The Rice Mother
Rani Manicka - 2002
At fourteen, she finds herself traded in marriage to a stranger across the ocean in the fascinating land of Malaysia. Duped into thinking her new husband is wealthy, she instead finds herself struggling to raise a family with a man too impractical to face reality and a world that is, by turns, unyielding and amazing, brutal and beautiful. Giving birth to a child every year until she is nineteen, Lakshmi becomes a formidable matriarch, determined to wrest from the world a better life for her daughters and sons and to face every new challenge with almost mythic strength.By sheer willpower Lakshmi survives the nightmare of World War II and the Japanese occupation -- but not unscathed. The family bears deep scars on its back and in turn inflicts those wounds on the next generation. But it is not until Lakshmi's great-granddaughter, Nisha, pieces together the mosaic of her family history that the legacy of the Rice Mother bears fruit.
African Folk Tales
Hugh Vernon-Jackson - 1999
Eighteen authentic fables, recorded as they were told by tribal members of Nigerian and other cultures, range from the imaginative "Story of a Farmer and Four Hyenas" to an entertaining account of "The Man with Seven Dogs."In "The Magic Crocodile," you'll meet a reptile with very strange powers, while "The Boy in the Drum" teaches a valuable lesson in the importance of obeying one's parents. In "The Hare and the Crownbird," a fine, feathered friend is rewarded for its acts of kindness. You'll also learn why a ram has a large head and a tortoise a small one in "The Greedy but Cunning Tortoise"; and in "A She-Goat and Her Children," you'll discover how a clever animal managed to provide food for her children.Set in large, easy-to-read type and enhanced with Yuko Green's 19 lively illustrations, this collection of time-honored folk tales will delight readers of all ages.
In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin
Lindsey Hilsum - 2018
With fierce compassion and honesty, she reported from the most dangerous places in the world, fractured by conflict and genocide, going in further and staying longer than anyone else. In Sri Lanka in 2001, Marie was hit by a grenade and lost the sight in her left eye - resulting in her trademark eye patch - and in 2012 she was killed in Syria. Like her hero, the legendary reporter Martha Gellhorn, she sought to bear witness to the horrifying truths of war, to write ‘the first draft of history’ and crucially to shine a light on the suffering of ordinary people.Written by fellow foreign correspondent Lindsey Hilsum, this is the story of the most daring war reporter of her age. Drawing on unpublished diaries and notebooks, and interviews with Marie’s friends, family and colleagues, In Extremis is the story of our turbulent age, and the life of a woman who defied convention.
Fearless
Christine Rains - 2012
Now she slays creatures spawned by the fertile imaginations of children, and the number of these nightmares are on the rise. Neither she nor her guide - a stuffed hippo named Tawa - know why.When she rescues Demetrius from an iron prison, he pledges his life to protect hers until he can return the favor. She doesn't want the help. And how can she concentrate on her job when the gorgeous wild fae throws himself in front of her during every fight? No matter how tempting, she can't take the time to lose herself to him.To save the children and all she loves, Abby must be truly Fearless.
Tales of Old-Time Texas
J. Frank Dobie - 1955
Frank Dobie is known as the Southwest's master storyteller. With his eye for color and detail, his ear for the rhythm of language and song, and his heart open to the simple truth of folk wisdom and ways, he movingly and unpretentiously spins the tales of our collective heritages. This he does in Tales of Old-Time Texas, a heartwarming array of twenty-eight stories filled with vivid characters, exciting historical episodes, and traditional themes. As Dobie himself says: "Any tale belongs to whoever can best tell it." Here, then, is a collection of the best Texas tales—by the Texan who can best tell them.Dobie's recollections include such classics in Lone Star State lore as the tale of Jim Bowie's knife, the legend of the Texas bluebonnet, the story of the Wild Woman of the Navidad, and the account of the headless horseman of the mustangs. Other stories in this outstanding collection regale us with odd and interesting characters and events: the stranger of Sabine Pass, the Apache secret of the Guadalupes, the planter who gambled away his bride, and the Robinhooding of Sam Bass. These stories, and many more, make Tales of Old-Time Texas a beloved classic certain to endure for generations.
The O. Henry Prize Stories 2017
Laura Furman - 2017
Henry Prize Stories 2017
contains twenty breathtaking stories--by a vibrant mix of established and emerging writers--selected by the series editor from the thousands published in literary magazines over the previous year. The collection includes essays by the three eminent guest jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and a comprehensive resource list of the many magazines and journals, both large and small, that publish short fiction."Too Good To Be True," Michelle Huneven"Something for a Young Woman," Genevieve Plunkett"The Buddhist," Alan Rossi"Garments," Tahmima Anam"Protection," Paola Peroni"Night Garden," Shruti Swamy"A Cruelty," Kevin Barry"Floating Garden," Mary La Chapelle"The Trusted Traveler," Joseph O'Neill"Blue Dot," Keith Eisner"Lion," Wil Weitzel"Paddle to Canada," Heather Monley"A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness," Jai Chakrabarti"The Bride and the Street Party," Kate Cayley"Secret Lives of the Detainees," Amit Majmudar"Glory," Lesley Nneka Arimah"Mercedes Benz," Martha Cooley"The Reason Is Because," Manuel Munoz"The Family Whistle," Gerard Woodward"Buttony," Fiona McFarlaneThe jurors this year are David Bradley, Elizabeth McCracken, and Brad Watson.For author interviews, photos, and more, go to www.ohenryprizestories.com
The Exile
C.T. Adams - 2015
The magical painting that hangs in Brianna's apartment is the last portal between the fae and human worlds.A shocking magical assault on her home reveals to Brianna that her father, High King Liu of the Fae, is under attack. With the help of her gargoyle, Pug, her friend David, and Angelo, a police detective who doesn't believe in magic, Brianna recovers what was stolen from her and becomes an unwilling potential heir to the throne.A suspenseful urban fantasy with a hint of romance, The Exile is the first solo novel by C. T. Adams, who is half of USA Today bestselling author Cat Adams. Like the Cat Adams Blood Singer novels, The Exile is set in a world where magic is real and contains Adams's trademark blend of suspense, action, humor, and strongly emotional writing.
The Sleeping Beauty
C.S. Evans - 1920
Disgruntled at not being invited to the princess's christening, the wicked fairy casts a spell that dooms the princess to sleep for a hundred years.
Wings
Aprilynne Pike - 2009
They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.
Half Gods
Akil Kumarasamy - 2018
Following the fractured origins and destines of two brothers named after demigods from the ancient epic the Mahabharata, we meet a family struggling with the reverberations of the past in their lives. These ten interlinked stories redraw the map of our world in surprising ways: following an act of violence, a baby girl is renamed after a Hindu goddess but raised as a Muslim; a lonely butcher from Angola finds solace in a family of refugees in New Jersey; a gentle entomologist, in Sri Lanka, discovers unexpected reserves of courage while searching for his missing son.By turns heartbreaking and fiercely inventive, Half Gods reveals with sharp clarity the ways that parents, children, and friends act as unknowing mirrors to each other, revealing in their all-too human weaknesses, hopes, and sorrows a connection to the divine.
Bitter Frost
Kailin Gow - 2010
When Breena turns sixteen, she begins seeing fairies and other creatures mortals don't see. Her best friend Logan suddenly acts very protective.Then she sees Kian, who seems intent on finding her and carrying her off to Feyland. That's fine and all, but for the fact that humans rarely survive a trip to Feyland, a kiss from a fairy generally means death to the human unless that human has fairy blood in them or is very strong, and although Kian seemed to be her intended, he seems to hate her and wants her dead.
The Various
Steve Augarde - 2003
The existence of the Various, who are strange, wild, and sometimes even deadly, has been kept secret since the beginning of time, but when their world begins to clash with the human world, they are threatened with extinction. This wonderfully imaginative story of love and loyalty is the first in a powerful trilogy.
Penny Plain
O. Douglas - 1920
until a mysterious stranger asks for her hospitality. Part romance, part family story, and part small town semi-satire.
Lancelot and the King
Sarah Luddington - 2011
If his king needs him and he is called to the sword, he knows where he must be.His country is threatened, the dark wings of war are gathering and his love... that will just have to wait.The needs of one man’s heart cry for peace, but Lancelot understands what he must do.He will stand shoulder to shoulder with the man he loves and if they survive the battlefields, if they can survive the peace, then maybe, just maybe, a knight and his king can put aside their call to arms and listen to the call of their hearts.
The Knights of Camelot series is a reimagining of the Arthurian legends. Each book features two (or more) men in love with one another, steamy encounters, and more. These books are not intended to be read as standalones, so be sure to start at the beginning with Lancelot and the King.