The Alchemist


Paolo Coehlo
    

Pythagoras Falls


S.A. Ison - 2019
    Miles O’Connor knows a deadly secret and works at a black site in New Mexico. A lethal weapon, the Pythagoras Project, is in development. O’Connor is part of the team, but when he discovers the full range and plans for the weapon, O’Connor destroys his work and disappears. Phoenix, Lydia, Julian and Yuma are strangers, flying to see loved ones for Thanksgiving. In a terrifying moment, their plane falls from the sky and plunges to the ground, in the middle of a Montana forest. Grateful to have survived, they must find their way out of the forest when no one comes to rescue them. To their utter disbelief, the world has changed in a split second and they must fight to survive. What does O’Connor know that the rest of the world doesn’t? What happens when Pythagoras Falls?

The Junk-Drawer Corner-Store Front-Porch Blues


John R. Powers - 1992
    At turns hilarious and bittersweet, this novel is destined to be a bookshelf classic.

The Waters of Star Lake


Sara Lindsay Rath - 2012
    But the wilderness conceals more than one perilous mystery. Where in Wisconsin's Northwoods did the notorious gangster John Dillinger hide $210,000 following a violent FBI shootout? And why do the local timberwolves incite so much rage among Natalie's neighbors? As predators circle and howl in the dark, Ginger, the bartender at the nearby Star Lake Saloon, draws Natalie deep into the secrets not only of Dillinger but of the ecologies of family, forest, and heart. With the reluctant support of her granddaughter and advice from a handsome wolf biologist, Natalie is forced to choose between adversity and adventure. Sara Rath continues her popular Northwoods saga in this affirming and often humorous tale of romance, betrayal, and danger.

Tale of Tala


Chaker Khazaal - 2017
    Triumph over Failure. Hope over Despair. In Tale of Tala, Henry, a bestselling New York writer is trying to cope with the unexpected death of his mother and the failure of his latest book. His life a triumphant success had collapsed. Flying to Amsterdam to indulge in decadence and depravity, Henry gorges on everything from illicit drugs to vile carnal acts. Wanting more, he heads to Slovenia. Enter Tala - a strikingly beautiful but deceptively cunning prostitute. A Palestinian refugee, her tale of loss and suffering strikes a chord with Henry. The perilous journey between Turkey and Greece; the desperate search for her husband Bilal; kidnapped by human traffickers. Finding himself falling in love, Henry promises to search for the missing Bilal and vows to protect his muse from the perils of life. For a man used to winning, one might wonder how far he will go to help Tala, or will he only go far enough to keep her for himself? Three People. Three Journeys. One Tale. Lies over Truth. Murder over Safety. Crisis over Peace. When a winner loses everything will he become villain or victim? Chaker Khazaal traveled through Europe and the Middle East in 2015 talking to refugees about their different experiences. Inspired by various stories comes a descriptive narrative of the plight of refugees, presented in this romantic thriller novel. The story focuses on the very dark world of displacement - war, human trafficking, terrorism, organ trafficking, and the exploitation of the desperate - while humanizing refugees in this love story.

The Giants Look Down


Sonja Price - 2016
    It is the late 1960s and the family enjoy an idyllic life in the Vale of Kashmir, despite the area being riddled with conflict and poverty. But after a devastating earthquake wipes out her entire family, Jaya is taken into the care of relatives in Delhi, who attempt to marry her off and keep secret from her the possibility that Tahir, her younger brother, has survived the earthquake. After escaping from the arranged marriage Jaya is put through medical training in Scotland, as she had always dreamed, and where she develops feelings for her foster family’s eldest son, Alastair, who is engaged to someone else. In the meantime, Tahir has been abducted by a band of Kashmiri freedom fighters, who have made him one of their own. Jaya finally returns to her troubled homeland to find him and come to terms with the loss of her family. Alastair, who arrives in Kashmir to announce his love for Jaya, is kidnapped by the freedom fighters, forcing her to risk everything to get him back.

How To Be A 20-Something


Brandon Scott Gorrell - 2012
    Are we destined to be involved with the wrong people until the end of time, or just until the end of our 20s? Does anyone have a Xanax? "How To Be A 20-Something" is a collection of nineteen hilarious, sad, and often cathartic personal essays and stories written by and for 20-somethings.

Fall Back


Riley Flynn - 2018
    The Apocalypse is only just beginning... The Eko virus sweeps the globe in mere days, killing billions. Air Force One disintegrates in a ball of flame. The Secretary of Defense holds a pistol to the head of an Army grunt. The world has gone insane. And the apocalypse is just getting warmed up. Echo Company is woken in the middle of the night and put on the last plane out of Germany. They might be the last special forces operators anywhere in the world. They're used to being the men who go bump in the night. But now they're all that stands between society and absolute chaos. Captain Jax Booth never planned on being a father. Not yet, anyway. But the Eko virus killed the woman he loved, and left him to care for her daughter in a world that was falling apart. So he did what he had to. He got Hayley to Cheyenne Mountain, the last bastion of safety anywhere in the world. If there's one thing the Eko virus can't get through, it's 500 feet of reinforced rock... In time, the virus burns itself out. A small band of survivors establish themselves in the Rockies, and finally pause for breath. The virus might be gone, but winter is coming. It's time to rebuild. To scavenge. To hunt. To survive. America has fallen. But a New Republic will rise... We suggest you read Perfect Storm, book one in the main Collapse series before losing yourself in Fall Back. But if you're the kind of person who doesn't like following rules, then you can definitely read New Republic as a standalone series!

Deluge: The Complete Series: (A 6-book Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller)


Kevin Partner - 2021
    

Ride the Man Down


Luke Short - 1942
    Phil Evarts is dead, and the Hatchet Range is up for grabs. That’s 70,000 acres of prime turf just waiting for the man rich enough to buy it . . . or the gunman crazy enough to kill for it. Every schemer in town has his eyes on Hatchet, and Bide Mariner leads the charge. An unscrupulous rancher who’ll stop at nothing for cash, Mariner has the money and the guns to take whatever he wants. Only Will Ballard stands in his way—and that means Ballard is marked for death.   The foreman at Hatchet Range, Ballard is an honest man who’ll do anything to keep the ranch from falling into Mariner’s hands. In a town so rotten with greed that even the sheriff is against him, Ballard must stand alone to save this little piece of the American West.   Voted one of the top twenty-five westerns of all time by the Western Writers of America and made into a 1952 Republic film starring Rod Cameron, Ride the Man Down showcases award-winning author Luke Short at the height of his writing powers.

Chasing Nirvana


Rafaa Dalvi - 2021
    The heady mix of human depravity, humour, satire, tragedy, revenge and drama makes these stories an essential cocktail of emotions.Review:“Breezy, Flippant, Poignant... Tales of pleasurable wickedness.”-Salil Desai, author of Inspector Saralkar Mystery Series“Although not all sugar and sunshine, Dalvi's voice is an important one, because he chooses to tell stories that others would normally shy away from. There's a serene resignation in his tales, one that is completely devoid of both hope as well as regret. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories.”-Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, author of Patang, Penumbra, Here Falls the Shadow, The Disappearance of Sally Sequeira and Best Served Cold“Gripping short-stories by Rafaa Dalvi. I am both intrigued and scared by his plot-twists. Thrilled to have read this book.”-Sanhita Baruah, author of The Art of Letting Go and The Art of Healing“Some of the best stories I have read so far. Rafaa has a gift of telling complex stories in a very intuitive and straightforward and are easy to read. This book is the best thing that has come out during these current circumstances.”-S. G. Kabe, author of Everything is Normal“Rafaa Dalvi is a flash fiction expert.”-T.F. Carthick, author of Carthick’s Unfairy Tales and More Unfairy Tales“Taut, propulsive and riveting, Rafaa’s mesmerising stories pack a big punch. Chasing Nirvana has been carefully crafted for maximum impact. A highly compelling read.”-Vivek Banerjee, author of ‘The Long Road’ and ‘The Other Side’

Frostbite: Dimitri's Point of View


Gigi256 - 2014
    

Broken Dog Ranch: Clint Hunter Mountain Man


Mike Mackessy - 2019
    The bad dreams and fear of thunderstorms are a result of five years as a Blackfoot, Sioux, Comanche, and Comanchero slave. Now the successful rancher and part time Texas Ranger is expanding his holdings to include a ranch in Kansas and pioneering the breeding and raising of Longhorn-Hereford cattle. But not everything goes his way. After the Civil War, crippling taxes become an arm of the Carpet Baggers and Reconstruction in the southern states.In spite of the adversity, Clint and a collection of colorful characters now call the Broken Dog Ranch, home. Ex-slaves, ex-rustlers, and ex-gunmen and outlaws all celebrate new lives, working together to develop and fine tune the recovery of Texas, the Longhorn, the Cowboy, and the Trail Drive.Overcoming high taxes, rustlers, and cheating businessmen, Clint, his family, and crew exemplify the Spirit of the West.

Ocean of Regret


Mary E. Hanks - 2018
    And complicated. Paisley Grant arrives in her hometown of Basalt Bay, Oregon, with three goals in mind—face her past, make amends, and learn how to breathe again. Three years ago, she left her husband a Dear John letter, then secretly drove to Chicago where she’s been living ever since. That wasn’t fair to Judah—or to her dad, whom she hasn’t spoken with in all this time. Facing them will be hard, but even more difficult will be seeing certain townspeople whose hurtful remarks made her run in the first place. Like her father-in-law, Mayor Grant. It will take every ounce of courage she possesses to look that man in the eye again. As determined as Paisley is to make amends, her plans don’t include getting back together with Judah. It’s time to move on—alone and independent. But when hurricane winds and destructive waves hit the coastal town, and she must face her greatest fear, will she cling to her plans and live with regret, or let them go to find love again?

Daisy & Bobby


John Locke - 2017
    On the way, he stopped at a diner and witnessed a bus load of pilgrims crowding around a partially-eaten Moon Pie that looked “exactly like” John the Baptist. Recognizing divine commercial opportunity, Bobby purchased the Moon Pie and drove to the Congregation of Celestial Worship, where he bribed a sketchy priest to register it as an authentic religious artifact. Now Bobby charges True Believers to view his Moon Pie, and supplements his income by allowing medical students to poke and prod his naked body. His existence—such as it is—changes the morning he meets the mysterious Daisy Pepper, who looks “exactly like” Emma Roberts. PRELIMINARY REVIEWS: “Locke’s Daisy & Bobby made me laugh out loud a dozen times and held my interest throughout. Start it early in the day, or you’ll be up all night.” “If you like the Fargo TV shows you’ll love Daisy & Bobby. This is a funny, quirky novel with outrageous characters.” “You know those politically correct “Book Club” books that take 50 pages before anything happens? This is NOT like that! John Locke literally had me hooked after the very first sentence! (Who else in the world has the guts to start books like this?)”