Fin de siècle Paris: the world of Verlaine and Zola, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec; a time of anarchists, scientists, and occultists, when can-can skirts were raised at the Moulin Rouge and fortunes were lost on the Panama Canal. Armand de Valois was one of these latter unfortunates, stricken by yellow fever at the site of his ruin. When his widow Odette disappears into his tomb in the Père-Lachaise cemetery and never returns, her maid Denise fears the worst. Alone in the great metropolis, Denise knows just one person she can go to for help: Odette's former lover, Victor Legris. When the frightened girl turns up at his bookshop, Victor feels there must be a simple explanation for Odette's disappearance. But it soon becomes apparent that something sinister lies behind events at the Père-Lachaise. When Denise turns up drowned in the Seine, and Odette's corpse is found buried in an overgrown backyard, Victor throws himself into his second investigation, aided by his trusty assistant Joseph and much to his lover Tasha's chagrin. Once again, Paris and its denizens come alive, and events of world and local history give the mystery a thrilling backdrop. From the the Bois de Vincennes to the streets of Saint-Germain, from trams to carriages, from artists' lofts to coffee bars, diligently researched and tightly plotted, The Disappearance at Père-Lachaise immerses readers in a fascinating mystery in the glorious City of Light.
Brother and sister Ned and Bella Chisholm are struggling with a family tragedy that has set them on opposite paths
In this wise and witty invitation to Buddhist meditation, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong. Drawing from contemporary research on meditation and mindfulness and from his experience as a teacher and practitioner of Buddhism, Nichtern describes in fresh language the basic existential experience that gives rise to spiritual seeking-and its potentially dangerous counterpart, spiritual materialism. He explains exactly how, by turning our awareness to what's happening around us and inside us, we become able to enhance our sense of connection with others and, at the same time, change for the better our individual and collective patterns of greed, apathy, and inattention. The Road Home shows us that, in order to create a truly compassionate and enlightened society, we must start with ourselves. And this means working with our own mind-in whatever state we find it.
Wilder than any fantasy...shamelessly exciting...and absolutely true! In The Best Sex I Ever Had! real people recall their most erotic experiences.Prepare to be fascinated and inspired by the intimate revelations of twenty-three passionate men and women who share all the details of exciting, delicious sexual encounters--the kind you may have always fantasized about or never imagined in your wildest dreams.Whether it's a horny college athlete who's taught a lesson in forbidden desire by a woman dean...a married couple who turn their inhibitions loose on a nature hike...or a beautiful young woman who becomes her boyfriend's loveslave for a weekend, you'll find that great sex is often X-rated, but always incredibly satisfying.If you're looking for ways to make good sex better, sharing these accounts with a partner will be an incomparable aphrodisiac. But it's even more daring to spice up your relationship by using this exotic, sizzling book as an erotic "do-it-yourself" manual, so you too can savor the fabulous feelings of...The Best Sex I Ever Had!
Marie Curie's story has fascinated and inspired young readersdecades. The poor Polish girl who worked eight years to be ableto afford to attend the Sorbonne in Paris became one of themost important scientists of her day, winning not one but twoNobel Prizes. Her life is a fascinating one, filled with hard work,humanitarianism, and tragedy. Her work with her husband,Pierre - the study of radioactivity and the discovery of theelements radium and polonium - changed science forever. Butshe is less well known for her selfless efforts during World Warto establish mobile X-ray units so that wounded French soldierscould get better care faster. When she stood to profit greatlyfrom her scientific work, she chose not to, making her methodsand findings known and available to all of science. As a result,this famous woman spent most of her life in need of money,often to buy the very elements she discovered.Marie Curie's life and work are given a fresh telling, one thatalso explores the larger picture of the effects of radium in worldculture, and its exploitation and sad misuse.
Lots of kids enjoy dancing, but what motivates them to push past the sore muscles, early-morning technique classes, and crazy schedule required to become a professional dancer? In this book, dancers from many backgrounds talk about their different paths to success in ballet, modern, jazz, Broadway, and hiphop. They also share advice and helpful tips, such as: . Practice interpreting the music and the mood of a movement, even when you're doing a standard warm-up exercise.. Try to be in the front row at auditions so you can see what's going on and so the judges know you're eager to be seen.
Two friends embark on a climb of treacherous Anarchy Ridge but only one will make it down alive. Unjustly blamed for his friend's haunting death, the other must run for his life as a mourning father seeks revenge, in Jo Bannister's thrilling mystery novel Death in High PlacesTwo friends stand at the foot of the glacier, looking up to Anarchy Ridge. They can't see the summit of the mountain, only its heaving shoulders. But they can see the thin blade of the ridge, and the snow whipping off it by the rising wind making arabesques against the impossibly blue sky. They stand still for a long time, their kit at their feet, just looking, but the mountain awaits. They begin their climb up the ridge, but only one of the friends will make it down alive. Afraid for his own life when his friend's vengeful father blames him for the deadly climbing accident, and with the horrific memory of that moment of peril playing in his mind, the other must make a run for his life.
From the author of Toxic Friends-a groundbreaking look at how to understand your marriage and create a more satisfying relationshipEvery marriage goes through nine phases. It is only by understanding the course our marriages run that we can truly begin to craft the perfect relationship. In The Nine Phases of Marriage, Susan Shapiro Barash breaks down and analyzes these phases, which are:- Phase One: Passion and Longing- Phase Two: Conforming: The Perfect Wife- Phase Three: Real Life: Child Centricity- Phase Four: Tension: One Bed: Two Dreams- Phase Five: Distance: Two Beds: Two Rooms- Phase Six: Fracturing: Midlife Divorce- Phase Seven: Second Chances: Remarriage and Renegotiating - Phase Eight: Balance: Concessions- Phase Nine: Successful CouplingWith this essential knowledge, spouses can successfully navigate the natural pitfalls and perils of their marriages and embark on a true partnership.
A celebration of the amazing canines who perform feats of bravery every dayDogs don't just make lovable pets. They also work at an incredible number of jobs, helping humans in countless ways. From working with search-and-rescue teams to find missing persons to helping patients recover from injuries, Lisa Rogak covers the many ways in which dogs are an essential part of our world. And she tells the surprising stories of regular dogs who have gone above and beyond to help their owners-and even each other.Dogs of Courage reveals the heartwarming and awe-inspiring stories of these hard-working dogs, from the training they receive to the ways we honor their sacrifices and reward their years of service. Affirming what every dog lover knows, this book shows how deep a dog's loyalty and friendship can go.
Award-winning education journalist Peg Tyre mines up-to-the-minute research to equip parents with the tools and knowledge necessary to get their children the best education possibleWe all know that the quality of education served up to our children in U.S. schools ranges from outstanding to shockingly inadequate. How can parents tell the difference? And how do they make sure their kids get what's best? Even the most involved and informed parents can feel overwhelmed and confused when making important decisions about their child's education. And the scary truth is that evaluating a school based on test scores and college admissions data is like selecting a car based on the color of its paint. Synthesizing cutting-edge research and firsthand reporting, Peg Tyre offers parents far smarter and more sophisticated ways to assess a classroom and decide if the school and the teacher have the right stuff. Passionate and persuasive, The Good School empowers parents to make sense of headlines; constructively engage teachers, administrators, and school boards; and figure out the best option for their child-be that a local public school, a magnet program, a charter school, homeschooling, parochial, or private.
Winner of the Commonwealth Regional Prize, AfricaFor eleven-year-old Jack Viljee, apartheid Johannesburg is a rational and simple place. Whether he's picking fights with his little sister or fretting over his possibly gay best friend, Jack can always depend upon Susie, his family's black maid, for a word of sympathy and approval. The Viljee household, in its small way, mimics the politics of South Africa. But Jack's little world is upset by the arrival of Percy, Susie's teenaged son. When Percy catches Jack in a shameful moment, Jack discovers that even small acts of revenge can have unimaginable consequences. Subversively smart and unapologetically funny, Jacques Strauss's The Dubious Salvation of Jack V. is a powerful debut from a fearlessly original voice.
One of The Boston Globe's Best Mysteries of 2011 "Agatha Christie lives! You'll love this book." -John Lescroart Welcome to Edinburgh, 1926. Dandy Gilver, a wealthy and witty aristocrat (and sometimes amateur sleuth) receives a letter from Lollie Balfour, who insists that her husband of five years is having her followed and her mail is being steamed open. The only way for Dandy to help is by pretending to applying for a job as a lady's maid in Lollie's house. Dandy gets a crash course from her own maid and arrives at 31 Heriot Row, ready to put all of her detection skills to good use. Why does Mr. Balfour want to get rid of his wife? And can Dandy stay in disguise long enough to evade the villains? Charming and funny, Dandy Gilver is an irresistible sleuth who is sure to win over mystery lovers everywhere. Readers who can't get enough of Dorothy L. Sayers, Barbara Pym, and Dorothy Parker will definitely find a new favorite in Catriona McPherson's smart and original mystery Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains.
In her unforgettable new novel When Morning Comes, Francis Ray delivers an emotionally powerful tale about the families we build, the choices we make, and how we find love and family along the way. Dr. Cade Mathis learned early that he was not the son of the man who raised him. His adoptive father, a cruel, bitter man, had always been quick to tell him that he was a bastard and an embarrassment to the rich society family whose daughter got pregnant with him. So when Cade received a full scholarship to college, he was only too happy to leave the only home he had ever known behind and never looked back. Now a successful doctor and one of the best neurosurgeons in the state, the only thing he still wants are answers about where he came from. What he doesn't expect to find is Sabrina Thomas, the new patient advocate at his hospital, or how this woman will lead him to the family he has been searching for and a love he never expected to find.
"Unforgettable." --Boston GlobeAs India is rent into two nations with the creation of Pakistan, communal violence breaks out on both sides of the new border and streaming hordes of refugees flee from blood and chaos.At an overrun train station, Shankar and Kenshav, twin Hindu boys, lose sight of their mother and go in search of her. A young Sikh girl, Simran Kaur, has run away from her father who would rather poison her than see her defiled. And Ibrahim Masud, an elderly Muslim doctor, limps toward the new Muslim state of Pakistan, rediscovering on the way his role as a healer. A dramatic, luminous story of families and nations broken and formed, Partitions, "written with piercing beauty, alive with moral passion and sorrowful insight, [is] a rueful masterpiece" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
Molly O'Hara's young sister Nell is beautiful, spirited, and sweet, and the fact that she hasn't spoken for the last seventeen years--since she was eight--certainly doesn't reflect on her intelligence. After all, it's Nell who does the books for Enchanted Cottage Antiques, which she and her sister operate jointly. Truth is, Nell was home alone with their mother when the woman was murdered, and from that day forward Nell hasn't spoken. She understands, she can make herself understood; it's just that she doesn't utter a word. Rummaging in boxes at a tag sale, Nell comes across an old New York theater Playbill that will change the girls' lives. It will break the monotony of their rather lonely existence in the small North Carolina town from which they have never ventured--and will also shatter the peace they've managed to achieve there. It will send them rocketing to New York, to England, and to New England, in search of a family they didn't know they had. And it will introduce them--and the reader--to as zany a group of relatives as ever bickered over a dog show or a fortune. The cover of the program bears a photo of a lovely young actress in her first big part on the New York stage. And amazingly, the woman is their crusty old grandmother. But when they rush to question the old woman, they arrive to find that she has baffled the medical staff, who saw no reason to expect it, by dying in her bed. The sisters, and especially Molly, who is more stubborn and "goal-oriented" by nature, realize that somewhere they have a family. But in their town, the only sources of information are their stepfather, whom they almost never see--and he can't, or won't tell them much--and their natural father, who is married to a wealthy society woman and is embarrassed by his somewhat unconventional offspring and eager to shoo them away. So they determine to go off on a search of their own. Their travels bring adventure and exhilaration as they have the new and wonderful experience of seeing New York and London and meeting such exotic fauna as professional actors. But it also brings tragedy as "accidents" occur around them, starting with a fatal explosion in their house when they are away. These are dauntless young women, though, and charming ones, and the reader will very much enjoy going along with them on their eye-opening journeys, and will root for them all along the way.
The sudoku craze is still sweeping the nation! The puzzlemaster presents 300 sudoku puzzles, from easy to hard. Just what the sudoku addict in every family will want for the holidays!
For the first time ever, we present all three of Will Shortz's puzzles in one volume that the whole family can enjoy. This beautiful omnibus-sized volume of 300 Will Shortz sudoku, KenKen and New York Times crossword puzzles is a great gift that everyone in the family can enjoy during the holiday season and throughout the rest of the year. Features: *All 3 of Will Shortz's puzzles in one volume!* 300 puzzles of all difficulty levels*Edited by the #1 man in American puzzles, Will Shortz
From the award-winning author of the choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf comes Ntozake Shange's extraordinary novel Liliane, about a woman learning to be who she really is. "A daring portrait of a black woman artist re-creating herself out of social and psychological chaos, the fragmentation that haunts our time, our nation. Ourselves."-Los Angeles TimesThrough the polyphonic voices of Liliane Lincoln's childhood friends, lovers, and conversations with her psychoanalyst, Ntozake Shange weaves the life of a remarkable young woman. Liliane Lincoln is an artist who exposes what she knows of herself to the world through her bold and colorful artwork. Gradually, however, Liliane realizes that in order to survive, she must come to terms with what she has kept hidden even from herself.
VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation) head Joe Gunther and his team are called in to investigate a series of violent deaths that appear unrelated until telltale clues reveal a linkage between them and that all of the deaths are, in fact, murders. However, apart from a single drop of unexplained blood left at each crime scene, there are no obvious connections between the victims or the cases. The police are faced with more questions than answers including what do the mysterious deposits of blood mean, coming as they do from three additional unknown people. In their search for the elusive truth, the VBI must plumb the depths of every suspect's past, every victim's most intimate details, and examine each piece of evidence down to the smallest detail-an examination which includes a trip to the Brookhaven National Lab on Long Island and an exploration of cutting edge forensic technology.
With a New Afterword by the AuthorPart travelogue, part historical evocation, part personal quest, and part reflection on the joys and perils of passage, this acclaimed synthesis of description and insight remains as relevant today as when it first appeared. Jason Elliot's An Unexpected Light is a remarkable, poignant book about Afghanistan and a heartfelt reflection on the experience of travel itself.
Chicks are awesome--and never more so than when they are kicking some serious vampire/werewolf/demon/monster butt.Chicks Kick Butt is an anthology that features one of the best things about the urban fantasy genre: strong, independent, and intelligent heroines who are quite capable of solving their own problems and slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be).Edited by Kerrie Hughes and Rachel Caine, Chicks Kick Butt features original stories from thirteen authors, eleven of whom are New York Times bestsellers:- Rachel Caine (with a story from her bestselling Weather Wardens universe)- L.A. Banks- Rachel Vincent- Karen Chance- Lilith Saintcrow- Cheyenne McCray- Susan Krinard- Jeanne Stein- Jenna Black- Susan Krinard- Jeanne Stein- Jenna Black- Elizabeth Vaughan- Carole Nelson Douglas- P.N. Elrod- Nancy Holder
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