To the Batpole


Book Description

From Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City: Alex Bledsoe imagines Alfred's reaction to Bruce Wayne's confusion over the onset of puberty.




Back to the Batcave


Book Description

In his autobiography, Adam West tells the inside story of his role as the Caped Crusader. One day in the 1960s he woke up a star. The Batman TV show had become an overnight hit, rocketing its little-known lead actor to fame. But within two years Batmania had faded and West was on a downward path.




Summer at Willow Lake


Book Description

Real estate expert Olivia Bellamy reluctantly trades a trendy Manhattan summer for her family's old resort camp in the Catskills, where her primary task will be renovating the bungalow colongy for her grandparents, who want one last summer together filled with fun, friends and family. A posh resort in its heyday, the camp is now in disarray and Olivia is forced to hire contractor Connor Davis — a still-smoldering flame from her own summers at camp But as the days grow warm, not even the inviting blue waters of Willow Lake can cool the passions flaring or keep shocking secrets at bay. The nostalgic joy of summers past breathes new promise into a special place and people…a promise meant to last long after the season ends.




From Cape Town with Love (with embedded videos)


Book Description

THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS OF CASANEGRA AND IN THE NIGHT OF THE HEAT TEAM UP FOR A THIRD TIME TO PRESENT FROM CAPE TOWN WITH LOVE, A TENNYSON HARDWICK NOVEL. Actor-turned-detective Tennyson Hardwick has solved two high-profile deaths in Hollywood, but nothing has prepared him for a race to save a child’s life. Tennyson’s past in the sex game cost him his new girlfriend, and he brings her to Cape Town, South Africa—a scenic film destination and playground for the rich—to try to win her back. There Tennyson is hired as a bodyguard by superstar Sofia Maitlin when she visits an orphanage to adopt an African child. Months later, Maitlin offers Tennyson one of Hollywood’s hottest tickets—a job as a bodyguard at adopted daughter Nandi’s A-list celebrity birthday party. But the party is over before it begins. When Nandi’s birthday goes dreadfully wrong, it’s up to a guilt-ridden Tennyson to save a child’s life and reunite a Hollywood family. But how? He can’t go to the police, the FBI has threatened to arrest him, and Big Brother is monitoring his telephone calls. To find Nandi, Tennyson will have to rely on tips from his father—a retired LAPD captain—and a mysterious woman from his past, Marsha, who has already proven she can’t be trusted. His strongest lead is a deadly knife fighter known only as Spider. When his search for the missing child crosses Marsha’s covert investigation into a criminal gang with ties to South Africa, Tennyson knows that finding Nandi might cost him his freedom—or his life. Watch exclusive scenes from From Cape Town with Love starring Blair Underwood. Just click the video and watch. Included video: Interrogation scene, Maitlin hires Tennyson, Tennyson confronts Marsha by Hollywood sign, Chela boosts up Tennyson by the pool, Tennyson escapes with Nandi From Cape Town with Love Trailer




Lakeshore Chronicle Summer


Book Description

The Lakeshore Chronicles have captivated thousands of readers with unforgettable characters, warm humor and engaging stories. Summer at Willow Lake and The Summer Hideaway are emotional romances must-reads! Summer at Willow Lake (A Lakeshore Chronicles Novel) By #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs Olivia Bellamy reluctantly trades a trendy Manhattan summer for her family’s old resort camp in the Catskills to renovate the bungalow colony for her grandparents, who want one last summer together filled with fun, friends and family. A posh resort in its heyday, the camp is now in disarray and Olivia is forced to hire contractor Connor Davis—a still-smoldering flame from her own summers at camp. But as the days grow warm, not even the inviting blue waters of Willow Lake can cool the passions flaring or keep shocking secrets at bay. The nostalgic joy of summers past breathes new promise into a special place and people…a promise meant to last long after the season ends. The Summer Hideaway (A Lakeshore Chronicles Novel) By #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs Never get attached—Private nurse and protected witness Claire Turner lives by this motto. Fleeing a treacherous past, she knows no other way. Never give up—In the twilight of his life, George Bellamy makes it his final wish to reconcile with an estranged brother. He and Claire journey to Willow Lake—where it all went wrong for him fifty years ago. Never let go—George’s grandson, Ross, is ruled by a fierce devotion to family and a deep mistrust of the mysterious Claire…yet sparks fly whenever she’s near. In the face of wrenching loss, amid the enchantment of Willow Lake, Ross and Claire dare to risk everything for love. The Lakeshore Chronicles Series by Susan Wiggs Book One: Summer at Willow Lake Book Two: The Winter Lodge Book Three: Dockside Book Four: Snowfall at Willow Lake Book Five: Fireside Book Six: Lakeshore Christmas Book Seven: The Summer Hideaway Book Eight: Marrying Daisy Bellamy Book Nine: Return to Willow Lake Book Ten: Candlelight Christmas Book Eleven: Starlight on Willow Lake




The Batman Handbook


Book Description

Based in the world of the Dark Knight but with real-world expert advice, The Batman Handbook teaches all of the skills of the world's most mysterious superhero. Covering such essentials as throwing a batarang, constructing a Kevlar suit and withstanding poisoning, this ultimate guide is produced in partnership with DC Comics and features all original artwork from David Hahn, a DC comics illustrator.Batman comics ranked top in comic book sales for seven out of 12 months last year. The book will be published in time for the June 2005 release of Batman Begins, a movie focusing on how a young Bruce Wayne obtained the skills and abilities necessary to become Batman. With real-world advice about fantastical skills, The Batman Handbook will appeal to all superhero wannabes.




Hunting the Dark Knight


Book Description

Publishing alongside the world premiere of Christopher Nolan's third Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises", Will Brooker's new book explores Batman's twenty-first century incarnations. Brooker's close analysis of "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" offers a rigorous, accessible account of the complex relationship between popular films, audiences, and producers in our age of media convergence. By exploring themes of authorship, adaptation and intertextuality, he addresses a myriad of questions raised by these films: did "Batman Begins" end when "The Dark Knight began? Does its story include the Gotham Knight DVD, or the 'Why So Serious' viral marketing campaign? Is it separate from the parallel narratives of the Arkham Asylum videogame, the monthly comic books, the animated series and the graphic novels? Can the brightly campy incarnations of the Batman ever be fully repressed by "The Dark Knight", or are they an intrinsic part of the character? Do all of these various manifestations feed into a single Batman metanarrative? This will be a vital text for film students and academics, as well as legions of Batman fans.




Jonathan Lethem and the Galaxy of Writing


Book Description

Author of Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude, Jonathan Lethem is one of the most celebrated and significant American writers working today. This new scholarly study draws on a deep knowledge of all Lethem's work to explore the range of his writing, from his award-winning fiction to his work in comics and criticism. Reading Lethem in relation to five themes crucial to his work, Joseph Brooker considers influence and intertextuality; the role of genres such as crime, science fiction and the Western; the imaginative production of worlds; superheroes and comic book traditions; and the representation of New York City. Close readings of Lethem's fiction are contextualized by reference to broader conceptual and comparative frames, as well as to Lethem's own voluminous non-fictional writing and his adaptation of precursors from Franz Kafka to Raymond Chandler. Rich in critical insight, Jonathan Lethem and the Galaxy of Writing demonstrates how an understanding of this author illuminates contemporary literature and culture at large.




A Grownup Guide to Effective Crankiness:


Book Description

The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris introduced the kid readers to the tiniest, most dangerous dinosaur on the planet: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris. All humans descended from this tiny dinosaur—and this follow-up book for adults examines how “crankiness” is part of our nature. Using good humor throughout, Steven Joseph observes that we typically do not hesitate to pour out our CrankaTsuris all over our spouses, kids, parents, and siblings—and then there can be a CrankaTsuris retaliation. Before you know it, you are in the middle of a CrankaTsuris food fight. We’re all cranky at times, but it’s imperative we find a more effective way to be cranky while still making the world a happier place. In this book, learn how to: • Create space for both yours and your family’s crankiness • Utilize a fun “team” approach to crankiness • Take steps to avoid being too cranky • Improve communication with friends and family • Handle cranky dinosaurs in your life (including children) • Effectively diagnose and treat the “Common CrankaTsuris” When it comes to crankiness, the infection rate in a given room is likely close to 100 percent. When trying to manage that crankiness—as well as your own—the ultimate answer will always be love.




Action TV: Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks


Book Description

From re-runs of 'TV classics' like The Avengers or Starsky and Hutch, to soundtracks, club nights and film remakes such as Mission Impossible II, the action series is enjoying a popular revival. Yet little attention has been paid to the history, nature and enduring appeal of the action series, and its place in popular culture, past and present. Action TV traces the development of the action series from its genesis in the 1950s. From The Saint to Knigh t Rider, contributors explore the key shows which defined the genre, addressing issues of audiences and consumption, gender and sexuality, fashion and popular culture. They examine the institutional and cultural factors influencing the action series, and relate shifts in the genre to other forms of popular culture including film, pop music, fashion and popular literature. Chapters include: * Of leather suits and kinky boots: The Avengers, style and popular culture * 'Who loves ya, baby?': Kojak, action and the great society *'A lone crusader in a dangerous world': heroics of science and technology in Knight Rider * Angels in chains? feminism, femininity and consumer culture in Charlie's Angels * 'Who's the cat that won't cop out?' Black masculinity in American action shows of the sixties and seventies