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The Ex Vows
by Jessica JoyceAn Indie Next PickA Library Reads PickEstranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend&’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance from the USA Today bestselling author of You, with a View. Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It&’s full of the ironclad dos and don&’ts they&’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago. With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia&’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized. What&’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together. As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli&’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they&’re building isn&’t the something old that ruined them—it&’s a chance at something new.
The Ex-Wives
by Deborah MoggachThe bestselling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel &“marries comedy and canniness into a novel that&’s warm, tolerant, shrewd and exuberant&” (The Sunday Times). The demise of Russell Buffery&’s latest marriage has put the sixty-one-year-old actor in a reflective mood. After all, his three ex-wives—the journalist, the new-age housewife, the antique dealer—have easily found their way without &“Buffy&”, and his connections to his children are tenuous at best. Spurned and alone, he still wonders where it all went wrong. Until he meets Celeste . . . Only twenty-three and new to London, the fresh-faced young woman has given Buffy, the hopeless romantic, a new lease on life. But, unknown to Buffy, Celeste has her own agenda. She begins to delve into his past, but discovering each ex-wife leads to another one—not to mention the women on the side. And though Celeste may be in over her head, what is revealed to her will transform her life—and give both her and Buffy a chance to get it right this time around.Praise for Deborah Moggach &“Deborah Moggach is brilliant at capturing just the right voice for her characters.&” —Cosmopolitan &“You&’ll be hooked from the first page of this original, funny book . . . Just delicious.&” —New Woman &“Wonderfully funny.&” —Daily Mail &“Cracking good dialogue, excellent jokes and laser sharp.&” —The Daily Telegraph
Exactly Like You (Cupid's Café Ser. #1)
by Lori SizemoreAn invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.Former social worker Roxie Fisher believes she’s cursed to never find happiness and an invitation to Cupid’s Café isn’t going to change her situation. All the same, against her better judgment, she gives it a try. What else does she have to lose? After the death of his wife, accountant-turned-firefighter Aidan Craig, can’t stop taking ridiculous risks and never turns down a dare. So an invitation to Cupid’s Café is an offer he can’t refuse. What he doesn’t expect is to meet the social worker who helped him through the darkest days of his life. Now she’s the one struggling, and he’s compelled to help. The two experience an immediate attraction, but Aidan swore to never become involved in another relationship, and Roxie can’t imagine daredevil Aidan being interested in a boring, cat-rescuer like her. Can Roxie find the simple joy of taking a risk? Is Aidan willing to risk his heart? Or will they both lose out on a chance at true love?
El examen final (Escuela de frikis #Volumen 3)
by Gitty DaneshvaryTheo, Madeleine, Garrison, Lulu y Dahlia están a punto de graduarse pero, antes, deberán pasar un último examen: ¡SALVAR LA ESCUELA! Sylvie Montgomery, una periodista que trabaja en una revista de cotilleos, tiene una bomba que podría acabar con la «escuela de frikis»: ha descubierto que su directora, la excéntrica Mrs. Wellington, no consiguió que su hijastro Abernathy la aceptara, y que el niño abandonó la escuela y se refugió en el bosque aledaño. Sylvie necesita pruebas para escribir su artículo y no dudará en husmear en los alrededores de la escuela. Mientras, Theo, Madeleine, Garrison, Lulu y Dahlia intentarán ayudarán a su profesora, pero ni las reuniones conciliadoras con Abernathy ni la hipnosis darán resultado. Habrá que buscar ayuda en el exterior.
Examen sobre el césped (Serie ¡Gol! #Volumen 22)
by Luigi Garlando¡El nuevo equipo formado por los Cebolletas y los Tiburones Azules por fin saltará sobre el césped! Quince niñ@s.Una pasión: el fútbol.Un sueño: ¡ser los mejores! Pronto va a empezar el campeonato regional y los Cebolletas tienen que decidir su alineación titular. ¿Podrá Tomi mantener el número 9? ¿Será Pedro el nuevo líder? Los chicos todavía no están convencidos con la fusión de equipos, así que los místeres Champignon y Walter se enfrentarán al más duro de los retos: trabajar en equipo para dar ejemplo y no defraudar a nadie.
Excavations: A Novel
by Kate MyersUSA TODAY BESTSELLER • BEST SUMMER READS OF 2023: The New York Post • Oprah Book Club • Oprah Daily • USA Today • Good Housekeeping • Brit + Co • The Good Trade • Parade • Zibby Mag • O Quaterly“Funny, smart and deeply delicious.” —Amy Poehler “Witty and acerbic, Myers’ debut is humorous and sharply written, as if Aubrey Plaza’s April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation decided to write a sun-drenched novel about feminism, friendship, and archeology.” —BooklistOver a summer in sun-drenched Greece, four incompatible women digging into the past may just find the answers to their futures. An "academic satire with a feminist bent... Fresh, funny, intelligent, and deeply satisfying.”—Kirkus (Starred Review)On a remote archeological site in Greece, the mythic home of the first Olympics, four women discover an unusual artifact. It’s a piece of history that definitely shouldn’t exist. And for the head archaeologist in charge, a relic himself, it means something’s gone horribly wrong.Elise, Kara, Z and Patty all find themselves digging here together, but they couldn’t be farther apart. Kara’s a polished conservator calling off her wedding. Patty and her bowl cut are desperate for love. Millennial Z just got dumped and fired yet again. And Elise, their star excavator, is a lone wolf about to go rogue. To figure out what they’re really digging for, and to topple the man who wants to hide their history, these dirt-crusted colleagues have to become what they’ve avoided for years—friends. If they put their own messes aside for one summer, they might just make the discovery of a lifetime.
An Excellent Choice: Panic and Joy on My Solo Path to Motherhood
by Emma BrockesFrom the author of She Left Me The Gun, an explosive and hilarious memoir about the exceptional and life-changing decision to conceive a child on one's own via assisted reproduction When British journalist, memoirist, and New York-transplant Emma Brockes decides to become pregnant, she quickly realizes that, being single, 37, and in the early stages of a same-sex relationship, she's going to have to be untraditional about it. From the moment she decides to stop "futzing" around, have her eggs counted, and "get cracking"; through multiple trials of IUI, which she is intrigued to learn can be purchased in bulk packages, just like Costco; to the births of her twins, which her girlfriend gamely documents with her iPhone and selfie-stick, Brockes is never any less than bluntly and bracingly honest about her extraordinary journey to motherhood. She quizzes her friends on the pros and cons of personally knowing one's sperm donor, grapples with esoteric medical jargon and the existential brain-melt of flipping through donor catalogues and conjures with the politics of her Libertarian OB/GYN—all the while exploring the cultural circumstances and choices that have brought her to this point. Brockes writes with charming self-effacing humor about being a British woman undergoing fertility treatment in the US, poking fun at the starkly different attitude of Americans. Anxious that biological children might not be possible, she wonders, should she resent society for how it regards and treats women who try and fail to have children? Brockes deftly uses her own story to examine how and why an increasing number of women are using fertility treatments in order to become parents—and are doing it solo. Bringing the reader every step of the way with mordant wit and remarkable candor, Brockes shares the frustrations, embarrassments, surprises, and, finally, joys of her momentous and excellent choice.From the Hardcover edition.
Excellent Ed
by Stacy McAnultyDog lovers will adore this imperfect yet endearing mutt and his quest for excellence!***Winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor Award!*** Everyone in the Ellis family is excellent--except Ed. Ed wonders if this is why he isn&’t allowed to eat at the table or sit on the couch with the other children. So he&’s determined to find his own thing to be excellent at--only to be (inadvertently) outdone by a family member every time. Now Ed is really nervous--what if he&’s not excellent enough to belong in this family? This funny and endearing story offers a subtle look at sibling rivalry and self esteem, and will reassure kids that everyone is excellent at something, and that your family loves you, just as you are.Praise for Excellent Ed:"A dog lover&’s delight." —School Library Journal"In Julia Sarcone-Roach&’s joyful, expressive paintings, we see Ed pondering how to demonstrate excellence. The answer is excellent, and entirely endearing." —The Wall Street Journal&“A warm, welcome reminder that everyone is excellent at something.&” —Kirkus Reviews starred review&“In a word? Excellent.&” —The Horn Book starred review
Excellent Pets
by RolliWhat animal makes the best pet? A tiger? A grizzly bear? A T-Rex? A killer whale? Or a puppy? Learn why all but one of these animals make great pets and all the things you need to do to properly care for your special pet!
Excellent Women (Virago Modern Classics #311)
by Barbara Pym'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym' RICHARD OSMAN'One of the most endearingly amusing English novels of the twentieth century' ALEXANDER McCALL SMITHMildred Lathbury is one of those 'excellent women' who is often taken for granted. She is a godsend, 'capable of dealing with most of the stock situations of life - birth, marriage, death, the successful jumble sales, the garden fete spoilt by bad weather'.As such, she often gets herself embroiled in other people's lives - especially those of her glamorous new neighbours, the Napiers, whose marriage seems to be on the rocks. One cannot take sides in these matters, though it is tricky, especially as Mildred, teetering on the edge of spinsterhood, has a soft spot for dashing young Rockingham Napier. This is Barbara Pym's world at its funniest and most touching.'I pick up her books with joy, as though I were meeting an old, dear friend who comforts me, extends my vision and makes me roar with laughter' Jilly Cooper
Excellent Women (Virago Modern Classics #311)
by Barbara PymMildred Lathbury is one of those 'excellent women' who is often taken for granted. She is a godsend, 'capable of dealing with most of the stock situations of life - birth, marriage, death, the successful jumble sales, the garden fete spoilt by bad weather'. As such, she often gets herself embroiled in other people's lives - especially those of her glamorous new neighbours, the Napiers, whose marriage seems to be on the rocks. One cannot take sides in these matters, though it is tricky, especially as Mildred, teetering on the edge of spinsterhood, has a soft spot for dashing young Rockingham Napier. This is Barbara Pym's world at its funniest and most touching.
Excellent Women (Virago Modern Classics #507)
by Barbara Pym A. N. WilsonExcellent Women is probably the most famous of Barbara Pym's novels. The acclaim a few years ago for this early comic novel, which was hailed by Lord David Cecil as one of 'the finest examples of high comedy to have appeared in England during the past seventy-five years,' helped launch the rediscovery of the author's entire work. Mildred Lathbury is a clergyman's daughter and a spinster in the England of the 1950s, one of those 'excellent women' who tend to get involved in other people's lives - such as those of her new neighbor, Rockingham, and the vicar next door. This is Barbara Pym's world at its funniest.
Excéntricos ingleses (Palabra En El Tiempo Ser. #Vol. 94)
by Edith SitwellUn divertido catálogo de los personajes más disparatados que ha dado la historia de Inglaterra. Poeta, ensayista, novelista, excéntrica, icono cultural de los años veinte, Edith Sitwell fue también una de las escritoras más originales y fascinantes del siglo XX. En Excéntricos ingleses, uno de sus libros más reconocidos, Sitwell recoge a viajeros, eruditos, científicos, hombres de letras, ermitaños, místicos y otros personajes disparatados de la nobleza inglesa, desde el anfibio lord Rokeby, que vivía en su bañera, hasta Waterton, que se paseaba por su finca a lomos de un cocodrilo. El resultado es un ejemplo de la más pura excentricidad insular; una obra maestra repleta de humor e ironía.
Excess Baggage: a brilliant, laugh-out-loud gem of a novel about family… and all that entails
by Judy AstleyLet bestselling author Judy Astley sweep you away with this insightful, uplifting and hilarious novel where a family holiday turns into more of a torment than a treat... Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Milly Johnson and Trisha Ashley."I just love Judy Astley's books" - JILL MANSELL"Wickedly funny" - DAILY MAIL"A funny, warm and moving novel" - SUNDAY MIRROR"If I am feeling in need of blue skies and sunshine and none are to be had here I just pick [this] up and settle down to while away an hour or two" -- ***** Reader review"A really light and amusing story" -- ***** Reader review******************************************************IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT, DON'T BRING THE FAMILYAs a penniless and partnerless house-painter with an expired lease on her flat and a twelve-year-old daughter, Lucy could hardly turn down her parents' offer to take them on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Caribbean.She'd just have to put up with her sister Theresa (making no secret of preferring Tuscany as a holiday destination) and brother Simon (worrying that there might be some sinister agenda behind their parents' wish to take them all away) with their various spouses, teenagers and young children.In a luxury hotel, with bright sunshine, swimming, diving, glorious food and friendly locals, any family tensions should have melted away in the fabulous heat. The children should have been angelic, the teenagers cheerful, the adults relaxed and happy.But some problems just refuse to be left at home.
Excess Baggage: One Family's Around-the-World Search for Balance
by Tracey CarischTracey Carisch thought she had it all. As a wife, mother, and successful executive, she seemed to be living the modern American dream. But one night, a panic attack sent her tumbling into an existential crisis and questioning everything about her life. That’s when she and her husband made a decision that shocked their family and friends: they sold everything they owned, pulled their three young daughters out of school, and became a family of wandering globetrotters. Loaded with hilarious mishaps as well as deeply meaningful revelations, Excess Baggage chronicles the Carisch family’s extraordinary, eighteen-month adventure across six continents. As they navigate the trials and tribulations of international travel, the family encounters unique people and bizarre situations that teach them about the world—and themselves. Carisch’s candid and insightful account of her family’s journey will have you laughing out loud, shedding a few tears, and bringing the lessons of family travel into your own life . . . without ever having to leave home.
The Excitements: Two sprightly ninety-year-olds seek revenge in this feelgood mystery for fans of Richard Osman
by CJ Wray'I will be thinking about Penny, Josephine and Archie for a while yet!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A fun and entertaining story that made me laugh out loud!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Highly recommend!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐_____________________________________________________________A charming, uplifting and cosy mystery about two national treasures hiding official secrets and double lives - perfect for fans of THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB.Revenge is a dish best served old...Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain's most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their nineties, Josephine and Penny are in demand, popping up at commemorative events all over the country. Despite their age, they're in great form-sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next "excitement." This time it's a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur, accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie.Archie suspects the sisters are hiding secrets about their wartime careers. And this trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have quietly trailed the sisters since the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary can these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans pull off one last heist before the curtain comes down on their illustrious careers?Penny and Josephine will return for more adventures in Jinx, coming in Spring 2025._____________________________________________________________ 'Funny, thrilling and brilliantly researched.' SJ Bennett'It's P.G. Wodehouse meets Dear Mrs Bird and it's utterly wonderful.' Annie Lyons 'Utterly charming and engrossing' Jenny Colgan 'A glorious, rip-roaring adventure, so funny and charming, yet laced with unexpected moments of real tenderness and reflection' Lucy Dillon'The literary equivalent to a perfect Martini, The Excitements is sharp, delicious, instantly mood-lifting and utterly intoxicating.' Kate Eberlen'Not all heroes wear capes, some wear M&S cardigans! A triumph!' Mike Gayle'A sublime mix of comedy, drama and adventure' Jill Mansell'Just pure joy from start to finish.' Alexandra Potter'I couldn't get enough of the wonderful Williamsons. More please!' Holly Hepburn
Exciting Times: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021
by Naoise Dolan'The book of the summer ... Kept me rapt until the final page' THE TIMES'A sharp, smart, witty modern love story. I loved it' David Nicholls, author of ONE DAY'More than lives up to the hype ... Likely to fill the Sally-Rooney-shaped hole in many readers' lives' IRISH TIMES'Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut' Hilary Mantel, author of WOLF HALL'I've been pushing Exciting Times on everyone I know. Some of Dolan's pithy observations of her characters are the best I've read since Edward St Aubyn' OBSERVER'A frankly sensational book' Pandora Sykes on THE HIGH LOW'In the tradition of Dorothy Parker, Joan Rivers and Nora Ephron ... I found myself purring with pleasure. ...This is comic writing at the highest level' Craig Brown, DAILY MAILWhen you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year. When Ava leaves Ireland aged 22 to make her own money, she's not sure what to call it, but it involves:- a badly-paid job in Hong Kong, teaching English grammar to rich children;- Julian, who likes to spend money on Ava and lets her move into his guest room;- Edith, who Ava meets while Julian is out of town and actually listens to her when she talks;- money, love, cynicism, unspoken feelings and unlikely connections.Exciting times ensue.
Exclusive
by Barbara FischkinTake two hotshot reporters. . . add a touch of romance and a little healthy competition-then run for cover. In this fast-paced, sharp-witted debut inspired by the author's real-life adventures, two sparring ace reporters do their best to outrun, outsmart, and outscoop each other. Who knew they'd find love? Barbara Fischkin was on the fast track to the big leagues of journalism. Then she ran head-on into Jim Mulvaney, a fast-talking blue-eyed Irishman on a track all his own. In Mulvaney's world there can be only one star. But he wouldn't mind a little help from an attractive newswoman.... So begins an outrageous love-and-hate affair between a Jewish girl from Brooklyn and an Irish lad from Queens whose barstool connections reach all the way to the IRA. Within months, trading drink for drink, barb for barb, and scoop for scoop, Fischkin and Mulvaney are breaking stories all around the world, uncovering tales of corruption and intrigue from Flatbush to Belfast and beyond-and making news of their own: in a little scandal called marriage. . . . A globe-trotting adventure through the worlds of modern love and journalism, Exclusive features all the fun that's fit to print.
Exclusively Chloe
by J. A. YangChloe-Grace can't help it-she's spectacular. How could she not be with celebrity parents who have been the queen and king of Hollywood for years? And Chloe is a celebrity all unto herself as well- she's the first celebrity-adopted kid in Hollywood. But now Chloe's sixteen, and she is tired of every undesired moment of the world's attention. She wonders what it would be like to be a "normal" kid in a regular school. To really understand it, though, she would need to go undercover. So after getting a "make-under" at the hands of her mother's fabulous stylist, she enters the "real" world. But she soon finds out that there is just as much drama there as there is in Hollywood. . . .
Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self
by Liana FinckA razor-sharp collection from the acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist and Instagram sensation whom Vulture recently called &“a remarkable young talent&”With her trademark, scratchy style and keen eye for the absurd, Liana Finck has amassed a large, devoted following who love the deeply insightful, delightfully odd way she describes how we all experience the world.Excuse Me assembles more than 500 of her most loved cartoons from Instagram and The New Yorker over the past few years, in such distinctive chapters as: Love & Dating; Gender & Other Politics; Animals; Art & Myth-Making; Humanity; Time, Space, and How to Navigate Them; Strangeness, Shyness, Sadness; and Notes to Self.Melancholy and hilarious, relatable and surreal, intensely personal yet surprisingly universal, Excuse Me brings together the best work so far by one of the most talented young comics artists working today.
Excuse Me For Living: A Novel
by Ric KlassWINNER, LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL, GENERAL FICTION, 2012-2013FINALIST, FOREWORD REVIEWS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD, GENERAL FICTION, 2012One of New York's finest saves brilliant and debonair (but drug-addicted) Daniel Topler from his suicide attempt on the George Washington Bridge. In court, the judge entrusts the young man to the care of Dr. Jacob Bernstein, an elderly psychiatrist at an upscale rehab clinic. The doctor issues these commands: obey the no-drugs rules, and join the geriatric temple men's group he leads--or face incarceration. Dan has no choice but to comply.Dan's prep school friends initially lure him back to the drugs, booze, and women. But all that changes when he meets Bernstein's daughter, Laura, and the two must sneak around behind the doctor's disapproving back. To finally rise above his past, Dan must come face to face with his decisions and the person he wants to become, as the story arrives at a surprising conclusion.In his debut novel, Klass weaves together multiple storylines, highlighting the humorous and slightly odd details in life, all the while keeping his eye on the emotional core of the story. His book's release coincides with the premiere of the major motion picture conceived in tandem with the novel, written, produced, and directed by the author and featuring a who's who cast including Christopher Lloyd, Jerry Stiller, Robert Vaughn and Dick Cavett, among many others.
Excuse Me While I Slip into Someone More Comfortable: A Memoir
by Eric Poole&“Eric Poole&’s journey of self-delusion and self-discovery had me laughing one minute, crying the next, and rooting for him every second.&” —George Takei In 1977, Eric Poole is a talented high school trumpet player with one working ear, the height-to-weight ratio of a hat rack, a series of annoyingly handsome bullies, and a mother irrationally devoted to Lemon Pledge. But who he wants to be is a star . . . ANY star. With equal parts imagination, flair, and delusion, Eric proceeds to emulate a series of his favorite celebrities, like Barry Manilow, Halston, Tommy Tune, and Shirley MacLaine, in an effort to become the man he&’s meant to be—that is, anyone but himself. As he moves through his late teens and early twenties in suburban St. Louis, he casts about for an appropriate outlet for his talents. Will he be a trumpet soloist? A triple-threat actor/singer/dancer? A fashion designer in gritty New York City? Striving to become the son who can finally make his parents proud, Eric begins to suspect that discovering his personal and creative identities can only be accomplished by admitting who he really is. Picking up at the end of his first acclaimed memoir, Where&’s My Wand?, Poole&’s journey from self-delusion to acceptance is simultaneously hysterical, heartfelt, and inspiring. &“A touching and RIOTOUSLY funny story about one boy&’s search for his personal and creative identities in the 1980&’s Midwest. You&’ll laugh, you&’ll cry, you&’ll keep your jazz hands to yourself, Mister.&” —Judith Newman, author of To Siri with Love
Excuses for All Occasions: Alibis Apologies and Cop-Outs That Can Get You Out of (or Into) Trouble
by Steven D. PriceLooking for ways to escape or shift blame is a fundamental part of life. Here's a survival guide full of ready-made excuses, from the student's classic "My dog ate my homework," to the motorist's "Was that sign the speed limit, Officer? I thought it was the town's population," to the dieter's "I wasn't getting enough to eat on one diet, so I had to go on three." You'll welcome these ready-made alibis and cop-outs for business, school, sports, family, romance, and other situations where you might find yourself in hot water.
Execution: The Guillotine, the Pendulum, the Thousand Cuts, the Spanish Donkey, and 66 Other Ways of Putting Someone to Death
by Geoffrey AbbottIn his own darkly humorous style, Geoffrey Abbott describes the instruments used and their effectiveness and reveals the macabre origins of familiar phrases such as "gone west" or "drawn a blank," as well as the jargon of the underworld. He covers everything from the preparation of the victim to the disposal of the body. Execution is everything you ever wanted to know about the ultimate penalty---and a lot you never thought to ask. It includes such hair-raising categories as: · Cave of Roses: A rare Swedish method of execution in which the victim was confined to a cave full of snakes and poisonous reptiles.· Bastinado: Involved the victim being caned gently and rhythmically with a lightweight stick on the soles of the feet until the mental collapse and eventual death of the victim.· Sewn in an Animal's Belly: A living person is sewn into the belly of an animal and left to die.· The Spanish Donkey: This method of torture consisted of seating a victim on top of a wall that resembled an inverted "v" with weights attached to the ankles, the weights slowly increased until the victim's body split in two.· Iron Chair: The victim is tied to an iron armchair and pushed nearer and nearer to a blazing fire. · Sawn in Half: Victims are secured in a standing position, pinned between two wide boards fixed between a stake driven deep into the ground while two executioners (one on each side) would wield a long, two-handled saw downwards through the boards. Execution is a unique fascinating look at the grim and gritty history of sanctioned death.
Exes: A Novel
by Max Winter[A] heartbreaking novel about the devastations of severed attachments.” —NPRFor Clay Blackall, a lifelong resident of Providence, Rhode Island, the place has become an obsession. Here live the only people who can explain what happened to his brother, Eli, whose suicide haunts this heartbreaking, hilarious novel–in–fragments.A failed actor impersonates a former movie star; an ex–con looks after a summer home perched atop a rock in the bay; a broken–hearted salutatorian airs thirteen years’ worth of dirty laundry at his school’s commencement; an adjunct struggles to make room for her homeless and self–absorbed mother while revisiting a scandalous high school love affair; a recent widower, with the help of a clever teen, schemes to rid his condo’s pond of Canada geese. Clay compiles their stories, invasively providing context in the form of notes that lead always, somehow, back to Eli. Behind Clay’s possibly insane, definitely doomed, and increasingly suspect task burns his desire to understand his brother’s death, and the city that has defined and ruined them both.Full of brainy detours and irreverent asides, Exes is a powerful investigation of grief, love, and our deeply held yet ever–changing notions of home.