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The Night Parade
by Lily RoscoeA bedtime book in the vein of Everywhere Babies, Harold and Purple Crayon, and In the Night Kitchen, THE NIGHT PARADE is a dreamworthy story.Have you ever wondered what happens at night while mothers and fathers lie sleeping?Children wake up. They climb out of their beds some crawling, some running, some leaping.As the moon shines down they escape into townTo the Night Parade they go sneaking...THE NIGHT PARADE is a goodnight book filled with the whimsical wilderness of children's imaginations just before they fall asleep. Written by first time author, Lily Roscoe, and illustrated by bestselling illustrator, David Walker, THE NIGHT PARADE is a truly dreamworthy read-aloud.
The Night Ride
by J. Anderson CoatsThe Black Stallion meets Tamora Pierce in this adventure-filled middle grade novel about a young stable girl who discovers a secret that endangers her beloved horse and threatens her future.Sonnia loves horses more than anything. She works at her family&’s struggling pony ride business but dreams of the beautiful steeds in the royal stables, especially Ricochet, who she&’s been slowly saving money to buy—even though she knows people from her impoverished neighborhood are rarely so lucky. Then Ricochet is moved to the racetrack across town, and Sonnia lands a job there. Now, she can see Ricochet every day and earn enough money to buy him in no time—all while helping her family with her new wages! She even joins the junior racing cadre to train to become a jockey. But then she uncovers their secret pastime: competing in the Night Ride, a dangerous and highly illegal race in the darkest hours before dawn. Every race puts the horses at risk. Sonnia wants to protect the horses she&’s grown to care for, but she&’s only a kid from the poor side of town—considered expendable, just like the horses. If she just keeps her head down, soon she can buy Ricochet and get him out of there—and keep supporting her family. But would she be able to live with herself?
The Night She Met the Duke
by Sarah MalloryAn intriguing Regency romanceHer mysterious midnight visitor? The duke! Hearing herself described as "a lady as dull as her name" is the final straw in Prudence Clifford&’s disastrous season, so she decides to stay with her aunt in Bath. But Pru&’s new life is anything but dull when one night she finds an uninvited, devastatingly handsome duke at her kitchen table! Pru will never forget the emotional connection they shared. But it&’s their unexpected reunion three months later that will prove truly unforgettable… From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.
The Night She Went Missing: A Novel
by Kristen Bird"A great new voice in suspense...Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies who thrive on stories of deceit in the suburban world.&” —J. T. Ellison, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Her Dark Lies"Pitch perfect suspense...The best debut I&’ve read this year.&” --Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling authorAn intriguing and twisty domestic suspense about loyalty and deceit in a tight-knit Texas community where parents are known to behave badly and people are not always who they appear to be.Emily, a popular but bookish prep school senior, goes missing after a night out with friends. She was last seen leaving a party with Alex, a football player with a dubious reputation. But no one is talking.Now three mothers, Catherine, Leslie and Morgan, friends turned frenemies, have their lives turned upside down as they are forced to look to their own children—and each other&’s—for answers to questions they don&’t want to ask.Each mother is sure she knows who is responsible, but they all have their own secrets to keep and reputations to protect. And the lies they tell themselves and each other may just have the potential to be lethal in this riveting debut.
The Night Swimmers
by Betsy ByarsRetta, Johnny, and Roy have no parental rules to follow, so they&’ve made up their ownAfter their mother passes away, Retta, Johnny, and Roy don&’t have much parenting in their lives. Their dad is a country singer who keeps them well fed but isn&’t around much. Older sister Retta takes control, leading her brothers on all sorts of unwise adventures and promising that one day they&’ll have money, safety, and a nice home. When their dad is away performing at night, they slip into a neighbor&’s pool to swim and pretend to have a glamorous life beneath the light of the moon. But freedom doesn&’t mean happiness, especially when a new crisis emerges. National Book Award winner The Night Swimmers is a moving story of siblings who can count on nobody but one another. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author&’s personal collection.
The Night Swimmers
by Peter Rock“Swimming at night, to compare its slipperiness to that of a dream would be to ignore the work of staying afloat, the mesmerism brought on by the rhythm, the repetition of the strokes.” Beneath the surface of Lake Michigan there are vast systems: crosscutting currents, sudden drop-offs, depths of absolute darkness, shipwrecked bodies, hidden places. Peter Rock’s stunning autobiographical novel begins in the ’90s on the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. The narrator, a recent college graduate, and a young widow, Mrs. Abel, swim together at night, making their way across miles of open water, navigating the currents and swells and carried by the rise and fall of the lake. The nature of these night swims, and of his relationship to Mrs. Abel, becomes increasingly mysterious to the narrator as the summer passes, until the night that Mrs. Abel disappears. Twenty years later, the narrator—now married with two daughters—tries to understand those months, his forgotten obsessions and dreams. Digging into old notebooks and letters, as well as clippings he’s preserved on the “psychic photography” of Ted Serios and scribbled quotations from Rilke and Chekhov, the narrator rebuilds a world he’s lost. He also looks for clues to the fate of Mrs. Abel, and begins once again to swim distances in dark water.
The Night That Changed Everything (The Culhanes of Cedar River #5)
by Helen LaceyHe vowed to always be there for her… But not as her husband! Winona Sheehan and Grant Culhane have been BFFs since childhood. So when Winona&’s sort-of boyfriend ditches their ill-advised Vegas wedding, Grant is there…with his sexy smiles and way too much consolation! Suddenly, Winona trades one groom for another—and Grant&’s baby is on the way. With buddy boundaries crossed and a yearslong secret crush fulfilled, Winona wonders if her husband is ready for a family…or firmly in the friend zone.From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.The Culhanes of Cedar RiverBook 1: When You Least Expect ItBook 2: The Soldier's Secret SonBook 3: The Nanny's Family WishBook 4: The Secret Between ThemBook 5: The Night That Changed EverythingBook 6: The Family She Didn't Expect
The Night Train
by Lorelei SavarynThe past has come calling in the town of Hush, and for one girl, that means facing her ghosts. Perfect for fans of the satisfyingly scary Small Spaces quartet!Maddie Maverick likes to win. Whether it&’s track team races or one-liners she delivers on her parents&’ home renovation show, Maddie knows that if she puts in the work, she&’ll always come out on top. But things take a turn when her ghost-hunting nana passes away, and Maddie and her twin sister, Nat, discover that Nana left them an unexpected inheritance: They can now see ghosts just like she did.While Nat is totally on board to try to help some spirits find peace, a ghostly calling is just not Maddie&’s speed. So when history comes back to haunt their town, and the story of a decades-old train crash rears its ugly head, Maddie wants nothing to do with the ghosts of days long gone. But one ghost in particular won&’t go away, and Maddie might just be the only one with the power to help her—that is, if she can survive the Night Train herself.In this eerie tale by beloved author Lorelei Savaryn, one girl&’s determination to bring long-hidden secrets to light might just change her town—and herself—forever.
The Night War
by Kimberly Brubaker BradleyFrom the two-time Newbery Honor-winning author of The War That Saved My Life and Fighting Words comes a middle grade novel set at the border between freedom and fear in World War II France, at the Chateau de Chenonceau, where a Jewish girl who has lost everything but her life must decide whether to risk even that to bring others to freedom.&“We don&’t choose how we feel, but we choose how we act.&”It&’s 1942. German Nazis occupy much of France. And twelve-year-old Miriam, who is Jewish, is not safe. With help and quick thinking, Miri is saved from the roundup that takes her entire Jewish neighborhood. She escapes Paris, landing in a small French village, where the spires of the famous Chateau de Chenonceau rise high into the sky, its bridge across the River Cher like a promise, a fairy tale. But Miri&’s life is no fairy tale. Her parents are gone—maybe alive, maybe not. Taken in at the boarding school near the chateau, pretending to be Catholic to escape Nazi capture, Miri volunteers one night to undertake a deadly task, one that spans the castle grounds, its bridge, and the very border to freedom. Here is her chance to escape—hopefully to find her parents. But will she take it? One thing is certain: The person Miri meets that night will save her life. And the person Miri becomes that night could save the lives of many more.In her return to the era of The War that Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley brings a new and different story, one with a mystical twist, that explores a little-known slice of World War II history, a highly unusual friendship, and the power of choosing courage even when—especially when—there are no good choices to be had.* Map and detailed author's note included. *&“Compelling [with] a hint of magic [that] becomes as satisfying as the whole of this fine novel.&” —Booklist"Historical fiction at its finest. [A] masterpiece . . . Readers will be wholeheartedly rewarded." —SLJ (starred review) "Poignant . . . A gripping, humane tale." —Kirkus (starred review)"A thrilling plot [and] thought-provoking read." —Common Sense Media (a Common Sense Selection)"Fast-paced, suspenseful, and heart-wrenching. . . . Highly recommended." —Historical Novel Society"A deeply sympathetic character facing increasingly dangerous and suspenseful circumstances.&” —PW&“Engaging [and] imaginative [with] emotional weight and contemporary appeal.&” —The Horn Book"A must-read." —YA and Kids Books Central
The Night We Got Stuck in a Story: From the author of smash-hit The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale
by Ben MillerTurn the page, join the adventure in the latest bestseller from Ben Miller! Lana and Harrison are staying with their grandparents, when they discover their favourite tree to play in is under threat. That night, a magical golden thread leads them up through the hollow of the tree into a storybook land, where wind and rain rage and a fearsome beast terrifies all who live there. When Harrison is kidnapped by the evil Queen, Lana must do whatever it takes to find him, save the villagers and restore the balance of the storybook world, before the night is out. A breathtaking journey through magical worlds for all the family, featuring Lana and Harrison, the adventure-loving siblings from the bestselling The Day I Fell into a Fairytale, from master storyteller, Ben Miller. Praise for Ben Miller:'Wonderful, funny, magical' Chris Evans on How I Became a Dog Called Midnight&‘A magical adventure&’ Sunday Express on The Day I Fell into a Fairytale'Bubbles with warmth and mischievous humour . . . irresistible' Alexander Armstrong on The Night I Met Father Christmas
The Night We Lost Him: A Novel
by Laura DaveAn instant New York Times bestseller from the author of The Last Thing He Told Me &“Dave&’s signature blend of twisty mystery, family drama, and moving love story is top-notch&” (The Boston Globe) in this instant New York Times bestseller where estranged siblings chase a fifty-year-old family secret that shaped their father&’s mysterious life—and death… &“Pulse pounding suspense and moving family drama&” —People &“A master storyteller. You won&’t want to miss this one.&” —Harlan Coben &“The perfect mix of heart-pounding and heartfelt…Dave delivers yet another suspenseful page-turner that should be a book club staple for a long time to come.&” —New York PostNora Noone&’s father was many things to many people. To the public he was a self-made titan of industry, whose luxury boutique hotels were among the most coveted destinations in the world. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving yet distant family man who managed to keep his finances—and his families—separate. But, to Nora, he was always a mystery—especially after his suspicious death at his cliffside home. Though the authorities insist there was no foul play, Nora and her estranged brother, Sam, believe otherwise. As they form an uneasy alliance to unpack the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father&’s past and uncover a family secret that changes everything. With Laura Dave&’s &“signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense&” (People) and &“trademark emotional heft&” (New York Post), The Night We Lost Him is a &“propulsive&” (Oprah Daily) must-read, with a heartbreaking final twist you&’ll never see coming.
The Night We Met
by Tara Taylor QuinnI wasn't supposed to love Nate Grady, let alone marryhim. But we found a love that triumphed over alladversity...just like Jane Eyre, my very favorite heroine.I was young, bookish, naive...on the verge ofentering the convent-and then I met him.... Theday I abandoned my old life, the day I agreed to marryhim, now seems an eternity ago. But despite everyone'sobjections, I fell for Nate. An older, previously marriedman. My first and only love. My husband.When I looked into Nate's eyes on our wedding day,the rest of the world vanished. If I was crazy for doingthis, I prayed the craziness would last forever....
The Night You Left: The tense and shocking thriller that readers can’t put down
by Emma Curtis'Conjures an atmosphere of quiet menace.' Daily MailIT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO UNRAVEL A PERFECT LIFE . . .When Grace's fiancé vanishes without a trace the night after proposing, her life is turned upside down. But has Nick walked out on her, or is he in danger?As Grace desperately searches for answers, it soon becomes clear that Nick wasn't the uncomplicated man she thought she knew. And when she uncovers a hidden tragedy from his childhood, she realises an awful truth: that you can run from your past - but your secrets will always catch up with you . . .*****YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS ARE RAVING ABOUT THE NIGHT YOU LEFT . . .'So addictive and compulsive . . . Clever, unpredictable and beautifully written. I loved it!' Claire Douglas, author of Local Girl Missing'A tense and twisted read.' Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal'Filled with drama and twists that exploded on to the page at every turn. Another fantastic psychological suspense by Emma Curtis.' Lauren North, author of The Perfect Betrayal- WHAT READERS ARE SAYING. . .***** 'Oh my goodness, I just could not stop reading this book.'***** 'A rollercoaster of a domestic noir/psychological thriller with plenty of twists.'***** 'Jaw dropping - to say more would give away a page turning must-read ending.'Don't miss the twisty new thriller from Emma Curtis, Invite Me In - available in paperback and ebook now.
The Night in Venice: An irresistible historical novel – The Talented Mr Ripley meets A Room with a View
by A.J. Martin'A master of historical crime fiction' Guardian'A writer in full command of his subject' Mail on Sunday'Martin's novels are works of literature, not simply puzzles' Financial TimesThe Talented Mr Ripley meets A Room with a View in this dark and irresistible historical novel featuring Monica: a fourteen-year-old girl with a disturbing imagination . . .Venice, 1911. Monica is a fourteen-year-old with a wild imagination and an unbearably dull governess named Rose Driscoll. She was supposed to be entering the most exciting time of her life but, with her parents and uncle now dead, she has been forced to leave leafy Hampstead and move to a flat on the busy Holloway Road with a woman who is living proof that an exciting life is not guaranteed.Driscoll has dutifully planned this trip to Venice, as directed by a 'letter of wishes' in a will, but on the very first morning, as the sunlight streams through the curtains of their Palazzo, Monica wakes up to a horrible realisation: has she killed her only guardian?Too scared to find out the truth, Monica flees her room and immerses herself in the mysterious streets, canals and squares of Venice, all the while her thoughts spinning back to a dark childhood in London and her fear of what the future holds.
The Night of the Solstice (Night of the Solstice #1)
by L.J. SmithWhen Claudia Hodges-Bradley meets a fox, she knows it will be an extraordinary day. Not just any fox, this vixen is the magical familiar of the sorceress Morgana Shee. For years Morgana has guarded the solitary gate between Earth and the Wildworld, a shimmering parallel universe where legends still live. She alone holds the secret of the mirrors that serve as the last passage to enchantment. But Morgana has been betrayed and imprisoned in Wildworld, and the fox is determined to recruit the Hodges-Bradley kids for the rescue mission. Armed only with courage and determination, Alys, Charles, Janie and Claudia must save Morgana before the Winter Solstice when the evil sorcerer Cadal Forge plans to escape Wildworld and conquer Earth. And with December 21 only two weeks away, there is no time to lose….
The Night of the Storm: A Novel
by Nishita ParekhNATIONAL BESTSELLERFrom debut author Nishita Parekh, a fresh take on the classic locked-room thriller, about a multigenerational Indian American family marooned in a house with a murderer during Hurricane HarveyHurricane Harvey is about to hit Houston. Meanwhile, single mom Jia Shah is already having a rough week: her twelve-year-old son, Ishaan, has just been suspended from school for getting in a fight. Still reeling from the fallout of her divorce—their move to Houston, her family&’s disapproval, the struggle to make ends meet on her own—now Jia is worried about Ishaan&’s future, too. Will her solo parenting be enough? Doesn&’t a boy need a father? And now their apartment complex is under a mandatory evacuation order. Jia&’s sister, Seema, has invited them to hunker down in her fancy house in Sugar Land, and despite Jia&’s misgivings—Seema&’s husband, Vipul, has been just a little too friendly with her lately—Jia concedes it&’s probably the best place to keep Ishaan safe during the hurricane. With Jia&’s philandering ex scrutinizing her every move, all too eager to snatch back custody of Ishaan, she can&’t afford to make a mistake. When Vipul&’s brother and his wife show up on Seema&’s doorstep, too, it&’s a recipe for disaster. Grandma, the family matriarch, has never been shy about playing favorites among her sons and their wives. As the storm escalates, tensions rise quickly, and soon someone&’s dead. Was it a horrible accident or is there a murderer in their midst? With no help available until the floodwaters recede in the morning, Jia must protect her son and identify the culprit before she goes down for a crime she didn&’t commit—or becomes the next victim. . . .
The Night the Angels Came
by Cathy GlassEight year old Michael is part of a family of two, but with his beloved father given only months to live and his mother having died when he was a toddler, he could soon become an orphan. Will Cathy's own young family be able to handle a child in mourning? To Cathy's surprise, her children insist that this boy deserves to be as happy as they are, prompting Cathy to welcome Michael into her home. A cheerful and carefree new member of the family, Michael devotedly prays every night, believing that when the time is right, angels will come and take his Daddy to be with his Mummy in heaven. However, incredibly, in the weeks that pass, the bond between Cathy's family, Michael and his kind and loving father Patrick grows. Even more promising, Patrick is looking healthier than he's done in weeks. But just as they are settling into a routine of blissful normality, an unexpected and disastrous event shatters the happy group, shaking Cathy to the core. Cathy can only hope that her family and Michael's admirable faith will keep him strong enough to rebuild his life.
The Night the Lights Went Out
by Karen White<P>From the New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street series comes a stunning new novel about a young single mother who discovers that the nature of friendship is never what it seems.... <P> Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail. <P>Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past. <P>Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world. <P>In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women.... <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Night the River Wept: A Novel
by Lo Patrick"An increasingly gripping southern-crime tale" for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. (–Booklist STARRED review)One of Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Hot New Summer Books"!Everybody's got good and bad in them. In the end, it just depends which side wins out.Arlene has lived in a small town on the edge of nowhere Georgia her whole life. Now married to her long-time high school sweetheart, Tommy, Arlene is itching to start a family and become the mother she always dreamed of being. But that's proving more difficult than she thought, and Arlene is desperate to find something to do to keep her mind off things. And get some distance from her husband, who is increasingly getting on her nerves.As the summer gives way to a chilly, lonesome fall up in the mountains of northern Georgia, she takes a part-time job bagging evidence at the local police department, which involves about twenty minutes of actual work, and the rest of her shift she reads over old cold cases. One in particular fascinates her: the mysterious deaths of three young brothers murdered on Deck River, followed by the suicide of Mitchell Wright, the prime suspect in the murders.Arlene becomes obsessed with the case, and with the help of the police department's receptionist and a family friend of the Wrights, she sets out on discovering the truth. She can't help but feel that if she solves the case of the Broderick boys' deaths, she'll find her footing in her young marriage and maybe find what she's been looking for all along.From the author of The Floating Girls, a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction and a Reader's Digest Editor's Pick, Lo Patrick has once again crafted a story bursting with charm, heartbreak, and memorable characters that leap off the page, a true delight for fans of Southern fiction.
The Night, and the Rain, and the River
by Sage Cohen Scott Sparling Joanna Rose Liz Prato Clare CarpenterA current of longing runs through twenty-two short stories by Oregon writers. As the characters strive for connection, they make mistakes, reach out to the wrong people, and recalibrate their lives based on what they desire, whether or not it's attainable-or even a good idea. Editor Liz Prato has curated a powerful collection of smart, funny, sad, and exquisite stories about the losses that shape our lives.
The Nighthouse Keeper (Blight Harbor)
by Lora SenfWinner of the Bram Stoker Award Evie once again leaves her world behind to rescue Blight Harbor&’s ghosts in this &“deliciously dark and gripping&” (Kirkus Reviews) second book in the middle grade Blight Harbor trilogy that&’s reminiscent of Doll Bones and Small Spaces.Evie Von Rathe has been home for only a few weeks from her adventure in the strange world of seven houses when Blight Harbor&’s beloved ghosts begin to disappear. Did they leave without saying goodbye, or has something gone horribly wrong? Soon Evie is invited to a mysterious council meeting, where she learns about the Dark Sun Side and a terrible secret. Yes, the ghosts have gone missing. And that means serious trouble. With the help of an eleven-year-old (or 111-year-old, but who&’s counting) ghost named Lark, trusty Bird, and a plump ghost spider, Evie must find a way to defeat the vicious Nighthouse Keeper responsible for the missing ghosts, save her otherworldly friends, and find her way home from the Dark Sun Side before she&’s trapped there forever.
The Nightingales of Troy
by Alice Fulton“Outstanding....Alice Fulton reveals herself to be triumphantly at home in the short story.”—Boston Sunday GlobeIn 1908, Mamie Garrahan faces childbirth aided by her arsenic-eating sister-in-law Kitty, a nun who grows opium poppies, and a doctor who prescribes Bayer Heroin. "In the twentieth century, I believe there are no saints left," Mamie remarks. But her daughters and granddaughter test this notion with far-reaching consequences. Kitty's arsenic reappears sixty years later in the hands of her distraught niece. A schoolgirl's passion for the Beatles and Melville—a passion both lonely and funny—shapes her life. Each decade is illuminated by endearingly eccentric characters: an anorexic waitress falls for a wealthy college boy in the jazz age...an exuberant young nurse questions science during the Depression...a homely seamstress designs a scandalous dress in the 1950s. The Nightingales of Troy, the first fiction collection by an acclaimed American poet, creates a vividly palpable sense of time and place. Alice Fulton's memorable characters confront the deepest dilemmas with bravery and abiding love.
The Nightmare Thief (The Nightmare Thief #1)
by Nicole LesperanceFor fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl comes a suspenseful dark fantasy duology, perfect for middle school readers that love stories of magic and sisterhood with a dash of danger.Maren Partridge loves working in her family's dream shop where she can hand-craft any dream imaginable. The shop has only one rule. Dreams cannot be given to a person without their consent. Maren has no problem with this—until her sister, Hallie, has an accident that leaves her in a coma. Maren's certain she can cure Hallie with a few well-chosen dreams. And when no one is watching, she slips her a flying dream.But a strange new customer from the shop has been following Maren and knows what she did. Now she's laid the perfect trap to blackmail Maren into creating custom nightmares for a dark and terrible purpose. As Maren gets drawn further into the sinister scheme, she must make a choice: to protect her family or to protect the town from her family's magic.Pick up the first book in the Nightmare Thief duology if you are looking for:Suspenseful stories of magical realism for kids with a side of dangerGifts for 11 year old girls, 13 year old girls, and any young reader 11-14 that loves fantasyBooks that explore bullying, family ties, and feature strong female charactersBooks for 4th graders, and any classroom with grades 3-8
The Nimbus: A Novel
by Robert P. BairdA dazzling debut novel about a child whose literal enlightenment sets the stage for an exuberant tragicomedy of marriage, religion, and parenthood.On an otherwise ordinary fall day on a university campus in Chicago, the toddler son of an ambitious divinity school professor named Adrian Bennett mysteriously starts to glow. The nimbus, as the strange, soft light comes to be known, offers no clues to its origin and frustrates every attempt at rational explanation.Though the nimbus appears only intermittently, and not to everyone, the otherworldly glow quickly upends the lives of all those who encounter it, including Paul Harkin, Adrian’s broke and feckless graduate student, who likes being a graduate student a little too much for his own good; Renata Bennett, Adrian’s omnicompetent wife, who can’t see her son glowing even though the nimbus is turning her life upside down; and Warren Kayita, a down-on-his-luck librarian and aging divinity school alumnus on the run from a violent criminal. As news about the nimbus spreads around the university and beyond, Adrian, Paul, Renata, and Warren are set on a collision course that will threaten their lives and put their deepest convictions to the test.At once a rollicking intellectual satire, a searing portrait of a family in crisis, and a thrilling metaphysical page-turner, The Nimbus offers a comic and profound examination of the persistence of spiritual belief in a secular age and humanity’s timeless search for meaning.
The Nine Lives Of Christmas
by Sheila Roberts[from the back cover] "Two people are about to discover that when it comes to finding love, sometimes Christmas magic isn't enough... sometimes it takes a pesky orange cat named Ambrose. When a guy is in trouble, he starts making deals with his Creator...and Ambrose the cat is no exception. In danger of losing his ninth and final life, Ambrose makes a desperate plea to the universe. He'll do anything--anything)--if he can just survive and enjoy a nice long, final life. His prayer is answered when a stranger comes along and saves him--but then Ambrose is faced with having to hold up his end of the bargain. The stranger turns out to be a firefighter named Zach, who's in need of some serious romantic help. If Ambrose can just bring Zach together with Merilee, the nice lady who works at Pet Palace, it's bound to earn him a healthy ninth life. Unfortunately for Ambrose, his mission is a lot harder than he ever thought. Merilee is way too shy to make the first move on a ladies' man like Zach, and Zach thinks he's all wrong for a nice girl like Merilee. Now it's going to take all of Ambrose's feline wiles--and maybe even a good old-fashioned Christmas miracle--to make them both realize that what they're looking for is right in front of their eyes."