Branded Ann


Book Description

No pirate on the high seas is more bloodthirsty than the notorious Branded Ann, a woman with eyes like ice and a face marred by a mysterious cross-shaped scar. When she raids a merchant vessel bound for Jamaica, her only objective is to obtain the map that will lead her to a legendary treasure. But she hadn't bargained on taking Violet, the merchant's young widow, on board her ship as a prisoner. In spite of her childlike appearance, Violet has a dark side of her own that Ann finds both infuriating and endearing. As Branded Ann sails in search of treasure, her task is made more difficult by a stowaway child, an increasingly rebellious crew, and the treacherous seas of the Devil's Triangle; to make matters worse, she finds herself falling for her not-so-innocent but altogether charming captive. But will Violet be able to overcome the demons of her past and accept Ann's love? And will they survive the treasure hunt that has already claimed the lives of so many before them?




The Big Life


Book Description

"Ann has always seen the power and potential in young women. The Big Life helps make all our dreams closer than ever." —Lauren Conrad, designer and New York Times bestselling author of Lauren Conrad Celebrate "The Big Life is a guide for women in their 20s and 30s who are hungry for a job they love, a supportive network of friends, respect from their bosses, and partners who want all those things for them as badly as they do." —The New York Times Millennial women are changing what it means to be powerful and successful in the world—for everyone. Forever. You want The Big Life—that delicious cocktail of passion, career, work, ambition, respect, money, and a monumental relationship. And you want it on your own terms. Forget climbing some corporate ladder, you want a career with twists and turns and adventure. For you, success only matters if it’s meaningful. Ann Shoket knows the evolving values of young women more than anyone. She’s the voice behind the popular Badass Babes community, a sisterhood of young, hungry, ambitious women who are helping each other through the most complex issues around becoming who you’re meant to be. As the trailblazing editor-in-chief of Seventeen for the better part of a decade, Shoket led provocative conversations that helped young women navigate the tricky terrain of adolescence and become smart, confident, self-assured young women. Now that they are adding muscle to the framework of their lives, she’s continuing the conversation with The Big Life. The Big Life is packed with actionable guidance combined with personal advice from high-profile millennial women who have already achieved tremendous success, plus intimate conversations with a cast of compelling characters and Shoket’s own stories on her quest for The Big Life. You’ll learn to tackle all of the issues on heavy rotation in your mind such as: • How to craft a career that’s also a passion. • How to get respect from a boss who thinks you’re a lazy, entitled, and self-obsessed millennial • Why you need a “squad” of people who support you as you build your Big Life • How a side hustle will make you smarter, hotter, and more in control of your destiny. • Why work/life balance is a sham and your need to embrace the mess. • How to find a partner whose eyes light up when you talk about your ambition. Written in Shoket’s friendly and authoritative style, The Big Life will help you recognize your power, tap into your ambition, and create your own version of The Big Life.




Flight of the Puffin


Book Description

One small act of kindness ripples out to connect four kids in this stirring novel by the author of the beloved The Benefits of Being an Octopus. Libby comes from a long line of bullies. She wants to be different, but sometimes that doesn’t work out. To bolster herself, she makes a card with the message You are amazing. That card sets off a chain reaction that ends up making a difference in the lives of some kids who could also use a boost—be it from dealing with bullies, unaccepting families, or the hole that grief leaves. Receiving an encouraging message helps each kid summon up the thing they need most, whether it’s bravery, empathy, or understanding. Because it helps them realize they matter—and that they're not flying solo anymore.




Prayer of the Handmaiden


Book Description

When the Goddess Ithyris appoints shy priestess Kadrian to become Her first shaa’din, or holy warrior, in a millennium, everyone is mystified by Her decision—especially Kade herself. On the battlefields of Mondera, as Kade struggles to defend Ithyria from a dangerous new enemy, she’s also brought face-to-face with her greatest personal temptation: the childhood sweetheart who had once nearly kept Kade from her spiritual calling.Erinda was born into the service of the royal family. Endless household chores and a passion for horses fill her days, but her nights are consumed with hopeless longing for the woman she lost to the temple seven winters ago. Erinda knows Kade will never return to her. After all, what mortal could ever hope to compete with a Goddess?




The Here and Now


Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is an epic star-crossed romance about a girl who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to. Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love. The world Prenna James comes from is in ruins. She and the others who escaped are here to prevent humanity’s destruction. But if they don’t follow The Rules, everything that matters will be gone: Friends. Families. Dreams. Love. Ethan Jarves can never know Prenna’s secret. That she’s not from another place. She’s from another time. "This gripping story is set in a world unlike any other and inhabited by beautifully imagined characters that stay with you long after the last page.” – Sara Shepard, bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars “An appealing romantic thriller . . . [also] a potent reminder that we inherit the future we buy with our actions today.”—Cassandra Clare for the New York Times Book Review “Fast-paced, gripping, and romantic.”—Publishers Weekly “Lightning-paced . . . like a cinematic blockbuster.”—Kirkus Reviews “The Here and Now could just as easily sit among the time-travel sci-fi, coming-of-age, or romantic thrillers of YA. Honestly, even though I really don't know how to categorize it, I loved it.”—Happily Ever After/USA Today




Brand Aid


Book Description

A critical account of the rise of celebrity-driven “compassionate consumption.”




Obsession


Book Description

Hannah All my life, I've only wanted one thing: someone to love me and someone who will let me love them in return. This seems like a simple request, but I was born to parents who wished I had died of childhood leukemia, instead of my younger sister, and who have ignored me no matter how much I've tried to please them. I'm starved for affection, addicted to the feeling when someone cares about me, which has led to a love life filled with either boys I've scared off, or men all too eager to take advantage of me. I thought I would never find a man who could feed my craving for constant attention-and then I met Leo. He fills the void inside of me, haunts my dreams, and does things to me in bed that are so good, they're probably illegal. I can only pray I don't scare him off once he figures out just how needy I really am. Leo There are very few people in this world I've ever been able to form an emotional attachment to, but the moment I saw Hannah, I knew she was mine. We were bound together by fate, our paths crossing first as children, then as adults, each time marking me. She doesn't know it but I've been watching her for a year now, studying her, stacking the deck so when I do make my move, there's no way she'll ever escape me. But my world is a harsh, cruel place, and the cartel I work for demands absolute loyalty and trust...a loyalty Hannah has yet to earn in the dangerous eyes of my employers. There is only one way to ensure Hannah's absolute devotion, and I hope that she doesn't hate me forever when she finds out that not only have I brainwashed her into loving me, but that I don't feel an ounce of guilt about doing it. She's mine, only mine, and I'm keeping her forever.




These Precious Days


Book Description

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.




Chat Groups in the Immortal Realm


Book Description

An Sudong was originally an ordinary student, but unintentionally joined the Immortal World's chat group to make a deal with the various deities in the Heaven Realm. From then on, his life began to take off, and he wouldn't care about those rich second generations or geniuses ...




A Place to Rest


Book Description

Sawyer Drake has never known what she wants—except it isn't working in the family restaurant, which is what everyone expects. In order to outrun her destiny, or at least delay the inevitable, she bounces from job to job—and woman to woman. Nothing keeps her attention for very long. Nothing, that is, until she meets shy pastry chef Jori Diamantina. But Jori has no intention of risking the job she loves and a life she's comfortable with for a passing fling with Sawyer, no matter how strong the attraction. Sawyer has no idea what she wants from Jori, or from life, but she's about to find out—because Jori makes her want to stop running. A Place to Rest is a touching romance about the beauty of finally discovering where you belong.