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Red Rage


Brigitte Blobel - 2006
    A rage turned to violence."Sometimes 15-year-old Mara loses control. She strikes out at people, then runs. Often, she can't recall what she's done. She knows losing control is dangerous, but she also feels that somehow the rage protects her, making her invincible.Then she meets Tibor, a sweet guy who's not put off by her attitude or her messed-up home life. There's also a teacher at school who sees a better future than Mara's ever imagined for herself. The teacher even gets Mara a volunteer job in a preschool.But the anger is never far away. The day Mara spots Tibor on his motorcycle with another girl, the rage takes over. Mara tracks the girl down and beats her senseless.Horrified, Mara finally seeks help for her behavior. But salvation isn't that simple. The injured girl is Tibor's sister. Devastated by the news, but determined to make amends, Mara takes her first steps toward a life free of violence.Filled with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, Red Rage is a vivid portrait of one teen lost in a vortex of her own violence.

Taming Poison Dragons


Tim Murgatroyd - 2009
    But the "poison dragons" of misfortune shatter his orderly existence. First, when his village is threatened by a vicious civil war, his family stability is threatened by his second son, a brutal rebel officer. Meanwhile, Yun Cai struggles to free an old friend, P'ei Ti, from a hellish prison—no easy task when P'ei Ti is the rebels' most valuable hostage, and Yun Cai sees himself only as a frightened old man. Throughout his ordeals, Yun Cai draws from the glittering memories of his youth, when he journeyed to the capital to study poetry, joined the upper ranks of the civil service, and secured the friendship of P'ei Ti. Above all, he reflects Su Lin, a great love he won and lost, and for which he paid with his freedom and almost his life. Yun Cai is forced to reconsider all that he is and all that he has ever been in order to summon the wit and courage to confront the warlord General An-Shu and his beautiful but cruel consort, the Lady Ta-Chi.

All Our Broken Pieces


Annette K. Larsen - 2018
    They’ve relied on each other, laughed with each other, kept each other sane. But now Devin is dead, and Ginny is floundering to find a way to cope with the loss and continue living when the one person she’s always relied on is gone. So she does what she’s always done. She pours her frustrations into texts to Devin, or at least to Devin’s useless phone number. She sends her pain and anger out into the void of cellular data with no hope of response. Until the day when someone does respond. Ginny knows that this person—this Not-Devin—won’t ever replace her best friend, but maybe he can help her heal, or at least give her a reason to smile again.

The Miner


Natsume Sōseki - 1908
    Almost devoid of plot and characterization, it unfolds within the mind of the protagonist. His ruminations constitute the theoretical core of the book.

Brides of Alaska


Tracie Peterson - 2016
    The bleak wilderness of America’s 49th state challenges three women in different eras: Julie, a nurse, who must serve victims of a 1925 diphtheria epidemic; Beth, whose Canadian-born husband is killed in World War II; and Rita, who takes on the ultimate test of endurance, the Iditarod dog sled race. Each must surmount the obstacles in her life, and perhaps, with God’s help, find true love as well.

Samurai Executioner, Vol. 1: When the Demon Knife Weeps


Kazuo Koike - 1972
    It's true! Few know of this precursor to the legendary ronin saga, but before Koike and Kojima created Itto Ogami, they created Kubikiri Asa, better known to Lone Wolf readers as Decapitator Asaemon. He was the equal to Itto, bearer of the sword Onibocho, the man charged with the duty of testing the swords for the shogun. Shogun Executioner is based on the decapitator himself, in life before his fatal duel with Lone Wolf. Expect the same legendary drama, frantic action, and stoic samurai stature, combined with the exemplary art and storytelling that made Lone Wolf and Cub one of the most popular and influential comic books in the world!

In the Pond


Ha Jin - 1998
    He has been praised for his works relating to Chinese life and culture. The novel centers around the character Shao Bin, a Chinese man working at fertilizer plant, and his epic struggle to obtain a decent apartment for his young family. Continually passed over by the plant's corrupt leaders, Bin decides to fight back against his communist superiors. Conflict espouses when Bin's struggle is met with counterattacks and opposition he could never have imagined.

Dane


A.C. Arthur - 2018
    Neither is he looking back. He’s picking up where he left off and now, more than ever, is determined to get it right. Four years ago she was a mistake, so running into Zera at the place where they first met now, cannot be good. Unfortunately for Dane, walking away may not be an option this time around. To bring her cousin home, Zera Kennedy would give up everything she worked for…including the first man to capture her heart. But now that the kidnapper’s trail has gone cold, Zera is not sure she’ll be able to achieve her goal, and until she does, returning to her home in Kenya is not an option. Neither is staying away from Dane Donovan once he walks back into her life. But the moment they both let down their guard and believe in the love that gives them a new look on life, fear invades their tender reunion and threatens every kiss, every moan, every…breath they take.

Very Nearly Dead


A.K. Reynolds - 2019
     At the age of 16, she was in a gang of youths that committed a horrendous crime. As members of the gang start being killed one by one, Jasmine fears for her life. Desperate to uncover who is responsible for the murders, Jasmine starts to investigate. But can she uncover the truth before it’s too late?  Very Nearly Dead is a gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with an ending you won't see coming. The perfect read for fans of authors like K.L. Slater, Mark Edwards and C.L. Taylor.

Rising Thunder


Brandon Cornwell - 2017
    A giant amongst his kind, he dwarfs not only his fellow elves but the taller, stronger humans as well. Cast out by his own kind, he was sent to live amongst the Northmen at a young age, learning their ways and culture, but never wholly accepted by them. When his oldest friend, King Brynjar, dies in his old age, Elias's position among the volatile men of the Northlands becomes tenuous, and he sets out to make his place in the world.Far to the south, a war is brewing between his homeland of Lonwick, and the demonic Felle, an army of orcs, ogres, trolls, and men. Should he stay to the north and avoid the conflict, or should he travel south and join the forces that are defending his homeland? Who is the shadowy dark knight that hunts him? And will he ever find people in this world that see him for who he is, and not the freak he appears to be?From the warm, forested slopes of coastal mountain ranges, to the tropical shores of exotic islands, author Brandon Cornwell leads us on an adventure filled with battles, magic, love, and loss. As Elias faces the journey before him, rich characters and vivid settings transport us into a world that feels as real as it does fantastical.

Kabul


M.E. Hirsh - 1986
    Hirsh's internationally acclaimed 1986 novel, Kabul, provides an almost miraculous window into a country and its people that now have captured the world's attention.When the last Afghan king is deposed in the summer of 1973, the family of Omar Anwari, his loyal cabinet minister, is torn apart along with their country. Over seven turbulent years while Catherine, their American mother, struggles to hold them together, Mangal, the eldest son, breaks with his father to follow his own political conscience; daughter Saira in New York is torn between two cultures; and Tor, the youngest, most passionate of the three grows up to become perhaps the bravest of them all.An epic tale of civil war, political intrigue, and family tragedy, Kabul is a moving, insightful portrayal of a proud nation brought to chaos.

Ageing Disgracefully: Short Stories about Atrocious Old People


Colin Cotterill - 2009
    The collection takes us from England to Asia with stops in Australia and the United States and it proves the point that disgusting old people are to be found just about everywhere. We enter the troubled minds of murderers, bank robbers, practical jokers, serial killers, perverts and just regular old liars all of whom are old enough to know better. You'll doubtless recognize people you know and be forced to admit to a few wiles of your own.

Krishna and Shishupala


Kamala Chandrakant - 2011
    She extracted a promise from him that he would forgive Shishupala a hundred offences. As he grew up Shishupala had enough reasons to be angry with Krishna. Especially after he was jilted by Princess Rukmini, in favour of the merry-eyed cowherd. He provoked Krishna repeatedly and was forgiven a hundred times. And then one day Shishupala committed his hundred and first offence.

The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War


Eiji Yoshikawa - 1956
    The people were abused by the nobility, while the armed Buddhist monks terrorized court and commoner alike. In despair, the Emperor called upon the Heike and Genji clans to quell civil disturbances. Although the clans succeeded, they quarreled over the spoils of war and plunged the country into a century of warfare.This novel describes the rise to power of Kiyomori of the Heike clan during this turbulent time. From a youth sunk in poverty, Kiyomori eventually rose to become the Emperor's Chief Councillor. Although he was a gentle, enlightened man, he left a trail of bloodshed and ruin in his wake. The strange twists of Kiyomori's fate are the core of this epic novel.The Heike Story is a modern translation of a Japanese classic. Its exotic atmosphere, narrative power, pageantry, and poetry will enthrall English readers and provide an entertaining introduction to an important source of Japanese culture.

The Rosamunde Pilcher Collection


Rosamunde Pilcher - 1992
    Reaching back into the past provides the key to true happiness in three piercingly romantic novels from the best-loved author