- Table View
- List View
Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 8 (Second Edition)
by Stan SakaiOne of the most critically acclaimed, longest running, and beloved adventure comics!The eighth volume in Stan Sakai's prestige Usagi Saga collection includes three major storylines: ''Two Hundred Jizo,'' in which Usagi and Inspector Ishida team up to solve a double murder; ''Thieves and Spies,'' where Usagi joins forces with a thief and a samurai to thwart a black-market Ginseng trade; and ''The Hell Screen,'' a thrilling tale that finds Usagi working alongside his natural enemy—a kappa—to cast out a violent renegade of the same species.Stan Sakai&’s evocative artwork and gripping tales continue to enthrall readers of all ages. Collects issues #139–#158 of Usagi Yojimbo Volume 3, "The Artist" and "Buntori" from Usagi Yojimbo Color Special #5, and the bonus story "Sukanku."
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 33: The Hidden
by Stan SakaiUsagi and his friend Inspector Ishida join forces once again as they embark on a mission to track down and uncover the importance of a foreign book that's been at the root of many problems across the land.The daring duo, desperate to solve the mystery and restore peace, are forced to undertake unusual measures as well as enlist the help of a few surprising sources to get the information they require. Will Usagi and Ishida come out victorious or will this mystery prove too much for them to solve? Collecting a complete story arc in one place, this is the perfect jumping-on point for any fans--new or old!Collects Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden issues #1-#7.
Usefully Useless: Everything you'd Never Learn at School (But May Like to Know)
by Mark HanksUsefully Useless is a gloriously diverse volume dedicated to the most engrossing trivia in the world. Guaranteed to excite the curiosity and amuse, its pages are filled with the sort of remarkable information you would never learn, but will be overjoyed to discover. Each fact is irresistibly fun and fascinating - the essence of anecdote and dinner-party conversation that is essential in the adult world - and, above all, usefully useless. Guaranteed to improve your mind, Usefully Useless contains a wealth of miscellany on a vast range of topics, including Literature, Geography, Food, Science, the Natural World, Sport and Politics - from the export of frogs' legs to the longest Monopoly game completed in the bath. Usefully Useless provides answers to such eternal questions as:What was Margaret Thatcher's favourite sitcom?Which British league football team's name has no letters that one could colour in with a pen?How many calories do you consume when you lick a stamp?What was the original colour of Coca-Cola?Which key do toilets flush in?Find out these answers and many, many more in Usefully Useless, the essential guide to the facts you never thought you'd need to know.
Useless Knowledge: Answers to Questions You'd Never Think to Ask
by Joe Edelman David SamsonHow can your tongue get you arrested?What dessert is as smart as the average adult?What's louder: A jet plane at take-off or a hippo having sex?In the form of a lively and eccentric course catalog, Useless Knowledge, the brainchild of the creator of the wildly successful Useless Knowledge website offers up loads of facts of little consequence for the hardcore trivia buff or the casual enthusiast. Inside, you'll find topics and entries like these:The Core Curriculum The Useless School of Animals The sound that a camel makes is called "nuzzing".The Useless School of FilmWarren Beatty's first job in the theater was a rat-catcher...backstage.The Useless School of HistoryNot that he was immature, but Napoleon concocted his battle strategies in a sandbox.The Useless School of SportsIt takes 3,000 cows to supply a single season's worth of footballs to the NFL.There are also Useless Schools of Television, Biology, Science and Technology, Music, Geography, and Culinary Arts.
Useless Miracle
by Barry SchechterA classic, smart comedy in which a college professor attains mankind's oldest dream: the ability to fly...sort of...George Entmen just turned forty, and he can't complain. As the James Lydecker Chair of Hermeneutics in the English department at Northwestern, he is honored in his field, beloved by friends and family, and ready to drift quietly into tenured middle age. But then he discovers he can fly.Sure, he can only fly very, very slowly; he needs to have his hands thrust out in front of him like Superman; and he only flies three or four inches above the ground. In fact, as he has to be prone to do it, he is, in flight, further from the sky than ever.But why does this nonetheless amazing phenomenon drive so many people into a rage? Why do he and his family find themselves dodging livid magicians, exploitative friends, scheming billionairesses, thirteen-year-old boys who are sure they saw the wire, and, perhaps worst of all, angry hermeneuticians?George's friend Harvey tells him that, beneath all the chaos, his gift has to have a meaning. But to find it, Harvey says, George needs to understand one thing: "You're not flying, you're being flown."
Users: A Novel
by Colin WinnetteA New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceMarrying the philosophical absurdities of life, technology, start-up culture, and family, Users is for readers of Ling Ma, Dave Eggers&’s The Circle, and viewers of the hit Apple TV+ original series SeveranceMiles, a lead creative at a midsize virtual reality company known for its &“original experiences,&” has engineered a new product called The Ghost Lover. Wildly popular from the outset, the &“game&” is simple: a user&’s simulated life is almost identical to their reality, except they&’re haunted by the ghost of an ex-lover.However, when a shift in the company's strategic vision puts The Ghost Lover at the center of a platform-wide controversy, Miles becomes the target of user outrage, and starts receiving a series of anonymous death threats. Typed notes sealed in envelopes with no postage or return address, these persistent threats push Miles into a paranoid panic, blurring his own sense of reality, catalyzing the collapse of his career, his marriage, and his relationship with his children.The once-promising road to success becomes a narrow set of choices for Miles, who, in a last ditch effort to save his job, pitches his masterpiece, a revolutionary device code-named the Egg, which will transform the company. The consequences for Miles seal him inside the walls of his life as what was once anxiety explodes into devastating absoluteness.In a world rife with the unchecked power and ambition of tech, Users investigates—with both humor and creeping dread—how interpersonal experiences and private decisions influence the hasty developments that have the power to permanently alter the landscape of human experience.
V Is for... Vampire (Vampire Island #3)
by Adele GriffinLexie might be the first vampire ever to run for ninth-grade class president, but she's determined to make dreamy Dylan notice her, even if it means running against perfect, popular Mina. And things would be going pretty well, if it weren't for those annoying pixie houseguests! Blix and Mitzi are wreaking backwards-speaking, house-pinkifying havoc, and now they want Lexie to run a smear campaign against Mina. But how will all this dirty campaigning affect Lexie, when she's trying to shed her evil vampire nature and become human?
V for Veg: The Best of Philly’s Vegan Food Column
by Vance LehmkuhlV for Veg is a collection of the vegan food columns that Vance Lehmkuhl has written over the years for the Philadelphia Daily News. Filled with wit, humor and good information about the vegan/vegetarian plant-based community in Philadelphia, the book covers many of the events, personalities, restaurants, and industries that have grown up in and around Philadelphia. Combining healthful information with a sly, humorous style, Vance Lehmkuhl’s book will delight the veg-conscious and may spur many a meat eater to explore the animal-free options now available for feeding all aspects of our lives.
V for Victory: A Novel
by Lissa EvansIn this witty, charming follow-up to the acclaimed Crooked Heart, the life of lies a small time scammer and her adopted son have constructed in London becomes endangered during the tumultuous final months of World War II. It’s late 1944. Hitler’s rockets are raining down on London with vicious regularity and it’s the coldest winter in living memory. The Allies are gaining ground, but victory is certainly dragging its feet.In a large house next to Hampstead Heath, Vee Sedge is barely scraping by with a herd of lodgers to feed and her young charge Noel, almost fifteen now, to clothe and educate. When she witnesses an accident and finds herself in court, the repercussions are both unexpectedly marvelous and potentially disastrous. Because Vee is not actually the person she’s pretending to be, and neither is Noel.Victory is coming. Yet the end of the war won’t just mean peace, but discovery . . . With caustic wit and artful storytelling, Lissa Evans summons a time when the world could finally hope to emerge from the chaos of war. As witty as Old Baggage and poignant as Crooked Heart, V for Victory once again reveals Evans to be one of the most original and entertaining writers at work today.
Vacanze Magiche
by Ol'Ga KryuchkovaMiranda e Arina partono alla ricerca di oggetti magici tra un mondo e l’altro: i capelli della dea Sif, il filatoio della dea Frigg e le ali di Pollicina. Mentre sono intente a cercare, scoprono che Raperonzolo è stata rapita. Nella famiglia di Arina arriva un nuovo gattino di nome Tudor, ma i genitori della ragazzina non sospettano che Tudor in realtà è un essere proveniente da un mondo magico e che è destinato ad avere un ruolo importante negli avvenimenti che seguiranno. Miranda chiede ancora una volta aiuto ad Arina. Nella comunità magica sono scomparsi degli antichi oggetti magici: i capelli della dea Sif, il filatoio della dea Frigg e le ali di Pollicina. Se ne sono impossessati il malvagio mago Fedel, fuggito di prigione, e la sua perfida matrigna Biancaneve, che sognano di diventare i padroni di tutti i mondi magici. Ecco perché per la ricerca vengono impiegate tutte le forze, fra cui anche i cavalieri del Ramo d’Oro. Ma Miranda e Arina vengono improvvisamente a sapere che il furto degli oggetti è legato al misterioso rapimento di Raperonzolo: l’ha rapita un certo cavaliere su sandali alati, entrato dalla finestra aperta della sua torre. Le fantastiche avventure di Arina Solov’ëv continuano. Come finirà quest’altra divertente avventura piena di vicende misteriose?
Vacuum (The Harpur & Iles Mysteries #28)
by Bill JamesHarpur and Iles juggle a new drug kingpin and a new chief in this hilarious police procedural from &“the Elmore Leonard of Britain&’s underworld&” (Kirkus Reviews). After his wife and son are gunned down in what appears to be a hit gone wrong, Local drug boss Mansel Shale turns to religion, leaving his drug business up for grabs. His second-in-command, a weirdo who believes he is Generalissimo Franco, is the wrong man to lead the organization, especially with rival Ralph Ember eager to gain control of Shale&’s territory. Neither Assistant Chief Desmond Iles nor DCS Colin Harpur wants a drug war. Both believe in the motto &“No blood on the pavement.&” But their new chief has a different motto—&“Lock &’em up and toss away the key&”—and is pushing matters in the wrong direction. &“The qualities that make James&’s books stand out from the crowd are his masterful ability with words and his howlingly funny, darkly brutal humor. . . . Despite the seriousness of the plot, it&’s impossible not to laugh aloud at the fierce ripostes, subtle digs, and overt insults peppered across every page. A true delight from a genre master.&” —Booklist (starred review) &“Not only the most stylishly adventurous books in British crime fiction today but also the funniest.&” —The Telegraph
Vacuum in the Dark: A Novel
by Jen BeaginFrom the Whiting Award-winning author of Pretend I’m Dead and one of the most exhilarating new voices in fiction, a new hilarious, edgy, and brilliant one-of-a-kind novel about a cleaning lady named Mona and her struggles to move forward in life. <P><P>Mona is twenty-six and cleans houses for a living in Taos, New Mexico. She moved there mostly because of a bad boyfriend—a junkie named Mr. Disgusting, long story—and her efforts to restart her life since haven’t exactly gone as planned. For one thing, she’s got another bad boyfriend. This one she calls Dark, and he happens to be married to one of Mona’s clients. He also might be a little unstable. Dark and his wife aren’t the only complicated clients on Mona’s roster, either. There’s also the Hungarian artist couple who—with her addiction to painkillers and his lingering stares—reminds Mona of troubling aspects of her childhood, and some of the underlying reasons her life had to be restarted in the first place. <P><P>As she tries to get over the heartache of her affair and the older pains of her youth, Mona winds up on an eccentric, moving journey of self-discovery that takes her back to her beginnings where she attempts to unlock the key to having a sense of home in the future. The only problems are Dark and her past. Neither is so easy to get rid of. <P><P>A constantly surprising, laugh-out-loud funny novel about an utterly unique woman dealing with some of the most universal issues in America today, Vacuum in the Dark is an unforgettable, astonishing read from one of the freshest voices in fiction today.
Vacuuming in the Nude: And Other Ways to Get Attention
by Peggy RowePeggy Rowe is at it again—this time giving a hilarious inside look at her writing career.Peggy Rowe has been writing all of her adult life. In fact, she doesn&’t know how not to write—even through those years of constant rejection from publishing houses. But between her tenacity and the encouragement of her family, Peggy&’s breakthrough finally came—at the age of eighty! Vacuuming in the Nude is most likely her funniest prose to date as she shares her journey of attending myriad writers&’ conferences and honing her ability to see humor in everyday situations. From the family&’s beloved dog Shim, who thrived on piles of fresh, warm manure from the horse pasture—to vacationing on the sweltering beach with mosquitos the size of dune buggies—to the challenges of aging, Peggy Rowe delivers a hilarious array of stories that reflect her addiction to making people laugh. Even in her cancer support group, she manages to use her humor to affect others for the good. If Peggy isn&’t putting her publisher on hold to finish a game of Mahjongg, she&’s at her kitchen table window-on-the-world taking notes for the next story for fans old and new to enjoy.
Vaishnav Ki Phisalan: वैष्णव की फिसलन
by Harishankar Parsaiवैष्णव की फिसलन हरिशंकर परसाई ‘वैष्णव की फिसलन’ प्रसिद्ध व्यंग्यकार हरिशंकर परसाई की श्रेष्ठ रचनाओं का संकलन है। इस संग्रह की व्यंग्य रचनाएँ यह स्थापित करने में कामयाब हैं कि जीवन की श्रेष्ठ आलोचना की संज्ञा व्यंग्य है। सहज ढंग से चुभती हुई भाषा में ये व्यंग्य रचनाएँ अपनी बात कहते हुए गहरी चोट कर जाती हैं। इस व्यंग्य-संग्रह की रचनाओं की सफलता के पीछे जो सबसे बड़ी चीज़ है वह है - लेखक की पैनी दृष्टि, जिससे छुपकर भी कुछ भी छुपा नहीं रह जाता और अव्यक्त भी व्यक्त होने लगता है। यह संग्रह चिन्ताओं का नहीं चिन्तन का संग्रह है, और यह लेखक की कुशलता ही है कि इसे वह विचार और संवेदना के सामंजस्य से कर पाया है। ‘वैष्णव की फिसलन’ में संकलित रचनाएँ हमारे आसपास की ज़िन्दगी को उघाड़कर इस प्रकार सामने रख देती हैं कि ऊपर से सीधी-सादी दिखनेवाली घटनाएँ और स्थितियाँ नए अर्थ देने लगती हैं, उनके अन्तर्निहित आशय उजागर हो उठते हैं। इस संग्रह की रचनाएँ आज के जीवन की विसंगतियों और विरूपताओं, अवरोधों और कुंठाओं पर चोट करती हैं और बताती हैं कि विसंगति के विरुद्ध क़लम कैसे तलवार का काम करती है।
ValHamster (Tails from the Apocalypse)
by Angela MisriBeing the greatest zombie fighter of all time is a lot for one animal, but Emmy’s the perfect hamster for the job. Fire, rage, and fury are her weapons of choice and woe to the undead human who crosses her path. That is, until the mammals she lives with invite a weasel, of all creatures, to join their camp. This unthinkable betrayal reminds Emmy that letting friends into your heart is always a mistake. A lone warrior at her core, Emmy takes this opportunity to leave on a solo mission to rid the world of zombies once and for all. But, to her dismay, she seems to attract every helpless animal possible — humans, rabbits, dogs, bears, you name it. When Emmy finally shakes her companions, she discovers that being alone and unloved is a fate worse than death. Maybe loving those animals is what gave her the courage to fight zombies in the first place.
Vale of the Vole (The Xanth Novels)
by Piers AnthonyAn ogre with a talent for protest must stop the destruction of an untouched paradise in the New York Times–bestselling author’s fantasy adventure.Esk is part ogre, part nymph, and all attitude. He has a magical talent for protest—when he says “No!” people don’t just listen, they literally stop in their tracks. But even his abilities haven’t been enough to thwart a seductive demoness. When Esk sets out on a pilgrimage to get help from the Good Magician Humphrey, he discovers that he will be going much further . . . on an unexpected mission of mercy. A greedy demon horde has descended on a running river paradise and its harmless inhabitants. Now it is up to Esk and his companions—a beautiful winged centaur named Chex and a brave burrower Called Volney—to search Xanth’s treacherous reaches, gather together a mind-boggling company of creatures, and defend the precious Vale of the Vole.
Valenti's One-Month Mistress
by Sabrina PhilipsTo save her restaurant, a young woman will face the Italian tycoon who broke her heart—and agree to be his mistress—in this international romance.Faye Matteson cannot believe the nerve of Dante Valenti! The arrogant Italian expects her to become his mistress in exchange for saving her family’s London restaurant.In her inexperienced youth, Faye let the successful restauranteur whisk her away to Rome as his protégé. When she gave her heart to him, he took her virginity and left her devastated. She’d sworn, never again!But no one should ever underestimate the power of Dante Valenti’s sensuality. If he wants her, he will have her. . . .
Valentina Goldman Ships Out
by Marisol MuranoThe sequel to the best-selling Valentina Goldman's Immaculate Confusion has arrived! After her husband's unexpected departure a year ago, poor Valentina is stuck. Help arrives in the form of an unwelcome guest: her mother, who shows up unannounced at Valentina's doorstep to take her on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise full of unexpected detours. If you've always longed to go on a cruise, ship out with Valentina. And if you've never wanted to go on a cruise, go anyway. You'll likely find yourself alternately delighted and surprised by her quirky encounters at sea and alluring ports of call. In tightly wound language shimmering with wit and longing, Valentina Goldman Ships Out is a moving portrait of a woman looking for answers and coping with loss, even when the waters are deep.
Valentina Goldman's Immaculate Confusion
by Marisol MuranoSince her arrival in the United States from Venezuela, Valentina Goldman isn't exactly living the American Dream. She's living the American Nightmare. Her late husband, Max, has left her a young widow, a step-daughter whom Valentina didn't want, and a bi-polar ex-wife. And oh, having given up her dream job in New York, Valentina is also unemployed in Arizona. Part "Bridget Jones Diary," part "Modern Family," "Valentina Goldman's Immaculate Confusion" is the story of a woman trying to get a handle on her whacky life in America. In breathless, blog-like snippets, Valentina compares her own story with that of her eccentric sister, Azucena, who has bizarre troubles of her own down in the tropics. "Valentina Goldman's Immaculate Confusion" is a funny and moving story about what happens when a passionate South American woman moves to the USA and, like so many of us, ends up with a life she never imagined.
Valentine
by The Estate of Rebecca FarnworthWill a shocking secret cause a rising star to fall?Valentine Fleming dreams of making it as an actress but after years of failed auditions and bit parts her hopes are fading fast - so too is her self-esteem. She is staring into the abyss and a large jar of peanut butter. Her love life is faring no better, with too much time wasted with an ex who has bad news written all over him. So when she gets a call from her agent telling her she has a part in a play with a sexy leading man, she's over the moon. She's not packing her bags for the Hollywood hills just yet but could this be her lucky break? But just as it seems that her luck might be set to change she learns a shocking secret and Valentine's world is turned upside down...Rebecca Farnworth's first novel is an enchanting page turner with a heroine who you just can't help warming to, however many mistakes she makes....
Valentine Crow & Mr Death
by Jenni SpanglerIt&’s not always easy being Death: a witty and gloriously gothic tale of friendship and discovery from bestselling Jenni Spangler. Twelve-year-old Valentine Crow has lived his entire life at the Foundling Hospital. Now, he and his best friend Philomena are leaving to begin their new lives as apprentices – but Valentine has been assigned to Death himself. Valentine finds himself in an impossible situation when his best friend&’s name appears on the list of souls to take. Can he fight Death to save her soul, or does fate have other ideas? Distinctive, warm and funny, the highly-acclaimed Jenni Spangler returns with a richly imagined world perfect for readers of The Beast and the Bethany and Lemony Snickett.
Valentine Princess (Princess Diaries 7.75)
by Meg CabotValentine's Day means cards, flowers and chocolates... <P><P> That is, it usually means those things. But when you're Princess Mia, nothing happens the way it's supposed to. For one thing, Grandmère seems determined to prove that boy (or Michael, as he is commonly known) isn't the right one for the crown princess of Genovia. And Mia isn't having much luck proving otherwise, since Michael has a history of being decidedly against any kind of exploitative commercialization (Valentine's Day, as it is commonly known).<P> Boris can declare his love openly to Lilly, and even Kenny comes through with a paltry Whitman's Sampler. So why can't Michael give in to Cupid and tell Mia he loves her—preferably with something wrapped in red or pink and accompanied by roses—in time to prove he's Mia's true prince?
Valentine Shower (A Valentine Rainbow)
by John C. HouserFor Reuben, numbers are everything people are not: rational, predictable, and soothing. Outside of this family, his boss, Terry, is the one person he feels connected with. In the years they've worked together, listening to Terry's jokes and stories over coffee has become a reliable part of his routine. But he's missed having family nearby since his parents retired to Florida, and figures he'll need a woman to correct the problem. He's hurt and confused when Terry not only refuses to help, but announces he won't be coming around much anymore. It's up to Reuben's no-nonsense sister Yaffa and his therapist, Dr. Greenberg, to help him understand Terry's feelings--and his own.
Valentine Wishes
by Daisy BanksFairy wishes are hot, but Poppy's aim is not! Watch what happens when a novice fairy accidentally spikes the party punch with a powerful love wish in Daisy Banks' thoroughly entertaining romantic comedy, Valentine Wishes.Full of good intentions, the novice fairy Poppy grants her first big wish at a Valentine's Day Party. The wish to bring her mortals love is powerful, but misses its target and lands in the party punch.All three of her sweet mortal girls take just a sip and each one falls for the wrong man.There hasn't been a fairy disaster this bad in centuries and Poppy has no idea how to put things right. Add to the catastrophe the arrival of Cedar Heartwood, the fairy of her dreams, who drinks the punch too, and Poppy's dilemma grows.Cedar loves her in ways she's only dreamed about. Should she take back the wish from both the mortals and the fairy she adores? She must step with care or lose everything.Content Notes: Spicy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fairies and Fae
Valentine for an Angel
by Mary Anne WilsonFALLING IN LOVE IS A NO-BRAINER!After years of flawless matchmaking, fairy godmother Angelina Moore has lost her grip. That's why she's sent to earth for a crash course in sensitivity training. The first lesson learned: emotions are much more complicated than she'd thought...One look at Dennis Benning gives her hot flashes, cold sweats and weak knees. And the sweet stand-up guy is right there to catch her! In a heartbeat, Angelina's temporary humanity turns to permanent insanity when Dennis gives her a hands-on lesson in love!