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A Season of Gifts
by Richard PeckOne of children's literature's most memorable characters returns in this Christmastime companion to the Newbery Medal-winning A Year Down Yonder and Newbery Honor-winning A Long Way from Chicago.The eccentric, larger-than-life Grandma Dowdel is back in this heart-warming tale. Set 20 years after the events of A Year Down Yonder, it is now 1958 and a new family has moved in next door: a Methodist minister and his wife and kids. Soon Grandma Dowdel will work her particular brand of charm on all of them: ten-year-old Bob Barnhart, who is shy on courage in a town full of bullies; his two fascinating sisters; and even his parents, who are amazed to discover that the last house in town might also be the most vital.As Christmas rolls around, the Barnhart family realizes that they've found a true home, and a neighbor who gives gifts that will last a lifetime. "Pitch-perfect prose, laced with humor and poignancy, strong characterization and a clear development of the theme of gifts one person can offer make this one of Peck's best novels yet--and that's saying something."--Kirkus (starred review) "The type of down-home humor and vibrant characterizations Peck fans have come to adore re-emerge in full."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "With a storyteller's sure tone, Peck has once again created a whole world in one small Illinois town, a place where the folksy wisdom and generosity of one gruff old woman can change lives."--School Library Journal (starred review) Publishers Weekly Best Books of the YearKirkus Reviews Best Books of the YearBooklist Editors' Choice
A Second Chance (Chronicles Of St. Mary's Ser. #3)
by Jodi TaylorThe third book in the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance. Readers love Jodi Taylor: 'Once in a while, I discover an author who changes everything... Jodi Taylor and her protagonista Madeleine "Max" Maxwell have seduced me' 'A great mix of British proper-ness and humour with a large dollop of historical fun' 'Addictive. I wish St Mary's was real and I was a part of it' 'Jodi Taylor has an imagination that gets me completely hooked' 'A tour de force'
A Second Chance (Chronicles of St. Mary's #3)
by Jodi TaylorThe third book in the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance. Readers love Jodi Taylor: 'Once in a while, I discover an author who changes everything... Jodi Taylor and her protagonista Madeleine "Max" Maxwell have seduced me' 'A great mix of British proper-ness and humour with a large dollop of historical fun' 'Addictive. I wish St Mary's was real and I was a part of it' 'Jodi Taylor has an imagination that gets me completely hooked' 'A tour de force'
A Second Chance (Chronicles of St. Mary's)
by Jodi TaylorThe third book in the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance.(P)2014 Audible Studios
A Second Chance for the Single Dad (Matchmaking Mamas #23)
by Marie FerrarellaA LITTLE HELP-AND A LOT OF LOVE Ever since her mother died, nurse practitioner Kayley Quartermain has been searching for somewhere to belong. She wants that somewhere to be her hometown of Bedford, but first she needs a job. Thankfully, her matchmaking godmother offers a solution: a career match-and hopefully a romantic one, too-assisting recently widowed Dr. Luke Dolan at his clinic. Still adjusting to life as a single dad, Luke is reluctant to accept Kayley's help. Sure, she's great at her job, and five-year-old Lily adores her, but Luke's developing strong feelings for Kayley, too. For Lily's sake, he needs to be careful about whom he lets in. But with Kayley fitting in so perfectly as they rebuild their lives, could she be the one piece they've been missing?
A Second Shot of Coffee with Jesus
by David WilkieForeword Reviews' 18th Annual INDIEFAB Honorable Mention for Graphic Novels and Comics
A Secret Rebellion
by Anne MatherOne night was all she'd wanted...Few of Beth's students would have recognized her as the seductive charmer who crashed a posh London party, commanded the immediate attention of Alex Thiarchos, brazenly seduced him...and disappeared.But her mission was accomplished. She was pregnant. And she was happily and quite determinedly alone. Surely the haunting image of her first and only lover-the father of her child-would fade in time?Wrong. A campus tragedy brought Alex back into her life, stirring needs, desires and complications Beth didn't want. Now Alex knew heartache firsthand, and this time he wouldn't let her go!
A Seductive Revenge (Red-Hot Revenge #8)
by Kim LawrenceJosh Prentice has a broken heart, and there's only one way to mend it: revenge! He plans to seduce Flora, and then jilt her. But he hadn't expected to find it so hard to walk away....Locked into an intensely sensual relationship, Josh and Flora struggle with their emotions. But Josh is tormented that he could lose Flora if she discovers his true identity-and Flora also has a burning secret: she's expecting Josh's baby!
A Self-Made Man (The Millionaires)
by Kathleen O'BrienAdam Kendall: He's rich, he's powerful--he's a man who gets what he wants. When he left town, he was a nobody. Now he's the somebody everyone wants to know--everyone except Lacy Morgan.Lacy Mayfair Morgan: After Adam left, Lacy married money--but only because she had no other choice. Some would say she's worked even harder than Adam to get what she has. But Adam has his doubts.Adam's never forgiven Lacy for lying to him all those years ago. And now that she can afford it, he's going to make her pay.
A Sensitive Liberal's Guide to Life
by The Uptight SeattleiteIn the tradition of The Official Preppy Handbook, The Uptight Seattleite is the Stephen Colbert of left-wing satire The author of the wildly popular Seattle Weekly advice column teaches Americans everywhere how to embrace their inner leftist. Artfully balancing the cosmic with the cosmopolitan, the Uptight Seattleite (aka Adrian) delights his loyal readers each week with snide insight on everything from fashion ("Can I pull off a Rasta beret?") to ear-bud etiquette. In A Sensitive Liberal's Guide to Life, he brings his savvy smugness to his widest audience yet, on topics such as the hierarchy of transportation righteousness (what to do with the clunky old Subaru after purchasing a Prius) and ethical behavior at the grocery store, including how to handle the horror forgetting to bring your reusable burlap sack. Other day-to-day advice covers what to read on the bus (Vonnegut versus The Kite Runner versus The Economist) and feasting at the buffet of diversity, with tips for shooting a condescending smile at those who don't know how to use chopsticks. The Uptight Seattleite also helps readers navigate the big issues, such as responsible parenting (which calls for a mini-landfill kit, perfect for the backyard and ready to be stuffed with environmentally unfriendly diapers). For every insecure liberal-and those who love to make fun of them-the Uptight Seattleite offers us laughs from the pinnacle of political correctness.
A Sequence of Cosmic Accidents
by S.A ReyhaniA National Book Tokens 'best new children's books of 2025' pickThe universe makes no mistakes… Twelve-year-old Arian never wanted a foster sister, much less the weird and annoying one who has joined his family. From her outlandish outfits and bizarre behaviour to her claim that the random stick she carries is a magical weapon, Madlock is creeping Arian out. There&’s just one thing the pair can agree on: that she&’s from another planet. Of course, Arian never meant literally… When Madlock summons a portal to another world, Arian is launched into an adventure of intergalactic proportions. For an ancient enemy is stirring in the shadows, and the universe has a bigger plan for them than the pair could ever have imagined
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage: A Novel
by Asia MackayTwo former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard in this sharp, compulsive thriller.I wasn't smashing the patriarchy; I was killing it. Literally.Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're murderers. Well, they used to be. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to rid from the world. Then Hazel got pregnant.Now, they&’re just another mom-and-dad-and-baby. They gave up vigilante justice for life in the suburbs: arranged play dates instead of body disposals, diapers over daggers, mommy conversations instead of the sweet seduction right before a kill. Hazel finds her new life terribly dull. And the more she forces herself to play her monotonous, predictable role, the more she begins to feel that murderous itch again.Meanwhile, Fox has really taken to being a father. Always the planner, he loves being five steps ahead of everyone and knowing exactly what&’s coming around the bend. Plus, if anyone can understand Hazel needing one more kill, it&’s Fox. But then Hazel kills someone without telling Fox. And when police show up at their door, Hazel realizes it will take everything she has to keep her family together.
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage: A Novel
by Asia MackayTwo former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard in this &“wildly original, razor-sharp thriller&” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark). &“An invaluable manual that I return to again and again.&”―Hugh GrantI wasn't smashing the patriarchy; I was killing it. Literally.Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're murderers. Well, they used to be. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to rid from the world. Then Hazel got pregnant.Now, they&’re just another mom-and-dad-and-baby. They gave up vigilante justice for life in the suburbs: arranged play dates instead of body disposals, diapers over daggers, mommy conversations instead of the sweet seduction right before a kill. Hazel finds her new life terribly dull. And the more she forces herself to play her monotonous, predictable role, the more she begins to feel that murderous itch again.Meanwhile, Fox has really taken to being a father. Always the planner, he loves being five steps ahead of everyone and knowing exactly what&’s coming around the bend. Plus, if anyone can understand Hazel needing one more kill, it&’s Fox. But then Hazel kills someone without telling Fox. And when police show up at their door, Hazel realizes it will take everything she has to keep her family together.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Collection: Books 10-13 (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
by Lemony Snicket Brett HelquistIf you have come this far, it is likely too late. Readers who have experienced the first nine volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket are usually so weakened by their dreadful knowledge of the Baudelaire orphans' story that they spend most of their time moaning and weeping, and have no strength to read The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril, or The End. If, by chance, your moaning and weeping is more or less under control, there is no need to further risk your physical, emotional, and literary health by reading the four remaining volumes in the series. It would be better to regain your strength by spending your time indulging in less alarming activities, such as whistling or making cupcakes for the elderly. After all, this collection contains all of the calamities in the last four volumes of A Series of Unfortunate Events, including abandoned condiments, cigarette smoking, a shocking revelation, a ridiculous laugh, a fearsome storm, a herd of wild sheep, a truly haunting secret about the Baudelaire parents, another shocking revelation, and Phil. There is no need to exposure yourself to such atrocities, not after all you've been through already.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Collection: Books 4-6 (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
by Lemony Snicket Brett HelquistA Warning from the Publisher:<P><P> Imagine you are wearing a bandage that needs to be removed. Are you the sort of person who tears the bandage right off, causing an enormous amount of pain in a short instance? Or do you prefer to spread your pain out over a longer period of time, by slowly unpeeling the bandage from your injury?<P> If you are the first type of person, then this three-book electronic collection might be for you. All of the misery and woe available in three Lemony Snicket volumes—The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy, and The Ersatz Elevator—have been joined into one compactly miserable package, so readers foolish enough to read about the Baudelaire orphans can be unnerved in a slightly more economical fashion.<P> If you are the second type of person, then volumes 4 through 6 in A Series of Unfortunate Events might be for you. Even if you unwisely choose to read them at a more leisurely pace, you will encounter such atrocities as poorly paid employees, a hypnotist, an evil scheme, a gym teacher, dripping fungus, another evil scheme, a fake accent, three mysterious consonants, a red herring, and at least one more evil scheme.<P> Of course, most people would prefer not to be injured at all. We salute these sensible people, who will doubtless not purchase any books by Lemony Snicket, no matter how conveniently bundled.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Collection: Books 7-9 (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
by Lemony Snicket Brett HelquistWould you rather sprain your ankle, bruise your hip, and lose a toe to frostbite on the same day? Or would you rather have these accidents happen on three different days? This electronic collection of volumes 7 through 9 in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket is the e-equivalent of having three ghastly accidents right in a row. Contained here are such unpleasantries as kidnapping, disguise, murder, paperwork, another disguise, heart-shaped balloons, false allegations, stiletto heels, a shattered crystal ball, a cryptic map, an irritating song, and quite a few more disguises, all bundled together into a continuous barrage of horror and dismay. The more sensible approach would be to read The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital, and The Carnivorous Carnival months or even years apart from one another, so you have time to recuperate from the misery each volume offers—or better yet, to turn your eyes away from Mr. Snicket's work and find an electronic experience that would cause you no distress whatsoever.
A Series of Unrelated Events
by Richard BaconHave you ever been stitched up to the national press by your best mate?Or unintentionally upset a band with a slip of the tongue on a live TV show?Or ruined a dinner party by transforming everything alcoholic into water?Hello. I’m Richard Bacon and this is A Series of Unrelated Events. All of the stories are true. All of them happened to me. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to (you’re welcome). So now, if you should ever find yourself sobbing on top of a box of gherkins in the stockroom of a Mansfield McDonald’s… having a Twitter conversation with your mum while she’s pretending to be an illiterate dog… performing stand-up to an audience who are funnier than you are… or just letting down all of the children of Great Britain……you’ll know exactly what to do.
A Shadow All of Light: A Novel
by Fred ChappellA good thief barters in goods. A great one deals in shadows.A Shadow all of Light is a stylish, elegant, episodic fantasy novel by World Fantasy Award–winning author and former poet laureate Fred Chappell. This stylish, episodic fantasy novel is for fans of epic fantasies and heists. The tale follows the exploits of Falco, a young man from the country, who arrives in the port city of Tardocco with the ambition of becoming an apprentice to a master shadow thief. Maestro Astolfo, whose mysterious powers of observation would rival those of Sherlock Holmes, sees Falco's potential and puts him through a grueling series of physical lessons and intellectual tests.Falco's adventures coalesce into one overarching story of con men, monsters, ingenious detection, pirates, and the King of Cats. A wry humor leavens this fantastical concoction, and the style is as rich and textured as one would hope for from Chappell, a distinguished poet as well as a World Fantasy Award–winning author.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
A Shock
by Keith RidgwayEver since Keith Ridgway published his landmark cult novel Hawthorn & Child, his ardent fans have yearned for more Finally, Ridgway gives us A Shock, his thrilling and unsparing, slippery and shockingly good new novel. Formed as a rondel of interlocking stories with a clutch of more or less loosely connected repeating characters, it’s at once deracinated yet potent with place, druggy yet frighteningly shot through with reality. His people appear, disappear, and reappear. They’re on the fringes of London, clinging to sanity or solvency or a story by their fingernails, consumed by emotions and anxieties in fuzzily understood situations. A deft, high-wire act, full of imprecise yet sharp dialog as well as witchy sleights of hand reminiscent of Muriel Spark, A Shock delivers a knockout punch of an ending. Perhaps Ridgway’s most breathtaking quality is his scintillating stealthiness: you can never quite put your finger on how he casts his spell—he delivers the shock of a master jewel thief (already far-off and scot-free) stealing your watch: when at some point you look down at your wrist, all you see is that in more than one way you don’t know what time it is…
A Shock to the System
by Simon BrettAn ambitious executive is motivated by malice and murder in this darkly comic Edgar Award–nominated thriller by the author of the Charles Paris mysteries. Graham Marshall is a respectable husband and father and dedicated London businessman. He&’s always played by the rules, believing that&’s the surest way to climb the corporate ladder. But when he&’s passed over for promotion by a ruthless colleague, something snaps. On a drunken walk home late that night, Graham unleashes his fury on a hapless panhandler and dumps his body into the Thames. As days pass for the anxious exec, he realizes to his astonishment that he&’s gotten away with murder. And it appears to be much easier than anyone&’s been led to believe. Feeling more powerful than he has in years, Graham now has his eyes on the future—and on everyone who stands in his way, professionally and personally. It might have all begun with a terrible accident. But for Graham, his new objectives are entirely by design. &“A crisp, chilly tale of murder . . . extra-dry in its humor.&” —Kirkus Reviews
A Shocker on Shock Street (Classic Goosebumps #23)
by R.L. StineTwo friends must survive being scared to death at a horror theme park in this creeptastic adventure from the Master of Fright.Erin Wright and her best friend, Marty, love horror movies. Especially Shocker on Shock Street movies. All kinds of scary creatures live on Shock Street. The Toadinator. Ape Face. The Mad Mangler.But when Erin and Marty visit the new Shocker Studio Theme Park, they get the scare of their lives. First their tram gets stuck in The Cave of the Living Creeps. Then they’re attacked by a group of enormous praying mantises!Real life is a whole lot scarier than the movies. But Shock Street isn’t really real. Is it?
A Shocking Request
by Colleen FaulknerNEVER IN A MILLION YEARS HAD GRANT EXPECTED THIS.His late wife, Ally, speaking on a memory videotape she'd left behind, was actually suggesting he start dating."Date?" Grant thought aloud. "Who would I date? Who wants a widower who lives on a principal's salary and has three daughters?"Clearly anticipating his reaction, Ally said into the camera, "I know you're going to sit around for weeks saying you wouldn't know who to ask if you wanted to go on a date. I've thought this out, too."She leaned forward in the chair. "Jenna," she said softly. "I want you to date my best friend, Jenna. And, Grant, I think you'll fall in love with her."
A Short Film About Disappointment: A Novel
by Joshua MattsonAn ingenious novel about art and revenge, insisting on your dreams and hitting on your doctor, told in the form of 80 movie reviewsIn near-future America, film critic Noah Body uploads his reviews to an underread content aggregator. His job is dreary routine: watch, seethe, pan. He dreams of making his own film, free of the hackery of commercial cinema. Faced with writing on lousy movies for a website that no one reads, Noah smuggles into his reviews depictions of his troubled life on the margins.Amid his movie reviews, we learn that his apartment in the vintage slum of Miniature Aleppo has been stripped of furniture after his wife ran off with his best friend--who Noah believes has possessed his body. He's in the middle of an escalating grudge match against a vending machine tycoon with a penchant for violence. And he's infatuated with a doctor who has diagnosed him with a "disease of thought." Exhausted by days spent watching flicks featuring monks with a passion for rock and roll and slashers featuring rampaging hairdressers, Noah is determined to create his own masterpiece: a filmed meditation on art-with-a-capital-A, written by, directed by, and starring himself.Set in a wildly imaginative and uncannily familiar world of nanny states and extreme rationing, Safe Zones and New Koreas, A Short Film About Disappointment is an uproarious story of trying to keep it together in turbulent times. Joshua Mattson is a debut novelist with a rotten wit and the creative vision of a hyperactive child.
A Short Gentleman
by Jon CanterHow did Robert Purcell, distinguished barrister and perfect specimen of the British Establishment, end up in prison? An intellectual giant but an emotional pygmy, Robert is a man struggling to come to terms with the forces that have brought him down, from the wife who wanted him to change, to the ex-girlfriend who came back to haunt him and the childhood bully who turned into an adult bully.Despite everything, Robert remains the same magnificently self-righteous man he always was, utterly resistant to therapy, change and the emotional demands of the opposite sex.
A Short History of Queer Women
by Kirsty LoehrNo, they weren&’t &‘just friends&’! Queer women have been written out of history since, well, forever. &‘But historians famously care about women!&’, said no one. From Anne Bonny and Mary Read who sailed the seas together disguised as pirates, to US football captain Megan Rapinoe declaring &‘You can&’t win a championship without gays on your team&’, via countless literary salons and tuxedos, A Short History of Queer Women sets the record straight on women who have loved other women through the ages. Who says lesbians can&’t be funny?