Antioch (The Sword of Agrippa #1)


Gregory Ness - 2014
    Join a controversial scientist in exile on a journey through a near future ruled by cyber mobs and a violent ancient past he confronts when he closes in on dark energy discovery. 400 pp. debut multi-genre dystopian sci-fi mixed with historical fiction and elements of alchemy and mysticism that trace back to ancient Egypt.Book Viral, Feb 27, 2017"Antioch is, in every sense of the word, a masterpiece and epic beginning to what will undoubtedly be an epic series and one you must certainly add to your reading shelf. It is recommended without reservation."First Goodreads review of 2nd edition:"Antioch, by Gregory Ness is a masterful piece of writing. I had the opportunity to read an earlier version of this book published in 2014. I considered it a good book at that reading, but now, having just read the 2016 edition, I rate this book as excellent! Without spoiling this beautifully done story, it takes us back and forth between the present, which is some years ahead of contemporary times, and thousands of years into the past, and then rolls us back and forth in an ever-consuming tale between now and then. The detail and imagery laced into the text about ancient Rome and Egypt, as well as Persia and Turkey, and their cultures and people, animates them, as if the reader is walking the stony streets of Alexandria. There is a beautiful love story which transcends time, depiction of brutal wars and great power struggles between Rome, Egypt and others – and the perspective of how Julius Caesar was, as a man, and a leader, makes the history books seem shallow in design. But what really makes this story shine is the way the author draws us into the world of our memories, of past lives we have lived, and the scientific dialogues and intrigue which are unfolding in the now, and how, all of this ties into the grand story which we are reliving thousands of years before when Pharaohs were the most powerful rulers on Earth, when Caesar and his armies marched into Egypt and when the infamous Cleopatra had the two most powerful nations of that time, in the palm of her hands. Antioch makes you think about the nature of who we really are, about the veracity of having lived countless past lives, about the scientific import of a tiny organ in our brain – a portal which not only allows us to interact with the world around us, but quite possibly, is also the very link to our immensely distant past. An entertaining, gripping, beautifully written and highly insightful piece of work."

The Rose of Middleham


Christina Smee - 2015
    Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later to become King Richard III, takes possession of the castle upon his marriage to a wealthy heiress but this does nothing to diminish the love Christiana has for him. She bears the duke an illegitimate son and against all odds continues to live and work as a servant within the castle walls. Christiana’s devotion spans twenty four years and follows Richard’s fortunes from the north of England to the battlefields of the Wars of the Roses and his ultimate death. Christiana’s story does not end with the death of the king and she finds it within herself to carry on despite being a woman alone and destitute until she eventually finds the love and happiness that had always existed but never acknowledged. Based upon historical fact and recent new evidence that has come to light since the discovery of the mortal remains of Richard III this is a story that weaves a rich tapestry of life in Medieval England and portrays the much-maligned figure of King Richard in a more favourable light.

Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography


Vaibhav Purandare - 2002
    The book talks about Sachin Tendulkar, the renowned Indian cricketer, and throws light on his professional and personal life. It also attempts to present the attributes of the past that shaped Sachin to become one of the most prolific batsmen in the world. Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography throws light on the preparation that Sachin undertook to achieve all the milestones that he aimed for. The book highlights the highs and lows of his career, and the personal and professional tragedies that he suffered, and also the news that were contentious about him. This biography outlines the personal life of Sachin, which has not been reflected in the public domain so far.Vaibhav Purandare spent his early cricketing days at Shivaji Park, Mumbai, almost around the same time Sachin Tendulkar also had spent his time at the park. He has authored books like The Sena Story and Sachin Tendulkar: A Life In Perspective. Purandare is a journalist by profession, and currently holds the position of Senior Associate Editor with the Mumbai Edition of Hindustan Times.

Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity


Lester R. Brown - 2012
    “In this era of tightening world food supplies, the ability to grow food is fast becoming a new form of geopolitical leverage. Food is the new oil,” Lester R. Brown writes.What will the geopolitics of food look like in a new era dominated by scarcity and food nationalism? Brown outlines the political implications of land acquisitions by grain-importing countries in Africa and elsewhere as well as the world’s shrinking buffers against poor harvests. With wisdom accumulated over decades of tracking agricultural issues, Brown exposes the increasingly volatile food situation the world is facing.

The Shape of Fire


D.K. Holmberg - 2020
     Serving as the Master of Spirit leaves Tolan with little time for anything beyond teaching. There’s no time for the research he enjoys, no time to explore ancient ruins, and no time to search for strange elementals in the land beyond the bleak waste where no magic can exist. During a Selection of new students, Tolan uncovers a strange village where the elementals are worshipped, along with power he didn’t believe possible within his homeland. When a threat all thought long ago defeated returns, Tolan finds his service to the Academy will require more than a Master of Spirit. Stopping this threat will need a master of all the elements—and the elementals, but can he still be that person?

Skinny Bitchin': A "Get Off Your Ass" Journal to Help You Change Your Life, Achieve Your Goals, and Rock Your World!


Rory Freedman - 2008
    -Quit crying in a corner 'cause your boyfriend dumped you; you know he was a lame lay, anyway. Bask in the glory of being single for a while! (That doesn't mean sluttin' it up with every guy you meet.) -Whatever you've been dying to do or try but have been too scared--today is the day! Carpe diem, bitches! Carpe diem! This ain't no dress rehearsal! -You spend eight hours a day, five days a week at your job...and you hate it? Quit, bitch! Life is short and time is precious! Don't you know that the Universe wants you to have everything you've ever dreamed of? Rory and Kim learned this sacred truth and how to harness its power, and they want the same for you. So get off your ass and get your groove on! You're gonna rock your own world!

Into the Abyss


L.T. Vargus - 2019
    For when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Friedrich Nietzsche The Violet Darger series continues with this gripping novella, Into the Abyss. Will Violet Darger agree to a face to face meeting with the man who shot her? Still awaiting trial, infamous serial killer Leonard Stump has hinted at the locations of additional bodies — more desert graves waiting to be uncovered. He wants to talk, but he has one condition. Violet Darger must be present at the interview. Now the pressure is on. Should Darger head to Vegas and sit down with Stump? Everyone else seems to think so. It’s a chance to close some cases and give families closure, they say. A chance to learn something crucial about the criminal mind, they say. A chance to do something good. So why does Darger feel like it’s all going to go terribly wrong?

A Partridge in the Au Pair's Tree: 12 Days of Christmas series


Susan Donovan - 2013
    

The Workbench: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench


Lon Schleining - 2004
     This is a fresh look at the classic subject with a focus on helping readers find the right bench and accessories for their needs. The object is to guide the reader through making critical choices, including whether to buy it or build it. Even long-time woodworkers dream of the perfect bench and the time to build it, and for them, the real enjoyment is in the planning. With nearly 300 photos and drawings, The Workbench provides in-depth information along with the inspiration to fulfill workshop dreams.

Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally


Alice Feiring - 2011
    Naked, or natural, wine is the opposite of most New World wines today; Alice Feiring calls them “overripe, over-manipulated, and overblown” and makes her case that good (and possibly great) wine can still be made, if only winemakers would listen more to nature and less to marketers, and stop using additives and chemicals. But letting wine make itself is harder than it seems.Three years ago, Feiring answered a dare to try her hand at natural winemaking. In Naked Wine ,she details her adventure—sometimes calm, sometimes wild, always revealing—and peers into the nooks and crannies of today’s exciting, new (but centuries-old) world of natural wine.

Glimpses Beyond Death's Door


Brent L. Top - 1993
    Rich with scripture and the words of modern prophets. A positive, upbeat tone to death as being, certainly for the faithful Church member, the beginning of a beautiful and happy life. Enlightening and exciting. While emphasizing that we must examine these accounts carefully and perhaps critically because conclusions must conform to Church doctrine—since doctrine comes only from the standard works and modern prophets—the authors say, "We were amazed at the similarities and consistencies between near-death accounts and the doctrines of the restored gospel." The reader accordingly will be fascinated with the discussion on what the NDE's report: A "being of light" who greeted them in the spirit world; one's sense of having a perfect, vitalized spirit body; the rapid, graphic review of one's mortal life; seeing populated cities of dazzling brilliance; meeting with loved ones; communication by thought transference; spirits in radiant white robes; an intense, dynamic light that does not hurt the spirit eyes; travel at phenomenal speeds; all levels of beauty and brilliance in the different realms and conditions; expanded comprehension and memory powers; gorgeously beautiful scenery and vegetation. All this and much more in an environment which NDE's describe as all-encompassing, ineffable light and love.

Tour de Lance: The Extraordinary Story of Lance Armstrong's Fight to Reclaim the Tour de France


Bill Strickland - 2010
    After battling cancer and becoming an inspiration to millions, Armstrong won the Tour de France a record-breaking seven consecutive years before retiring from competition in 2005. Four years later, at thirty-seven, Armstrong decided to come out of retirement and go for the win yet again. He was racing for no salary, in a season when his greatest rival--Tour de France, Tour of Italy, and Tour of Spain champion Alberto Contador--was on his own team. The twenty-five-year-old Spaniard had been handpicked by Armstrong's own mentor, Johan Bruyneel, to be his successor. Now he would be his fiercest competition. Armstrong was about to suffer like never before--and, for the first time in recent memory, appear to be human on a bicycle. After seven Tour victories--and beating cancer--did Lance Armstrong really need to prove anything? Beyond the thrill of another possible victory, what drove him to race again? What was he seeking--and would he find it? Cycling insider Bill Strickland had unprecedented access to Armstrong, Johan Bruyneel, and the team. He takes readers behind the scenes during the 2009 racing season and along for the ride on the Tour de France with a dramatic mile-by-mile account. Offering a penetrating and candid glimpse into the man behind the myth, Tour de Lance goes beyond a single season or a single race to reveal the heart of the sport and the soul of the cyclist.

Memoirs of a Dipper


Nell Leyshon - 2015
    Easiest is in a pub then I can put my drink too close to theirs. Move my stool near theirs. Anything to cross the line.' Gary is a dipper, a burglar, a thief. He is still at junior school when his father first takes him out on the rob, and proves a fast learner: not much more than a child the first time he gets caught, he is a career criminal as soon as he is out again. But Gary is also fiercely intelligent - he often knows more about the antique furniture he is stealing than the people who own it, and is confident in his ability to trick his way out of any situation, always one step ahead. But all that changes when he falls for Mandy...

Sad Movies


Mark Lindquist - 1987
    An acutely etched portrayal of up-to-date disillusionment in L.A., Sad Movies speaks to the generation of readers drawn to Jay McInerney and other contemporary writers--but in a searching, exact voice all its own.

Meditations with James Van Praagh


James Van Praagh - 2003
    Bestselling author and renowned spiritual medium Van Praagh offers over forty meditations, each of which addresses a specific issue or concern that may be blocking your spiritual journey, such as "Release the Past," "Confronting Fears," and "Tuning In to Abundance." By helping you to truly see, feel, and listen to your inner voice, Van Praagh leads you to develop the wonderful, innate abilities that let you become your best self.