All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye


Book Description

This prize-winning comic thriller takes readers “from high-octane gun antics to kitchen mopping in East Kilbride . . . [in] one beast of a story” (The Guardian, UK). International bestselling author Christopher Brookmyre has been lauded for his dark sense of humor and brilliant suspense plotting. Now his Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize–winning novel follows “his most ambitious heroine yet”: a forty-six-year-old house-proud grandmother (The Guardian, UK). As a teenager, Jane Bell had dreamt of playing in the casinos of Monte Carlo, surrounded by the likes of James Bond. But now her dreams are as dry as the dust her Dyson sucks up from her hall carpet. Her son Ross, a researcher for a Swiss arms manufacturer, is the one with the exciting life. But lately it’s gotten a bit too exciting. Ross needs to disappear before some shady characters force him to divulge the secrets of his research. And they’re not the only ones desperate to locate him. Ross’s firm has hired a team of security experts, and, headed by the enigmatic Bett, they have little in common apart from total professionalism and a thorough disregard for the law. Bett believes the key to Ross’s whereabouts is his mother, and in one respect, he is right. But even he is taken aback by her dogged determination to secure her son’s safety. The teenage dreams of fast cars, high-tech firepower, and extreme action had always promised to be fun and games, but in real life, it’s likely someone is going to lose an eye . . . “Funny, electric and captivating.” —Times (UK)




A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again


Book Description

These widely acclaimed essays from the author of Infinite Jest -- on television, tennis, cruise ships, and more -- established David Foster Wallace as one of the preeminent essayists of his generation. In this exuberantly praised book -- a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner -- David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.




Not the End of the World


Book Description

Death threats rock a Hollywood film festival in a thriller that reads like “Day of the Locust updated and rewritten by Carl Hiaasen” (Kirkus Reviews). After a family tragedy, LAPD cop Larry Freeman gets back to work with what he thinks is a simple assignment: Keep a rabid group of right-wing evangelical protestors as far as possible from a celluloid celebration of ex—and very X—adult film actors. But when a vessel is discovered off the West Coast with its crew vanished, Freeman finds himself caught in a far more twisted and dangerous game than he imagined. The players include the voluptuous daughter of a conservative US senator, a Glaswegian photographer with a mysterious agenda, a yacht-load of Hollywood producers, a throng of faded porn stars feeling more exposed than ever, and a band of self-righteous extremists bent on a glittering apocalypse. Set on the near side of the millennium, at a point when the world is about to spin out of control, this witty thriller delivers “a crazy off-the-wall roller coaster of a book that throws in not only the kitchen sink but the dresser, the best china, and the cook herself” (The Irish Times). “A wild, no-punches-pulled ride.” —Philadelphia Weekly




The Last Lecture


Book Description

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.




Someday You'll Thank Me for This!


Book Description

Clean your room! Don't Interrupt! Were you raised in a zoo? These sayings may sound all too familiar; they may even make kids want to groan. But what if someone could magically make all the rules parents give--or a least 30 of them--actually make sense? Translator of the secret language of parents, Rabbi Marc Gellman, to the rescue! In addition to co-hosting the cable program "The God Squad" and co-writing a nationally syndicated column, Marc Gellman has appeared on many national network TV programs including Good Morning America and writes a solo column for Newsweek online. In his companion book to the successful ALWAYS WEAR CLEAN UNDERWEAR: AND OTHER WAYS PARENTS SAY "I LOVE YOU", Gellman uses wit and humor to help readers understand their parents' motivations.




The Routledge History of Literature in English


Book Description

The Routledge History of Literature in English covers the main developments in the history of British and Irish literature from AD 600 to the present day. Accompanying language notes explore the interrelationships between language and literature, emphasising the growth of literary writing, its traditions, conventions and changing characteristics. Extensive quotations from poetry, prose and drama underpin the narrative. With a new chapter on novels, drama and poetry in the 21st century and an extensive companion website, The Routledge History of Literature in English will be an invaluable reference for any student of English literature and language.




LIKE IT'S 1999


Book Description

★★★★★ “Grey had me at the first film quote! This novella is smartly written, hysterically funny and has a romance too!” Essential Romance Book Club Love 'em and Leave 'em Alice Kim and "Hot" Steve Lowell are perfect for each other. It'll only take them ten years to figure that out. Just because they throw the most bodacious wedding party ever… Just because they're perfect partners in pranksJust because they love all the same boss movies… Just because they share one totally bangin' night of sex together… Does not mean they'll break the One Time Rule. Even if they do… they don't do relationships. And they're never getting married. Like, ever. In this friends-to-lovers, marriage-pact novella spanning the last decade of the 20th century, life forces a playboy and a playgirl grow up—and grow apart—before giving them a chance to create a happy-ever-after they can actually be happy about. ★★★★★ “A special story that spans a decade. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but everything I needed. Steve and Alice are meant to be, but like Harry and Sally, it takes them a while to figure it out.” That’s What I’m Talking About ★★★★★ “Full of humor and on-point nostalgia references and movie quotes. Makes me long for the last decades of the 20th century when times were simpler and fun...Highly recommended as well as the other books in the Boston Classics series.” Comfy Chair Books ★★★★★ “Highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary(-ish) romance and romantic comedy.” Laurie Reads Romance ★★★★★ “Sweet, sexy, with lots of compelling funny characters that made you want to read more.” Lost in Booklandia ★★★★★ “A fun NYE novella that spans a decade and will have you laughing.” Book Addiction Reviews ★★★★★ “One of those novellas that feels longer than it is, but in all of the good ways.” YA It’s Lit ★★★★★ "This book grabbed my attention right from the start and captivated it straight to the end." Goodreads review ★★★★★ “Funny and sweet and sexy and transports you to the 1980’s and 1990’s.” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “This is a love story between two commitment-phobic people, and it’s delightful! I loved watching them grow up and learn what they want in life, and finally finding each other. Again. Though it took ten years.” Goodreads review ★★★★★ “a funny, feel-good novella that is themed perfectly to ring in the new year!” Goodreads review ★★★★★ “What can I say? I loved everything about this book! The author engaged me from the 1st quote and I enjoyed strolling down memory lane while reading this sweet and funny story.” Goodreads review ★★★★★ “Well written romance where timing is everything.” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “Fun novella that took me back to the good old days!” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “The perfect friends-to-lovers between a playboy and a playgirl.” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “An entertaining love story with lots of fantastic, nostalgic references.” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “Fun, flirty, with some drama.” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “It's the perfect pick me up for an afternoon listen and if you are movie buff like me, you will love all the quotes!!” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “Absolutely adorable… a fun, unique romance with humor and a little bit of spice.” Bookbub review ★★★★★ “A novella that reads as a full story; you get to know the characters and their story.” Bookbub review




Quite Ugly One Morning


Book Description

This is story of murder, corruption and sin. And that's just the hero. Every great story begins with something unspeakable . . . the first Jack Parlabane thriller, from multi-award-winning author Chris Brookmyre. Yeah, yeah, the usual. A crime. A corpse. A killer. Heard it. Except this stiff happens to be a Ponsonby, scion of a venerable Edinburgh medical clan, and the manner of his death speaks of unspeakable things. Why is the body displayed like a slice of beef? How come his hands are digitally challenged? And if it's not the corpse, what is that awful smell? Quite Ugly One Morning is a wickedly entertaining and vivacious thriller, full of acerbic wit, cracking dialogue and villains both reputed and shell-suited, and heralds the arrival of a crime fiction legend, journalist Jack Parlabane. 'A lean, nasty, fun little page-turner' New York Times 'Brookmyre is always a class act' The Observer 'A sharp, funny novel' TLS 'A wicked satire' Scotsman




Bred in the Bone


Book Description

Bred in the Bone is the stunning third novel in Brookmyre’s series featuring private investigator Jasmine Sharp and Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod. Set in the disturbing underworld of Glasgow—a place where countless old scores are still waiting to be settled, and where everyone knows everyone else—Bred in the Bone is a masterful mystery novel that will appeal to readers of Denise Mina, Val McDermid, and Ian Rankin. Private investigator Jasmine Sharp's father was murdered before she was born, and her mother went to self-sacrificing lengths in order to shield her from the world in which he moved. Since her mother's death, all she has been able to learn is his first name—and that only through a strange bond she has forged with the man who killed him: Glen Fallan. But when Fallan is arrested for the murder of a criminal her mother knew since childhood, Jasmine is finally forced to enter his domain: a place where violence is a way of life and vengeance spans generations. Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod has one major Glaswegian gangster in the mortuary and another in the cells for killing him - which ought to be cause for celebration. Catherine is not smiling, however. From the moment she discovered a symbol daubed on the victim's head, she has understood that this case is far more dangerous than it appears on the surface, something that could threaten her family and end her career. As one battles her demons and the other chases her ghosts, these two very different detectives will ultimately confront the secrets that have entangled both of their fates since before Jasmine was even born.




Valhellions


Book Description

AN AGENT OF KNIGHT WATCH, TASKED TO PROTECT HUMANITY FROM SUPERNATURAL ENEMIES, MUST GO TO HELL AND BACK TO CLEAR HIS NAME AND SAVE THE WORLD When John Rast signed up for Knight Watch, he expected it to be all fighting dragons and rescuing maidens. You know, hero stuff. But instead he’s stuck patrolling game conventions and cosplayer competitions, looking for dangerous anachronisms and the villains who may be trying to exploit them. Fortunately, all that changes when an honest-to-goodness necromancer shows up wielding a weapon created by Nazi occultists and accompanied by some badass evil valkyries, hell-bent on kicking off the end of the world. John and the team will go to great lengths—even Minnesota—to prove find out who’s responsible for all this and foil their plans. Also, there’s a giant dog who thinks the moon is a ball. It’s epic. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Tim Akers: “A must for all epic fantasy fans.” —Starburst “Full of strong world building, cinematic and frequent battle scenes, high adventure, great characters, suspense, and dramatic plot shifts, this is an engaging, fast-paced entry in a popular subgenre.” —Booklist (starred review) “Take a bit of fantasy, mix in the horror of the demonic, and put in some top-notch writing and you’ll have Akers’ latest novel.” —Hellnotes “Fast-paced . . . an epic fantasy story with action, intrigue and a good story.” —RPG “Delivers enough twists and surprises to keep readers fascinated . . . contains action, grittiness, magic, intrigue and well created characters.” —Rising Shadow “An extremely well-developed secondary world.” —SF Signal