Book picks similar to
Burke in the Land of Silver by Tom Williams


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The Misses Brontë's Establishment


Amy Wolf - 2015
    She has a habit of getting into trouble: at eighteen, she’s already been sacked from six schools. No one else will have her, except: The Misses Brontë’s Establishment in Haworth, a remote Yorkshire village. With time, Maria comes to appreciate the genius of her teachers: Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë.Part suspense, part Victorian novel, this novel takes the reader on a profound literary journey along with young Maria.

The Lost Pearl


Lara Zuberi - 2012
    she suffers through the pain of losing him, and realizing the worth of lessons learnt from him as Pearls of Wisdom. The tragedy forces Sana to leave her home in Pakistan, and traverse the globe to California. As time passes, she remains tormented by her memories as she struggles to rediscover her identity in a foreign land. Keen on pursuing journalism, she attends Stanford, where she meets a law student, Ahmer. They are drawn together by their cultural heritage, as well as their shared experience of having lost and endured. He becomes the source of her happiness, as well as the catalyst in mending her strained relationship with her family. As the story unfolds, however, their lives become intertwined in unexpected ways, creating obstacles that might be impossible to overcome.Spanning nearly two decades, and set against a backdrop of landmark political events in both Pakistan and America in recent history, The Lost Pearl is an emotional tale about the strength of the human bond and the consequences of a truth left untold.

Secrets of the Magic Ring


Karen McQuestion - 2011
    Once that’s done, he’s shocked by the sudden arrival of a strange boy named Henry who demands Paul hand over his newfound treasure. Luckily, Paul’s dog scares off the intruder, leaving Paul to discover the contents of the box: a ring with directions for making wishes. When the ring ends up in the hands of his Aunt Vicky, her greatest wish quickly comes true. Could this ring be magical? Do wishes really come true? Paul is about to find out.This vibrant, imaginative tale reminds us that like eating too much ice cream, sometimes the things that start off as fun can lead to big trouble.

Dead Size


Sawney Hatton - 2013
    He doesn’t know how to win the heart of the girl at the coffee shop. And he shares his home with a clan of mischievous tiny people.Yet these all turn out to be the least of his troubles.A secret race of Giants dwelling in the neighboring mountains wants Gulliver to exterminate all the Little People… or else. When folks in his hometown begin brutally dying, Gulliver must make a hard choice. But choices have consequences.And consequences, he’ll learn, come in all terrible sizes.DEAD SIZE is a comical psychological fantasy mystery thriller for fans of Christopher Moore, David Wong, and Terry Gilliam.(Advisory: this book is intended for mature audiences.)

Time and Again


Deborah Heal - 2013
    Not a dream job. But it does come with perks. There’s John Roberts, a devastatingly attractive neighbor who is almost too wonderful to be real.And there’s the new computer program Beautiful Houses—also too amazing to be real. No one knows how it works, but with it she can rewind and fast-forward the lives of all the people who ever lived in the house, including Charlotte Miles.In 1858, the house is a train stop on the Alton & Chicago Line. And Charlotte is stuck there serving meals to the passengers, wondering if she’ll ever get to have any fun. And then she meets two travelers who change her life forever. There’s James McGuire with whom she falls in love. And there’s his boss, a young Springfield lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. His debate with political opponent Stephen Douglas catapults him onto the national stage. And it inspires Charlotte to take up the cause of abolition.The HouseA stop on the Alton & Chicago Line. A stop on the Underground Railroad. Watching the house’s history unfold, Abby and Merrideth gain a new perspective on their own lives as time and again they see God’s loving hand in the lives of its inhabitants.

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love


Linn B. Halton - 2014
    But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she can t help but feel that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job? Then, one winter s day, a man walks into her shop and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie s life is changed. But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there REVIEWS What a gorgeous, feel-good read this was. A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love will hit just the spot when you need to while away the winter hours with a handsome hero, lots of cakes and a slow-burning, heartfelt romance. Sorcha O' Dowd, Book Blogger at Old Victorian Quill and Waterstone's BooksellerThis was a sweet romance, in more senses than one! Katie runs a cake shop and meets Adam when he calls in for a cake for his Grandma. The book then follows their lives as they occasionally meet and then part once more. - Ann Cooper, Annie's Book CornerHaving read a few of Linn B Halton's books in the last year, I feel very confident in saying that A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is her best yet. It is such a sweet, touching and loving romantic story, told from various perspectives. - Rachel Gilbey, Rachel's Random Reads"

The Burning of Juniper Slaide


Johanna Handley - 2016
    Nine years later, she's worked hard at putting the past behind her. She clings to her best friend James, the only person she's been able to trust since the fire. But one day James disappears. Juniper tries to find her friend, but she uncovers more than she bargained for. As tensions grow and friendships are tested, she begins to realise that James wasn't who she thought he was. And worst of all, his disappearance is connected to her somehow, and what happened to her all those years ago... An exciting, page turning thriller you wont want to put down!

Scarlet And Gold


Randy Mixter - 2013
     Alliances are being formed. Treachery is in the wind. And danger hides in the shadows. Rachel Caine knew that marrying Morgan Reid, a soldier of fortune, would lead to a life of danger, but when a deserted pirate ship is discovered in the Great Eastern Sea, she is plunged into an adventure that will test her courage like no other. From battles at sea to a rescue on an island fortress, Rachel and Morgan face peril and betrayal by those whom they know and trust. In this game of deception and double-crosses, no man, or woman, is safe from harm, and only the strongest will survive.

Shadows of the Keeper


Karey Brown - 2007
    . . and himself.Present Day -- Secure the sale of Castle MacLarrin. Heal your heart in the Highlands. Pfff! Emily knows better. What her boss really wants is to appease guilt over his butthead son having married another. Well, fine. He's paid for her ticket, the least she can do is find this castle. Then, swear off love forever, and enjoy Inverness. And stick to what she knows: coffee, historical romance books--where the men don't bail--and solitude.Alba 1210 A.D. -- Thirty-six hundred years is a long time to suffer the punishment of immortality--even longer for Broc MacLarrin to endure memories of the exiled princess whose uncanny powers could have saved them all. And now, a nearly dead modern has been brought through the 'door' . . . this Emily none other than the bane of his existence--for, if she's returned, so too will those who killed her before--the Lumynari.City of Balkore, Leagues below Castle MacLarrin -- Three life-cycles, he's loved her--and tenderly carried her soul to his father, Hades. Prince Dezenial of the Lumynari vows there won't be a fourth time. Remaining in shadows, he keeps her safe from his mother, the vile goddess Shadow--and his heart. But now, Emily's in the keeping of the Forest Lords, the fools no match against what hunts her . . .

Rewinder


Brett Battles - 2014
    But even if you did, you’d never believe it.The world as you know it wouldn't be the same without him. Denny was born into one of the lowest rungs of society, but his bleak fortunes abruptly change when the mysterious Upjohn Institute recruits him to be a Rewinder, a verifier of personal histories. The job at first sounds like it involves researching old books and records, but Denny soon learns it's far from it. A Rewinder's job is to observe history.In person.Embracing his new duties with enthusiasm, Denny witnesses things he could never even imagine before. But as exciting as the adventures into the past are, there are dangers, too. For even the smallest error can have consequences. Life-altering consequences. Time, after all, is merely a reference point.

The Mahabharata Code: Yet Another Retelling of the Mahabharata, or Is It?


Karthik K.B. Rao - 2016
    NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members' help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here. As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu's avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa's scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna's divine intervention. Is the brainwashed "alien" Krishna prepared for this intervention?

The Traveller’s Daughter


Michelle Vernal - 2015
    The hurt and pain, the guilt over what she'd done, was something she could never face. But now the time has come to share the truth of Kitty's heritage...Her daughter's discovery...Kitty never knew anything about her mother's early life. But after her death, the discovery of Rosa's journal opens Kitty's eyes to a whole new world-a family she's never known and a love she's never dreamed of...The fate of a family...Now Kitty must travel to her mother's homeland, but after fifty years, can the sins of the past be forgiven? Or will history repeat itself? With a decades-old family feud threatening her future, can Kitty put right what once went so wrong?Join Kitty as she follows in her mother's footsteps from the South of France to Ireland, discovering who she is along the way in this beautiful tale of forbidden love and fancy cupcakes!What readers are saying about 'The Traveller's Daughter':'A lovely feel-good read' Katie's Bookends'If you like family sagas and romance, then look no further...at the end you feel like you are leaving behind new friends' Lorraine, Goodreads'A beautiful and thought-provoking book' Artistic Bent Book Blog

Peter in Flight


Paul Michael Peters - 2013
    He can tell you everything there is to know about successful trade show programs. He can tell you stories about the thousands of people he has met, miles he has flown, hotel rooms he has stayed in, and ways to work the system to your advantage when you travel. But he can't tell the woman he loves how he feels. Think "Up in the Air meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles..". Based on his own extensive business trips, Paul Michael Peters brings us this funny, bittersweet story of a traveling software salesman. Filled with wry observations and entertaining vignettes, life moves fast in this quick read about a "trade show guy" and a love he thinks he can never have.

The Seafaring Women of the Vera B


Susan Page Davis - 2016
    Only one old man, Gypsy Deak, sticks by her, but Gypsy alone can’t raise a crew from the depleted population. In desperation, Alice turns to the only source of plentiful workers: the women of Melbourne. In a bold move, she and Gypsy empty a brothel, promising the escaped women a new life. Her all-woman (save one) crew put their backs and hearts into the voyage, but Alice finds training her sailors much harder than she expected. Her faith is tested to the limit. With a cargo to sell, angry brothel and tavern owners in pursuit, pirates to evade, and a mysterious stowaway, will the seafaring women of the Vera B. survive to tell the tale of this daring adventure?

The Summer of France


Paulita Kincer - 2012
    As she realizes she may be too late to pull her family together, her husband Grayson pressures her to find another job so they can pay the increasing bills. Relief comes with a phone call from Fia’s great Uncle Martin who runs a bed and breakfast in Provence. Uncle Martin wants Fia to venture to France to run the B&B so he and his wife Lucie can travel. He doesn’t tell Fia about the secret he hid in the house when he married Lucie after fighting in World War II, and he doesn’t mention the people who are tapping his phone and following him, hoping to find the secret. After much cajoling, Fia whisks her family to France and is stunned when Uncle Martin and Aunt Lucie leave the same day for a Greek cruise. She’s thrown into the minutiae of a running the B&B without the benefit of speaking the language. Her dreams of family bonding time fade as her teenagers make French friends. Kasie joins a local swim team, riding off to practice on the back of a scooter each morning, hips tucked next to the 18-year-old French boy who teaches her to smoke brown cigarettes and drink red wine. West accompanies a pouty French teenager around the city, playing his guitar in the town squares to earn spending money. Fia’s husband Grayson begins touring the countryside with a pretty French woman, and Fia resists the distractions of Christophe, a handsome French man. Why the whirlwind of French welcome, Fia wonders after she comes home from a day at the beach in Nice to find someone has ransacked the B&B. Fia parses Uncle Martin’s obscure phone calls, trying to figure out this WW II hero’s secret. Can she assuage Uncle Martin’s World War II guilt and build the family she’s always dreamed of?