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From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8. Nita Callahan, a 14-year-old wizard from Long Island, is annoyed when her concerned parents ship her off to Ireland for six weeks on an enforced vacation from magic-working and her partner Kit?but what's time or space to wizards (see So You Want to Be a Wizard [1996] and its sequels [all Harcourt]). In any case, Ireland is hardly the ideal spot for a magic-free getaway, and indeed Nita soon finds herself involved in big doings. With the ancient harvest festival of Lughnasad approaching, signs point to a major attack from the malicious Lone Power, the very inventor of Death, in its guise as Balor of the Evil Eye. The assembled wizards of Ireland have but one hope: to find or re-create the Four Treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan, said in ancient stories to have helped defeat Balor once before. Moving easily between light, everyday language and the sonorous formality of high fantasy, Duane seamlessly interweaves encounters with creatures from legend with glimpses of modern Irish life and teen culture. Her view of magic's place in the scheme of things is so clever and well reasoned that readers will have no trouble suspending belief. Nita is an appealingly hot-tempered teenager who faces slavering dire wolves and trollish drows with more courage than the dismaying realization that she's gotten "the hots" for young fellow wizard Ronan. Balor's appearance in the climactic battle is all too brief, but against this army of wizards, it never stands a chance. At least in retrospect. An unusually consistent fantasy, rich in details, subplots, and Irish lore.?John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Grade 5-8. Nita Callahan, a 14-year-old wizard from Long Island, is annoyed when her concerned parents ship her off to Ireland for six weeks on an enforced vacation from magic-working and her partner Kit?but what's time or space to wizards (see So You Want to Be a Wizard [1996] and its sequels [all Harcourt]). In any case, Ireland is hardly the ideal spot for a magic-free getaway, and indeed Nita soon finds herself involved in big doings. With the ancient harvest festival of Lughnasad approaching, signs point to a major attack from the malicious Lone Power, the very inventor of Death, in its guise as Balor of the Evil Eye. The assembled wizards of Ireland have but one hope: to find or re-create the Four Treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan, said in ancient stories to have helped defeat Balor once before. Moving easily between light, everyday language and the sonorous formality of high fantasy, Duane seamlessly interweaves encounters with creatures from legend with glimpses of modern Irish life and teen culture. Her view of magic's place in the scheme of things is so clever and well reasoned that readers will have no trouble suspending belief. Nita is an appealingly hot-tempered teenager who faces slavering dire wolves and trollish drows with more courage than the dismaying realization that she's gotten "the hots" for young fellow wizard Ronan. Balor's appearance in the climactic battle is all too brief, but against this army of wizards, it never stands a chance. At least in retrospect. An unusually consistent fantasy, rich in details, subplots, and Irish lore. John Peters, New York Public Library (School Library Journal )

A revelatory tale of science, adventure, and modern myth.

When the writer Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers, and read up on Arctic science and geography. But questions can be like ocean currents: wade in too far, and they carry you away. Hohn's accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive world of shipping conglomerates, the daring work of Arctic researchers, the lunatic risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy world of Chinese toy factories.

Moby-Duck is a journey into the heart of the sea and an adventure through science, myth, the global economy, and some of the worst weather imaginable. With each new discovery, Hohn learns of another loose thread, and with each successive chase, he comes closer to understanding where his castaway quarry comes from and where it goes. In the grand tradition of Tony Horwitz and David Quammen, Moby-Duck is a...

Om de onschuld van haar tweelingbroer te kunnen bewijzen, hebben Vanessa en haar ouders de hulp van een bekend advocaat gevraagd. Deze is daartoe echter niet bereid, omdat een tekening die Vanessa eens van hem heeft gemaakt, hem bijzonder in zijn trots heeft getroffen. Dan komt Norbert Palmer in Vanessa’s leven en met hem schijnen de moeilijkheden nog groter te worden! Vooral omdat Vanessa maar één doel voor ogen heeft: haar broer uit de gevangenis halen. Daarvoor heeft ze alles over en wil ze de grootste offers brengen.

Some of the 23 stories in Wallace's bold, uneven, bitterly satirical second collection seem bound for best-of-the-year anthologies; a few others will leave even devoted Wallace fans befuddled. The rest of the stories fall between perplexing and brilliant, but what is most striking about this volume as a whole are the gloomy moral obsessions at the heart of Wallace's new work. Like his recent essays, these stories (many of which have been serialized in Harper's, Esquire and the Paris Review) are largely an attack on the sexual heroics of mainstream postwar fiction, an almost religious attempt to rescue (when not exposing as a fraud) the idea of romantic love. In the "interviews," that make up the title story, one man after anotherAspeaking to a woman whose voice we never hearAreveals the pathetic creepiness of his romantic conquests and fantasies. These hideous men aren't the collection's only monsters of isolation. In "Adult World," Wallace writes of a young wife obsessed with fears that her husband is secretly, compulsively masturbating; in "The Depressed Person," one of Wallace's (rare) female narcissists whines that she is a "solipsistic, self-consumed, endless emotional vacuum"Athis, to a dying friend. If MacArthur Fellowship-winner Wallace's rendition of our verbal tics and trash is less astonishing now than in earlier work (Infinite Jest; A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again), that is because it has already become the way we hear ourselves talk. Wallace seems to have stripped down his prose in order to more pointedly probe distinct structures (i.e., footnoted psychotherapy journal, a pop quiz format). Yet these stories, at their best, show an erotic savagery and intellectual depth that will confound, fascinate and disturb the most unsuspecting reader as well as devoted fans of this talented writer.

Grace Lisa Vandenburg is geobsedeerd door getallen. Ze telt de letters van haar naam (19); het aantal stappen dat ze iedere ochtend zet naar het café (920); het aantal maanzaadjes op een muffin, dat het aantal happen dicteert dat ze moet nemen om de cake op te eten. Grace telt alles, omdat getallen haar leven onder controle houden en haar helpen de chaos in haar te bedwingen. Dan ontmoet ze Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (ook een 19), die net als haar familie denkt beter af zou zijn als ze niet alles zou tellen. Als ze bijvoorbeeld eens een baan kon vinden; of haar keukenkastjes een keer open kon doen zonder meteen de hele inventaris te hoeven opmaken. Op aandringen van haar familie en Seamus gaat Grace in therapie, maar al snel vraagt ze zich af wat er zo geweldig aan is om 'normaal' te zijn.

(source: Bol.com)

A New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"A Texas Lone Star Reading List BookA Josette Frank Award WinnerA Utah State Book Award WinnerA Utah Speculative Fiction Award Winner Shannon Hale started writing books at age ten and has never stopped, earning an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana sixteen years later, and publishing The Goose Girl, her first book, not long after that. A sometime actress, instructional designer and missionary, she now makes her home in Salt Lake City, Utah with her super-human husband and their pet, a small, plastic pig. On her way to marry a prince she has never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers. "In layer upon layer of detail a beautiful coming-of-age story emerges, a tale about learning to rescue yourself rather than falling accidently into happily-ever-after."—The New York Times Book Review "She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother. When she is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride, her scheming entourage mounts a bloody mutiny to replace her with a jealous lady-in-waiting, Selia, and to allow an inner circle of guards more power in the new land. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl and wanders on the royal estate. Does she have the pluck to reclaim her rightful place? Get ready for a fine adventure tale full of danger, suspense, surprising twists, and a satisfying conclusion. The engaging plot can certainly carry the tale, but Hale's likable, introspective heroine makes this also a book about courage and justice in the face of overwhelming odds. The richly rendered, medieval folkloric setting adds to the charm."—Booklist "A magical retelling of the Grimms's fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen. Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, is born with the ability to speak to animals, a gift that is nurtured by her aunt. When the king dies, the queen announces that Ani's younger brother, not the crown princess, will succeed her on the throne. Unbeknownst to anyone, the queen has promised Ani in marriage to the prince of neighboring Bayern. The devastated teen is sent with a retinue over the mountains to Bayem and is betrayed by Selia, her lady-in-waiting, and most of her guards during the journey. Ani escapes, takes the name 'Isi,' disguises her distinctive blonde hair, and becomes a tender of geese to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim her crown from the imposter, Selia. Ani meets and falls in love with Geric, who is, conveniently, the prince she is to marry. She is able to convince him and the king of her identity, marry, become queen, and stop a war between the kingdoms. This retelling retains many similarities to the original tale, including the gruesome punishment for treason. Hale's retelling is a wonderfully rich one, full of eloquent description and lovely imagery, and with a complex plot, a large cast of characters, and a strong female protagonist. Fans of high fantasy will be delighted with this novel, the first in a planned trilogy, and impatiently await those to follow."—School Library Journal (starred review)

Product Description

College student Kayla Monroe seems to have everything. Stunning looks, smarts, and loads of money thanks to her privileged upbringing. But something’s gone wrong. Ever since the start of her sophomore year, people have been avoiding her. Her friends shun her. Guys no longer flock to her. Even her former stalker, an awkward geek, now wants nothing to do with her.

She is on the brink of utter despair when she encounters a young man in the park. The man is charming and movie star handsome. Kayla thinks maybe her luck has taken a turn for the better. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Because this man is the Devil. Capital D definitely intended. The ultimate embodiment of evil. And he has something to tell Kayla.

Kayla hasn’t always been the nicest girl in the world. At times she has been downright mean. She’s grown past that, but now her past has come back to haunt her. Someone wants revenge. Bad enough to engage the services of the devil. But the tables have turned again and the devil now has his own deal to offer Kayla.

He can end her suffering. End the shunning spell. But only at a very high price. And Kayla must decide whether she has it within herself to surrender her soul and commit an act so heinous it will damn her forever.

Acclaimed horror author Bryan Smith turns to the realm of urban fantasy with this 75,000 word novel.

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF BRYAN SMITH:

"Bryan Smith's DARKENED is a full-throttle pedal-to-the-metal ride straight into the heart of the apocalypse. Deeply disturbing and absolutely riveting. Highly recommended."--Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of THE KING OF PLAGUES and PATIENT ZERO

“I look forward to spending a weekend with a new Bryan Smith book the way I used to look forward to spending a weekend with a new Richard Laymon novel. In my view, there isn‘t higher praise than that.”--Brian Keene, author of The Rising.

Lizzy Harrison heeft geen vriend en ook geen kat. Daar heeft ze allemaal geen tijd voor met haar drukke pr-baan en haar volle agenda. Volgens haar beste vriendin Lulu moet Lizzy nodig eens uit haar dak. Wanneer ze door haar baas in de armen van de ruige internationale megaster Randy Jones wordt gedreven, ontwaakt er een vlammetje in Lizzys hart. En het besef dat je niet alles in het leven tot in de puntjes kunt regelen. Sex-on-legs Randy blijkt onverbeterlijk en Lizzys romantische taak om hem uit de problemen te houden wordt bijna onmogelijk. De roddelbladen zitten haar op de hielen. Waar is Lizzys redder in de nood? 'When I received a proof copy of the book, it had a sticker on it saying this: Warning. A clever romantic comedy is inside this package. Can also be enjoyed by cynics who never normally read Chick Lit. I had no other choice to read the book. Thankfully, the book didnt let me down at all.' Lees de volledige recensie op Chicklitreviews.com
(source: Bol.com)

SUMMARY: It is 1540, and Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer renowned as “the sharpest hunchback in the courts of England,” is pressed to help a friend's young niece who is charged with murder. Despite threats of torture and death by the rack, the girl is inexplicably silent. Shardlake is about to lose her case when he is suddenly granted a reprieve—one that will ensnare him in the dangerous schemes of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's feared vicar-general. In exchange for two more weeks to investigate the murder, Shardlake accepts Cromwell's dangerous assignment to find a lost cache of “dark fire,” a legendary weapon of mass destruction. Cromwell, out of favor since Henry's disastrous marriage to Anne of Cleves, is relying on Shardlake to save his position at court, which is rife with treasonous conspiracies. With its wonderful attention to period detail and its brilliant handling of suspense, Dark Fire is sure to win comparisons with Margaret George's Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles and captivate readers of Philippa Gregory and David Liss.

Malgré la détermination du pharaon Sésostris, malgré les efforts conjugués de ses généraux qui cherchent - en vain - le coupable, malgré les incantations quotidiennes et les soins de la reine et des sept prêtresses de la déesse Hathor, le bel acacia d'Abydos se meurt...

Mais parmi ces prêtresses, la plus mystérieuse, celle qui hante les nuits du jeune scribe Iker, a une idée : pour sauver l'" arbre de vie ", il faut construire à Dachour une nouvelle pyramide incarnant Osiris. Sésostris est d'accord, ils trouvent ensemble l'endroit idéal, les travaux vont pouvoir commencer, sous le regard bienveillant d'Isis. Ce qu'ils ignorent l'un et l'autre, c'est qu'un triple complot se trame contre lui : d'une part, l'Annonciateur, ce barbu diabolique qui prêche aux tribus du désert, a décidé de prendre le pouvoir en faisant assassiner Pharaon ; d'autre part, à la Cour même du roi, un traître ambitieux et voleur n'a plus qu'une solution, éliminer son maître ; enfin Iker lui-même, trompé par les apparences, croit le moment venu de régler ses comptes.

Or Sésostris est rarement seul, jusqu'au jour où l'occasion se présente...