Book picks similar to
Friesop's Fables by Julian Defries
christmas
collections
essentials
first-reads
The Christmas Key
Kim O'Brien - 2005
One daughter is flunking three subjects, and the other is riddled with tattoos.Already late for her Suddenly Single support group two nights before Christmas, Joanie rushes to the church only to run into her ex-husband, Mitchell, who claims to be there to meet Pastor Frank. But as they try to leave, the door is stuck, and the lock won’t budge. With escape on the mind, from the building and each other, Joanie and Mitchell scavenge for a way out, but what they find is a key to emotions that have been locked away and ignored too long.Back at home, Natalie is reprimanding Amelia for allowing her boyfriend to come over when no one else is home when suddenly the doorbell rings…and Pastor Frank is on the other side. Forced to entertain Pastor Frank while Amelia and her boyfriend hide, Natalie discovers that she can’t hold her family together herself, and Amelia realizes that she can’t afford to let her.
The Lonely Christmas Tree
Shannon Glenn - 2011
A lonely tree stands in an empty field on Christmas Eve. Will the Christmas star grant his only wish? Written for children, but enjoyed by all. New for 2012: A fully illustrated version is now available. Just search "The Lonely Christmas Tree (Illustrated)".
Zetta the Poinsettia
Alma Hammond - 2018
A charming story for every season, Zetta discovers she is more than just holiday decor in this inspiring tale of hope and self exploration.
Written in verse to delight babies and children, "Zetta" is an uplifting story for all ages
BONUS ONE: Page to color at the back of the book
BONUS TWO: Fun facts about the poinsettia plant!
The Pajama Elves
Hayden Edwards - 2012
Medallion Honoree * From the Midwest Book Review: "The Pajama Elves" is a delightful, creatively presented holiday tale that shares a family tradition of giving children magic pajamas secretly tailored by Santa's sewing elves, so they can sleep snug in their beds on Christmas Eve. Hayden Edwards is a special pseudonym for author/illustrator Julie Szabo, combining the names of her two sons and husband. Told in verse narrative and creatively illustrated with combination photos/prints in color, "The Pajama Elves" is all about keeping the magic of Christmas alive for young children. The author describes it as follows: "'The Pajama Elves' allows people to adopt and personalize the tradition in many ways, and it can be shared with family members who live far apart from one another." Sensitively done, "The Pajama Elves" is an ideal contemporary response to unique challenges faced by parents of young children today.
Baby It's Cold Outside
Gemma Halliday - 2015
Tessie King thought she knew all there was to know about tracking down bad guys after helping to find her father's killer. But when she’s locked out of the Royal Palace Casino in South Lake Tahoe during an ice storm, she’s suddenly faced with the task of tracking her own would-be assassin. It’s Christmas Eve, the town is encased in ice, and it’s impossible to get an officer to respond without a dead body. With besties Tate and Britton in tow—and head of security, Alfie, desperately trying to keep track of all three—they set out to find the person responsible. Will they find the attempted murderer before he can finish the job? Or will Santa be returning Tessie’s gifts this year?
The Worst Christmas Ever?
Rebecca Paulinyi - 2018
Six weeks until Christmas, and Lee finds the life she had so carefully planned has been utterly decimated. Hurt, angry and confused, Lee makes a whirlwind decision to drive her problems away and ends up in Totnes, an eccentric town in the heart of Devon. As Christmas approaches, Lee tries to figure out what path her life will follow now, as she looks at it from the perspective of a soon-to-be 31-year-old divorcée. Can she ever return to her normal life? Or is a new reality - and a new man - on the horizon? Will this be the worst Christmas ever?
Twice the Fun
Donna Alam - 2017
But the night I enter The Lion's Den sex club, I'm a wolf in sheeps clothing. By the time I walk out of the next morning, I'll be ready to move on. Who says break-ups have to be bad?
Self Helpless
Rachel Hall - 2014
But despite being an expert in self-improvement, her life still seems to be stuck in a rut. Her designer clothing rental business, even with its well-heeled Orange County clientele, is mysteriously losing money. And although it goes against every fiber in her moral makeup, the one guy she pines for happens to be her best friend’s husband. But are her fortunes about to change? A super-cute mystery guy has just recommended a new book, and from the moment she opens the pages of A Better Life, her world is turned upside down in ways that not even Dr Phil could have predicted.
High Desert Reflections
Kevin Miller - 2015
In this poignant story, Kevin Miller, author of the military techno-thriller Raven One, recounts some of his memories of flying in the high desert, taking the reader into the cockpit of a FA-18 Hornet over the skies of Fallon, Nevada in simulated air combat exercises that convey the intensity - and exhilaration - of flying high-performance aircraft in complex formations characterized by teamwork and precision. You'll not look out the window of an airliner in this part of the country the same way again after you read about this human story of high-speed adventure - and humble commitment - that our military pilots past and present experience in training before they deploy overseas.
The Barry Island Murders
Andrew Peters - 2013
Will Williams' budding detective skills be equal to the task of catching any of the murderers? Will his current gin intake permit him to remember any of the details?Transcribed from the original interviews, the only changes made have been to names, places, dates and facts. Oh, and cutting out all the heavy swearing.
A Boatload
Dwight Holing - 2014
Keeps the plot turning.” — Kirkus Reviews When San Francisco con artist Jack McCoul gets married, he vows to give up his life of crime for good. But then his new brother-in-law pulls a heist that lands Jack in the middle of a deadly fight over hot computer chips. As bodies stack up, he must pull off the grift of a lifetime to solve a murder and escape a one-way ticket to death row.What readers are saying:★★★★★ The characters are delicious. The local color spot-on.★★★★★ Gritty, surprising, and funny as hell.★★★★★ Fun, stylish, edge-of-your-seat.★★★★★ A roller coaster ride full of surprises.★★★★★ 100% fun.★★★★★ Brilliantly authentic.★★★★★ Successful in every way and at every level.
Revenge
Jasmine Haynes - 2013
Tough, autocratic CFO Clay Blackwell strikes both fear and loyalty into the hearts of his employees. But he’s got one quirk no one at high-tech Silicon Valley company West Coast Manufacturing knows: he loves the idea of his live-in girlfriend Ruby being with another man...then coming home to him for the best time of his life as she describes every naughty detail. He’s got only three stipulations: no coworkers, no other man in their own home, and she always has to tell him when she has a date. The problem? What to do with a “hotwife” who has all the freedom any woman could want, but still can’t follow three simple rules. Jessica Murphy has the utmost respect and admiration for her alpha male CFO. She also has wild fantasies about Clay every night. Not that she’d ever tell anyone. Until she walks in on Clay’s girlfriend Ruby getting wild with Bradley the financial analyst right on Clay’s desk. After that, all bets are off and a little revenge is the name of the game. Ruby thinks she’ll placate Clay by telling him he can be with another woman to pay her back for all her rule-breaking. When Jessica learns about that, she makes up her mind to seduce her sexy boss for keeps, not just one night of revenge. But can she become the more-than-one-man woman Clay Blackwell wants? Or will his desires tear them apart? Revenge is a contemporary romance of approximately 39,000 words. Book 1, formerly titled Revenge Sex. This book contains content intended for readers over the age of 18.
Sinister Shorts
Perri O'Shaughnessy - 2006
From desperate housewives to hard-boiled PIs to an appearance by Nina Reilly herself, these chilling short mysteries–many appearing in print for the very first time–set the mood and ratchet up the suspense as only Perri O’Shaughnessy can. Here are tales of love and betrayal, rage and revenge–nineteen sizzling stories that run the gamut from classic whodunits to winding thrillers to an unusual cozy that casts Gertrude Stein as an unlikely Miss Marple. And here Perri O’Shaughnessy has created some of her most sinister and compelling characters yet: a college student who devises an ingenious method for getting her sexy teacher’s attention . . . a haunted ex—homicide cop who takes a long walk into his blood-shadowed past in a twisting tale of brutal murder and escalating violence . . . a model wife who surprises both herself and a bothersome furnace man when she is confronted with an unacceptable ultimatum . . . a lemon tree that plays a pivotal role in the tale of a woman who at long last asserts her independence. . . .From a blood-soaked scheme that’s born at a slot machine in Vegas to the violence that ensues when the fat lady stops singing, Sinister Shorts shows us life at its most menacing, murderous, and unbearably suspenseful. And it proves once again the unique and captivating genius of Perri O’Shaughnessy.From the Hardcover edition.
Einstein The Lazy Kitty
Renae Rae - 2012
Einstein The Lazy Kitty, combines rhythmic writing and colorful illustrations to make this a short, fun book for all ages but it was designed with your toddler and early reader in mind. Although it can be viewed on a regular kindle, it is probably best viewed by a color reader or computer.
Psycho-Tropics
Dorian Box - 2015
Lottery-winning surfer Danny Teakwell seems to be living the life, but he's been hiding a terrible secret, punishing himself for two decades. Now he's hit rock bottom. So he thinks. The ghosts from his past show up at the reunion, launching him on a mayhem-filled race through the Sunshine State to save a missing woman, and his soul. The odds aren't good. He has three days and his only allies are a pill-popping lawyer, crusty barkeep, and seven-year-old embalming expert. Heart and dark humor combine with page-turning action and plot surprises that will keep you guessing.