|
|||
Could you trust the sister you’ve never met before? When tragedy brings biological sisters Jessica Williams and Reeve Elliot together, the initial shock of learning of each other’s existence is quickly replaced by a commitment to be there for each other. For Reeve, it’s the support she needs at a time when her life is falling apart – she’s having blackouts and memory loss, exactly what her beloved late mother suffered from just a few years before. For Jess, it’s a chance to find solace in family and move beyond the abandonment and trauma she experienced as a child forced to grow up in the foster care system. As the bond between the two women deepens, their relationship is tested in ways they’d never have imagined. When Jess’s past comes back to haunt her, the nightmare that is Reeve’s present intensifies. With a large inheritance at stake, the lines between greed and family, as well as right and wrong, begin to blur. Someone is lying. Someone is manipulating the truth. But is it one of the sisters? And – as secrets unravel, both sisters will question… who can they truly trust? A powerful, twisty emotional page turner that readers of Jodi Picoult, Amanda Prowse and Emma Robinson will love. Readers love Louise Guy: ‘WOW, WOW and WOW, this book is awesome what a fabulous story, truly do not miss this book. It had me turning the pages, so many thoughts going through my mind.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘OMG, this book was riveting. Best I’ve read in a long time. Had my heart in my throat but just couldn’t stop turning the pages.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I inhaled it. It’s intense, captivating, fascinating, emotional and dynamic… completely hooking from the very first page.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow, what a page turner… I swear that Louise’s books get more intriguing with each new release – such a brilliant storyteller!!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘OMG! I’m still flabbergasted at how brilliant this book is… Cleverly and masterfully written… Left me in awe… Another WOW read from the domestic drama goddess who has fast become one of my favourite writers.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Riveting… I could hardly put the book down. I just had to know how it would end.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Just wonderful… An incredibly tense and suspenseful novel that is wonderfully realistic and moving… The characters are very real as are the situations… I was still reading at 5am unable to sleep until I knew what was happening. Louise writes with passion and empathy and incredible understanding… Just brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an absolute ripper of a book!!… I literally read this book in two sittings and I cannot speak highly enough of the writing and the plot, it ticked all my boxes.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book was incredible! I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up… So heartfelt…The struggles both women went through and to find the friendship they did, it was emotional but heart-warming… A MUST READ!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I couldn’t put it down – the very definition of a page turner.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The twists and turns in the story kept me wanting more and more and wondering what would happen next. The secrets kept, why they were kept, the revelation and after effect were amazing… Very thought-provoking and emotional.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
|||
Don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that’s sold over 3 million copies—now streaming on Apple TV+ starring Jennifer Garner! The “page-turning, exhilarating” ( PopSugar ) and “heartfelt thriller” ( Real Simple ) about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life—until he disappears. Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her . Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother. As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared. Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated. With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a “page-turning, exhilarating, and unforgettable” ( PopSugar ) suspense novel. |
|
|||
Set in the Carolinas in the 1940s, The Road to Bittersweet is a beautifully written, evocative account of a young woman reckoning not just with the unforgiving landscape, but with the rocky emotional terrain that leads from innocence to wisdom. For fourteen-year-old Wallis Ann Stamper and her family, life in the Appalachian Mountains is simple and satisfying, though not for the tenderhearted. While her older sister, Laci—a mute, musically gifted savant—is constantly watched over and protected, Wallis Ann is as practical and sturdy as her name. When the Tuckasegee River bursts its banks, forcing them to flee in the middle of the night, those qualities save her life. But though her family is eventually reunited, the tragedy opens Wallis Ann’s eyes to a world beyond the creek that’s borne their name for generations. Carrying what’s left of their possessions, the Stampers begin another perilous journey from their ruined home to the hill country of South Carolina. Wallis Ann’s blossoming friendship with Clayton, a high diving performer for a traveling show, sparks a new opportunity, and the family joins as a singing group. But Clayton’s attention to Laci drives a wedge between the two sisters. As jealousy and betrayal threaten to accomplish what hardship never could—divide the family for good—Wallis Ann makes a decision that will transform them all in unforeseeable ways . . . |
|
|||
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, FROM THE AUTHOR OF BIG LITTLE LIES , now an HBO series. Winner of Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction “ Here’s the best news you’ve heard all year: Not a single page disappoints....The only difficulty with Truly Madly Guilty ? Putting it down. ” — Miami Herald “Captivating, suspenseful…tantalizing.” — People Magazine Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong? In Truly Madly Guilty , Liane Moriarty turns her unique, razor-sharp eye towards three seemingly happy families. Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit busy, life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other. Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last-minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger-than-life personalities there will be a welcome respite. Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone ? In Truly Madly Guilty , Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm. Entertainment Weekly 's “ Best Beach Bet ” A USA Today Hot Books for Summer Selection A Miami Herald Summer Reads Pick |
|
|||
Spellbinding and intricate, The Painted Bridge is a tale of secrets, lost lives, and a woman seizing her own destiny: “A chilling page-turner about the muddy line between sanity and madness” (Caroline Leavitt, author of Pictures of You ). Outside London behind a stone wall stands Lake House, a private asylum for genteel women of a delicate nature. In the winter of 1859, recently married Anna Palmer becomes its newest arrival, tricked by her husband into leaving home, incarcerated against her will, and declared hysterical and unhinged. With no doubts as to her sanity, Anna is convinced that she will be released as soon as she can tell her story. But Anna learns that liberty will not come easily. The longer she remains at Lake House, the more she realizes that—like the ethereal bridge over the asylum’s lake—nothing is as it appears. She begins to experience strange visions and memories that may lead her to the truth about her past, herself, and to freedom…or lead her so far into the recesses of her mind that she may never escape. Set in Victorian England, as superstitions collide with a new psychological understanding, novelist Wendy Wallace “masterfully creates an atmosphere of utter claustrophobia and dread, intermingled with the ever-present horror of the reality of women’s minimal rights in the nineteenth century” ( Publishers Weekly ). The Painted Bridge is a tale of self-discovery, secrets, and a search for the truth in a world where the line between madness and sanity seems perilously thin. |
|
|||
A hurricane isn’t the only trouble looming as a family assembles for a will reading in this sequel to Iron Lace by a USA Today –bestselling author. Nine people have gathered for the reading of Aurore Gerritsen’s will. Some are family, others are strangers. But all will have their futures changed forever when a lifetime of secrets is finally revealed. Aurore Gerritsen left clear instructions: her will is to be read over a four-day period at her summer cottage on a small Louisiana island. Those who don’t stay will forfeit their inheritance. With the vast fortune of Gulf Coast Shipping at stake, no one will take that risk. Tensions rise as Aurore’s lawyer dispenses small bequests, each designed to expose the matriarch’s well-kept secrets. Longtime loyalties are jeopardized, and shocking new alliances are formed as the family feels the sands of belief shifting beneath their feet. As a hurricane approaches and survival itself is threatened, the fourth day dawns and everyone waits for the final truth to be revealed. Praise for Rising Tides “Richards’s ability to portray compelling characters who grapple with challenging family issues is laudable.” — Publishers Weekly “This novel features a multilayered plot, vivid descriptions, and a keen sense of time and place.” — Library Journal |
|
|||
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times! From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's T he Women —at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era. |
|
|||
A genre-busting collection of stories about soldiers and fighters from today’s most popular authors—including a new Lord John novella by Diana Gabaldon. From George R. R. Martin’s Introduction to Warriors : “Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.” The stories in the third volume of this book are: Introduction : Stories of the Spinner Rack, by George R. R. Martin The Triumph , by Robin Hobb Soldierin’ , by Joe R. Lansdale Clean Slate , by Lawrence Block The Girls from Avenger , by Carrie Vaughn The Pit , by James Rollins My Name is Legion , by David Morrell The Custom of the Army , by Diana Gabaldon Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading. |
|
|||
“Dylan Kane leaves James Bond in his dust!” FROM AWARD-WINNING USA TODAY & MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR J. ROBERT KENNEDY A DEVASTATING BETRAYAL. AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE. COUNTRY? OR FAMILY? When the wife of the CIA’s Chief of Iranian Affairs is arrested during a family trip to her former homeland of Iran, CIA Operations Officer Dylan Kane is sent on a high-stakes mission to rescue her children, now trapped in the hostile nation.  The clock is ticking as Langley and Washington scramble to protect a top-secret operation on the brink of launching. With one of their own compromised, the stakes couldn't be higher—if the Iranians exploit their newfound leverage, tens of thousands of lives and the future of Europe could hang in the balance. In The Betrayal , award-winning USA Today and multi-million copy bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy delivers an electrifying thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Fans of Bond, Bourne, and Hunt will be riveted by Dylan Kane's relentless quest. Grab your copy of The Betrayal now and join Kane as he races against time to save innocent lives and thwart a conspiracy that threatens a family—and the fate of an entire continent… WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DYLAN KANE SERIES ★★★★★ “The action sequences are particularly well-written and exciting, without being overblown.” ★★★★★ “I love how the author explains what's needed but doesn't just ramble on in narrative.” ★★★★★ “The events in this adventure are so real and so heart pounding you can't put it down. Mr. Kennedy is by far my favorite writer.” ★★★★★ “Don’t mess with Kane, he takes no prisoners, especially when you target his friends.” ★★★★★ “This is one of the best stories I have ever read. The action and plot is believable and exciting and of course the climax is nail biting stuff. This author sure knows his stuff - if not, he does a great job of convincing his reader that he does!” ★★★★★ “Fast paced international spy thriller with good old American values among its main characters. I'd like to think we really do have agents like Kane.” WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DYLAN KANE SERIES ★★★★★ “The action sequences are particularly well-written and exciting, without being overblown.” ★★★★★ “I love how the author explains what's needed but doesn't just ramble on in narrative.” ★★★★★ “The events in this adventure are so real and so heart pounding you can't put it down. Mr. Kennedy is by far my favorite writer.” ★★★★★ “Don’t mess with Kane, he takes no prisoners, especially when you target his friends.” ★★★★★ “This is one of the best stories I have ever read. The action and plot is believable and exciting and of course the climax is nail biting stuff. This author sure knows his stuff - if not, he does a great job of convincing his reader that he does!” ★★★★★ “Fast paced international spy thriller with good old American values among its main characters. I'd like to think we really do have agents like Kane.” |
|
|||
The #1 New York Times –bestselling novel of an Italian town banding together against Nazis occupation—“irresistibly engaging . . . bubbles with gaiety and wit” ( The New York Times ). In the last days of World War II, German forces are sent to occupy the Italian hill town of Santa Vittoria. Above all, they wish to claim its great treasure: one million bottles of the Santa Vittoria wine that is its lifeblood. As the provincial mayor matches wits with the urbane German captain, the town unites—aristocrats and peasants, old enemies and young lovers—to deceive the Germans and save its wine. When the wine suddenly disappears, its hidden location becomes the closely held secret of Santa Vittoria. Robert Crichton brings this tale to life with wit, heart, and suspense in his masterful classic. First published in 1966, The Secret of Santa Vittoria was on the New York Times bestseller list for fifty weeks—eighteen weeks as #1—and became an international bestseller. |
|
|||
The Nobel Prize–winning author’s classic on the craft of novel writing “distills [the great works] brilliantly, revealing an architecture to their greatness” ( The W ashington Post Book World). In Letters to a Young Novelist , Mario Vargas Llosa condenses a lifetime of writing, reading, and thought into an essential manual for aspiring writers. Drawing on the stories and novels of writers from around the globe—including Borges, Bierce, Céline, Cortázar, Faulkner, Kafka, Robbe-Grillet and others—he lays bare the inner workings of fiction, all the while urging young novelists not to lose touch with the elemental urge to create. Conversational, eloquent, and effortlessly erudite, this little book is destined to be read and re-read by young writers, old writers, would-be writers, and all those with a stake in the world of letters. |
|
|||
Pulitzer Prize Finalist | New York Times Bestseller | A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick | A New York Times Book Review Notable Book | TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post; O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Vogue, Refinery29, and Buzzfeed From Ann Patchett, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth, comes a powerful, richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are. At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves. The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakeable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures. Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested. |
|
|||
The beautiful, young, and headstrong Ruth Virey gets herself in trouble with her fiery temper and impulsive ways. Willing to risk anything to escape her life at a "barren desert water-hole," she finds herself having jumped from the frying pan into the fire until Adam Wansfell, her husband’s brother and murderer, shows up and professes his love for her. Excitement rises to a smashing climax when, in their fight to retain possession of a priceless waterhole, Ruth and Adam come face to face with the law and the man they both believed to be dead. In Stairs of Sand , the desert country of Southern California and the amazingly beautiful canyon country of Arizona come vividly to life as the background of this thrilling Zane Grey story of life in the bold, action-packed days when the west was still a frontier. |
|
|||
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER From the #1 bestselling author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things , a riveting novel about the choices that change the course of our lives . Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She's on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: prepare for a crash landing. As thoughts flash through her mind, Dawn braces herself for impact. The shocking thing is the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years earlier.      Miraculously, Dawn survives the crash, but so do all the doubts she suddenly feels. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, she has her husband, Brian, her beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula who helps to ease the transition between life and death for her clients. But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a job she once studied for, but was forced to abandon. Now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the life choices she once made.      After the crash, once they've been checked out by a doctor, the airline offers the passengers flights to a destination of their choice. The obvious thing for Dawn is to fly home, to her work, to her family. The other option that occurs to her, though, is to travel to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways--the first known map of the afterlife.      As the story unfolds, Dawn's two futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts she's kept buried. And then there are the questions she's never truly asked: What does a well-lived life look like? When we leave the earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices or do our choices make us? And, who would you be, if you hadn't turned into the person you are right now?      |
|
|||
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends makes a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be . Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm, and the seeds of friendship are planted. As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, they make a pact, promising to always be there for one another, no matter how separated they may become by circumstances or distance. Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are all facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a shared journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance. In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides, helping us pick up the pieces? |
|
|||
The BRAND NEW instalment in bestselling author T. A. Williams' Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series! A brand-new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany...It's murder in paradise! An ex-con… Private investigator Dan Armstrong is no stranger to working with criminals, but when he’s approached for help by Bianca Moretti, he’s on high alert. Bianca is intelligent and beautiful, and Dan likes her, but he also once sent her to prison… A suspicious death… Bianca explains that a guest has been found dead at her father’s luxurious and private retreat on the beautiful Italian Riviera. The police are sure the death is accidental, but Bianca is convinced the man’s been murdered. Dan’s sure he can get to the bottom of things…as long as Bianca is telling him the whole truth. A very revealing case! But when Dan arrives at the resort, he's in for a shock. He finds that the place is a naturist retreat, and everybody is walking around stark naked! Dan is determined to discover the truth, but this is going to mean revealing a whole lot more of himself than he expected. Can Dan sniff out the truth about this case before Oscar's cold wet nose causes havoc? Praise for T.A. Williams! "The perfect combination of character, setting and plot, heralding an addictive new cozy mystery series!" Bestselling author Debbie Young. "Watching unassuming detective Dan Armstrong weddle the truth out of folks is great fun. Highly Entertaining read!" Bestselling author Kelly Oliver. |
|
|||
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION New York Times Readers’ Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century • An Oprah’s Book Club Selection • An Instant New York Times Bestseller • An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller • A #1 Washington Post Bestseller • A New York Times "Ten Best Books of the Year" "Demon is a voice for the ages—akin to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield—only even more resilient.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick "May be the best novel of [the year]. . . . Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love.” —Ron Charles, Washington Post From the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, a brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities. Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind. |
|
|||
A housekeeper’s daughter and a daughter of privilege find their fortunes reversed in this novel by the New York Times –bestselling author of The Diary . The caretaker’s cottage is the only home fifteen-year-old Abigail Armstrong has ever known. She and her mother, Rosalie, work for the well-to-do Meriwhethers. Lila Meriwhether is Abigail’s best friend, and Abigail has fallen in love with Lila’s twin brother, Vaughn. But one day the unthinkable happens: The employers who’d always treated them like family accuse Rosalie of stealing a diamond necklace and banish her and Abigail. A quarter of a century will pass before Abigail sees Lila or Vaughn again.   Twenty-five years later, Lila is leading a charmed life as the Park Avenue wife of a powerful businessman. But a scandal leaves her and her son nearly bankrupt. Abigail, the owner of a celebrated homemaking empire, is meanwhile coping with the fallout from a fire in her Mexico factory. In a capricious twist of fate, Lila is forced to take a job as Abigail’s housekeeper. But it is Vaughn, now a documentary filmmaker, who will shake up Abigail’s world and force her to confront the girl she used to be. |
|
|||
An evocative and charming novel full of secrets and mystery, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop In a quiet village in Ireland, a mysterious local myth is about to change everything… One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life. In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets – secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen. With a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie Woods's latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell. Readers have fallen in love with The Story Collector: ‘I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction and want to learn more about Ireland and its folklore history surrounding the faeries.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Romantic and magical, an adventure to be enjoyed.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Painted beautifully.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A bewitching story which I will treasure.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A mystical treasure that echoes with the fairy world power of Ireland. A mesmerising tale told in two timelines where the past unfolds and ripples like a wave into the future.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is the perfect book to read on a winter afternoon in front of the fire.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A delightful tale of love and loss and magical stories.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Previously published as The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan. About the author Evie Woods is the author of The Lost Bookshop, the #1 Wall Street Journal and Amazon Kindle bestseller, which has now sold over half a million copies. Living on the West Coast of Ireland, Evie escapes the inclement weather by writing her stories in a converted attic, where she dreams of underfloor heating. Her books tread the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly, revealing the magic that exists in our ordinary lives. |
|
|||
The author of The Razor’s Edge explores the longing for love and freedom in this coming-of-age story—“a novel of the utmost importance” (Theodore Dreiser).   Born with a clubfoot and orphaned at an early age, Philip Carey has long felt set apart from others. In the care of his doting aunt and dismissive uncle, he finds solace and escape in reading. But when he is sent to boarding school, he finds himself once again alone in heart and spirit. It is these cold beginnings that set him on a search for true happiness.   Philip’s quest will take him around the world: from Germany, where he finds cheer in the company of kindred outsiders; and London, where his upper-class heritage earns him undeserved scorn; to Paris, where the world of art initially entrances him, then leaves him frustrated. Returning to London, he enters a torturous and self-destructive affair with a cold-hearted waitress, experiences loss and betrayal, and ultimately learns that the search for predetermined happiness often ends in disappointment and disillusionment.   Drawing on his own experiences, W. Somerset Maugham paints an unforgettable portrait of the agony of desire in what is considered his greatest masterpiece.   This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. |
|
|||
“I was completely captivated by Michael Callahan’s The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard. It’s a history mystery you won’t be able to put down, with strong female characters and plenty of secrets. Plus, it takes you behind the scenes in vintage Hollywood and Martha’s Vineyard. A perfect beach read!”—Lisa Scottoline, #1 bestselling author of Loyalty and The Truth About the Devlins A tantalizing novel of two women bound by blood but divided by a long-buried secret, and the island that holds the key to the fateful summer that changed everything forever. In 1959, Hollywood ingenue Mercy Welles seems to have the world at her feet. Far removed from her Nebraska roots, she has crafted herself into a glamorous Oscar-nominated actress engaged to an up-and-coming director… Until she shockingly vanishes without a trace, just as her career is taking off. Almost sixty years later, Kit O’Neill, a junior television producer in Manhattan, is packing up her recently deceased grandmother’s attic, only to discover a long-lost box of souvenirs that reveal that the grandmother who raised her and her sister was, in fact, the mysterious Mercy Welles. Putting her investigative skills to use, Kit is determined to solve the riddle of her grandmother’s missing life, and the trail eventually leads to Martha’s Vineyard. Mercy retreats to the island nursing a broken heart, only to be drawn to the roguish Ren Sewards, who is not just the simple oysterman he appears to be but a scion of one of the island’s wealthy founding families. With her attraction to Ren quickly growing, Mercy soon finds herself entangled in the intrigues of the tightly knit community and the secrets of the Sewards. Alternating between Mercy and Kit’s timelines, including excerpts from letters Mercy wrote the summer she disappeared, The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard unfurls into a heart-stopping story of love, betrayal, and even murder. |
|
|||
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New York Times bestselling author returns with an irreverently sexy, tender, hilarious and surprising novel about a woman upending her life “A frank novel about a midlife awakening, which is funnier and more boldly human than you ever quite expect….nothing short of riveting .” —Vogue “ All Fours has spurred a whisper network of women fantasizing about desire and freedom...It’s the talk of every group text." —The New York Times “ All Fours possessed me. I picked it up and neglected my life until the last page, and then I started begging every woman I know to read it as soon as possible.” — The Cut “A novel that presses into that tender bruise about the anxiety of aging, of what it means to have a female body that is aging, and wanting the freedom to live a fuller life…Deeply funny and achingly true.” — LA Times “July’s novel is hot and weird and captivating and one of the most entertaining, deranged, and moving depictions of lust and romantic mania I’ve ever read.” — New York Magazine A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, checks into a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in an entirely different journey. Miranda July’s second novel confirms the brilliance of her unique approach to fiction. With July’s wry voice, perfect comic timing, unabashed curiosity about human intimacy, and palpable delight in pushing boundaries, All Fours tells the story of one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic, and domestic life of a forty-five-year-old female artist, All Fours transcends expectation while excavating our beliefs about life lived as a woman. Once again, July hijacks the familiar and turns it into something new and thrillingly, profoundly alive. |
|
|||
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers. “Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.” —The Guardian In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today. |
|
|||
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Identity presents a suspenseful new novel of tragedy and trauma, love and family, and the evil that awaits. As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb. Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened. The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse—because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them—and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head… |
|
|||
In this beloved classic, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author explores the dynamic relationship between a mother and daughter in contemporary Houston. In this acclaimed novel that inspired the Academy Award–winning motion picture, Larry McMurtry created two unforgettable characters who won the hearts of readers and moviegoers everywhere: Aurora Greenway and her daughter Emma . . . Aurora is the kind of woman who makes the whole world orbit around her, including a string of devoted suitors. Widowed and overprotective of her daughter, Aurora adapts at her own pace until life sends two enormous challenges her way: Emma’s hasty marriage and subsequent battle with cancer. Terms of Endearment is the Oscar-winning story of a memorable mother and her feisty daughter and their struggle to find the courage and humor to live through life’s hazards—and to love each other as never before. “Very special . . . very winning . . . it will make you laugh and cry.” — The New York Times “A vivid and richly detailed novel about ourselves and those we love.” — The New Republic “McMurtry at his best! He is one of the few male authors who can write convincingly from the woman’s point of view.” — Newsday |