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Lead Us Not Into Penn Station
by Bruce DuckerThe year is 1955, and the world of Danny Meadoff spins with ease and stability. Eisenhower is president, soul groups are black, NBA teams are white. Fathers do not speak with sons. The Dodgers have jumped out to an early lead and look to meet the Yankees in the Series. And, according to universal plan, to lose. Everything is in its place. Or is it? The father of Danny's best friend has become a philanderer and a Republican. The sax player at Flatbush and Nostrand blows notes that are not in the songs. There is talk--inconceivable, but talk nonetheless--of the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. Danny's world seems to be wobbling in its orbit. Most worrisome, in this summer when time suspends and loopholes dimple the laws of probability, is the shadow. Late at night in Danny's backyard a shadow appears. Or does it? LEAD US NOT INTO PENN STATION is a picaresque, a tale following three young men through the rapids of loyalty, stasis, and mutability. Comic and nostalgic, it tells the story of a boy's redemptive love for his father.
Night Passage
by Carol Davis LuceInvestigative reporter Roni Mayfield returns to her crumbling Nevada hometown to avenge a friend&’s brutal death—only to be hunted by the same twisted serial killer Caroline Holt&’s body was found in her bed, covered in blood, her wrists cut, a framed wedding photo on her chest. The death was quickly ruled a suicide, but investigative reporter Roni Mayfield suspects foul play—especially after receiving a terrified message from Caroline hours earlier. What really happened to Caroline that night? What shadowy secrets—secrets that may have cost Caroline her life—are lurking below the surface in this eerie Nevada town? One thing is for certain: In Eagleton, Nevada, what you know can kill you—and Roni is next. Written by New York Times– and USA Today–bestselling author Carol Luce Davis, Night Passage is a gristly and chilling tale that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
The Hellrakers
by Paul LedererOn a do-or-die ride across the prairie, a rancher&’s gang betrays himFor Skyler Lynch, retirement from the army was supposed to mean easy living, running a farm, and making a tidy profit breeding horses on the side. But when bad weather dooms his crops, his has no choice but to drive his horses south for sale in a desperate attempt to stave off foreclosure. He might have gotten there too, had he not made the mistake of hiring the Van Connely gang. A hard-eyed killer, Connely turns on Lynch, guns him down in cold blood, and makes off with the horses. Only one good man survives the mutiny: the forthright Randy Staggs.Staggs vows to bring justice down on Connely&’s head, but the killer has money, friends, and a strong head start. Avenging Lynch will mean a wild chase across the prairie and a showdown with one of the blackest hearts ever to ride the range.
The Reaver Road (The Omar Novels #1)
by Dave DuncanThis fantasy by the author of the Seventh Sword series offers &“a madcap mix of outrageous prose and superlative wit&” (Times-Colonist, Victoria B.C.). Omar is the finest storyteller the world has ever known, captivating audiences everywhere, from the fires of soldier camps to the plush residences of nobility. In times of turmoil, people can still appreciate a good tale that offers respite from their troubles. But as hordes of barbarian soldiers surround the unvanquished city of Zanadon after ravaging the surrounding countryside, few things are certain any longer. Omar has been guided to the city by prophetic dreams, yet finds himself in an increasingly dangerous situation as the people grow more desperate and the gift of a glib tongue turns into a curse.
Raphael (The Damiano Trilogy #3)
by R. A. MacAvoyThe third novel in the Philip K. Dick Award–winning author&’s fantasy trilogy set in Renaissance Italy, featuring archangels, dragons, and Lucifer. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Italian Renaissance, this alternate history takes place in a world where real faith-based magic exists. Weakened by his contact with mortals, the Archangel Raphael falls prey to his brother Lucifer, who strips him of his angelic powers. Sold in the Moorish slave markets, confused and humbled by his sudden humanity, Raphael finds his only solace in the friendship of the dark-skinned Berber woman Djoura and the spiritual guardianship of his former pupil Damiano Delstrego. Accompanied by the rakish Gaspare and an ancient black dragon, Damiano&’s beloved Saara embarks on a quest to rescue Raphael. Their odyssey leads them to a shattering confrontation with the Father of Lies and a transcendent reckoning with destiny. Blending humor, pathos, adventure, and romance, the two previous volumes in R. A. MacAvoy&’s trilogy have evoked admiration and praise from writers and readers. Raphael fulfills the promise of the trilogy to forge a magnificent, moving saga you will never forget. The haunting conclusion of a magnificent fantasy trilogy, which began with Damiano and continued with Damiano&’s Lute.
Variety: The Life of a Roman Concept
by William FitzgeraldThe idea of variety may seem too diffuse, obvious, or nebulous to be worth scrutinizing, but modern usage masks the rich history of the term. This book examines the meaning, value, and practice of variety from the vantage point of Latin literature and its reception and reveals the enduring importance of the concept up to the present day. William Fitzgerald looks at the definition and use of the Latin term varietas and how it has played out in different works and with different authors. He shows that, starting with the Romans, variety has played a key role in our thinking about nature, rhetoric, creativity, pleasure, aesthetics, and empire. From the lyric to elegy and satire, the concept of variety has helped to characterize and distinguish different genres. Arguing that the ancient Roman ideas and controversies about the value of variety have had a significant afterlife up to our own time, Fitzgerald reveals how modern understandings of diversity and choice derive from what is ultimately an ancient concept.
Imperial Bounty (Sam McCade #2)
by William C. DietzThe interstellar bounty hunter returns in this adventure by the New York Times–bestselling author of Galactic Bounty. Since her brother's absence, Princess Claudia has seized the throne and brought the Empire to the brink of war with the Il Ronn. Only the missing Prince Alexander can stop Claudia's plans--and Sam McCade has only three months to find him. But Princess Claudia controls the Imperial Fleet and will stop at nothing to keep McCade from bringing in his imperial bounty?
Suspicion of Madness: Suspicion Of Madness And Suspicion Of Rage (The Suspicion Series #7)
by Barbara Parker&“Suspense builds&” as a tropical storm and a crazed killer bear down on Connor and Quintana in the Florida Keys, in the New York Times–bestselling series (Library Journal). Despite storm warnings, lawyers and lovers Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana travel to a resort on a secluded island in the Florida Keys when a wealthy former client asks for their help with his troubled stepson, Billy, who has confessed to murder. Billy had a history with the victim—a resort employee with a promiscuous reputation and a penchant for causing trouble. But it soon becomes apparent that plenty of people may have wanted Sandra McCoy silenced for good . . . along with anyone who gets in the way. An Edgar Award finalist for the first book in the bestselling series, Suspicion of Innocence, as well as a former prosecutor herself, Barbara Parker once again gives readers a &“lively legal romp&” (Booklist). Suspicion of Madness is the 7th book in the Suspicion series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Suspicion of Guilt: Suspicion Of Innocence, Suspicion Of Guilt, And Suspicion Of Deceit (The Suspicion Series #2)
by Barbara ParkerWhen a Palm Beach widow dies, the dispute over her will turns deadly in this &“breathlessly paced legal thriller&” from a New York Times–bestselling author (Publishers Weekly). When wealthy Palm Beach dowager Althea Tillett dies under suspicious circumstances, it sparks a battle between those in line for an inheritance—including Gail Connor&’s old law school classmate and former lover Patrick Norris. He thinks someone has tampered with his aunt&’s will—preventing him from receiving millions he hoped to use for an urban renewal project. Although discouraged from getting involved by her own law firm and her lover, Cuban-American attorney Anthony Quintana, Gail agrees to look into Althea&’s rapacious relatives. But she soon finds herself in the middle of a family feud that&’s about much more than money. It&’s about secrets, lies, forgery . . . and murder. Written by a former prosecutor, this &“provocative, breathless&” national bestseller &“will surprise you&” (The Plain Dealer).
The Danger of Romance: Truth, Fantasy, and Arthurian Fictions
by Karen SullivanThe curious paradox of romance is that, throughout its history, this genre has been dismissed as trivial and unintellectual, yet people have never ceased to flock to it with enthusiasm and even fervor. In contemporary contexts, we devour popular romance and fantasy novels like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones, reference them in conversations, and create online communities to expound, passionately and intelligently, upon their characters and worlds. But romance is “unrealistic,” critics say, doing readers a disservice by not accurately representing human experiences. It is considered by some to be a distraction from real literature, a distraction from real life, and little more. Yet is it possible that romance is expressing a truth—and a truth unrecognized by realist genres? The Arthurian literature of the Middle Ages, Karen Sullivan argues, consistently ventriloquizes in its pages the criticisms that were being made of romance at the time, and implicitly defends itself against those criticisms. The Danger of Romance shows that the conviction that ordinary reality is the only reality is itself an assumption, and one that can blind those who hold it to the extraordinary phenomena that exist around them. It demonstrates that that which is rare, ephemeral, and inexplicable is no less real than that which is commonplace, long-lasting, and easily accounted for. If romance continues to appeal to audiences today, whether in its Arthurian prototype or in its more recent incarnations, it is because it confirms the perception—or even the hope—of a beauty and truth in the world that realist genres deny.
Shockproof Sydney Skate
by Marijane Meaker M. E. KerrA uniquely witty novel exploring sex, freedom, and the process of growing upSydney Skate considers himself shockproof. For as long as he can remember, he&’s known that his fashionable Manhattan mother is secretly a lesbian, although he&’s never let on that he knows. He spends his summer days caring for snakes at the local pet shop before leaving for college at Cornell, shrugging off his father&’s demands that he skip college and join the exciting world of swimming pool sales for suburbanites.Far from throwing himself into work, Sydney can&’t seem to keep his thoughts from wandering to women. He has memorized the sex scenes of every book he&’s ever read in order to better seduce the opposite gender. When he&’s called to help remove a snake from a bathtub that belongs to the gorgeous and sophisticated Alison Gray, everything changes. But nothing could prepare him for his glamorous mother sweeping the girl of his dreams off her feet.This hypnotizing coming-of-age story captures the timeless ecstasies and struggles of adolescence, and has been a classic of lesbian literature since it was first published in 1973. Hailed as the Catcher in the Rye of the seventies, Shockproof Sydney Skate exposes the confusion of its time and remains keenly relevant to the sexual absurdities of today.This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Marijane Meaker including rare images from the author&’s collection.
Civic Jazz: American Music and Kenneth Burke on the Art of Getting Along
by Gregory ClarkJazz is born of collaboration, improvisation, and listening. In much the same way, the American democratic experience is rooted in the interaction of individuals. It is these two seemingly disparate, but ultimately thoroughly American, conceits that Gregory Clark examines in Civic Jazz. Melding Kenneth Burke’s concept of rhetorical communication and jazz music’s aesthetic encounters with a rigorous sort of democracy, this book weaves an innovative argument about how individuals can preserve and improve civic life in a democratic culture. Jazz music, Clark argues, demonstrates how this aesthetic rhetoric of identification can bind people together through their shared experience in a common project. While such shared experience does not demand agreement—indeed, it often has an air of competition—it does align people in practical effort and purpose. Similarly, Clark shows, Burke considered Americans inhabitants of a persistently rhetorical situation, in which each must choose constantly to identify with some and separate from others. Thought-provoking and path-breaking, Clark’s harmonic mashup of music and rhetoric will appeal to scholars across disciplines as diverse as political science, performance studies, musicology, and literary criticism.
Democracy in Latin America, 1760–1900: Civic Selfhood and Public Life in Mexico and Peru (Morality And Society Ser. #1)
by Carlos A. FormentCarlos Forment's aim in this highly ambitious work is to write the book that Tocqueville would have written had he traveled to Latin America instead of the United States. Drawing on an astonishing level of research, Forment pored over countless newspapers, partisan pamphlets, tabloids, journals, private letters, and travelogues to show in this study how citizens of Latin America established strong democratic traditions in their countries through the practice of democracy in their everyday lives. This first volume of Democracy in Latin America considers the development of democratic life in Mexico and Peru from independence to the late 1890s. Forment traces the emergence of hundreds of political, economic, and civic associations run by citizens in both nations and shows how these organizations became models of and for democracy in the face of dictatorship and immense economic hardship. His is the first book to show the presence in Latin America of civic democracy, something that gave men and women in that region an alternative to market- and state-centered forms of life. In looking beneath institutions of government to uncover local and civil organizations in public life, Forment ultimately uncovers a tradition of edification and inculcation that shaped democratic practices in Latin America profoundly. This tradition, he reveals, was stronger in Mexico than in Peru, but its basic outlines were similar in both nations and included a unique form of what Forment calls Civic Catholicism in order to distinguish itself from civic republicanism, the dominant political model throughout the rest of the Western world.
Journal IV: 1979–1985
by Mircea EliadeJournal IV is the first publication, in a translation from the Romanian manuscript, of the journal that Mircea Eliade kept during the last seven years of his life. In this period, Eliade is ensconced as a famous scholar—his works are being translated into many languages and books about him arrive regularly in the mail. His encounters with scholars of like repute are recorded in the journal; after a party in Paris, Eliade shares a taxi with Claude Lévi-Strauss and inadvertently makes off with his raincoat. Running like a fault line through the peak of his success, however, is Eliade's painful awareness of his physical decline—failing vision, arthritic hands, and continual fatigue. Again and again he repeats how little time he has to finish the projects he is working on—his autobiography, the third and fourth volumes of his History of Religious Ideas, and the duties associated with his editorship of the Encyclopedia of Religion. He poignantly recounts the sharpest blow: the disorganization and eventual destruction by fire of his personal library. Within the scope of Journal IV Eliade and his world go to ruin. What does not decline is the vivid and persistent voice of Eliade the writer, an unbreaking voice that—with death only months away—plans a reply to critics, plots out an article, and ruminates on characters to people another novella.
Wake Up, Stupid
by Mark HarrisOriginally written in 1959, this is the hilariously explosive account of Youngdahl, a novelist, playwright, ex-Mormon, and father of seven. He is a frenzied man who is beginning a letter-writing campaign to escape his curiously ironic situation, and, of course, his profession. Along with Abner Klang, his not-so-literary agent who seems to have misplaced the F key on his typewriter, Youngdahl joins forces with a Mormon bishop, a TV adapter, and a prizefighter, among others, to spearhead a comic revolution.
The Art of the Sword (Night-Threads #5)
by Ru EmersonThe author of the Xena Warrior Princess tie-in books continues her Night-Threads series with a novel of a sword-wielding woman&’s quest to save Rhadaz. The kingdom of Rhadaz has fallen under a dark and deadly shadow, with Chris searching for its magical source. What he gets is more than he bargained for in a willful young woman who has mastered the art of the sword. Her name is Ariadne, a dark beauty with the coil of a cobra and eyes filled with distrust. Reluctantly joining forces, the two of them forge ahead to do battle with Zero, the addictive, dangerous drug that has taken command of Rhadaz. But can they defeat its ruthless overlord, one who has a shocking tie to Ariadne? Don't miss the entire "Night-Threads" Series: The Calling of the Three, The Two in Hiding, One Land One Duke, The Craft of Light, The Art of the Sword, and The Science of Power
Dead Men's Hearts: 27c Disp (The Gideon Oliver Mysteries #8)
by Aaron ElkinsEdgar Award–winning author: &“A cunning plot, a remarkably appealing hero, some uproariously funny dialogue . . . a winning combination.&” —Booklist An ancient skeleton tossed in a garbage dump is the first conundrum to rattle Gideon Oliver when he arrives in Egypt. There to appear in a documentary film, he expects an undemanding week of movie star treatment and a luxurious cruise up the Nile with his wife, Julie. But when Gideon discovers a tantalizing secret in the discarded bones—and violence claims a famous Egyptologist&’s life—he is thrust into a spotlight of a different kind. Plying his calipers as the world&’s foremost forensic anthropologist, Gideon&’s investigation of the goings‑on leads him through the back alleys and bazaars of Cairo and deep into the millennia‑old tombs of the Valley of the Kings. As the puzzle is painstakingly pieced together, Gideon will find that the identifying traits of a cunning killer are the same now as they were in the time of the pyramids: greed without guilt, lies without conscience . . . and murder without remorse. Dead Men&’s Hearts is the 8th book in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Why Not Parties?: Party Effects in the United States Senate
by Nathan W. Monroe, Jason M. Roberts and David W. RohdeRecent research on the U.S. House of Representatives largely focuses on the effects of partisanship, but the strikingly less frequent studies of the Senate still tend to treat parties as secondary considerations in a chamber that gives its members far more individual leverage than congressmen have. In response to the recent increase in senatorial partisanship, Why Not Parties? corrects this imbalance with a series of original essays that focus exclusively on the effects of parties in the workings of the upper chamber. Illuminating the growing significance of these effects, the contributors explore three major areas, including the electoral foundations of parties, partisan procedural advantage, and partisan implications for policy. In the process, they investigate such issues as whether party discipline can overcome Senate mechanisms that invest the most power in individuals and small groups; how parties influence the making of legislation and the distribution of pork; and whether voters punish senators for not toeing party lines. The result is a timely corrective to the notion that parties don’t matter in the Senate—which the contributors reveal is far more similar to the lower chamber than conventional wisdom suggests.
The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode Of The American Civil War
by Stephen CraneThe finest novel of the Civil War, and one of the greatest battle stories ever toldThe question of courage enters Henry Fleming&’s mind the moment he dons the blue uniform of the Union Army. But his first firefight reveals the emptiness of words such as bravery and fear. Pinned in by his comrades, he can only fire his rifle like a cog in a machine. There is no chance to run.Then comes the true test. Waking from a nap, Henry sees the enemy advancing once again. Gripped by an unshakable terror, he flees—from his regiment, from duty, from everything he wanted to believe about himself. A corpse bears witness to his shame.The nightmare has come true. Henry Fleming is a coward. Only one thing can save him now: a visible wound, the red badge of courage. With his regiment&’s colors in hand, Henry looks the enemy in the eye—and charges.Stephen Crane was born six years after Lee&’s surrender at Appomattox and had yet to see a battlefield when he wrote The Red Badge of Courage. Nevertheless, the novel is widely regarded as one of the most realistic depictions of war ever published, and a masterpiece of American literature.This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Live! From Planet Earth: Stories
by George Alec EffingerThe Hugo Award–winning author&’s &“most memorable short stories . . . a tribute from those who best knew his work—his friends, fellow writers, and editors&” (SFRevu). George Alec Effinger was a true master of satirical Science Fiction. Before his death in 2002, he gained the highest esteem amongst his peers for his pitch-perfect stylistic mimicry and his great insight into the human condition. Despite a life filled with chronic illness and pain, Effinger was a prolific novelist and short story writer, earning multiple Nebula and Hugo Award nominations. LIVE! FROM PLANET EARTH represents a very special look at the many works of this unique genius. These 22 short pieces have been specifically selected and introduced by his fellow writers and editors, from Michael Bishop to Jack Dann, Mike Resnick to Neil Gaiman. Each writes about his or her memories of Effinger and his legacy. Included are &“The Aliens Who Knew, I Mean, Everything&” in which Earth is visited by benevolent aliens who happen to have annoying opinions about everything. &“Everything but Honor&” goes along as a black physicist time-travels to 1860 to murder a Civil War general. Also included here are Effinger&’s O.Niemand stories, which perfectly mimic the styles of Steinbeck, Hemingway and Twain. The results are a tour de force sure to please existing fans and make new fans of anyone who reads them.
Dancer of Gor (Gorean Saga #22)
by John NormanA shy librarian from Earth learns her true female nature as a slave dancer on the planet Gor in this fantasy series where men dominate women. Doreen Williamson is a quiet, shy librarian on Earth. Like many other young women, she is distrustful of her attractions, frightened of men, introverted in manner and sexually inhibited. She lives within a quiet, lonely, dissatisfying, sheltered, and frustrated desperation, distant from her true self, her nature denied, her only friends books and her secret thoughts. In the realization and enactment of a profound fantasy, after acute self-conflict, she dares to study a form of dance in which she is at last free to move her body as a female, a form of dance in which she may revel in her beauty and womanhood, a form of dance historically commanded by masters of selected, suitable slaves: belly dance. She must then dance, for the first time, before men. In doing so, she discovers her own desirability and that she may be well bid upon. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Dancer of Gor is the 22nd book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Gingerbread Woman: A Novel
by Jennifer JohnstonA powerful novel, by one of Ireland&’s preeminent writers, of two damaged people and their fateful, restorative friendship For Laurence, trauma came in the form of a random act of violence that claimed his wife and daughter a decade ago. For Clara, it was something she has kept hidden, confined to her own memory and unknown to those closest to her. By chance, they meet atop a cliff overlooking Dublin Bay, where Laurence finds Clara standing uncomfortably close to the edge. Days later they encounter each other again, this time at a pub, and begin a tentative friendship rooted in their kindred heartbreak. Through conversations at once witty, somber, and cuttingly honest, they find a soothing sense of connection and respite from their own lonely grieving. Poignant and engrossing, The Gingerbread Woman is a stirring novel of love and mourning, and of the unlikely friendship that leads two broken people toward a renewed sense of hope.
Fat-Free and Fatal (The Kate Jasper Mysteries #4)
by Jaqueline GirdnerKate Jasper, Marin County, California&’s own organically grown amateur sleuth, returns in this fourth mystery in the series.Kate and her new sweetie have finally moved in together in Fat-Free and Fatal. But her sweetie&’s venomous mother has moved in, too, and she is working hard at destroying the relationship. Kate signs up for a vegetarian cooking class to get out of the house and out from under the prongs of her almost mother‑in‑law&’s tongue. Only it is a case of out‑of‑the‑frying‑pan‑into‑the‑fire when the owner of the class&’s venue, the Good Thyme Cafe, is found dead . . . strangled by the electric cord of a SaladShooter. The police suspect Kate&’s best friend, Barbara. Kate sleuths, fearing that otherwise, her friend&’s fowl‑free goose may be cooked.
The E. S. P. Worm
by Piers Anthony Robert E. MargroffA slimy, telepathic alien throws the universe into chaos in this science fiction classic cowritten by the New York Times–bestselling author. The cast of cosmic characters: A prodigal worm, a telepathic, egotistical, totally unscrupulous little alien running away from his father becomes the biggest prize in the universe. Capture the slimy brat and win an entire planet! A cosmic hustler, an effete snob who ekes out a comfortable living as the president&’s son-in-law and perfects his reflexes with endless contests of cosmic pool, becomes the most important element in a delicate game of interspatial espionage—and the galaxy&’s prime target for assassination. The most sensual woman on Earth, completes the star-crossed triangle in one of the wildest, wickedest romps in the annals of science fiction!
Skeleton Dance (The Gideon Oliver Mysteries #10)
by Aaron ElkinsThe French police call on the Skeleton Detective when a dog digs up some human bones: &“Terrific&” —Publishers Weekly Les‑Eyzies‑de‑Tayac is known for three things: pâté de fois gras, truffles, and prehistoric remains. The little village, in fact, is the headquarters of the prestigious Institute de Préhistoire, which studies the abundant local fossils. But when a pet dog emerges from a nearby cave carrying parts of a human skeleton—by no means a fossilized one—Chief Inspector Lucien Anatole Joly puts in a call to his old friend, Gideon Oliver, the famed &“Skeleton Detective.&” Once Gideon arrives, murder piles on murder, puzzle on puzzle, and twist follows twist in a series of unexpected events that threaten to tear the once sober, dignified Institut apart. It takes a bizarre and startling forensic breakthrough by Gideon to bring to an end a trail of deception thirty‑five thousand years in the making. Skeleton Dance is the 10th book in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.