Romane

Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don't feel like the Final Girl. Not when it's my blood on the knife.

This novel is about Nemo, a minor character who dies early in Dickens's Bleak House and is buried in a pauper graveyard in London. It turns out that Nemo, originally Captain Hawdon, has important relationships with the main characters of the novel. Lady Dedlock, mother of Hawdon's child Esther Summerson, flees from her husband and dies at the gates to this graveyard. Hawdon: A Prequel to Bleak House brings Nemo to life, consistent with the clues laid down by Dickens. Included in this, we follow Captain Hawdon in Afghanistan during the first Afghan war of 1839 to 1842 and then in Ireland during the great famine of the late 1840s. This is a novel about dedication in relationships, the scourge of disease, and anticolonialism in Victorian times.

Joe Di Capra enters his senior year of high school determined to break out of his predictable life and expand his world, as he prepares for the future. His neighborhood on the East Side of Genesee, New York has seen better days. The recession and social upheaval of the late 1970's hit Upstate hard, leaving Joe's East Side in turmoil.With a job at the neighborhood grocery store, a championship run with his CYO basketball team, and success in the classroom, Joe makes great strides in expanding his world and reaching his goals. He meets a new group of friends that are a little rowdier than his Catholic High School buddies and they help Joe in many unexpected ways. Together they stretch the limits of having fun and what used to be acceptable in Joe's predictable life. They secure the job of painting a friend's house with his father paying them with a keg of beer per side finished, vaulting them to the top of the neighborhood social party strata. Everything Joe hoped for was in motion except his biggest goal, finding a girlfriend. Through a quirk of fate, war and magic, a stranger arrives in Genesee and changes everything.

"In the tumultuous Central Plains, power and prestige are fleeting, and today's friend is tomorrow's foe-and Shen Qiao is in the eye of the storm. Following a daring rescue in the midst of a coup that marks the end of a dynasty, the mild-mannered Daoist has no time to rest as rumors of a power struggle call him home to Xuandu Mountain. But before he even reaches his destination, another whisper upon the wind cuts into Shen Qiao's heart: Yan Wushi, not yet fully recovered from his damaged demonic core, has challenged Hulugu of the Gèoktèurks to a battle from which only one will survive. Shen Qiao will need to call upon his martial arts and wits to survive the calamity that surrounds him, but when the dust settles, will what he holds dear still remain?"--

The contemporary figure has somewhat similar characteristics to his father, grandfather, and great grandfather; a soul-searching thinker, all the same, departing from the ruinous while conserving the beneficial side of the culture, customs, and manners in which he was raised and the larger generational dimensions embedded in it.A virtual page-turner, the highly intense and graphically detailed saga reaches its most intense crescendo in this final installment. Characters readily identifiable in your own life, cheek by jowl with the hero and foe, percolate the gamut of your emotions. Rooting for the one while despising the other, you are propelled into the bowels of the narrative.Some personalities appear to be born evil and feed on the environs; others tend to virtue and progress upon it. Protagonists and antagonists are mixed and varied; some are eternal optimists and find happiness even in dark periods; some are risk takers in the will for clarity, putting their reputation on the line; some are perpetually abstruse and find it their sad comfort zone; and then there is the many up and down others.The first and second generation Stanoli patriarchs were fond of saying, "There is nothing greater than loving God and loving your neighbor," and "I am a learner, willing to be corrected and criticized in order to become what I ought to become no matter where it comes from," and "I make it my moral ambition to be happy around others.

This is an exciting tale, full of ups and downs, that will take you through Mike Hawke's life-long experiences. From humble beginnings, Mike Hawke embarks on one adventure after the next, shaped by those he meets along the way. Let yourself become truly immersed in this story, and you won't be able to help forming a strong connection to Mike Hawke, and be there with him as he rises to greatness.

Savannah, a Ukrainian orphan, wakes up in a hospital bed after being raped at an after-school party. She is pregnant as a result but is helped by her American adoptive parents to begin anew. Then life-demands flood in, forcing her to leave her child with her new family and travel across the ocean. Can she still build a future for them both? Savannah never dreams her life is about to play out in a drama that started thousands of years earlier. There we find another Savannah who gets unexpected help from someone who sees her as she is and loves her all the way home.

A Cornucopia from Across the DimensionsMeet a mysterious author and his entourage of shifting realities, eccentric aliens, and batty earthlings, both animal and human. Halycon Sage: world-famous and possibly Native American founder of the Post-Modernist Minimalist Pseudo-Realist Neo-Symbolist School of Literature. Sage's novels and their imitators are measured, not in pages, but in sentences. Four mini-novels are included here, and some fictional characters have taken this opportunity to vent, including a literary critic, an Iraqi-American child, a supervillain, and Sage's side-kick, a very smart horse.You'll also encounter: A Cat-Attorney's thoughts on the subject of dogagories, the Green World and the Worldof Light, and Five Tips for Intergalactic DiplomacyThe real-life adventures of a confused writer stumbling around an airport and the BlackFoam Ball of Ultimate Significance (definitely not a microphone cover!)The sparkly-blue, telepathic Squidren and the microscopically invisible but still red-and-silver Nanobots.May the horse be with you.Karima Vargas Bushnell (MA, Intercultural Relations) is a character made up by Halycon Sage and introduced in The Book of Squidly Light. Or-wait, this is confusing-Is Sage a character made up by Karima in The Last Book Ever Published: The Life and Times of Halycon Sage? These books flow from Karima's patchwork quilt of religious and cultural identities, the people she has known, and some experiences with non-ordinary reality.

She's my weakness, my obsession. And now my prisoner.I spent twelve long years in a Siberian prison.Since my release, nothing's held my interest.Nothing except her.Week after week, I watch her band perform.I can't get her out of my mind.When my past catches up to me, she becomes a target.The only way to save her is to lock her away.Hold her prisoner until things blow over.She'll never forgive me now, but I can't explain.I can't talk.

Life in the 1950s and 60s sometimes appears to have been lived by people from another planet. Such is the difference in lifestyle between now and then. Computers, social media, and all the problems that come with living in the 21st century were a distant dream (or nightmare). Life was lived at a slower pace, and people had more time for one another. This is not to say that times couldn't be hard, and life certainly wasn't always a 'bed of roses'. Through it all, there was always a shoulder to lean on, or a nice cup of tea made by a friend or neighbour, who would listen patiently to your troubles or triumphs (counsellors extraordinaire!) There appeared to be no shortage of characters, and everyone had a tale to tell. 'A peck of dirt won't kill you,' was a well-used adage, and from childhood to old age, people were less fearful than today, thus allowing them to live their lives to the full. This book is about the people who lived through those times, their quirks and habits, their generosity and good humour. Humour plays a big part in this book, with a sprinkling of every other human emotion. The author sincerely hopes that young and old will enjoy looking back at a bygone time which was only 60 short years ago.

From thoughts and words arranged on a sheet of paper, these words pushed with feelings, and overlaid in emotions. Actions and reactions, life takes on a new direction. Moments addressed in time. The gourmet of words to feed on. More thoughts, more dreams. The passing of the older generation and lacing words together to draw understanding. Reaching inward to draw on the blackness of my mind to share the gourmet of words to feed on. Time served in America. The truths and the untruths. And I am still writing backward. To wonder where I am from. How clear is it to see where you are going? And tomorrow will not be here until twelve o'clock. All the engagement between the pen and paper, black ink placed upon white sheets of paper, and at times thinking like Thomas Darwin, black crows and white swans placed in the same pond. The effects of matching the right colors, that we have the perfect room. And yet those are times when questions are asked but the answers never came. When did a black man realize that he was a black man, seeing things in a different way, but looking at the same thing? History with all its curves and turns, the past, the present, and the future. I find myself locked with in these words and feelings and covered in emotions. And at the same time the clear color of tears are the same tears, for happiness or sadness.

The Pink War boldly explores the compelling intersection of love, loyalty, and courage amid the brutal backdrop of World War II. Follow two working-class men as they answer their nation's call, battling against the forces of Nazism and Fascism across North Africa, Italy, and Western Europe. As soldiers, they earn their stripes and prove their mettle. Yet, beyond the battlefield, they face an equally formidable challenge: concealing their illicit love for each other in a time when same-sex relationships are condemned. This gripping tale uncovers the complexities of love in a world at war, offering a poignant tribute to devotion and friendship under the most trying of circumstances.

Merry Stenzel, die Tochter eines Wiener Modeunternehmers, steht nach dem Verkauf der Firma vor neuen Herausforderungen. Sie muss sich entscheiden. Bleibt sie oder arbeitet sie als Anwältin in einer Kanzlei?Der neue Besitzer Phillip Dreußig, erkennt nicht nur ihr kreatives Talent in Sachen Modedesign ¿ Er versucht sie mit allen Mitteln zu halten.Bei einer Theaterprämiere ihrer Freundin Carlotta begegnet sie Andrej, einem russischen Diplomaten. Er führt sie in die Wiener Kunst- und Kulturszene ein. Aus der Bekanntschaft wird eine romantische Beziehung. Doch bald ziehen dunkle Wolken auf ¿"Ein modischer Schachzug" nimmt uns mit in die Welt der Mode und Kunst. Es ist ein Roman, der die Sehnsüchte und Alltagsprobleme aus der Sicht Merrys widerspiegelt und charmant, aber auch spannend unterhält.

1976. Suzana et son mari débarquent des États-Unis pour s'installer dans une maison cossue des bords de Loire. Dany, trentenaire esseulé, est chargé de s'occuper de leur jardin mais, très vite, le malaise s'installe.Dix ans plus tôt, en Californie. Suzana cherche sa place dans le monde, accompagnée de Stuart pour qui elle a tout quitté. Leur vie de Bohème à la Jack Kerouac les mène à San Francisco, en plein Summer of Love, où ils espèrent des lendemains meilleurs. Entre deux manifestations psychédéliques et enflammées, les amants se débattent avec leur passé.Porté par une plume vivante et lumineuse, L'été nous va si mal est un voyage captivant dans une époque charnière de l'histoire où l'utopie se heurte à une réalité violente.

Eine Geschichte der 5-jährigen Leonora Avdili, welche eines Tages gezwungen wird, ihre Heimat, ihre Kindheit und ihre Erinnerungen im Kosovo zu verlassen. Gemeinsam mit ihrer Mutter und ihren Geschwistern fliehen sie nach Deutschland, in der Hoffnung, sich ein neues Leben aufbauen zu können. Doch egal wie viele Jahre auch vergehen, Leonora wird immer mit jeglicher Art von Diskriminierung und Benachteiligung konfrontiert. Währenddessen holen sie die schrecklichen Erinnerungen an das, was sie als Kind mitansehen musste, immer wieder ein. Leonora scheint wie viele andere Kriegsüberlebende gefangen zu sein zwischen ihrer Zukunft und ihrer Vergangenheit.Mit konkreten Ausführungen und bewegenden Geschichten zur Zeit des Kosovokrieges zwischen 1998 und 1999, eindrücklichen Biografien der Pioniere in der kosovarischen Geschichte und vielem mehr.

Claudia und Thomas sind seit 22 Jahren glücklich verheiratet und haben drei gemeinsame Kinder. Seit geraumer Zeit hat Thomas viel Stress bei der Arbeit und ist diesbezüglich absolut überfordert. Er vernachlässigt dadurch seine Frau zusehends und im Bett herrscht schon lange Funkstille. Claudia leidet sehr darunter. Als Thomas auf Geschäftsreise ist, bekommt sie Besuch von Philipp, einem langjährigen Freund ihres Mannes. Claudia lässt sich auf ein verhängnisvolles Abenteuer ein. Er ist besessen von ihr und entführt sie eines Tages in eine Waldhütte . . .

Im Spiegel des andern, über ihn hinausist die Liebe aufs Unendliche gerichtet.So ist sie schmerzliche Liebe, so ist sie religiös.Sie will sich. Sie will sich vollkommen.Sie will sich vollkommen wissen.

'¿Das Lied des Propheten¿ ist große Literatur. Absolut lesenswert.'¿Das Erste - titel, thesen, temperamente¿An einem regennassen Abend in Dublin öffnet die Wissenschaftlerin und vierfache Mutter Eilish Stack ihre Haustür und steht zwei Beamten der neu gegründeten irischen Geheimpolizei gegenüber. Sie sind gekommen, um ihren Mann Larry, einen bekannten Gewerkschafter, zu verhören. Kurz nach dieser Begegnung verschwindet Larry, und sehr schnell beginnen die Dinge in Eilishs Welt aus dem Ruder zu laufen. Paul Lynchs meisterhafter Roman ist das Buch der Stunde - und ein Appell, die entstehenden autoritären Regime der Gegenwart zu bekämpfen. 'Es hat nur einmal in einem Jahrhundert einen Franz Kafka gegeben; und in diesem gibt es nur einen Paul Lynch.'¿NZZ

«Gut behauptet ist halb bewiesen»Ergeben Tempo-30-Zonen in Städten Sinn, wie unterschiedlich funktionieren Mann und Frau beim Möbelkauf, und weshalb lohnt sich das sogenannte Schöntrinken nur bedingt? - In «Gut behauptet ist halb bewiesen» erhalten Sie fundierte Informationen eines Experten, der es mit Sicherheit nicht weiss.Nach seinem erfolgreichen Erstling «Halbwissen ist ganz stark verbreitet - über Unwissen weiss man zu wenig» legt Jürg Ritzmann satirisch nach: Die besten Beiträge der Rubrik «Ritzmann erklärt die Welt» aus dem Humor- und Satiremagazin «Nebelspalter» zusammengefasst und illustriert. Als wäre das nicht genug, gibt es teils unveröffentlichte Texte obendrauf.«Gut behauptet ist halb bewiesen» punktet mit miesen Vergleichen, absurden Gedankenspielen und teils wirren Ausführungen, - stets mit einer gehörigen Portion Selbstironie und Humor. - Ein Schmankerl für Satirefreunde und alle, die es eigentlich nie werden wollten.

Kann Catherine als Trauzeugin ihrer besten Freundin ihr eigenes Happy End finden?Eine liebevolle, romantische Komödie für gemütliche LesestundenNach einer herben Bruchlandung in Sachen Liebe kommt Catherines Privatleben zum Stillstand. Das Einzige, was wirklich nach Plan läuft, ist ihr Job, doch ansonsten macht sie es sich in ihrem sicheren Schneckenhaus gemütlich. Erst durch die Rolle der Trauzeugin auf der Hochzeit ihrer besten Freundin kommt wieder ein bisschen Schwung in Cathis Leben - und damit auch eine Menge Ärger. Plötzlich steht sie vor der Herausforderung, das perfekte Hochzeitsgeschenk für das Brautpaar zu planen und das auch noch zusammen mit Tom, dem ungehobelten Trauzeugen des Bräutigams. Eigentlich hält Cathi nicht viel von Typen wie Tom, die nur auf den nächsten One-Night-Stand aus sind - wenn er nur nicht so verdammt attraktiv wäre!Dies ist eine überarbeitete Neuausgabe des bereits erschienenen Titels Hochzeitsgeschenke, Traummänner und andere Überraschungen.Erste Leser:innenstimmen„Charmant, witzig und unbeschwert - eine Feel-Good Romance zum Verlieben!"„Eine wunderschöne, romantische Komödie um die Seele baumeln zu lassen."„Romantik zum Mitfiebern, Mitlachen, Entspannen und Träumen" „Man kann gar nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen! Ich musste am Wochenende alles stehen und liegen lassen um herauszufinden, ob Cathi und Tom endlich zusammenfinden."