Winter Close


Book Description

A penetrating tale about suburbia and the social relationships people form to survive in the modern world from bestselling author Hugh MacKay. Winter Close, a small, undistinguished cul-de-sac is home to an eclectic, vibrant group of people: the dubious Chika, eccentric old Mrs Spenser, the self-conscious Abels, the mysterious Stuthridges and the laid back Upton and Sexy Goods - just to name a few. For Tom, a divorced counsellor living alone, Winter Close is his herd, the people he cares about. According to Tom, neighbours are like family, you can't choose them and you don't always like them, but you're bound to them. Tom is pleasant to this family but conscious not to pry into their lives. It comes as a shock then to discover that his reserved, introverted manner may have isolated him from the rest of the residents. In fact he might not know them as well as he thinks. As Tom starts to see his neighbours for the people they are, rather than the people he imagined they were, he starts to drop his own guard and discover himself.




Closed for Winter


Book Description

Jørn Lier Horst is one of Norway's most successful crime writers, and his Willliam Wisting series has already sold one million copies worldwide. Closed for Winter is the second book translated into English in this addictive series. Police inspector William Wisting has encountered grotesque murders before. Nonetheless, he finds the savagely beaten corpse in a holiday cottage on the Vestfold coast particularly ugly. His daughter Line, finally coming out of a dangerous relationship, finds another body in a boat close by. There will be more, and a dangerous journey into Euro-crime for Wisting before the case comes to its breathtaking conclusion. Meanwhile, dead birds are dropping from the sky ...




Snow and Ice


Book Description

An interesting and educational look at the science behind Canada's winter weather! Using easy-to-understand language and full colour photos and diagrams of various weather phenomena, Snow and Ice: Canadian Winter Weather explains simple weather concepts as they relate to unpredictable Canadian winters. Children will learn how snow is formed, why we have blizzards and ice storms, and what Chinooks are.Also included are extreme and unusual weather conditions, and the havoc they can sometimes wreak on Canadiancommunities.This informative book is sure to appeal to young nature lovers from coast to coast, and children will learn how the weather directly affects their lives. Snow and Ice: Canadian Winter Weather is perfect for home and curriculum use. The Canada Close Up books are about science and nature, and are directly related to school curriculum and the interests of younger readers.




Winter Stroll


Book Description

"Happy Holidays 2015! It has been a rough year for the Quinns, but I would like to start by saying thank you for all of the well wishes and positive missives sent our way." A second Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn reflecting on the past year as he writes a holiday letter to friends and family. Though the year has had its share of misfortune and worry, the Quinns have much to celebrate. Kelley, now single, at least is on better terms with his first wife Margaret, who is using her celebrity to lure customers to the inn in record numbers. Their son Kevin has a beautiful new baby, Genevieve, with the Inn's French housekeeper, Isabelle; and their daughter, Ava, is finally dating a nice guy--her devoted colleague, Scott. Now the Quinns are looking forward to celebrating Genevieve's baptism, welcoming Isabelle to the family, and enjoying the cheer of Nantucket's traditional Christmas Stroll. But just when a peaceful family gathering seems within reach, Kelley's estranged second wife, Mitzi, shows up on the island after souring on her relationship with the inn's former Santa Claus. Soon Kelley isn't the only Quinn entertaining a surprise guest from Christmases past as lovers old and new gather beneath the mistletoe. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it's going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinns--and the inn--through the holidays intact. Follow the Quinn family through the entire Winter Street Series: Winter Street Winter Stroll Winter Storms Winter Solstice




Energy Efficient Homes For Dummies


Book Description

Hands-on, practical solutions to save money by making smart energy changes One of the best and most affordable strategies people can employ to combat global warming is to improve the energy and water efficiency of their homes. Energy Efficient Homes For Dummies provides homeowners with advice, tips, and projects to reduce costs, increase energy efficiency, and cut down on waste and pollution. After performing a do-it-yourself home energy audit, readers create an action plan based on their personal goals. Readers are presented with a wide range of potential solutions, from making better use of blinds and awnings to exploring geothermal options in order to reduce household costs and their impact on the planet. Rik DeGunther (Rescue, CA) is the founder of Efficient Homes, an energy consulting firm that focuses on home energy audits and the design of efficient heating and cooling systems.




Kanji Handbook


Book Description

This massive text is the ultimate authoritative book on learning Japanese Kanji. The Kanji Handbook presents an ingenious and tested method to learn the 1,945 kanji characters taught in all Japanese language schools. Through the use of "KanjiHybrids"--a concept invented by the author--learners of Kanji and taught to link the characters mentally with English words to form one integral and indivisible unit. This innovative mnemonic device has been proven to train the learner to retain each kanji in the memory much better than simple repetition of the kanji alone--as well as enabling users to differentiate similar-looking kanji characters. Specific learning strategies also enable users to progress quickly from the beginner to advanced level kanji, with stroke orders shown clearly for each kanji character. Eight different indexes-including the highly useful Flip-it Index--form the last part of this unique handbook. Contains the complete list of all 1,945 kanji characters taught in Japanese schools. Presents a new KanjiHybrids system linking kanji characters with English words to aid memorization. Innovative learning strategies guide learners at all levels from beginner to advanced.




Winter Garden


Book Description

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes Kristin Hannah's powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.




The Infernal Battalion


Book Description

Military might and arcane power clash in Django Wexler’s thrilling new Shadow Campaigns novel. The Beast, the ancient demon imprisoned beneath the fortress-city of Elysium for a thousand years, has been loosed on the world. It absorbs mind after mind, spreading like a plague through the north. The fell army it has raised threatens the heart of Vordan, and it is under the command of the Beast’s greatest prize: legendary general Janus bet Vhalnich. As Queen Raesinia Orboan and soldiers Marcus D’Ivoire and Winter Ihernglass grapple with the aftermath of a hard-fought military campaign, they soon discover a betrayal they never could have foreseen. The news arrives like a thunderbolt: Janus has declared himself the rightful Emperor of Vordan. Chaos grips the city as officers and regiments are forced to declare for queen or emperor. Raesinia must struggle to keep her country under control and risks becoming everything she fought against. Marcus must take the field against his old commander, a man who has seemed an unbeatable strategist. And as Winter recovers from her injuries and mourns her losses, she knows the demon she carries inside her might be the only thing standing between the Beast and the destruction of everything in its path....




Looking on Darkness


Book Description

A British psychologist with a mysterious past and strange powers. A former monk with the voice of an angel and untamable vanity. A jazz performer who derives her confidence from a secret lover. A college student obsessed with becoming someone's "Lolita." These four haunted characters take separate paths to meet in 1991 Milwaukee, and the alchemy of their union creates thrilling, bizarre, magical and deadly results. Looking on Darkness is Diana Laurence's first full-length work outside the romance genre, and draws heavily from the psychoanalytical theory of Carl Jung. It is a mainstream novel of psychological vampirism that explores the deepest caverns of the mind and the darkest corners of the heart.




The Tournament of Heroes


Book Description

Four universes. Four heroes. One survivor. The self-proclaimed King of the Multiverse, King Aeno, summons four heroes from across the multiverse to his kingdom to compete in the first-ever Tournament of Heroes. These four heroes—Kevin 'Bolt' Jason, Alex 'Beams' Fry, Jack 'Trickshot' McDonald, and Nyle 'Winter' Maxwell—must compete against each other for the title of Greatest Hero of the Multiverse over a seven day period. What starts off as a competition for glory and honor becomes a battle for survival when King Aeno reveals the fate of the losers: The complete destruction of their home universes. Now all four heroes must battle not merely to win great honor, but to save everyone and everything they love. If the heroes are to truly save their universes, however, they must uncover the real purpose of the Tournament and do the impossible: Defy destiny itself. KEYWORDS: superhero action fiction, superhero fantasy, superhero fiction novel, superhero science fiction, superhero scifi, superhero young adult, superhero city, superhero books, superhero action, superhero books for kids, superheroes, cool superheroes, action adventure books, superhero action adventure books, action adventure fiction, superhero action adventure fiction, young adult action adventure, action adventure young adult