HOME AT LAST: A Young Adult Horror Story (Tales of Blood and Brinkmanship)

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This is a mother who beats a daughter, whom she keeps in spinsterhood withheld dowry , such that her head cracks. John's wife Margaret raises children and runs the contested manor, which becomes a war zone she actually fights skirmishs and battles while her husband networks in London.

There is little detail what he does with his time, and he must have a lot of it on his hands.

No wonder Margaret becomes cranky in the end. Unfortunately she takes it out on her two sons, both of whom, also set up for failure by parental decisions, risk their lives for this family enterprise. The tale is interesting for what it reveals of life at this time, but it is overly long in detail. Descriptions of battles, tangential players and some quotes from letters some so convoluted they produce more confusion than enhancement could well be eliminated in favor of a smoother analytical treatment.

It isn't until p. Also hard to understand is the true fiscal plight of the family. They are always in financial straights, but are ordering clothing lots of detail on items the modern reader cannot identify , shopping, entertaining and hiring soldiers and servants. They seem to be not only living beyond their means, but reaching well beyond them as well. I like that the author describes the provenance of the letters at the end, and not the beginning. This is the time the reader can really appreciate their value.

View all 3 comments. Oct 14, Shawn Thrasher rated it liked it. The Pastons are sort of like neighbors you've never met, but see occasionally driving down the street or working in their yards, neighbors you are on nodding acquaintance with but have never actually talked to. And when you finally get to talk to them, you find them to be delightful people. If you read anything about the Wars of the Roses or the early Tudors, you are bound to run into the Pastons. They usually don't get a whole book to themselves, particularly fiction, as their lives - or at lea The Pastons are sort of like neighbors you've never met, but see occasionally driving down the street or working in their yards, neighbors you are on nodding acquaintance with but have never actually talked to.

They usually don't get a whole book to themselves, particularly fiction, as their lives - or at least their letters - are remarkably normal, full of the kind of small family drama and love, and litigiousness, that make up the everyday lives of the majority of people. I imagine they've lurked at the edges of fiction, used for research purposes to give characters authenticity.

Their letters are occasionally quoted by books of nonfiction about the era; they lives were representative of a class of people, and they were also swept up into the turbulence of the time on several occasions. I found this alternating between incredibly interesting and ploddingly dull.

Other people's legal battles aren't really all that intriguing, when you get down into the details. Relating the story of the Paston family aloud to someone who asks "what are you reading right now" was actually more fun than reading the book. I was also struck by how well the author depicted the colorful personalities of this human drama.

Here are Margaret Paston, the family matriarch, strong-willed and sometimes difficult but as courageous and capable as any man; her two likeable sons both confusingly named John , forced at a very early age to assume sole responsibility for the family fortunes; King Edward IV, the real hero of the Wars of the Roses — all brought vividly to life. Mar 07, Heather rated it it was amazing. The Paston family letters could be in no better hands than Castor's to compile this work of history, life and times of the English countrymen of the Wars of the Roses time period.

This is far better than some glammed-up Showtime Tudors series. Better not for the saucy and porned up gloss of our current sociological climate, but for the determination, struggle and fortitude that the Pastons maintained to persevere. As a reader I am not as facinated with the law aspect of the Paston's history, but the thread it maintained through the book wove a wonderful tapestry of the way English law was practiced and affected the politics of the time.

I was delightfully pleased in this novel and it left me wishing Helen Castor had taught every English History course I had ever taken. Anglophiles and law students alike will find light enjoyment and great depth in this polished work. Feb 18, Cynthia Haggard rated it it was amazing. If you want a vivid portrayal of England during the Wars of the Roses, you should read this book. Helen Castor has done a wonderful job of putting the Paston Letters into context, both historical and familial, so that in reading this book it is not only clear what is happening in England during the struggle between various noble families and the King of England, but how this impacted people like the Pastons, who were powerless when England degenerated into chaos, and greedy neighbors seized their If you want a vivid portrayal of England during the Wars of the Roses, you should read this book.

Helen Castor has done a wonderful job of putting the Paston Letters into context, both historical and familial, so that in reading this book it is not only clear what is happening in England during the struggle between various noble families and the King of England, but how this impacted people like the Pastons, who were powerless when England degenerated into chaos, and greedy neighbors seized their lands. In this readable book, you will meet the Pastons, and enjoy learning about their exploits as their vivid personalities dance off the page. The research for this book is formidable. It was more about the personal struggles of one family than about the details of the War of the Roses, however, there was just enough general history to allow readers to place the family events in time.

As a whole, a great book. Dec 28, James Loftus rated it it was amazing. Truly a terrific book. The trials and tribulations of a family on the make, their fortunes tied to whoever is head of the family at a certain point in time. Sometimes, led by a figure of good common sense, intelligence and social skill, then if the wider social and political context allows the tangent of their fortunes soars Soon enough, however, their good sire and enabler is confined to history and another takes his place.

The building blocks so carefully placed are trampled into the groun Truly a terrific book. The building blocks so carefully placed are trampled into the ground and backward steps they take. Yet, another comes, and the building restarts, soundly. And, so it, goes, generation upon generation. Luck, so fickle is never far from deciding who is, and who is not, fortunate. Real people living their lives with all the unpredictability and drama that life entails. Don't miss what is a very good read.

Set in a time of historical chaos and upheaval almost unmatched in English history their fates tied to Fortunes Wheel, watch the wheel spin. Watch it fall, only to rise again.

A rags to riches story May 17, Dorothy rated it it was amazing Shelves: An amazing journey via letters through the rags to riches rags later again story of a real, Medieval English family tossed about by the turmoil of the wars of the Roses. A seemingly ordinary family parlaying the new opportunities that arose from the tragic Black Death scaled unimaginable heights amid the backdrop of civil war in a world slowly emerging from feudalism.

For any who have trouble tracking the many shifting players and alliances that populated these civil wars Cas Fabulous. For any who have trouble tracking the many shifting players and alliances that populated these civil wars Castor does an amazing job of simplifying and explaining the whos and whys of them. For any who doubted the dangers of medieval life they are starkly revealed. Death by plague, high rates of infant and child mortality, ceaseless wars and battles, "laws" capriciously made and upheld, death in childbed, ignoble nobles practicing noblesse oblige and the recalcitrant demise of feudalism made daily life a treacherous and uncertain undertaking.

Interesting book on the lives of several generations of the Paston family from Norwich, set against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses and the family's ups and downs. Amid the general political history of the period, excerpts from family correspondence give glimpses into the lives of an ordinary family and how the wars progress and affect them.

Most of the letters discuss their real estate and an inheritance, which the family finally wins after many years. The family rose from villeinage [ten Interesting book on the lives of several generations of the Paston family from Norwich, set against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses and the family's ups and downs. The family rose from villeinage [tenant farmer status subject to a lord] to gentleman and even peer status then centuries later the wheel of fortune turned again. Little remains of them. What did endure was a cache of family letters discovered fortuitously in the 18th century, edited lovingly and published.

Thus the family occupy a unique place in English history of the late Middle Ages. Rather than read his sequel about the Wars of the Roses, I'm so glad I found 'Blood and Roses' which was, fortuitously, a Kindle daily deal. Helen Castor uses the Paston letters to tell both the national story of the Houses of Lancaster and York, and the local story of the Paston family's progress from tenant farmers to landed gentry. It's a splendid book which makes the late medieval period and the individua A few months ago I read Dan Jones' 'The Plantagenets' and really didn't get on with it.

It's a splendid book which makes the late medieval period and the individual members of the Paston family come alive.

Highly enjoyable and informative; for the first time I have a clear understanding of the events, chronology and reasons for the Wars of the Roses! Feb 18, Gumble's Yard rated it it was ok Shelves: Non-fictional account of the lives of the Norfolk based up and coming Paston family at the time of the Wars of the Roses. Some of the Norfolk references are interesting as are the summaries of the political situation but the latter are not the main point of the book.

However all of this could have been captured in an essay or better as one or two chapters in book on the period. In practice the actual narrative describing the ins and outs of the legal delays and various seizures are tedious and the actual quotes from letters almost impossible to follow even having been re-spelt and partly translated so that one ends up skipping or skimming huge quantities of text. This remarkable, well-researched history is a real page turner, more suspenseful than a thriller. Based on a rare trove of family letters that is over six hundred years old, the author weaves the story of a family whose fortunes went up and down with dizzying speed along with the fortunes of ordinary people all over England during the War of the Roses.

At times I got confused and wearied by the incessant ups and downs of the family's fortune--but this book brought the period to life for m Wow!!! At times I got confused and wearied by the incessant ups and downs of the family's fortune--but this book brought the period to life for me in a way that no other history book has done. The voices of the real people who wrote these letters are so vivid, and dispelled a lot of illusions I had about what men and women were like in the late Middle Ages.

The people who wrote this letters are smart, ambitious, loving, stubborn And if you think we are living in a difficult age, just try being a Paston in the 15th century! Nov 01, Susan Ronald rated it it was amazing. Ever want to know what it was like to live during the Wars of the Roses? It is a tour de force in helping us to understand what life was like for landowners vying for power locally in deadly times.

Helen's writing is approachable, quoting copiously from the Paston family's original letters. It is writing histo Ever want to know what it was like to live during the Wars of the Roses? It is writing history at its best. May 15, Melissa rated it liked it Shelves: An interesting look at a non-royal family with excellent source material. Using the 15th century correspondence of one family, discovered hundreds of years after it was written, historian Helen Castor paints a vivid picture of how life was lived and ambition fulfilled or thwarted in the late medieval period, which included the decades-long, recurring War of the Roses.

Blood and Iron

Excerpts from the letters offer glimpses of everyday life among upwardly mobile family members--between spouses, parents and children, and siblings. The author includes comprehensive detail of ongoing le Using the 15th century correspondence of one family, discovered hundreds of years after it was written, historian Helen Castor paints a vivid picture of how life was lived and ambition fulfilled or thwarted in the late medieval period, which included the decades-long, recurring War of the Roses. On its heels came erratic, incompetent and contested regal leadership of the country.

The Pastons sought to escape the ignominy of their origins by pursuing education, acquiring land, marrying up, and gaining the favor of influentials. The book focuses on each of the strategies used by family members to advance their collective well-being. With the possible exception of land acquisition, the other strategies are still recognizable today: Mar 24, Ashley Catt rated it it was amazing Shelves: The subject matter of this book easily lends itself to interesting reading.

The Paston letters more an unusual survival. In fact it could be considered more than unusual; it's highly unprecedented. A vast stock of correspondence from the Paston family, who's fortunes swing from the upper peasantry into respected gentry, have survived which give personal insights into the thoughts and feelings of these characters that we don't have for even some of the most famous historical figures.

The way this The subject matter of this book easily lends itself to interesting reading. The way this book works is that the primary sources are pulled right to the forefront of the book to illustrate the lives of this family. The prose is written in a mostly narrative manner which wouldn't usually be to my tastes, however the original letters are combined heavily throughout which makes it a highly compelling book to read. The Pastons themselves are a very interesting family. But when it comes to the roles of the minor gentry in the conflicts and how they went about their business, there is much less material to access.

This gives an absolutely fascinating insight into one family and their interactions with other families of their status. Primarily, it details a fight for property in order to retain their respectability and the defense of their origin. It is probably helpful, but not necessary to have some grounding in the Wars of the Roses before reading.

However it is perfectly readable to anyone who is new to the subject, as the high politics are told throughout in order to provide a background to some of the happenings at a more local level. This book is also good in the way that you find out where some of the upper nobility fit into the story of the civil wars at a more local level.

There are many layers to discover here! I think this is one of the best books I have read for a while. Highly compelling, and hard to put down. I remember I read about pages in one go because it was very absorbing and you end up kind of rooting for the Paston family to retain their rights as you would if the story were told as fiction. However, you never get the sense that conclusions have been jumped to, and it always seems to be that Castor has done comprehensive research.

An absolutely excellent read - recommended to anyone with a passing interest in the Wars of the Roses or social Medieval history in general. The basic premise of this book was an astonishing collection of letters from a "regular" family during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. It is the only such collection of writing from non-nobility, and thus offers a rare glimpse into the everyday life of the era.

That was what made me pick up this book, and I did enjoy reading about a lot of that part, as well as tidbits of information about the battling going on between the Houses of Lancaster and York. However, the brunt of the book is about t The basic premise of this book was an astonishing collection of letters from a "regular" family during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. However, the brunt of the book is about the Paston family's struggle to gentrify themselves--which results in endless chapters discussing their letters about how to hang on to the land they've acquired, and which side of the nobility to ally themselves with in order to better themselves.

I realize that the Pastons were not nobility, and therefore these letters are unique, but frankly a lot of what they wrote was boring. And, they weren't necessarily "regular" but rather lower-gentry, definitely on their rise up the social ladder. It was obvious that the author put a lot of work into this book, and the flyleaf says she's studied the Paston letters for 10 years. Two weeks was MORE than enough for me--and I was simultaneously reading several other books, so I wasn't even focused on them.

His innocence contrasts with what readers and the adults around Misha know is going on, which creates a foreboding tone. This nuanced novel explores issues of racism, power, and justice with a diverse ethnically and philosophically cast and two remarkable protagonists. The characters are engaging beyond their habitation of an intricately woven plot and supply readers with the motivation to care beyond the simple solving of the mystery.

Nuanced, multileveled world-building provides a dynamic backdrop for an often brutal exploration of moral ambiguity and the power of empathy. A compelling emergent romance is only one reason among many to anticipate the sequel. Thoughtfully exploring personal and historical events, …the author poignantly asks and attempts to answer difficult questions that plague modern society.

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In a flying fight with Erasers, Fang is injured so seriously that the flock takes him to a hospital. Anne Walker, the lead agent, takes the flock home to her Virginia farm, where she tries to mother the kids and enrolls them in a nearby private school. Living a somewhat normal life for the first time, Max, 14, manages a date and a first kiss, and others in the flock begin the quest to find their birth parents. Then everything falls apart, and the six kids face betrayal and extreme danger. Music is at the heart of the story. A triumphant story of bravery and defiance that will shock and inspire.

Lovecraft and his Mythos have seen a resurgence in popularity, but this collection stands out among the crowd. This is an excellent introduction to the Mythos for novices but will also be grabbed up by Lovecraft enthusiasts. All 12 stories are scary and well-crafted with plenty to offer. This volume contains original artwork and a commentary on each deity by Lovecraft scholar Donald Tyson. This is a must for all horror collections. Mark White and the crew of Lancaster bomber M-Mother have become a close-knit team as the battle intensifies, the raw brutality of the endless night operations has a devastating effect on them.

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John Quincannon, a former Secret Service operative, is looking into the suspicious death of a brewery employee, while Sabina Carpenter, who used to be a detective for the Pinkerton agency, is hot on the trail of Sherlock Holmes. Or, to be more precise, an elusive man who claims he is Holmes and who stands to inherit a sizable fortune if he can demonstrate that he is not a lunatic.

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Packed with laughter and emotion, Little Beach Street Bakery is the story of how one woman discovered bright new life where she least expected—a heartwarming, mouthwatering modern-day Chocolat that has already become a massive international bestseller. This will appeal more to lovers of exciting adventure stories than true devotees of historical fiction. Rapp quickly dispatches the traitor, but Rickman proves to be a deadly threat to America even from beyond the grave.

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Based on candid interviews and intimate letters and diaries, it provides a deep insight into the character of George H. Bush, flavored with colorful anecdotes depicting his relationships with people ranging from Gorbachev and Reagan to his sons George and Jeb. The result is a fascinating and insightful portrayal of the life of an exemplary American citizen. This moving, potent testament might have been titled Black Lives Matter. Black Earth casts new light on old darkness. It demonstrates once and for all that the destruction of the Jews was premised on the destruction of states and the institutions of politics.

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Rejoining Halt, Will and Evanlyn become warriors in the stronghold where they had recently been captives and use their wits and skills to fight the common enemy. The story plunges forward with irresistible narrative drive toward the climactic battle scene. Even readers drawn to the series for its deftly drawn characters and setting may find themselves caught up in the action.

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This is a fast-paced adventure with a whip-smart protagonist, a lovable and resourceful extraterrestrial, and plenty of social commentary. Most inspiring are the changeable colors of pigeons given to Henri by his father. It will be their first time at the beach house since the divorce. The idea of time alone with Daddy is upset when Lexie learns that Daddy has invited his new girlfriend and her children to the beach house for the week.

Illustrations and a fast-paced storyline make this a quick read. Draper paints the picture of a real girl—with tantrums and attitude, problems with mean girls and oafish adults. This is an eye-opening book with an unforgettable protagonist and a rich cast of fully realized, complicated characters. As in The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire , the cast of characters here is confusingly large and the backstory sometimes seems tucked into the spaces between the battles. After this dark beginning, the story skips forward two years to when the remaining family members are forced to move to an ancestral house in a small town.

Rumored to be haunted, it is unkempt and forbidding. The kids search for her and discover a doorway into another world, where their mother has been swallowed by a monster and is being taken away. Still, what other choice do they have in this strange place? Gorgeous illustrations with great color bring light to this gloomy tale. Filled with excitement, monsters, robots, and mysteries, this fantasy adventure will appeal to many readers, but it does have some truly nightmarish elements.

This celebration of human capability subverts expectations with every page turn, as Otoshi Two and Baumgarten twist physical actions, such as planting or lifting, into more abstract ideas. Images created from handprints and fingerprints, inked in a vibrant palette of paint and set against white backgrounds, accompany reader-directed questions that are broken up over page turns, allowing each surprising conclusion to make its full impact. Part Goonies, part MacGyver, part Percy Jackson, this big series starter is sure to please readers looking for underdog heroes and their unbelievable adventures.

Ten-year-old Novak became a YouTube sensation with his Kid President series, coproduced by actor Rainn Wilson, which encourages positivity and cooperation with funny pep talks and celebrity interviews. From a mysterious knight and a medieval castle to a spooky dungeon and a secret passage, The Knight at Dawn has everything to keep young readers turning pages. Now he is back in their lives, for a week at least, looking after them while their mother is away.

Readers intrigued by the magic theme will also appreciate the appended instructions for a card trick. A practically perfect science picture book. Equally excellent for classroom or storytime, this harmonious blend of text and illustrations executes a simple concept beautifully, in a manner that allows readers of various ages to approach the book in different ways. An eye-catching jumping-off point for further investigation. This hefty volume is also a tall, handsome one, with fine paper, richly colorful full-page and spot pictures, and simple, attractive borders on pages of text.

John Rocco…illustrates the myths with drama, verve and clarity. A must-have addition to the Percy Jackson cannon. Hale nicely interweaves feminist sensibilities in this quest-for-a-prince-charming, historical-fantasy tale. Strong suspense and plot drive the action as the girls outwit would-be kidnappers and explore the boundaries of leadership, competition, and friendship.

Backmatter tells more about each step in the cycle, using solid explanations and science vocabulary. An engaging and lyrical look at the water cycle. The journey to, through, and past tragedy is romantic and heartbreaking, as characters and readers confront darkness, joy, and the possibilities—and limits—of love in the face of mental illness. If there is a complaint from readers, it will be that Paolini revels too much in long conversations between his characters while action takes a backseat, but fans of the genre will bask in his generosity: As all parties converge on the royal city for battle, Smith packs the pages with action, adventure, and a satisfying conclusion.

Once again, the expected fantasy elements are well in place, and the characters and their relationships continue to develop nicely. The ending promises an even more cataclysmic battle ahead. It is a dragon egg, fated to hatch in his care. Christopher Paolini is a great author who has been able to conjure up a fantastical yet believable world. Some of them are:. When Otto returns home, on the back of a turtle, all is once again right with the world.

Come to the library and check out one of these wonderful books or go to our catalog to find more. Told from the perspective of Aron, a Jewish boy in the ghetto, it is the study of the sadistic and systematic deprivation and dehumanization of a people. Forced with his family from the countryside into the ghetto, where he joins a band of hardy young smugglers, Aron eventually loses his entire clan to typhus, malnutrition, and forced labor and ends up in an orphanage in the ghetto run by Janusz Korczak, an important historical figure from this period.

Shepard also skillfully depicts the blighted human and moral landscape within the ghetto, where normal understandings of right and wrong have become impossibly compromised under the pressure of extermination. Surrounded by devastation, hopelessness, and cruelty, Korczak becomes an exemplar of all that is good and decent in the human spirit. Few will be able to read the last terrible, inspiring pages without tears in their eyes. The book offers an impressively imagined account of Seymour, Dickens, and a huge host of others the sheer scale of the book is, itself, Dickensian … [Death and Mr.

Pickwick] is a staggering accomplishment, a panoramic perspecitive. Bento and colleague Liz Huizar—who racked up student loans to obtain a master of library science degree, then found herself working as a dancing chicken for a fast-food restaurant—are at the center of an eccentric cast, including Bogart look-alike Philyaw; Gillespie, an unscrupulous cop whose Y2K fears led him to imbibe silver, permanently turning his skin blue; and Roland Sussman, a bestselling writer who returns from a three-year retreat in a commune to learn that his ex-girlfriend has stolen all his assets.

Fans of Jonathan Franzen and T. VERDICT Though this story of small-town characters may appear quaint, it packs great emotional punch, fearlessly touching on issues ranging from racism to depression. The storytelling never wavers, and bittersweet events are laced with gentle humor. A modern novel with the feel of a classic. Take it from year-old Ana Juric, conscripted into the Yugoslav civil war in the early s by the bad luck of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She is able to calm herself by going through the motions of loading and reloading a munitions magazine. By the time Ana becomes a student at a New York university, all that violence has been bottled up inside her head for a decade. She also turns this tale of brutal hardships and stubborn dreams into a lush, swirling, evocative jazz composition, in which she sensitively depicts a city-in-flux shaped by poverty and romance, immigrants and migrants, anti-Semitism and racism, visionaries and gangsters.

A graceful and involving affirmation of the transcendent power of art. But just a few months later, he started losing his language, with God the last word to go. As Cody turns 21, his parents are divorced, with Charles, living alone in the family house, writing daughter Emmy as she leaves for college, and Allison seeking comfort in Judaism. After startling revelations, comfort comes, thanks to an ambitious art student and a feisty Italian nun with dementia. Reconnecting with her past and building a life for herself and Callie is the order of the day.

Having another man in her life—especially one as appealing as Griff Lott—or realizing that something evil and dark has followed her to Rendezvous Ridge is certainly not on the agenda. And lying warm in bed, companionably. In this book, Haruf, who died in , returns to the landscape and daily life of Holt County, Colo. Loving, a Civil War veteran, takes Willie under his wing and teaches him how to shoot and ride a horse.

When Loving dies, Willie renames himself Nat Love in honor of his mentor and heads to the town of Deadwood in South Dakota Territory, where he befriends Wild Bill Hickock, among other colorful characters. When Ruggert hears that Nat is living in Deadwood, he sets out after the young man again. But when longtime love Michael finally pops the question, Mia is more than happy to surrender to the fairy tale. Unexpectedly, however, this Vietnamese communist sympathizer finds himself being tortured by the very revolutionary zealots he has helped make victorious in Saigon.

He responds to this torture by extending an intense self-interrogation already underway before his incarceration. The narrator thus plumbs his singular double-mindedness by reliving his turbulent life as the bastard son of a French priest and a devout Asian mother. Haunted by a faith he no longer accepts, insecure in the communist ideology he has embraced, the spy sweeps a vision sharpened by disillusionment across the tangled individual psyches of those close to him—a friend, a lover, a comrade—and into the warped motives of the imperialists and ideologues governing the world he must navigate.

In an antiheroic trajectory that takes him from Vietnam during the war to the U. Meanwhile, Catherine determines that the man responsible for the brutal murders of three people close to her is Tomas Santos, a drug dealer who was recently released from prison in Caracas—and who hates Catherine for killing his wife in a shoot-out. Paranormal scenes in which Catherine and Cameron communicate at a distance serve to heighten the sexual tension between them.

Andrea Cirillo, Jane Rotrosen Agency. When Tom is accused of killing his former nurse, he jumps bail to evade the far-extending reach of the Double Eagles, a Ku Klux Klan secret cell. Frank Knox, the deceased Double Eagles leader, was rumored to have been highly involved with the assassination of John F. Tangible proof of the conspiracy is rumored to be in a giant cypress known as the Bone Tree, but Forrest and the rest of the Double Eagles will do anything to stop Penn, Caitlin, and Cage.

Is his demise a result of acute rivalries within the academic community? Or is it related to his background in Germany? Inspector George Mason, of Scotland Yard Special Branch, is assigned to solve this crime, which has major repercussions in official circles in England, Germany and France. Mason is ably assisted in his investigations by Detective Sergeant Alison Aubrey, as by detectives seconded from other police forces in Britain. His enquiries take him to parts of rural England, France, Switzerland and Germany, accurately portrayed by an author who spent several years teaching and traveling in Europe.

But before Max and Awena can tie the knot, the bishop dispatches him to the nunnery of Monkbury Abbey, where the sisters produced a fruitcake that sickened the Earl of Lislelivet some months after he visited the abbey. Meanwhile, he has a possibly related crime to solve. The ending with a traditional gathering of the suspects will please Golden Age fans. Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary. On their second night, four armed men invade the campsite while Anna is on a solo canoe float. Barr touches again on her recurring theme, that man is the biggest threat in nature, as Anna works unseen to disarm the thugs and free her friends.

But once Mummy decides her memoirs are too scandalous for publication, Georgiana must seek new employment. With options limited, she writes Queen Mary, who rewards her with a royal audience and a business proposition.

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But Altringham, an uncouth sheep farmer, needs help acclimating to British high society, which is where Georgiana comes in. Inevitably, a murder crosses her path, and the quasi-royal again gets to show off her detecting chops. Meg Ruley, the Jane Rotrosen Agency. The efforts of an American dressed like a cowboy to get it to her before the train pulls out of the station are to no avail. Later, in Paris, Jordan is stunned to see the cowboy-looking American she encountered in Brussels.

Stranger still is the cowboy ending up outside her hotel as a hit-and-run victim. Jordan and Alex eventually reach the village of Fontvieille, where her hotel room is ransacked and her new suitcase flung open. Someone apparently believes Jordan has something valuable in her possession, but what? Seasoned with humor and evocative descriptions of magnificent historic sites, this whodunit should appeal to fans of both cozies and traditional mysteries. Since the location was used as practice for the amphibious assault that will be launched shortly in France, the higher-ups are concerned that a link may exist between the dead man, who was shot in the head, and the secret invasion plans.

A feud among local gangsters that Boyle learns about suggests a less sinister theory, but the path to the truth is appropriately complex. The affable and capable Boyle continues to grow as a character, and Benn effectively uses the impending Allied invasion of Europe as the background for the whodunit plot. Good luck with that. Verdict This Cormoran Strike adventure delivers on all the promise of the first one. LJ Xpress Online Review. Indeed, Harrison, who had a serious green thumb, seemed happier tending his garden than playing the role of the rock star. Many critics thought he would disappear from the spotlight after the Beatles officially split in April A must for all Beatles collections and for fans of the quiet man himself.

For everyone who has been fascinated and moved by his music, the book will be full of deep insights into how Glass the man became Glass the composer. Pulitizer-winning historian McCullough Truman sees something exalted in the two bicycle mechanics and lifelong bachelors who lived with their sister and clergyman father in Daytton, Ohio.

He finds them—especially Wilbur, the elder brother—to be cultured men with a steady drive and quiet charisma, not mere eccentrics. McCullough follows their monkish devotion to the goal of human flight, recounting their painstaking experiments in a homemade wind tunnel, their countless wrong turns and wrecked models, and their long stints roughing it on the desolate, buggy shore at Kitty Hawk, N. C, Thanks largly to their own caginess, the brothers endured years of doubt and ridicule while they improved their flyer.

McCullough also describes the fame and adulation that the brothers received after public demonstrations in France and Washington, D. His evident admiration for the Wrights leads him to soft-pedal their crasser side, like their epic patent lawsuits, which stymied American aviation for years. A mesmerizing storyteller, she shares legends from her Potawatomi ancestors to illustrate the culture of gratitude in which we all should live.

In such a culture, Everyone knows that gifts will follow the circle of reciprocity and flow back to you again… The grass in the ring is trodden down in a path from gratitude to reciprocity. We dance in a circle, not in a line. Kimmerer recalls the ways that pecans became a symbol of abundance for her ancestors: She reminds readers that we are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us to keep… Our work and our joy is to pass along the gift and to trust that what we put into the universe will always come back. The 30 crew members were arrested and, along with their ship, taken to Murmansk, where, after cursory court appearances, they were promptly remanded for two months while facing piracy charges carrying year sentences.

The personal stories that Stewart recounts are appealing enough, but the crew was deeply affected by their time in prison and the people they met there, and the author wisely imparts that immensely interesting aspect of the story as well. He would rather play tricks with the law of England than with his own conscience, as Holmes put it after he let a killer go free.

A delight for Baker Streeters. With great clarity and poignant human stories throughout, Ian Millhiser has written a book that all who are interested in American government and our legal system—which should be all of us—must read. In recounting his treks over the past 20 years, Roberts addresses debates both academic, …and moral, such as whether discovered objects, including baskets and pottery shards, should be left in place or removed and incorporated into museum collections. Putnam vividly captures a dynamic change in American society—the widening class-based opportunity gap among young people.

The diminishing life chances of lower-class families and the expanding resources of the upper-class are contrasted in sharp relief in Our Kids, which also includes compelling suggestions of what we as a nation should do about this trend. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University. In a fantasy world imbued with Norse mythology, young Karn is rescued from undead pursuers by a half-giant girl named Thianna. Thianna and Karn are both being hunted by magical foes and rely on one another to survive.

Narrator Tassone has developed separate accents for the people of the story—the Ymirian frost giants; the humans of Norrongard; and the wyvern riders, who hail from a foreign southern land. He does well voicing inhuman characters like the oafish trolls; the undead draug; and an ancient, irritated dragon. These transitions are seamless, and Tassone is equally compelling narrating a female character. The on-point readings of an abundance of unfamiliar Nordic words and fantastical names make listening to this fantasy a particular pleasure. This fast-paced story, with heroes who defeat vicious enemies using their wits, launches the Thrones and Bones series.

House of Representatives at age 25, gets a stirring treatment here. The complete time line at the end of the book helps fill in the gaps, and the story generates interest that will encourage additional research. A reference to harsh laws passed by whites is coupled with a dramatic two-page spread of whipping, a potential lynching, and lots of angry white faces in the foreground, fists clenched.

A small African American boy covers his eyes at the scene. A scene of the horrors of a school burning shows praying figures overshadowed by masked attackers with burning torches. This heartfelt and humorous debut novel comes to the U. Fans of the ongoing Warriors series will enjoy this first volume in the Omen of the Stars subset. Dovepaw is a reluctant heroine, furious about her powers and new responsibilities. The perilous journey creates powerful bonds between the clans, but ancient grievances portend new battles. In the year since year-old Alaskan Victoria lost her father, she has felt isolated from her mother and her community.

She pours herself into working with the dog-sled team she and her dad loved and runs in local sledding races, finding little else to engage her interest or energy. Setting out one morning with the team to a distant neighbor, she comes across a wrecked snowmobile and its unconscious driver, Chris, as a deadly snowstorm rolls in. Emotionally satisfying and insightful, this story has staying power. Already prone to overthinking, Trent is overwhelmed by disturbing thoughts, which he draws in a closely guarded book, and very angry.

He backs away from his best friend, acts out at school, and clashes with his family. With help from a persistent classmate, who is known as much for the large scar on her face as for her weird outfits, and a similarly dedicated teacher, Trent is gradually able to let go of his intense guilt and regain his confidence. Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. Unbeknownst to Maggie, her 11th year is one of those times.

Two dads, four sons, one dog, one cat, one imaginary cheetah. Levy makes some bold choices here. The chapters are alternately narrated by the brothers, who each has his own problem to work through. Four brothers and all their friends make for a lot of characters and a lot of story. However, the warmth of this family and the numerous issues that readers will easily identify with make this a welcome choice, especially for boys. An interview in a local paper explains how this family became one. Irish immigrants to England, Molly and Kip make their way to the Windsor house in search of employment.

The great house stands in the shadow of a menacing tree, which locals speak of only in fearful whispers. Despite her young age and the warnings of a local storyteller, Molly uses the power of her own words to secure work, but soon realizes that all is not right in the house. Constance, Bertrand, Penny, and Alistair Windsor each struggle with personal demons, and strange footprints appear at night. A malevolent spirit, the Night Gardener, haunts the estate, dooming its inhabitants with foul dreams while the tree grants wishes to entrap the recipients.

Auxier gives readers a spooky story with depth and dimension. But the treasure she expects to find—the prototype for a long-lasting battery—is nothing compared to what they actually discover: The city has fallen into disrepair, and the pitfalls in its crumbling depths are as much a threat as the trio of armed thugs who are trying to steal Dr. When Pip arrives at the clinic, however, life soon turns chaotic: Pip teams up with the neighbor boy and an anxious unicorn named Regent Maximus to save the town from a fiery end and to save the fuzzles from an untimely death.

Through conversations with Pip—yes, she can talk to the animals—these creatures prove themselves to be memorable characters in their own rights. Lighthearted and funny, this slim book will delight readers who prefer their stories with a fantastic flair.

What would you do if you had the chance to meet the adults you know back when they were kids? But something magical happens, and Annie wakes up in to discover her grandmother as a young girl. Snyder infuses her novel with a touch of magical realism and, of course, time travel , and many readers will wonder what the grown-ups in their own lives were like as kids. Filled with historical facts that weave seamlessly with the narrative, this is a heartwarming story about knowing, and truly understanding, your family.

Watson is a logger, and spotted owls spell big trouble for the logging industry. Then the little owl imprints on the gruff Mr. And the lives—and views—of one logging family are changed forever. Frankweiler will find this another delightful lesson in art history. Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. Louis in the record-breaking cold winter of Brannock who invented the first tool to accurately measure foot size , Cher Ami a pigeon who effectively saved American soldiers during World War I , and Thomas Jefferson founding father, author, architect, president, and the man who introduced Americans to macaroni!

A rare picture book, The Death of the Hat is a rich but accessible collection that children and adults alike will treasure. And for the first time since her own childhood, the grandmother opens up about her life during WWII, the star she had to wear, the disappearance of her parents, and being sent to the country where she had to lie about her name and her beliefs. Every year, more stories set during the Holocaust are released, many for children, and this one is particularly well done. Set in occupied France, the story told is honest and direct, and each scene is revealed with care.

The frankness of the storytelling is tempered by appealing cartoonlike illustrations that complement the story and add a layer of emotion not found in the narration. A Holocaust experience told as a bedtime story? It sounds crazy, but here it works. With gorgeous mixed-media illustrations and accessible, engaging language, this picture book will spur interest in the world of hippos.

Two types of text appear on each page: With a focus on high-interest details—such as a spread featuring two bull hippos flinging dung at each other in warning—this title stands out. A multiethnic group of young friends—Nick, Pedro, Yulee, Sally, and others—take part in activities together as they prepare for a street fair to raise money for the local library. The neighborhood tour includes some familiar picture book community staples, such as the library and a community garden.

The sunny illustrations are packed with inviting details and friendly characters. Parents and teachers will particularly appreciate that Ritchie also stresses the role of retirees, local businesses, and ordinary citizens. Sanchez uses a mix of full spreads and panels, depicting myriad dramas unfolding on and below the streets. With humor and sensitivity, Spiegelman reveals how getting lost can be the first step toward finding your way—while also giving NYC residents and visitors alike a valuable primer on the subway system and its history. As scientific innovation swept France in the eighteenth century, Mesmer decided to bring his own discovery to the mix—animal magnetism, an invisible force responsible for remarkable, seemingly spontaneous healing.

Dubious of the true benefits of being mesmerized, King Louis XVI called on the most popular man of science, Ben Franklin, to help investigate. Each page is teeming with personality, from the font choice to the layout to the expressive figures to the decorative details surrounding a name—on one spread, Franklin is in a tidy serif, while Mesmer is nearly choked by flourishes.

Together, Rockliff and Bruno make the scientific method seem exciting, and kids interested in science and history will likely be, well, mesmerized. While learning the game, Astrid learns how to be a friend and, maybe, that not all friendships are forever. The stories include facts that are not usually in textbooks or taught in classes. Each chapter concludes with three short questions to test readers on what they absorbed. This books is a great learning tool that can be used by parents and teachers to teach American history in a new and exciting way. In gracefully orchestrated spreads featuring crisp, cut-paper artwork, the animals appear alongside the structures they make: A visually striking and enriching overview of animals living independently and as part of an ecosystem.

Her father is gay. Illuminating and deeply felt. While informative, segments detailing trip preparation and training are expectedly less gripping than accounts of perilous climbing expeditions; in the most dramatic one, Romero describes being slammed by an avalanche on Mount Everest. The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak. Showing its origins as an infrequently updated webcomic, the book opens with one-page vignettes, which are choppy and abrupt.

But as the comic progresses the characters become clearer, the vignettes get longer and more developed, and the book becomes an often painfully blunt look at the insecurities and cruelties universal to teens—even flying teens. The central story focuses around Marsha, a tomboyish, frumpy broom-flyer, and Wendy, her beautiful best friend who can transform into a fox.

The humor is sometimes slapstick, but more often it offers ultra-dry observations on modern disengagement. Tamaki is playful and loose with her art, unafraid to be experimental as she draws us into a world where true feelings are the greatest danger. Unprepared for the realities of her new role, particularly the stifling rules of protocol and lack of control over her environment, Sisi repeatedly clashes with the wishes of both her mother-in-law and, more dangerously, her husband. Mara Bandy, Champaign P. Such a work is this marvelous collection of stories about remarkable people whose lives had been reduced to mere footnotes.

At the top of her craft, the empathetic Bergman Birds of a Lesser Paradise embellishes select moments in their history. While the stories themselves are unequivocally fictitious, the characters are not. Vincent Millay, to name but a few.

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The author has infused her characters with passion and yearning; they are so lifelike we feel we know them. VERDICT Writing with brilliant cadence and economy, Bergman is an impressionist who uses her brilliant palette to illuminate facets of the lives of these brave and creative lesser-known strivers. Left as orphans, the two brothers escape to the nearby city of Orgun, where they scrape by as panhandlers and transporters in the bazaar, until another explosion leaves Ali legless and requiring expensive long-term hospitalization.

Aziz becomes a trained combatant and joins a unit opposing Garzan. While stationed at the firebase near the strategic border village of Gomal, Aziz associates with the corrupt American military liaison known as Mr. Jack and visits the village leader, Atal. Aziz is thrown into the maelstrom of deceit, greed, and betrayal as the different factions extend the war for personal gain. Ben and his wife, Caroline, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, hope to build a new and better life by converting an old farming estate into a country inn.

Instead of the idyllic life they expected, alarming things start happening. A shed on their property mysteriously catches on fire. To make matters worse, Caroline becomes increasingly paranoid. Ben needs to discover who or what is responsible. Having decided to write about the village, he begins seeing eerie connections between events in the past and the present. Duffy does a good job building the suspense, but some readers may feel let down by the implausible ending.

Elisabeth Weed, Weed Literary. But when syndicate Underlord Haymarket Hector and his entire gang are brutally murdered, both Paige and Jaxon see a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—Jaxon wants to be the new Underlord, and Paige thinks she can finally turn the self-serving, corrupt syndicate toward her cause of bringing down Scion.

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