Book picks similar to
Contemporary Krampus by Mike Drake
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Nothing Ventured
Jeffrey Archer - 2019
But this is not a detective story, this is a story about the making of a detective . . .William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force.After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she’s terrified will come to light.While William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against suave art collector Miles Faulkner and his brilliant lawyer, Booth Watson QC, who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead of William. Meanwhile, Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, befriends William, but whose side is she really on?This new series introduces William Warwick, a family man and a detective who will battle throughout his career against a powerful criminal nemesis. Through twists, triumph and tragedy, this series will show that William Warwick is destined to become one of Jeffrey Archer’s most enduring legacies.
Part Star Part Dust
L.M. Valiram - 2017
A plane crash. In this poignant and unforgettable debut novel three destinies are linked for eternity in a tale narrated by Time. Meet Radha. She was left in a dumpster on the side streets of Mumbai to die as she was born; premature and undernourished. Meet Mira. At sixteen she is to marry a man she has never met before. On her wedding day, she carries a knife. And Gaurav. People say love is more important than money. But what happens when having one means you can’t have the other? Scattered across India, these three are intertwined in unlikely ways: the flower shop owned by Mira’s husband employs Radha’s boyfriend, Mira and Gaurav become partners in business and most importantly, an ill-fated trip to Delhi links them all in death and life. Set in the sensuous worlds of Bombay and Delhi, Valiram’s dazzling novel explores the deep meanings of love, family, and time.
Raven Girl
Audrey Niffenegger - 2013
The unlikely couple falls in love and conceives a child — an extraordinary raven girl trapped in a human body. The raven girl feels imprisoned by her arms and legs and covets wings and the ability to fly. Betwixt and between, she reluctantly grows into a young woman, until one day she meets an unorthodox doctor who is willing to change her.Complete with Audrey Niffenegger’s bewitching etchings and paintings, Raven Girl explores the bounds of transformation and possibility in a dark fairy tale full of wonderment and longing.
The Saint of Wolves and Butchers
Alex Grecian - 2018
A deadly task. A dark secret hidden for sixty years...When State Trooper Skottie Foster moves back home to rural Kansas, she's hoping for a new start. But then a chance encounter on a snowy highway changes everything. Travis Roan is a Nazi hunter, and he needs her help. Roan suspects this isolated region is home to infamous World War Two villain Rudolph Bormann. As they encounter immediate resistance from the deeply suspicious community, it soon becomes clear that Bormann's new life in America is every bit as sinister as his awful past. But neither Roan nor Foster imagines how dangerous - and how personal - their task will become...
Desert Flowers
Paul Pen - 2017
Out there in the middle of nowhere, blissfully cut off from the burdens of modern society, they’re free to raise their beautiful family…and preserve its secret.And they’re never giving it up.Then a young hiker named Rick comes looking for a place to stay. It’s just for the night, he says—but long enough for Rose and Elmer to fear they’ve made a horrible mistake. As the stranger grows more intrusive and more suspicious, the couple know they must do what they can to protect themselves. What they don’t know is that Rick has a secret, too. Soon, home and family will prove to be as cold and dark as the desert nights. And even with so many places to run, there’s still no escape from the past that binds them.
Love Me
Danger Slater - 2011
foreign policy? How about cute angst-filled teenage vampire toyboys? Well, too bad. None of those things are in this book. Instead you'll join a guy in a Viking suit on an absurdly epic quest to figure out the meaning of life. There will be obstacles, of course: rabid gangs of disgruntled grannies, rival cults of pie-enthusiasts, toasters, anti-matter conversion do-hickeys, Shadow Men, bandits, hippies, annoying celestial bodies, the Department of Internationally Sexy Affairs, and probably way too many dick jokes for this book to ever be considered for any serious academic curriculum. You know, the usual. So what are you waiting for? Light a few candles, pour another glass of wine, and grab the lube. You're about to LOVE ME.
Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why It Matters
Nate Sloan - 2019
Through close studies of sixteen modern classics, musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding shift pop from the background to the foreground, illuminating the essential musical concepts behind two decades of chart-topping songs.In 1939, Aaron Copland published What to Listen for in Music, the bestseller that made classical music approachable for generations of listeners. Eighty years later, Nate and Charlie update Copland's idea for a new audience and repertoire: 21st century pop, from Britney to Beyonc�, Outkast to Kendrick Lamar. Despite the importance of pop music in contemporary culture, most discourse only revolves around lyrics and celebrity. Switched on Pop gives readers the tools they need to interpret our modern soundtrack. Each chapter investigates a different song and artist, revealing musical insights such as how a single melodic motif follows Taylor Swift through every genre that she samples, Andr� 3000 uses metric manipulation to get listeners to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," or Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee create harmonic ambiguity in "Despacito" that mirrors the patterns of global migration.Replete with engaging discussions and eye-catching illustrations, Switched on Pop brings to life the musical qualities that catapult songs into the pop pantheon. Readers will find themselves listening to familiar tracks in new waysand not just those from the Top 40. The timeless concepts that Nate and Charlie define can be applied to any musical style. From fanatics to skeptics, teenagers to octogenarians, non-musicians to professional composers, every music lover will discover something ear-opening in Switched on Pop.
The Body Under the Bridge
Paul McCusker - 2016
But, now a priest of a modest Anglican church in the small town of Hailsham, he didn't expect it to show up like this--in the suicide of a man who threw himself off the church tower, and in the discovery of a two-hundred-year-old body beneath an ancient bridge.The deaths are linked. The mummified corpse under the bridge, a murder victim, reignites a centuries-old battle between two local families--the Todds and the aristocratic Hayshams. Then both David Todd and Lord Haysham begin to act strangely, fearful for reasons they won’t explain.When Lord Haysham is murdered, David Todd is the prime suspect. But Todd is maniacal, claiming great forces of evil are at work. An entire history of violence and depravity begins to emerge, interweaving the history of several local families with a secret occult society that engages in Black Masses. Has the Society emerged again
Wheels of Wish (Wish Trilogy #1)
Bibhu Datta Rout - 2016
A biological allegory that unfolds a historical and mythological mystery that counts back in time as far as the epic Mahabharata. One that surpasses time and the material world with its mathematical calculations within physical elements. Unexplainable evidences, puzzling data, conspiracy theories and unheard secrets intermingle with one another to create plots in the history of time that have been startling scientists and mythologists to date. It's now in the court room that he must face his worst fears and probably the world's greatest held secret, a rare phenomenon of a chromosomal defect, from an unexpected guest.
How to De-clutter and Make Money Now: Turn Clutter Into Cash with The One-Minute Organizer (Organizing for Simple Living)
Donna Smallin Kuper - 2012
Learn what sells, where to sell it, and for how much...plus a whole lot more.Written by a leading organizing expert, this invaluable guide is jam-packed with practical do-it-yourself advice. Originally published in 2012, it is newly revised, updated, and expanded, making it the most comprehensive guide of its kind.Think eBay is the only way to sell things? Think again! Discover the many options for selling your stuff and how to maximize your earnings - some so easy, your items can be sold in a matter of minutes!This second edition includes a simple system to de-clutter any room (Chapter 1) plus a Marketplace Resale Guide (Chapter 7) with expert advice for selling all that stuff you no longer love or use, including:Antiques and CollectiblesBooksCell Phones and Electronic GadgetsClothing, Shoes, and AccessoriesDiamonds, Jewelry, and WatchesGift Cards and Daily Deal CertificatesGold – Jewelry and CoinsHome Goods and HousewaresInk and Toner CartridgesMusic, Movies, and GamesMusical InstrumentsSports Equipment and GearIf you've got clutter, you're richer than you think. Grab your copy of this book today and start turning that clutter into cash!
The Sheikh's Reluctant Bride
Yasmin Porter - 2015
Dr. Michelle Granger isn't known to suffer fools. She was first in her class in med school, and she'd barely finished her rotations before she was on a plane to a clinic in war-torn Sanaar. The people there need her. If she's forced to appeal to the rude and arrogant Sheikh Amir al Abbas for protection, she'll just have to swallow her pride and ask for his help. When the handsome Sheikh flies into a rage after a petty misunderstanding, Michelle is willing to do whatever it takes to prove her devotion to her cause, even if that means risking her own neck. ...but that won't keep her from getting plucked. Billionaire Sheikh Amir al Abbas is accustomed to getting what he wants. When he saves an audacious woman doctor from a gruesome fate at the hands of a political rival, he expects her to pay him back with everything she has. Unfortunately for the Sheikh, the pretty American is ungrateful, unreasonable, and totally unforgettable. This alpha male is going to take what's his, and he's ready to defend his family honor with his life. About the Series:
The Green-Eyed Sheikhs
series consists of four standalone novels chronicling the adventures of the al Abbas brothers in the made-up desert country of Samarra. Each book is a full-length, steamy dark romance with an alpha male and a HEA. You won't find any cliffhangers or loose ends here. About the Author: Yasmin Porter is a wife, mother, and book lover. She's into bad boys and badder girls, and you can find her and be her friend on Goodreads. Subscribe to her newsletter if you want to hear about special promotions and new releases.
Berlin Syndrome
Melanie Joosten - 2012
The once-divided city still holds its share of secrets.One afternoon, near the tourist trap of Checkpoint Charlie, Clare meets Andi. He's a native Berliner and English teacher; she's an architectural photographer who has taken leave from her job in Australia to travel through Eastern Europe. There is an instant attraction, and when Andi invites her to stay, Clare thinks she may finally have found somewhere to call home.But as the days pass and the walls of Andi's apartment close in, Clare begins to wonder if it's really love that Andi is after … or something more sinister.This closely observed and gripping psychological thriller shifts between Andi's and Clare's perspectives, revealing the power of obsession, the fluidity of truth, and the kaleidoscopic nature of human relationships. Berlin Syndrome is a startling debut from a talented new writer.Watch the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugyu4F...
Edge of End
Edward Jamison - 2014
He’s alone having no clue who and what he is, where he has come from and where he should go. There is only one way – forward when he spots a little town in the distance. Empty streets, old houses, the town seems abandoned. There’s no one to ask for help, there’s nowhere to go. Jonathan wanders the deserted town in search of any sign of life trying to bring his lost memories back, but odd visions haunt him from time to time. Soon Jonathan comes to the realization that he’s moments from death as absolutely evil dwells in the town seeking fresh souls. The seemingly dead town is only outwardly empty. Grey skies, no sun, no days and no nights. The town is stuck in time. With only one entrance and one exit, but the way leading to the exit is filled with creations that Jonathan has never envisioned, even in his worst nightmares. Who is he? Who brought him here? With a female resident – Elizabeth, Jonathan has to work his way through the horrendous town, figure out his past and find the exit.
Monitor
Leigh Alexander - 2016
After they recover an NBN executive’s PAD at a protest in Broadcast Square, it seems Lana Rael and her friends, Johnny and Tim, might finally have their chance to discover the truth behind NBN’s saccharine and explosively popular franchise, Sunshine Junction.But when the aspiring activists stumble into the corporation’s all seeing eye, they find themselves in the limelight—and not in the way they hoped.As camdrones begin to follow them through the megacity and broadcast their every move on live threedee, Lana and her friends will have to ask themselves just how much they’re willing to sacrifice to fight the corps. Is making a difference worth risking their privacy, their lifestyle, or their lives?Fans of media giant NBN, its colorful programs, and its high-profile characters gain unparalleled access to the megacorp's HQ in Leigh Alexander's Monitor. As the media-focused megacorp responds to the threat posed by a trio of wannabe activists, we learn more about such popular characters as Jackson Howard, Victoria Jenkins, and Dinosaurus.Meanwhile, as the protagonists have their privacy stripped away, they lose control of their lives. Their actions become increasingly desperate and surprising. As they look for ways to retaliate, will their lives spiral into total anarchy? Will they regain control of the context that defines them? And who is responsible for their suffering? In Monitor, the truth is malleable, and learning how to shape it is paramount.In addition to its 96 pages of fiction, the hardcover edition of Monitor comes with a sixteen-page full color insert with setting information on activism in the Android future, NBN's Global Adaptive Entertainment, MegaBuy, and the future of marketing.
The Trouble with Christmas
Debbie Mason - 2013
Dubbed "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas," Madison spoiled a deal that would turn quaint Christmas, Colorado, into a tourist's winter wonderland. Now the citizens want her fired but the company gives her one last chance, sending Madison to the small town to restore the holiday cheer.For Sheriff Gage McBride, no hotshot executive from New York City is going to destroy the dreams of the people he loves. But one look at this beautiful woman and it's his heart that may be broken. In just a few days, Madison causes more trouble than he's had to deal with all year. He can't decide if she's naughty or nice, but one thing is for certain—Christmas will never be the same again...