Popular books

Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex

Cal Stephanides es agregado cultural en la embajada de los Estados Unidos en Berlín. Enamorado de una mujer pero temeroso de lo que pueda suceder en el momento de la verdad, cuando caen máscaras, velos y vestiduras, decide, ya en «la mitad del camino de la vida», contar su historia, revelar su secreto. Porque Cal, como Tiresias, ha vivido como mujer y como hombre.Todo comienza en 1922, cuando Desdemona y Lefty Stephanides, los abuelos de Cal, que vivían en una pequeña aldea cerca de Esmirna y pertenecían a la comunidad griega de Turquía, huyen tras la guerra entre estos dos países. En el caos de la destrucción de Esmirna consiguen escapar con documentos falsos. Están enamorados y, en medio de un mundo que se derrumba, Desdemona finalmente accede a olvidar el tabú fundamental. Se casan en el barco que los lleva a los Estados Unidos y se instalan en América, en casa de su prima Lina y su marido. Y las dos parejas tendrán a sus hijos casi al mismo tiempo, y estos hijos, en un doble o triple juego de consanguinidades, se casarán y serán los padres de Cal. Que cuando nace es Calliope, y parece destinada a encarnar la leyenda que se contaba en secreto en la aldea de sus abuelos sobre esas niñas que cuando llegaban a una cierta edad se transformaban en hombres.Y así comienza la exhuberante, inmensa, esperadísima segunda novela de Jeffrey Eugenides, un caleidoscopio de historias que abarca ocho décadas en la historia de una familia, que va de Asia Menor a Detroit y a Berlín y es uno de los intentos más ambiciosos y logrados de escribir ese inasible, oscuro objeto del deseo literario, la Gran Novela Americana. En esta ocasión, con magníficos ecos homéricos.<

Helen Edmundson

The Mill on the Floss

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)In "The Mill on the Floss," George Eliot re-creates her own childhood through the story of the wild, gifted Maggie Tulliver and her spoiled, selfish brother. Though tragic in its outcome, this tenderly comic novel combines vivid vignettes of family life with a magnificent portrait of the heroine and an acute critique of Victorian sexual politics. Eliot had no peer when it came to finding the drama at the heart of normal lives lived in tandem with the gigantic rhythms of nature itself, and in "The Mill on the Floss" she shows us once again how thoroughly the art of fiction can satisfy our deepest mental and emotional cravings.<

Lee Emerick

Mind of a Killer

Nathan Englander

The Ministry of Special Cases

SUMMARY: From its unforgettable opening scene in the darkness of a forgotten cemetery in Buenos Aires, Nathan Englander's debut novel The Ministry of Special Cases casts a powerful spell. In the heart of Argentina's Dirty War, Kaddish Poznan struggles with a son who won't accept him; strives for a wife who forever saves him; and spends his nights protecting the good name of a community that denies his existence. When the nightmare of the disappeared children brings the Poznan family to its knees, they are thrust into the unyielding corridors of the Ministry of Special Cases, a terrifying, byzantine refuge of last resort. Through the devastation of a single family, Englander brilliantly captures the grief of a nation.<

E R Eddison

Mistress of Mistresses

<div><p class="description">MISTRESS OF MISTRESSES was the first published novel in E.R. Eddison's celebrated Zimiamvian trilogy. Like Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Zimiamvia is a world which mirrors our own - but passions run stronger there, and life, love and treachery are epic in their intensity. And magic, of course, is a reality. Mezentius had ruled the Three Kingdoms with a firm hand, but his legitimate heir is a weakling, frightened of the power of his half-brother, Duke Barganax, and of that of the terrifying Horius Parry, Vicar of Rerek. As Parry and Barganax manoeuvre, intrigue and plot, it is clear that the new king isn't long for the world. The key to the control of the Three Kingdoms lies with Lessingham, Parry's cousin, the only man both sides can trust. But then Parry decides that Lessingham must die. As heroes and villains clash, an even darker game is being played - for the Lady Fiorinda is testing her own powers to decide the fates of men...</p> <p class="description">MISTRESS OF MISTRESSES is as powerful, exciting and intriguing today as when it was first published.</p></div><

Kathryn Erskine

Mockingbird

<h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Grade 4–6—From inside Caitlin's head, readers see the very personal aftermath of a middle school shooting that took the life of the older brother she adored. Caitlin is a bright fifth grader and a gifted artist. She also has Asperger's syndrome, and her brother, Devon, was the one who helped her interpret the world. Now she has only her father, a widower who is grieving anew and whose ability to relate to his daughter is limited. A compassionate school counselor works with her, trying to teach her the social skills that are so difficult for her. Through her own efforts and her therapy sessions, she begins to come to terms with her loss and makes her first, tentative steps toward friendship. Caitlin's thought processes, including her own brand of logic, are made remarkably clear. The longer readers spend in the child's world, the more understandable her entirely literal and dispassionate interpretations are. Marred slightly by the portrayal of Devon as a perfect being, this is nonetheless a valuable book. After getting to know Caitlin, young people's tendencies to label those around them as either "normal" or "weird" will seem as simplistic and inadequate a system as it truly is.—<em>Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL</em> <br />(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>Ten-year-old Caitlyn hates recess, with all its noise and chaos, and her kind, patient counselor, Mrs. Brook, helps her to understand the reasons behind her discomfort, while offering advice about how to cope with her Asberger’s Syndrome, make friends, and deal with her grief over her older brother’s death in a recent school shooting. She eschews group projects in class, claiming that she doesn’t need to learn how to get along with others, but solitude is neither good for her or her grieving father, and when Caitlyn hears the term closure, she turns to her one trusty friend, her dictionary, and sets out on a mission to find it for both of them. Along the way, Caitlyn makes many missteps, but eventually she does achieve the long-sought closure with great finesse, which is another of her favorite vocabulary words. Allusions to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the portrayal of a whole community’s healing process, and the sharp insights into Caitlyn’s behavior enhance this fine addition to the recent group of books with narrators with autism and Asbergers. Grades 4-7. --Cindy Dobrez </p><

Jason Elam

Monday Night Jihad

Robert M Edsel

The Monuments Men

La segunda guerra mundial no sólo se cobró vidas humanas: el patrimonio artístico europeo fue también víctima de la barbarie nazi, que ejerció de forma sistemática el pillaje y el saqueo de obras de arte de todo tipo, incluidos cuadros de Miguel Ángel, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Dyck y Vermeer, robados para Hitler y otros dirigentes del nacionalsocialismo. En total, más de cinco millones de objetos fueron confiscados y trasladados a los territorios del Tercer Reich durante los primeros años de la guerra.Para evitar la desaparición y el deterioro de ese enorme legado cultural, cuando la guerra encaraba su fase decisiva los aliados crearon la sección de Monumentos, Bellas Artes y Archivos, en la que hasta 1951 trabajaron algo más de trescientas personas de trece países distintos. En su mayoría no eran militares, sino directores de museos, conservadores, historiadores y profesores de arte que utilizaron sus conocimientos para recuperar, catalogar y devolver a su legítimo lugar cuadros, esculturas y retablos, y para proteger abadías, iglesias y otros edificios históricos de los estragos de la guerra.Los miembros de la sección de Monumentos, conocidos como Monuments Men, encararon en aquellos años cruciales una carrera contrarreloj para salvar tesoros culturales de la destrucción, ejerciendo a menudo una labor detectivesca a través de documentos recuperados en catedrales bombardeadas y museos, y gracias a pistas conseguidas con la ayuda de la población local. Se convirtieron de este modo en héroes improbables sumergidos en el epicentro de la peor guerra del siglo XX, que arriesgaron sus vidas y en algunas ocasiones la perdieron, y que, como tantos otros que vivieron aquella época, personificaron el coraje que permitió que la mejor humanidad derrotara a la peor.La crónica nunca antes explicada de la mayor caza del tesoro de la historia.<

Aaron Elkins

Murder in the Queen's Armes

<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Anthropologist Gideon Oliver is honeymooning in England when he decides to drop in on a Dorset dig run by his old friend Nate Marcus. The local scientific society is miffed by Marcus's publicity-grabbing theories, and definitely put off by his abrasive manner. Gideon detects an uneasy atmosphere at the dig. After a member vanishes and an unidentifiable body turns up, Gideon ("the skeleton detective" of Fellowship of Fear and The Dark Place) is dragged into the investigation by the police. He's also unwillingly involved with Marcus's great "find"that turns out to be a fake. Blackmail, academic hugger-mugger and more murder surface and Gideon and his wife are in dire peril. The characters and local color are only moderately interesting and the ending is rather tame, but the book is saved by Gideon's enthusiasm and Elkins's depiction of his neat "skeletal detective work." Foreign rights: Barney Karpfinger Agency. December 16<br />Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><

D R Erickson

My Clockwork Muse

New York City, 1847: Someone is committing murders in the manner of Edgar Allan Poe's tales of terror. When a corpse is found interred in a masonry wall in a subterranean chamber, the police call on Poe himself to help solve the crime. But when the famous author applies his powers of detection to the murder, he finds that the clues lead in only one direction: to Poe himself.<

James Ellroy

My Dark Places

Laurie Alice Eakes

A Necessary Deception

<p>When young widow Lady Lydia Gale helps a French prisoner obtain parole, she never dreamed he would turn up in her parlor. But just as the London Season is getting under way, there he is, along with a few other questionable personages. While she should be focused on helping her headstrong younger sister prepare for her entr&eacute; into London society, Lady Gale finds herself preoccupied with the mysterious Frenchman. Is he a spy or a suitor? Can she trust him? Or is she putting her family in danger?<p>Readers will enjoy being drawn into this world of elegance and intrigue, balls and masquerades. Author Laurie Alice Eakes whisks readers through the drawing rooms of London amid the sound of rustling gowns on this exciting quest to let the past stay in the past and let love guide the future.<

Karen Erickson

Neon Chaos

Cynthia Eden

Never Cry Wolf

Lucas Simone is not the kind of guy you mess with. He's big, he's strong, and his eyes hint at a wilder side most women can't handle. Of course, that's because his predatory instincts are no metaphor - he's a genuine Grade-A top-quality werewolf, tough enough to fight his way to dominance over the scariest pack on the West Coast. There's only one chink in his armor. Unlike most alpha dogs, Lucas has a reputation for protecting the weak and innocent. Sarah King is counting on that protective impulse - it's the only thing standing between her and certain death. There are only two problems - one, she's not quite as innocent as she'd like Lucas to believe. And two, if he doesn't stop stoking Sarah's animal lust, it's only a matter of time before her own wild side gets unleashed.<

Michael Ende

The Neverending Story

THIS EPIC WORK of the imagination has captured the hearts of millions of readers worldwide since it was first published more than a decade ago. Its special story within a story is an irresistible invitation for readers to become part of the book itself. And now this modern classic and bibliophiles dream is available in hardcover again. The story begins with a lonely boy named Bastian and the strange book that draws him into the beautiful but doomed world of Fantastica. Only a human can save this enchanted place—by giving its ruler, the Childlike Empress, a new name. But the journey to her tower leads through lands of dragons, giants, monsters, and magic—and once Bastian begins his quest, he may never return. As he is drawn deeper into Fantastica, he must find the courage to face unspeakable foes and the mysteries of his own heart. Readers, too, can travel to the wondrous, unforgettable world of Fantastica if they will just turn the page...<

Jon Evans

Night of Knives

Veronica Kelly came to Africa to start her life over. Still reeling from her divorce, she is grateful when a handsome stranger invites her to join a tour to visit gorillas in Uganda's wild Impenetrable Forest. A trip that goes desperately wrong when their group is captured by brutal gunmen. Then one tourist is executed. And then another. This is no random kidnapping: their abduction is only the first move in a deadly strategic game. A game in which Veronica's ex-husband is somehow involved. Now she must embark on a wild journey across Africa, to unveil a malignant conspiracy before it consumes entire nations - and thousands of lives... &nbsp; &nbsp; Reviews of Night of Knives: &nbsp; Evans's plots positively teem with well-drawn characters and terse, well-controlled dialogue. There are plenty of twists and turns and the non-stop action is guaranteed to leave readers breathless. — Lancashire Evening Post &nbsp; Suspense aplenty keeps the pages turning. — Gold Coast Bulletin (Australia) &nbsp; A gripping and terrifying read. — The York Press &nbsp; Full of twists and turns, this high-concept, high-adrenalin thriller bests most of what has been produced out of Hollywood in recent years. A must read for action junkies everywhere. — South Coast Register (Australia) &nbsp; A vivid eye for detail ... a tale that yomps through the bush and across countries. — Huddersfield Examiner &nbsp; The novel begins at speed, with a group of British, American and Canadian tourists trekking through the Ugandan jungle on a gorilla-spotting tour. By the time the page numbers reach double figures, the guards are dead and the tourists' apparently Congolese captors are marching them towards the Uganda-Congo border, where the plan is to hold them to ransom. But almost every aspect of the plot is more complicated than it seems ... — Sydney Morning Herald<

Deborah Ellis

No Ordinary Day

<p>There's not much that upsets young Valli. Even though her days are spent picking coal and fighting with her cousins, life in the coal town of Jharia, India, is the only life she knows. The only sight that fills her with terror are the monsters who live on the other side of the train tracks &#8212; the lepers. Valli and the other children throw stones at them. No matter how hard her life is, she tells herself, at least she will never be one of them. Then she discovers that she is not living with family after all, that her "aunt" was a stranger who was paid money to take Valli off her own family's hands. She decides to leave Jharia . . . and so begins a series of adventures that takes her to Kolkata, the city of the gods. It's not so bad. Valli finds that she really doesn't need much to live. She can "borrow" the things she needs and then pass them on to people who need them more than she does. It helps that though her bare feet become raw wounds as she makes her way around the...<

Karen Erickson

Notorious

Lawrence Watt Evans

Obsidian Chronicles #01 - Dragon Weather

<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Watt-Evans (Touched by the Gods, etc.) opens his latest novel with a bang: 11-year-old Arlian's village is destroyed by dragons, and he, the sole survivor, is enslaved by the minions of Lord Dragon. Raised as a mine slave, at 18 Arlian escapes into the arms of the inmates of the House of Carnal Society. When that brothel is burned and its women abducted by Lord Dragon, Arlian's quest for vengeance intensifies. Under the tutelage of a caravan guard named Black, he learns swordsmanship and trading, and gains great wealth. Using the name Lord Obsidian, Arlian pursues both Lord Dragon's minions and the noble owners of the Carnal House, but his hunt is deterred by two shattering discoveries: that vengeance is, after all, distasteful to him; and that his childhood encounter with dragons has made him like his enemiesAnearly immortal, charismatic and eligible to join the ruling Dragon Society. Any reluctance to pursue his vendetta leaves Arlian, however, when he discovers that Lord Dragon is not only a sadist but possibly a traitor to the Dragon Society. Watt-Evans's plot strongly resembles that of The Count of Monte Cristo, but he turns it to his own purposes and produces a thoroughly absorbing tale. His writing is clean of the purple prose that mars so much fantasy, and the book poses many provocative ethical questions about the similarity between the righteous man and the unjust. This novel showcases the understated excellence readers have come to expect from this durable and (too often) underrated author. <br>Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>New fantasy from the author of Touched by the Gods (1997), etc. When dragons destroy the village of Obsidian on the Smoking Mountain, young Arlian is the sole survivor. Trapped beneath his grandfather's body in a cellar, Arlian accidentally ingests a mixture of dragon venom and human blood, and thereby becomes a <code></code>dragonheart,'' blessed with health and long life. But first he's sold into slavery by the scavenging Lord Dragon and his henchmen. After many years, Arlian escapes from the slave mines and takes shelter in a brothel. The kindly inmates are slaves whose feet have been amputated to prevent their escape. Discovered at last by the madam, Arlian flees, but the owners, all Lords, kill or carry off the girls and burn the building. One day, Arlian vows, justice will be done. With gold stolen from a Lord's hoard, he equips a wagon and joins a caravan heading for the distant Borderlands. Along the way, his companion, Black, teaches him to fight. After many adventures, Arlian returns with vast wealth. Several of his enemies, he discovers, belong to the Dragon Societydragonhearts like himselfincluding his mortal enemy, Lord Dragon! The Society is dedicated to learning about dragons and sorcery, and all are sworn to share information. But Lord Dragon is holding out. How, for instance, did he know that the dragons were coming to destroy Obsidian? Often remarkably inventive, and commendably well organized: pity the implementation's largely flat and mediocre. -- <em>Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p></div><

Lawrence Watt Evans

Obsidian Chronicles #02 - The Dragon Society

Lawrence Watt Evans

Obsidian Chronicles #03 - Dragon Venom

Aaron Elkins

Old Bones

<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>In the flood tides off Mont St. Michel, revered Resistance-hero Guillaume du Rocher is drowned. Already assembled at the Rocher estate to deal with family business, members of the Rocher clan instead read his will. The next day a partial skeleton is found in the cellar and Gideon Oliver, a physical anthropologist, is called to examine the bones. They are those of a young man who died 50 years prior and Gideon believes the deceased was tied to the Resistance movement. When Gideon is threatened, and Claude, Rocher's principal heir, is poisoned, Gideon begins to unravel a web of espionage, family deceit and murder, whose dramatic resolution lies in the secret held by the old bones. This taut thriller won the 1988 Edgar Award for best mystery novel. </p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>When revered Resistance-hero Guillaume du Rocher drowns in a rushing flood tide off Mont St. Michel, members of the familysummoned by Guillaume on undisclosed urgent businessare already assembled at the domaine du Rocher, where, instead, they hear his will. The next day in the basement, a partial skeleton is uncovered, and Gideon Oliver, American physical anthropologist known as the "Skeleton Detective," is called from his lectures at an international forensics conference to examine the bones. Gideon confirms the remains, determines that they are those of a young man dead almost 50 years, suggesting a connection to local Resistance actions, including one in which Guillaume's brother Alain was executed after Claude Fougeray, a du Rocher cousin and now Guillaume's principal heir, collaborated with the enemy. While Gideon gleans more and more information from the skeleton, Claude is poisoned and Gideon himself is threatened. An intricate plotmore substantial than it promises initiallyis weighed down by a school of weak red herrings, by too much multisyllabic information about bone structure and by characters more caricatured than lifelike. Elkins (The Dark Place and Fellowship of Fear), is better on the muck and sand below the abbey where the action, especially a thrilling final scene, gallops along as fast and compelling as the tide itself. <br />Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><

Aaron Elkins

Old Scores

<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The third installment in Elkins's spirited series featuring Seattle Art Museum curator/detective Chris Norgren was a Mystery Guild main in cloth. <br />Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>A perceptive look at the world of museums, dealers, and collectors through the somewhat innocent eyes of Chris Norgren, curator of Renaissance art at the Seattle Art Museum (A Glancing Light, 1991, etc.). The museum has been offered the gift of a newly discovered Rembrandt by long-established French gallery owner Ren‚ Vachey, notorious over the years for outrageous put-downs of his peers. There's a deadline for acceptance, and no scientific testing for authenticity is permitted. A similar offer, of a L‚ger, has been made to the Mus‚e Barillot in Dijon--the victim some years back of one of Vachey's antic schemes. Is the offer legit or another trick to ridicule the establishment? To find out, Chris flies to France, meets Vachey and his dissolute son Christian, along with Edmond Froger, director of the Barillot; respected L‚ger expert Jean-Luc Charpentier; and a host of other art VIPs. In the midst of the festive hoopla, someone attacks Chris, a claimant for the Rembrandt surfaces, and Vachey is shot to death. Chris manages to make his decision about the painting, enjoy some Paris time with girlfriend Anne, and solve the murder too. An unpretentious, conversational style, convincing plot, laid- back hero, easy-to-take art-history, and a loving evocation of Paris--in a fresh, funny, thoroughly entertaining story. -- <em>Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p><

Kate Avery Ellison

Once Upon a Beanstalk

<h3>Product Description</h3><p>In this humorous collection of fairy tale mashups combining modern day technology with fairy tale sensibilities, Rumpelstiltskin and Red Riding Hood are married and running a royal wedding planner venue, Rapunzel has been rescued from her tower and is about to start her happily ever after, and the Grimm Brothers are a group of notorious thieves who are forced to rescue a kidnapped princess in order to avoid execution.<br /></p><p>This collection includes the short stories "Once Upon a Wedding," "Once Upon a Heist," and "Once Upon a Beanstalk."<br /></p><p>Approximately 20,000 words in length. </p><

Janet Evanovich

One for the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel

Watch out, world. Here comes Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie's opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey. She's a product of the "burg," a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six. Now Stephanie's all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad's, doing her best to sever the world's longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case. Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook. Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie's virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario's Sub Shop. There's still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting. It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At worst, it could lead to murder. Witty, fresh, and full of surprises, "One for the Money" is among the most eagerly awaited crime novels of the season.<

Eve Edwards

The Other Countess

<p>England, 1582ELLIE -- Lady Eleanor Rodriguez of San Jaime -- is in possession of a gold-seeking father, a worthless title and a feisty spirit that captivates the elite of the Queen's court, and none other than the handsome new Earl of Dorset . . .WILLIAM LACEY has inherited his father's title and his financial ruin. Now the Earl must seek a wealthy heiress and restore his family's fortune.But Will's head has been turned by the gorgeous Ellie, yet their union can never be. Will is destined to marry a worthy Lady so the only question is -- which one . . . ?<

Albert Einstein

Out of My Later Years

<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the axioms of science. Truth is what stands the test of experience.” —Albert Einstein, “The Law of Science and the Laws of Ethics”</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>An inspiring collection of essays, in which Albert Einstein addresses the topics that fascinated him as a scientist, philosopher, and humanitarian Divided by subject matter—“Science,” “Convictions and Beliefs,” “Public Affairs,” etc.—these essays consider everything from the need for a “supranational” governing body to control war in the atomic age, to freedom in research and education, to Jewish history and Zionism, to explanations of the physics and scientific thought that brought him world recognition. Throughout, Einstein’s clear, eloquent voice presents an idealist’s vision and relays complex theories to the layperson. Einstein’s essays share his philosophical beliefs, scientific reasoning, and hopes for a brighter future, and show how one of the greatest minds of all time fully engaged with the changing world around him. This authorized Philosophical Library ebook features rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the axioms of science. Truth is what stands the test of experience.” —Albert Einstein, “The Law of Science and the Laws of Ethics” Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was born in Germany and became an American citizen in 1940. A world-famous theoretical physicist, he as awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics and is renowned for his Theory of Relativity. In addition to his scientific work, Einstein was an influential humanist who spoke widely about politics, ethics, and social causes. After leaving Europe, Einstein taught at Princeton University. His theories were instrumental in shaping the atomic age. </p></div><

Barry Eisler

Paris is a Bitch

Les Edgerton

The Perfect Crime

<h3>Product Description</h3><p>A bomb hooked to a banker’s back, a one-eyed busted-out former cop, hooker/biker bars on Airline Highway in New Orleans, drugs in the French Quarter, a 300-pound female bartender, an ex-con whose main goal in life is to have more expensive shoes than anyone else, a drug czar named Fidel Castro (a cousin of the more famous one in Cuba), money laundering schemes, and a criminal genius, who enjoys pulling his victim’s fingernails out with pliers and who did everything right in what should have been the perfect crime save for one tiny mistake—all assembled and put into motion by an author who was a real-life criminal and ex-con and was advised that if he didn’t publish this book but instead used it to create the perfect crime he’d make a lot more… This is what you get (and more) in Les Edgerton’s The Perfect Crime. </p><

Janet Evanovich

Plum lovin'

EDITORIAL REVIEW: From #1 blockbuster bestselling author Janet Evanovich comes a Stephanie Plum novel that takes adventure, action, suspense (and maybe even true love?) to new heights. WATCH YOUR BACK . . . LOOK BOTH WAYS . . . BECAUSE LOVE IS IN THE AIR . . . AND THAT MEANS BIG TROUBLE! Mysterious men have a way of showing up in Stephanie Plum s apartment. When the shadowy Diesel appears, he has a task for Stephanie--and he s not taking no for an answer. Annie Hart is a relationship expert who is wanted for armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Stephanie needs to find her, fast. Diesel knows where she is. So they make a deal: He ll help her get Annie if Stephanie plays matchmaker to several of Annie s most difficult clients. But someone wants to find Annie even more than Diesel and Stephanie. Someone with a nasty temper. And someone with unmentionable skills. Does Diesel know more than he s saying about Annie Hart? Does Diesel have secrets he s keeping from Stephanie and the two men in her life--Ranger and Morelli? With Stephanie Plum in over her head, things are sure to get a little dicey and a little explosive, Jersey style!<

Janet Evanovich

Plum Lucky

SUMMARY: Stephanie has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck…and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than Diesel. He’s hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who’s lost a giant bag of money. Problem is, the money isn’t exactly lost. Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen, she’s hightailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone: Lula’s found a job modeling plus-size lingerie. Connie’s found a guy. Diesel’s found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head in this all-you-can-eat buffet of thrills, chills, shrimp cocktail, plus-size underwear, and scorching hot men.<

Janet Evanovich

Plum Spooky

EDITORIAL REVIEW: The First Full Length Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novel from #1 Bestselling Author Janet Evanovich. Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey. According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys. Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He’s chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he’s chosen the Barrens as his new playground. Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He’s now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn’t made it out of the boys’ department at Macy’s. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn’t met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel. Diesel pops in and out of Plum’s life like birthday cake – delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He’s an über bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He’s after Grimoire, and now he’s also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn’t mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs. Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course . . . monkeys.<

Umberto Eco

The Prague Cemetery

<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><ul><li>*</li></ul><p>Nineteenth-century Europe—from Turin to Prague to Paris—abounds with the ghastly and the mysterious. Conspiracies rule history. Jesuits plot against Freemasons. Italian republicans strangle priests with their own intestines. French criminals plan bombings by day and celebrate Black Masses at night. Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. From the unification of Italy to the Paris Commune to the Dreyfus Affair to <em>The Protocols of the Elders of Zion</em>, Europe is in tumult and everyone needs a scapegoat. But what if, behind all of these conspiracies both real and imagined, lay one lone man? What if that evil genius created its most infamous document? </p><p>Eco takes his readers on an unforgettable journey through the underbelly of world-shattering events. Eco at his most exciting, a book immediately hailed as a masterpiece. </p><p><strong>A Note from the Author</strong></p><p>Dear Amazon Readers:</p><p>The nineteenth century teemed with mysterious and horrible events: the <em>Protocols of the Elders of Zion</em>, the notorious forgery that later inspired Hitler; the Dreyfus Case; and numerous intrigues involving the secret services of various nations, Masonic sects, Jesuit conspiracies, as well as other episodes that—were they not documented truths—would be difficult to believe.</p><p><em>The Prague Cemetery</em> is a story in which all the characters except one—the main character—really existed. Even the hero’s grandfather, the author of a mysterious actual letter that triggered modern anti- Semitism, is historical.</p><p>And the hero himself, though fictional, is a personage who resembles many people we have all known, past and present. In the book, he serves as the author of diverse fabrications and plots against a backdrop of extraordinary <em>coups de théâtre</em>: sewers filled with corpses, ships that explode in the region of an erupting volcano, abbots stabbed to death, notaries with fake beards, hysterical female Satanists, the celebrants of black Masses, and so on.</p><p>I am expecting two kinds of readers. The first has no idea that all these things really happened, knows nothing about nineteenth-century literature, and might even have taken Dan Brown seriously. He or she should gain a certain sadistic satisfaction from what will seem a perverse invention—including the main character, whom I have tried to make the most cynical and disagreeable in all the history of literature.</p><p>The second, however, knows or senses that I am recounting things that really happened. The fact that history can be quite so devious may cause this reader’s brow to become lightly beaded with sweat. He will look anxiously behind him, switch on all the lights, and suspect that these things could happen again today. In fact, they may be happening in that very moment. And he will think, as I do: "They are among us…"</p><p><em>--Umberto Eco</em></p><h3>Review</h3><p>"[Eco's] latest takes that longtime thriller darling, the conspiracy theory, and turns it into something grander...Sold to 40 countries and said to be controversial; a speed-read with smarts." -- Library Journal, Pre-Pub Alert, "My Picks" </p><p>"A whirlwind tour of conspiracy and political intrigue...this dark tale is delightfully embellished with sophisticated and playful commentary on, among other things, Freud, metafiction, and the challenges of historiography." -- Booklist <br /></p><p>"Intriguing, hilarious...a tale by a master." -- Publishers Weekly boxed review</p><p>"He's got a humdinger in this new high-level whodunit...a perplexing, multilayered, attention-holding mystery." -- Kirkus, starred </p><p>"I find this book fascinating, perhaps the best Eco has written in years. Eco takes on conspiracy theories in the feverish political activism of nineteenth-century Europe--freemasonry, the Italian Risorgimento, the Paris Commune, and above all the forgery of the slanderous The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. What if there were a single mastermind behind all these conspiracies? It's already a bestseller in Italy, and I can't get enough of it!" ---- Huffington Post </p><

Kjell Eriksson

The princess of Burundi

<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> When the badly mutilated body of John Harald Jonsson—a working-class family man and an expert on the tropical fish known as cichlids—is found in the snow in the provincial Swedish town of Libro, homicide detective Ola Haver and his colleague, Ann Lindell, quickly identify a suspect, an embittered sociopath. The brilliance of Eriksson's richly detailed crime novel, his second (after <em>The Illuminated Path</em>) but his first to be translated into English, lies in its psychological and even sociological insights. Eriksson not only reveals a deep, sympathetic understanding for his large cast of characters but also evokes a pervasive sense of despair, reminiscent of Henning Mankell's, in the face of the violent, amoral nature of contemporary society and the challenges it places on the police. The title derives from the common name of one of Jonsson's beloved cichlids, and the aquarium is a neat metaphor for the dynamics of smalltown life. This suspenseful, intelligent and perceptive book is terrific. <em>(Feb.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Adult/High School An ordinary crime novel is made extraordinary through Eriksson's exquisite character descriptions and circuitous plot. Former small-time crook Little John Jonsson is found brutally murdered, with clear evidence of torture. The Uppsala police force investigates and eventually identifies the killer. The author skillfully constructs the personality of each character, revealing, for example, the weaknesses inherent in policeman Ola Haver and Ann Liddell versus the hidden strengths of the victim's brother, Lennart Jonsson, and son, Justus. Haver leads the investigation while managing a strained relationship with his wife and an attraction to his former boss, Liddell. Lennart Jonsson's guilt and grief over his brother's death eventually destroys him, but not before he exacts his revenge (albeit unrecognized) and becomes a hero. Justus had a secret pact with his father that may have saved Little John's life had he shared it with his mother or the police. The likely suspect is a demented, pathetic person who knew his victim as one of his tormentors in school a period that haunts him in his adult life. The entangled relationships among the police, the victim, and the victim's family are compelling. Teens will be drawn to deconstruct the intelligent puzzle created by Eriksson, right down to the book's title._ Claudia C. Holland, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA_ <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p> </div><

Eve Edwards

The Queen's Lady

Christy English

The Queen's Pawn

<h3>Review</h3><p>"An astonishing debut! Christy English spins an unforgettable tale of dangerous splendor..." --C. W. Gortner, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI<br /></p><p>"...Treachery, betrayal, lust-and an unusual and compelling love story, beautifully told." --Karen Harper, author of  THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>A historical novel of the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine and the one person she loved more than power-her rival for the throne.</strong></p><p>At only nine, Princess Alais of France is sent to live in England until she is of age to wed Prince Richard, son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alais is an innocent pawn on the chessboard of dynastic marriage, her betrothal intended to broker an uneasy truce between the nations.</p><p>Estranged from her husband, Eleanor sees a kindred spirit in this determined young girl. She embraces Alais as a daughter, teaching the princess what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But as Alais grows to maturity and develops ambitions of her own, Eleanor begins to see her as a threat-and their love for each other becomes overshadowed by their bitter rivalry, dark betrayals, conflicting passions, and a battle for revenge over the throne of England itself. </p><

Stanley Elkin

The Rabbi of Lud

Kirsty Eagar

Raw Blue

Winner of the 2010 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Young Adult Fiction prize. Readers of Tim Winton's Breath will be drawn to Kirsty Eagar's Raw Blue, an achingly beautiful young adult novel set in Sydney's northern beaches. Winner of the 2010 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, it is a haunting story about finding your passion in life. Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing ... and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago. Then she meets Ryan and Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy? Check out Kirsty Eagar's website at www.kirstyeagar.com, and read her blog to find out about her thoughts on books, writing, music, surfing, and finding inspiration, or visit betweenthelines.com.au - the destination for Young Adult books. Praise for Raw Blue:'Kirsty Eagar's fearless Raw Blue, a story of regeneration set on Sydney's northern beaches, is much more than just a promising debut: this one delivers.' Australian Book Review – Best Books of 2009: Critics' Choices'Kirsty Eagar's first novel explores dark territory with skill and sensitivity.'The Age'An emotionally rich and powerful first novel.'Canberra Times 'If you only read one book this year ... it should be Kirsty Eagar's Raw Blue … one of those kept-me-up-all-night novels that stays in your bones and sings in your ears long after you've finished it. It wouldn't be out of place next to Tim Winton's Breath, except this is the ocean as healer, not as an object to be conquered, or the site of self-destruction, of risk. The images crackle, the lines are full of the poetry of observation, the story is searing, gutting, beautiful. This should be compulsory reading for all teenagers – especially boys.'julialawrinson.livejournal.com'This is a psychologically intense novel that involves even non-surfing readers in the release Carly feels when conquering the waves … we empathise with her in the long battle between desire and fear on the path to self-acceptance.'Magpies 'I read this book feverishly, desperate for a happy ending, and afterwards found it difficult to get Carly and the men who ride into her life out of my mind.'Newcastle Herald '[a] very moving book … It's dark subject matter, but Eagar makes it uplifting.'Sunday Territorian 'A memorable first book by a writer who gives an honest approach to what young adults face growing up – and growing wiser.'Woman's Day Read of the Week<

Sam Eastland

The Red Coffin

<div><p>The sequel to Eye of the Red Tsar, a gripping Soviet-era thriller</p><p>It is 1939. The world stands on the brink of Armageddon. In the Soviet Union, years of revolution, fear and persecution have left the country unprepared to face the onslaught of Nazi Germany. For the coming battles, Stalin has placed his hopes on a 30-ton steel monster, known to its inventors as the T-34 tank, and, the 'Red Coffin' to those men who will soon be using it. But the design is not yet complete. And when Colonel Nagorski, the weapon's secretive and eccentric architect, is found murdered, Stalin sends for Pekkala, his most trusted investigator. Stalin is convinced that a sinister group calling itself the White Guild, made up of former soldiers of the Tsar, intend to bring about a German invasion before the Red Coffin is ready. While Soviet engineers struggle to complete the design of the tank, Pekkala must track down the White Guild and expose their plans to propel Germany and Russia into conflict.</p></div><

David Eddings

The Redemption of Althalus

<div><p>It would be sheer folly to try to conceal the true nature of Althalus, for his flaws are the stuff of legend. He is, as all men know, a thief, a liar, an occasional murderer, an outrageous braggart, and a man devoid of even the slightest hint of honor. </p><p>Yet of all the men in the world, it is Althalus, unrepentant rogue and scoundrel, who will become the champion of humanity in its desperate struggle against the forces of an ancient god determined to return the universe to nothingness. On his way to steal The Book from the House at the End of the World, Althalus is confronted by a cat--a cat with eyes like emeralds, the voice of a woman, and the powers of a goddess. </p><p>She is Dweia, sister to The Gods and a greater thief even than Althalus. She must be: for in no time at all, she has stolen his heart. And more. She has stolen time itself. For when Althalus leaves the House at the End of the World, much wiser but not a day older than when he'd first entered it, thousands of years have gone by. </p><p>But Dweia is not the only one able to manipulate time. Her evil brother shares the power, and while Dweia has been teaching Althalus the secrets of The Book, the ancient God has been using the dark magic of his own Book to rewrite history. Yet all is not lost. But only if Althalus, still a thief at heart, can bring together a ragtag group of men, women, and children with no reason to trust him or each other.</p><p>**</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>As the first stand-alone one-volume epic fantasy by the popular Eddings team (whose series include The Belgariad; The Malloreon and The Elenium), this hefty saga about Good trouncing Evil plumps an engaging young reprobate hero into the arms of aDliterallyDdivine feline heroine. A professional thief and occasional murderer, Althalus accepts a commission to steal a supernatural tome known as the Book. When he arrives at the mysterious House at the End of the World, a lissome black cat with emerald eyes turns out to be the fertility goddess Dweia. Together they enlist a Mission Improbable team to out-sorcel the assorted villains marshaled by the sorcerer Ghend, who is bent on converting this medieval-like world from the worship of Dweia's good god-brother, Deiwos, to awful servitude under their wicked sibling Daeva. Plenty of derring-do spices up the first two-thirds of this jolly romp, and some zingy flashes of wit home in neatly on stuffy human institutions like overorganized religion and landed aristocracies. Unfortunately, the Eddingses can't resist a lengthy time-traveling reprise, which drags the story down into so-so conventionality. Though the Eddingses' multitudinous fans will likely feel right at home here in their safely magical realm of good-natured fun, this circle of would-be faerie has been trodden so often that here it yields very little deep-rooted literary greenery to munch on or to savor, still less to ruminate upon. <br> Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p> </p><p>The Eddings, whose fantasies usually sprawl for several volumes, had to cram to get their latest adventure into a mere 700 pages (768 in galley form). The first section, covering more than 2,000 years, sets up the premise: a talented thief, Althalus, is hired to steal the Book from the House at the End of the World. Althalus, who doesn't know a book when he sees one, gamely enters the house, is trapped there by a talking cat, and remains for 2,500 years, learning to harness the Book's powers. The talking cat, Emmy, is in fact Dweia, one of three sibling gods who rule the world. Her brothers, Dewois (the creator) and Daeva (the destroyer), are choosing up sides and preparing for battle. Dweia enlists Althalus' aid to obtain a knife covered with runes that can be read only by those companions chosen to join the fight on the side of good. Althalus, traveling with Dewois as the cat Emmy, seeks and enlists the help of several unlikely accomplices, including a young boy, a priest, a witch, a warrior, and a princess. Once the companions are gathered, the Eddings hit their stride, and the story takes off. The interactions between characters, straightforward plotting, and doses of wry humor keep the tale humming. Judging by the popularity of their other books, this is a sure purchase for fantasy collections. <em>Candace Smith</em><br> <em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p></div><

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