The Next Best Thing to Heroes


Book Description

When Earth is conquered by a technologically superior race called the Grath, humanity is forced to work--and fight--for them. But not all humans are content to submit to their masters... While the rest of humanity is forced to toil away their lives in dank factories building equipment for the alien war machine of the Grath, Jason Cull and a select few are being trained to help fight battles in place of their masters. According to the Academy's brochures, Jason should be one of the best and the brightest the human race has to offer. So why does he feel decidedly average? As graduation and the impending trials of war close in, Jason and his closest friends find themselves kidnapped by forces with radically different plans. Thrown into the midst of a resistance movement that demands him to fight against the Grath instead of alongside them, Jason begins the process of proving himself all over again.




The Next Best Thing


Book Description

Believing she is realizing her dreams when her sitcom is bought, television writer Ruth Saunders finds her happiness threatened by demanding actors and executives as well as an unrequited crush and her grandmother's upcoming wedding.




The Keepers


Book Description

Since 1988, Jim Sparks has been working with intelligent, non-human beings from off-planet locations. Unlike any other abductees, he has conscious awareness of his experiences with approximately 95 percent clear recall of technology, including time travel, invisibility, multidimensionality, and manipulation of gravity and electromagnetic fields. His firsthand reports of sperm extraction, breeding programs, shape-shifting, and thought-activated transport are astonishing, as is his personal journey from anger at the invasion to gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of saving the Earth from self-destruction. After a 1996 mass abduction, Jim was initiated as a participant, rather than as an unwilling abductee. It became clear to him that some ETs have become very concerned about their investment in planet Earth. He was given a message: "Your planet is dying". He was told to instruct humanity to: restore the Earth's ecological balance, grant amnesty to those who have suppressed the truth about the long-term alien presence on Earth, and bring forth all the concealed knowledge and technologies that extraterrestrial visitors have given to humans. He is an ambassador for human cosmic awareness and a voice for the ridiculed and dismissed people who have been contacted by alien civilisations




Sharp Ends


Book Description

Sharp Ends is the ultimate collection of award winning tales and exclusive new short stories from the master of grimdark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie. Violence explodes, treachery abounds, and the words are as deadly as the weapons in this rogue's gallery of side-shows, back-stories, and sharp endings from the world of the First Law. The Union army may be full of bastards, but there's only one who thinks he can save the day single-handed when the Gurkish come calling: the incomparable Colonel Sand dan Glokta. Curnden Craw and his dozen are out to recover a mysterious item from beyond the Crinna. Only one small problem: no one seems to know what the item is. Shevedieh, the self-styled best thief in Styria, lurches from disaster to catastrophe alongside her best friend and greatest enemy, Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp. And after years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There's only one obstacle left -- his own lunatic champion, the most feared man in the North: the Bloody-Nine . . .




The Next Best Thing


Book Description

Finding a man should be simple, especially when you aren’t expecting romance! Lucy Lang wants a husband. She’s not looking for anyone special, just someone decent and reliable—but definitely not a man she’ll fall in love with. A young widow, Lucy already loved and lost her soulmate, and she doesn’t want to risk that kind of heartbreak again. But sick of being lumped in with her cursed “Black Widow” aunts, Lucy is motivated to give up her casual and completely inappropriate relationship with Ethan Mirabelli, her handsome neighbor, and search for something more dependable. Having been friends with Lucy for years, Ethan knows what she needs better than anyone else—and that’s him. But convincing her that their relationship is more than a “friends with privileges” arrangement will be a long, complicated process. Luckily, Ethan has always been patient… Previously published




A Hero Like You


Book Description

A Hero Like You looks at everyday heroes and highlights qualities such as loyalty, compassion, resourcefulness, justice, and courage. The lyrical rhyme and relatable illustrations remind us that we all have the opportunity to be a hero by helping others, doing right and making the world a better place. "What the world needs is a hero like you!"




The Hero Next Door


Book Description

From We Need Diverse Books, the organization behind Flying Lessons & Other Stories, comes another middle-grade short-story collection--this one focused on exploring acts of bravery--featuring some of the best own-voices children's authors, including R. J. Palacio (Wonder), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer), Linda Sue Park (A Long Walk to Water), and many more. Not all heroes wear capes. Some heroes teach martial arts. Others talk to ghosts. A few are inventors or soccer players. They're also sisters, neighbors, and friends. Because heroes come in many shapes and sizes. But they all have one thing in common: they make the world a better place. Published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, this vibrant anthology features thirteen acclaimed authors whose powerful and diverse voices show how small acts of kindness can save the day. So pay attention, because a hero could be right beside you. Or maybe the hero is you. AUTHORS INCLUDE: William Alexander, Joseph Bruchac, Lamar Giles, Mike Jung, Hena Khan, Juana Medina, Ellen Oh, R. J. Palacio, Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Ronald L. Smith, Rita Williams-Garcia, and short-story contest winner Suma Subramaniam “As with the two previous anthologies from We Need Diverse Books, this collection admirably succeeds in making available to all readers a wider and more representative range of American voices and protagonists.” —The Washington Post




Her Valentine Hero


Book Description

This handsome football coach cannot be little Jonny Turner, Neely Andrews's best friend's kid brother. Back in high school, Jonny was nothing but a pest. When family troubles bring Neely back to her hometown, Jon is there to offer friendship and support…and maybe something more. Turns out that Jon has adored her from afar all these years. Neely has to admit he's become the kind of man who'd make any woman proud. But will a terrible secret from her past scare him off? Or will Jon make her feel free enough to share everything with him?




Reflection of a Hero


Book Description

Reflection of a Hero is a fictional story told from an older woman’s perspective about her youth and, in particular, about a boy athlete she first met in grade school. She tells her story about the trials and tribulations of growing up and becoming a young adult. Her personal narrative follows her life from a thirteen-year-old eighth grader until she was in college. It’s reminiscent of what all of us had to encounter, to some extent, as we grow older. The one unique slant in her case is the young athlete that she fell in love with. Her youthful age, unfortunately, didn’t allow her to see the common thread that existed between them. The highlights of the story might bring back memories of your own past. There are some exciting, funny, and thrilling moments in her recollection, as well as somber times that were also part of her life. Follow her tale, and possibly you can sit back and remember . . . exactly what it was like!




Titanic Hero


Book Description

The story of the Titanic in the words of the hero whose swift action saved the lives of 710 survivors.