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A California Closing: A Novel
by Robert WintnerBig M OK Used Car magnate Michael Mulroney never set out to be heroic. He lives at the top, naturally, thanks to instinct, wit, and the will to win. Insolvency is not the same as poverty; poverty is for poor people. And a man of proven dexterity is not poor. He beats the practical challenges of life in the golden state of fickle markets, lowballers, long-toothed real-estate women, name droppers, fitness compulsives, sexual-molestation charges, and the ten-percent grade up Hazel Dell on a bicycle four days in a row?at sixty! Samson slew a thousand philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Michael Mulroney may be more deliberate in sussing out a situation, measuring a mark for front-end warmth, background development, schmoozing up and hosing down. But soon he’ll step back in deference to his inner Samson, who will swing away, going in for the close. If the ledger won’t balance, give it a few days with some hustle and scramble and judiciously placed phone calls. That’s the difference between a poor man and a man of the worldly class. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction?novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times–bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
A Call for a New Alphabet
by Jef CzekajX is tired of being at the back of every alphabet book. X is tired on being under-used. Exasperated, X calls for a change in alphabetical order. But after a crazy dream in which he learns some exceptional English grammar rules, X decides he likes his alphabetical placement after all. A hybrid of picture book and graphic novel, A Call for a New Alphabet humorously introduces readers to the concepts of plural words, sigh words, silent letters, and other idiosyncrasies of the English language.
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee: (read Aloud Books, Series Books For Kids, Books For Early Readers) (Mr. Magee #Mcge)
by Chris Van DusenMr. Magee and his trusty dog, Dee, are enjoying a peaceful camping trip when all of a sudden they find themselves plunging down a mountain and teetering on the edge of a huge waterfall! How will they find their way out of this slippery situation? Chris Van Dusen, the creator of Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, has filled this new adventure with charming illustrations and a playful, rhyming text. A fun read-aloud for children (and adults!) on campouts or snuggling at home!
A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George
by Kelly CarlinFrom the daughter of the iconoclastic comedic performer, Kelly Carlin’s memoir A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George “is written in the DNA of a Carlin, honest, biting, savage, funny, sad, dark, and profound…Hold on; like George Carlin, this book gives you a hell of a ride” (New York Times bestselling author and multi-award-winning comedian Lewis Black).Truly the voice of a generation, George Carlin gave the world some of the most hysterical and iconic comedy routines of the last fifty years. From the “Seven Dirty Words” and “A Place for My Stuff”, to “Religion is Bullshit” and “The American Dream”, he perfected the art of making audiences double over with laughter while simultaneously making people wake up to the realities (and insanities) of life in the twentieth century.Few people glimpsed the inner life of this beloved comedian, but his only child, Kelly, was there to see it all. Born at the very beginning of his decades-long career in comedy, she slid around the “old Dodge Dart,” as he and wife Brenda drove around the country to “hell gigs.” She witnessed his transformation in the ’70s, as he fought back against—and talked back to—the establishment; she even talked him down from a really bad acid trip a time or two (“Kelly, the sun has exploded and we have eight, no-seven and a half minutes to live!”).Kelly not only watched her father constantly reinvent himself and his comedy, but also had a front row seat to the roller coaster turmoil of her family’s inner life—alcoholism, cocaine addiction, life-threatening health scares, and a crushing debt to the IRS. But having been the only “adult” in her family prepared her little for the task of her own adulthood. All the while, Kelly sought to define her own voice as she separated from the shadow of her father’s genius.With rich humor and deep insight, Kelly Carlin pulls back the curtain on what it was like to grow up as the daughter of one of the most recognizable comedians of our time, and become a woman in her own right. This vivid, hilarious, heartbreaking story is at once singular and universal—it is a contemplation of what it takes to move beyond the legacy of childhood, and forge a life of your own.
A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2003-2020)
by David SedarisThere’s no right way to keep a diary, but if there’s an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it. <p><p> If it’s navel-gazing you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street, pedestrians being whacked over the head or gathering to watch as a man considers leaping to his death. <p><p> There’s a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party—lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs. These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was just a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in hotel dining rooms and odd Japanese inns, records it. <p><p> The entries here reflect an ever-changing background—new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can’t by the end. At its best, A Carnival of Snackery is a sort of sampler: the bitter and the sweet. Some entries are just what you wanted. Others you might want to spit discreetly into a napkin.
A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries: Volume Two
by David SedarisThere's no right way to keep a diary, but if there's an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it.If it's navel-gazing you're after, you've come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street; collecting Romanian insults, or being taken round a Japanese parasite museum. There's a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party-lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs.These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in fine hotel dining rooms and Serbian motels, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background-new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can't by the end.Sedaris has been compared to Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, Lewis Carroll and a 'sexy Alan Bennett'. A Carnival of Snackery illustrates that he is very much his own, singular self.
A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries: Volume Two (Language Acts and Worldmaking #31)
by David SedarisThere's no right way to keep a diary, but if there's an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it.If it's navel-gazing you're after, you've come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street; collecting Romanian insults, or being taken round a Japanese parasite museum. There's a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party-lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs.These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in fine hotel dining rooms and Serbian motels, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background-new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can't by the end.Sedaris has been compared to Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, Lewis Carroll and a 'sexy Alan Bennett'. A Carnival of Snackery illustrates that he is very much his own, singular self.
A Case for Irony
by Jonathan LearIn 2001, Vanity Fair declared that the Age of Irony was over. Joan Didion has lamented that the United States in the era of Barack Obama has become an "irony-free zone. " Jonathan Lear in his 2006 book Radical Hope looked into Americaâe(tm)s heart to ask how might we dispose ourselves if we came to feel our way of life was coming to an end. Here, he mobilizes a squad of philosophers and a psychoanalyst to once again forge a radical way forward, by arguing that no genuinely human life is possible without irony. Becoming human should not be taken for granted, Lear writes. It is something we accomplish, something we get the hang of, and like Kierkegaard and Plato, Lear claims that irony is one of the essential tools we use to do this. For Lear and the participants in his Socratic dialogue, irony is not about being cool and detached like a player in a Woody Allen film. That, as Johannes Climacus, one of Kierkegaardâe(tm)s pseudonymous authors, puts it, âeoeis something only assistant professors assume. âe Instead, it is a renewed commitment to living seriously, to experiencing every disruption that shakes us out of our habitual ways of tuning out of life, with all its vicissitudes. While many over the centuries have argued differently, Lear claims that our feelings and desires tend toward order, a structure that irony shakes us into seeing. Learâe(tm)s exchanges with his interlocutors strengthen his claims, while his experiences as a practicing psychoanalyst bring an emotionally gripping dimension to what is at stakeâe"the psychic costs and benefits of living with irony.
A Case of Curiosities: A Novel
by Allen KurzweilThis tale of an ambitious inventor in France as the Revolution looms is &“brilliantly playful . . . full of lore and lewdness&” (Chicago Tribune). &“A portrait of a young mechanical genius in 18th-century France, delivered along with a gallimaufry of odd and intriguing facts and a rich, lusty picture of society in that time and place.&” —Publishers Weekly In France, on the eve of the Revolution, a young man named Claude Page sets out to become the most ingenious and daring inventor of his time. Over the course of a career filled with violence and passion, Claude learns the arts of enameling and watchmaking from an irascible, defrocked abbé, then apprentices himself to a pornographic bookseller and applies his erotic erudition to the seduction of the wife of an impotent wigmaker. But it is Claude&’s greatest device—a talking mechanical head—that both crowns his career and leads to an execution as tragic as that of Marie Antoinette, and far more bizarre. &“Like a joint effort by Henry Fielding and John Barth&” (Chicago Tribune), this &“captivating novel&” (San Francisco Chronicle) marked the debut of one of the finest literary artists of our time. &“A Case of Curiosities . . . really is brilliant. Also witty, learned, ingenious, sly, and bawdy.&” —Entertainment Weekly &“What John Fowles did for the 19th century with The French Lieutenant&’s Woman and Umberto Eco did for the 14th with The Name of the Rose . . . Kurzweil now does for the late 18th century.&” —San Francisco Chronicle
A Cast Is the Perfect Accessory
by Allison Gutknecht Stevie LewisEight-year-old Mandy Berr is spirited, sassy, and determined to shine--even if she's not the center of attention!After learning the hard way that polka dot underwear and white pants are not the best combination, Mandy Berr has gotten over that fashion faux pas, and has (almost) recovered from not being named George Washington in the recent Presidential Pageant. But just when things seem like they might be back in her favor, her former nemesis, Natalie, manages to steal Mandy's spotlight--again. A broken wrist for Natalie means a cool cast and the attention of Mandy's classmates...even from Anya, Mandy's BFF. Can Mandy figure out a way to get back into the center of attention, win back her best friend, AND snag a pair of fancy-dancy periwinkle sunglasses?
A Castle Full of Cats
by Ruth SandersonThe queen's cats have taken over the palace, and the king has had enough! Beloved artist Ruth Sanderson brings her signature detailed and lush style to this humorous story of royal compromise. Told in rhyme, and with dozens of cats on each page, this gorgeous book is sure to have cat lovers of all ages purring!
A Cat Cafe Christmas
by Codi GaryA laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about three of the world&’s most beloved C&’s: Christmas, Coffee, and Cats. Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it&’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can&’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won&’t last past the holidays. Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the &“green&” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she&’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can&’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on saving the cafe. But if Ben and Kara can set aside their differences—and find homes for all the cats by Christmas—they might discover that, by risking their hearts, they&’ll have their own purr-fect holiday . . . together.
A Cat Called Birmingham
by Chris PascoeIn the long history of mankind's relationship with felines, one cat stands head and shoulders below the rest. Highly inflammable, the glass-jawed Birmingham lurches from one catastrophe to the next. Through encounters with washing machine spin cycles to his lovelorn pursuit of the aggressively uninterested Sammy, Chris Pascoe's hilarious book paints an intimate portrait of the author's calamitous relationship with a cat wholly unsuited to being feline. Persistently molested by an irate sparrow, physically incapable of negotiating the intricacies of the cat-flap and with a near-fatal appreciation of the effects of gravity, Brum nevertheless remains steadfast in his subconscious pursuit of oblivion. Worryingly, these stories are true. Will nine lives be enough?
A Cat Called Birmingham
by Chris PascoeIn the long history of mankind's relationship with felines, one cat stands head and shoulders below the rest. Highly inflammable, the glass-jawed Birmingham lurches from one catastrophe to the next. Through encounters with washing machine spin cycles to his lovelorn pursuit of the aggressively uninterested Sammy, Chris Pascoe's hilarious book paints an intimate portrait of the author's calamitous relationship with a cat wholly unsuited to being feline. Persistently molested by an irate sparrow, physically incapable of negotiating the intricacies of the cat-flap and with a near-fatal appreciation of the effects of gravity, Brum nevertheless remains steadfast in his subconscious pursuit of oblivion. Worryingly, these stories are true. Will nine lives be enough?
A Cat Named Tim and Other Stories
by John MartzIn this picture book anthology of four mostly wordless stories, every character is colorful and cool, and every page is an adventure! For fans of Narwhal and Jelly.In Tim's world, cats can paint on the ceiling and a cheerful porcine couple can wait months for the bus. A duck and a mouse can fly . . . a plane, of course. In "Doug & Mouse," the first of four stories, a plucky duck and mouse pair embark on a globe-spanning journey by plane, jungle vine, horse, skis, skates, paraglider, boat and submarine, but they're sure to make it home in time for pizza and tunes. In "Tim," the titular cat lives his nine lives to the fullest -- he's a basketball star (sort of), a scientist (but not a very good one), a painter (very lifelike) and an all-terrain golfer. In "Connie," a plucky rabbit follows her line of inquiry wherever it leads. And in the final story, "Mr. and Mrs. Hamhock," an amiable pig couple wait months and months for the bus, only to realize that they've forgotten something important behind at home.
A Cat's Guide to Humans: From A to Z
by George the owner of Celia Haddon'Do you need a human in the first place? If you do, do not adopt a human on impulse. You may not get the right one for your lifestyle.'George the Cat is the feline world's favourite agony aunt. Now he brings us his irresistible, hilarious A-Z guide for fellow felines to help them navigate the human world, understand their sometimes weird and idiotic behaviour, and help turn human failings to feline advantages. Includes advice on how to move a sleeping human to the very edge of their bed, enjoy the use of their empty boxes before they're thrown out, and to get doors opened for you whether or not you have a private catflap.George also has a word of advice for humans: 'Don't let your cat get his paws on this book!'For fans of Secret Thoughts Cats Have About Humans and 100 Ways for A Cat to Train Its Human by Celia Haddon.
A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History
by Paul Koudounaris Baba the CatA “fun, fanciful, and even informative” history of felines as revealed by a very learned tabby with a knack for hunting down facts (People).Since the dawn of civilization, felines have prowled alongside mankind as they expanded their territory and spread the myth of human greatness. And today, cats are peddled on social media as silly creatures here to amuse humans with their antics. But this is an absurd, self-centered fantasy. The true history of felines is one of heroism, love, tragedy, sacrifice, and gravitas. Not entirely convinced? Well, get ready, because Baba the Cat is here to set the record straight.Spanning almost every continent and thousands—yes, thousands—of years, Baba’s complex story of feline survival presents readers with a diverse cast of cats long forgotten: from her prehistoric feline ancestors and the ancient Egyptian cat goddess Bastet to the daring mariners at the height of oceanic discovery, key intellectuals in the Enlightenment period, revered heroes from World Wars I and II, and the infamous American tabbies. Baba, a talented model in addition to a scholar, goes beyond surface-level scratches, pairing her freshly unearthed research with a series of stunning costume portraits to bring history to life.A paws-on journey through the feline hall of fame, with in-depth research and four-legged testaments that will make you rethink who defines history, A Cat’s Tale is a one-of-a-kind chronicle that introduces readers to the illustrious ancestors of their closest companions and shows, once and for all, that cats know exactly what they’re doing.“Almost certainly the most unique cat history book ever published.” —Smithsonian Magazine
A Cavanaugh Christmas (Cavanaugh Justice #20)
by Marie Ferrarella"I never make promises I can't keep."A little girl is missing, and Detective Kaitlyn Two Feathers has promised the child will be back in her mother's arms by Christmas. Her own troubled childhood still shadowing her, Kaitlyn is determined not to fail. When the kidnapper's trail takes her to Aurora, she must work with the local cops. Specifically, the frustratingly appealing Detective Thomas Cavelli.Cavelli's own life is in chaos, the revelation of an unexpected family connection upending his world. But he puts it all aside to help Kaitlyn, the urgency of their investigation matched by the electricity that crackles between them. Together, they might have a chance to defeat their respective demons...and give in to the redeeming power of love.
A Celtic Childhood
by Bill WatkinsA Celtic Childhood vividly portrays Bill Watkins' eccentric Celtic family: his vibrant Irish mam whose "hand is on the tiller" as head of household; his principled but stout-loving Welsh dad; and his Grandda, who has "a generous supply of Celtic songs and tall stories." These tales from Watkins' boyhood find him disrupting weddings while dressed as a gangster, illegally operating a ham radio, and getting kicked out of Ireland for "vagrancy." The lively anecdotes of A Celtic Childhood sing from the page with a keen sense of rhythm.
A Certain Appeal
by Vanessa KingA sparkling contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the tantalizing world of New York City burlesque, perfect for fans of The Kiss Quotient and The Roommate.After a betrayal derailed her interior design career, Liz Bennet found a fresh start in New York. Now an executive assistant by day and stage kitten by night, she&’s discovered a second home with the performers at Meryton, Manhattan&’s top-tier burlesque venue. Love&’s the last thing on her mind when she locks eyes with Will Darcy across the crowded club, yet the spark between them is undeniable—that is, until she overhears the uptight wealth manager call her merely &“tolerable.&” Bennet is determined to write Darcy off, but once their besties fall head-over-heels, they&’re thrown into each other&’s orbit again and again. Each encounter begins to feel more heated than the last, but is their chemistry enough to topple that terrible first impression? What&’s more, when a charming newcomer arrives on the scene with accusations against Darcy, and a sudden development leaves Meryton&’s fate in jeopardy, Bennet will have to decide who to trust in time to salvage her design dreams, her heart, and the stage she shares with her found family…
A Certain Chemistry: A Novel
by Mil MillingtonIs this love or just oxytocin? The brilliant second novel by the bestselling author of Things my Girlfriend and I Have Argued AboutTom Cartwright is a ghost-writer: eking out a living in Edinburgh, he is always ready to assumethe persona of a struggling working mother-of-four, or a round-the-world yachtsman, or a 'sensual' aromatherapist - indeed anyone his agent asks him to be, so long as it brings in money. When he is offered the highly lucrative task of ghosting the autobiography of glamorous young soap star Georgina Nye, he and his girlfriend Sara are thrilled: Sara is a big fan of George's and Tom will finally be able to afford some new carpets for their house.But soon things go awry when Tom finds himself drawn to George by forces outside his control (even though they are inside his own body). Does his relationship with Sara stand a chance in the face of this explosion of chemistry? Is this love or just oxytocin - and is there a difference?
A Certain Chemistry: A Novel
by Mil MillingtonIs this love or just oxytocin? The brilliant second novel by the bestselling author of Things my Girlfriend and I Have Argued AboutTom Cartwright is a ghost-writer: eking out a living in Edinburgh, he is always ready to assumethe persona of a struggling working mother-of-four, or a round-the-world yachtsman, or a 'sensual' aromatherapist - indeed anyone his agent asks him to be, so long as it brings in money. When he is offered the highly lucrative task of ghosting the autobiography of glamorous young soap star Georgina Nye, he and his girlfriend Sara are thrilled: Sara is a big fan of George's and Tom will finally be able to afford some new carpets for their house.But soon things go awry when Tom finds himself drawn to George by forces outside his control (even though they are inside his own body). Does his relationship with Sara stand a chance in the face of this explosion of chemistry? Is this love or just oxytocin - and is there a difference?
A Certain Chemistry: A Novel
by Mil MillingtonBrooding, self-loathing Tom Cartwright is a modestly successful ghostwriter whose ability to spell correctly and meet his deadlines has landed him the job of writing the autobiography of the wildly popular soap-opera star Georgina Nye. His imbibing, chain-smoking agent is swooning, and his offbeat, sweetly supportive live-in girlfriend of five years, Sara, is ecstatic—new carpets! Yet even as he feverishly pens (read: mostly makes up) Georgina’s “straight-from-the-heart” life story (he’s thinking maybe a thoughtful, feminist angle), he is lusting for Georgina herself. Soon Tom—poor, misguided, painfully careening Tom—thinks he can have it all: a woman at home who loves him, and a hot, panting affair with a television diva. With a little planning, can it really be so hard?In this clever, rollicking tale of sexual misadventures and the modern man, Mil Millington hilariously explores the sometimes foolish choices mere mortals can make when that certain chemistry forces us to think not with our heads or our hearts but with . . . well, things that usually lead us straight into serious trouble.
A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi: The Ideal Guide to Sounding, Acting and Shrugging Like the French
by Charles TimoneyVocabulary alone isn't enough. To survive in the most sophisticated - and the most scathing - nation on Earth you will need to understand the many peculiarities of the (very peculiar) French culture. And for that you need A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi.If you want to fit in with the French you'll have to know how to deal with sardonic waiters; why French children hate Charlemagne; the etiquette of kissing, joke-telling and drinking songs, what to do with a bidet, the correct recipe for a salade nicoise and, of course, how to convey absolute, shattering indifference with a single syllable (Bof!).Charles Timoney, the author of Pardon My French, provides a practical, pleasurable guide to the charms of the Gallic people - from their daily routines to their peerless gesticulations, from their come-ons to their put-downs. Read on and put the oh la la back into your French vacances. Your inner gaul will thank you for it.