Book picks similar to
The Badlands of Hark by R.L. Stine


fantasy
read-more-than-once
gamebook
sci-fi

The Firm / The Chamber


John Grisham - 1995
    He's young. He's bright. He's ambitious. Mitch could have the pick of the big firms in New York and Chicago, but he's chosen the Memphis tax firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke. They're selective. They pay outrageous salaries. They have a turnover rate of zero. And Mitch is about to find out why.Several events fuel Mitch's growing suspicions: two of the partners die in a suspicious diving accident off Grand Cayman; the senior partners seem unduly proud of the fact that no one has ever resigned; and security measures at the office are, even for a company with billionaire clients, more than a little extreme. Then Mitch makes an explosive discovery: The firm is owned and operated by the most powerful organized crime family in Chicago. Even as Mitch discovers the truth, he finds himself caught between the FBI, who wants an informant inside the firm, and the firm itself, which will make him a very rich man—or a very dead one.The ChamberAdam Hill is in his first year at a top Chicago law firm. He volunteers for the toughest assignment any lawyer could ask for. His prospective client doesn't want Adam or his law firm. He is an unrepentent and outspoken racist with a violent past. He is on Death Row for the murder of two Jewish children in a horrific bombing in 1967.Why would he take on Adam, a complete novice, to defend him? And why would Adam want his case so desperately? The answer lies in the past, in a twenty-year-old secret buried in the madness of another time...

The Mortality Doctrine Series: The Complete Trilogy: The Eye of Minds; The Rule of Thoughts; The Game of Lives


James Dashner - 2017
    This edge-of-your-seat cyber-adventure trilogy is the perfect gift for fans of Marie Lu and Brandon Sanderson. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and the more hacking skills you have, the more fun it is. Why bother following the rules when it’s so easy to break them? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And one gamer has been doing exactly that, with murderous results.      The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid, to the back alleys and corners of the system human eyes have never seen—and it’s possible that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever. Also look for James Dashner's Maze Runner series— The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, The Kill Order, and The Fever Code. The first and second books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, are now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O'Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster! Praise for the Mortality Doctrine Series:   “Dashner takes full advantage of the Matrix-esque potential for asking ‘what is real.’” —io9.com   “Set in a world taken over by virtual reality gaming, the series perfectly capture[s] Dashner’s hallmarks for inventiveness, teen dialogue and an ability to add twists and turns like no other author.” —MTV.com   “A brilliant, visceral, gamified mash-up of The Matrix and Inception, guaranteed to thrill even the non-gaming crowd.” —Christian Science Monitor

Last Man Standing / Saving Faith


David Baldacci - 2006
    As the FBI investigates, suspicion surrounding Web deepens. Now, he needs help from an unlikely ally in his desperate search for the killer of his friends, and finds himself up against a force intent on finishing the job that began in the alley.SAVING FAITHWhen a zealous CIA Chief begins personally spying on his clients to promote a secret agenda of his own devising, the beautiful Faith Lockhard, one of Washington's greatest influence-peddlers, tells the FBI all her suspicions. Now in mortal danger, she still hopes to see justice done. Yet who will rescue Faith?

Ill Met in Lakhmar/The Fair in Emain Macha


Fritz Leiber - 1985
    His knee lifted to drive into Donnan's crotch. As the man bent over in pain, Colum struck him a savage blow across the back of the neck with a closed fist. Donnan dropped like a felled ox and lay still.But colum wasn't done with him yet. Still cursing, he grabbed a fistful of red hair and raised Donnan's head, meaning to pound it into the ground.Suddenly, it was Fergus he saw lying under him. This was no contest of champions. It was a blood-feud between the Ard-righ and himself - which could only end with the spilling of blood.'Stop.'The word lashed Colum, piercing the red-mists that bound his mind. He lifted his head and saw a tall manshape from whose brow twelve-tined antlers sprung. The eyes that fixed their gaze on Colum were ageless, deep and knowing. Silently they spoke to him.'Would you break Fair-truce, Colum, Donal's son, and so be outlawed in truth?'The mist cleared from Colum's gaze - quickly and sudden, like the long grass of Kerry's plains parting before a storm wind. The Fair in Emain Mancha originally appeared in Space and Time #68 in 1985. It was later released in 1990 as part of an omnibus: Ill Met in Lankhmar/The Fair in Emain Macha

The Goblin's Toyshop And Other Stories


Enid Blyton - 1994
    

Vulcan's Fury: The Dark Lands


Michael R. Hicks - 2016
    Vulcan’s Fury, as the impact event was known, had become a distant but poignant memory of how wrathful the gods can be, and it was the duty of every Roman to see that they were never angered again. Over those many years, the Roman Empire had finally brought to heel the entire known world, save the Dark Lands. Hidden behind a barrier of smoldering volcanoes and the deadly Haunted Sea, the Dark Lands were at the heart of ancient legends among the Romans of terrible beasts, and worse, that had once feasted upon the flesh of men in the earliest days of the First Spring. But ancient legends held no fear for Princess Valeria, daughter of Caesar Tiberius Claudius Augustus. Enthralled by reports of strange happenings along the coast and bored by the life of a young Roman noblewoman, she begs her father to allow her to travel to the coast of the Haunted Sea to indulge her curiosity. Tiberius grants her request, anxious to see her safely away from Rome, where the Senate is plotting against him. Together with her closest companions, including her enormous hexatiger, Hercules, Valeria sets off on her adventure, unaware that she has set in motion a series of events that will change the history of the Empire, and all Humankind, forever…

A Haven in Ash


Robert J. Crane - 2017
    A horde of beasts known only as the scourge has ravaged the land, leaving only the village of Terreas to survive. Hemmed in on all sides by the scourge, the denizens of Terreas eke out a lonely existence, trying to survive in a land that is all but dead. Jasen Rabinn is a teenage boy trapped in Terreas but with a mind rooted outside the boundaries of his village. He longs for adventure, and when the mysterious Baraghosa – a sorcerer of a sort not native to Luukessia – comes to Terreas, a chain of events is set in motion that will carry Jasen beyond his simple town. To adventure. To danger. To his destiny.

Words of Radiance (3 of 5)


Brandon Sanderson - 2014
    So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi.Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.

The Abominable Snowman (Choose Your Own Adventure, #13)


R.A. Montgomery - 1982
    Carlos arrives a few days early and goes missing from Everest base camp. A yeti sighting was reported nearby. Did he go after it? Or was Carlos onto the trail of something else? "I know that cry. It's the battle cry of the Yeti! We must get help and come back for Carlos." "Why are they angry?" you ask Runal. "Too many people have tormented them. We must go." The rescue helicopter lies smashed on the snow. There is no sign of the pilot, just giant Yeti footprints, leading off to the icefall?the death zone. If you follow the prints, turn to page 56. If you stay at the wreckage, hoping for help, turn to page 57." YOU choose what happens next!

The Music Fairies: #1-7


Daisy Meadows - 2008
    Now Jack Frost and his pesky goblins have stolen all of the Music Fairies' magical instruments. The fairies need Kirsty and Rachel's help to find them, or the music in Fairyland will sound out of tune forever!Includes Poppy the Piano Fairy, Ellie the Guitar Fairy, Fiona the Flute Fairy, Danni the Drum Fairy, Maya the Harp Fairy, Victoria the Violin Fairy, and Sadie the Saxophone Fairy.

The Sphinx at Dawn: Two Stories


Madeleine L'Engle - 1989
    Yehoshuah cares for of Pakko’s camel and shares with him the knowledge of the precious gifts he received from three wise men. But when Yehoshuah’s treasures are taken, he quickly learns that all gifts have a price. In “The Sphinx at Dawn,” Yehoshuah and his camel journey into the desert, where they come across the monstrous, hungry Sphinx. Intrigued and unafraid, Yehoshuah endeavors to answer the Sphinx’s riddles—and in doing so, he begins the real journey of a man with an incredible destiny.

The Demonata Vol. 3 & 4: Slawter & BEC


Darren Shan - 2011
    When a legendary cult director calls in Dervish as consultant for a new horror movie, it seems a perfect excuse for a break from routine and a chance for some fun.But being on the set stirs up more than memories – and soon, the Slawter commences…Bec:As a baby, Bec fought for her life. As a trainee priestess, she fights to fit in to a tribe that needs her skills but fears her powers. And when the demons come, the fight becomes a war.But the final conflict demands a sacrifice too horrific to contemplate…

The Wheel of Time: Books 1-4


Robert Jordan - 2016
    Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.The Eye of the World — When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs—a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts— five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.The Great Hunt — Long thought only legend, the Horn of Valere is found, a mystical item able to raise the dead heroes of the ages. But then, everything changes when it gets stolen.The Dragon Reborn — Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? In the Heart of the Stone lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn.The Shadow Rising — The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind. Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn.The Wheel of Time®New Spring: The Novel#1 The Eye of the World#2 The Great Hunt#3 The Dragon Reborn#4 The Shadow Rising#5 The Fires of Heaven#6 Lord of Chaos#7 A Crown of Swords#8 The Path of Daggers#9 Winter's Heart#10 Crossroads of Twilight#11 Knife of DreamsBy Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson#12 The Gathering Storm#13 Towers of Midnight#14 A Memory of Light By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons The Wheel of Time Companion By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Reading Is Fun With Dr. Seuss (Dr Seuss)


Dr. Seuss - 1999
    Seuss\’ most wacky tales, packed with colourful zany pictures, rollicking rhyme and off-the-wall humour is guaranteed to make reading fun! Hop on Pop introduces readers to a range of simple rhyming words, all used in short, humorous sentences. The nonsense escalates in Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! as the reluctant Marvin is driven to bed by whatever means he can muster, be it on stilts, by mail, or even on lion\’s tail. Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! encourages readers to explore the fantasy world of their own imagination, offering a surreal combinations of things to think up. Finally, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!, featuring the famous Cat in the Hat, offers even more fun to be had by reading with Dr. Seuss!

The Red Pyramid Chapter Sneak Peek!


Rick Riordan - 2010
    About the Book: Since their mother-s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.