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The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen
by M. T. Anderson Kurt CyrusLooking forward to a vacation, Katie, Lily, and Jasper attach their flying Gyroscopic Sky Suite to the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort, where they mingle with other child heroes found in books, and where they become embroiled in a mystery involving lederhosen-clothed quintuplets and a screaming ventriloquist.
The Clueless Girl's Guide to Being a Genius
by Janice RepkaAphrodite Wigglesmith is a thirteen-year-old prodigy. After a fast track through Harvard, she's back at her old middle school to teach remedial math and prove a bold theory: anyone can be a genius with the right instruction. Enter Mindy, a ditzy baton twirler who knows more about hair roots than square roots. What could she possibly learn from such a frumpy nerd, except maybe what not to wear? But somewhere between studying and shopping, the two girls start to become friends. They're an unlikely pair, but in this uproarious middle-grade comedy, wacky is the norm and anything is possible - just like middle school. .
The Co-op: A Novel
by Tarah DeWittThey say love and construction don't mix. By that logic, hate and construction may as well be condemned. LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens—certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they're thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces. LaRynn has the money, but in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties. Thrust into a home without walls, LaRynn and Deacon quickly learn that it's easy to hide behind emotional ones, even in a marriage. But with all the exposure and pitfalls that come with living with the opposite sex (and none of the perks, much to their growing mutual frustration) they'll also have to learn what it means to truly cooperate as a team. Filled with crackling tension, The Co-op is a steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It's about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.
The Coach House Cats
by Marilyn Edwards'A colourful series that celebrates the many ways animals enrich our relationships and our lives' Karin SlaughterIt's become obvious that the time has come to have Pushkin, the Russian Blue tom, and Titus, the ginger moggy queen, neutered. This was indeed the plan for Fannie, the tortoiseshell, but with her longed-for pregnancy well under way it must now be postponed. Fannie's due date for her kittens arrives and, in the time-honoured tradition of cats and the best laid plans, unexpected problems arise.Following this drama, the household finds itself in turmoil again with the arrival of a black Bengal kitten, called Gilly, who disrupts the peace of both cats and people resident in The Coach House. . . With a fine eye and ear for the world of natural history, Marilyn Edwards writes about rural living with charm and passion - but it is her observation of cats and their ways that make her books so utterly magical.**Fully illustrated throughout**Praise for the Moon Cottage books:'My all-time favourite cat book' Jacqueline Wilson'Cat lovers will adore this book . . . A tender story of love between the author and her cats' Celia Haddon'All the many delights and a few of the heartaches of a life with cats are told with charm and wit. A vivid, honest, observant and involving book' Desmond Morris
The Coach House Cats
by Marilyn Edwards'A colourful series that celebrates the many ways animals enrich our relationships and our lives' Karin SlaughterIt's become obvious that the time has come to have Pushkin, the Russian Blue tom, and Titus, the ginger moggy queen, neutered. This was indeed the plan for Fannie, the tortoiseshell, but with her longed-for pregnancy well under way it must now be postponed. Fannie's due date for her kittens arrives and, in the time-honoured tradition of cats and the best laid plans, unexpected problems arise.Following this drama, the household finds itself in turmoil again with the arrival of a black Bengal kitten, called Gilly, who disrupts the peace of both cats and people resident in The Coach House. . . With a fine eye and ear for the world of natural history, Marilyn Edwards writes about rural living with charm and passion - but it is her observation of cats and their ways that make her books so utterly magical.**Fully illustrated throughout**Praise for the Moon Cottage books:'My all-time favourite cat book' Jacqueline Wilson'Cat lovers will adore this book . . . A tender story of love between the author and her cats' Celia Haddon'All the many delights and a few of the heartaches of a life with cats are told with charm and wit. A vivid, honest, observant and involving book' Desmond Morris
The Coaster
by Erich WursterBob Patterson considers himself an Everyman—albeit an Everyman with a rich, beautiful wife, two good kids, and a mail-it-in job that ignores his law degree. Despite his good fortune, Bob is idling through life, bored at work and at home. In short, he is the proverbial Coaster.Bob's wife, Sarah, is the anointed heir to the empire built by her father, Sam—a kind of Kansas City, Missouri, Warren Buffet. Fine by Bob, the family soccer mom. But early one morning he and Sarah awake to terrible news.Sam's death reveals he appointed Bob to be the trustee of his personal fortune and, as the IRS currently has it, he'll be in charge of his mother-in-law's money. Even more terrifying, Bob realizes he faces the prospect of actually working all day, for stakes that matter.Is the reappearance of Bob's wildest fraternity brother from college and a proposal from a bland businessman with a plan that seems too good to be true mere coincidence? A businessman who refuses to take No for an answer. After a lifetime of choosing the path of least resistance, will Bob finally take a stand when his family needs him most? If so, where?Bob peppers his story with sports and pop culture references and wry commentary on everything from the sex lives of married couples (such as they are) to the enormous cost of being "honored" at a charitable event. Bob knows what the hero should do in the situations he encounters (he's read the books and seen the movies, too). He doesn't have "a very particular set of skills" or a secret past in the Special Forces. He's just a regular guy who handles extreme pressure and threats to his family about like you'd expect (not well). It's going to take all he's got (really, more than he's got) to raise his game. Fortunately he's got an ace-in-the-hole...at home.Darkly comic, The Coaster turns the conventions of the mystery/suspense genre upside down.
The Cockatrice Boys
by Joan AikenWhat does a cockatrice enjoy most for dinner? Anyone it can find.So the alarmed inhabitants of England discover when a plague of monsters--known as cockatrices--invade their country and begin gobbling them up. They must be stopped! A plucky band of survivors dubbed the Cockatrice Corps--including youngsters Dakin and Sauna--decide to fight back. But how? A rollicking adventure filled with breathtaking twists and turns, The Cockatrice Boys is Joan Aiken at her comic best.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Cockney Rhyming Slang Dictionary
by Geoff TibballsThe classic pocket guide to the language of London. This wonderful little guide to cockney rhyming slang contains over 1,700 old and new rhymes translated from Cockney to English and English to Cockney, including:Custard and jelly - tellyHot cross bun - nunLemon tart - smartRock ’n’ roll - doleSticky toffee - coffee...and many more. Master the art of the Cockney rhyme and discover the Cockney origins of common British phrases.
The Cockroach
by Ian McEwanKafka meets the world of Brexit in a bitingly funny political satire from Ian McEwanThat morning, Jim Sams, clever but by no means profound, woke from uneasy dreams to find himself transformed into a gigantic creature.Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous six-legged existence he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he has woken up to discover he is the most powerful man in Britain: the Prime Minister. His mission: a nationalist revival, with or without Europe. Nothing must get in his way: not the opposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy.In this bitingly funny, Kafkaesque satire, Ian McEwan engages with scabrous humour a very recognizable political world and turns it on its head.
The Cockroach
by Ian McEwanA brilliant, of-the-moment political satire like no other: here is Ian McEwan's Brexit-era take on Kafka's Metamorphosis, centered on a cockroach transformed into the prime minister of England. An Anchor Original.That morning, Jim Sams, clever but by no means profound, woke from uneasy dreams to find himself transformed into a giant creature.Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous life he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain--and it is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing must get in his way; not the opposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy. In this bitingly funny Kafkaesque satire, Ian McEwan engages with scabrous humor a very recognizable political world and turns it on its head.
The Cockroach (Disgusting Critters)
by Elise GravelHilarious illustrated non-fiction about cockroaches perfect for beginning readers. You'll bug out over this perfect pairing of humorous text and funny illustrations about this insect that's been around for over 335 million years!Fast cockroach facts:Distinctive trait: Flat and oval-shaped bodyDiet: Everything! (Especially if it's greasy and sweet . . .)Special talent: RunningThe Cockroach covers lifestyle (cockroaches prefer the dark and only come out during the day when their colonies get big enough), anatomy (cockroaches have wings but rarely fly), habitat (they prefer heat to cold), life cycle (a female can give birth to up to 350 babies during her lifetime) and much more. Although silly and off-the-wall, The Cockroach contains factual information that will both amuse and teach at the same time.
The Cocktail Collection: Wallbanger, Rusty Nailed, and Screwdrivered (The Cocktail Series)
by Alice ClaytonNew York Times bestselling author Alice Clayton delights readers with the sexy, laugh-out-loud romances in the beloved Cocktail series! Don't miss three hot and hilarious tales in the Cocktail Collection!In Wallbanger, Caroline didn't hear things "go bump in the night"--she heard things go thump in the night. And it was always her neighbor's headboard. So when the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts Simon Parker, her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. The tension between them is as thick as the walls are thin, and suddenly Caroline is finding she may have discovered a whole new definition of neighborly... In Rusty Nailed, Simon and Caroline find that playing house was never so much fun--or so confusing. With her boss on an extended honeymoon, Caroline's working long hours to keep the interior design company running and her projects on deadline. And with Simon, her hotshot photographer boyfriend, gallivanting all over the world for his job, the couple is heavy-duty into "absence makes the heart grow fonder" mode. No complaints about the great reunion sex, though! But between Caroline's crazy work schedule, Simon's traveling, and house sitting for their friends, will they be able to make their relationship a priority? Screwdrivered brings us Viv Franklin, a tough-as-nails software engineer who designs programs and loves hospital corners, and also wants to be swept off her feet by her dream guy. So when a phone call with news of an inherited house brings her out to Mendocino, California, she suddenly finds her "knight in shining armor" selection growing. There's a cowboy, one that ignites her loins. Because Cowboy Hank is totally loin-ignition worthy. But there's also a librarian, Clark Barrow. And he calls her Vivian. Can tweed jackets and elbow patches compete with chaps and spurs? You bet your sweet cow pie. It's like being forced to pick between Superman and Clark Kent! Really, how's a girl to choose?
The Code for Love and Heartbreak
by Jillian CantorIn this contemporary romcom retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma by USA TODAY bestselling author Jillian Cantor, there’s nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.When math genius Emma and her coding club co-president, George, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born.George disapproves of Emma’s idea of creating a matchmaking app, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.Emma’s code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other, and Emma’s own feelings defy any algorithm?
The Code of the Woosters (Jeeves and Wooster)
by P. G. Wodehouse“To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language.”—Ben Schott Follow the adventures of Bertie Wooster and his gentleman’s gentleman, Jeeves, in this stunning new edition of one of the greatest comic novels in the English language. When Aunt Dahlia demands that Bertie Wooster help her dupe an antique dealer into selling her an 18th-century cow-creamer. Dahlia trumps Bertie's objections by threatening to sever his standing invitation to her house for lunch, an unthinkable prospect given Bertie's devotion to the cooking of her chef, Anatole. A web of complications grows as Bertie's pal Gussie Fink-Nottle asks for counseling in the matter of his impending marriage to Madeline Bassett. It seems Madeline isn't his only interest; Gussie also wants to study the effects of a full moon on the love life of newts. Added to the cast of eccentrics are Roderick Spode, leader of a fascist organization called the Saviors of Britain, who also wants that cow-creamer, and an unusual man of the cloth known as Rev. H. P. "Stinker" Pinker. As usual, butler Jeeves becomes a focal point for all the plots and ploys of these characters, and in the end only his cleverness can rescue Bertie from being arrested, lynched, and engaged by mistake!
The Code of the Zombie Pirate: How to Become an Undead Master of the High Seas (Zen of Zombie Series)
by Scott KenemoreSet in the Caribbean of the eighteenth century, the epicenter of piracy, voodoo, and the dark arts, The Code of the Zombie Pirate reveals all the secrets to selecting, customizing, and managing a motley crew of pirates-cum-zombies. Imagine the consequences of pirates who have crossed the line to immortality: the breathtaking lack of respect for life--it's the ultimate pirate dream! Kenemore advises captions in: Selecting Zombie Pirates: Fast or slow, chatty or quiet? Can a zombie hold a cutlass, or is it better off using its teeth? As readers will learn, pirate crews benefit from diversity. Finding a Vessel Worthy of a Bunch of Dead Guys: Learn the ins-and-outs of pirate ships. Which ones best suit zombies, with their unique undead benefits and drawbacks? Flying the Zombie Pirate Flags: Learn how to instill fear with something as simple as a brain and crossbones. Going Full Zombie: Should the reader--an aspiring Pirate King or Queen--become a member of the walking dead? There are benefits and drawbacks to this, discussed here. This rollicking guide through the world that zombies and pirates both haunted and hunted will keep Zen of Zombie readers intrigued and win over legions of new fans.
The Cold Hard Fax (Molly Masters Mysteries Series #3)
by Leslie O'KaneGardening is not usually considered a blood sport, but whenever cartoonist Molly Masters is out in the yard she must contend with the harassing comments of her neighbor, Helen Raleigh, who once owned Molly's house. Then, after a particularly unpleasant confrontation, Helen is shot dead on Molly's property—and a shocking secret is revealed. When Molly shoves her trowel into the dirt of the murder investigation, she starts receiving some threatening faxes—-and realizes that one determined killer could quiet her questions forever... Look for more entertaining mysteries peopled by both recognizable and off beat characters and told with high humor by Leslie O'Kane from her various series including from the Molly Masters Series #2 Just the Fax, #4 The Fax of Life, #5 The School Board Murders, #6 When the Fax Lady Sings and #7 Death of a PTA Goddess..
The Coldwater Warm Hearts Club (The Coldwater Series #1)
by Lexi Eddings"A unique take on what it means to go home again." --Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling authorThe lake is crystal blue, the hills roll for miles, and breaking news travels via the Methodist prayer chain. But don't let the postcard fool you. Coldwater Cove, Oklahoma, leavens its small-town charm with plenty of Ozark snark. For Lacy Evans, returning to flyover country is the definition of failure. She had everything she wanted--an award-winning design firm, a chic city condo, a handsome, aristocratic almost-fiancé. Then her boyfriend ran off with her receptionist and her clients' money. Now she's out of business and crashing on her parents' couch. When she slides into a booth at the Green Apple Grill, she's feeling lower than a worm's belly. But Lacy's old classmate Jacob Tyler is happy to see her. Coldwater's football hero came back from Afghanistan short part of a leg and some peace of mind, but he's counting his blessings, and Lacy could be one of them. Then there's her ex, Daniel, wearing a sheriff's badge and a wedding ring, but looking like young summer love. And a host of unlikely serendipities: the selfless do-gooders who sneak around taming curmudgeons and constructing second chances. The Fighting Marmots. The sprawling, take-no-prisoners Bugtussle clan. Lacy thought she knew her hometown, and herself. She just wanted to get on her feet and keep running. But the longer she stays, the more she finds to change her mind. . . "Readers of sweet romance will fall in love with Coldwater Cove. Lexi Eddings's talent shines in this edgy, fresh story." --Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
The Collected Novels Volume Four: Little Bits of Baby, Facing the Tank, and Tree Surgery for Beginners
by Patrick GaleThree keenly observant and profoundly moving novels from an international bestselling British writer “with heart, soul, and a dark and a naughty wit” (The Observer). “Patrick Gale writes with the understated fluency that is the hallmark of contemporary British fiction, and with the irony that usually accompanies it.” In the three novels collected here, the author of the international bestseller Notes from an Exhibition explores the complexities and ironies of men who have removed themselves from society and painful situations, only to find there’s no escaping their inner turmoil as they follow individual journeys of growth (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post). Little Bits of Baby: Robin retreated to a remote island monastery after his childhood playmate, Candida, became engaged to Jake, their irresistibly sexy mutual friend. Now Candida is a mother, and she wants her long-lost friend to be the child’s godfather. When he returns to London after his five-year exile, Robin finds the city overwhelming and unfamiliar, but he must fight through his feelings if he is to conclude the unfinished business that originally caused him to flee, and take his place in the world once again. “[A] blithe, original, engaging satire.” —The New York Times Facing the Tank: For American academic Evan Kirby, the English city of Barrowcester—pronounced “Brewster”—is a welcome escape from the US and his brutal divorce. A historian of angels and demons, he has come to explore the cathedral library, but he will find there are no angels in this peculiar little village. From the agnostic bishop and his cannabis cookie–addicted mother to the sex-mad cardinal and the schoolboy with a very unusual relationship with his spaniel, every Barrower has a secret, each more shocking than the last. “[A] ridiculously crazy tour de force . . . If E. F. Benson, Iris Murdoch and Fay Weldon were to produce a story in some mad collusion, the result might be something like this.” —Publishers Weekly Tree Surgery for Beginners: Armistead Maupin has said of Patrick Gale: “There’s really no one he can’t inhabit, understand, and forgive.” That certainly applies to the arborist Lawrence Frost in this epic redemptive novel, who is forced into a journey of self-searching after being accused of killing his wife. Following Frost’s pilgrimage to the Caribbean and eventually to the redwoods of northern California, Gale compassionately chronicles the healing of “a man whose work as a tree surgeon is a metaphor for the growth of his soul and family” (Publishers Weekly). “Playful and wise. In prose of sparkling precision, Gale serves up misadventures—satirical, farcical and tragic.” —The New York Times
The Collected Novels Volume Three: Ease, The Aerodynamics of Pork, and Kansas in August
by Patrick GaleThree irreverent comic novels from an international bestselling British writer “with heart, soul, and a dark and a naughty wit” (The Observer). “A clever, original writer with a sharp eye for social comedy and an equally sharp ear for dialogue,” Patrick Gale is able to find the comic irony as well as the all-too-human drama in our foibles. In his first three novels, collected here, he mines a rich vein of comedy in characters such as a playwright who reinvents herself, a teenage violin prodigy eager to meet the man of his dreams, a lesbian police inspector rediscovering her libido, and a teacher who surprises himself with an irrepressible paternal instinct (The Washington Post). Ease: An award-winning but world-weary playwright, Domina Tey takes on a fake name and a bedsit in Bayswater, then one of London’s seedier districts, to find her muse again. Soon she finds herself getting involved with her fellow tenants: a wannabe actress, a gay Frenchman, and a devout member of the local Greek Orthodox Church. They show Domina a side of life she’s never seen before, and she learns that before she can start writing again, she will have to live. “Captivating . . . a novel that pleads to be read at a single sitting.” —Publishers Weekly The Aerodynamics of Pork: Gale’s “sad, funny, deeply searching” debut novel follows two parallel love stories that ultimately intersect in a surprising way: Fifteen-year-old violin prodigy Seth Peake is secretly attracted to men and looking for romance at a summer music festival in Cornwall, and closeted lesbian police inspector Maude Faithe is trying to solve a mysterious series of burglaries that target astrologists in London, even as she engages in her own star-crossed infatuation (Publishers Weekly). “Gale’s concoction is irresistible: modern relationships with period charm. I couldn’t have liked it more.” —Armistead Maupin Kansas in August: Stood up by his lover, Rufus, on his birthday, unhappy English teacher Hilary Metcalfe discovers a frightened, abandoned baby boy in a London tube station. Drunk and lonely, Hilary brings the baby home to his Shepherd’s Bush flat, and soon finds he cannot live without the child. As Rufus falls into a romantic encounter with, of all people, Hilary’s sister, the three are caught in a bizarre love triangle—with a baby in the middle. “The bawdy narrative strands are cleverly woven together with witty and urbane dialogue and piquant characterization, so that the reader is thoroughly absorbed in this irreverent tour de force.” —Publishers Weekly
The Collected Novels Volume Two: A Charmed Life, The Groves of Academe, and Cannibals and Missionaries
by Mary McCarthySharply observed literary fiction from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Group and a &“delightfully polished writer&” (The Atlantic Monthly). New York Times–bestselling author Mary McCarthy wrote with &“an icily honest eye and a glacial wit that make her portraits stingingly memorable&” (The New York Times). From a trenchant portrait of marriage to an academic satire to an unconventional thriller, the three novels in this collection show the range of an author possessed of &“an uncanny flair for fastening on detail that has an electric impact on the reader&” (The Atlantic Monthly). A Charmed Life: In this New York Times bestseller, former actress and budding playwright Martha Sinnott longs to recapture the &“charmed life&” she abandoned when she divorced her first husband. So she returns to her beloved New England artists&’ colony with her second spouse. But her arrogant ex, Miles, lives dangerously close by with his new wife. And in a pervasive atmosphere of falsehoods and self-delusions, the biggest lie of all is Martha&’s belief that her reunion with Miles won&’t somehow wreak terrible havoc on all she holds dear. &“A glittering tragedy.&” —The New York Times The Groves of Academe: College instructor Henry Mulcahy embarks on a fanatical quest to save his job—and enact righteous revenge—in this &“brilliantly stinging&” satire of university politics during the early Cold War years (The New York Times). &“Brilliant . . . Bitterly tongue-in-cheek.&” —The New Yorker Cannibals and Missionaries: En route to Iran, a plane is hijacked by Middle Eastern terrorists intent on holding hostage the politicians, religious leaders, and activists on a mission to investigate charges of human rights violations by the Shah. Soon the kidnappers discover a greater treasure onboard: prominent art collectors with access to some of the world&’s most valuable paintings—which could fund global terrorism. As both captors and captives confront bitter truths about their conflicting values and ideologies, the clock races toward an explosive endgame. &“Tense, intelligent entertainment.&” —Chicago Tribune
The Collected Poems of Freddy the Pig (Freddy the Pig #21)
by Walter R. BrooksThe weather, all animals (with special emphasis on the peculiar attributes of pigs), joy and sorrow, the utility of facial features, and a world of other subjects are poetically worked over by the world&’s most distinguished pig-of-letters, Freddy—the Bard of Bean Farm. Whether he&’s happy or sad Freddy is ever the poet, and his verse—both heavy and light—has created an international fuss among the less gifted pigs and poets. And if Freddy&’s poetry seems a bit hammy in spots, well . . .
The Collected Stories: Passion and Affect, The Lone Pilgrim, and Another Marvelous Thing
by Laurie ColwinThe definitive collection of short fiction from a writer “who has single-handedly revitalized the short story” (Los Angeles Times). “If anyone wrote eloquently and magnificently about affairs of the heart, it was Laurie Colwin” (San Francisco Chronicle). In this stunning volume, which gathers together her three brilliant story collections, the beloved author of Home Cooking explores the mysteries of life and love with her signature blend of empathy, wisdom, and wit. Passion and Affect: From two ornithologists who find their own mating habits to be just as inscrutable as those of their avian subjects to a lonely husband whose search for exotic hobbies leads him to television, junk food, and a young woman with Technicolor green hair, the heroes and heroines of Colwin’s debut story collection are clever, naïve, brave, delicate, and fickle. In other words, they are profoundly human, and their precisely observed, warmly intelligent stories capture nothing less than what it means to be alive in the modern world. The Lone Pilgrim: In the title story of this elegant and insightful collection, a book illustrator meets the man of her dreams and struggles to say goodbye to her old self. “A Mythological Subject” is the tale of an adulterous affair that arrives unexpected and unwanted, like a natural disaster, but is no mistake. “A Girl Skating” is a delicate and haunting portrait of the unbridgeable divide between life and art, poetry and nature. “One reads with fascination the steps by which lovers in one story after another stumble upon their forthright declarations” (The New York Times Book Review). Another Marvelous Thing: These “witty, literate, and intelligent” linked stories are told from the alternating perspectives of two adulterous lovers (The New York Times Book Review). Josephine “Billy” Delielle and Francis Clemens are economists married to other people, but the similarities end there. He is fastidious; she is a slob. He delights in good food and fine wine; her refrigerator is always empty. He is old and sentimental; she is young and tough minded. Charting their electrifying affair from beginning to end, this exquisite story collection tackles the thorniest of subjects with honesty, grace, and humor.
The Collected Works Volume One: Rates of Exchange, The History Man, and Stepping Westward
by Malcolm BradburyThree satires of academia by the beloved British critic, teacher, and novelist—including his “outstanding” comic masterpiece, The History Man (The Guardian). “A satirist of great assurance and accomplishment,” Malcolm Bradbury remains one of the sharpest comic novelists of the twentieth century (The Observer). In Rates of Exchange and Stepping Westward, as “in almost all of Bradbury’s novels, the most frequently recurring theme is that of the slightly naïve, liberal innocent, usually an academic, hilariously abroad in an unfamiliar, and occasionally slightly threatening, context” (The Guardian). In The History Man, the tables are turned, and the professor himself is the threat, resulting in “grim wit, chill comedy and a fictional energy which is as imaginative as the tale is shocking” (A. S. Byatt). Rates of Exchange: University lecturer and seasoned international traveler Angus Petworth is unprepared for the oddities of culture and circumstance that await him on the other side of the iron curtain—in the eastern European nation of Slaka. In two eventful weeks, the professor gives an incendiary interview, is seduced by a femme fatale, and becomes embroiled in a plot of international intrigue. Satirizing everything from critics and diplomats to Marxism and academia, Rates of Exchange is a witty and lighthearted novel of cultural interchange at the height of the Cold War, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. “Explosively funny.” —The Daily Telegraph The History Man: Bradbury’s classic skewering of 1970s academia and ideological hypocrisy centers around Professor Howard Kirk, who prides himself on being the most highly evolved teacher on campus. But beneath Kirk’s scholarly bohemianism and studied cool is a ruthless, self-serving Machiavellian streak. Kirk is vain and bigoted, dismissing female students and colleagues while releasing vitriol against those who contradict him, particularly his clever, wayward wife, Barbara, the long-suffering mother of his two children. Someone needs to teach him a lesson . . . “[A] genuinely comic novel.” —The New York Times Stepping Westward: At the height of the swinging sixties, mediocre British writer James Walker accepts an academic post in America for a year he’ll never forget. As Benedict Arnold University’s writer in residence, he finds himself something of a celebrity—his work, though met with shrugs at home, is the subject of vibrant scholarly criticism among American academics. But the buttoned-up professor is about to take a crash course in culture shock taught by spirited advocates of free love and aggressively ambitious colleagues. “Highly entertaining.” —Margaret Drabble, The Sunday Times
The Collected Works Volume Two: Cuts, All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go, and Doctor Criminale
by Malcolm BradburySharp-witted novels and social commentary by the beloved British critic, teacher, and author of the &“outstanding&” comic masterpiece, The History Man (The Guardian). &“A satirist of great assurance and accomplishment,&” Malcolm Bradbury remains one of the sharpest comic minds of the twentieth century (The Observer). Cuts and Doctor Criminale—like &“all Bradbury&’s novels, for all their surface wit and comedy, have serious moral and philosophical subtexts&” (The Guardian), as do his barbed and brilliant observations on 1950s culture shock in Great Britain in All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go. Taken together, these three volumes illustrate the myriad ways &“Bradbury dazzles&” (Kirkus Reviews). Cuts: In Bradbury&’s &“outrageously funny&” satire set in Thatcher-era Great Britain, a media tycoon, looking to strike it rich with television gold, recruits an unassuming novelist and academic to script his small-screen epic, with disastrous—and hilarious—consequences (Publishers Weekly). &“It is funny, exact—and pretty bloody serious.&” —The Observer All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go: In this nonfiction social commentary, Bradbury confronts a curious moment in British history. After teaching abroad for a year in the 1950s, he returned to find that his native country had become nearly as mystifying to him as the American Midwest. As Britain marched toward a new decade, much of the country was changing rapidly, its agrarian past paved over by suburban developer and its quiet traditionalism replaced by beehive hairdos and shiny, glass-walled office buildings. With wry wit, he reacts to this uncomfortable transition to mid-twentieth-century modernism. &“A master not only of language and comedy but of feeling too.&” —The Sunday Times Doctor Criminale: &“Playful, smart and entertaining,&” Bradbury&’s comic novel follows enterprising young reporter Francis Jay as he attempts to navigate the chaotic world of post–Cold War Europe in pursuit of the specter of literary legend Bazlo Criminale, a mysterious novelist and thinker known for his extreme elusiveness (The New York Times Book Review). &“Bradbury writes with splendid energy and a fertile mind.&” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster
by Cary FaganWho is Gretchen Oyster? The discovery of a series of mysterious handmade postcards distracts Hartley from trouble at home. A poignant novel for fans of Rebecca Stead and Holly Goldberg Sloan.Hartley Staples, near-graduate of middle school, is grappling with the fact that his older brother has run away from home, when he finds a handmade postcard that fascinates him. And soon he spots another. Despite his losing interest in pretty much everything since Jackson ran away, Hartley finds himself searching for cards in his small town at every opportunity, ignoring other responsibilities, namely choosing a topic for his final project. Who is G.O. and why are they scattering cards about the town?