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50: A Novel
by Avery CormanApproaching the very middle of middle age, Doug Gardner finds that life still holds plenty of surprises on the other side of the hillDoug Gardner isn&’t afraid of aging. In a way, he and his friends have been looking forward to fifty. It&’s a milestone from which they can look back and survey all their hard work and success. And Doug has been successful, with a career as a respected sports writer, nice children, and even a little time for fun in his hometown of New York City. But when his ex-wife marries a millionaire—just the first in a series of unexpected discoveries—the value of Doug&’s past decisions is called into question. Heartfelt, poignant, and witty, 50 celebrates middle age and life lived—and still to be lived—with no clear roadmap. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Avery Corman, including rare images from the author&’s personal collection.
The Rape Scandal that Puts You at Risk: From The Files Of Linda Fairstein (From the Files of Linda Fairstein #3)
by Linda FairsteinA harrowing investigation into law enforcement&’s failure to process hundreds of thousands of rape kits across America—allowing many rapists to walk free. In 2011, advocacy groups estimated that up to 250,000 rape kits sat untested in police storage across the country. These kits, some from crimes dating as far back as the mid-1990s, represent a disturbing breakdown in law enforcement that has allowed many violent criminals to remain on the streets. In some cases, rape victims are kept in the dark about the investigations into the crimes committed against them. Legal expert Linda Fairstein illustrates this injustice with the story of a Los Angeles woman whose experience, Fairstein writes, &“is a tragic example of the outrageous backlog of untested rape kits that has existed nationwide for more than a decade.&” In The Rape Scandal that Puts You at Risk, Fairstein lays bare these failures of law enforcement and issues a rallying cry for women everywhere to demand change. Originally published in Cosmopolitan, this essay is now available in digital format for the first time and features a new introduction by the author.
Kids' TV: The First Twenty-Five Years
by Stuart FischerIn a freshly revisited and important text, Stuart Fischer summarizes the golden age of Kids' TV with entries for every important children's television program which aired between 1947 and 1972. It's a nostalgic journey that highlights the programs of imagination and creativity which influenced the baby boom generation and their children, listing important factual information for everything from "Howdy Doody" to "Sealab 2020."
At the Sudden Death Café
by Jerome CharynWhen his father dies, a young bumper inherits the bloody family businessHolden is more than a bill collector. He&’s a killer. His father came to New York from Belgium to spend his life driving cars for the Aladdin Fur Company. But Holden has more ambition than his old man, and rises to the rank of bumper—a violent collector of debts that cannot be paid. But when his father dies, Holden departs for Europe, to live in seclusion until his money runs out. And it&’s then that his father&’s real business comes to call. The old man was a bumper too, but he killed for a slightly higher class of criminal. And now that he&’s gone, his employers want his son to take his place. Holden would like to to refuse, but murder is in his blood, and no man can resist his family legacy.
Werewolves in Their Youth: Stories
by Michael ChabonBy the New York Times–bestselling author of Moonglow: &“When you read these stories, it may strike you how seldom you come across really beautiful writing&” (USA Today). Cherished by readers and critics alike for such extraordinary novels as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, and Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon is at the height of his considerable powers in this striking and bittersweet collection of short stories. An anxious young misfit does nothing to protect his best friend from the scorn of their teachers and classmates. A kleptomaniac real estate agent leads an unhappy couple on a disastrous house tour. A heartbroken grifter finds his ex-girlfriend&’s grandmother to be an easy mark—and an unexpected source of redemption. Throughout these stories, Chabon&’s characters, suffused with yearning but crippled by broken love, often find themselves at a crossroads—and faced with sudden insight. Michael Chabon is &“Updike without the condescension,&” wrote James Hynes in the Washington Post Book World, &“Cheever without the self-pity, a young American Nabokov who writes with a rueful joie de vivre.&” In this darkly funny, achingly delicate collection, he renders the compromises of adulthood and the vivid fantasies of childhood with clarity and warmth.This ebook features a biography of the author.
Welcome to Carson Springs: Introducing the Delarosa Family
by Eileen GoudgeA Hollywood film crew upends life in an idyllic California village in this prequel to the Carson Springs trilogyIn the late 1950s, filmmakers descended on Carson Springs to shoot the movie that made this sleepy Spanish mission town famous. A plaque commemorates the filming of Stranger in Paradise, but nowhere does it mention Cora Delarosa, whose life changed forever when Hollywood arrived. Barely thirty, but married for over a decade, she does not realize that her marriage is falling apart until she meets the handsome and charming film director Hank Montgomery. In this novella, Eileen Goudge sets the stage for her Carson Springs trilogy, showing that in this small town, passion, heartache, and long-buried secrets have always been a way of life. This ebook features excerpts from two of the Carson Springs novels, favorite recipes from Eileen Goudge&’s own kitchen, and an illustrated biography of Goudge including rare photos from her personal collection.
Remaindered (Bibliomysteries #16)
by Peter LoveseyA puzzler of a tale about a dead bookshop owner, a priceless cache of first editions, and a deadly secret taken to the grave. It&’s no mystery who killed Robert Ripple, owner of Precious Finds Bookstore in Pokesville, Pennsylvania. It was Agatha Christie—or rather, a large carton of valuable Christie hardcovers that the not-so-young Ripple was attempting to lift when his heart gave out. The real question is why the so-called Friends of England, who meet regularly in the back room of Ripple&’s literary emporium, are so eager to keep the place open after its proprietor&’s death. Certainly it must have something to do with the Friends&’ past lives as the associates of a slain New York mobster. Whatever their plan is, they&’ll need the help of Tanya Tripp, Ripple&’s recently hired and completely unsuspecting assistant, if they want to pull it off. But despite her trustworthy appearance, Tanya may well be hatching a scheme of her own. For over four decades, Peter Lovesey has occupied an honored place as one of crime fiction&’s best and brightest. With Remaindered, he offers his readers a delectable tidbit about books and those who live—and die—for them.The Bibliomysteries are a series of short tales about deadly books, by top mystery authors.
Slack Tide
by George Harmon CoxeA marina owner gets caught up in a murder investigationThe girl in the water is unfamiliar to Don MacLaren. This is odd since, as the owner of the island&’s only boat dock, he knows everyone who steps foot on the small spit of land. He hoists the young swimmer out, and is helping her get warm when Oliver Kingsley, the island&’s wealthiest citizen, comes to collect her, claiming he&’s her husband. The girl refuses to leave with Kingsley, resulting in a brawl between the two men. In the morning Kingsley is found dead, and after the cops learn about the fight, they peg MacLaren as their chief suspect. As MacLaren struggles to understand the mystery behind the rich man&’s death, he finds that even the smallest island can hold deep secrets.
The American Gun Mystery: The American Gun Mystery (The\complete Crime Novels Of Ellery Queen, Vol.6 Ser.)
by Ellery QueenWhen a Western movie star is gunned down at a rodeo, the legendary detective Ellery Queen saddles up to catch the killer. Buck Horne has roped thousands of cattle, slugged his way out of dozens of saloons, and shot plenty of men dead in the street—but always on the backlot. He is a celluloid cowboy, and his career is nearly kaput. The real box office draw is his daughter, Kit, a brawling beauty who can outshoot any rascal the studio has to offer. Desperate for a comeback, Buck joins Wild Bill Grant&’s traveling rodeo for a show in New York, hoping to impress Hollywood and land one last movie contract. But he has scarcely mounted his horse when he falls to the dirt. It wasn&’t age that made him slip—it was the bullet in his heart. Watching from the stands are Ellery Queen, debonair sleuth, and his police detective father. They are New Yorkers through and through, but to solve the rodeo killing, the Queens must learn to talk cowboy.
Goodbye Again
by Joseph HoneA discovery in his mother&’s attic leads a painter into the dark world of underground art dealingsSince childhood, Ben Contini has been enchanted by nudes. The first painting ever to move him was a Modigliani, a portrait of a naked and beautiful reclining woman. Though it scandalized his mother at the time, it inspired him to become an artist; he specializes in portraits but paints nudes whenever he can. Only when his mother dies does Ben realize why Modigliani upset her so much: She had one hidden in her attic. It is the most beautiful painting he has ever seen, but he has no idea how the widow of an Italian refugee could have come upon it. With the help of a mysterious Austrian woman who appears at his mother&’s funeral, Ben discovers the painting&’s connection to the art thieves of Nazi Germany. The beautiful nude has made a strange journey to the Contini attic, and there are men who would kill to cover her up.
Midnight Baby (The Maggie MacGowen Mysteries #2)
by Wendy HornsbyMaggie investigates the murder of a strange young streetwalkerIn Los Angeles making a documentary about upscale day cares, Maggie MacGowen visits MacArthur Park to get contrasting footage of the pubescent prostitutes that populate its dark corners. There she meets Pisces, a fourteen-year-old hooker with manners that don&’t match her profession. As they bond over a plate of pastrami, Maggie talks her into spending the night in a shelter. But Pisces comes with baggage: a nine-year-old hoodlum named Sly. Maggie takes them both to a convent, where they are fed, bathed, and tucked into bed, just like normal children. The next day, Pisces is dead, her throat slashed by an unknown hand. The Los Angeles Police Department has little time for murdered hookers, so it falls to Maggie to find the killer. The keys to the case are the young girl&’s manners, and the fact that she died with her virginity intact.
Age: A Love Story
by Hortense CalisherA novel that examines aging and marriage with sincerity and insightRupert and Gemma, an elderly couple still very much in love, know that death will inevitably come for one of them before taking the other, so they keep private journals to ensure that the survivor&’s mate will never truly be gone, living on instead through his or her words. Age is the narrative of Rupert and Gemma&’s lives: their similarities, their differences, and the ways in which the two are irreversibly entwined. Each writes of life&’s mundane events—social outings, errands, a quiet night at home—that assume wistful meaning when viewed through the lens of memory.
A Charmed Life: A Novel (The\library Of America Ser. #290)
by Mary McCarthyA writer&’s life is upended by her destructive ex-husband in this intensely personal novel by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Group. Former actress and budding playwright Martha Sinnott longs to recapture the &“charmed life&” she abandoned when she divorced her first husband. So she returns to her beloved New England artists&’ colony with her second husband—and discovers that little has changed. The same people make up the same tightly knit society. Nevertheless, her eagerly anticipated homecoming does include some rude awakenings. Martha&’s arrogant ex, Miles, is dangerously close by, living with his new wife. The people Martha once counted among her closest friends have become also-rans and never-weres, unhappy and often resentful. And in this pervasive atmosphere of falsehoods and self-delusions, the biggest lie of all is Martha&’s belief that her reunion with Miles won&’t somehow wreak terrible havoc on all she holds dear. A New York Times bestseller by an author with &“an icily honest eye and a glacial wit that make her portraits stingingly memorable,&” A Charmed Life is a smart, mesmerizing portrait of love, marriage, and deception (The New York Times). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary McCarthy including rare images from the author&’s estate.
The Chinese Orange Mystery: An Ellery Queen Mystery (An\ellery Queen Mystery Ser. #0)
by Ellery Queen&“One of the greatest riddles in Golden Age detective fiction . . . the unbridled ingenuity of its central puzzle has never been surpassed&” (Kirkus Reviews). Mandarin Press is a premier publishing house for foreign literature, but to those at the top of this enterprise, there is little more beautiful than a rare stamp. As Donald Kirk, publisher and philatelist, prepares his office for a banquet, an unfamiliar man comes to call. No one recognizes him, but Kirk&’s staff is used to strange characters visiting their boss, so Kirk&’s secretary asks him to wait in the anteroom. Within an hour, the mysterious visitor is dead on the floor, head bashed in with a fireplace poker, and everything in the anteroom has been quite literally turned upside down. The rug is backwards; the furniture is backwards; even the dead man&’s clothes have been put on front-to-back. As debonair detective Ellery Queen pries into the secrets of Mandarin Press, every clue he finds is topsy-turvy. The great sleuth must tread lightly, for walking backwards is a surefire way to step off a cliff.
Tales of the Village Rabbi: A Manhattan Chronicle
by Rabbi Harvey M. TattelbaumA warm, witty memoir of Greenwich Village in the late 1950s and &’60s by a young rabbi who led a local synagogue in the midst of it all. In the late fifties and sixties, Greenwich Village was the quirkiest, most charming, jazzy, eccentric, and urban of environments, the center of all that was both quaint and &“cool&”: brownstones and beatniks, coffeehouses and college students, folksingers and freethinkers, poets and &“prophets.&” Into this fascinating mix of cultural archetypes came a young rabbi, Harvey M. Tattelbaum, who became known as the Village Rabbi of the Village Temple. The spirit of Sholom Aleichem infuses his Tales of the Village Rabbi, a touching and laugh‑out‑loud-funny memoir of his tenure at a small synagogue in the heart of Greenwich Village. Though his years in this magical place were productive and soul‑filling, rabbinical training had not exactly prepared him for the bikers, thieves, ex‑cons, eccentric old ladies, drug users, cleavage‑baring brides, and other Village denizens he encountered while serving the congregants of his spirited little temple. Rabbi Tattelbaum shares his insider's tales—both downtown and uptown—of wayward weddings (and funerals), contentious Temple boards, irreverent interfaith shenanigans, heartaches, and triumphs. But the Tales also reveal a deep personal struggle with some of the most profound philosophical problems of ancient and modern religion, and are filled with a warm, humane, and rational approach to spirituality and religious meaning.
As Does New Hampshire: And Other Poems
by May SartonMay Sarton&’s exquisitely rendered tribute to her home state Over the course of her career, May Sarton wrote on a range of topics and places in both prose and poetry, and traveled across the world in search of new subjects. There is, however, one place that she always returned to in the end: Nelson, New Hampshire. Written in honor of the town&’s bicentennial, As Does New Hampshire follows the course of a year in this rural hamlet. Sarton gracefully describes the ever-present role of nature, which always reminds humans that their presence on earth is temporary. She conveys both the beauty and the difficulty of a New England winter, and the full bloom of spring and summer. Above all, though, As Does New Hampshire is a lasting tribute not only to Sarton&’s home, but to the greater concept of home found in the heart of every reader.
The Last Dark Place (The Abe Lieberman Mysteries #8)
by Stuart M. KaminskyA veteran Chicago cop who&’s also a mensch, &“Lieberman is endearing, wise in his crochets, weary with his wisdom&” (The Washington Post Book World). Thirty-three years ago, Connie Gower pulled a gun in a synagogue. He had come to avenge his brother, a two-bit hoodlum who&’d been killed in a shootout with a young cop named Abe Lieberman. But Lieberman outsmarted him, and put Gower in jail. After serving his time, for the next few decades Gower bounced around the Chicago underworld, making a name for himself as a second-rate mob enforcer. Fate is a funny thing. When Gower gets arrested in Yuma, Arizona, it&’s an aged Abe Lieberman who goes to bring him home, leaving his longtime partner Bill Hanrahan back in the windy city to put up with the hot air of his racist substitute. Handcuffed to each other, Lieberman and his prisoner are about to board the plane when a geriatric janitor shuffles towards them and shoots Gower dead. Connie Gower was scum, but killing him is still murder, and Lieberman is determined to find out who ordered the hit—and why. Edgar Award winner Stuart M. Kaminsky&’s The Last Dark Place is &“an entertaining crime novel that should send new readers in search of its predecessors&” (Publishers Weekly).
Wellington's
by Marc OldenAt Wellington&’s, it&’s OK to break hearts, but never break your reservationSeven nights a week, the most beautiful people in Manhattan crowd around the bar at a dimly lit restaurant on Second Avenue. Fueled by drugs, liquor, and jealousy, the singles crowd has made Wellington&’s the hottest spot in town. Its gorgeous young patrons can go through several partners just before closing time, and the spectacle of &“the hunt&” ensures that the restaurant&’s tables are never empty. People don&’t come to Wellington&’s for the food, but for a close-up view of romantic blood sport.David James, owner and operator, runs the show. Around him swirls a hurricane of swingers, players, and tramps, but David stays cool. In this bar, the only rule is to never sleep with someone who&’s got more troubles than you. But the people who crowd around at last call have so many problems, it&’s impossible to keep count.
Zero db: And Other Stories
by Madison Smartt BellFrom the National Book Award–finalist: This &“brilliant&” story collection exploring the lives of dispossessed Americans is &“one of his best achievements&” (The Washington Post). Thematically focused on hard-luck characters trapped by desperate circumstances, Bell once again showcases his range and versatility in these eleven deeply felt stories. Whether in the Deep South or the grim Northeast; burdened with unspoken hurts or challenged by the harsh vicissitudes of contemporary life, Bell&’s characters are drawn with clear-eyed compassion and dignity. But even in their gritty realism, moments of redemption or hopefulness elevate each of these memorable stories. And when the setting moves into the Great Plains during the nineteenth century, Bell convincingly connects the past to the present, hinting at his later acclaim as a historical novelist. Zero db stands as a timeless collection of &“sagacious and lucid short stories by a contemporary writer with an ear for the seemingly inaudible emotions of life&” (Los Angeles Times).
Pronghorns of the Third Reich (Bibliomysteries #3)
by C. J. BoxIn frigid Wyoming lies a mystery that stretches back to Nazi Germany. Lyle and Juan wait outside the lawyer&’s house in ski masks, pistols hidden behind their backs. Shortly after dawn, Paul Parker, an aged lawyer, and his old dog step into the cold. The thugs kill the dog, and take the lawyer hostage. Parker&’s day has started badly and is going to get much worse. Once a fine lawyer, Parker&’s enthusiasm has slipped with age, and criminals like Lyle are part of the reason for his disillusionment. Years after they last saw each other in court, Lyle is convinced that Parker owes him something. At gunpoint, Lyle and Juan make Parker lead them to the old Angler ranch, to open up a hidden library whose volumes hold the secret to forgotten riches, and the strangest war profiteering scheme to ever come out of the Great Plains.The Bibliomysteries are a series of short tales about deadly books, by top mystery authors.
The Islam Quintet: Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, The Book of Saladin, The Stone Woman, A Sultan in Palermo, and Night of the Golden Butterfly (The Islam Quintet #3)
by Tariq AliFive nuanced and powerful historical novels depicting the clashes among Muslims, Christians, and Jews from the Crusades to twenty-first-century London. Celebrated British-Pakistani journalist and author Tariq Ali takes a mind-expanding journey through the ages with these five acclaimed works of fiction, available now in one collection. Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree: &“Ali captures the humanity and splendor of Muslim Spain&” in &“an enthralling story, unraveled with thrift and verve&” (The Independent). For the doomed Moors, the fall of Granada and the approaching forces of Christendom bring not peace but the sword. The Book of Saladin: After Saladin reclaims the holy city of Jerusalem from the Crusaders, he turns to a Jewish scribe to record his story, which Edward Said calls &“a narrative for our time, haunted by distant events and characters who are closer to us than we had dreamed.&” The Stone Woman: &“Ali paints a vivid picture of a fading world,&” proclaims the New York Times Book Review, as a distant descendant of an exiled Ottoman courtier suffers a stroke in Istanbul, and his family rushes to his side to hear his last stories. A Sultan in Palermo: In &“a marvelously paced and boisterously told novel of intrigue, love, insurrection and manipulation,&” cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi is caught between his friendship with King Roger of Sicily and the resentments of his fellow Muslims (The Guardian). Night of the Golden Butterfly: A Lahore-born writer living in London is called back to his homeland by an old friend who, at seventy-five, has finally fallen in love. &“If Pakistan is a land of untold stories,&” writes the New Statesman, Ali is &“the country&’s finest historian and critic.&”
Telling Lies (The Maggie MacGowen Mysteries #1)
by Wendy HornsbyAfter a brutal attack on her sister, Maggie MacGowen searches L.A. for the gunmanWhen Maggie MacGowen was a girl, her sister Emily lived the life of a leftist radical on the run from the FBI. Twenty-two years after the FBI finally caught her, Emily lives in Los Angeles, a doctor at a free clinic that tends to the city&’s down and out. When one of her old radical buddies comes out of hiding and surrenders to the police, their long-ago crimes become front-page news. Emily calls Maggie, now a documentary filmmaker, and asks her to come visit. By the time Maggie arrives in Los Angeles, Emily is nearly dead. The bullet, delivered point-blank in broad daylight, sent Emily into a coma. It seems a random act of violence, but Maggie digs deeper. She finds dark secrets in her sister&’s past, and a conspiracy that won&’t end until all those who ask questions are silenced.
An Absolute Gift: A New Diary
by Ned RoremA magnificent collection of essays, opinions, and reflections on life, culture, art, love, and music—always lyrical, witty, and brazenly provocative—from one of the most acclaimed contemporary American composersTime magazine has called Ned Rorem &“the world&’s best composer of art songs.&” But his genius does not end in the realm of classical music. Rorem has a rare gift for writing, as well, and the wide acclaim that has greeted his memoirs, essay collections, and published diaries attest to this fact. An Absolute Gift is a cornucopia of Roremisms—essays, reviews, and opinions on a vast array of fascinating subjects, from music to film to drama to sex. Here also are candid diary entries, displaying the frankness and remarkable insight for which Rorem is known. Whether he&’s lambasting or celebrating the world&’s great musical works and their creators (and, according to Stephen Sondheim, &“He is one of the best writers about music that I have ever read&”), offering intensely personal musings on death and love, or brilliantly dissecting the artist&’s craft, Ned Rorem is always fascinating, always provocative, and enormously entertaining.
Patrick Henry and the Frigate's Keel: And Other Stories of a Young Nation
by Howard FastTwelve tales of the United States&’ early days, capturing moments in the lives of great leaders and farmers alike, all dreaming of the nation to comeWritten mostly while the United States was engaged in World War II, these patriotic stories imagine the best of the American spirit during its formative years. From &“The Day of Victory,&” about a victorious George Washington meeting with his generals one last time to swap stories before they all return to civilian life, to &“The Bookman,&” about a tragic day during the Revolutionary War as experienced by a young boy, each story depicts common citizens standing against tyranny, and settlers searching for a better life. Passionate and beautifully written, Patrick Henry and the Frigate&’s Keel is one of Howard Fast&’s best story collections, and a moving tribute to the aspirations of a new nation. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author&’s estate.
Happy Ending: A Novel
by Francesca DurantiThe arrival of a mysterious young stranger disrupts the lives of a wealthy, unhappy familyEver since he was a little boy, Aldo Rugani has been drawn to the world of the aristocracy. Now an art dealer with a questionable past, Aldo finds himself a regular guest at the Tuscan estate of the affluent but unstable Santini family. He also works his way into the confidence of the clan&’s elderly but very much alive matriarch, Violante. Tough and indomitable, the grande dame is determined to see that her troubled family has a secure future before she dies.As an outsider, Aldo can only watch as the family members mindlessly self-destruct. He pines for Lavinia, Violante&’s much-adored, romantically reckless widowed daughter-in-law. But on one particular weekend holiday in Tuscany, a young visitor comes to the Santini estate. A friend of Lavinia&’s son, Marco intends only to stop over briefly. But before he departs, everything will be different for the hapless Santinis.