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The Drops by Janis Mahnure


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Emergency Case


Richard L. Mabry - 2018
    Kelly Irving knew her husband, attorney Jack Harbaugh, was acting strangely, but figured they’d get through it. When she backed out of her garage that morning, she thought her car hit a bump. Instead, its progress was stopped by the body of a man her husband recently represented. Not only that, the dead man had been shot by her husband’s gun. The police who investigated made it clear that Jack was a primary suspect. Kelly couldn’t decide if Jack was a murderer or marked as the next victim. As things continued to escalate, they were forced to put their marital differences aside and concentrate on keeping Jack alive while discovering who was behind the whole thing.

Katharina: Deliverance


Margaret Skea - 2017
    A fascinating reading experience.' Catherine Cho, Lead judge. 'It is very shameful that children, especially defenceless young girls, are pushed into the nunneries. Shame on the unmerciful parents who treat their own so cruelly.’ Martin Luther Germany 1505 Following the death of her mother and her father’s remarriage, five-year-old Katharina is placed in the convent at Brehna. She will never see her father again. Sixty-five miles away, at Erfurt in Thuringia, Martin Luder, a promising young law student, turns his back on a lucrative career in order to become a monk. The consequences of their meeting in Wittenberg, on Easter Sunday 1523, will reverberate down the centuries and throughout the Christian world. A compelling portrayal of Katharina von Bora, set against the turmoil of the Peasant’s War and the German Reformation ... and the controversial priest at its heart. ˃˃˃ From award-winning historical fiction author, Margaret Skea (Beryl Bainbridge Best first Time Novelist 2014; Long list Historical Novel Society New Novel Award 2016), a new novel that breathes life into the 'woman at Luther's side.' If you like your historical fiction well-researched and beautifully written, this book is for you. Reviews: ‘Margaret Skea has a brilliant eye for historical detail. She creates characters who take us by the hand so that we never stumble or wonder where we are. An engrossing read.’ A. Bacon: Between the Lines ‘A dramatic and most moving story, which transported me back to the 16th century and into Katharina’s mind. I felt what she was feeling and was both fascinated by and anxious for her right from the start. I loved it.’ Books Please 'A wonderfully vivid portrait of how a headstrong girl grows into a wry, steely and impassioned woman, carves a path for herself through tumultuous times, and changes the course of history in the process. Skea knows her history, but more importantly, she writes with imagination and humanity.' Professor Alec Ryrie, Durham University, author of Protestants. Get your copy today.

A Tale of the Secret Saint (Light Novel) Vol. 1


Touya - 2021
    But a brush with death awakens memories of her past life as a Saint–a woman who wields rare, powerful healing and protection magic–along with the ability to use that magic herself! The downside is that Fia also remembers her past life’s untimely death, and the danger she will be in if anyone finds out what she really is. She vows to stay on her knighthood path and keep her powers a secret forever! But how can she resist using her newfound powers when they’re just so useful?

September, September


Shelby Foote - 1978
    And in Memphis, two white men and a white woman are planning to capitalize on the confrontation between the races by kidnapping the grandson of a wealthy black entrepreneur and pinning the crime on white supremacists. The problem is that Podjo, Rufus, and Reeny have only an amateur's understanding of what a kidnapping entails -- and a total, terrifying incomprehension of their victims.In September September a magisterial historian of the Civil War charts its distant repercussions in the streets of the contemporary South. By turns wryly comic, ribald, and chilling, Shelby Foote's novel is at once a convincing thriller and a powerful tragicomedy of race.September September has been adapted by Larry McMurtry for the Turner Network Television film Memphis, starring Cybill Shepherd.

Ricochet: Riding a Wave of Hope with the Dog Who Inspires Millions


Judy Fridono - 2014
    The gorgeous golden retriever Ricochet seemed destined to be a service dog from the moment she was born. She approached her training with boundless energy and surpassed every other dog in her Puppy Prodigy training class. Unfortunately, her love for chasing birds could prove dangerous, for those she would assist. Fifteen months into her training, Ricochet was released, leaving a frustrated owner and a dog without a direction. Yet through a twist of fate, Judy realized that flunking out of school wasn't the end of the world--and in fact, could be the beginning of a new one. Once Judy learned to let go and let Ricochet be who she really was, they found her true calling as a SURFice dog.Ricochet's story is one of synchronicity, our interconnectedness, and opening ourselves to life's 'paws'ibilities. Embracing her true calling, Ricochet began to help others, including those with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and physical disabilities, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes and inspiring people to believe in themselves. Ricochet does more than steady the board: she offers hope, comfort, healing, and a reason to keep fighting. What gives this story such extraordinary potential to become a publishing sensation? Ricochet is the only SURFice dog in the world, there is no other story quite like it!

The Bottle of Tears


Nick Alexander - 2016
    The problem is, they remember it differently… Sisters Penny and Victoria seem to have nothing in common—except perhaps envy. Penny seems blessed with a perfect work-life balance, though only she knows how underpaid and underappreciated she is, while Victoria appears to have everything she could wish for— along with a growing list of neuroses that keep her teetering on the brink of breakdown.For years the sisters have been at odds for reasons they don’t quite understand. What they do know is that everything changed on Christmas Eve 1976, when a shocking chain of events fractured the family forever. But when a fresh tragedy strikes, it becomes clear that Victoria remembers a lot more about that horrific day than she’s letting on…As secrets from their childhood are forced to the surface, the sisters must confront the shadows of the past together. Because, as they come to learn, as long as the truth remains bottled up, their relationships with each other, and to the past, can never heal. Revised edition: This edition of The Bottle of Tears (also published as Let the Light Shine) includes editorial revisions.

Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and His Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember


Michael Tisserand - 2007
    Because the hurricane struck at the beginning of the school year, the city’s children were among those most affected. Michael Tisserand, former editor of the alternative cultural newspaper Gambit Weekly, evacuated with his family to New Iberia, Louisiana. Then, rather than waiting to find out when—or if—schools in New Orleans would reopen, Tisserand and other parents persuaded one of his children’s teachers, Paul Reynaud, to start a school among the sugarcane fields. So was born the Sugarcane Academy—as the children themselves named it—and so also began an experience none of Reynaud’s pupils will ever forget. This inspiring book shows how a dedicated teacher made the best out of the worst situation, and how the children of New Orleans, of all backgrounds and races, adjusted to Katrina’s consequences.

The Switch: How solar, storage and new tech means cheap power for all


Chris Goodall - 2016
    Energy experts are all saying the same thing: solar photovoltaics (PV) is our future. Reports from universities, investment banks, international institutions and large investors agree. It's not about whether the switch from fossil fuels to solar power will happen, but when.Solar panels are being made that will last longer than ever hoped; investors are seeing the benefits of the long-term rewards provided by investing in solar; in the Middle East, a contractor can now offer solar-powered electricity far cheaper than that of a coal-fired power station. The Switch tracks the transition away from coal, oil and gas to a world in which the limitless energy of the sun provides much of the energy the 10 billion people of this planet will need. It examines both the solar future and how we will get there, and the ways in which we will provide stored power when the sun isn't shining. We learn about artificial photosynthesis from a start-up in the US that is making petrol from just CO2 and sunlight; ideas on energy storage are drawn from a company in Germany that makes batteries for homes; in the UK, a small company in Swindon has the story of wind turbines; and in Switzerland, a developer shows how we can use hydrogen to make 'renewable' natural gas for heating.Told through the stories of entrepreneurs, inventors and scientists from around the world, and using the latest research and studies, The Switch provides a positive solution to the climate change crisis, and looks to a brighter future ahead.

Rule Britannia: Brexit and the End of Empire


Danny Dorling - 2019
    Some promise the full story of the political manoeuvring that got us to this point, others promise to make sense of the vote, with a couple focusing on the supposed evils of immigration and Islam.In Rule Britannia, Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson tell a different story. They argue that the EU referendum was part of a last gasp of empire working its way out of the British psyche. It is a view of empire largely based on myth and nostalgia.Dorling and Tomlinson are not arguing for any particular position, but suggest that whatever the next year brings Britain will be much diminished by the process of trying to leave the EU, and that there is no welcoming Empire, Commonwealth, or other set of countries, ready to quickly embrace new trading relationships with us. They do, however, recognise the potential to reshape a post-Brexit Britain, assuming that the UK can accept a world order not based on the past.

A Fool's Circle


Suzanne Seddon - 2019
    If it wasn't for her best friend Jill Reynolds, she would have taken the suicide option a long time ago.As she desperately seeks a way to escape, she is contacted by a solicitor. Kate's old aunt has died and she has been left a small fortune.For the first time, she sees the light at the end of the tunnel. She dreams of a fresh start, a new home, a new life. What Kate doesn't know is that Jill and Alan have their own secrets, and are both desperate to get their hands on her money.Kate soon finds herself falling for the charms of Jonathon Jacobs in what she believes to be fate finally intervening and offering her a second chance, unaware that each move he makes has been directed, orchestrated and well-rehearsed as he begs her to leave her husband Alan.But is it all too late, as she finds herself in the frame for murder

Good Cop Bad Cop


Simon Kernick - 2021
    But Dr Ralph Teller, a wealthy industrialist who lost his wife in the attack, never gave up hope of justice. He thinks he knows the real identity of the mastermind responsible.Only one person can help him put together the final pieces of the puzzle - retired police officer Chris Sketty, who infiltrated the terrorist group and was wounded trying to prevent the attack. But Cleverly thinks Sketty is a liar...and possibly far worse He has a dossier on all the former cop's dark secrets and will make them public unless Sketty tells the truth.So, over one night, Sketty will share his brutal tale of betrayal, ruthlessness and corruption, finishing with a revelation so terrifying and unexpected that it will change everything. Is Sketty a brave hero, crippled in the line of duty, or the most ruthless mass murderer the country has ever seen?With the suffocating suspense of LINE OF DUTY and gasping twists of THE USUAL SUSPECTS, this is a dizzying thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Marriage and Mutton Curry


M. Shanmughalingam - 2018
    Two sisters share a husband when one fails to produce a child for the longest time. An American diplomat's urgent inquires about the Malaysian treasury’s facilities are hilariously misunderstood. A daring civil servant proposes to a lady in his Ceylonese hometown mere minutes after meeting her, breaking a thousand years of marriage protocol.M. Shanmughalingam's debut collection paints, with gentle wit and humour, the concerns and intrigues of the Jaffna Tamil community in Malaya. Satirical yet deeply empathetic, these fifteen stories explore what happens when we hold on to—and choose to leave behind—our traditions and identities in a changing world.

You Are Therefore I Am: A Declaration of Dependence


Satish Kumar - 2002
    In it he traces the sources of inspiration which formed his understanding of the world as a network of multiple and diverse relationships. You Are, Therefore I Am is in four parts. The first describes his memories of conversations with his mother, his teacher and his Guru, all of whom were deeply religious. The second part recounts his discussions with the Indian sage Vinoba Bhave, J. Krishnamurti, Bertrand Russell, Martin Luther King, and E. F. Schumacher. These five great activists and thinkers inspired him to engage with social, ecological and political issues. In the third part Satish narrates his travels in India, which have continued to nourish his mind and reconnect him with his roots.

Lydia's Secret


Ditter Kellen - 2015
     Lydia Hughes is not what she seems. She harbors the soul of an ancient vampire, a woman whose dark past haunts her every step. Her days are spent in never-ending torment until one night, in a dark alley, a stranger attacks her—a stranger who knows the truth of her past and will stop at nothing to have her and the power she holds. Her life forever changed, Lydia must learn to trust the only person who can help her. A vampire known as Roman Castillo. Darkly powerful and shrouded in mystery, Roman is drawn to Lydia in ways he can’t explain, and when he inserts himself into her life, he discovers the truth. He’s not the only one with untold secrets...

This Is How We Are Human


Louise Beech - 2021
    A devastatingly beautiful, rich and thought-provoking novel that will warm your heart.