Book picks similar to
Thursdays 'til 9: A Novel by Jane Trahey


epistolary
library-list
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Angry Young Spaceman


Jim Munroe - 2000
    In this new work by the author of "Flyboy Action Figure Comes with Gasmask", a punk of the future undergoes intergalactic culture shock when he travels to the underwater planet of Octavia.

Diminished Capacity


Sherwood Kiraly - 1995
    And he has old newspapers stacked up to his ceiling because...well, who knows?

Across The Blood-Red Skies


Robert Radcliffe - 2010
    Under furious attack both from the ground and the air, the average survival time of a First World War reconnaissance pilot is eighteen hours. George Duckwell, reluctant novice-hero of the Royal Flying Corps, is living on borrowed time. Having joined up to escape disgrace at home, George can only watch in horror as a succession of comrades - inexperienced, under-trained and hopelessly idealistic - are shot down, burned, maimed and killed, while somehow he survives. Struggling to make sense of the conflict, George forms an awkward friendship with William 'Mac' MacBride, an enigmatic Canadian ace, waging his own private war against the legendary Red Baron. But when Mac falls for George's sweetheart - front-line nurse Emily - heartbroken George learns that Mac's mysterious past is darker than he imagined, and the fragile bond that keeps the two men alive comes under threat on the eve of the most lethal conflict the modern world has known.

Helltown: A Horror Novel


Stephen Bentley - 2015
    It's nothing like the suburb you might live in . . . Unless, that is, an insane, Listerine-guzzling Realtor sold you your house? Or perhaps your postman happens to have a disturbing relationship with his claw hammer? A grieving Dan LaBarbara knows something is different in Helltown as soon as he comes back home. Yeah, sure, the town always been a little off. You can feel that about the place, like if you stepped into a house whose only occupants were freshly murdered corpses in an upstairs bedroom. But this is something else entirely. Standing in his little brother Barbie's basement workshop, holding one of those dioramas Barbie's been building since the accident, the ones that seem to move when you hold them, Dan can feel Barbie's terror. Barbie must know something is coming, something big, something evil. He's trying to warn Dan in the only way he knows. Why else would Barbie build a diorama depicting a man-sized version of a cartoon rabbit with bloody teeth about to devour a trembling teenager? Why else would he spend so much time crafting an intricate model of Death standing over a pimply teenager in the school library? And let's not even talk about that little model of the mob of undead surrounding the massive tower of vicious black spines behind the high school. Hilltown has a story to tell, and the lonely brain-damaged man who builds magical dioramas in his basement workshop has been telling it all along. As the evil closes in around them, Dan and his new love interest Jessica must do the impossible: save everyone one in Hilltown before it's too late.

Indeed I Was Pleased With the World


Mary Ruefle - 2007
    Mary Ruefle is of their number. Her poems discover the full beauty and anguish of life that most of us dare not see, much less depict in luminous detail for the ages.

Art and Soul


Claire Huston - 2020
    Except her own love life…Struggling single mother Becky Watson longs to revive her career as a life-fixer, working miracles to solve her clients’ problems, no matter how big or small. Since the birth of her two-year-old son she has been stuck preventing wedding fiascos for the richest and rudest residents of the Comptons, a charming, leafy area of southern England known for its artistic heritage.So when semi-reclusive local artist Charlie Handren reluctantly hires Becky to fix his six-year creative slump, she’s delighted to set him up with a come-back exhibition and Rachel Stone, the woman of his dreams.Though they get off to a rocky start, Becky and Charlie soon become close. But as the beautiful Rachel becomes Charlie’s muse, Becky is forced to wonder: will giving Charlie everything he wants mean giving up her own happily ever after?A heart-warming, uplifting romance served with a generous slice of cake.

The Spellman Series Box Set 1 - 4


Lisa Lutz - 2011
    The gunshot that set off the race of irresistible and hilarious novels in the Spellman series—The wisecracking Spellmans truly put the "fun" in dysfunctional.Curse of the Spellmans: The knockout sequel to The Spellman Files features the same lovable family chaos—and even more bizarre twists and turns—as Izzy undertakes some recreational surveillance of her own. Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel of 2008.Revenge of the Spellmans: Third in the critically acclaimed series, Revenge of the Spellmans gives us another dose of smart-ass antics and a gut-busting glimpse into the Spellman world. This time, Izzy is not only on the case, but also on the couch—in court-ordered therapy. While Izzy decides whether she wants to stay in the family business, she tends bar and takes on the case of Ernie  Black's not very suspicious wife. The Spellmans Strike Again: The fourth Spellman novel is packed with the most family drama yet. Izzy finally agrees to take over the family business, and the transition is not a smooth one. This book proves beyond a reasonable doubt that no matter how much Isabel shrinks her head, she will never be able to follow Rule #1: Act Normal.

Still Happy: Includes "The Book of Homer"


Elizabeth Berg - 2017
    Her first, "Make Someone Happy," did indeed make many people happy, and so, due to popular demand, she has put together a second volume, which includes “The Book of Homer,” a tribute to her beloved dog who recently died. "Still Happy," like "Make Someone Happy," exemplifies Berg’s gift, as the Boston Globe said, “in her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, the remarkable in the everyday.”

Leftover Dreams


Charlotte Vale Allen - 1992
    The author takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride no one will wnat to stop before its emotionally-draining, thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

Feeling Sorry for Celia


Jaclyn Moriarty - 2000
    Hilariously candid, shows that the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is every bit as fun as we remember--and every bit as harrowing.Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else. But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter… A #1 bestseller in Australia, this fabulous debut is a funny, touching, revealing story written entirely in the form of letters, messages, postcards - and bizarre missives from imaginary organizations like The Cold Hard Truth Association. Feeling Sorry for Celia captures, with rare acuity, female friendship and the bonding and parting that occurs as we grow. Jaclyn Moriarty's hilariously candid novel shows that the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is every bit as fun as we remember -- and every bit as harrowing.

Underdead with a Vengeance (Underdead Mysteries)


Liz Jasper - 2013
    Why not?Who cares. She has everything under control.Except she's not sure Will is really dead dead. And Detective Gavin Raines, her vampire-hunting crush, has popped back in her life to investigate an odd string of murders...and maybe finally ask her out on a real date.At least her her teaching job is straightforward. Or rather it was before the world's most perfect teacher joins the staff and seems to be noticing that her vampire traits are, well, a lot more apparent than she'd like them to be.Caught between two worlds and fitting into neither, Jo must risk it all to take her own path--before the next person dead is her. Buy your copy today!

Dear Aaron


Mariana Zapata - 2017
     The guidelines were simple: one letter or email a week for the length of his or her deployment. Care packages were optional. Been there, done that. She thought she knew what to expect. What she didn’t count on was falling in love with the guy.

E.


Matt Beaumont - 2000
    . . but before I go there are some things you should know . . . !!!! Set in a London ad agency desperate to land a coveted big account, e follows the bureaucratic bungling, cutthroat maneuvers, and outrageous sexual antics of a group of Miller-Shanks employees as they scheme, lie, lust, and claw their way up (and down) the company ladder.Written by a former advertising copywriter, this hilarious, dead-on-target novel marks the debut of a hip and exciting new voice in contemporary fiction. With the click of a mouse, Matt Beaumont brings the novel of letters into the twenty-first century, turning his merciless, unerring eye on today's Machiavellian corporate culture-with uproarious results. Rachel Stevenson, Personnel-1/5/00, 3:09 pm to: Chandra Kapoor cc: David Cruttonre: Urgent: Please delete Carla Browne's ID from e-mail with immediate effect. Thank you.

Up the Down Staircase


Bel Kaufman - 1964
    It has been translated into sixteen languages, made into a prize-winning motion picture, and staged as a play at high schools all over the United States; its very title has become part of the American idiom.Never before has a novel so compellingly laid bare the inner workings of a metropolitan high school. Up the Down Staircase is the funny and touching story of a committed, idealistic teacher whose clash with school bureaucracy is a timeless lesson for students, teachers, parents--anyone concerned about public education. Bel Kaufman lets her characters speak for themselves through memos, letters, directives from the principal, comments by students, notes between teachers, and papers from desk drawers and wastebaskets, evoking a vivid picture of teachers fighting the good fight against all that stands in the way of good teaching.

Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos


Mick Foley - 2000
    Riotously illustrated by Jerry "The King" Lawler, this new Christmas story will delight children, wrestling fans and readers of all ages. Make room on the shelf next to The Night Before Christmas and a Christmas Carol, because this Yuletide tale has attitude! Mick Foley - number one New York Times best-selling author, Hardcore Legend, and Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation - crafts a delightful tale of mischief, mayhern and the true meaning of Christmas. When the elves revolt against Santa and refuse to make any toys and the reindeer gang up on Rudolph as though they've joined DX, Santa Claus gives up hope that anyone these days has the true Christmas spirit. When the situation looks its bleakest, Mrs. Claus calls in the cavalry - Kane, Jericho, Val Venis, Jerry Lawler, Kurt Angle, Edge and the rest of the Federation Superstars! How the wrestlers misbehave - making things even worse - and how one unexpected and unassuming person saves Christmas for the whole world is an unforgettable and uplifting story that will add good cheer to your holiday season year after year. Perfect for reading out loud near a cracking fire or while tucked in at bed time, Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos is sure to become a family tradition in your home.