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Present Value: A Novel
by Sabin WillettFritz Brubaker and his wife, Linda—an attractive couple in their mid-forties—have it all. He’s a toy-company executive and she’s a million-dollar-a-year lawyer. Their children are in private school; they have a McMansion in a Boston suburb and a cottage on Nantucket. But their comfortable world is suddenly turned upside down when Fritz’s company’s stock tanks and he is arrested for insider trading. Linda’s image-conscious firm suspends her. Their houses get repossessed. The kids go haywire. Watching the Brubaker family’s lives unravel is the best way to see the stuff from which they’re really made. This clever, very funny novel is a post-millennial snapshot of America that shows what happens to an economy built on greed when its chickens come home to roost. It’s the story of a family gone wrong, and its attempt to reset its course.The author of two successful thrillers, Sabin Willett delivers in this ambitious new novel the kind of witty social commentary we associate with Tom Wolfe, Jonathan Franzen, and Zadie Smith. But he writes in his own original voice, breaking new ground as he describes a changed world. Present Value is a provocative, wonderfully entertaining ride—an irreverent, clear-eyed view of the way we live now.
Preservation Hall
by Scott SpencerA romantic getaway becomes the setting for a terrible act of violence when two unlikely couples are stranded by a fierce snowstorm in this masterful novel from bestselling author Scott Spencer Virgil Morgan&’s precarious relationship with his father has served to cut him off from the world at large for most of his life. But when he meets Tracy, their immediate, intense love for each other grounds him in a way that nothing else can—until his old insecurities return in the form of his father&’s new stepson. And the tensions between them will come to a head during one fateful snowbound stay at a secluded country house.Preservation Hall is the spellbinding tale of a man who has trapped himself in a fortress of money and success, and of the redemptive power of unconditional love. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Scott Spencer, including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
The Preservationist: A Novel
by David Maine"Noe says, -I must build a boat.-A boat, she says.-A ship, more like. I'll need the boys to help, he adds as an afterthought.-We're leagues from the sea, she says, or any river big enough to warrant a boat.This conversation is making Noe impatient. -I've no need to explain myself to you.-And when you're done, she says carefully, we'll be taking this ship to the sea somehow?As usual, Noe's impatience fades quickly. -We'll not be going to the sea. The sea will be coming to us."In this brilliant debut novel, Noah's family (or Noe as he's called here)-his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law-tell what it's like to live with a man touched by God, while struggling against events that cannot be controlled or explained. When Noe orders his sons to build an ark, he can't tell them where the wood will come from. When he sends his daughters-in-law out to gather animals, he can offer no directions, money, or protection. And once the rain starts, they all realize that the true test of their faith is just beginning. Because the family is trapped on the ark with thousands of animals-with no experience feeding or caring for them, and no idea of when the waters will recede. What emerges is a family caught in the midst of an extraordinary Biblical event, with all the tension, humanity-even humor-that implies.
Pressed Pennies: A Road to Second Chances
by Steven Manchester"Rick and Abby grew up together, became best friends, and ultimately fell in love. Circumstance tore them apart in their early teens, though, and they went on to lives less idyllic than they dreamed about in those early days. Rick has had a very successful career, but his marriage flat-lined. Abby has a magical daughter, Paige, but Paige’s father nearly destroyed Abby’s spirit. Now fate has thrown Rick and Abby together again. In their early thirties, they are more world-weary than they were as kids. But their relationship still shimmers, and they’re hungry to make up for lost time. However, Paige, now nine, is not nearly as enthusiastic. She’s very protective of the life she’s made with her mother and not open to the duo becoming a trio. Meanwhile, Rick has very little experience dealing with kids and doesn’t know how to handle Paige. This leaves Abby caught between the two people who matter the most to her. What happens when the life you’ve dreamed of remains just inches from your grasp? PRESSED PENNIES is a nuanced, intensely romantic, deeply heartfelt story of love it its many incarnations, relationships in their many guises, and family in its many meanings. It is the most accomplished and moving novel yet from a truly great storyteller of the heart.
The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success in School and Life
by Michael ThompsonThe push for students to excel at school and get into the best colleges has never been more intense. In this invaluable new book, the bestselling co-author of Raising Cain addresses America's performance-driven obsession with the accomplishments of its kids-and provides a deeply humane response."How was school?" These three words contain a world of desire on the part of parents to know what their children are learning and experiencing in school each day. Children may not divulge much, but psychologist Michael Thompson suggests that the answers are there if we know how to read the clues and-equally important-if we remember our own school days.School, Thompson reminds us, occupies more waking hours than kids spend at home; and school is full not just of studies but of human emotion-excitement, fear, envy, love, anger, sexuality, boredom, competitiveness. Through richly detailed interviews, case histories, and student e-mail journals, including those of his own children, Thompson illuminates the deeper psychological journey that school demands, a journey that all children must take in order to grow and develop, whether they are academic aces or borderline dropouts. Most of us remember this journey, if we are honest with ourselves, but our children must experience it in their own way, for better or worse.In stories that are by turns poignant, shocking, uplifting, and inspiring, we see students grapple with the textured reality of their lives, devising their own unique strategies to survive and thrive in school. For parents, this book reveals the hidden emotional landscape of the school day and points toward the answers we both desire and dread as we seek to help our children find success in school and beyond.Bridging the worlds of the growing and the grown-up, and told in Thompson's compassionate voice as both psychologist and father, The Pressured Child shows us how to listen for the truth of our children's experience-and how to trust, love, and ultimately let go of a child. It is a crucial book for our stressful age-and an ideal resource for families struggling to survive it.From the Hardcover edition.
Presumption: A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice
by Julia Barrett“An elegant emulation and continuation of Pride and Prejudice . . . shows how sequel-writing can, like parody, be a sharp exercise in literary appreciation.” —Times Literary SupplementThis witty sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows the fate of Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, who must choose between two suitors, a well-placed navy captain and a brash young architect. Masterfully adapted to Austen’s original nineteenth-century style, Presumption brings back to life the book’s most memorable characters, the Bennets, Darcys, Collins, and de Bourghs.Julia Barrett is a pseudonym for Julia Braun Kessler and Gabrielle Donnelly.“Elizabeth’s intense embarrassment for her family, Darcy’s latent heroism and the miscellaneous barbarisms of the Bennet and Darcy clans . . . are energetically and often quite delightfully handled, evoking the spirit of Pride and Prejudice.” —The New York Times Book Review“Presumption’s style . . . evokes Jane Austen’s dry wit . . . [It] moves briskly along, highlighted by the unwitting comic genius of Georgiana’s imperious aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review“A boon to anyone who has every yearned for one more in the Jane Austen canon.” —Cynthia Ozick, New York Times–bestselling author“A witty, amusing sequel to Pride and Prejudice . . . For Austen lovers not affronted by the whole concept, a pleasant diversion. Otherwise, a stylish entertainment that may lead some to the unsurpassable Jane.” —Kirkus Reviews“Barrett expertly captures Austen’s ironic voice and subject matter in a book that is sure to delight and intrigue most Austen devotees. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal
Pretend
by Jennifer PlecasWhat could have been a quiet afternoon at home turns into an adventure for Jimmy and his dad. Their couch turns into a boat! The staircase becomes a mountain! And blankets become a cozy hut, just right to cuddle inside. The one thing they don't have to pretend is how much they love one another. Jennifer Plecas's bold artwork and lively text come together in a celebration of imagination and the love between a parent and child. Great for Father's Day, but wonderful for any day that parent and child spend together.
Pretend Honeymoon with the Best Man
by Andrea BolterWill this maid of honor find her happy-ever-after in the form of the best man? Find out what happens when passions rise in Bermuda in the latest Harlequin Romance by Andrea Bolter.Faking it…in Bermuda!Experience has taught unfussy maid of honor Laney Sullivan to have modest expectations of love and life. While best man Ian Luss is rich, successful and devastatingly handsome—and treats marriage like a merger! When circumstances throw them together on the newlyweds&’ achingly romantic couples-only honeymoon, they decide they could both use the practice of pretending to be in a relationship. But what happens when practice makes perfect?From Harlequin Romance: Be swept away by glamorous and heartfelt love stories.
Pretend I'm Dead: A Novel
by Jen BeaginMona is twenty-three, emotionally adrift and cleaning houses to get by. While handing out clean needles to drug addicts, she falls for a man she calls Mr Disgusting, who proceeds to break her heart in unimaginable ways. In search of healing, she decamps to New Mexico for a fresh start, but always lurking just beneath the surface are the ghosts of her past, and the crushing legacy of a chaotic, destructive childhood. It seems running further away from her problems could just leave more inventive ways for them to find her.
A Pretend Match for the Viscount (Matchmade Marriages #2)
by Laura MartinA sparkling Regency love story about two opposites in a pretend engagement Rescued by the viscountTo save her from ruin!Miss Eliza Stanley is the life and soul of her first Season—then she is scandalously compromised! Luckily, the brooding Viscount Thannock steps in to offer her a fake engagement, giving her time to find another suitor and prevent her disgrace. She&’s intrigued by this serious, honorable man… If only falling for him wouldn&’t mean giving up all she loves about her new life…From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.Matchmade MarriagesBook 1: The Marquess Meets His MatchBook 2: A Pretend Match for the ViscountBook 3: A Match to Fool Society
Pretend She's Here (Scholastic Press Novels Ser.)
by Luanne RiceMega-bestselling author Luanne Rice returns with a ripped-from-the-headlines story of a girl who is kidnapped by her friend's family.Emily Lonergan's best friend died last year.And Emily hasn't stopped grieving. Lizzie Porter was lively, loud, and fun -- Emily's better half. Emily can't accept that she's gone.When Lizzie's parents and her sister come back to town to visit, Emily's heartened to see them. The Porters understand her pain. They miss Lizzie desperately, too.Desperately enough to do something crazy.Something unthinkable.Suddenly, Emily's life is hurtling toward a very dark place -- and she's not sure she'll ever be able to return to what she once knew was real.From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a breathless, unputdownable story of suspense, secrets -- and the strength that love gives us to survive even the most shocking of circumstances.
Pretend We Are Lovely: A Novel
by Noley ReidAn Oprah Magazine Editors' Pick and Publishers Weekly Best of the Season It’s the summer of 1982 in Blacksburg, Virginia—seven years after the suspicious death of a son and sibling—and the Sobel family is hungry. Francie dresses in tennis skirts and ankle socks and weighs her grams of allotted carrots and iceberg lettuce. Her semi-estranged husband Tate prefers a packed fridge and hidden doughnuts. Daughters Enid, ten, and Vivvy, almost thirteen, are subtler versions of their parents, measuring their summer vacation by meals had or meals skipped. But at summer’s end, secrets both old and new emerge and Francie disappears, leaving the family teetering on the brink. Told from alternating points of view by the four living Sobels, Pretend We Are Lovely is a sharp and darkly funny story of forgiveness, family secrets, and the losses we inherit. At its core is the ever-complicated and deeply-devoted bond of sisterhood as the girls, left mostly to their own devices, must navigate their way through middle school, find comfort in each other, and learn the difference between food and nourishment.
The Pretend Wife: A Novel
by Bridget AsherWhat would life be like with the one who got away? From the acclaimed author of My Husband's Sweethearts comes this bighearted, funny, fiercely perceptive tale about a happily married woman and the little white lie that changed everything. For Gwen Merchant, love has always been doled out in little packets-from her father, who lost himself in work after her mother's death, and from her husband, Peter, who's always been respectable and safe. But when an old college boyfriend, the irrepressible Elliot Hull, invites himself back into Gwen's life with a surprising proposition, she suddenly starts questioning everything she's ever expected from love. Elliot, it turns out, is in need of a pretend wife, just for the weekend, in order to fulfill his dying mother's last wish. But as Gwen finds herself drawn into Elliot's quirky, wonderful family-and uncovers a few secrets about her own-a pretend relationship just might turn out to be the most real thing she's ever known.
Pretend You're Safe: A gripping thriller of page-turning suspense (The Agency)
by Alexandra IvyPretend You're Safe is the new gripping, chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author, Alexandra Ivy. If you love Karen Rose, Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner, you'll LOVE Alexandra Ivy! Readers are raving about her!'Couldn't put it down!''Scary creepy page turner!''Full of suspense!'A gripping thriller'He sees you... He knows you... And he'll never let you go...Jaci Patterson was sixteen when she found the first golden locket on her porch. Inside were a few strands of hair wrapped around a scrap of bloodstained ribbon. Though the 'gifts' kept arriving, no one believed her hunch that a serial killer was at work. Now Jaci has finally returned home - only for bodies of strangled victims to start appearing years after they disappeared. Her nightmare is beginning all over again. And this time it won't end until the murderer makes Jaci his...for ever.Look for the next novels of page-turning suspense from Alexandra Ivy, What Are You Afraid Of? and You Will Suffer.
Pretend You're Safe: A gripping thriller of page-turning suspense (The Agency)
by Alexandra IvyPretend You're Safe is the new gripping, chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author, Alexandra Ivy. Perfect for fans of Karen Rose, Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner.He sees you... He knows you... And he'll never let you go...Jaci Patterson was sixteen when she found the first golden locket on her porch. Inside were a few strands of hair wrapped around a scrap of bloodstained ribbon. Though the 'gifts' kept arriving, no one believed her hunch that a serial killer was at work. Now Jaci has finally returned home - only for bodies of strangled victims to start appearing years after they disappeared. Jaci's nightmare is beginning all over again. And this time it won't end until the murderer makes her his...for ever.Look for the next novel of page-turning suspense from Alexandra Ivy, What Are You Afraid Of?(P)2017 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Pretender: A Novel
by Jo HarkinSet in the tumultuous period of the Tudors' ascent, The Pretender brings to life the little-known story of Lambert Simnel. From humble beginnings as a peasant boy, Lambert's life takes an astonishing turn when, at just ten years old, he becomes a claimant to the English throne as one of the last of the Plantagenet line. As Lambert navigates the treacherous waters of royal intrigue and court life, complex themes of identity, power, and destiny unfold, weaving a tapestry of ambition and survival in a world where the stakes couldn't be higher. &“A...transporting feat of imagination and storytelling.&”—Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling-author of Great Circle "Original, vivid, and witty. [The Pretender is] Glorious Exploits meets Wolf Hall—and I completely loved it.&”—Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling-author of The Whalebone Theatre In 1480 John Collan&’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village&’s devil goat on his way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan but Lambert Simnel, the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, and has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown—and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews.Removed from his humble origins and sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne&’s rightful heir, Lambert is put into play by his masters. He learns the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available to her—marry or become a nun. Lambert&’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become king or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little-known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII—The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from fifteenth-century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.
Prettier if She Smiled More
by Toni Jordan'Taps into the humour and pathos of ordinary life in a way that has you nodding with recognition . . . while at the same time laughing out loud' PIP WILLIAMS'I just loved this very smart, very funny and at times moving novel' SOPHIE CUNNINGHAMOne perfect life. One disastrous week. The brand-new novel from bestselling, acclaimed and beloved author Toni JordanAs the eldest child in a single-parent family, Kylie's always had more important things on her mind than smiling for random strangers. Controlling her job, her home, her romantic life and - most importantly - her family takes all her concentration. She's always succeeded, though, because that's just who Kylie is.When her fiercely independent mother breaks an ankle and needs help, it's up to Kylie, as usual, to fix things. She reluctantly packs her bags and moves in, but back in her childhood home, things start to unravel. Could it be that Kylie's carefully curated life is not so perfect after all?Prettier if She Smiled More will make you laugh and make you cry. Is it too late to start over?Praise for Dinner with the Schnabels:'I loved every page of this funny, warm, delightful novel!' LIANE MORIARTY'Told with great humour and pathos. It is a tonic and a delight' PIP WILLIAMS'A smart, funny novel about love, marriage and family' Weekend Australian'A contemporary comic masterpiece. Practically every page boasts lines redolent of humour, wit and sarcasm that will make you snigger if not laugh out loud' ArtsHub
Prettiest Doll
by Gina Willner-Pardo"It's good to be pretty. I'm really lucky." So begins the story of thirteen-year-old Olivia, or Liv, who started winning beauty pageants at age three. Lately she's been wondering, however, if that's all she is. She gets a chance to find out when she meets a runaway named Dan and they embark on a trip to Chicago, each determined to uncover family secrets. This story of two teens from very different backgrounds making their way in a world preoccupied with physical appearance sparkles with wry humor, romance, and a revealing behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of beauty pageants. This ebook includes a sample chapter of THE HARD KIND OF PROMISE.
Pretty Bones
by Aya TsintzirasRaine has a family, good grades, best friends, and a boyfriend who loves her. But then anorexia takes over, and her life spirals out of control. Her efforts to hide her condition are finished when she collapses at a school dance. Although she's whisked away to treatment, Raine isn't ready to accept who she really is and get the help she desperately needs. For Raine, coming-of-age means coming closer to death.
Pretty in Pearls: A Forgive My Fins Novella
by Tera Lynn ChildsA fun undersea romance full of captivating merboys, deep friendship, and spectacular pearls. Set in Tera Lynn Childs’s fin-flicking world that began with Forgive My Fins, this novella focuses on Periwinkle Wentletrap, Princess Lily’s best friend, and is perfect for fans of mermaids, light romance, and mythology retellings. As Princess Lily’s emissary, Peri works hard to make sure her best friend knows all the goings-on in the underwater kingdom of Thalassinia. The upcoming Sea Harvest Dance means plenty of fun for them, too, including shopping for jewels, trims, and dress-making supplies. Peri especially loves the pearls she finds at Thalassinia’s marketplace—and she might be falling head over fins for Riatus, the thoughtful pearl trader who looks like a dashing pirate. When Lily realizes her friend has a crush, she is determined to help them get together in time for the dance—except her matchmaking efforts backfire, sweeping Peri into dangerous depths and leaving her tangled in confusing tides. Should Peri give up on Riatus and find a different date to the Sea Harvest Dance, or will they finally find a way to float along in the same current?
Pretty Is
by Elizabeth HolmesSnip! With one cut of the scissors, Erin’s social life changes absolutely. It’s hard enough being a new girl, but it’s that much worse to have a dorky older sister in the same school. When she is snubbed by the pretty and popular crowd, Erin commits an over-the-top vengeful act. This novel focuses on issues of family loyalty, peer pressure, and the desperate desire to belong. How Erin comes to terms with what she has done and with her sister makes this book a good choice for any girl threading her way through the challenging corridors of middle school.
The Pretty One
by Cheryl KlamAll Megan Fletcher had wanted was to be like her sister Lucy: a beautiful, thin girl whom everyone at the Chesapeake School for Performing Arts worshipped and adored. While Lucy was a star actress with lots of fans, Megan had always been hiding behind the set designs that she and her best friend Simon had created, hoping that no one would notice her. And then one day, life as Megan knew it had changed forever. Megan was in an accident that disfigured her face and plastic surgeons had to restructure it...
The Pretty One: A Novel about Sisters
by Lucinda RosenfeldPerfect. Pretty. Political. For nearly forty years, The Hellinger sisters of Hastings-on-Hudson-namely, Imperia (Perri), Olympia (Pia), and Augusta (Gus)--have played the roles set down by their loving but domineering mother Carol. Perri, a mother of three, rules her four-bedroom palace in Westchester with a velvet fist, managing to fold even fitted sheets into immaculate rectangles. Pia, a gorgeous and fashionable Chelsea art gallery worker, still turns heads after becoming a single mother via sperm donation. And Gus, a fiercely independent lawyer and activist, doesn't let her break-up from her girlfriend stop her from attending New Year's Day protests on her way to family brunch. But the Hellinger women aren't pulling off their roles the way they once did. Perri, increasingly filled with rage over the lack of appreciation from her recently unemployed husband Mike, is engaging in a steamy text flirtation with a college fling. Meanwhile Pia, desperate to find someone to share in the pain and joy of raising her three-year-old daughter Lola, can't stop fantasizing about Donor #6103. And Gus, heartbroken over the loss of her girlfriend, finds herself magnetically drawn to Jeff, Mike's frat boy of a little brother. Each woman is unable to believe that anyone, especially her sisters, could understand what it's like to be her. But when a freak accident lands their mother to the hospital, a chain of events is set in motion that will send each Hellinger sister rocketing out of her comfort zone, leaving her to wonder: was this the role she was truly born to play?With The Pretty One, author Lucinda Rosenfeld does for siblings what she did for female friendship in I'm So Happy for You, turning her wickedly funny and sharply observant eye on the pleasures and punishments of lifelong sisterhood.
The Pretty Ones
by Ania AhlbornA terrifying new e-novella from the bestselling author of Within These Walls and The Bird Eater!New York, 1977. The sweltering height of the Summer of Sam. The entire city is gripped with fear, but all Nell Sullivan worries about is whether or not she'll ever make a friend. The self-proclaimed "Plain Jane" does her best to fit in with the girls at work, but Nell's brother, Barrett, assures her that she'll never be like them. When Nell manages to finally garner some much-yearned-for attention, the unthinkable happens to her newfound friend. The office pool blames Son of Sam, but Nell knows the awful truth...because doing the devil's work is easy when there's already a serial killer on the loose.
Pretty-shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows
by Frank B. LindermanPretty-shield, the legendary medicine woman of the Crows, remembered what life was like on the Plains when the buffalo were still plentiful. A powerful healer who was forceful, astute, and compassionate, Pretty-shield experienced many changes as her formerly mobile people were forced to come to terms with reservation life in the late nineteenth century. Pretty-shield told her story to Frank Linderman through an interpreter and using sign language. The lives, responsibilities, and aspirations of Crow women are vividly brought to life in these pages as Pretty-shield recounts her life on the Plains of long ago. She speaks of the simple games and dolls of an Indian childhood and the work of the girls and women―setting up the lodges, dressing the skins, picking berries, digging roots, and cooking. Through her eyes we come to understand courtship, marriage, childbirth and the care of babies, medicine-dreams, the care of the sick, and other facets of Crow womanhood. Alma Snell and Becky Matthews provide a new preface to this edition.