Book picks similar to
Devil's Nob by Philip Turner


historical-fiction
families-subplot
domestic-fiction
health

Molly


Teresa Crane - 1982
    Fleeing her fanatical republican family, Molly O’Dowd arrives nearly penniless in London at the end of the nineteenth century. Plunged into the world of East End gambling houses and brothels, Molly invests what little money she has in a typing course, her only way out. This investment will lead her on the path to establishing herself as a woman of power and means.From the rough-and-tumble world of the London docks to the luxurious hotels and restaurants of the fashionable West End, Molly captures the temper of the times – the unrest of the labouring classes, the courage of the suffragette movement, the ravages of the First World War. Molly wins and loses in the tempestuous world of the capital but her energy and determination never flag and tides change when she meets a man who could match her in business… and in love. This rags-to-riches historical romance is perfect for fans of Lily Graham, Natalie Meg Evans and Fiona McIntosh.

All the Greys on Greene Street


Laura Tucker - 2019
    Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist—and in her neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye.Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.

I Am Lavina Cumming: A Novel of the American West


Susan Lowell - 1993
    When her mother dies, her father decides it would be best if Lavina went to live with her aunt, where she can be brought up as a lady.Starting off at dawn on September 16, 1905, Lavina travels by train to Santa Cruz, California. Armed with the Cumming family motto—"courage"—she arrives in a world of two-storey houses, automobiles, a new school, and her cousin, "awful Aggie." Trying her best to settle in, Lavina is torn by her hopes to return to Arizona and be with her father. She is as shocked as everyone else by the great earthquake that nearly demolishes the nearby city of San Francisco. In the aftermath of the quake, she must make a big decision about her future. Based on the true story of the author's grandmother, the book includes a short afterword by the author.

Black Powder


Ally Sherrick - 2016
    12-year-old Tom must save his father from hanging. He falls in with a mysterious stranger - the Falcon - who promises to help him in exchange for his service. But on the long journey to London, Tom discovers the Falcon's true mission - and a plot to blow up Parliament with barrels of black powder. Tom faces a terrible decision: secure his father's release, or stop the assassination of the king.

Target


Chris Bradford - 2018
    Perfect for fans of Alex Rider, Tom Clancy's The Division , and James Bond! When surfing champion Charley Hunter is assigned to protect teenage rock idol Ash Wild on his sold-out US tour, she soon finds out what it really means to live the rockstar lifestyle. Faced with a growing number of death threats, several suspicious accidents, and an unruly celebrity, Charley has her work cut out for her keeping Ash alive on the tour. She certainly knows how to catch a wave--but can she catch a killer before it's too late?Combining pulse-pounding action, diabolical enemies, and an insider's knowledge of the tricks of the trade, this prequel story in the BODYGUARD series is the perfect target for fans of Alex Rider, James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Bourne.

The Green Wind


Thurley Fowler - 1988
    The Robinsons have more problems than most of the families in the fruit growing community where they live. But this year is a year of promise. They are assured of a bumper crop, and they can finally afford to have electricity laid on - until unexpected misfortune finds them yet again ...

A Baron Worth Loving


Bridget Barton - 2020
    The moment she meets her brother's childhood friend at the ball, the romantic feelings that she had for him start to revive. However, Nora can hardly imagine that the very handsome gentleman would fall in love with her after years of friendship. As if this were not enough, the same night, Gerard witnesses an embarrassing misunderstanding that makes an earthshaking change in Nora's life. Will she cover up a scandal that might destroy her reputation? Will she manage to win Gerard's heart, or her only wish to be loved will remain unfulfilled?Lord Gerard Colbourne is a kind and refined Baron. Since his father's death one year ago, he has been responsible for controlling their poor estates and being a guard of his mother and sister. Following his mother's advice to find a bride, Gerard attends a ball that will remain indelibly printed on his mind forever. Much to his surprise, he finds himself into a scheme of a ruse relationship to save his good friend's younger sister. How far will Gerard go to rescue her? Will he protect Nora only for the sake of friendship, or will he realize that in her eyes, he has found more than what he bargained for?Over the course of their plan, a deep and tender affection is growing between Nora and Gerard. However, a series of unexpected events will lead to a social war between families, and another misunderstanding that threatens to keep them apart. What will Nora and Gerard sacrifice for their love? Will they endure all the obstacles that emerge, or will they be condemned to live in pain forever?

Summer of '79


Darren Sapp - 2017
     Devil’s Backbone dirt road weaves through tall East Texas trees. The eerie Claymore mansion sits silently along the path. Thirteen-year-old Kevin Bishop and friends plan to spend their summer swimming, playing baseball, and erecting a massive fort in the nearby woods. Their daily journey requires a bike ride down that road and by that mansion—the site of a gruesome unsolved murder near the turn-of-the-century. They stumble upon evidence to solve the mystery as unforeseen adversaries make this a summer they’ll never forget. This coming-of-age tale will take readers down memory lane with plenty of suspense to keep the pages turning. This was the time when kids drank from hoses, arena rock ruled, and cutoff jeans were normal attire. The sleepy little town of Mead Creek never expected a summer like the one of 1979.

Hope In My Heart: Sofia's Immigrant Diary


Kathryn Lasky - 2003
    In Book One of Sofia's Ellis Island Diary, renowned author Kathryn Lasky tells the story of Sofia Monari's arrival in America from Italy.When Sofia and her family arrive in Ellis Island after a long and difficult journey from Italy, a cruel twist of fate separates Sofia from her parents and sends her into "quarantine." There, in a state-run hopsital, she and her new friend, Maureen, must learn to overcome the twin hardships of immigration and alienation, while they maintain the hope that they will be reunited with their families.

The Call of the Wild


Lloyd S. Wagner - 2010
    His life changes when he is suddenly kidnapped and sold into service during the Klondike gold rush, for he is made to haul heavy sleds through the deep snow fields. Being in a new environment, he soon discovers his dominant primordial instinct. He learns not only to survive, but also flourishes in it.     Jack London's The Call of the Wild is a masterpiece in both its style, which set a standard for generations to come, and for its genre, raising adventure writing to the level of classic literature. While being exciting and entertaining, Buck's story is also intelligent and thought provoking - a story for all ages.

The Promise of Light: A Novel


Paul Watkins - 1992
    Determined to learn the truth about his family's cloudy past, he sets sail for Ireland, and quickly becomes involved in a struggle between soldiers of the newly formed Irish Republican Army and the brutal British troops. Amidst the lush and rugged Irish countryside, and the horrible violence unfolding across it, Ben must search for the truth of his identity, and the ties of his family's blood.

Men's Health Huge in a Hurry: Get Bigger, Stronger, and Leaner in Record Time with the New Science of Strength Training


Chad Waterbury - 2008
    Author Chad Waterbury offers the most current neuromuscular science to debunk the fitness myths and conventional wisdom that may be wreaking havoc on your workouts and inhibiting your gains. Forget lifting moderate weights slowly for lots and lots of sets and reps. The best way to get huge in a hurry is to use heavy weights and lift them quickly for fewer repetitions. Waterbury's groundbreaking programs will enable you to: -Add Mass and size. Gain as much as 16 pounds of muscle in 16 weeks--and add 1 full inch of upper arm circumference in half that time!-Get stronger...fast! Even seasoned lifters can realize a 5 percent increase in strength in the first few weeks. And in 12 weeks, you can boost your overall strength by up to 38 percent.-Build power and stamina. Increase your one-rep max in your core lifts by as much as 30 percent.-Shed fat fast. Burn off up to 10 pounds of body fat, losing up to 2 pounds of fat per week.With Men's Health Huge in a Hurry, you'll not only get bigger faster, you'll do it with less time wasted in the gym and with less post workout pain and a much lower injury risk.

Lucky Broken Girl


Ruth Behar - 2017
    Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro's Cuba to New York City. Just when she's finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood's hopscotch queen, a horrific car accident leaves her in a body cast and confined her to her bed for a long recovery. As Ruthie's world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger. She comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings, and how friends, neighbors, and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793


Jim Murphy - 2003
    The nation's capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown . . .Jim Murphy describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city's residents, relating the epidemic to the major social and political events of the day and to 18th-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city--and all his papers--while escaping the deadly contagion. The search for the fever's causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward, provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege.

Growing Up: It's a Girl Thing: Straight Talk about First Bras, First Periods, and Your Changing Body


Mavis Jukes - 1998
    A guide for pre-adolescent girls to the changes that puberty brings to their bodies, including information about menstruation.