On the Road and Off the Record with Leonard Bernstein: My Years with the Exasperating Genius


Charlie Harmon - 2018
    Was he drunk to boot? He greeted his new assistant with "What are you drinking?" Yes, he was drunk.Charlie Harmon was hired to manage the day-to-day parts of Bernstein's life. There was one additional responsibility: make sure Bernstein met the deadline for an opera commission. But things kept getting in the way: the centenary of Igor Stravinsky, intestinal parasites picked up in Mexico, teaching all summer in Los Angeles, a baker's dozen of young men, plus depression, exhaustion, insomnia, and cut-throat games of anagrams. Did the opera get written?For four years, Charlie saw Bernstein every day, as his social director, gatekeeper, valet, music copyist, and itinerant orchestra librarian. He packed (and unpacked) Bernstein's umpteen pieces of luggage, got the Maestro to his concerts, kept him occupied changing planes in Zurich, Anchorage, Tokyo, or Madrid, and learned how to make small talk with mayors, ambassadors, a chancellor, a queen, and a Hollywood legend or two. How could anyone absorb all those people and places? Because there was music: late-night piano duets, or the Maestro's command to accompany an audition, or, by the way, the greatest orchestras in the world. Charlie did it, and this is what it was like, told for the first time.A celebratory, intimate, and detailed look at the public and private life of Leonard Bernstein written by his former assistant. Foreword by Broadway legend Harold Prince.

But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera


Ken Kwapis - 2020
    He is among the most respected directors in show business, but getting there wasn’t easy. He struggled just like everyone else. With each triumph came the occasional faceplant. Using his background and inside knowledge, But What I Really Want To Do is Direct tackles Hollywood myths through Ken’s highly entertaining experiences. It’s a rollercoaster ride fueled by brawls with the top brass, clashes over budgets, and the passion that makes it all worthwhile.This humorous and refreshingly personal memoir is filled with inspiring instruction, behind-the-scenes hilarity, and unabashed joy. It’s a celebration of the director’s craft, and what it takes to succeed in show business on your own terms. "Ken Kwapis always brought out the best in the actors on The Office. Whenever Ken was directing, I always felt safe to go out on a limb and take chances, knowing he had my back. Every aspiring director should read this book. (I can think of several 'professional' directors that should read it too!)" -Jenna Fischer"A vital, magnificent manifesto on the art and craft of directing, written with emotional, instinctual and intellectual depth by one of America's most beloved film and television directors" -Amber Tamblyn"In the years that I was fortunate to work with Ken on Malcolm in the Middle, he had an uncanny ability to guide actors right to the heart of a scene and reveal its truths. He admits that he doesn’t have all the answers, he’ll make mistakes, and at times he’ll struggle, but as he says in the book, 'It’s the struggle to get it right that makes us human.'" -Bryan Cranston"Good luck finding a more kind, passionate, and talented director alive than Ken. Seriously, good luck." -Tig Notaro“'Action!' is what most directors bark out to begin a scene. But Ken Kwapis starts by gently intoning the words 'Go ahead…' That simple suggestion assures everyone they’re in smart, capable, humble hands. That’s how you’ll feel reading this book. And so, if you’re anxious to discover how a top director always brings humor, honesty, and humanity to his work, all I can tell you is…Go ahead." -Larry Wilmore

American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey Through the Artisan Cheese World


Joe Berkowitz - 2020
    Or at least he thought he did. After stumbling upon an artisinal tasting at an upscale cheese shop one Valentine’s Day, he realized he’d hardly even scratched the surface. These cheeses were like nothing he had ever tasted—a visceral drug-punch that reverberated deliciousness—and they were from America. He felt like he was being let in a great cosmic secret, and instantly he was in love.This discovery inspired Joe to embark on the cheese adventure of a lifetime, spending a year exploring the subculture around cheese, from its trenches to its command centers. He dove headfirst into the world of artisan cheese; of premiere makers and mongers, cave-dwelling affineurs, dairy scientists, and restauranteurs. The journey would take him around the world, from the underground cheese caves in Paris to the mountains of Gruyere, leaving no curd unturned, all the while cultivating an appreciation for cheese and its place in society.Joe’s journey from amateur to aficionado eventually comes to mirror the rise of American cheese on the world stage. As he embeds with Team USA at an international mongering competition and makes cheese in the experimental vats at the Dairy Research Center in Wisconsin, one of the makers he meets along the way gears up to make America’s biggest splash ever at the World Cheese Awards. Through this odyssey of cheese, an unexpected culture of passionate cheesemakers is revealed, along with the impact of one delicious dairy product.

The Warrior Code: 11 Principles to Unleash the Badass Inside of You


Tee Marie Hanible - 2019
    As part of one of the first female classes of recruits to complete the Marine Corps Crucible and the Marine Combat Training, and as the only woman to deploy with her unit to Iraq in 2003, Tee tested her mettle and learned the key to becoming an unbreakable woman. With insightful honesty and wisdom, and set against the backdrop of Tee’s life, The Warrior Code will help you understand that things can beat us back from realizing our true potential...but the key is finding the way to realize one’s own innate strength.

Killing Reagan by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard


InstantSum - 2015
    Some people are born with such a brilliant power of words that the reader cannot manage to get out of the charisma of their writing. Others are bestowed with the unusual power of narration. All this makes up the brilliant writers. The book we are discussing, is also a master pieces because the Author Bill O’Reily is phenomenal This book is truly a page-turning classic which narrates the career of President Ronald Reagan, in a clear and understanding way. Reagan’s vivid career has been addressed in the book to tell the reader about the gain of power and success by Reagan. Eventually the account of collective forces, which joined hands to form an evil loop to let him down, has been narrated. The step by step narration presented by the author is brilliant, and helps the reader to keep the interest heightened throughout the book. Although this story of Reagan has itself got a great attention, yet the way in which Bill O'Reilly has presented it, is outstanding. This Book will Breakdown The Best Seller Book “Killing Reagan” By Bill O’Reily and Martin Dugard in 20 Minutes in the most simplest way possible. This Is A Preview Of What You'll Get.. Detailed Summary & Analysis The Author"s Background Key Points Quick & Easy Reading A Ton Of Information Mystery Bonus So Much More!! Available on PC, Mac, Kindle, Tablets, Iphones & Androids Scroll Up and Buy now for a limited time Discount! ©2015 All Rights Reserved

Stranded


Angel Summers - 2018
    I was their best friend's little sis.  Now I'm all grown up - and they've taken notice. After a plane crash, we're left stranded on an island. But danger lurks in the lush green forest... And I'm left wondering if my fantasy will turn into a nightmare.    Despite the fear of never being rescued, I can't help but be excited.  I want them.  All of them.  And from the looks of it, they want me too.  They're more than just my brother's best friends. They're the stars of my teenage dreams.  And now, my four hot bosses. But this tropical oasis is filled with dangerous secrets. And I might not live to play out my greatest fantasy ever. Can we survive paradise and find our way home to true bliss?

POWER (Book 2)


Liv Bennett - 2016
    Worth fifty million dollars only half a year ago, now I'm down to living on pennies. No more weekend escapades to Aspen or skinny-dipping in Barcelona for me. No more security guards or private chauffeurs. My designer clothes and exclusive jewelry are all gone. My life turned upside down when my father was charged for a crime he didn’t commit; a bomb explosion that took the lives of twelve people in the heart of Los Angeles. Hope comes in the form of a gorgeous man and a deal I have no alternative but to accept. Ethan Koenig, a mysterious businessman I haven't heard of before, offers me a helping hand that comes with conditions...conditions that send fear into my heart and delicious shivers down my body. Suspiciously familiar with my father's case, Ethan leads me toward dark secrets that go way beyond the bomb explosion. With each new revelation, I realize the man who's helping me might be the one behind it all. By the time I try to escape, it's too late. My heart is irrevocably lost to the man whose one and only purpose in life is to take revenge on my family.

Heartland Giving (A Heartland Cowboy Christmas Sweet Romance Book 5)


Jessie Gussman - 2021
    

Fireworks in France (A Reverend Annabelle Dixon Mystery Book 7)


Alison Golden - 2021
    

Just A Few Lies


Sandeep Sharma - 2017
    He imagines, presumes and sometimes anticipates the reality and tries to blend with fiction. He is someone who stays in stories much more than in reality. His mind is full of giant maze but what happens when maze starts to peep out of imagination and enter the reality? Anant, a bestselling ‘Superstar’ author is feeling that words have started to betray him and that’s why he starts to search for the ‘next Anant’ and be involved in the making of the next superstar. Mystically, one day he reads Sagarika’s blog and gets amazed to know that all her blog posts are inspired from real life incidents of Anant himself. On the other hand, Anant’s problem of having hallucinations about random things is coming back in his life. Earlier those hallucinations were totally strange but now even those hallucinations make sense. What exactly is happening with Anant? Who this Sagarika really is? What lies are being spoken in the veil of finding next ‘Superstar Bestselling Author’? Answer lies behind ‘Just A Few Lies’.

Reading Laurell K. Hamilton


Candace R. Benefiel - 2011
    Hamilton was reshaping the image of the vampire with her own take on the vampire mythos in her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter fantasy novel series. While Hamilton's work draws on traditional vampire and fairy lore, her interpretation of these subjects brought new dimensions to the genres, influencing the direction of urban fantasy over the past two decades.Reading Laurell K. Hamilton focuses upon Hamilton's two bestselling series, the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. The volume is intended as a resource for leaders of book clubs or discussion groups, containing chapters that examine Hamilton's role in the current vampire literature craze, the themes and characters in her work, and responses to Hamilton on the Internet. The book also provides a brief overview of Hamilton's life.

Strangers with Known Faces


Gautam Dutta - 2016
    They meet after winning a lucky draw- the prize of which was to take part in a puzzle game. Though the game was engrossing, they were unable to solve the puzzle in the stipulated time. However, this lead to the beginning of a deep friendship between them. Their friendship blossomed. But ego and misunderstanding led to an acrimonious break up. They meet again- two decades later- when Shanaya is murdered, and the other four are suspects. The four soon realize that in spite of being estranged for so many years, there were unknown ties that bound them- ties of treachery, deceit, and subterfuge. Ties that have led them to come together in circumstances that no one could have foreseen. And the game that they had left incomplete two decades back has to be played yet again – on a much bigger canvas. Now they have to trust each other, clear their names, and get to the bottom of the mystery, which threatens not only their lives and relationships, but also the fabric of democratic India. As their travels and travails continue, they discover hitherto unknown facets of the people around them, as well as their own selves. Can they succeed in resolving the puzzle this time? Or is history doomed to repeat itself? As hidden aspects of the human personality are revealed, they realize that no one is what he or she appears to be. For the world comprises of ‘Strangers With Known Faces’.

A Miracle Baby For Christmas (Christmas With The Billionaire)


Holly Rayner - 2021
    

Red Shark (A Psychological Thriller on Gamified Suicide)


Jay Puranik - 2020
    Tragedy in her last semester at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Devastated when authorities hush things up, Neha decides to dig out the truth.Few believe her. Only one can help - the lone, depressed outcast, Alok. Problem is, he’s a liability. Having attempted suicide thrice before, will he himself fall prey to the Red Shark game?The suicide challenge spreads like fire at hundreds of colleges. Neha doesn't have much time. Determined to proceed, she must do it alone. She contacts an admin of the sinister suicide game.Will she find answers?What will it cost her?Her quest could destroy everything she’s worked for her entire life.But she must do this for Fatima. Even if it means following her footsteps into the deadly game.Neha must go in far enough to learn the truth, but will she return before meeting the same tragic fate?About the AuthorJay Puranik is the bestselling author of the Letters of a Bloodline series, with readers from over 15 countries including India, USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, UAE, Brazil, and Singapore. He won Literati 2019 (South Asian Award for Microfiction). Qualified as an Electronics Engineer, he also holds and an MBA from IIM Calcutta. Jay lives in Mumbai with his wife, Gayatri.

Highly Unstable


Mayank - 2020