Search results for ""escape""

"Magnificent."—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED ReviewStory Thieves meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library in this wacky, hilarious, and fast-paced middle-grade series starter, with the perfect combination of magic, imagination, and adventure.Javi Santiago is trying his best not to fail sixth grade. So, when the annual "invite any three people to dinner" homework assignment rolls around, Javi enlists his best friend, Wiki, and his sister, Brady, to help him knock it out of the park.But the dinner party is a lot more than they bargained for. The family's mysterious antique table actually brings the historical guests to the meal…and Blackbeard the Pirate is turning out to be the worst guest of all time.Before they can say "avast, ye maties," Blackbeard escapes, determined to summon his bloodthirsty pirate crew. And as Javi, Wiki, and Brady try to figure out how to get Blackbeard back into his own time, they might have to invite some even zanier figures to set things right again…Praise for Time Villains:"Piñeiro scores with this tale of friendship, magic, and adventure... Magnificent."—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review"It's got heart, it's got thrills, it's got pirates! You won't be able to put down this action-packed, relentlessly funny adventure."—Sarah Mlynowski, author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series"A magical table that pulls in famous people from history and fiction? Is this the greatest idea for a book ever? Yes. Yes it is. Come join the best dinner party in history (and books), full of pirates, sandwiches and history's greatest figures!"—James Riley, New York Times bestselling author of The Story Thieves series

Read more less

From Dr. Martha Stout's influential work The Sociopath Next Door, we learned how to identify a sociopath. Now she tells us what to actually do about it.While the best way to deal with a sociopath is to avoid them entirely, sometimes circumstance doesn't allow for that. What happens when the time comes to defend yourself against your own child, a boss, or ruthless ex-spouse? Inspired by the many chilling and often heartbreaking emails and letters she has received over the years, from her work with the victims of sociopathy, Dr. Martha Stout uncovers the psychology behind the sociopath's methods and provides concrete guidelines to help navigate these dangerous interactions. Organized around categories such as destructive narcissism, violent sociopaths, sociopathic coworkers, and the sociopath in your family, Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door contains detailed explanation and commentary on how best to react in these situations to keep the sociopath at bay. Uniting these categories is a discussion of changing psychological theories of personality and sociopathy and the enduring triumph of conscience over those who operate without empathy or concern for others. By understanding the person you're dealing with and changing the rules of the game, you'll be able to gain the upper hand and escape the sociopath's influence.Whether you're fighting a custody battle against a sociopathic ex or being gaslighted by a boss or coworker, you'll find hope and help within these pages. With this guide to disarming the conscienceless, Dr. Stout aims to give readers the tools to protect themselves while conducting a broader examination of human behavior and conceptions of normality.

Read more less

*****From the author of The Three, coming soon to your screen as a major BBC adaptation by Golden Globe winner Peter Straughan*****Adrenaline-junky Simon Newman sneaks onto private land to explore a dangerous cave in Wales with a strange man he's met online. But Simon gets more than he bargained for when the expedition goes horribly wrong. Simon emerges, the only survivor, after a rainstorm trap the two in the cave. Simon thinks he's had a lucky escape.But his video of his near-death experience has just gone viral.Suddenly Simon finds himself more famous than he could ever have imagined. Now he's faced with an impossible task: he's got to defy death once again, and film the entire thing. The whole world will be watching. There's only on place on earth for him to pit himself against the elements: Mt Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.But Everest is also one of the deadliest spots on the planet. Two hundred and eighty people have died trying to reach its peak.And Simon's luck is about to run out.***********Praise for THE WHITE ROAD'An incredibly creepy and effective standalone novel that I read through in one sitting . . . A chillingly effective and haunting tale' - Sci-Fi Bulletin'The White Road is a roller-coaster ride with intriguing psychological depth' - Crime Fiction Lover'Lotz knows how to develop suspense and horror . . . Dark and unsettling, Lotz's latest taps into, and exploits, our deepest fears' - Kirkus ReviewsThe White Road will creep under your skin . . . The book is just downright creepy! I really can't recommend [it] enough' ***** - The Speculative Herald

Read more less

THE NAIL-BITING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Is this the best crime writer in the world today?' The Times'A world-class crime writer . . . One of the most astonishing plots of modern crime fiction' Sunday Times'It is nothing less than a landmark in modern crime fiction' The Times________'TEACHER WANTED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD . . .'After the loss of her father, Una sees a chance to escape Reykjavík to tutor two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population just ten - on Iceland's storm-battered north coast.But city life hasn't prepared her for the unforgiving weather nor inhospitable village life. Worse, the creaky old house where she lives is playing on her already fragile mind when she's convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.Then, at midwinter, a young girl is found dead.And one of the villagers must have blood on their hands . . .________'An intensely gripping mystery' The Times'Invigorating Iceland-set slice of Nordic Noir' Daily MailPraise for Ragnar Jónasson'This is Icelandic noir of the highest order, with Jónasson's atmospheric sense of place, and his heroine's unerring humanity shining from every page' Daily Mail'Triumphant conclusion. Chilling, creepy, perceptive, almost unbearably tense' Ian Rankin'This is such a tense, gripping read' Anthony Horowitz'Brilliantly effective. Each book enraptures us' The Times Literary Supplement'Superb . . . chilling . . . one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction' Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month'A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens. First rate and highly recommended' Lee Child'Chilling - a must-read' Peter James

Read more less

The Devil's Workshop is the third historical thriller in Alex Grecian's acclaimed Scotland Yard Murder Squad series. April, 1890. London wakes to the shocking news of a mass prison escape. Walter Day and the Scotland Yard Murder Squad now face a desperate race against time: if the four convicted murderers aren't recaptured before night settles, they'll vanish into the dark alleys of London's criminal underworld for ever. And in the midst of this mayhem and fear the city's worst nightmare is realized: Jack the Ripper haunts the streets of London once more . . . From The Yard and The Black Country author, Alex Grecian, comes The Devil's Workshop - and the return of Jack the Ripper. Expect another gruesome foray into the underbelly of Victorian Britain and early crime forensics. This is historical thriller heaven for fans of Sherlock and Ripper Street. Praise for Alex Grecian: 'Will keep you riveted from page one' Jeffery Deaver 'CSI: Victorian London' Daily Express 'Throw in deranged prostitutes, poisonings and throat slittings galore, amidst lashings of London fog. Gory, lurid and tons of guilty fun' Guardian 'Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn't somewhere clapping his hands for this, Wilkie Collins surely is.' The New York Times Book Review Alex Grecian has worked for an ad agency on accounts for Harley-Davidson, Cub Foods and The Great American Smokeout, before returning to writing fiction full time and raising his son. Alex is the author of the long-running and critically acclaimed comic-book series Proof, and he lives in Topeka, Kansas, with his wife and son. The Yard is his first novel, followed by The Black Country.

Read more less

THE FOLLOW-UP TO BLACKPOOL'S ANGEL - ANOTHER HEART-WARMING, MOVING STORY FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR MARY WOOD, WRITING AS MAGGIE MASONThe perfect read for fans of Kitty Neale, Val Wood and Rosie Goodwin.Separated for years - will the Great War reunite them?1902. Babs and Beth are identical in looks, but very different by nature. Kidnapped by gypsies a decade ago as young girls, Beth has accepted their plight, but Babs has always yearned for their real mother, Tilly, and their beloved hometown of Blackpool. Desperate to be reunited with their mother, Babs hatches a plan to escape. But Beth is too afraid and Babs realises if she ever wants to go home she'll have to leave her sister behind.1914. Babs' life has been blighted by misfortune ever since she walked away from her sister. She's never given up hope of finding her family, but now having found peace and purpose as a nurse, the war is sending her to France, away from them. Or so she believes . . .As the Great War continues to tear families apart, could it be that Babs, Beth and Tilly will be reunited at last?If you love Blackpool Sisters, don't miss the next book in the trilogy, A Blackpool Christmas. And look out for Maggie Mason's brand-new trilogy, beginning with The Fortune Tellers!Readers love Maggie Mason's Blackpool sagas . . .'5 stars - I wish I could give it more. Wonderful read.''Another must read book''What a brilliant book. I couldn't put it down!''I was hooked from the first page . . . this author is a must read''A totally absorbing read'

Read more less

In the context of growing public interest in sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has not brought about the expected improvement in terms of sustainable business. Self-regulation has been unable to provide appropriate answers for unsustainable business frameworks, despite empirical proof that sustainable behaviour is entirely in corporate enlightened self-interest. The lack of success of the soft law approach suggests that hard law regulation may be needed after all. This book discusses these options, alongside the issue of shareholder primacy and its externalities in corporate, social, and natural environment. To escape the "prisoner’s dilemma" European corporations and their global counterparts have found themselves in, help is needed in the form of EU hard law to advocate sustainability through mandatory rules. This book argues that the necessity of these laws is based on the first-mover’s advantage of such corporate law approach towards sustainable development. In the current EU law environment, where codification of corporate law is sought for, forming and defining a general EU policy could not only help corporations embrace this self-enlightened behaviour but could also build the necessary "EU corporate citizenship" atmosphere. Considering the developments in the field of CSR as attempts to mitigate negative externalities resulting from inappropriate shareholder primacy use, the book is centred around a discussion of the shareholder primacy paradigm, its legal position and its (un)suitability for modern global business. Going beyond solely legal analysis, juxtaposing legal principles and argumentation with economic theoretic approaches and, more importantly, real-life examples, this book is accessible to both professionals and academics working within the fields of business, economics, corporate governance and corporate law.

Read more less

RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'I couldn't put it down. . . an important book, raw and simple enough that you can't help but feel it deeply' James Rebanks, author of The Shepherd's LifeTalented and ambitious, Monica Potts and her best friend, Darci, were both determined to make something of themselves. How did their lives turn out so different? Growing up gifted and working-class in the foothills of the Ozarks, Monica and Darci became fast friends. Bonding over a shared love of learning, they pored over the giant map in their classroom, tracing their fingers over the world that awaited them, vowing to escape their broken town. In the end, Monica left Clinton for university and fulfilled her dreams. Darci, along with many in their circle of friends, did not. Years later, working as a journalist covering poverty, Monica discovers what she already intuitively knew about the women in Arkansas. Their life expectancy had steeply declined -- the sharpest such fall in a century. As she returns to Clinton to report the story, she reconnects with Darci, and finds that her once talented and ambitious best friend is now a statistic: a single mother of two, addicted to meth, jobless and nearly homeless. Deeply aware that Darci's fate could have been hers, she retraces the moments in each of their lives that led such similar women toward such different destinies. Why did Monica make it out while Darci became ensnared in a cycle of poverty and opioid abuse? Gripping and unforgettable, The Forgotten Girls is a story of friendship and lost promise in 21st century America.

Read more less

*2015 RED HOUSE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD SHORTLISTED AUTHOR*A brand new animal adventure for 8+ readers set during World War One from classic-in-the-making and bestselling author, Megan Rix. Perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Sarah Lean.Two friends, fighting their way home . . . SHANTI and her calf TARA are beautiful circus elephants. HARVEY is the faithful old collie who leads the show.In war they will perform their most death-defying trick yet.When the First World War seizes Europe, Cullen's Circus is forced to close. The men are sent to fight and the animals are torn apart from their keepers, and each other. But while Shanti must help on a farm, it's little Tara who faces a far worse fate. . . Separated too soon from her mother, Tara's life is in danger. Only old, brave Harvey can bring them back together. And so side-by-side, dog and elephant set out on an extraordinary journey across the English countryside - but can the unlikely friends find Shanti in time? Praise for Megan Rix:'If you love Michael Morpurgo, you will enjoy this' Sunday Express'A moving tale told with warmth, kindliness and lashings of good sense that lovers of Dick King-Smith will especially appreciate' The Times 'Every now and then a writer comes along with a unique way of storytelling. Meet Megan Rix . . . her novels are deeply moving and will strike a chord with animal lovers.' LoveReading'A perfect story for animal lovers and lovers of adventure stories' Travelling Book CompanyAlso available by Megan Rix:The Great Escape, The Victory Dogs, The Bomber Dog, A Soldier's Friend and The Hero Pup

Read more less

A shocking exposé of the desperate subculture surrounding heroin addiction, William S. Burroughs' Junky is edited with an introduction by Oliver Harris in Penguin Modern Classics.Burroughs' first novel, a largely autobiographical account of the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures and relapses, remains the most unflinching, unsentimental account of addiction ever written. Through junk neighbourhoods in New York, New Orleans and Mexico City, through time spent kicking, time spent dealing and time rolling drunks for money, through junk sickness and a sanatorium, Junky is a field report (by a writer trained in anthropology at Harvard) from the American post-war drug underground. Nurtured into being by fellow Beat Generation guru Allen Ginsberg, Junky is a cult classic that has influenced generations of writers with its raw, sparse and unapologetic tone. This definitive edition painstakingly recreates the author's original text word for word.In work and in life, William S. Burroughs (1914-1997) expressed a constant subversion of the morality, politics and economics of modern America. To escape those conditions, and in particular his treatment as a homosexual and a drug-user, Burroughs left his homeland in 1950, and soon after began writing. By the time of his death he was widely recognised as one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the twentieth century. His numerous books include Naked Lunch, Junky, Queer, Nova Express, Interzone, The Wild Boys, The Ticket That Exploded and The Soft Machine. If you enjoyed Junky, you might like Burroughs' Exterminator!, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.'Reads today as fresh and unvarnished as it ever has'Will Self

Read more less

THE COMPELLING NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER PHILIPPA GREGORY‘If you are going to be Queen of England he won’t let you fall,’ Isabel says shrewdly. ‘If you are going to be Queen of England he will love you and serve you every moment of the day. You’ve always been his pet – you should be glad that now you are at the centre of his ambition.’ Anne Neville and her sister Isabel are daughters of the most powerful magnate in 15th century England, the Earl of Warwick, the ‘Kingmaker’, born with royal blood in their veins. Widowed at fourteen, fatherless, stripped of her inheritance and with her mother locked in sanctuary and Isabel a vengeful enemy, Anne faces the world alone. But fortune’s wheel is always turning. Plotting her escape from her sister’s house, she finds herself a husband in the handsome young Duke of Gloucester, and marries without permission. Danger follows her and she finds she has a mortal enemy in the most beautiful queen of England. Anne must protect herself and her precious only son, from the treacherous royal court, her deadly royal rival, and even from the driving ambition of her husband, Richard III.Praise for Philippa Gregory: ‘Meticulously researched and deeply entertaining, this story of betrayal and divided loyalties is Gregory on top form’ Good Housekeeping ‘Gregory has popularised Tudor history perhaps more than any other living fiction writer…all of her books feature strong, complex women, doing their best to improve their lives in worlds dominated by men’ Sunday Times ‘Engrossing’ Sunday Express ‘Popular historical fiction at its finest, immaculately researched and superbly told’ The Times

Read more less

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022 – THE YOUNGEST EVER BOOKER NOMINEE THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER _______________ ‘Mottley attempts to do for Oakland something of what The Wire did for Baltimore' THE TIMES 'A soul-searching portrait of survival and hope' OPRAH WINFREY _______________ We’ll laugh because we can, until the sun disintegrates and nighttime threatens to set us free just to capture us again, back into the things we can’t escape. Kiara does not know what it is to live as a normal seventeen-year-old. With her mother in a halfway house, she fends for herself – and for nine-year-old Trevor, whose own mother disappears for days at a time. But as the pressures of rent to pay and mouths to feed increase, Kiara finds herself walking the streets after dark, determined to survive in a world that refuses to protect her. Nightcrawling is an unforgettable novel about young people navigating the darkest corners of an adult world, told with a humanity that is at once agonising and utterly mesmerising. _______________ 'UNFORGETTABLE' GUARDIAN 'A MAGNIFICENT DEBUT' RUTH OZEKI, winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022 _______________ READERS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF NIGHTCRAWLING 'Nightcrawling is a lyrical masterpiece' ***** 'This book ripped my heart out' ***** 'Unputdownable . . . From the first page I was hooked' ***** 'This is a heart-achingly necessary book which will carve a hole in your soul and stay with you forever' ***** 'It is rare to read a first novel so perfectly crafted' ***** 'This is an absolute must-read. Five stars out of five' ***** 'Completely gripping . . . This is going to be a huge bestseller' *****

Read more less

‘Masterful, magnificent. A passionate story of survival. This story will stay with me for a long time’ Heather Morris, bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz on A Bookshop in ParisA young German Jewish woman returns to Allied Occupied Berlin from America to face the past and unexpected future. Young Meike ‘Millie’ Mosbach and her brother David escape Berlin just before the horror of Kristallnacht, leaving their parents and little sister to follow them to America. But their family never arrives. After the war they return to a shattered city, hoping against hope to find their family. Postwar Berlin is a wild west where drunken soldiers brawl, spies ply their trade and ‘werewolves’ – unrepentant Nazis – scheme to rise again. Consumed with rage at her former country, Millie’s job rooting out Nazis from publishing seems the perfect outlet. But her anger begins to thaw as she is faced with the reality of what the war has done to everyone, guilty at their own good fortune. Everyone except for Millie’s boss, Major Harry Sutton, who seems too eager to be fair to the Germans and far too perceptive about Millie. In the rubble of postwar Berlin, Millie is forced to confront a devastating secret and find the courage to embrace love – and a new beginning. Atmospheric and page-turning, Return to Berlin is a story of love, survival, and forgiveness of others and of self.'A deeply satisfying and truly adult novel' Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy'A gorgeous, shattering story that could not be more timely about the dark damage of hatred and the persistence of love' Caroline Leavitt, author of Is This Tomorrow

Read more less

EVERY CANVAS HOLDS A SECRET . . .'GRIPPING' JILL MANSELL'TENSE AND THRILLING' NATASHA LESTER'INTRIGUES AND ENTHRALS' KATE QUINN'A TOUR DE FORCE' GILL PAULPARIS, 1940.Three years ago, talented art restorer Sophie fled to Paris to escape the horrors of the Nazi regime. But now, with her beloved adoptive city under occupation, Sophie is forced to work at the renowned Jeu de Paume, restoring the art ruthlessly stolen from Jewish families.Fabienne was a rising star of the glamorous Parisian art scene, until the Nazis put a stop to her craft. Mourning the loss of her husband, she's a shadow of her former self - until her estranged sister-in-law Sophie arrives at her door with a stolen painting in hand. The two women embark on a treacherous plan: to save stolen artwork by replacing it with skilful forgeries, right under the watchful eyes of the Nazis. But just how long can they sustain their masterful illusion?__________________________________________________READERS LOVE THE PARIS DECEPTION:'Anyone who likes historical fiction with a hint of danger will enjoy this' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This novel will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. If more than five stars were an option, this book would earn them' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Totally absorbing and I had to finish the novel once I had stared . . . a real page turner' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Clear your table, historical fiction lovers! This one deserves that coveted space' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Stunning and compelling' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The Paris Deception is so difficult to put down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Read more less

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is now available in a fine exclusive collector’s edition featuring beautiful cover art from artist Laci Fowler and distinctive interior treatments, making it ideal for fiction lovers and book collectors alike. Each collectible volume will be the perfect addition to any well-appointed library.The Harper Muse Classics: Painted Edition of Jane Eyre is perfect for special-edition book collectors, Charlotte Brontë lovers, fans of literary fiction and classic literature, and people who love both the book and the cinematic adaptations it inspired.Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s first published novel, centers on the title character as she struggles to escape the hardships of her childhood, eventually finding work as a governess at the sprawling Thornfield Hall. Her new life there is derailed when she falls in love with her mysterious employer, Mr. Rochester. Ahead of its time with its themes of feminism and religion, Jane Eyre is considered one of the greatest romance novels of all time.Whether you’re buying this as a gift or for yourself, this remarkable edition features: A beautiful high-end hardcover featuring Laci Fowler’s distinctive hand-painted art, perfect for standing out on any discerning fiction-lover’s bookshelf Embossed cover art and gold foiling Decorative interior pages featuring pull quotes distributed throughout Matching ribbon marker and gold page edges Part of a 4-volume collection including Persuasion, Little Women, and The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is a title in the Harper Muse Classics: Painted Editions collection and is being released alongside Persuasion?(Jane Austen), Little Women?(Louisa May Alcott), and The Mysterious Affair at Styles?(Agatha Christie).

Read more less

*Winner of the Best Fantasy Novel Aurealis Award*'Maria Lewis is a must-read' Buzzfeed'Pay attention urban fantasy fans - Maria Lewis is a name you'll want to remember' One More PageConsidering her status as the world's most powerful medium, Casper von Klitzing and her twin brother Baristan have lived a pretty normal life - until now. After a horrific incident in her home city of Berlin, orchestrated by the mysterious Oct, Casper is consumed with vengeance towards an enemy she doesn't understand. But the only other person ever to escape Oct was a witch - and so Casper is soon on her trail. But this witch does not want to be found. Diving headfirst into the supernaturally secretive world of spells, charms and covens, it's not long before Casper is crossing more than just the line between the living and the dead . . . Reinventing witches and ghosts with a much-needed feminist twist, this is an unmissable new read from one of the most exciting voices in fantasy:'If you haven't heard about Maria Lewis you must have been living under a rock' Good Reading Magazine'I can't wait to find out what happens next!' Keri Arthur'Truly one of the best in the genre I have ever read.' Oscar-nominee Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans, Punisher: War Zone, Arrow, Supergirl)'Journalist Maria Lewis grabs the paranormal fiction genre by the scruff of its neck and gives it a shake' The West Australian'An intriguing take on a classic monster with vibrant, modern characters.' Sci Fi Bulletin'Pay attention urban fantasy fans - Maria Lewis is a name you'll want to remember.' One More Page

Read more less

Agatha Christie meets Julie Caplin in this exciting new cosy crime series that captures the glamour of the 1930s with the gorgeous escapist destinations! An escape to Tuscany An unexpected invitation A murder at midnight… When novice detective Atalanta Ashford is whisked away to Italy by her friend, race car driver Raoul Lemont, she anticipates a happy holiday under the Tuscan sun. But a chance meeting on the Orient Express with Italian heiress Catharina Lanetti leads to a party invitation…and front row seats for a mysterious murder! With their new friend under suspicion Atalanta and Raoul set to work trying to discover who really murdered Catharina’s father. But with more than half a dozen suspects – all with compelling motive – Atalanta may just be facing her toughest case yet! Look out for more Miss Ashford mysteries and get your passports ready as you travel with her to some of the most sought-after destinations on the continent… Book 1: Mystery in Provence Book 2: Last Seen in Santorini Book 3: A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany Book 4: Last Dance in Salzburg Readers are loving A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany: ‘A lovely cosy crime story set in Tuscany – all gorgeous landscapes and beautiful light.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great mystery and fast read! ’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Orient Express, 1930, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, race-car-driver, country-estate, inheritance, family-dynamics, family-drama, family-business, murder, murder-investigation, secrets, lies…’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘So much vintage goodness!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Likeable characters, excellent storytelling, and an interesting murder mystery to keep one guessing till the end.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read more less

The New York Times Bestselling master of suspense is back with a riveting thriller, as reward seeker Colter Shaw plunges into the woods and races the clock in a case where nothing is quite what it seems. The Times Book of the Month (November 2022) THERE ARE TWO FUNDAMENTAL RULES OF SURVIVAL.#1: NEVER BE WITHOUT A MEANS OF ESCAPE.Allison Parker is on the run with her teenage daughter, Hannah, and Colter Shaw has been hired by her eccentric boss, entrepreneur Marty Harmon, to find and protect her. Though he’s an expert at tracking missing persons—even those who don’t wish to be found—Shaw has met his match in Allison, who brings all her skills as a brilliant engineer designing revolutionary technology to the game of evading detection.#2: NEVER BE WITHOUT ACCESS TO A WEAPON.The reason for Allison’s panicked flight is soon apparent. She’s being stalked by her ex-husband, Jon Merritt. Newly released from prison and fueled by blinding rage, Jon is a man whose former profession as a police detective makes him uniquely suited for the hunt. And he’s not alone. Two hitmen are also hot on her heels—an eerie pair of thugs who take delight not only in murder but in the sport of devising clever ways to make bodies disappear forever. Even if Shaw manages to catch up with Allison and her daughter, his troubles will just be beginning.SHAW IS ABOUT TO DISCOVER RULE #3:NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING.As Shaw ventures further into the wilderness, the truth becomes as hard to decipher as the forest’s unmarked trails…and peril awaits at every turn.

Read more less

Finalist for 2019 Lambda Literary Award in Bisexual Fiction! Finalist for 2019 Bisexual Book Awards in Young Adult Fiction! Imagine engaging in sexual intimacy with someone you care about for the first time after surviving the loss of a serious, committed, loving relationship. In Palmetto Rose, this is where we find a bi+, gender fluid narrator affectionately called Kid by their loved ones. After five years trying to numb and escape the pain of losing their first love to a tragic accident, Kid begins to wake up, grieve, and try to rebuild their life in Atlanta, Georgia. Through their eyes, we watch as they seek to make sense of grief, pursue the possibility of a college education, and embark on their first serious romantic relationship since they were a teenager. In the process, we spend time with their chosen family of friends who navigate relationships, graduate programs, and developing careers. As the story unfolds, these friends face the ups and downs of early adulthood alongside the ways their individual and shared pasts find voices in their current endeavours, future plans, and intertwined lives. Although many characters in this story originally appeared in Cigarettes & Wine, Homecoming Queens, or Other People’s Oysters, Palmetto Rose may be read as a stand-alone novel. Palmetto Rose may be used as an educational tool for people seeking to better understand growing numbers of openly bisexual, transgender, and poly people; as a supplemental reading for courses across disciplines dealing with gender, sexualities, relationships, families, the life course, narratives, emotions, the American south, identities, culture, and / or intersectionality; or it can, of course, be read entirely for pleasure.

Read more less

Winner of the 2021 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction Aleya's world starts to unravel after a cafÉ customer leaves behind a collection of short stories. Surprised and disturbed to discover that it has been dedicated to her, Aleya delves into the strange book...A mad scientist seeks to steal his son's dreams. A struggling writer, skilled only at destruction, finds himself courted by Hollywood. A woman seeks to escape her body and live inside her dreams. Citizens panic when a new city block manifests out of nowhere. The personification of capitalism strives to impress his cutthroat boss.The more Aleya reads, the deeper she sinks into the mysterious writer's work, and the less real the world around her seems. Soon, she's overwhelmed as a new, more terrifying existence takes hold.The Lightning of Possible Storms blends humour and horror, doom and daylight, offering myriad possible storms.Praise for Jonathan Ball:"Cheerfully horrifying, and full of the unexpected, The Lightning of Possible Storms is an entertaining Borgesian foray into the existential dread of writing itself." —Saleema Nawaz, author of Songs for the End of the World"This collection is so beautifully written and expertly composed—it is rich, layered, and complex. In every story, characters are forced to confront their secret, subterranean selves, their suppressed longings and anxieties, and the stories will linger with you long after you’ve finished them, much like the last strains of a beloved song. Witty, sad, sardonic, each story is its own masterpiece. This collection confirms Jonathan Ball as one of Canada’s very best writers." —Suzette Mayr, author of Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall

Read more less

Beyond the Bright Sea meets Echo in this story of a young girl who must break a magical bargain before an enchanted wolf steals her sister away.First Frost has touched Cape Fen, and that means Baron Dire has returned. For as long as anyone can remember, Baron Dire has haunted the town come winter, striking magical bargains and demanding unjust payment in return. The Serling sisters know better than to bargain, lest they find themselves hunted by the Baron's companion, the Wolf.And then the Wolf attacks Eliza's sister Winnie. They manage to escape, but they know the Wolf will be back. Because Winnie would never bargain, so that must mean that someone has struck a deal with Winnie as the price.Eliza refuses to lose her sister and embarks on a journey to save her. If Eliza can learn the truth, she might be able to protect her sister, but the truth behind the bargain could put her own life in danger.Wolf of Cape Fen is the perfect…fantasy book for girls 9-12middle school chapter book for fans of the supernaturaltween book for girls age 9-12preteen gift for girls"Brandt's striking debut is eerie and intriguing, set in a deftly built world that feels both cozily familiar and unsettlingly odd. A stunning seaside fairy tale that will absorb readers until the very end."—Booklist"Unfolding gradually as Eliza relentlessly pieces the past together, this intriguing mystery culminates in a startling, literally transforming climax."—Kirkus Reviews"Atmospheric…this fabulist middle grade effectively employs a dream-fueled magic system that reckons with consequences."—Publishers Weekly

Read more less

John Nutting is nineteen years old in 1966. Raised in small-town Idaho, to a family that could trace its military roots back to the Revolutionary War, Nutting knows he’s going to fight the war as a Marine. On the day of his high school graduation, he swears into the US Marine Corps and boards the plane to boot camp.All too soon he’s in the jungle, a greenhorn member of “F” Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. Firing on an unseen enemy, burying friends killed by booby traps, and struggling with the notion that many people back home were totally opposed to the war, Nutting begins to wonder what are his odds of coming home? During a rescue mission gone wrong, a mortar round explodes beside his team, digging shrapnel deep into his leg. Aboard the surgical hospital ship, where he is sent to recover, he sees the indescribable injuries of Marines who had been captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese Army, and makes the decision to join the 3rd Marine Regimental Scout/Snipers at Camp Carroll.After the locals betray the scout/snipers assigned to help their village, resulting in the death of two of Nutting’s buddies, Nutting finds an escape to sanity in marijuana. This begins his continuous recourse to the drug that lasts throughout his tour, done only in the bunker or when away on R&R—never in the field and never on duty. Despite his proven record, when he is caught in possession of marijuana, his arrest and the ensuing court martial changed his life and his reputation forever.

Read more less

San Diego Writer’s Festival Mystery Writer of the Year for 2021 Winner of the Shamus Award and nominated for Macavity, Barry, and Lefty Awards A friend arrested for murder. A vicious killer lurking in the shadows. A world of darkness. Blinded by a gunshot wound to the face while working as a private investigator nine months ago, Rick Cahill is now sure of only one thing: he has to start a new life and leave his old one behind. He’s still trying to figure out what that life is when his onetime partner, Moira MacFarlane, asks for his help on a case she’s taken for Rick’s former best friend. The case is simple and Moira only needs Rick for one interview, but Rick is wary of waking sleeping demons. Ultimately, he goes against his gut and takes the case which quickly turns deadly. Rick’s old compulsion of finding the truth no matter the cost—the same compulsion that cost him his eyesight and almost his life—battles against his desire to escape his past. The stakes are raised when Rick’s friend is implicated in murder and needs his help. Can he help the friend he no longer trusts while questioning his own lessened capabilities? His life depends on the answer as a shadowy killer lurks in the darkness.Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and John Sandford While all of the novels in the Rick Cahill PI Crime Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:Yesterday’s Echo Night Tremors Dark Fissures Blood Truth Wrong Light Lost Tomorrows Blind Vigil Last Redemption Doomed Legacy

Read more less

The three friends trapped in their Minecraft game have never been closer to escaping the Overworld, and they can’t wait to return home after being trapped on the server for so long.But then a vicious horde of creepers attacks, delaying their escape. Soon the gang learns that there’s a new villain behind the attack: a griefer so twisted that he’d rather stay trapped in the Overworld than live a mundane life in the real world—and he has no qualms about keeping every other player trapped on the server with him. Can the friends and their new allies defeat the creepers, conquer their new enemy, and finally return home?Friends and enemies unite against evil in this exhilarating fifth book in bestselling author Winter Morgan’s Unofficial Minetrapped Adventure series.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. In particular, this adventure series is created especially for readers who love the fight of good vs. evil, magical academies like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga, and games like Minecraft, Terraria, and Pokemon GO. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Read more less

The only thing that spreads faster than gossip in Palm Beach is news of a mysterious death.Maribelle, the eldest of the three Barrows sisters, deserves to be envied. Not only for her plum position as editorial director of Palm Beach Confidential, but for her impressive husband, Samuel, and his involvement in the family business. Together, they present themselves as the “it” couple of Palm Beach. She might have even aced her two stunning younger sisters.But things aren’t always what they seem. When Samuel unexpectedly dies, suspicion around the Barrows family swirls. Suddenly the authenticity of their socially ambitious mother, Lucinda, and their lavish existence of mansions, prestige, privilege, and couture wardrobe are in question.As their carefully constructed image unravels, their tidily placed aspirations are challenged. Each sister realizes she must fend for herself and fight for not only what she longs for, but believes in. For Maribelle, it is the will to rise above the discovery that her husband was not who he seemed. For Caroline, the middle sister, it is facing the fact that she is suffocating from the life she built to please her family. For Raleigh, the youngest, her double life surfaces, threatening her status of wife and young mother.As each of the Barrows sisters searches for a pathway out, an unexpected power play emerges. Until the price of escape is too dear and worth any risk. Until the winner takes all. A compelling tale of betrayal and lies, deception and ambition, Maribelle’s Shadow is a memorable novel about what lurks beneath and the price of family loyalty.

Read more less

In January 1856, Margaret Garner and her family were at the center of one of the most dramatic and intensely contested fugitive slave cases in the nation's history. Just hours after escaping slavery in Kentucky and taking refuge in a home in Cincinnati, the Garners were cornered by authorities. As the captors sought to enter the house, Garner killed her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Mary. Reports suggested that she had tried to kill her three other children, too. These events were instantly sensationalized in the media, stimulating heated debates throughout the country: What did it mean that a mother would rather kill her children than see them returned to a life in slavery? What should happen to Margaret Garner? The conflicting answers to these questions exposed the fault lines over slavery within a nation already drifting toward civil war. While Garner's story has famously inspired Toni Morrison's most celebrated novel, Beloved, the details of the actual events remain largely unknown. In Who Speaks for Margaret Garner? Mark Reinhardt has assembled the most important primary documents concerning the case and its aftermath-newspaper accounts of the Garner family's escape, capture, and trial; sermons; editorials; legislative debates; and literary responses-opening up a new perspective on American culture and society on the eve of the Civil War. Immersing readers in a wealth of fascinating documentary evidence, this book offers not only a singular exploration of antebellum America's debates over such contentious issues as slavery and freedom, race and gender, party and region, and law and politics, but also an engrossing introduction to the work of historical and cultural interpretation.

Read more less

In his monumental On Justice and Rights, the Jesuit Luis de Molina (1535-1600) discussed the legal and ethical aspects of the Portuguese trade in African and Asian enslaved persons. Molina surveys, develops, and problematizes the criteria necessary for the legitimate possession, sale, and purchase of human freedom. He insists that, even under legally valid slavery, persons who have sold or lost their freedom have inalienable rights as human beings, such as the freedom to make contracts, to marry, and even, under certain circumstances, to sue their owners in court. Molina also devotes attention to the ways in which slavery could be ended and whether and under what circumstances slaves had the right to escape from their owners. Well informed about the political structures and customs of many peoples in Africa, as well as Japan, China, and India, Molina paints a vivid and detailed picture of Portuguese trade. He gives specific accounts of the origins and development of the slave trade, region by region, and of the nature of the relationship between local rulers and the Portuguese kingdom. In doing so, he carefully describes the deception, coercion, and general indifference that pervades this trade regarding the rights to freedom of these people. It also attempts to identify the political, ecclesiastical, and market agents involved in this great injustice and their varying degrees of culpability. While Molina does not condemn slavery as a legal institution, the deeply flawed and even immoral behavior of sellers, buyers, regulators, and political rulers both in Portugal and in the slave-supplying regions that Molina denounces casts a heavy shadow on the morality of the trade.

Read more less

For the first time, music legend Rudy Pérez shares his remarkable journey from a poor refugee kid in Miami to composing the greatest hit songs on the world stage. Named the most successful Latin songwriter in history, Rudy Pérez is the creator behind some of the bestselling records of Beyoncé, Julio Iglesias, Christina Aguilera, and IL Divo.In his one-of-a-kind memoir, Rudy tells about his childhood in Cuba and the heart-gripping visits to his father in prison during the height of the communist revolution. Tracing his family's perilous escape on one of the last Freedom Flights to America, Rudy opens up about the years of poverty and growing up in a crime-ridden neighborhood. These memories contrast with tender moments of dancing to the stereo with his siblings, nodding along to his mother's classical favorites, and swaying to blues melodies with his father. At a young age, Rudy tried his hand at recreating the music he loved, and his talent led him to an unprecedented career with over 300 hit songs.With years of hard work, ceaseless creativity, and a strong faith, Rudy was the first Latin music artist to win Billboard Producer of the Decade. Looking back over his five-time Grammy winning legacy, Rudy shares little-known stories of faith and behind-the-scenes details of working with stars like Fergie, Jaci Velasquez, Michael Bolton, Simon Cowell, and Sam Moore.A must-read for every music lover, The Latin Hit Maker is a genuine rags-to-riches story filled with inspiration, fascinating details, and a powerful reminder of God's grace and transforming creativity.

Read more less

From the critically acclaimed author of The Library of Legends comes a vividly rendered novel set in WWI France about two young women—one Chinese, one French—whose lives intersect with unexpected, potentially dangerous consequences.“East meets West in World War I France. In The Porcelain Moon, Janie Chang exhibits her signature trademarks—lyrical prose, deftly drawn characters, and skillful excavation of little-known history—to give us a rare jewel in a sea of wartime fiction!”— Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling authorFrance, 1918. In the final days of the First World War, a young Chinese woman, Pauline Deng, runs away from her uncle’s home in Paris to evade a marriage being arranged for her in Shanghai. To prevent the union, she needs the help of her cousin Theo, who is working as a translator for the Chinese Labour Corps in the French countryside. In the town of Noyelles-sur-Mer, Camille Roussel is planning her escape from an abusive marriage, and to end a love affair that can no longer continue. When Camille offers Pauline a room for her stay, the two women become friends. But it’s not long before Pauline uncovers a perilous secret that Camille has been hiding from her. As their dangerous situation escalates, the two women are forced to make a terrible decision that will bind them together for the rest of their lives.Set against the little-known history of the 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as non-combatant labor during WWI, The Porcelain Moon is a tale of forbidden love, identity and belonging, and what we are willing to risk for freedom.

Read more less

Praise Song for My Children celebrates twenty-one years of poetry by one of the most significant African poets of this century. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley guides us through the complex and intertwined highs and lows of motherhood and all the roles that it encompasses: parent, woman, wife, sister, friend. Her work is deeply personal, drawing from her own life and surroundings to convey grief, the bleakness of war, humor, deep devotion, and the hope of possibility. These poems lend an international voice to the tales of motherhood, as Wesley speaks both to the African and to the Western experience of motherhood, particularly black motherhood. She pulls from African motifs and proverbs, utilizing the poetics of both the West and Africa to enrich her striking emotional range. Leading us to the depths of mourning and the heights of tender love, she responds to American police brutality, writing “To be a black woman is to be a woman, / ready to mourn,” and remembers a dear friend who is at once “mother and wife and friend and pillar / and warrior woman all in one.” Wesley writes poetry that moves with her through life, land, and love, seeing with eyes that have witnessed both national and personal tragedy and redemption. Born in Tugbakeh, Liberia and raised in Monrovia, Wesley immigrated to the United States in 1991 to escape the Liberian civil war. In this moving collection, she invites us to join her as she buries loved ones, explores long-distance connections through social media, and sings bittersweet praises of the women around her, of mothers, and of Africa.

Read more less

The incredible story of a breathtaking rescue in the frenzied final hours of the US evacuation of Afghanistan — and how a brave Afghan mother and a compassionate American officer engineered a daring escape. When the US began its withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Afghan army instantly collapsed, Homeira Qaderi was marked for death at the hands of the Taliban. A celebrated author, academic, and champion for women’s liberation, Homeira had achieved celebrity in her home country by winning custody of her son in a contentious divorce, a rarity in Afghanistan’s patriarchal society. Despite her fierce determination to stay in her homeland, it finally became clear to Homeira that escaping was the only way she and her family would survive. However, like so many, she was mired in the chaos that ensued at Kabul Airport, struggling to get on a plane with her eight-year-old son, Siawash, along with her parents and the rest of their family. Meanwhile, a young US foreign service officer, Sam Aronson, who had volunteered to help rescue the more than 100,000 Americans and their Afghan helpers stranded in Kabul, learned that the CIA had established a secret entrance into Kabul Airport two miles away from the desperate crowds crushing toward the gates. He started bringing families directly through, and on the very last day of the evacuation, Sam was contacted by Homeira’s literary agent, who persuaded him to help Homeira get out. The story that follows is unbelievable but true. Zuckoff’s firsthand accounts come exclusively and directly from Homeira, Aronson, and Homeira’s literary agent. The Secret Gate is beyond riveting, and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Read more less

On the 18th September 2014, a mere 700-and-a-bit years after the Battle of Bannockburn, the struggle for power between Scotland and England will reach another milestone - this time probably without the swords, horses and armour. It is, without question, the most serious subject of the year, but there is a funny side too. Now Ian Black, master of the witty remark, king of the one-liner and enthusiastic unfurler of the Saltire sets his mind to the lighter side of Independence. With more pro-Independence and anti-No-voter jokes and tales than you can shake a stick at, Scotland vs England is the antidote to a very serious year. This book explains that the new Scots currency will be the Dreichma, perfect if our usual weather combines with Greek-style financial meltdown anytime in the future, or possibly the Punt, though apparently all of the punts are in the south-east of England. Mr Black also explains that occasional mutterings of "durty English bastards" north of the border refer not to the great majority of English folk but to the filthy goings-on in Westminster.And there are answers to some of the great questions, like: "What goes 'putt' and what goes 'putt, putt, putt, putt'", to which the answer is: a Scottish golfer and an English golfer on the Old Course at St Andrews. Scotland vs England may not help you make up your mind about which way to vote, but in the serious months ahead when all will seem lost and there will be no escape from politicians, it will be very welcome.

Read more less

By the age of nine, I will have lived in more than a dozen countries, on five continents, under six assumed identities. I’ll know how a document is forged, how to withstand an interrogation, and most important, how to disappear . . . To the young Cheryl Diamond, life felt like one big adventure, whether she was hurtling down the Himalayas in a rickety car or mingling with underworld fixers. Her family appeared to be an unbreakable gang of five. One day they were in Australia, the next in South Africa, the pattern repeating as they crossed continents, changed identities, and erased their pasts. What Diamond didn’t yet know was that she was born into a family of outlaws fleeing from the highest international law enforcement agencies, a family with secrets that would eventually catch up to all of them. By the time she was in her teens, Diamond had lived dozens of lives and lies, but as she grew older, love and trust turned to fear and violence, and her family—the only people she had in the world—began to unravel. She started to realize that her life itself might be a big con, and the people she loved, the most dangerous of all. With no way out and her identity burned so often that she had no proof she even existed, all that was left was a girl from nowhere. Surviving would require her to escape, and to do so Diamond would have to unlearn all the rules she grew up with. Wild, heartbreaking, and often unexpectedly funny, Nowhere Girl is an impossible-to-believe true story of self-discovery and triumph.

Read more less

From the late 1950s to the 1980s, baseball’s American League mismanaged integration and expansion, allowing the National League to forge ahead in attendance and prestige. While both leagues had executive structures that presented few barriers to individual team owners acting purely in their own interests, it was the American League that succumbed to infighting—which ultimately led to its disappearance into what we now call Major League Baseball. Stumbling around the Bases is the story of how the American League fell into such a disastrous state, struggling for decades to escape its nadir and, when it finally righted itself, losing its independence. The American League’s trip to the bottom involved bad decisions by both individual teams and their owners. The key elements were a glacial approach to integration, the choice of underfinanced or disruptive new owners, and a consistent inability to choose the better markets among cities that were available for expansion. The American League wound up with less-attractive teams in the smaller markets compared to the National League—and thus fewer consumers of tickets, parking, beer, hot dogs, scorecards, and replica jerseys. The errors of the American League owners were rooted in missed cultural and demographic shifts and exacerbated by reactive decisions that hurt as much as helped their interests. Though the owners were men who were notably successful in their non-baseball business ventures, success in insurance, pizza, food processing, and real estate development, didn’t necessarily translate into running a flourishing baseball league. In the end the National League was simply better at recognizing its collective interests, screening its owners, and recognizing the markets that had long-term potential.

Read more less

In 1787, the Northwest Ordinance made the Ohio River the dividing line between slavery and freedom in the West, yet in 1861, when the Civil War tore the nation apart, the region failed to split at this seam. In Slavery's Borderland, historian Matthew Salafia shows how the river was both a physical boundary and a unifying economic and cultural force that muddied the distinction between southern and northern forms of labor and politics. Countering the tendency to emphasize differences between slave and free states, Salafia argues that these systems of labor were not so much separated by a river as much as they evolved along a continuum shaped by life along a river. In this borderland region, where both free and enslaved residents regularly crossed the physical divide between Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, slavery and free labor shared as many similarities as differences. As the conflict between North and South intensified, regional commonality transcended political differences. Enslaved and free African Americans came to reject the legitimacy of the river border even as they were unable to escape its influence. In contrast, the majority of white residents on both sides remained firmly committed to maintaining the river border because they believed it best protected their freedom. Thus, when war broke out, Kentucky did not secede with the Confederacy; rather, the river became the seam that held the region together. By focusing on the Ohio River as an artery of commerce and movement, Salafia draws the northern and southern banks of the river into the same narrative and sheds light on constructions of labor, economy, and race on the eve of the Civil War.

Read more less

The inspiring, heartwarming true story of Barney and Kada Miller. This couple prove that love and resilience can change everything.As a 20-year-old, David 'Barney' Miller was one of the best surfers on the New South Wales mid-north coast. He was looking to go professional. But when a workmate lost control of their car, flipped it and slammed into a tree, Barney was trapped in the wreckage. He was told he would never breathe independently or use his legs again. Refusing to give in, he defied the doctors through self-belief, hard work and sheer guts. But he still wasn't able to walk. Barney plunged into a depression many thought he wouldn't emerge from. Then he met Kada, a beautiful girl from a country town who dreamed of becoming a singer. Kada had moved to the coast to escape her own troubled life.When Barney met Kada they fell in love. She didn't see his wheelchair, she saw the man he was. Barney saw everything Kada was and everything she could be. With Barney's support, Kada has now released her first album, and she was there to cheer Barney on as he claimed a gold medal at the World Adaptive Surfing Championships. Together they believe anything is possible. Every day they prove that is true.'You can wake up every now and then and think the world's against you. But you look at Barney and he's still smiling and 100 per cent ... He's definitely a huge inspiration in my life.' Mick Fanning, 3 x Surfing World Champion'relentless and uplifting' HERALD SUN on the documentary YOU AND ME

Read more less

Why do democracies keep lurching from success to failure? The current financial crisis is just the latest example of how things continue to go wrong, just when it looked like they were going right. In this wide-ranging, original, and compelling book, David Runciman tells the story of modern democracy through the history of moments of crisis, from the First World War to the economic crash of 2008. A global history with a special focus on the United States, The Confidence Trap examines how democracy survived threats ranging from the Great Depression to the Cuban missile crisis, and from Watergate to the collapse of Lehman Brothers. It also looks at the confusion and uncertainty created by unexpected victories, from the defeat of German autocracy in 1918 to the defeat of communism in 1989. Throughout, the book pays close attention to the politicians and thinkers who grappled with these crises: from Woodrow Wilson, Nehru, and Adenauer to Fukuyama and Obama. In The Confidence Trap, David Runciman shows that democracies are good at recovering from emergencies but bad at avoiding them. The lesson democracies tend to learn from their mistakes is that they can survive them--and that no crisis is as bad as it seems. Breeding complacency rather than wisdom, crises lead to the dangerous belief that democracies can muddle through anything--a confidence trap that may lead to a crisis that is just too big to escape, if it hasn't already. The most serious challenges confronting democracy today are debt, the war on terror, the rise of China, and climate change. If democracy is to survive them, it must figure out a way to break the confidence trap.

Read more less

'Fans will not be disappointed' The Times'Read this is you like high stakes drama' Evening Standard'A familiar swirl of big ideas and non-stop action' New York Times___________________The global bestseller and latest Robert Langdon novel from the author of The Da Vinci Code.Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of an astonishing scientific breakthrough. The evening’s host is billionaire Edmond Kirsch, a futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world.But Langdon and several hundred guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is suddenly blown apart. There is a real danger that Kirsch’s precious discovery may be lost in the ensuing chaos. With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao, taking with him the museum’s director, Ambra Vidal. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.To evade a devious enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate the labyrinthine passageways of extreme religion and hidden history. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal will come face-to-face with a breathtaking truth that has remained buried – until now.___________________Praise for Dan Brown:‘The master of the intellectual cliffhanger’ Wall Street Journal‘As engaging a hero as you could wish for’ Mail on Sunday ‘For anyone who wants more brain-food than thrillers normally provide’ Sunday Times

Read more less

In this provocative book, Eddie S. Glaude Jr. makes an impassioned plea for black America to address its social problems by recourse to experience - and with an eye set on the promise and potential of the future, rather than the fixed ideas and categories of the past. Central to Glaude's mission is a rehabilitation of philosopher John Dewey, whose ideas, he argues, can be fruitfully applied to a renewal of African American politics.According to Glaude, Dewey's pragmatism, when attentive to the darker dimensions of life - or what we often speak of as the blues - can address many of the conceptual problems that plague contemporary African American discourse. How blacks think about themselves, how they imagine their own history, and how they conceive of their own actions can be rendered in ways that escape bad ways of thinking that assume a tendentious political unity among African Americans simply because they are black. Drawing deeply on black religious thought and literature, "In a Shade of Blue" seeks to dislodge such crude and simplistic thinking and replace it with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for black life in all its variety and intricacy. Glaude argues that only when black political leaders acknowledge such complexity can the real-life sufferings of many African Americans be remedied, an argument echoed in the recent rhetoric and optimism of Barack Obama's presidential campaign."In a Shade of Blue" is a remarkable work of political commentary, and to follow its trajectory is to learn how African Americans arrived at this critical moment in their cultural and political history - and to envision where they might head in the twenty-first century.

Read more less

You can try to leave but they’ll never let you go… Are YOU ready to return to FOG ISLAND? The gripping sequel to Fog Island from the international bestseller Mariette Lindstein… Sofia may have escaped from Fog Island, but she can’t escape the horror… Thanks to her, cult-leader Franz Oswald, head of the sinister organisation on Fog Island which held Sofia captive, is now in custody awaiting trial for the horrific things that took place on the island. With the help of a ruthless lawyer, Franz is spinning a web of revenge that stretches far outside his prison walls… When Sofia determines to speak out about the sect, her life once again turns into a living nightmare. No matter where she runs, Oswald’s network seems to reach her. And in the wake of his final revenge, Sofia must ask herself the crucial question – can one ever be free from a cult? Praise for Fog Island: ‘Chillingly authentic’ Guardian ‘I loved it – tense and atmospheric, slowly drawing the reader in to a reality that is utterly terrifying’ Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Have You Seen Her and The Perfect Couple ‘An interesting exposition of the psychology and the insidious methods that govern cults’ Daily Mail ‘An intense, terrifying, and utterly believable journey into the shadowy world of cult leaders and cult members. A just-one-more-page thriller that will have you reading late into the night and holding your breath until the very end. I loved it!’ Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of Home ‘A vivid crime novel’ Express ‘This intense thriller completely grips you from the off’ Heat

Read more less

He’d been her friend for years. He said he loved her. Then she realised she didn’t know him at all… When everything seemed to be falling apart in Sophie’s life, she was thankful for her friend Kas, who was always at the end of a phone, ready to listen and to offer comfort and advice.Her father’s cold dislike of her and then her parents’ divorce had left her with a deep distrust of men. But, gradually, Kas made her believe there was at least one man who truly cared about her. But she was wrong. At first when Sophie went to stay for a few days with Kas in Italy, he was kind and caring, as he’d always been. But three days after she arrived, everything changed. His eyes were cold as he described the things he expected her to do ‘for love’. But soon Sophie’s bewilderment turned to fear as he punched and shouted at her and threatened to kill her adored younger brothers if she didn’t do exactly as she was told…to sell her body on the streets to pay off Kas’s debts. Terrified of Kas, the police and the men whose pleasures she was forced to satisfy, Sophie worked seven nights a week for the next six months on the dark and lonely streets of a town in northern Italy. Subjected regularly to Kas’s verbal, mental and physical abuse, she knew she would never escape. And then, one day, after she’d been admitted to hospital with stomach pains – and knowing that Kas would kill her if he found out – she dared to phone her mother. But who would reach her first?

Read more less

This title shows you how to design and plant an outside space, with practical advice and 550 inspiring step-by-step photographs. It shows you how to create lovely and easy-to-maintain garden courtyards, patios, terraces and backyards. There are decorative ideas to suit all kinds of outdoor spaces from urban backyards to small garden spaces. You can choose a style to suit you - Traditional Lines, Mediterranean Warmth, Outdoor Living, The Edible Garden, A Peaceful Oasis and Modern Spaces - or select elements from each to create your own vision. It features more than 40 step-by-step techniques that provide practical guidance for making key decorative features, such as laying brick pavers, training a grapevine, planting a wall basket, making a parterre, fixing wattle hurdles, constructing a raised bed with sleepers, and lighting plants with uplighters. A final section on maintaining your patio shows how to keep the space looking beautiful, including gardening advice on deadheading, pruning and training, and seasonal jobs. Whether your patio is a tiny backyard hidden in the urban jungle or a terraced area in a larger garden, it is a personal space where you can garden, relax and simply escape everyday life for a while. This inspiring and practical book offers creative but achievable ideas for your patio space. Six chapters on favourite styles each offer advice on approaches for flooring, walls and screens, plants and containers, structures and furniture, ornament and water features, and lighting. An essential how-to manual and packed with lively ideas, you can use this book to transform your patio into a delightful personal space to give pleasure all year round.

Read more less

Dr. Alla Shapiro was a first physician-responder to the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine on April 26, 1986. Information about the explosion was withheld from first responders, who were not given basic supplies, detailed instructions, or protective clothing. Amid an eerie and pervasive silence, Dr. Shapiro treated traumatized children as she tried to protect her family. No protocols were in place because no one had anticipated the consequences of a nuclear accident. From the outset of the disaster, the Soviet government worsened matters by spreading misinformation; and first responders, including Alla, were ordered to partake in the deception of the public. After years of persistent professional hostility and personal discrimination that she and her family experienced as Jewish citizens of the USSR, four generations of the Shapiro family fled the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. As émigrés, they were each allowed to take no more than 40 pounds of possessions and $90 in cash. Their escape route took them first to Vienna and then to Italy, where they were stranded as stateless persons for six months. Eventually the family received permission to enter the United States. Motivated by her Chernobyl experiences, Alla Shapiro ultimately became one of the world’s leading experts in the development of medical countermeasures against radiation exposure. From 2003 to 2019, she worked for the FDA on disaster readiness and preparation. Dr. Shapiro issues stern warnings regarding the preparedness—or lack thereof—of America for the current Covid-19 pandemic. Doctor on Call exposes the horrifying truths of Chernobyl and alerts us to the deceptions that undermine our ability to respond to global disasters.

Read more less

Winner of Sweden's most prestigious literary prize for young readers, Girls Lost is a thriller featuring three teenage girls: Kim, Bella, and Momo. The three occupy a challenging limbo between childhood and adulthood, made only more difficult by the steady provocation of their malicious male classmates and pubescent bodies that are changing beyond their control. They are on the precipice of a grown-up world that seems to be broken into two groups: male and female; public and private; assailant and target. Eager to escape, the girls seek refuge in Bella’s greenhouse, a free zone where their imaginations run wild and their talents can flourish. After their classmates’ violations escalate, the three friends plant a strange seed in the greenhouse, and a shimmering, magical flower blossoms. Intrigued, they drink the nectar from the flower, and suddenly find themselves transformed from girls to boys until the next morning. The three return each night to drink from the flower, anxious to explore their world — and new, older male friends — with agency and freedom. As they fall deeper into the boys’ world, they discover a new reality, one of power and violence, of gangs and drugs. When their nightly escapades turn darker, two of the teens grow wary, ready to turn back and face the reality of womanhood; but Kim is determined to see their discovery to its catastrophic, fiery end. In this tale, the body is a battlefield, and masculinity is a drug. Brilliantly poetic and deeply poignant, this magical story was adapted into an internationally-renowned feature film exploring how we shape our identity, and how we cope with our own transformations.

Read more less

Sarah Rowley is a passionate classicist who runs the Latin Rocks On Twitter account, translating popular song lyrics into Latin, from Marvin Gaye to Madonna, Take That to Taylor Swift . Latin may have earned an unfair reputation for being somewhat inaccessible. With Latin Rocks On Sarah's mission is to bring the language to new audiences in a more accessible and innovative way. Her Twitter account has followers from all over the world who love to test their knowledge and guess the correct songs. quod tu velis, cara, id habeo... quod tu requiras, scisne quomodo ego id acceperim? rogo modo... paucam reverentiam. What you want... Baby I got. (ooo) What you need (ooo) Do you know how I got it? All I'm asking for.. is a little respect. Aretha Franklin, Respect ego debeo habere fidem, ego debeo habere fidem. care, scio te rogare me ut maneam. dic, quaeso quaeso quaeso - noli abire! 'Cause I gotta have faith, I gotta have faith. Baby! I know you're asking me to stay. Say please please please don't go away! George Michael, Faith tu es saltans regina, iuvenis et dulcis, modo septemdecim. saltans regina! senti modum tympani... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen. Dancing queen! Feel the beat from the tambourine... Abba, Dancing Queen est haec vita vera? est simpliciter somnium? captivus in vortice non fugio a realitate..! Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality...! Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody ego sum vir missilis...et ego credo id futurum esse diu. I'm a rocket man...and I think it's gonna be a long, long time. Elton John, Rocket Man

Read more less

"Heartbreakingly beautiful writing; sometimes funny, sometimes shattering--always revolutionary. Truly amazing collection!"--Margaret Cho "Sister Spit is like the underground railroad for burgeoning queer writers. Not only in the van, but in the audiences trapped in the hinterlands of America and looking to escape. Sister Spit saves lives."--Justin Vivian Bond, author of TANGO: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels A collection of writing and artwork from the irreverent, flagrantly queer, hilariously feminist, tough-talking, genre-busting ruffians who have toured with the legendary Sister Spit. Co-founded in 1997 by award-winning writer Michelle Tea, Sister Spit is an underground cultural institution, a gender-bending writers' cabaret that brings a changing roster of both emerging writers and some of the most important queer and counterculture artists of the day to universities, art galleries, community spaces, and other venues across the country and worldwide. Sister Spit: Writing, Rants and Reminiscence from the Road captures the provocative, politicized, and risk-taking elements that characterize the Sister Spit aesthetic, stamping the raw energy and signature style of the live show onto the page. Bratty poets and failed priestesses, punk angst and tough love, too much to drink and tattooed timelines--this anthology captures it all in a collection of poetry, personal narrative, fiction, and artwork. Featuring a who's who of queer and queer-centric writers and artists, the collection functions as a travelog, a historical document, and a yearbook from irreverent graduates of the school of hard knocks. Includes contributions by Eileen Myles, Beth Lisick, Michelle Tea, MariNaomi, Cristy Road, Ali Liebegott, Blake Nelson, Lenelle Moise, and many more!

Read more less

Orphaned young, Ming Tsu, the son of Chinese immigrants, is raised by the notorious leader of a California crime syndicate, who trains him to be his deadly enforcer. But when Ming falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, and the two elope, he seizes the opportunity to escape to a different life. Soon after, in a violent raid, the tycoon's henchmen kidnap Ada and conscript Ming into service for the Central Pacific Railroad.Battered, heartbroken, and yet defiant, Ming partners with a blind clairvoyant known only as the prophet. Together the two set out to rescue his wife and to exact revenge on the men who destroyed Ming, aided by a troupe of magic-show performers, some with supernatural powers, whom they meet on the journey. Ming blazes his way across the West, settling old scores with a single-minded devotion that culminates in an explosive and unexpected finale.Written with the violent ardor of Cormac McCarthy and the otherworldly inventiveness of Ted Chiang, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is at once a thriller, a romance, and a story of one man's quest for redemption in the face of a distinctly American brutality."In Tom Lin's novel, the atmosphere of Cormac McCarthy's West, or that of the Coen Brothers' True Grit, gives way to the phantasmagorical shades of Ray Bradbury, Charles Finney's The Circus of Dr. Lao, and Katherine Dunn's Geek Love. Yet The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu has a velocity and perspective all its own, and is a fierce new version of the Westward Dream." -Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn

Read more less

History is usually thought of as a tale of time, a string of events flowing in a particular chronological order. But as Karl SchlOgel shows in this groundbreaking book, the where of history is just as important as the when. SchlOgel relishes space the way a writer relishes a good story: on a quest for a type of history that takes full account of place, he explores everything from landscapes to cities, maps to railway timetables. Do you know the origin of the name "Everest"? What can the layout of towns tell us about the American Dream? In Space We Read Time reveals this and much, much more. Here is both a model for thinking about history within physical space and a stimulating history of thought about space, as SchlOgel reads historical periods and events within the context of their geographical location. Discussions range from the history of geography in France to what a town directory from 1930s Berlin can say about professional trades that have since disappeared. He takes a special interest in maps, which can serve many purposes one poignant example being the German Jewish community's 1938 atlas of emigration, which showed the few remaining possibilities for escape. Other topics include Thomas Jefferson's map of the United States; the British survey of India; and the multiple cartographers with Woodrow Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference, where the aim was to redraw Europe's boundaries on the basis of ethnicity. Moving deftly from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to 9/11 and from Vermeer's paintings to the fall of the Berlin Wall, this intriguing book presents history from a completely new perspective.

Read more less