Book picks similar to
Why Leopard Has Spots: Dan Stories from Liberia by Margaret H. Lippert
africa
bilderbuecher
folklore
library-book
On Roads That Echo: A bicycle journey through Asia and Africa
Charlie Walker - 2019
The two-and-a-half-year journey spanned the mountains and deserts of former Soviet Republics, Afghanistan on the fearful brink of foreign withdrawal, and remote corners of the Congolese jungle. From hiking through sandstorms in the Gobi desert to barrelling down rapids in a dugout canoe, this perilous adventure, and Charlie’s many encounters along the way, gives insight into the past, present, and future of often-overlooked places during periods of great change. 'A first class adventure by a first class adventurer - packed with compelling incident and insight.' - BENEDICT ALLEN ‘An epic adventure, told candidly and vividly. Charlie’s words make me want to go back and experience these places with the same depth.’ - MARK BEAUMONT. ‘A mammoth journey that makes me yearn for the formative freedom of the open road.’ - ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS
It Will End with Us
Sam Savage - 2014
Henry Prize for "Cigarettes"“Sam Savage manages to be both artful and literal-minded in this faux autobiographical tale of childhood and a mother afflicted and finally driven mad by her wish for artistic success. Savage writes knowingly about the uncertainties of childhood memory, but creates a convincing world of sibling combat and adult pretension. A wonderful, absorbing novel.”—C. Michael Curtis, Fiction Editor, The Atlantic Monthly“If the world—all its hysteric noise—was muted for just one minute, Sam Savage is what you might be fortunate enough to hear. His elegant laconism, his leaps across the self-evident, his soft aplomb, and the rarified air he bestows upon the mundane make him the only American writer worthy of the label the true eccentric."—Valeria LuiselliIt Will End With Us is Sam Savage’s latest deep dive into the mind and voice of a character, and his most personal work yet. Brick by textual brick, his narrator, Eve, builds a memorial to the mother who raised her, emotionally abandoned her, and shaped her in her own image. Eve’s memories summon a childhood in rural South Carolina, a decaying house on impoverished soil, and an insular society succumbing to the influences of a wider world. It Will End With Us is a portrait of a place full of hummingbirds and wild irises, but also of frustration and grief. It is the story of a family tragedy, provoked by a mother’s stifled ambitions, and seized by the wide-open gaze of a child. Rarely has a novel so brief taken on so much, so powerfully.Sam Savage is the best-selling author of Firmin: Adventures of a MetropolitanLowlife, The Cry of the Sloth, Glass, and The Way of the Dog, all from CoffeeHouse Press. A finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New WritersAward, Savage holds a PhD in philosophy from Yale University and resides inMadison, Wisconsin.
Up Against the Night
Justin Cartwright - 2015
His ancestor Piet Retief, leader of the South African Great Trek, was killed by Zulu king Dingane in the 1838 massacre, along with a hundred men, women, and children. Afrikaner legend paints Retief as a homegrown Moses, bringing his people to the Promised Land. But Frank believes something rotten lies at the core of this family myth.Frank spends his days in his London home with his new partner and her son and the products of his wealth. But the return of his daughter, Lucinda, from rehab in California brings him intense guilt: having sided with him during his divorce from her mother, she crumbled under the weight of the bitter separation. Lucinda has brought home with her a mysterious boy, and they will join the family trip to Frank's beach house in South Africa--not far from the site of the 1838 massacre. In the lulls of their idyllic days, Frank unravels what really happened on that fateful day, and how it may connect to the violence of the apartheid years, and the violence encroaching on them even now.Up Against the Night is an enthralling tale of personal conflict and intrigue, set against the backdrop of South Africa's tangled past and troubled present, and told with tremendous color and insight. Absolutely original and gripping, it is destined to be as influential as JM Coetzee's Disgrace.
The Spires of Dasny: Dragon Riders School
Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait - 2020
I scrambled up the Spires of Dasny, even though I knew it once was a haven for dragons and the old Dragon Riders School. The ground thundered. I trembled in the small niche tucked into the mountain. Had the knights returned? I caught my breath as an enormous green eye peered in. A dragon!I awoke in a deep, dark cavern. Staring at me through one opened eye lay a huge black dragon. I had been taught the stories of the dragons, of the days long ago when they ruled the sky and searched for their riders, but this wasn’t at all what I had been taught. Why was I there? Suddenly, pressure built up in my head. My eyes sprung wide in fear and... I heard him.What happens when three dragon riders come together as told in the prophecy? The Blind, the Healer and the Magician…There are secrets to be uncovered, but only if Seyra is brave enough. Discover the intriguing lives of the brash young Seyra and Dreyth, the one who rescues her--or is it she who rescues him?*I loved this story. It had shades of Anne McCaffery to it - and I loved her books.**This was amazing. I loved this line because it says so much. “One dragon eye slowly opened. It is possible. Sleep now. Sleep heals all things. We will talk later.” This has the beginnings of something grand. So good.**I thought of Anne McCaffrey while reading, so you must be doing something right. I liked the way you gave us all the information we needed without it feeling like an information dump. The section on the dragon riders felt natural.*
The Ahriman Gate: Some Gates Should Not Be Opened
Thomas Horn - 2005
Price on a faithfilled powerful journey to the heart of Gods holiness. The exciting 40day adventure guides you learn how to pray how to live a life of prayer and holiness and to find and fulfill your divine destiny. Find over 1000 scriptures to teach you in how to let the Holy Spirit cleanse your heart fill and direct you.
The Twisted Future (Teen Superheroes Book 4)
Darrell Pitt - 2014
He has a mission for them. He wants them to kill an innocent man by the name of James Price. If they don't, the world is doomed. Their refusal sends them forward forty years in time where they see the repercussions of letting James Price live. The Earth has been devastated and mankind is on the brink of extinction. They need to survive this terrible new world and return to the past. But is it right to kill an innocent man? Even when they know what his future will produce?And if the decision to change history is not difficult enough, it is what Axel and Brodie learn about themselves that will change their relationship forever...
Changes (Julia Jones' Diary #6)
Katrina Kahler - 2016
She has the most amazing best friend. Her band is rocking! Middle School is almost finished and she is really looking forward to graduation. So what could go wrong? What could turn Julia's world upside down? Have you ever had the feeling that someone is obsessed with you? You feel as though it's your imagination.at first...then you realize that something is amiss. It starts to get creepy and you're not really sure what to do.... Read how Julia copes with "him". And sometimes no matter how happy you are, how perfect your life is...changes happen. Changes that you're sure are going to destroy your "perfect" life. Julia Jones' Diary, Book 6 - 'Changes' will have your heart smiling, your neck tingling and your tummy fluttering. Another fabulous addition to the Julia Jones' Diary series that all Julia Jones fans are sure to love!
Middle Falls Time Travel Series, Books 7-9
Shawn Inmon - 2019
What would you do, if you could do it all again? The Vigilante Life of Scott McKenzie Scott McKenzie’s birthday is the first number pulled in the draft of 1969. The next thing he knows, he is in Vietnam, badly wounded. After the hell of a year-long stay at a VA hospital, Scott tries to rebuild his life, but descends in alcohol and drug abuse. When he dies of an overdose, he wakes up on his grandparent’s couch, still wounded from the war. Eventually, Scott decides to use his unusual time travel to stop violence before it happens. No serial killer is safe, because Scott knows when and where they will strike and he will be there waiting. The Reset Life of Cassandra Collins Cassandra Collins hit the birth lottery—she is the daughter of the wealthiest family in Middle Falls. And yet… At eighteen, she is forced to make a choice—to strike out on her own to attend the college she wants, or choose a life of sheltered safety. As so many would, she chooses safety, but always wonders what her life would have been like. At the end of a safe, contented life, she passes away, then opens her eyes on the cusp of that same decision. The Tribulations of Ned Summers A murder mystery in Middle Falls! Ned’s first date is a memorable one, because the girl he goes out with his found murdered, and he is the last person to see her. He isn’t arrested for the crime, but the town convicts him with public opinion. Ned moves out of town and lives a hermit’s life in the forest. When he grows old and dies, he opens his eyes on the day before that fateful date. Can Ned unwind the mystery and stop the murder? The Middle Falls Time Travel books are all written so they can be read in any order.
Don't Kiss Your Brother's Sworn Enemy (Don't Kiss! Series Book 1)
Elle Gonzales - 2020
Well, according to her twin brother Cole, that is. Cole's resentment toward him has been there for as long as she can remember.So it goes without saying that she needs to stay away from Jake if she wants to keep the peace. That should be easy, right?Except there's one problem: Jake is assigned as her partner for a school paper. And as if that's not enough, she also needs his help to get back in her best friend's good graces.Callie knows that getting close to him is not a good idea. Too bad she's starting to like him...
Wifey's Next Hustle
Kiki Swinson - 2014
She ventured into selling high-end cars such as Ashton Martins and Rolls Royces at a luxury car dealership in South Beach, Florida. Her clients consisted of wealthy cats that consisted of Hedge Fund Investors and dope boys. The dope boys brought in the most money. In fact, Kendrick Miles was her best customer. He kept her pockets laced and she felt indebted to him. So when it came time for her to show him her appreciation, she didn't hesitate to pay up. But when she finds out that her debt came at the expense of someone else's life, Kira is forced to call in reinforcements.
Roderick Blackwood & The Demon Stone
Ralph Rathbone - 2011
Breaking Down Breaking Bad: Unpeeling the Layers of Television's Greatest Drama
Eric San Juan - 2013
The idea that his foray into meth production was not merely a dalliance with darkness, but was actually a full-blown awakening intrigued us. And most of all, the idea that we came to have no respect for the protagonist of our favorite show utterly fascinated us.We couldn’t look away.Breaking Down Breaking Bad attempts to poke into the dark corners of Walter White’s mind, explore the traits that make this show special, and revels in the joy of what is arguably the best drama ever to appear on television. In doing so, it also peels back the layers of what makes characters like Jesse Pinkman tick, explores why we were so drawn to characters like Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut, and relives some of the greatest moments of this already legendary show.Because the show may be gone, but the conversation about it certainly isn’t.Eric San Juan is the coauthor of A Year of Hitchcock (Scarecrow Press 2009) and Hitchcock’s Villains (Scarecrow Press 2013), as well as Geek Wisdom (Quirk Books 2011) and other books. Before Breaking Bad came along, he thought Deadwood was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He still thinks it’s pretty damn good.
Traction City (Predator Cities)
Philip Reeve - 2011
Hidden in its vast superstructure is a murderous creature that severs the right hands of its victims. A rebellious young aviatrix and a secretive scavenger boy are about to come face to face with a robotic Stalker that is terrifyingly out of control.
Sooley
John Grisham - 2021
Samuel "Sooley" Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams...and even bigger challenges off the court.In the summer of his seventeenth year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true. Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quickness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game, though, needs work, and the American coaches are less than impressed. During the tournament, Samuel receives devastating news from home: A civil war is raging across South Sudan, and rebel troops have ransacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp. Samuel desperately wants to go home, but it's just not possible. Partly out of sympathy, the coach of North Carolina Central offers him a scholarship. Samuel moves to Durham, enrolls in classes, joins the team, and prepares to sit out his freshman season. There is plenty of more mature talent and he isn't immediately needed. But Samuel has something no other player has: a fierce determination to succeed so he can bring his family to America. He works tirelessly on his game, shooting baskets every morning at dawn by himself in the gym, and soon he's dominating everyone in practice. With the Central team losing and suffering injury after injury, Sooley, as he is nicknamed, is called off the bench. And the legend begins. But how far can Sooley take his team? And will success allow him to save his family? Gripping and moving, Sooley showcases John Grisham's unparalleled storytelling powers in a whole new light. This is Grisham at the top of his game.