Book picks similar to
The Lady in the Tower by Margaret Ritter


gothic
italy-spain
pulp-gothic
pulp-contemporary

Peter & Emily


Charlie Wood - 2016
     But then, a boy appears on the balcony outside Emily's room. He's dressed in green, and says his name is Peter Pan. He's there for one reason: he's looking for someone to have an adventure with. And with that, Emily is off, whisked to the world of Never Land, a place filled with sailing ships, tropical islands, pirates, mermaids, fairies, and flying machines. However, Emily soon discovers Peter hasn't brought her there only to experience Never Land's wonders. His friends have been captured by a demented man named Captain Hook, and Peter believes--without a shadow of a doubt--that Emily is the only one who can help get them back. In this thrilling continuation of the PETER PAN story, join friends old and new on an adventure in a Never Land that's been changed forever--for better or for worse.

The Runaway


Terry Kay - 1997
    Set in the 1940s and using as a springboard the relationship of two boys - one black and the other white - who have been mysteriously ordained at birth to spark the flames of change, The Runaway examines the joys, sorrows, conflicts, and racial disharmony of their historically biased environment. Tom and Son Jesus spend their days daydreaming, fishing, and trying to escape work. But their fun abruptly comes to a halt when they discover a bone during a fanciful runaway. The bone turns out to be part of the skeletal remains of Son Jesus' long-missing father, and leads to an investigation by Sheriff Frank Rucker, a World War II hero, that unmasks the racially motivated killer known only as Pegleg. The sheriff's findings divide the people of Overton County, forcing a surprising conclusion - or beginning - of justice.

Schooled


Christa Charter - 2012
    As Malick investigates the crime, Lexy works the case from inside Xenon and discovers more about the seedy underbelly of the games industry than she ever wanted to know.

What Lurks Below


Donald Firesmith - 2015
    But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…

Courting Mr. Emerson


Melody Carlson - 2019
    Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause—and finds herself falling for him in the process.A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around—which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them.But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The question is, will his change of heart be too late for Willow?With her signature heart and touches of humor, fan favorite Melody Carlson pens a story of two delightfully eccentric characters who get a second chance at life and love.

The Brave


Nicholas Evans - 2009
    It's 1959 and the school bristles with bullies and sadistic staff. Tommy, a quirky loner, obsessed with cowboys and Indians, needs all the bravery he can summon.Salvation comes when his glamorous actress sister is swept off to Hollywood by one of his heroes, TV cowboy Ray Montane. But with the Cold War looming, the sinister side of Tinseltown seeps through and Tommy and Diane soon find themselves in jeopardy. Forty years on, Tommy has to confront his boyhood ghosts when his own son finds himself charged with murder.

Don't Breathe a Word


Holly Cupala - 2012
    She can take his cruel words, his tender words . . . until the night they go too far.To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, to its rules of survival, and to love—a world she won’t easily let go.Set against the backdrop of the streets of Seattle, Holly Cupala’s power­ful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the secrets we keep, and the ways to redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength.

Lakesedge


Lyndall Clipstone - 2021
    She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.There are monsters in the woods.As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

My Name Is...


Alastair Campbell - 2013
    For a bit. And then I feel worse, and the pain inside comes back. Worse than ever.My name is Hannah. This is their story . . .My name is Kate. I am Hannah’s mum.‘If nothing matters more to a parent than their children’s health and happiness, how are you supposed to feel, and what are you supposed to do, when they’re sick and unhappy?’My name is Vicki. I am Hannah’s little sister.‘Why does she drink so much, when it is making her so ill, doing so much damage to her life? I don't get it.’My name is Sophie. I am Hannah’s best friend. ‘I loved her to bits those times when she was chatty and fun and making me laugh or think about the world differently.’My name is Dan. I was Hannah’s mum’s first boyfriend after her divorce.‘I tried, I really tried. But there’s something wrong with that girl. If I’d have had any idea of what I was letting myself in for, I never would have asked Kate out.’My name is Amanda. I am Sophie’s mother. ‘She was like the outsider insider of Sophie’s friendship group. I liked her though and being a parent, and a doctor, my instinct was to want to fix whatever it was that reduced her to this mess.’ Powerful and passionate, My Name Is . . . is the gripping story of a teenage girl’s descent into alcoholism and the impact it has on those around her. Deft and direct, the voices of Hannah’s family, friends and professionals shed a sometimes shocking, sometimes tender light on a life veering terrifyingly off course.

Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights


Susan Straight - 1994
    In Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights, she fulfills the promise of the earlier book, and reintroduces readers to the inhabitants of fictional Rio Seco, California. This is the story of Darnell Tucker, and black firefighter and workingman trying to work the toughest turf of all: the straight and narrow. As his friends disappear around him - victims of the streets, of police dogs, of drugs, of an addiction to cheap thrills and guns - Darnell struggles to establish his own business, facing a thousand midnights before he's home free, with a job that supports his young family. Yet even as he gains a tentative sense of self, Darnell Tucker is drawn to the destructive beauty of fires, and to the wilder, untamed forces beyond the structure of domesticity. This search for balance in a dangerous world propels the quiet heroism of a beautifully evoked and very moving story.

Jane Austen: Her Complete Novels in One Sitting


Jennifer Kasius - 2012
    All six of her classic novels, Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Mansfield Park; Emma; Northanger Abbey; and Persuasion are efficiently organized in this compact tome, which is perfect for either digesting small bites of information or devouring in one sitting. Featuring synopses, character profiles, and two-color illustrations, this mini book brings to life a collection of timeless stories and the iconic characters that populate the novels of Jane Austen.

A Night Without Armor


Jewel - 1998
    She delves into matters of the home, the comfort of family, the beauty of Alaska, and the dislocation of divorce.Frank and honest, serious and suddenly playful, A Night Without Armor is a talented artist's intimate portrait of what makes us uniquely human.

The Nostalgia Nerd's Retro Tech: Computer, Consoles & Games


Peter Leigh - 2018
    Remember what a wild frontier the early days of home gaming were? Manufacturers releasing new consoles at a breakneck pace; developers creating games that kept us up all night, then going bankrupt the next day; and what self-respecting kid didn't beg their parents for an Atari or a Nintendo? This explosion of computers, consoles, and games was genuinely unlike anything the tech world has seen before or since.This thoroughly researched and geeky trip down memory lane pulls together the most entertaining stories from this dynamic era, and brings you the classic tech that should never be forgotten.

Love Lives


Josie Lloyd - 2003
    Two women. And every emotion you've ever felt... In 1871 Appleforth House was burned to the ground. Now, over a hundred years later, the house is being rebuilt - and so the lives of four very different people converge. Ned, a successful architect, is obsessed with restoring the house to its former glory. Focussed and determined - and bruised by a past relationship - he's not looking for distractions. But then Ellen, a documentary-maker, arrives to make a film about one of the local landmarks, leaving her boyfriend and some tough decisions temporarily behind her. But as pieces of the past start to fall into place, the restoration also brings together Jimmy and Verity, two local teenagers: one falling in love for the first time, the other an incurable romantic, determined to find her fairy-tale hero. And as their hopes and fears come together they all learn some surprising lessons about finding love in the most unlikely places-

Sandy Toes


Robin Jones Gunn - 2016
    Her hopes and dreams are as many as the grains of sand that cover her sandy toes after sunset walks on the beach with Todd. Christy knows that everything is about to change when she steps into one of the great mysteries of life--motherhood.