the center of a violent love triangle in which a notorious woman and a beautiful young girl become rivals for his affections.Extortion, scandal, and murder follow, testing Myshkin's moral feelings, as Dostoevsky searches through the wreckage left by human misery to find "man in man." The Idiot is a quintessentially Russian novel, one that penetrates the complex psyche of the Russian people. "They call me a psychologist," wrote Dostoevsky. "That is not true. I'm only a realist in the higher sense; that is, I portray all the depths of the human soul."This edition contains a plot overview.
The Idiot
Towards the end of November, during a thaw, at nine o'clock one morning, a train on the Warsaw and Petersburg railway was approaching the latter city at full speed. The morning was so damp and misty that it was only with great difficulty that the day succeeded in breaking; and it was impossible to distinguish anything more than a few yards away from the carriage windows. Some of the passengers by this particular train were returning from abroad; but the third-class carriages were the best filled, chiefly with insignificant persons of various occupations and degrees, picked up at the different stations nearer town. All of them seemed weary, and most of them had sleepy eyes and a shivering expression, while their complexions generally appeared to have taken on the colour of the fog outside. When day dawned, two passengers in one of the third-class carriages found themselves opposite each other. Both were young fellows, both were rather poorly dressed, both had remarkable faces, and both were evidently anxious to start a conversation. If they had but known why, at this particular moment, they were both remarkable persons, they would undoubtedly have wondered at the strange chance which had set them down opposite to one another in a third-class carriage of the Warsaw Railway Company.
When Werewolves Attack
The history of lycanthrope stretches back to man's beginnings. From cave drawings and tribal folklore, from the Inquisition to the 20th Century, man's fascination with werewolves has never wavered. New information is uncovered daily and the field of study has been ripped wide open with new information. Now there is finally a book that covers all the diverse elements of these cursed but greatly misunderstood creatures. From the bloodstained history from Europe and into the New World, especially the United States, these creatures have been documented like no other. But there is also a need for practical information as well. "When Werewolves Attack" supplies just that type of insight. How do you detect a werewolf when they are in human form? What if a family member is a werewolf? How do you defend yourself from an attack, in terms of weaponry and fortification whether you are inside or out in the woods? How do you escape from an attack of savage lycanthropes? Don't be caught flat-footed again. This is the field guide everybody needs to protect themselves and their family.
Cloud Nine
Change Happens. Even When it Doesn't Make Any Cents.Planning for a rainy day has never been Val's forte. But when a storm brews up right in her own backyard, Val's forced to get off her lounge chair and spring into action.A shady, ham-fisted developer's threatening to knock down Val's favorite beach haunt, along with all the precious memories held within its shabby walls. With the owner's signature on the bill of sale, the plan seems like a done deal.Or is it?Something fishy is going on at the beach, and it's going to take all the wits Val can muster to put a pig-headed developer out to pasture. But with her friend Goober missing in action, can Val get her act - and her troops - together in time to keep Sunset Beach from being wiped off the map?Sandwiched between ghosts of the past and hopes for the future, Val needs to whip up a miracle if she's going to save her own bacon....If you like wacky, deeply flawed characters and laugh-out-loud situations, you'll love Cloud Nine! It's the ninth and final book in Margaret Lashley's hilarious Val Fremden Midlife Mystery Series.If you enjoy Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum or Jana Deleon's Fortune Redding, you'll probably find yourself resonating with Val Fremden, too. She's a lovable, bungling mess who's a bit older, a tad more jaded, and a ton more experienced in big-time failure. Life's been tough for Val. Still, she always manages to find her way with sardonic humor and an intrepid spirit. A gin and tonic now and then helps, too. Life's a beach and then you die. If you're ready for a good laugh and a great mystery, check out Cloud Nine. Florida-based mysteries don't get any wackier-or truly heartfelt.What Readers are Saying about Cloud Nine: "This series is a breath of fresh air. Hilarious, exceedingly well crafted, with amazingly quirky, lovable characters.""I can't thank Margaret Lashley enough for sharing her incredible imagination with the rest of the world. If you are a fan of Janet Evanovich then you will fall in love with this series!""A hilarious take on life, love and.....pigs. A story line fit to tickle your funny bone.""I have loved each book in this wild ride! I hate to see it end.""Hooked like a fish. OMG Margaret Lashley is the best! Val could be Stephanie Plum's double!! Phenomenal writing.""I love this rollicking series. Hilarious, exceedingly well crafted, amazingly quirky characters.""Not your usual cozy mystery! This is a fantastic series about real people who you can't help but like and want to read more!"
Military Chic
"Military Chic" is where high fashion meets "The Art of War". You think the fashion industry is just about gorgeous clothes and beautiful models? More happens behind the scenes than you think. Gigi LaFaux is a fabulous gal. She's a whip-smart philanthropic architect who can discuss international politics as easily as debating the latest hot celebrity makeover. But she's giving up her successful architectural career to follow her passion: fashion. Moving from Calgary, aka "Stampede City" where cowboy hats and boots are the height of fashion, Gigi jumps right into Toronto's fashion scene as Volunteer Coordinator for Canada's premiere fashion event, Collections Week. The first day Gigi arrives at Collections Week to find the organizers missing in action. After facing challenges such as non-existent guest lists, irate media representatives, no floor or seating plans, and complete chaos, Gigi and her team take charge. When Veronikkah Hendricks - the event's drug addicted and increasingly schizophrenic coordinator - and her self-absorbed assistant, Francie Scrimshank finally show up, after a trip to the hair salon, they're no help at all. Veronikkah's behaviour is erratic; she can't make decisions and has a short temper thanks to her constant chemical cocktail of cocaine, Quaaludes, and alcohol. Francie is worse, with a cell phone at her ear constantly and preoccupation with herself. Her clothes, makeup, and hair are all more important to her than running the event. While trying to organize her volunteers and ensure Collections Week runs smoothly, Gigi runs into an unexpected love interest: Hot Brad. Not only is he a gorgeous model, but he's smart, too. The problem is sometimes he's flirty with Gigi, while other times he snuggles with his male model counterparts. Is he gay or straight? Over three days, Gigi and her volunteer team solve crisis after crisis, making Veronikkah look good, until Gigi discovers a dark side behind the glittering fa癟ade of Canadian Collections Week. After suffering limitless humiliation and insults, Gigi and her volunteers are subjected to the indignity of cleaning Veronikkah and Francie's disastrously dirty office, where Gigi discovers evidence of illegal activities. She finds documents and receipts implicating Veronikkah in a string of spending sprees using Collections Week funds for European vacations, expensive dinners, and haute couture outfits. Embezzlement isn't Veronikkah's only illicit activity at Collections Week. Gigi finds drug paraphernalia in the room and discovers the so-called "Bolivian Designer Showcase" (intended as a partnership to broaden the market for designers from a less fortunate country) is actually a front for Canada's biggest cocaine deal. Veronikkah plots to include the drug in VIP gift bags at the Bolivian showcase, and plans to pin it on Francie and the volunteers if she is caught. Not wanting to get busted for illegal activities, Gigi and her volunteer team intend to get even with Veronikkah for treating them poorly and potentially ruining the reputation of Canadian fashion designers. Gigi once again takes control of the situation by overtaking the runway at the Bolivian Designer Showcase, revealing Veronikkah's plans to her colleagues and the media. In the mayhem following Gigi's announcement, Veronikkah slips backstage, captures Hot Brad, and blames him for her downfall since he has her laptop computer. With a bit of luck, Gigi stops Veronikkah with a well-aimed stiletto heel in the eyeball and saves Hot Brad's life. It turns out Veronikkah is right about Hot Brad participating in her descent: he is not a model at all. He's an undercover journalist named Christian VanDorn investigating Veronikkah's activities. His boss, Chloe Kirkpatrick - Veronikkah's lifelong nemesis - orchestrated the journalistic investigation and both relied on Gigi's inquisitive nature to put everything together. Following Collections Week, Gigi and Chloe become friends and plan to create
Naughty Stories
There are three stories in this novel-none of which are connected. The stories are written in a lighthearted and humorous vein and have adult content. Therefore, it is NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN.
Maverick the Buddy!
Maverick the Buddy! Is a wonderful childrens story about a Jack Russel Terrier whose unkind behavior has positioned him to learn some valuable lessons about friendship. Challenged by his sister and friends, Maverick realizes that humility and kindness are very important if you want others to be your friend. Truly a story that is sure to tug at the heart strings of us all.
Trumpism Uncensored Survival Handbook
Finally, a book to put you over the edge. "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." Okay, it was simply the worst of times. Yes, we woke up on January 20, 2017 to a new reality or a new false reality. We had a new administration, a new sheriff in town and a new need for mental health assistance for lots of Americans. Some turned to the usual forms of getting through challenging times: heavy drugs, guzzling wine, bleating on one's Facebook page, prayer, shopping, yoga, meditation, grand theft auto, binging on videos, eating gallons of ice cream or pursuing all of these activities at once. Since these usually helpful remedies now no longer seem to work, the two authors (formerly incarcerated at a black site) thought they should be of further assistance. They have created a special handbook for these unique times: the Trumpism Uncensored Survival Handbook (TUSH). This book provides a range of anecdotes, crazy apps, surveys and other humorous takes on the current political era. It's the perfect antidote for all the bad news, faux news and expos矇s that Americans face as they wonder, "Will democracy survive another week?" TUSH includes a number of items for sale - things you definitely need or not, like the Big Pharma calculator, Faux Pas e-greeting cards or the handy Go Frack Yourself kit. Finally, TUSH has lots of illustrations, in this awesome and carefully curated handbook, for those who like to avoid words on a page.
My First Colonoscopy
It is said that laughter is the best medicine. Well, "My First Colonoscopy" is going to make you feel good twice. First with, a gentle kick in the butt to get you (or a loved one) off your ass to have a life saving procedure. "My First Colonoscopy" is a great gift for anyone turning 45, 50, or 55 who wants to turn 90, 95, or 100. Then in humor'ass' cartoons and rhyming verse, Bob Joseph and Mal Karlin take readers on a hilari'ass' journey through this very significant rite of passage.
Penelope Lemon
Penelope Lemon is a recent divorc矇e, closet Metallica fan, and accidental subversive to all the expectations of suburban motherhood. After ending her marriage with James, a woodsy intellectual who favors silky kimonos too short for his knobby knees, Penelope finds herself, at forty, living with her randy mother in her childhood home. Broke and desperate for work, she waitresses at Coonskins, a frontier-themed restaurant where the decor is heavy on stuffed mammals and discarded peanut shells. Despite the pitfalls of balancing parental duties, jobs, and the vagaries of middle-age life, Penelope pushes through one obstacle after another, trying to regain her independence. Whether fumbling through the world of online dating; coping with a bullying situation involving her son, Theo, something of a gastric wonder on the school bus; or wrestling with the discovery of nude photos from her carefree college days that are not quite as "artistic" as she remembers, Penelope gradually emerges as a modern-day heroine who navigates the assorted inanities of life with verve and humor. Audacious and laugh-out-loud funny, Inman Majors's new novel holds up a fun-house mirror to the relatable challenges of being a single parent in the digital age. All those who live by the beat of their own drum gain a coconspirator, an accomplice, and a champion in the unstoppable Penelope Lemon.
Vasa and Ypres
Forever stylish Vanessa E. Vasa was honing her observation skills when she bumped into Lanky Ella Lanesbury. Or rather Ella bumped into her, twice. When Ella reveals a conundrum, Vanessa is enlisted to help with the aid of her stoic lady's assistant, Mildred Ypres. Follow Vasa and Ypres as they humorously navigate London's Mayfair in their first, but hopefully not last, adventure."A brilliant tale of scientific and social observation"- Darwin"Vasa and Ypres never surrender."- Churchill"Superbly glamorous."- Duchess of Parma
