Once, Special Agent Smoky Barrett hunted serial killers for the FBI. She was one of the bestuntil a madman terrorized her family, killed her husband and daughter, and left her face scarred and her soul brutalized. Turning the tables on the killer, Smoky shot him deadbut her life was shattered forever. Now Smoky dreams about picking up her weapon again. She dreams about placing the cold steel between her lips and pulling the trigger one last time. Because for a woman who's lost everything, what is there left to lose? She's about to find out. In all her years at the Bureau, Smoky has never encountered anyone like hima new and fascinating kind of monster, a twisted genius who defies profilers' attempts to understand him. And he's issued Smoky a direct challenge, coaxing her back from the brink with the only thing that could convince her to live. The killer videotaped his latest crimean act of horror that left a child motherlessthen sent a message addressed to Agent Smoky Barrett. The message is enough to shock Smoky back to work, back to her FBI team. And that child awakens something in Smoky she thought was gone forever. Suddenly the stakes are raised. The game has changed. For as this deranged monster embarks on an unspeakable spree of perversion and murder, Smoky is coming alive againand she's about to face her greatest fears as a cop, a woman, a mother . . . and a merciless killer's next victim.
Introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah Commentary by Jean Fagan Yellin and Margaret Fuller This Modern Library edition combines two of the most important African American slave narratives—crucial works that each illuminate and inform the other. Frederick Douglass's Narrative, first published in 1845, is an enlightening and incendiary text. Born into slavery, Douglass became the preeminent spokesman for his people during his life; his narrative is an unparalleled account of the dehumanizing effects of slavery and Douglass's own triumph over it. Like Douglass, Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery, and in 1861 she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now recognized as the most comprehensive antebellum slave narrative written by a woman. Jacobs's account broke the silence on the exploitation of African American female slaves, and it remains essential reading. Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide
This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart.';A must-read for science-fiction buffs and literature enjoyers alike.'The Guardian I, Robot, the first and most widely read book in Asimov's Robot series, forever changed the world's perception of artificial intelligence. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-reading robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the worldall told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov's trademark. The Three Laws of Robotics: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov formulated the laws governing robots' behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant futurea future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. ';Tremendously exciting and entertaining . . . Asimov dramatizes an interesting question: How can we live with machines that, generation by generation, grow more intelligent than their creators and not eventually clash with our own invention?'The Chicago Tribune
Luke Skywalker dreamed of adventures out among the stars and alien worlds. But when he intercepted a message from a beautiful captive princess, he got more than he had bargained forand that was how the adventure of his life began. . . .
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Scotland, 1766. Sentenced to a life of misery in the brutal coal mines, twenty-one-year-old Mack McAsh hungers for escape. His only ally: the beautiful, highborn Lizzie Hallim, who is trapped in her own kind of hell. Though separated by politics and position, these two restless young people are bound by their passionate search for a place called freedom. From the teeming streets of London to the infernal hold of a slave ship to a sprawling Virginia plantation, Ken Follett's turbulent, unforgettable novel of liberty and revolution brings together a vivid cast of heroes and villains, lovers and rebels, hypocrites and hell-raisersall propelled by destiny toward an epic struggle that will change their lives forever.
"e;Extraordinary...Rich in irony and regret...[the] people and settings are vividly realized and his prose [is] compelling in its simplicity."e; THE WALL STREET JOURNAL As the world slips into the throes of war in 1939, young Maciek's once closetted existence outside Warsaw is no more. When Warsaw falls, Maciek escapes with his aunt Tania. Together they endure the war, running, hiding, changing their names, forging documents to secure their temporary livesas the insistent drum of the Nazi march moves ever closer to them and to their secret wartime lies. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Louis Begley's Memories of a Marriage.
';A madcap adventure . . . Adams's writing teeters on the fringe of inspired lunacy.'United Press InternationalBack on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on.God only knows what it all means. Fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?';The most ridiculously exaggerated situation comedy known to created beings . . . Adams is irresistible.'The Boston Globe
';Douglas Adams is a terrific satirist.'The Washington Post Book WorldFacing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons? Time for a cup of tea! Join the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his uncommon comrades in arms in their desperate search for a place to eat, as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbability.Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a longtime friend and expert contributor to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food speaks for itself (literally).';What's such fun is how amusing the galaxy looks through Adams's sardonically silly eyes.'Detroit Free Press
A gripping tale of psychological suspense perfect for the readership of Minette Walters and Ruth Rendell, Half Broken Things is a novel that peers into the lives of three dangerously lost peopleand the ominous haven they find when they find each other.Jean is a house sitter at the end of a dreary career. Steph is nine months pregnant and on the run. And Michael is a thief. Through a mixture of deceit, good luck, and misfortune, these three damaged loners have come together at a secluded country home called Walden Manor. Now all three have found what they needed most: a new beginning, a little kindness, a little love. Living off the manors riches, tending its grounds and gardens, they leave the outside world far behind and build a happiness so long denied them. That is, until the first unexpected visitor arrives...igniting a chain reaction that is at once spellbinding and disastrous.A stunning, thought-provoking crime novel of chilling moral complexity, Half Broken Things is a gripping, haunting exploration of love and our need for it, of the damage done when we go long without it, and the deeds we might be driven to in its name.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *; Set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, the never-before-told story that began with Star Wars: Aftermath continues in this thrilling novel, the second book of Chuck Wendig's bestselling trilogy.It is a dark time for the Empire. . . .The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee's homeworld of Kashyyyk. Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire's remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and more officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, and Norra fears Sloane may be searching for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. But the hunt for Sloane is cut short when Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambushresulting in Chewie's capture and Han's disappearance. Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward the Millennium Falcon's last known location, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can't anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits themor the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.Praise for Aftermath: Life Debt';Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt has found its place at the top of all the new canon works. Simply, outstandingly great Star Wars.'Star Wars Post ';[Chuck] Wendig once again strikes gold, offering a sweeping narrative with plenty of insight into both the state of the galaxy at large and beloved characters both new and old.'Alternative Nation ';With an intense plot, political intrigue and great characterization, Wendig's Aftermath: Life Debt is an excellent read.'Flickering Myth Praise for Chuck Wendig's Aftermath ';Star Wars: Aftermath [reveals] what happened after the events of 1983's Return of the Jedi. It turns out, there's more than just the Empire for the good guys to worry about.'The Hollywood Reporter ';The Force is strong with Star Wars: Aftermath.'Alternative Nation ';The Star Wars universe is fresh and new again, and just as rich and mysterious as it always was.'Den of Geek
Witness the rise of the Empire with these two thrilling Star Wars novelsplus exclusive short stories by Melissa Scott, John Jackson Miller, and Jason Fry!TARKIN';Compelling . . . The villains ofStar Warsare as much fun as the good guys.'New YorkDaily NewsUnder Governor Wilhuff Tarkin's guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destructionthe so-called Death Starmoves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. Until then, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Guerrilla attacks by an elusive band of freedom fighters must be countered with swift and brutal actiona mission the Emperor entrusts to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer, and Tarkin, whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire's supremacyand its enemies' extinction. A NEW DAWN Foreword by Dave Filoni ';A story with pacing and dialogue that feels like classic Star Wars.'Nerdist Ever since the Jedi were marked for death, Kanan Jarrus has devoted himself to staying alive rather than serving the Force. So when he discovers a conflict brewing between Imperial forces and desperate revolutionaries, he's not about to get caught in the crossfire. Then the brutal death of a friend forces him to choose between bowing down to fear or standing up to fight. But Jarrus won't be fighting alone. Soon he is joined by Hera Syndullaa mysterious agent provocateur with motives of her ownin challenging the Empire for the sake of a world and its people.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *;For nearly two thousand years, only one Druid has walked the EarthAtticus O'Sullivan, the Iron Druid, whose sharp wit and sharp sword have kept him alive as he's been pursued by a pantheon of hostile deities. Now he's got company.This ebook edition includes a special preview of Kevin Hearne's upcoming novelA Plague of Giants. Atticus's apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What's more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy. And Owen has some catching up to do. Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. Between busting Atticus's chops and trying to fathom a cell phone, Owen must also learn English. For Atticus, the jury's still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Lokior merely a pain in the arse. But Atticus isn't the only one with daddy issues. Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer's spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.As the trio of Druids deals with pestilence-spreading demons, bacon-loving yeti, fierce flying foxes, and frenzied Fae, they're hoping that this time, three's a charm.Don't miss any of Kevin Hearne's phenomenal Iron Druid Chronicles novels: HOUNDED | HEXED | HAMMERED | TRICKED | TRAPPED | HUNTED | SHATTERED | STAKEDPraise for Shattered';Funny, razor-sharp . . . Plenty of action, humor, and mythology keep this book fun and interesting.'Booklist (starred review) ';Uproariously entertaining in a way that Hearne is uniquely able to achieve . . . [Shattered] has the feeling of a new beginning for its hero and for the series.'RT Book Reviews';This series just gets bigger and better, and Shattered shows no signs of it slowing down.'Vampire Book Club ';Well and truly awesome.'Fangs for the Fantasy ';So much fun to read!'Hidden in Pages ';[With] clever writing and engrossing story-telling, it's impossible not to get completely absorbed into the world Kevin [Hearne] has created.'Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks Praise for Kevin Hearne and The Iron Druid Chronicles';Clever, fast paced and a good escape.'Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing';[Kevin] Hearne is a terrific storyteller with a great snarky wit. . . . Neil Gaiman's American Gods meets Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden.'SFFWorld ';Celtic mythology and an ancient Druid with modern attitude mix it up in the Arizona desert in this witty new fantasy series.'Kelly Meding, author of Tempest ';[Atticus is] a strong modern hero with a long history and the wit to survive in the twenty-first century. . . . A snappy narrative voice.'Library Journal, on Hounded ';Outrageously fun.'The Plain Dealer, on Hounded ';Superb . . . plenty of quips and zap-pow-bang fighting.'Publishers Weekly (starred review), on Hounded
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, andfor the first time everwritten entirely from Luke Skywalker's first-person point of view.Luke Skywalker's game-changing destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire. Though he's a long way from mastering the power of the Force, there's no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilotand in the eyes of Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar, there's no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause. A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire's purposes. But the prospective spy's sympathies lie with the Rebels, and she's willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family. It's an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that's too precious to pass up. It's also a job that demands the element of surprise. So Luke and the ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 swap their trusty X-wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen, daughter of a biotech mogul, who's got a score of her own to settle with the Empire. Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards, death-dealing enemy battleships, merciless bounty hunters, and monstrous brain-eating parasites, Luke plunges head-on into a high-stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would-be Jedi to the limit. If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger, it's now. But Luke will have to rely on himself, his friends, and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive.Praise for Heir to the Jedi ';Utterly compelling . . . [The novel] plants readers in Luke Skywalker's boots in the early days of his heroism, during the weeks after he blew up the Death Star.'New York Daily News ';An excellent book with rich characters, bubbling humor and poignant emotion.'Roqoo Depot ';Entertaining . . . action-packed . . . suspenseful.'New York Journal of Books ';Great . . . [an] entertaining introduction into understanding Luke's character . . . There are moments in The Empire Strikes Back that I now point to and say, ';I understand how he got there,' and it's because of this novel.'The Wookiee Gunner ';Pure Star Wars . . . From shoot-outs to narrow escapes, I could practically hear John Williams's score playing in my heada credit to Kevin Hearne, to be sure.'Coffee with Kenobi ';A must-read for fans . . . I left with a much closer understanding of who Luke Skywalker is, and an even deeper admiration for the character. All things are connected in the Force, and I feel more connected to Luke after reading Heir to the Jedi.'Comicbook
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERPowerhouse author Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are ';as entertaining as ever' (Entertainment Weekly), ';brilliantly evocative' (The Denver Post), and ';making trouble and winning hearts' (USA Today). Stephanie Plum has her sights set on catching a notorious mob boss. If she doesn't take him down, he may take her out. New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore ';Uncle Sunny' Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it's up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him innot his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, becausejust Stephanie's luckthe godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail. It's not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client's mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie's Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she's working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the looseand the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor. With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Janet Evanovich's Top Secret Twenty-One.
From New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks comes a thrilling stand-alone novel in his legendary Shannara seriesthe perfect place for new readers to begin.After taking up his enchanted sword against the dark sorcerer Arcannen, Paxon Leah has become the sworn protector of the Druid order. Now a critical hour is at hand, as a beloved High Druid nears the end of her reign and prepares to pass from the mortal world to the one beyond. There is little time for Paxon to mourn his friend and benefactor before duty summons him. For in a distant corner of the Four Lands, the magic of the wishsong has been detected. Paxon must accompany a Druid emissary to find its sourceand ensure the formidable power is not wielded by the wrong hands. But danger is already afoot in the village of Portlow. Gentle traveling minstrel Reyn Frosch possesses the uncanny gift, and curse, of the wishsong. And now his coveted abilities have captured the malevolent interest of none other than Arcannenwhose quest for power is exceeded only by his thirst for vengeance. The lone survivor of a brutal assault on a notorious pirate city, the sorcerer is determined to retaliate against the Federation's elite military guardand use the devastating power of the wishsong as his ultimate weapon.Praise for The Darkling Child ';Brimming with magic . . . a bubbling cauldron of fantasy and intrigue. This novel shines best through a full-bodied embrace of its most wildly imaginative magic and artifice, which is careful not to overshadow the story's greater half, fueled by a complex but well-constructed manifold of motives. The intrigue, grounded in a world that strays just enough from a traditional fantasy universe to elicit delighted curiosity, guarantees a solid fantasy read, especially for those already drawn into Brooks's vast world of Shannara.'Booklist ';Brooks's fans and those who prefer their fantasy on a smaller scale will appreciate the more personal but still high-stakes turn in this famous world.'Publishers Weekly Praise for Terry Brooks ';The Sword of Shannara is an unforgettable and wildly entertaining epic, animated by Terry Brooks's cosmically generative imagination and storytelling joy.'Karen Russell, New York Times bestselling author of Swamplandia! ';If Tolkien is the grandfather of modern fantasy, Terry Brooks is its favorite uncle.'Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Desert Spear ';I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and reread) over the years. From Shannara to Landover, his work was a huge part of my childhood.'Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind ';Terry Brooks is a master of the craft and a trailblazer who established fantasy as a viable genre. He is required reading.'Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Angel Trilogy ';The Shannara books were among the first to really capture my imagination. My daydreams and therefore my stories will always owe a debt to Terry Brooks.'Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Beyonders and Fablehaven series
This ebook edition includes a special preview of Kevin Hearne's upcoming novelA Plague of Giants.Druid Atticus O'Sullivan hasn't stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they've chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he's been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he's got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won't be fooled again. Famous last words.Don't miss any of Kevin Hearne's phenomenal Iron Druid Chronicles novels: HOUNDED | HEXED | HAMMERED | TRICKED | TRAPPED | HUNTED | SHATTERED | STAKED
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *;NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, BOOKPAGE, AND SHELF AWARENESS*;';Paula McLain is considered the new star of historical fiction, and for good reason. Fans of The Paris Wife will be captivated by Circling the Sun, which . . . is both beautifully written and utterly engrossing.'Ann Patchett, Country LivingThis powerful novel transports readers to the breathtaking world of Out of Africa1920s Kenyaand reveals the extraordinary adventures of Beryl Markham, a woman before her time. Brought to Kenya from England by pioneering parents dreaming of a new life on an African farm, Beryl is raised unconventionally, developing a fierce will and a love of all things wild. But after everything she knows and trusts dissolves, headstrong young Beryl is flung into a string of disastrous relationships, then becomes caught up in a passionate love triangle with the irresistible safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and the writer Baroness Karen Blixen. Brave and audacious and contradictory, Beryl will risk everything to have Denys's love, but it's ultimately her own heart she must conquer to embrace her true calling and her destiny: to fly.Praise for Circling the Sun';In McLain's confident hands, Beryl Markham crackles to life, and we readers truly understand what made a woman so far ahead of her time believe she had the power to soar.'Jodi Picoult, author of Leaving Time';Enchanting . . . a worthy heir to [Isak] Dinesen . . . Like Africa as it's so gorgeously depicted here, this novel will never let you go.'The Boston Globe';Famed aviator Beryl Markham is a novelist's dream. . . . [A] wonderful portrait of a complex woman who liveddefiantlyon her own terms.'People (Book of the Week)';Circling the Sunsoars.'Newsday';Captivating . . . [an] irresistible novel.'The Seattle Times';Like its high-flying subject,Circling theSunis audacious and glamorous and hard not to be drawn in by. Beryl Markham may have married more than once, but she was nobody's wife.'Entertainment Weekly';[An] eloquent evocation of Beryl's daring life.'O: The Oprah Magazine
#1 bestselling author Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are: ';irresistible' (Houston Chronicle), ';stunning' (Booklist), ';outrageous' (Publishers Weekly), ';brilliantly evocative' (The Denver Post), and ';making trouble and winning hearts' (USA Today). New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don't just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don't do what Tiki tells you to do. After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie's bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton's premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it's on Stephanie to track him down. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff's lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it's hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie's Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case. The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for moneyor maybe just desperateStephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then againa little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid's dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she'll have to remember: No guts, no glory.BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Janet Evanovich's Takedown Twenty.
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER*;NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BYSAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI's secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini's spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican's role in the rise of Fascism in Europe. The Pope and Mussolini tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of twentieth-century history. In most respects, they could not have been more different. One was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. Yet Pius XI and ';Il Duce' had many things in common. They shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of Communism. Both were prone to sudden fits of temper and were fiercely protective of the prerogatives of their office. (';We have many interests to protect,' the Pope declared, soon after Mussolini seized control of the government in 1922.) Each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals. In a challenge to the conventional history of this period, in which a heroic Church does battle with the Fascist regime, Kertzer shows how Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini's dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. In exchange for Vatican support, Mussolini restored many of the privileges the Church had lost and gave in to the pope's demands that the police enforce Catholic morality. Yet in the last years of his lifeas the Italian dictator grew ever closer to Hitlerthe pontiff's faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. With his health failing, he began to lash out at the Duce and threatened to denounce Mussolini's anti-Semitic racial laws before it was too late. Horrified by the threat to the Church-Fascist alliance, the Vatican's inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the Church and the dictator for many years. The Pope and Mussolini brims with memorable portraits of the men who helped enable the reign of Fascism in Italy: Father Pietro Tacchi Venturi, Pius's personal emissary to the dictator, a wily anti-Semite known as Mussolini's Rasputin; Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy, an object of widespread derision who lacked the statureliterally and figurativelyto stand up to the domineering Duce; and Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli, whose political skills and ambition made him Mussolini's most powerful ally inside the Vatican, and positioned him to succeed the pontiff as the controversial Pius XII, whose actions during World War II would be subject for debate for decades to come. With the recent opening of the Vatican archives covering Pius XI's papacy, the full story of the Pope's complex relationship with his Fascist partner can finally be told. Vivid, dramatic, with surprises at every turn, The Pope and Mussolini is history writ large and with the lightning hand of truth.
A New York Times Notable Book *;One of the ten top novels of the yearTime and NPR NAMED A BEST BOOK ON MORE THAN TWENTY END-OF-THE-YEAR LISTS, INCLUDING The New Yorker *; The Atlantic *; The Economist *; Newsweek/The Daily Beast *; The New Republic *; New York Daily News *; Los Angeles Times *; The Boston Globe *; The Seattle Times *; Minneapolis Star Tribune *; GQ *; Salon *; Slate *; New York magazine *; The Week *; The Kansas City Star *; Kirkus ReviewsA haunting novel about identity, dislocation, and history, Teju Cole's Open City is a profound work by an important new author who has much to say about our country and our world. Along the streets of Manhattan, a young Nigerian doctor named Julius wanders, reflecting on his relationships, his recent breakup with his girlfriend, his present, his past. He encounters people from different cultures and classes who will provide insight on his journeywhich takes him to Brussels, to the Nigeria of his youth, and into the most unrecognizable facets of his own soul.';[A] prismatic debut . . . beautiful, subtle, [and] original.'The New Yorker ';A psychological hand grenade.'The Atlantic ';Magnificent . . . a remarkably resonant feat of prose.'The Seattle Times ';A precise and poetic meditation on love, race, identity, friendship, memory, [and] dislocation.'The Economist
NATIONAL BESTSELLERCertain lives are at once so exceptional, and yet so in step with their historical moments, that they illuminate cultural forces far beyond the scope of a single person. Such is the case with Coco Chanel, whose life offers one of the most fascinating tales of the twentieth centurythrowing into dramatic relief an era of war, fashion, ardent nationalism, and earth-shaking changehere brilliantly treated, for the first time, with wide-ranging and incisive historical scrutiny. Coco Chanel transformed forever the way women dressed. Her influence remains so pervasive that to this day we can see her afterimage a dozen times while just walking down a single street: in all the little black dresses, flat shoes, costume jewelry, cardigan sweaters, and tortoiseshell eyeglasses on women of every age and background. A bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume is sold every three seconds. Arguably, no other individual has had a deeper impact on the visual aesthetic of the world. But how did a poor orphan become a global icon of both luxury and everyday style? How did she develop such vast, undying influence? And what does our ongoing love of all things Chanel tell us about ourselves? These are the mysteries that Rhonda K. Garelick unravels in Mademoiselle. Raised in rural poverty and orphaned early, the young Chanel supported herself as best she could. Then, as an uneducated nineteen-year-old cafe singer, she attracted the attention of a wealthy and powerful admirer and parlayed his support into her own hat design business. For the rest of Chanel's life, the professional, personal, and political were interwoven; her lovers included diplomat Boy Capel; composer Igor Stravinsky; Romanov heir Grand Duke Dmitri; Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster; poet Pierre Reverdy; a Nazi officer; and several women as well. For all that, she was profoundly alone, her romantic life relentlessly plagued by abandonment and tragedy. Chanel's ambitions and accomplishments were unparalleled. Her hat shop evolved into a clothing empire. She became a noted theatrical and film costume designer, collaborating with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Luchino Visconti. The genius of Coco Chanel, Garelick shows, lay in the way she absorbed the zeitgeist, reflecting it back to the world in her designs and in what Garelick calls ';wearable personality'the irresistible and contagious style infused with both world history and Chanel's nearly unbelievable life saga. By age forty, Chanel had become a multimillionaire and a household name, and her Chanel Corporation is still the highest-earning privately owned luxury goods manufacturer in the world. In Mademoiselle, Garelick delivers the most probing, well-researched, and insightful biography to date on this seemingly familiar but endlessly surprising figurea work that is truly both a heady intellectual study and a literary page-turner.Praise for Mademoiselle ';A detailed, wry and nuanced portrait of a complicated woman that leaves the reader in a state of utterly satisfying confusionblissfully mesmerized and confounded by the reality of the human spirit.'The Washington Post';Writing an exhaustive biography of Chanel is a challenge comparable to racing a four-horse chariot. . . . This makes the assured confidence with which Garelick tells her story all the more remarkable.'The New York Review of Books';Broadly focused and beautifully written.'The Wall Street Journal
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *; A deliciously dark tale of America's dysfunctional coming yearsand the timeless and tender feelings that just might bring us back from the brink.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times *; The Washington Post *; The Boston Globe *; San Francisco Chronicle *; The Seattle Times *; O: The Oprah Magazine *; Maureen Corrigan, NPR *; Salon *; Slate *; Minneapolis Star Tribune *; St. Louis Post-Dispatch *; The Kansas City Star *; Charlotte Observer *; The Globe and Mail *; Vancouver Sun *; Montreal Gazette *; Kirkus ReviewsIn the near future, America is crushed by a financial crisis and our patient Chinese creditors may just be ready to foreclose on the whole mess. Then Lenny Abramov, son of an Russian immigrant janitor and ardent fan of ';printed, bound media artifacts' (aka books), meets Eunice Park, an impossibly cute Korean American woman with a major in Images and a minor in Assertiveness. Could falling in love redeem a planet falling apart?
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this, the extraordinary conclusion of the ice-age epic series, Earth's Children®, Ayla, Jondalar, and their infant daughter, Jonayla, are living with the Zelandonii in the Ninth Cave. Ayla has been chosen as an acolyte to a spiritual leader and begins arduous training tasks. Whatever obstacles she faces, Ayla finds inventive ways to lessen the difficulties of daily life, searching for wild edibles to make meals and experimenting with techniques to ease the long journeys the Zelandonii must take while honing her skills as a healer and a leader. And there are the Sacred Caves that Ayla's mentor takes her to see. They are filled with remarkable paintings of mammoths, lions, and bears, and their mystical aura at times overwhelms Ayla. But all the time Ayla has spent in training rituals has caused Jondalar to drift away from her. The rituals themselves bring her close to death, but through them Ayla gains A Gift of Knowledge so important that it will change her world. Sixth in the acclaimed Earth's Children® series
#1NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER *; ';Prepare to be entranced by this addictively readable oral history of the great war between humans and zombies.'Entertainment WeeklyWe survived the zombie apocalypse, but how many of us are still haunted by that terrible time? We have (temporarily?) defeated the living dead, but at what cost? Told in the haunting and riveting voices of the men and women who witnessed the horror firsthand,World War Zis the only record of theapocalypticyears.The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time.World War Zis the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.THE INSPIRATION FOR THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE';Will spook you for real.'The New York Times Book Review';Possesses more creativity and zip than entire crates of other new fiction titles. ThinkMad MaxmeetsThe Hot Zone. . . . It'sApocalypse Now, pandemic-style. Creepy but fascinating.'USA Today';Will grab you as tightly as a dead man's fist. A.'Entertainment Weekly,EW Pick';Probably the most topical and literate scare since Orson Welles'sWar of the Worldsradio broadcast . . . This is action-packed social-political satire with a global view.'Dallas Morning News
The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thrillera heist story set on the moon.Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich. Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity's first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she's owed for a long time. So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can't say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosionsnot to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can't handle, and she figures she's got the ';swagger' part down. The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz's problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself. Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she's in way over her head. She'll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city. Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal. That'll have to do. Propelled by its heroine's wisecracking voice, set in a city that's at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.
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