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A Mencken Chrestomathy by H.L. Mencken


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Marathon Man


William Goldman - 1974
    But an unexpected visit from his beloved older brother will set in motion a chain of events that plunge Babe into a vortex of terror, treachery, and murder--and force him into a race for his life . . . and for the answer to the fateful question, "Is it safe?"

Babe: The Gallant Pig


Dick King-Smith - 1983
    When Babe arrives at Hogget Farm, Mrs. Hogget’s thoughts turn to sizzling bacon and juicy pork chops—until he reveals a surprising talent for sheepherding, that is. Before long, Babe is handling Farmer Hogget’s flock better than any sheepdog ever could. Babe is so good, in fact, that the farmer enters him into the Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials. Will it take a miracle for Babe to win?Complete with the original text and stunningly reillustrated by acclaimed artist Maggie Kneen, this anniversary edition of Babe is perfect to introduce a new generation of readers to the magical story of a pig like no other.

The Graduate


Charles Webb - 1963
    Embittered by the emptiness of his college education and indifferent to his grim prospects—grad school? a career in plastics?—Benjamin falls haplessly into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the relentlessly seductive wife of his father's business partner. It's only when beautiful coed Elaine Robinson comes home to visit her parents that Benjamin, now smitten, thinks he might have found some kind of direction in his life. Unfortunately for Benjamin, Mrs. Robinson plays the role of protective mother as well as she does the one of mistress. A wondrously fierce and absurd battle of wills ensues, with love and idealism triumphing over the forces of corruption and conformity.

The Collected Stories


Eudora Welty - 1980
      Including the earlier collections A Curtain of Green, The Wide Net, The Golden Apples, and The Bride of the Innisfallen, as well as previously uncollected ones, these forty-one stories demonstrate Eudora Welty's talent for writing from diverse points-of-view with “vision that is sweet by nature, always humanizing, uncannily objective, but never angry” (Washington Post).A curtain of green and other stories.Lily Daw and the three ladies --A piece of news --Petrified man --The key --Keela, the outcast Indian maiden --Why I live at the P.O. --The whistle --The hitch-hikers --A memory --Clytie --Old Mr. Marblehall --Flowers for Marjorie --A curtain of green --A visit of charity --Death of a traveling salesman --Powerhouse --A worn path --The wide net and other stories.First love --The wide net --A still moment --Asphodel --The winds --The purple hat --Livvie --At the landing --The golden apples.Shower of gold --June recital --Sir Rabbit --Moon Lake --The whole world knows --Music from Spain --The wanderers --The bride of the Innisfallen and other stories.No place for you, my love --The burning --The bride of the Innisfallen --Ladies in spring --Circe --Kin --Going to Naples --Uncollected stories.Where is the voice coming from? --The demonstrators.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?


Henry Farrell - 1960
    Now, some fifty years later, they are together and alone. And reality has toppled crazily into eerie fantasy. Blanche now finds she is growing old in the shadow cast by Baby Jane -- and a very sinister shadow it is.

The Complete Poems


Anne Sexton - 1981
    This book comprises Sexton's ten volumes of verse, including the Pulitzer Prize-winner Live or Die, as well as seven poems from her last years.

How to Breathe Underwater


Julie Orringer - 2003
    In "When She is Old and I Am Famous" a young woman confronts the inscrutable power of her cousin's beauty. In "Note to Sixth-Grade Self" a band of popular girls exerts its social power over an awkward outcast. In "Isabel Fish" fourteen-year-old Maddy learns to scuba dive in order to mend her family after a terrible accident. Alive with the victories, humiliations, and tragedies of youth, How to Breathe Underwater illuminates this powerful territory with striking grace and intelligence.

Inherit the Wind


Jerome Lawrence - 1955
    The accused was a slight, frightened man who'd deliberately broken the law. His trial was a Roman circus, the chief gladiators being the two great legal giants of the century. Locked in mortal combat, they bellowed & roared imprecations & abuse. The spectators sat uneasily in the sweltering heat with murder in their hearts, barely restraining themselves. America's freedom was at stake.

Property


Valerie Martin - 2003
    The year is 1828, the setting a Louisiana sugar plantation where Manon Gaudet, pretty, bitterly intelligent, and monstrously self-absorbed, seethes under the dominion of her boorish husband. In particular his relationship with her slave Sarah, who is both his victim and his mistress.Exploring the permutations of Manon’s own obsession with Sarah against the backdrop of an impending slave rebellion, Property unfolds with the speed and menace of heat lightning, casting a startling light from the past upon the assumptions we still make about the powerful and powerful.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Split Rock


Holly Hodder Eger - 2016
    She’s lost her favorite aunt, inherited a house and dog on Martha’s Vineyard, and now finds herself alone there with three small children while her husband is away. When she runs into her old boyfriend, she must confront the life she has chosen with the life she might have had. This unforgettable novel weaves together themes of seduction, loss, and forgiveness with the power of love, family, and the ocean. Conjuring endearing characters on a charmed New England island, this is a treasure of a book."A very Vineyard book ... a great, moving read." -- Carly Simon.WINNER, 2019 International Book Awards BEST WOMEN'S FICTION.SILVER MEDALIST, 2019 Independent Publisher Awards BEST ADULT FICTION E-BOOK.FINALIST, 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards BEST WOMEN'S FICTION.FINALIST, 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards BEST REGIONAL FICTION, NORTHEAST.SEMI-FINALIST, William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition BEST NOVEL.

Oracle Night


Paul Auster - 2003
    It is September 18, 1982, and for the next nine days Orr will live under the spell of this blank book, trapped inside a world of eerie premonitions and bewildering events that threaten to destroy his marriage and undermine his faith in reality.Paul Auster's mesmerizing eleventh novel reads like an old-fashioned ghost story. But there are no ghosts in this book - only flesh-and-blood human beings, wandering through the haunted realms of everyday life. Oracle Night is a narrative tour de force that confirms Auster's reputation as one of the boldest, most original writers at work in America today.

Autobiography of a Face


Lucy Grealy - 1994
    It was the pain from that, from feeling ugly, that I always viewed as the great tragedy of my life. The fact that I had cancer seemed minor in comparison.At age nine, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she returned to school with a third of her jaw removed, she faced the cruel taunts of classmates. In this strikingly candid memoir, Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkable strength without sentimentality and with considerable wit. Vividly portraying the pain of peer rejection and the guilty pleasures of wanting to be special, Grealy captures with unique insight what it is like as a child and young adult to be torn between two warring impulses: to feel that more than anything else we want to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperately and secretly to be perfect.

Old School


Tobias Wolff - 2003
    He is an outsider who has learned to mimic the negligent manner of his more privileged classmates. Like many of them, he wants more than anything on earth to become a writer. But to do that he must first learn to tell the truth about himself.The agency of revelation is the school literary contest, whose winner will be awarded an audience with the most legendary writer of his time. As the fever of competition infects the boy and his classmates, fraying alliances, exposing weaknesses, Old School explores the ensuing deceptions and betrayals with an unblinking eye and a bottomless store of empathy. The result is further evidence that Wolff is an authentic American master.

The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill


James C. Humes - 1994
    An extremely entertaining compendium of bon mots, anecdotes, and trivia about Winston Churchill from a leading Churchill lecturer and performer -- useful for speakers, students, of history, and World War II buffs, as well as general readers.

Hockey For Dummies


John Davidson - 1997
    If the first edition didn't already make you a fan, then this edition will!" --Mark Messier, NHL All-Star"My dog, Blue, and I ran out to get Hockey For Dummies, 2nd Edition. We give it two paws up!" --Don Cherry, former NHL coach and "Coaches Corner" commentator for Hockey Night in Canada..".a must read for all hockey fans!" --John Vanbiesbrouck, former goaltender, New York Islanders"...the most comprehensive, easily understood source of hockey history and instruction I've ever come across. Not only was 'JD' a superb player in the NHL, he is also an extremely skilled commentator sharing his knowledge of the game with fans all over North America. From hat tricks to power plays, Hockey For Dummies provides the reader with the wisdom of an expert. --From the Foreword by Wayne GretzkyThis updated edition of the bestselling guide to all things hockey is packed with illustrations and play-by-play descriptions, diagrams, and photos of the NHL's greatest players. It tells you how to:Gear up safely with the right equipment Improve your skills with drills Warm up mentally--and physically--before hitting the ice Respect rules and good sportsmanship Find US and Canadian leagues and camps Former New York Ranger, John Davidson offers you plays only the pros know and tips for playing hockey at any level. And he fills you in on:Hockey ABCs, its origins, positions, gear, rules, and more The complete NHL--explores the various leagues, greatest players, training, and tons of fascinating facts, figures, and priceless trivia The best ways to follow the game from the stands or on TV How the pros do it--includes tips from Gretzky on passing, Messier on winning face-offs, and other star players on how to play like a pro From youth leagues to the secrets of the NHL greats, Hockey For Dummies, is your total guide to this cool sport.