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Six Months in a Convent | null | null | Reed described the convent as a prison, where young girls were forced into Catholicism, with grotesque punishment for those who refused. This book, along with a growing number of propaganda magazines including the Christian Watchman and Boston Recorder, stoked the fires of anti-Catholicism in Boston and the surrounding area. |
César Birotteau | Honoré de Balzac | 1,837 | César is a man of peasant origins from the Touraine region. At the start of the novel, in 1819, he owns a successful perfume shop, La Reine des Roses, he has been elected deputy mayor of his arrondissement in Paris, and he has been awarded the Legion of Honour. During the revolution he took part in the Royalist 13 Vendémiaire uprising against the Republic, at one stage confronting Napoleon Bonaparte himself, and he mentions this often in conversation. He is married to Constance and has a daughter Cesarine. He plans to throw a ball at his home, and make renovations to his home for the ball. He also becomes involved in property speculation with borrowed money, through his notary Roguin. He also plans to expand his business with a new hair oil product, with his assistant Anselme Popinot (who is in love with Cesarine) as his business partner. However all of these plans have caused him to run up large debts. What he does not realise is that Roguin has money problems of his own, and that César's former shop assistant Ferdinand du Tillet, now a banker, is manipulating Roguin in order to have revenge against César. His financial situation becomes a crisis when Roguin absconds and leaves César with debts that he is not able to pay. His attempts to get financial assistance from various bankers such as Nucingen, the Keller brothers and Gigonnet (all recurring characters in La Comédie humaine) fail, since all are friends of du Tillet and acting on his instructions. This leads him to declare bankruptcy, sell La Reine des Roses to his assistant Celestin Crevel and retire from business. Eventually César pays off all of his debts when his business venture with Popinot succeeds. He then dies suddenly, but happy that his honour has been restored. |
That Old Cape Magic | null | null | The story revolves around a past-middle-age former Hollywood screenwriter, Jack Griffin, who is presently teaching creative writing at a New England college. He loses both parents within a year of each other, and he travels considerable distance to attend two weddings during the same time. As he travels, and as he interacts both with his family and his in-laws, he ponders marital and family relationships. He is also mulling whether to remain in New England or return to the uncertainty of Hollywood. |
Conan the Outcast | Leonard Carpenter | null | The King of Sark calls in his High Priest Khumanos to talk about the drought situation. After the ritual sacrifice of many high priests, Anaximander decides that a larger offering to the god Voltantha is needed. He directs Khumanos to sacrifice Qjara, a more prosperous city to the north. To do this correctly, Khumanos seeks out Solon in the desert, to which he expresses doubts about the mission. Solon sees Khumanos' compassion as a weakness and shows him the Sword of Onothimanos, which is just a rusted hilt. Khumanos becomes emotionless and devoted to the mission. So much so that he kills Solon because he outlived his usefulness. Conan is on the outskirts of Qjara awaiting a caravan to Shadizar. He is invited into the carvan sector of the city by some local children. He settles down in a bar and meets Afriandra in disguise. She proves her precognitive ability by correctly predicting the death of a nearby patron. When Zaius comes to the bar looking for her, Conan provides a distraction by taunting him. Zaius says he is not worth the effort. Conan begins a romance with Afrianda, which offends Zaius. The two men have a quick fistfight which Conan is winning, which Afrianda implores him to stop. Conan demands a formal duel which Zaius rejects on the basis of Conan not being a citizen. After Conan defends Qjara's gates from a nomad attack, he becomes an honorary citizen and uses the opportunity to challenge Zaius to ritual combat. Zaius accepts. Meanwhile, King Anaximander begins a diplomatic mission to Qjara. He witnesses proof of what he thinks of as Qjara's debauchery and asks the king and queen for permission to set up a temple to Voltantha in the city. Qjara's royalty goes one better, proposing a "marriage" between the goddess Saditha and Voltantha. The deal is done, and Khumanos begins his work. Khumanos bids slaves to mine three veins of glowing green rock from a Sarkian mountain. Extended exposure to this rock causes sores and cancer and even death. Keeping the rocks of the three veins separate, the slaves refine it into three separate statues. These three statues are hoisted onto carts and sent by three different routes to Qjara, avoiding populated areas and going through the wastelands. Despite the heat and hard labor, Khumanos insists the carts be driven by human labor with limited breaks. In Qjara, Conan prepares for his duel. Zaius preens and postures for the crowd, angering Conan. When the duel begins, Zaius' first stroke cuts off his own head. Not recognizing this as a ritual suicide, Conan begins ridiculing Zaius for backing away from the fight. This angers the royalty and forces them to cast him out of the city. |
A Troubled Peace | null | null | World War II may be ending, but for 19-year-old bomber pilot, Henry Forester, the conflict still rages on. Shot down over France, Henry endured a dangerous trek to freedom, relying on civilians and French Resistance fighters to stay alive. But back home in Virginia, Henry is still reliving air battles with Hitler’s Luftwaffe and his torture by the Gestapo. Henry worries about the safety of those who helped him escape—especially the young French boy, Pierre, who may have lost everything in his efforts to save Henry. When Henry returns to France to find Pierre, he is stunned by the brutal aftermath of combat: widespread starvation, cities shattered by Allied bombing, and the return of survivors from the concentration camps. His efforts to find and secure the safety of Pierre help him to resolve the deep inner conflict he experiences at the beginning of the novel. He returns to Virginia with Pierre. |
The Guardian | Nicholas Sparks | 2,003 | Richard is a murderer, starting his career as a boy killing his father in a carefully planned "accident". He is extremely clever in creating false evidence; in one example, he hurts himself deliberately with a knife after beating two foster brothers so they will get in trouble for severely hurting him. He falls in love with a woman (Jessica) but leaves her no personal space to live. She tries to escape a few times, but he eventually finds and kills her. Then he takes over the identity of another man he has watched for some time before killing him. He meets Julie by chance and is stunned by her resemblance to his first wife. He wants to "own" Julie out of obsessive love. Julie had married her first husband, Jim, as he was the one and only man she ever loved. His sudden death drove her into despair. Before Jim's death, he made an arrangement with a friend to give Julie a Great Dane, a dog that Jim had always wanted to own. She names him Singer and he joins her life acting more and more human. After a while she starts to date men again but is still deeply unsatisfied by their behavior and character. Mike is good friends with Julie and was also friends with Jim but is like a brother who is not eligible for dating. He feels he cannot ask Julie out due to his previous relationship with their family. He dislikes and believes he cannot compete with Richard. Singer is the title character and the catalyst in the story. He pushes the relationship of Mike and Julie, sensing that Richard is not as he seems. |
Amber and Blood | Margaret Weis | null | Mina, who had last appeared to Rhys as an adult woman, seems to retain no knowledge of her prior actions or that she is a god. She tells the monk that she has run away from home and needs his help to go back. When asked where she lived, the young Mina replies that she came from Godshome, the holy valley of the gods first introduced in Dragons of Spring Dawning. After Mina fully recovers from near drowning, she insists that she needs a gift for her mother Goldmoon who will be waiting at Godshome and whose forgiveness Mina seeks. A small sailboat appears on the beach, although Mina seems unaware she willed it into existence. Rhys, Nightshade, Atta and Mina sail to the newly raised Tower of High Sorcery, which sits on its own island in the sea. As the group sail closer, they realize the island is swarming with undead creatures known as the Beloved. They all swarm around Mina and her escorts, eager for her touch and her blessings. However, the six-year-old Mina is terrified of the Beloved. The group makes its way inside the tower where the Beloved cannot follow. Also in the tower are two black robed wizards who are trapped by the Beloved. Mina is still intent on finding a gift for her mother and travels to the chamber where holy artifacts of the gods were stored before the Cataclysm, the so-called Hall of Sacrilege. She chooses two items from within: a necklace from the altar of Takhisis and a crystal pyramid from the altar of Paladine. When Mina and her friends try to leave the tower, she is beset by the Beloved again. Faced with the evil she has created, Mina transforms into a vengeful, fire-breathing giant and destroys the Beloved in a rage, only to transform into a child again with seemingly no memory of what happened. Meanwhile, the evil gods Nuitari and Chemosh try to claim the artifacts in the Hall of Sacrilege for themselves, but the High God, creator of all the gods of Krynn, intervenes and sweeps away the Hall so none of the artifacts can be used in the fight between the lower gods. Rhys and his companions sail to the port city of Flotsam, from where they will continue to try to find Godshome on foot. On the road, both the god of death Chemosh and goddess of the sea Zeboim try to sway Mina to their cause, but she does not remember or trust either of them. Frustrated, they depart. Mina asks to see the map Nightshade has made for their journey and is upset by how far they still have to go before reaching Solace, where Rhys hopes to speak with monks of Majere. Using her godly powers, she speeds up the pace of their walking and the group reaches the city of Solace, far across the continent, in under a day. In Solace, Rhys and the others stay at the Inn of the Last Home where the owner Laura dotes on the young Mina, bathing her and brushing her hair just as Goldmoon used to do. Rhys finds the temple to his god Majere among the other temples in town and seeks out the Abbott of Majere. Temple Row, where the holy places are all located, is in an uproar as rival followers fought in the streets and attempted to set fire to one another's temples. Rhys speaks to the Abbott about finding Godshome. The Abbott counsels him that legend has it that Godshome is located near Neraka, formerly the seat of Takhisis's armies. However, it isn't clear whether mortals can find Godshome without the guidance of a god. Rhys thinks Valthonis, the mortal form of the former god Paladine, could help locate Godshome but the Abbott reminds him that after the War of Souls, Mina had vowed to kill Valthonis. Rhys leaves unsure about whether to seek out the fallen god. The next day, Rhys meets Mina, Nightshade and Atta at the temple of Majere, from where they will journey to Neraka. However, another riot breaks out among the religious temples, carefully orchestrated by the followers of Chemosh. Ausric Krell, the former death knight who has been restored to human form, uses the confusion to try to kill Rhys and Nightshade and to abduct Mina for his god. He almost succeeds but Rhys, along with the help of the red-robed archmage Jenna, manages to kill him. Mina, meanwhile, has fled, with Nightshade and Atta in pursuit. Nightshade and Atta catch up with Mina and head north, continuing toward Neraka. Rhys helps deal with the wounded and explains to the sheriff Gerard what has happened with Mina. Gerard's leg is wounded and as he is treated in the Inn of the Last Home, Rhys waits for word about Mina. Soon enough, he hears they travelled north and follows. Nightshade and Mina travel until it gets dark, at which point the dark forest seems frightening to them both. However, a light in the distance leads them to a lone house in the woods. A kind woman welcomes them inside and feeds them gingerbread, after which they both fall asleep. Rhys comes upon the same house and finds the woman gently rocking Mina, looking very sad. She invites Rhys in as well and he recognizes her as the goddess of healing Mishakal, Mina's godly mother. She again counsels Rhys to seek out Valthonis, for Paladine was Mina's father, and that he alone can reveal Godshome to her. Mishakal tells Rhys that Mina will have to choose whether to side with the gods of Good or the gods of Evil. The next day, Rhys, Nightshade, Atta and Mina awake to find themselves in Neraka, surrounded by remnants of the destroyed temple of Takhisis. Meanwhile Galdar, Mina's former minotaur lieutenant, escorts Valthonis into the valley of Neraka. When Mina sees Galdar, she changes into the 17-year-old woman who had led armies during the War of Souls and embraces her minotaur friend. However, she seems to believe the two of them are still fighting in that war. She then remembers the death of Takhisis and tries to kill Valthonis with Galdar's sword. He and Rhys explain that if she commits this murder, she will tip the balance in favour of the Evil gods and destroy Krynn. She is enraged and shifts her form again, this time to the person who had led Chemosh's followers. She beats Galdar and Rhys with godly force and kills Nightshade. At the kender's death, she becomes the little girl with pigtails again and feels remorse for his death. Finally, she accepts who she is and agrees to travel with Valthonis to Godshome. Mina and Valthonis find Godshome after following a steep trail through the mountains. Mina's feet hurt and she doesn't understand why she feels pain despite being a god. She accepts that though the gods "play at being mortal" none truly know what mortality is like except for her. The two finally enter enter the bowl-shaped valley that houses pillars to all the gods of Good, Evil and Balance. She holds the two artifacts she retrieved from the Hall of Sacrilege in each hand as the gods wait for her to decide. She drops both items and proclaims that she is "equal parts of darkness and of light" and refuses to join any side, that she will side with any one side as she sees fit. Her decision maintains the balance of power and she leaves the world to join the gods as the Goddess of Tears, coming to the aid of the hopeless and the grieving. |
The Quest of Kadji | Lin Carter | null | Kadji, young grandson to the aging warrior Zarouk, has been tasked by his grandfather with dethroning Prince Yakthodah, imposter to the throne of the Dragon Emperor. Crossing the Kylix sun scorched plains on Haral, his faithful black Feridoon pony, Kadji rides into the capital to vanquish his nemesis, knowing full well this will mean his own painful end. |
Wyst: Alastor 1716 | Jack Vance | null | Jantiff Ravensroke, a restless young artist from the planet Zeck (Alastor 503), wins an art contest and receives a round-trip voucher and three hundred ozols to any planet of his choosing. Jantiff decides on Wyst, having read of its "glorious light, where every surface quivers with its true and just color." He arrives in the city of Uncibal in Arrabus and is assigned a room in Block 17-882, where his roommate is Skorlet, a middle-aged woman. He is introduced to her lover Esteban and their young daughter Tanzel, as well as the peculiarities of the Arrabin mindset. It is not long before Jantiff learns of the darker side of Arrabin culture. His camera, art supplies, and other belongings are stolen the first day, making him more equal to the other inhabitants. Soon after meeting the beautiful Kedidah, Jantiff is invited on a forage, an expedition into the Weirdlands for real food. However, the resident farmers combat the thievery of the Arrabins with traps and guard dogs, and Jantiff returns to the city empty-handed. Later, Esteban announces that he is arranging a bonterfest catered by Weirdland gypsies, but that each person must pay 500 tokens. Jantiff, Skorlet, Kedidah and Tanzel make tentative plans to attend. Skorlet gets Jantiff to pay for Tanzel by arranging for Kedidah's current roommate, an old man named Sarp, to switch with Jantiff. By chance, Jantiff overhears a conversation between Skorlet, Esteban, Sarp and an unknown individual about a mysterious plan; it is evident that this plan hinges somehow on Jantiff's drawings. The talking ends suddenly when Skorlet discovers Jantiff in the bedroom. Jantiff reports the suspicious conversation to the Cursar, the Connatic's representative on Wyst. The Cursar, without tangible proof, can only enjoin Jantiff to do all he can to uncover the plot. Upon switching rooms, Jantiff learns that Kedidah has become the sheirl (somewhat more than a mascot) for a hussade sports team. The team wins its first game, resulting in glory for Kedidah, but on the eve of the bonterfest, the team loses, resulting in Kedidah being publicly defiled by Claubus, a twelve-foot wooden effigy. She commits suicide at the Pier of Departure. Distraught but still wanting to uncover Skorlet's plot, Jantiff attends the bonterfest. As requested by Skorlet, he brings his camera, although he replaces the matrix (the film) with a newer one, putting the other in a safe location in his room. The bonterfest participants are flown to the Weirdlands by Booch, an aide to the Contractor Shubart. Oddly, when Esteban discovers that Jantiff has replaced the camera's matrix, he becomes agitated. Later, Jantiff notices Esteban talking to the gypsies. The meal is enjoyed by all, but after the gypsies depart, Skorlet becomes distraught when she discovers that Tanzel is missing. It is implied that the gypsies have kidnapped her to become an ingredient in their next bonterfest. Jantiff overhears Esteban lamenting the misunderstanding with the gypsies; he was the intended victim. Jantiff returns to Uncibal to retrieve the camera matrix, which he now realizes must contain an image of the mysterious fourth member of the cabal. After being intercepted and pursued by Esteban, Jantiff leaves the matrix for the Connatic's Cursar with the clerk, Clode Morre. Several days later, he returns to the Cursar's office and learns that the clerk has been murdered and the matrix is missing. At the current clerk's urging, Jantiff tries to reach the spaceport at Balad in the southern part of Wyst, hoping to return to Zeck. Jantiff attempts to stow away on a transporter, but is discovered. The conductor agrees to take him as far as the edge of Blale, though he learns that no passengers are taken on at the Balad spaceport. Jantiff makes his way to Balad on foot, encountering strange witches along the way. Lacking funds, Jantiff finds work at the Old Groar Inn. He meets Eubanq, Balad's port agent and an employee of Contractor Shubart. In return for 100 ozols, Eubanq would arrange a flight from Balad to Uncibal and its spaceport. Booch, the pilot who flew the bonterfesters to the Weirdlands, is also in residence at Balad, but fails initially to recognize Jantiff. Jantiff works diligently to earn the 100 ozols. He rescues a mute young witch woman, who he later names Glisten, from Booch, and nurses her back to health. At the Balad Fair some weeks later, Eubanq observes that Jantiff's hands have the "yellows", which are believed to be caused by eating witches' food, and hurries off to tell Booch. Jantiff returns to his hut and discovers that all his ozols have been stolen and Glisten is missing. Jantiff returns to town and confronts Eubanq, but the townspeople decide to punish Jantiff for exposing them to the yellows. Fleeing into Contractor Shubart's mansion, he discovers Skorlet, Esteban, and Sarp. The townspeople smash his "yellowed" fingers and blind him. Afterward, Booch comes looking for Jantiff's money and to kill him; he is interrupted by Ryl Schermatz, a high-ranking official sent by the Connatic. Booch tries a ruse to kill Schermatz, but is slain for his efforts. Jantiff tells Schermatz what he has deduced about the plot: Esteban noticed a physical similarity between himself, Skorlet, Sarp, and Contractor Shubart, and the current Whispers. The cabal disposed of the real Whispers and took their places, even journeying through space to meet with the Connatic. Schermatz returns to Balad with Jantiff, whose vision is somewhat restored, and arrests Eubanq. He reveals that a harmless, easily-cured fungus causes the yellows, and that the persecution of the witches is to end. Then, he and Jantiff return to Uncibal. At Uncibal, they learn that the false Whispers plan a Grand Rally to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of Arrabus. Jantiff realizes just barely in time that it is a scheme to eliminate everyone who knows the plotters. It comes too late to save the guests, who are blown up, but Schermatz and Jantiff survive. Schermatz has the four impostors arrested and sentenced to death. The original Whispers had recognized that Arrabus was falling apart economically and had intended to appeal to the Connatic for help. The fake Whispers had taken an entirely different tone with the Connatic, raising his suspicions and causing Schermatz (who may actually be the Connatic in disguise) to investigate. He intimates to Jantiff that the Arrabin society will have to change drastically. Jantiff returns to Zeck, where some months later, a cured, speaking Glisten arrives at his door. |
23 Hours | David Wellington | null | Following her conviction at the end of Vampire Zero for stepping outside the law and torturing a convict for critical information she used to destroy her former mentor-turned-vampire, vampire hunter Laura Caxton is imprisoned in a maximum security penitentiary when it is invaded by Justinia Malvern, the world’s oldest vampire, intent on killing the former state police trooper. Malvern has used her vampiric skills to convert the prison's warden to her side, setting up the entire prison population to either accept her vampire's curse or become feeding stock for Malvern and her converts. Caxton must fight her way out of the prison and save her captured girlfriend as well. |
Vampire Zero | David Wellington | 2,008 | After Pennsylvania State Trooper and vampire hunter Laura Caxton’s former mentor James Arkeley willingly took on the vampire curse to battle the regiment of undead Civil War-era soldiers when they were reanimated in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, he promised to come back and let Laura kill him. When Arkeley reneges on his promise, Caxton is forced to hunt down the now undead U.S. Marshall. Because Arkeley was the world’s premiere vampire hunter, she finds it impossible to find any clues to his whereabouts until a wannabe vampire, Dylan Carboy—a boy with an unhealthy obsession with Caxton and vampires—tries to kill her. This chance encounter leads to a reunion of sorts at the Arkeley’s memorial service with his estranged family: his wife, Astarte; his daughter, Raleigh; his son, Simon; and his brother, Angus. When Caxton starts questioning the family, she quickly discovers that Arkeley is intent on offering them the vampire’s curse. When Astarte and Angus refuse the curse, Arkeley quickly dispatches them, leaving Simon and Raleigh. Taking his offspring into protective custody, Caxton is hindered by the Arkeleys’ family history, her new status as a deputized U.S. Marshal, and her new boss, Special Deputy Fetlock. Pushed to her limit of endurance when Arkeley kills his former ally and mystic Vesta Polder and turns her into a half-dead, Caxton takes Carboy out of custody and tortures him until he reveals enough of his hidden relationship with Arkeley for her to learn the location of his lair. Caxton tracks the vampire to an abandoned coal mine in Centralia, Pennsylvania, a former company town all but turned into a ghost town from the underground coal fire started in the 1960s. There she is captured by Raleigh, who has accepted the vampire curse and been reanimated, and taken to Arkeley’s den to be the first meal for Simon when he accepts the curse. Caxton is able to recapture her gun from Raleigh, shot and kill the vampire, and escape into the depths of the burning coal mine. Pursued by Arkeley and his half-deads, Caxton kills most of the minions but is all but crippled by Arkeley’s attack. Using her own blood as bait, Caxton lures the now blood-maddened Arkeley into a side-shaft of the mine and tricks him into falling down into the burning depths. When Caxton finds her way back to the surface, carrying Simon, the only surviving member of the Arkeley family, she is immediately arrested by Fetlock for violating Carboy’s constitutional rights. |
Competitors | Sergey Lukyanenko | null | A Moscow freelance journalist named Valentin Saphonov finds an ad on a pole from the Stellar Time Agency, inviting people to sign up to become a pilot of a space fighter. Assuming this is an ad for a computer game, Valentin goes to the address specified in the ad and is greeted by an attractive woman named Inna. She warns him that everything that what he is about to do is for real. She explains that, upon his agreement, a copy of Valentin's body and consciousness will be created on a remote space station, where he will receive a spaceship and will be involved in a fight against aliens. After walking him through several rooms, Inna sends Valentin through the back door of the office, explaining that his alter ego is already on the station. Valentin, believing all this to be a prank, decides to conduct an investigation of Stellar Time. He soon finds the gaming website for the popular Russian MMORPG StarQuake. He registers under the nickname Katran ( — "spiny dogfish"), unaware that his alter ego has received exactly the same nickname. Eventually, Valentin realizes that his character lives his own life and that all this may be actually happening. Valentin's double quickly ends up being kidnapped by the Seekers, a sect of people who believe that all they are experiencing is a computer simulation, just like in the Matrix. Valentin (AKA Katran) and his instructor Lena (AKA Driver) end up on the icy planet Nigredo, where all water (in every form) is black-colored but normal otherwise. The planet contains the hidden base of the Seekers. Master reveals that they have managed to obtain the plans for building an ultimate WMD — a weapon capable of extinguishing a star in a matter of minutes. They plan to use the Extinguisher to force those who have sent them into space to either unplug them (if everything is indeed a simulation) or return them home. After purchasing a new ship from Roman, Valentin and Lena go back to the Platform, where they have to face a tribunal-like hearing (albeit much less formal). During the hearing, a massive fleet of aliens known as the "Bugs" attacks the Platform, and every pilot is mobilized to defend the station. Many pilots are lost in the battle, but they manage to destroy most of the enemy ships and force the rest to retreat. Meanwhile, on Earth, the original Valentin realizes that something strange is happening with his in-game character and decides to investigate further. He contacts Lena via ICQ and invites her over to discuss in-game events. However, he quickly realizes that someone is trying to prevent their meeting from occurring. Lena arrives to his apartment, where she confirms his suspicions that everything they have been told at the agency is true — there really are copies of them somewhere out there, flying spaceships and fighting. Valentin receives a call on a phone which he turned off the day before, where an unknown person threatens him to drop his investigation and just play the game. The unknown person turns out to be a sniper on a neighboring roof. Valentin and Lena barely manage to escape in her car. They drive to Oleg, an acquaintance of Valentin, who is intrigued by their story. At Oleg's apartment, Valentin decides that they must contact their doubles and get them to return to Earth in their ships to threaten the agency. He takes a screenshot of the game's 2D star map and sends it to a local astronomer. Surprisingly, the astronomer fairly quickly manages to determine the location of the Sun on the game's map. Lena logs into the game as her other character (whose ship is operated by a bot in space). In space, Valentin and Lena are tasked by the administration to fly to a faraway planet, which has an abundant supply of certain rare elements needed by the Seekers to complete the Extinguisher. It is there that Valentin receives a message from his other self. The message explains how to find the Sun on their star map (about 330 parsecs away). They realize too late that the Seekers have tricked them and have made off with a substantial amount of the necessary elements, giving them all they need to build the weapon. They return to the Platform, where Valentin decides to share the information about the location of the Sun with Vadim Reshetov, an administrator, only to be knocked out and imprisoned by him. On Earth, in the middle of the night, Valentin and Lena decide to go to the agency and demand answers. They arrive to find two dead bodies (the agency's security guard and a young Jewish boy), who seem to have shot each other. They find the original Inna and Reshetov there and force them to explain everything. Apparently, Reshetov was approached by a shapeshifting alien several years ago who offered to trade alien technology in return for Reshetov's agency sending people into space. Reshetov considers himself to be a businessman and a patriot, as he wishes to use the new technology to help raise Russia about everyone else. He does not know the identity or motives of his mysterious benefactors, and their emissary (the security guard) is now dead. He offers Valentin and Lena positions at his agency, and they accept, realizing that there is little they can do. They resolve to try to convince every visitor to leave, but their attempts are revealed to be futile, as people yearn for this sort of adventure. On the station, the other Reshetov receives a message from the original and makes a similar offer to the duplicate Valentin and Lena. However, Platform sensors then detect the Seeker fleet close to the system's star. Reshetov sends Valentin and Lena as negotiators, as they know some of the Seekers personally. After docking with the Seekers' flagship, they once again meet Roman and Master. However, Valentin then realizes that their ships have likely been rigged to explode by Reshetov in an attempt to stop the Seekers. The bomb on Valentin's ship is thrown into space, while a Seeker takes Lena's ship far from the fleet and sacrifices himself to save the others. After finding out the location of Earth, the Seekers decide to undertake the long journey home. However, at their first stop, they are ambushed by an enormous "Bug" fleet. Roman orders everyone to follow him, as he sets course straight for the system's star (a blue supergiant later revealed to be Rigel). As they get closer, being chased by the "Bugs", Roman launches the Extinguisher missile, which explodes in the upper photosphere. The weapon creates an enormous shockwave which destroys the alien fleet, at the same time leaving a small tunnel at the epicenter, allowing the Seekers to pass through the exploding star. They jump to the next system, only to find a massive "Bug" ship waiting for them. Instead of attacking, the aliens send a message to the fleet, revealing their agenda for sending people into space and attacking the Platform every so often. Apparently, they use the humans to fight their offspring to weed out those with genetic weaknesses, as only the strongest would survive. This is a form of population control. That is why they have built the station and made a deal with Reshetov (and, possibly, others). They explain that nobody is forcing humans to go into space — they make this choice freely, as the agency employees are supposed to explain the situation truthfully. The reason for human infertility is simple — the "Bugs" believe it would be cruel to allow humans to bring children into an environment where they are constantly threatened. The "Bugs" make it clear that the Seekers (or anyone else, for that matter) should not attempt to reach Earth using ships, under the pain of death. The Seekers realize that they have no choice and decide to go back to the Platform. Valentin and Lena follow them, hoping that humanity may one day rival the "Bugs". |
The Depths of Time | Roger MacBride Allen | 2,000 | Humans have invented a way of traveling great distances by creating artificial wormholes that send ships several decades into the past. A wormhole would send a ship 70 years into the past. While the crew is in hibernation the ship would travel for 70 years, covering several light years, and wakening the crew when it reached its destination, arriving only a couple of months after leaving. These wormholes are guarded by a special organization - The Chronologic Patrol - in order to prevent unauthorized travel into the past and possible time-contaminations and paradoxes. |
What Dreams May Come | Manly Wade Wellman | 1,983 | While visiting London, John Thunstone hears strange stories concerning the nearby hamlet of Claines, regarding a pair of ancient pagan artifacts and the annual ritual that accompanies them. As the date of the ritual is only a few days away Thunstone decides to travel to Claines and witness the ritual for himself. While there he experiences strange visions of the distant past and gradually realizes their significance to the present. |
Crusade | Elizabeth Laird | 2,007 | For a year and a half, Acre is besieged by the Frankish army, while the Sultan's camp is close by. In an incredible twist of fate, Jennet's ship reappears and she arrives to Adam with baby Tibby, the daughter of Robert de Martel. By chance, Adam and Faithful stumble across Salim, who was watching Acre in a spell of homesickness. Adam becomes a serf for Sir Ivo, and works as a groom and later becomes a squire. Salim takes to watching the Frankish camp as often as possible until he gets caught by Saracen soldiers who believe him to be a spy for the franks, however when they return with him to Saladin's camp his identity is discovered. When Saladin realizes how much information Salim has learned about the Frankish army, he is told to continue to watch them as long as he doesn't get caught. The Mamluk Ismail uses Salim's information to plan an ambush on the soldiers nearest the edge of the camp. The Mamluks provoke the Martel soldiers by yelling insults while on horses. The knights immediately prepare for battle, eager to leave the camp. Sir Guy de Martel ignores advice from Sir Ivo, who believes they are going to ride straight into an ambush. All of the knights from the Martel army ride to battle, swiftly followed by their squires and other foot soldiers. Adam runs to Sir Ivo's help and Faithful tries to follow but gets ordered to return to the camp. However, Adam doesn't see Faithful start running with him again, instead of returning to the camp. When they arrive to the ambush, the knights are already fighting the Mamluks. Two Mamluks are attacking Sir Ivo, one of them is trying to make his horse, Grimbald, rear while the other is trying to attack him with a sword. Faithful bites the Mamluk trying to make Grimbald rear, which later turns out to be Ismail, while Sir Ivo kills the other. The Mamluks retreat with four Frankish prisoners of war. Faithful starts barking at Sir Guy de Martel's horse, Vigor, and Adam hurriedly pulls him away and sends him back to the camp. When he turns back he discovers Vigor has reared and Guy de Martel has fallen to the ground. In an act of chivalry, Saladin sends Dr. Musa and Salim to try to heal Sir Guy, who has a serious head injury and remains unconscious. One of the prisoners is sent with him with the threat that if he failed to return, or if he allowed Dr. Musa and Salim to be harmed, the other prisoners would be killed. Dr. Musa meets Dr. John, a Frankish doctor who lived all his life in the Holy Land, and Dr. Nicholas. Unlike Dr. John, Nicholas believes a demon has entered Sir Guy's body and that's why he remains unconscious, and the only way to save him is to let the demon from his body. Dr. John and Musa know he has no demon on his body and they eventually win the right to treat Sir Guy instead of Nicholas. They manage to repair the damage and, although Sir Guy survives, he isn't returned completely to normal. For a while, he only remained conscious for a small amount of time each day. It was in one of these brief moments that he told Adam he was really his father. Sir Robert de Martel refuses to believe he is related to Adam and believes Adam is a witch and has put a spell on Sir Guy. Eventually he is forced to accept it. A little while after the accident, Adam leaves morning mass early to talk to his father and admits it was his dog who caused Vigor to rear and Sir Guy sees it as punishment for his sins. Just a few days after Adam admits this, Sir Guy has a seizure and while Dr. John is in a different part of the army Dr. Nicholas, still certain a demon has entered Sir Guy's body and caused the fit, is left to do what he thinks will help. He cuts open Sir Guy's head to release the demon and Sir Guy dies rapidly. When Dr. Musa hears of the death he is furious at Dr. Nicholas' decision. Sir Ivo and Adam are grateful that Dr. Musa came to help Sir Guy, and they travel to the Saracen camp to ask them if there was anything they could do for them. Dr. Musa mentions that Salim's family is still in the castle of Acre and asks for a safe passage for them through the camp. Sir Ivo does as they asked but Ali, a part of the garrison of Acre, chooses to remain in the castle to help defend Acre against the Frankish army. When back in Saladin's camp, Salim's mother reveals her plans to go to Damascus where her brother lives, using money a friend gave her just before she left. Just days after the family escaped, Acre's walls fall and the army attacks the city. While waiting for the walls to finally fall, Adam and the rest of the army prepare to go inside siege towers. Jennet is nearby, handing out water to the stifling soldiers. While they are all waiting for the attack, one of the towers is hit by Greek Fire. Adam and the rest of the soldiers hurriedly got away from the tower before they were harmed, but it fell on Jennet and she quickly died. Adam helps in the attack when the walls finally fall, but he is hit by an object while climbing over the remnants of the crumbled wall. He is carried back to safety by Sir Ivo. He later wakes up in Acre's hospital but it is a few weeks before he is strong enough to leave the hospital. Here he discovers a woman called Joan is looking after Tibby since Jennet's death. He offers to pay her enough to leave her job and go to his own new estate, to which she agrees. A little while after this, Tibby goes missing and Adam searches for her everywhere, only to discover Jacques has sold her to slavers. Salim, Dr. Musa and their body guard and groom, Tewfik are told they can finally travel to Jerusalem. While they are leaving, Adam finds them and convinces them to help find Tibby. They give Adam a skullcap and Damascus tunic to help him pass as a Kurd while travelling to find the slavers in Jerusalem. He is told to pretend to be deaf and dumb so no one realises he is really a Frank. They never reach Jerusalem but they find Tibby and Adam narrowly escapes with her. When he returns he is jailed for abandoning Sir Ivo, who was badly wounded in his absence. Eventually, he is released and allowed to return to England. While waiting to board the ship, Adam tells everyone that Jacques is a cheat and he starts to chase Jacques along with several more people. He is then found by a messenger who gives him is bond of freedom to go to his new estate at Brockwood. At Dr. Musa's home in Jerusalem, a group of Mamluks including Ismail appear and say Saladin wants them to return. Dr. Musa refuses to return to the army, but tells the Mamluks Salim knows just as much as he does. Salim, who longs to return to the army, is given a turban by Dr. Musa which prompts Ismail to call him brother instead of little brother. With the Mamluks, Salim rides back to Saladin's army. Ten years on, Adam is the master of Brockwood, he manages his estate well with Tom Bate (Jennet's father), as his right-hand man, and he married a miller's daughter. They have three sons and Faithful has puppies. Sir Ivo is a frequent visitor. Adam never finds out Dr. Musa died quietly five years after Saladin saved Jerusalem, while reading a book in the courtyard of his home. Salim cried when he heard the news, and after years of training he is a well-respected doctor. He looks after his family and lives in a house in Damascus with his wife, Leila and two daughters. He keeps a Mamluk-trained horse in his stable and sometimes saddles it up for a ride to be on his own. Ismail is captain of his own Mamluk troop and often sends Salim greetings and news. |
Un début dans la vie | Honoré de Balzac | 1,842 | Much of the action of this short novel takes place in the rickety old stage-coach — or coucou — of Pierrotin, which regularly carries passengers and goods between Paris and Val-d'Oise. On one such trip from Paris, Comte Hugret de Sérizy, a senator and wealthy aristocrat, is travelling incognito in order to investigate reports that Monsieur Moreau, the steward of his country estate at Presles, is being less than honest in his dealings on the count's behalf with a neighbouring landowner Margueron, a piece of whose land the count wishes to buy. Among the count's fellow passengers is Oscar Husson, a young good-for-nothing mummy's boy, who is being sent to a friend of his mother's Monsieur Moreau in the hope that a position can be found for him. Also travelling to L'Isle-Adam is Georges Marest, the second clerk of the count's Parisian notary Crottat; Joseph Bridau, a young artist, who is accompanied by his young colleague Léon Didas y Lora, nicknamed Mistigris. The final occupant of the coach is Père Léger, a rich farmer from Val-d'Oise who is leasing the land which the count wishes to buy from Margueron. Léger is hoping to buy it himself and then sell it piecemeal at a significant profit to the count. To pass the time Georges amuses himself by pretending to be Colonel Czerni-Georges, a young nobleman with a distinguished military career behind him; his fellow travellers are impressed, but the count sees through him and realizes his true identity. Not to be outdone by Marest, the young painter then passes himself off as the celebrated artist Heinrich Schinner. Things become interesting when Oscar joins in and pretends to be a close acquaintance of the Comte de Sérizy and his son. In the course of his boasting, he divulges several private and embarrassing details about the count - details which he could only have learnt from his godparents the Moreaus. On the journey the count also overhears a conversation in which Léger describes how he and Moreau are conspiring to buy the land the count wants from under his nose and sell it to him at an inflated price. When the count arrives at Presles he wastes little time dismissing Moreau - not so much for conspiring with Léger as for revealing personal details about the count and his wife to his godson. Oscar is forced to return to Paris and seek a living by some other means. In time Oscar obtains a license and becomes a clerk in the law office of Desroches in Paris, where he is trained by Godeschal. During this time he renews his acquaintance with Georges Marest, who is actually related to him. For some time Oscar defies everyone's expectations and applies himself diligently to both his studies and his clerkly duties. But Oscar spoils everything by another indiscretion, this one much more serious than the first. At the house of demimondaine Florentine Cabirolle, who was then maintained by Oscar's wealthy uncle Cardot, Oscar gambles away five hundred francs he was given to transact an important legal matter. His hopes ruined for a second time, Oscar is forced to abandon law and enter military service. Once again, he surprises everybody and becomes a successful soldier. He joins the cavalry regiment of the Duc de Maufrigneuse and the Vicomte de Sérizy, son of the Comte de Sérizy - the same young nobleman Oscar claimed to be acquainted with in the coach on the road to L'Isle-Adam. The interest of the dauphiness and of Abbé Gaudron obtain for him promotion and a decoration. He becomes in turn aide-de-camp to La Fayette, captain, officer of the Legion of Honor and lieutenant-colonel. A noteworthy deed made him famous on Algerian territory during the affair of La Macta; Husson lost his left arm rescuing the mortally wounded Vicomte de Sérizy from the battlefield. Although the vicomte dies shortly afterwards, the Comte de Sérizy is grateful and forgives Oscar for his earlier indiscretion. Put on half-pay, Oscar obtains the post of collector for Beaumont-sur-Oise. At the end of the novel, Oscar and his mother are taking the Pierrotin coach to L'Isle-Adam, en route to Beaumont-sur-Oise, and find themselves in the company of several witnesses or accomplices of Oscar's earlier indiscretions: Georges Marest has lost by debauchery a fortune worth thirty thousand francs a year, and is now a poor insurance-broker; Père Léger is now married to the daughter of the new steward of Presles Reybert; Joseph Bridau is now a celebrated artist and married to Léger's daughter; Moreau, whose daughter is riding in another part of the same coach, has risen to high political office. When Georges begins to blab about the Moreaus, Oscar - who is now the one travelling incognito - rebukes him, reminding him of the dangers of not holding one's tongue in a public conveyance. Georges recognizes him and renews his acquaintance. In 1838 Oscar becomes engaged to Georgette Pierrotin, daughter of the same Pierrotin who now owns the business that runs the stage-coaches between Paris and Val-d'Oise. At the close of the novel, Balzac draws the following moral: The adventure of the journey to Presles was a lesson to Oscar Husson in discretion; his disaster at Florentine's card-party strengthened him in honesty and uprightness; the hardships of his military career taught him to understand the social hierarchy and to yield obedience to his lot. Becoming wise and capable, he was happy. The Comte de Sérizy, before his death, obtained for him the collectorship at Pontoise. The influence of Monsieur Moreau de l'Oise and that of the Comtesse de Sérizy and the Baron de Canalis secured, in after years, a receiver-generalship for Monsieur Husson, in whom the Camusot family now recognize a relation.Oscar is a commonplace man, gentle, without assumption, modest, and always keeping, like his government, to a middle course. He excites neither envy nor contempt. In short, he is the modern bourgeois. |
The Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure | null | null | The Three Investigators visit a local museum when it is the scene of a daring robbery. The priceless Golden Belt is stolen, and both the police and museum security are baffled as to who committed the crime and how they got away with the belt. Meanwhile, the Investigators are hired to investigate the bizarre case of an elderly woman who claims to be seeing gnomes in her yard at night. The boys soon learn that she is not imagining things, and their subsequent investigation leads them to discover a serious crime being perpetrated, as well as an unexpected connection to the Golden Belt case. |
Smiles to Go | Jerry Spinelli | 2,008 | It is about a ninth grader name Will (short for William), who experiences love,frustration,and a tragedy. He has a famous (to him) twelve step plan: birth, grow up, school, college, career, wife, kids, house, car, retire, death, heaven. But then he learned that protons -the one thing he was sure of- could die. His best friend BT has just gone down a tremendous hill on his skateboard, which brings impact to his reputation. He also has very young sister going into the 1st grade. Towards the end of the book she is influenced by her brother's friend BT. She decides to go down the same tremendous hill he went down on her brother's skateboard, after not being allowed to go to her brother's chess match. Something terrible has happened to his sister. |
My Heartbeat | Garret Weyr | 2,002 | Ellen is a fourteen-year-old girl going into her freshman year of high school in New York City. She has been in love with her brother Link's best friend James for as long as he can remember. She is often invited to come along with Link and James to hang out and James says that when Ellen grows out of her crush on him, it will "break his heart." Ellen soon finds out that Link and James are a couple and is very surprised. Her mother is okay with her son being gay, but her father is not. Link denies being gay, but James tells Ellen that both of them are. James also reveals that he has slept with other men to make Link jealous. Link ignores Ellen and James for a while because he is embarrassed and in denial of his orientation and does not want to be confronted. In the meantime, James and Ellen begin dating, but then agree to break up before James goes off to college. |
An Imaginative Experience | Mary Wesley | 1,994 | Julia Piper lives alone in her London apartment after having lost her son and husband in a car crash. Julia's relationship with her mother is not a loving one. Her mother blames Julia for the accident, and Julia blames herself. Unwilling and unable to confide in anyone about her feelings Julia keeps to herself and distances herself from her surroundings. Julia makes a living as a cleaning lady and one of her clients is Sylvester Wykes, publisher and divorcee. When they eventually meet, Sylvester immediately is fascinated by the young and unapproachable woman. But, haunted by guilt and self-reproach, Julia is not interested in entering into a relationship with Sylvester. Instead, unable to talk to anyone about her loss, Julia keeps her feelings to herself and becomes increasingly reserved and isolated. In addition to her grief, Julia is being stalked. Ever since the funeral she has been terrorized by a stranger who keeps following her and makes phone calls late at night, pushing her closer to the edge. |
Three Dollars | Elliot Perlman | 1,998 | The novel is set in Melbourne. The first-person narrator, Eddie Harnovey, is a Chemical Engineer, married to Tanya, an aspiring but ultimately uncontracted Political Science academic. Eddie is from middle class origins, his father being a clerk for a local council. His childhood friend Amanda, however, was a class above them. As a Chemical Engineer, her father wore starched cotton shirts while Eddie's father wore drip-dry poly-cotton shirts. Amanda's family banned Eddie from meeting her. Nevertheless, Eddie meets Amanda every nine and half years. The next time is as undergraduates, where Eddie notices her in a queue for more fashionable food than he is in the queue for. The next time is as fellow shoppers in a department store, as Eddie looks for formal wear for his marriage to Tanya. The next time he meets her is in much straitened circumstances. Downsized, jobless, and with only three dollars in his bank account, Eddie skips an appointment with Amanda - now an employment consultant - and ends up beaten unconscious protecting a friend of a now indigent man Eddie befriended while still solvent. Eddie's report on Amanda's father's smelter expansion was the reason Eddie was downsized. Amanda identifies Eddie from the appointment card he had in his shirt pocket. |
Saint Peter's Fair | Edith Pargeter | 1,981 | 13 June 1139. The feast of Saint Peter is important for Shrewsbury Abbey. A meeting of the monks is interrupted by Geoffrey Corviser, the town provost, and a delegation from the town's merchant guilds. They appeal to Abbot Radulfus for a share of the money raised by the fair as the civil war has taken a heavy toll on the town, parts of which need rebuilding. Radulfus listens sympathetically but his responsibilities to the monastery force him to adhere to the exact terms of the fair's charter, granted to the Abbey by the crown. Cadfael meets Hugh Beringar and his wife, Aline, who is with child. They talk of the war. King Stephen has the advantage, the Empress Maud has strongholds in the west of England and is abroad building support for a renewed attempt on the throne. Hugh mentions Ranulf, Earl of Chester, married to a daughter of Robert of Gloucester. Robert of Gloucester is half brother to the Empress. Earl Ranulf is powerful in his own right, and has not yet chosen to stand with one or the other in this war for the crown of England. 31 July 1139. Traders arrive from far and wide for the fair. Cadfael is called to translate for Rhodri, a Welsh merchant who speaks no English. While discussing the civil war Rhodri points out a glover, Euan of Shotwick. Euan, Rhodri says, is an "intelligencer" working for Earl Ranulf. Soon afterwards a boat arrives carrying Thomas of Bristol, a wealthy and important wine merchant. Rhodri notes that Bristol is in the west country, that Thomas is in "good odour" with Robert of Gloucester. Young men from the town arrive to cause trouble with the visiting merchants. Philip Corviser tries to convince them to support the town's cause. Thomas of Bristol dismisses the young men of the town as rabble. Pursue the debate, Philip places his hand on Thomas's arm, and Thomas strikes him with a staff. A riot breaks out. Philip regains his senses after the blow. He sees Thomas's niece, Emma, and is smitten by her beauty on the spot. Philip and his friends flee. Thomas and Emma are endangered by some rolling barrels. Emma is saved by Ivo Corbière, with whom she immediately falls in love. Hugh Beringar complains about his lot in life; dragging silly but basically good young men to prison. Cadfael speaks in defence of Philip Corviser, noting that he came only to speak, never threaten. They are interrupted by Emma searching for her missing uncle, Thomas of Bristol. Hugh, Cadfael and Ivo Corbière search for Thomas of Bristol as it is too dark for Emma to be on the streets. Corbière stumbles across his drunken and unconscious archer, Turstan Fowler, and leaves the search to carry him back to the Abbey. The search ends when a boat arrives with the naked body of Thomas of Bristol, who has been murdered with a dagger. Hugh, Aline and Emma discuss Thomas's death. It appears he was killed and robbed by sneak thieves. The young men of the town did not commit this crime as most were already in prison. Emma decides to continue trading at the fair as she believes her uncle would have wanted. Cadfael is charged to investigate the death by Abbot Radulfus who fears his decision not to aid the town may have led to Thomas's murder. At the hearing, Emma, Cadfael and Turstan the drunken archer, give testimony about what they witnessed in the confrontation between the young men and Thomas of Bristol. Turstan claims Philip issued threats against Thomas after the riot. Philip is ignorant of the merchant's death until Cadfael specifically mentions it. Philip protests his innocence of murder, continuing as prisoner to Sheriff Prestcote. Cadfael accompanies Emma back to her boat, which has been broken into and searched by someone. Emma at first says nothing is missing, then says that several small items she did not at first notice as missing are gone from her boat. Thomas's expensive robes are found, making theft an unlikely motive. Thomas's stall is broken into. Warin the ineffective watchman is bound, blindfolded, and gagged, and the strongbox stolen. The day's takings are safe on Emma's boat; the strongbox contains Thomas's business papers. Cadfael deduces that the murderer seeks something they believe Thomas brought with him. Emma knows more than she is telling. Emma wants to visit Euan of Shotwick, but stays with Aline instead. She wants a pair of gloves but Cadfael thinks she has another reason. Corbière visits Emma, for whom he seems to have romantic feelings. Emma visits her uncle's coffin in the Abbey, placing a rose in full bloom with his body, before the coffin is sealed by the carpenter. That evening, Cadfael notices a petal on the floor from that rose. Someone has searched the coffin. Early in the morning, Emma seeks out Euan, for the gloves she desires. His stall is not open. Others succeed in opening it. Euan is found dead inside by Cadfael and Rhodri, his neck broken. Hugh investigates the scene, finding a dagger in Euan's hand. The blade yields clues. Cadfael and Hugh piece together the situation. Thomas of Bristol and Euan of Shotwick were partisans or compatriots who had come to the fair to conduct secret business, involving an item of great value. A third man arrives, killing both of them and searching in vain for the item. Cadfael considers Rhodri as a suspect but his lack of English makes the Welshman unlikely. Philip Corviser is released before noon. After his parents celebrate his return, he visits Emma to thank her for her honest witness on his behalf. She still wishes to see justice done for her uncle. Philip tells Cadfael that he intends to retrace his steps of the evening of the murder to see if anyone set him up as a scapegoat for the murder. Cadfael speaks with Brother Mark, who tells him of a man who received treatment for a knife wound to the arm. The wounded man is identified as Ewald, a groom in the employ of Ivo Corbière. Cadfael believes that Euan injured his killer in the fatal struggle the night before. Cadfael informs Hugh. Together with Sheriff Prestcote and Corbière they confront Ewald, who shows his neatly bandaged arm at Beringar's request. When asked to show his cotte, he throws it in their faces, jumps on Corbière's horse and tries to escape. Corbière orders Turstan, who gave evidence against Philip at the hearing, to loose an arrow at Ewald, who is killed. Corbière justifies his actions, saying that his villein Ewald was a murderer and as his master, he had the right to administer justice. Cadfael reports to the Abbot, confirming Ewald was a murderer but warning that he does not think Ewald acted alone. Later Cadfael comforts Brother Mark, who is sorely distressed that someone whose injuries he recently tended was killed so soon afterwards. Philip questions his friends seeking to learn what happened during the evening he cannot remember. After being with them, he went to Wat's Tavern. Wat, the proprietor, tells him that Turstan came twice to the tavern, first just to look at the patrons. Philip was among those patrons. On second visit, Turstan drank only a single measure of ale, purchased a large bottle of hard liquor to carry away, and was sober when he followed Philip out of the tavern. Further, he was dressed in his proper clothes. Philip recalls that this is not what Turstan claimed when he gave evidence at the hearing, and not how he appeared. Later, seeking the place where he passed out from drink, Philip stumbles across the scene of Thomas's murder. Philip tells Cadfael and Hugh about his discovery. They visit the scene of Thomas's murder. Ivo Corbière offers to provide Emma with transport to her home in Bristol, saying he will be escorting his sister to a convent near Bristol from their Shropshire manor. Emma accepts, with Aline's approval for the brief time when Emma will travel unescorted with this single man. At the riverbank, Cadfael makes sense of the events of the last four days: Thomas arrived bearing something for the glover Euan. Turstan the archer followed Philip; once ensuring that Philip had no alibi, murdered Thomas. He established his own alibi by dousing himself in strong liquor, feigning unconsciousness. They view the place where Turstan was found unconscious. Servants clearing up after the fair have found the empty flagon of strong liquor. Cadfael realises that Ewald and Turstan acted on the orders of Corbière. Turstan had overdone it with his liquor alibi. When Corbière learned Turstan failed, he sent Ewald to search Thomas's boat while everyone was at the hearing. That same night Ewald and Turstan broke into Thomas's booth, again finding nothing. The next night they tried Euan's booth, killing him when he defended himself. Cadfael and Hugh approach Corbière, telling him they have discovered Ewald's role in Euan's murder. They have figured out Corbière's scheme to fool Ewald and order Turstan to attack him. Cadfael and Hugh both believe Emma to be safe with Aline, but Philip knows that Corbière has been visiting her. He is so horrified by what he hears that he rushes off to protect her. Cadfael and Hugh realise Philip is right. By the time they arrive at the Foregate, Emma has left with Corbière and Philip has stolen a merchant's horse to give chase. Aline tells them he has three hours lead, and is concerned at her own error of judgment. At Stanton Cobbold manor Ivo Corbière locks Emma in a room while he searches her baggage. She hides in her hair the small packet hanging round her neck, feeling unsafe both by the locked door and the nonappearance of his sister. Corbière returns, locks them both in the room, pockets the key and instantly changes tone. He demands the letter Thomas intended to deliver to Euan of Shotwick, the glover and spy. He threatens to strip her naked, even to rape her, to find it. Stalling, Emma asks what letter? She never admits she knows of any letter, and keeps the braiser between the two of them. Then she asks, what could be so important in a letter? Corbière tells her the letter is from Robert of Gloucester to Earl Ranulf, urging him to support the Empress's cause and naming fifty nobles in Stephen's camp who secretly support her. Corbière hopes the letter is worth an earldom to him. That is the price he will charge the King in exchange for the list of traitors. In a tense scene, Emma carefully removes the letter from her hair, unseen by the lordling just in front of her, to destroy it by fire in the room's brazier. Her uncle told her nothing of the contents, only that if not delivered it must be returned, and failing that, destroyed. To assure it burns, she pushes it into the fire, with her coif net attached inadvertently, at the cost of burning her hand. The hair net took fire rapidly, then spread to the wax-sealed letter. Corbière fails to retrieve the letter. She knocks over the unstable brazier, setting fire to the tapestries. Emma moves to the door, doing what she can to keep the fire from reaching her. She knocks and shouts, but cannot escape, since the door is locked. She lowered herself to breathe the air coming in under the door,slowly losing consciousness. Philip arrives to finds Corbière's manor ablaze with no servant willing to attempt a rescue. Instead, they bring out what goods they can save. Using an antique battle axe from the walls of the manor, Philip breaks down the door and rescues Emma. Hugh and Cadfael arrive. Cadfael tends to Philip's and Emma's injuries. Hugh arrests Turstan. He had not fled, thinking no one knew his role in the murders. Corbière is killed by the fire, a satisfying end to such a viper. Philip takes Emma back to his parent's home in Shrewsbury. Emma has recognized the value of Philip, whose honest character is the opposite of the brutally selfish man whose good looks and good manners once charmed her. Further, she and he are both tradespeople. A man of Ivo Corbière's class would not have considered her seriously, she realizes in retrospect. Cadfael recounts the events to Abbot Radulfus. Radulfus summons the town provost, Philip's father, to the morning chapter meeting at the abbey. Radulfus notes that by adhering to the letter of the fair's charter he has secured the rights of future abbots, doing what he must. Now he is free to do what he will with the money earned by the abbey at the fair. He donates ten percent to the rebuilding of the town. Hugh Beringar and his wife return to their own manor. Cadfael continues to tend to Emma's burns. At one meeting, Emma confesses what she learned of the contents of the letter and asks whether she did the right thing. Cadfael tells her that if she has scars from these burns, she should "wear them like jewels" for the rest of her life". Emma asks Cadfael never to tell Philip the details behind the letter and her own actions, as she considers him too innocent to deal with such matters. Cadfael agrees and privately thinks Emma is correct in her assessment of Philip, and that this bodes well for their marriage. The novel concludes two months later with the news that on 30 September 1139, Empress Maud invaded England, establishing herself at Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Earl Ranulf of Chester did nothing to aid her cause. |
Taking On the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era | Markos Moulitsas | 2,008 | Taking On the System is presented as a political primer for a new generation of progressive activists. The book is centered on the argument that in order to bring about change in the Information Age, activists will need to learn how to bypass traditional barriers to mass communication by effectively exploiting newly emerging media such as blogs, podcasts and video hosting services like YouTube. Moulitsas has cited Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals as a direct inspiration for Taking On the System, referring to his book as "sort of a Rules for Radicals for the digital age": It’s no secret that I have little love for the old-school street protest model of activism – not because I’m opposed to street theater, but because it’s simply not effective in today’s world. So how do you change the world in today’s world, with its fragmented media landscape, with democratizing technologies, with dramatic changes in how we interact with each other, and with a culture evolving at neck-breaking speeds? That’s what I’m trying to decipher. |
Knight Crusader | Ronald Welch | 1,954 | The novel is divided into three parts: the first part leads up to the Battle of Hattin; the second part, set four years later, shows Philip d'Aubigny's escape from captivity at the time of the Third Crusade, and the final part deals with Philip's reclaiming his ancestral lands in the Welsh Marches. At the beginning of the novel, Outremer has been in existence for nearly one hundred years since the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. However, the Emir Saladin is uniting the Islamic forces against the Crusader states. The great military orders of the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller are eager for the fray, but others are concerned that there are not enough Christian knights in Outremer to form a field army while continuing to garrison the castles that protect the Kingdom. Saladin invades Outremer and besieges Tiberias. The weak-willed King of Jerusalem is swayed by advisers to march to the relief of the besieged city across a waterless plain at the height of summer. Debilitated by the desert conditions before the battle even begins, the Christian army suffers a devastating defeat at Hattin. Most of the Christian held fortresses of Outremer fall to Saladin and Jerusalem falls to the Muslim armies. These events are shown through the experiences of Philip d'Aubigny, a young English nobleman who was born in Outremer. He befriends a Turk, Jusuf, whom he rescues from robbers, and later impresses the king by his superior swordsmanship in a duel, gaining his knighthood. Philip overhears much discussion about the political and military situation. He suffers on the desert march, sees his father die in battle and is taken prisoner. Philip has a relatively easy captivity in the household of Jusuf's father Usamah in Damascus, but chafes to be free. With Hospitaller help he and his friend Gilbert escape over the walls. They make their way to Krak, the great Hospitaller fortress, after an encounter with the Assassins. Philip commits himself to the service of Richard of England and during the campaigns of the Third Crusade becomes one of the most celebrated knights of Christendom. In the final chapters of the novel, Philip and his company of Crusaders arrive in Britain, where he takes part in a jousting tournament at Cardiff Castle. He learns from his squire's father that his family's castle at Llanstephan has been taken by an ally of Prince John's and leads a raiding party to win it back. A notable aspect of the book is the bringing into contrast of the refinements of the medieval Islamic civilization, which had been adopted by the Outremer noblemen, with the comparatively stark and crude European living conditions of the time, and the suggestion that the returning Crusaders brought Eastern standards of culture to the West. |
The Wizard of Linn | A. E. van Vogt | 1,962 | A war between humanity and an extraterrestrial race, known as the Riss had led to the decay of the solar system, and the mutated human genius Clane Linn had defeated the hordes of the barbarian chief Czinczar, as described in the prequel. Linn repudiated Czinczar's exhortation to usurp control of the Linn Empire. After realizing the technological retardation of humanity, he conceives a plan to go on an interstellar expedition in search of technological restoration, to eventually rescue humanity. |
Of Walking In Ice | Werner Herzog | null | The book is the diary by Werner Herzog. It was written and takes place between November 23 and December 14, 1974. In the foreword Herzog says that he had a call from a friend in Paris, informing him that his close friend and film historian Lotte Eisner was ill, and was probably going to die. He sets off to Paris from Munich believing that he would save Eisner from death by arriving on foot. The book is the complete diary during his journey, only a few private remarks have been omitted. |
Twitter Power | Joel Comm | 2,009 | Twitter Power begins with a review of social media and the rise of microblogging — the practice of posting very short messages for public view. The book then talks the user through the registration procedure; offers design suggestions for the profile page; offers advice on building a following; describes the messages themselves and how to write them; discusses ways to connect with customers and team members on Twitter; and describes how companies are using Twitter to build their brands and drive behavior. |
FruITion | null | null | The story opens with Ian and members of his IT management team reviewing the company’s IT Strategy in a hotel meeting room, something that anyone involved in this process will find familiar. Ian then takes the strategy paper they produce to Juliette, who reacts in a way Ian is not expecting. She pushes Ian to articulate the company’s strategy for IT in one sentence, which he is initially unable to do. When he does, she pulls it apart and then asks Ian to start again, mentored by Graham. She sets him a timescale of a week to come back with an entirely new strategy, squarely focused on how the company creates value by exploiting IT. This is the beginning of a journey of discovery and change for Ian, at the end of which he will either become one of Juliette’s inner-circle corporate strategists or, it seems, lose his job. He rapidly discovers, for example, that the company’s difficulties with creating value from IT are actually nothing to do with IT, but originate in the organization’s culture towards investing in change. This is one of the book’s central insights, and one which takes Ian time to understand and then apply. As well as formulating the new ‘corporate strategy for exploiting IT’, Ian is expected to say what his own future role in the organization will be. Ian’s discomfort with the personal implications of the strategy he has been asked to formulate begin to undermine the chances of success. As the story progresses, Ian formulates his strategy in a number of iterations, and has mainly one-to-one conversations with the other key characters. Underlining the theme of relationships, the implications of Ian’s history with each of these people, and feelings about them, are both explicit and implicit in his narrative. The climax of the story is Ian’s formal meeting with Juliette, Graham and James to propose the new strategy and his role in its success. In the aftermath of their decision, we learn what happens to the various parts of Ian’s old IT department and to the members of Ian’s senior team. The result, like the book’s original question, is unorthodox — yet by then somehow obvious. |
Part of the Furniture | Mary Wesley | 1,997 | Seventeen-year-old Juno Marlowe is in love with Jonty and Francis and has just waved them off to war (World War II when the air raid sirens sound across London. Juno finds shelter in the house of a stranger, the frail Evelyn Copplestone. Juno spends the night with Evelyn and tells him the story of her life, and Evelyn decides to help her by writing her a letter of introduction to his family in the West Country. Evelyn, who is ill, dies of lungfailure due to gas in WWI during the night, and Juno flees the house. Reluctant to join her mother who has emigrated to Canada, and having nowhere else to go, Juno soon finds herself on her way to the West Country to see Evelyn's family at a farm named Copplestone. The owner of the farm, Robert Copplestone, Evelyn's father and only relative, is short of labour and hires Juno as a landgirl. Shortly after her arrival at Copplestone, Juno, to her surprise, finds out that she is pregnant. When her mother in Canada hears that Juno has given birth to a pair of illegitimate twins, the social embarrassment makes her break off any further contact with her daughter. Juno is left to fend for herself and the hard work at the farm helps her to blot out any unwelcome memories of her past. Gradually she learns to trust the other people at Copplestone, and the withdrawn and quiet Juno grows into an independent and determined woman, who is more than merely part of the furniture. |
Insectivorous Plants | Charles Darwin | 1,875 | All page numbers refer to where the quotes can be found in the 1875, John Murray edition. From his initial observations in 1860 of Drosera rotundifolia, the common sundew, Darwin developed a series of experiments ultimately establishing how "excellently adapted" these plants are to catching insects (p. 3). Darwin knew that these plants flourish in nitrogen-limited environments, growing in bogs, poor peaty soil and moss (p. 18). Most plants receive nutrients from the soil by their roots, but these plants have poor root systems and have adapted to receive nutrients (primarily nitrogenous substances) from captured insects. Darwin noted that Drosera and other carnivorous plants also feed on seeds, thus also making them vegetable feeders (p. 134). His notable observations are (p. 3–4): 1. The sensitivity of the glands to slight pressure and to minute doses of nitrogenous substances. He noted that although there is extreme sensitivity it is wholly appropriate to the purpose of gaining sustenance, e.g. they do not respond to heavy rain falling on them nor to the wind blowing other leaves against them. They have adapted well to insects alighting upon them and this saves them from wasting energy through excess movement. 2. The power to digest nitrogenous substances by secreting digestive matter and then absorbing them. He noted that digestion follows a similar pattern to animal processes (p. 135) in that acid is added to ferment the nutrient source(equivalent to pepsin). How they adapted this process from already existing substances in their system is explored later on in the book (p. 361). 3. The changes which took place within the cells when the glands are excited in various ways. A major part of the book enumerates his experiments on Drosera rotundifolia. Darwin then turns his attention to other varieties of insectivorous plants and makes comparisons, noting that in some cases different parts of the leaf are used for digestion and others for absorption of decayed matter (p. 330–331). He conjectured that plants may become adapted exclusively to one of these functions by gradually losing the other over a period of time. This would explain how Pinguicula and Utricularia came to utilise different functions even though they belong to the same family; p. 331). Darwin wrote in his autobiography that "the fact that a plant should secrete, when properly excited, a fluid containing an acid and ferment, closely analogous to the digestive fluid of an animal, was certainly a remarkable discovery." |
South of Broad | Pat Conroy | 2,009 | The story is divided into five parts. Part one focuses on introducing the reader to Leopold Bloom King (Leo), his family, and his set of friends who he meets on a fateful Bloomsday (June 16, 1969). Leo is the narrator of the story who gradually reveals his troubled childhood which was traumatized by the sudden and unforeseen suicide of his older brother Steve. He reveals himself to be a paper-boy for the South of Broad delivery area, thus introducing the reader to the Charleston neighborhood. Hints at a previous run-in with the law are given and he will exit his parole period that summer. He then introduces the reader to his loving father and strict mother and how their life stories shaped their characters. An influential Catholic priest named Monsignor Max is also introduced, and he proves to be lifelong companion to Leo's mother after Leo's father passes away. On Bloomsday, 1969, Leo performs a series of tasks that leads him to meet his soon-to-be friends. He bakes cookies for his new dramatic neighbors Sheba and Trevor Poe and their alcoholic mother. He then meets the two orphans Niles and Starla who he finds tied down to chairs and wins their confidence by untying them. He then appears with his mother at a gathering at the Charleston yacht club where he meets Chad, Molly, and Fraser; three affluent teens, two of whom were kicked out of their respective private schools. Lastly, he meets his new high school football coach (the coach is black and will coach the first ever integrated team at Peninsula High) and later will meet Ike, the coach's fiery and talented son who will co-captain the team with Leo. Eventually, all the characters (including Betty, another orphan) will meet each other and become friendly, despite the major differences and cultural struggles between black and white, city and country, and rich and poor. Part two of the story occurs twenty years later, when Leo (who is now a newspaper columnist) is interrupted from work by Sheba Poe, who is now a legendary actress who flew back to Charleston from Hollywood. After a series of embarrassing moments and behavior for Sheba during which time Leo's old high school friends unite together, Sheba reveals that she has lost contact with her brother Trevor, whom she suspects is dying of AIDS in San Francisco at the height of its outbreak among the gay community. Leo, who had since that time married and separated from a mentally-ill Starla reveals his love for Molly, who has grown apart from her philandering husband Chad. Part three is set in San Francisco, where Leo and his friends go to find Trevor. After volunteering with a food bank, the characters discover the shocking conditions of infected persons and the devastating effects the virus has on its victims. A tip from an unlikely source results in a daring rescue attempt to find Trevor, who is found close to death and trapped in a crumbling building in the Tenderloin area. The friends then return to Charleston with Trevor, but not after a frightening encounter with Trevor and Sheba's father, who terrorizes the friends with his mystery and his violent antics. Leo and Molly's relationship grows even tighter. Part four is a flashback to 1969 which follows the success of Peninsula High's football team and retraces Leo and his friends' ever-strengthening friendships. A series of incidents involving Chad's behavior stretches the friendships at times and reveals hints at future problems and character flaws for several characters. The histories of Sheba & Trevor and Niles & Starla are revealed and are emotionally damaging. Leo reveals a positive story from his life: his great luck when a lonely antique store shopkeeper he cared for during his parole died and left Leo with a home on Tradd Street and a great fortune from the inheritance. Part five returns to Charleston in 1989, where the friends' success in finding Trevor is darkened by increasing fears because of threats made by Sheba and Trevor's father through terrifying correspondence. Sheba informs Leo that she is seeking a normal life and begs Leo to propose to her. Meanwhile, Starla returns to Charleston and in a severe moment informs Leo that she had aborted two fetuses that would have been Leo's children. It is in that moment that Leo decides after years of steadily clinging to his marriage due to Catholic vows that he and Starla can no longer be a husband and wife. Leo later finds out from police that a pregnant Starla has committed suicide. In spite of increasing fears for her safety and security due to her father's threats, Sheba refuses to leave her teenage home and her dementia-crippled mother, though Leo convinces her to let Trevor live with him. Soon, Sheba is found murdered one morning with her mother appearing to be the assailant (it is later determined that her father was the murderer). Following a massive funeral, the friends must turn their attention to the menacing Hurricane Hugo which is headed for Charleston. Following the catastrophic storm, the friends soon discover the remains of a person who had been hiding out in a shed behind Niles and Betty's house. It is later discovered to be Sheba and Trevor's father, who had the intention of killing the group during the hurricane but wound up drowning due to the storm surge. As the city recovers and rebuilds, Leo and Molly go out to Sullivan's Island together to find Molly's grandmother's house in ruins, though they rescue a porpoise. During that moment, Leo and Molly reach the conclusion that they can never be together romantically and that their relationship would remain platonic. In the months following the hurricane, Leo continues to take care of Trevor, who seems healthy but continues to lose weight. Trevor reveals a desire to get back to San Francisco. Leo's mother decides to return to a nun's convent and Leo begins to experience a normalizing of relations between mother and son. Just as it appears Leo's life is coming together, Trevor reveals a most damaging revelation - in his pornographic video collection, Trevor finds an old tape inside a sealed case that shows a young Monsignor Max raping Steve around the time of his suicide. Enraged, Leo confronts a dying Monsignor Max the night before the priest passes away. After a week of tributes, Leo writes a shattering column detailing Max's criminality before entering a mental hospital at the recommendation of a psychiatrist. The story ends with a series of dreams Leo has about his deceased family and friends who encourage him to live his life, even if it must be an act of normalcy. He awakens from the dreams to befriend a female nurse as he prepares to leave the institution and the traumatic experiences of his life, looking boldly into the future. |
The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners | Jonathan Edwards | 1,734 | The main subject of the doctrinal part of Edwards sermon is the free grace of God in man's salvation, especially in regards to justification by faith alone. Edwards examines the context of Romans 3:19 in which the Apostle Paul chastises the Jewish people for their literal observance and interpretation of the Law and then proceeds to condemn them for it. Edwards affirms, and then elaborates upon, Paul's original assertion. |
Knulp | Hermann Hesse | null | The first tale, titled "Early Spring", follows Knulp just after he had been discharged from a hospital due to his waning health. An old friend of his, a tanner named Emil Rothfuss, shelters him while Knulp spends his days aimlessly. During the tale he gains the affection of the tanner's wife, but resists her advances. Instead he attempts to court a girl named Barbra Flick who had recently arrived in the town as a household servant. The chapter culminates after Knulp convinces Barbra to abandon her post in the night and dance with him. In the last words of "Early Spring", Knulp decides to leave the town despite a commitment with the tanner and his wife scheduled the following day. The second tale, "My Recollections of Knulp", is told from the point of view of another vagrant who is not identified by name but could possibly be regarded be Hermann Hesse himself. The story focuses on his interactions with Knulp as they wander through the forests and meadows of Germany. The second half of the section takes place during a day which unfolded as joy-filled and carefree. It ends, however, on the following day when Knulp has abandoned the narrator. The narrator believes that Knulp left him out of disgust due to his excess celebration and drinking during the previous night. He is left alone and bitter, stating that the experience has never left him entirely. The Third tale, "The End", follows Knulp as he is taken in for a growing illness by Dr. Machold—an old friend of his from Latin school. Dr. Machold, now grown to be a respectable individual, nurses Knulp as he prepares to send him to a hospital in a nearby town. Instead, Knulp, knowing that he has little time left to live, requests that he be sent to a hospital in the town he grew up in. However, upon arriving, Knulp neglects to check himself in to be treated. He wanders his home town, attempting to locate the places he knew and friends he once had. He speaks with people from his past about matters of the present and memories of their times together before leaving the town. As he departs, he is greeted by a stone-breaker who, after recognizing Knulp from his childhood days, questions why he never put his gifts and abilities to good use. He mentions that Knulp will have to answer to God for wasting his life away. Towards the end of the novel a disillusioned and weak Knulp goes into the forest where he begins a conversation with God. In this conversation, Knulp asks God why he, Knulp, has not done anything of consequence in life. He states that he could have been a successful doctor or artist; he could have married and peacefully settled down. Knulp questions God and asks him about the purpose of his existence. During the conversation, Knulp begins to hear God's reply. God states that he did not make Knulp to be any of these things, rather that he wanted him to bring joy into the lives of people and make them feel a "homesickness for freedom." Upon receiving this answer from God, Knulp experiences a sense of peace. The novel ends with Knulp accepting his final passage from this world with a sense of purpose. de:Knulp it:Knulp pl:Trzy opowieści z życia Knulpa ckb:کنولپ |
The Nature of True Virtue | Jonathan Edwards | 1,765 | In Virtue, Edwards describes his views on the different levels of virtue, specifically "common morality" and "true (saving) virtue." God, Edwards argues, had in mind as the end for his creation of the world His own glory and not human happiness. Thus, true virtue does not arise from self-love or from any earth-bound selflessness (these were two common views at the time) but from a desire to see God's glory displayed above all. Love of self, family, or nation is good only to the extent that it magnifies the glory of God. |
Farside Cannon | Roger MacBride Allen | 1,988 | Relations between Settlement Worlds and Earth is a constant source of tension. A geologist, Garrison Morrow, discovers himself in the middle of the two parties when a series of peculiar events occur, thus leading him deeper and deeper into the delicate balance of political powers on the Moon and the rest of the Solar System. |
Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne | David Gaider | 2,009 | The novel opens with the country of Ferelden occupied by the neighbouring Orlesian Empire. Queen Moira, who sought to expel the Orlesians has been murdered by traitor nobles, but her son Maric has escaped. While attempting to flee the assassins who killed his mother, Maric encounters Loghain, who is part of a band of Fereldan outlaws. Having no real alternatives, Maric joins up with them. However Maric is not able to stay at the outlaw camp long, as an Orlesian army looking for Maric attacks. Yet, Loghain is able to lead Maric to safety by taking him to the Korcari Wilds, a region avoided by most due to its danger. Here they meet the mysterious Witch of the Wilds, who enables them to pass through the Wilds safely. She provides this help on the condition that Maric makes her a promise. What this promise unknown. She also warns Maric that Loghain will betray him if he keeps him close, and warns Maric a Blight will one day come to Ferelden. After escaping the Wilds, Maric and Loghain are led to the remaining rebel army by Maric's betrothed, Rowan Guerrin, just in time to defeat an Orlesian army about to attack them using Loghain's aptitude for strategy. The next few years see Maric, Loghain and Rowan become close friends as they strengthen the rebel army until it is in a position to take Gwaren, a Fereldan town. Katriel, an elf woman who claims to be a messenger, warns them of an impending attack on Gwaren and they are able to repel it. After this, Katriel and Maric begin a relationship. However, Katriel is a spy for Meghren, the Orlesian King of Ferelden. She provides Maric with false information that convinces him to attack the town of West Hill. This attack results in massive loss of life for the rebel army, and Maric, Loghain and Rowan being separated from the remainder of the army. Regretting her deception and developing real feelings for Maric, Katriel leads Maric, Loghain and Rowan to the Deep Roads, a series of underground tunnels, in order to return to Gwaren. After facing the dangers of the Deep Roads, including giant spiders and darkspawn, and escaping in the company of a dwarven warband, whom Maric convinces to join the rebellion. Once they return to Gwaren, they find the remnants of the rebel army and once again secure the town. By this time, Loghain and Rowan have formed a romantic bond (in part due to Maric abandoning Rowan for Katriel), but Loghain has also discovered Katriel’s betrayal and reveals it to Maric, omitting that Katriel had reneged on her orders out of love for Maric. After discovering her actions, Maric kills Katriel in blind rage, only to discover later that Katriel had been loyal out of love for him; Loghain wished to impress on Maric the importance of a king doing what has to be done, opposed to what he wants to do. Following her death, Loghain encourages Rowan to become Maric’s wife and queen, for Maric and Ferelden’s benefit. She agrees and with increased momentum and growing outrage at the continuing cruelty of the Orlesians, there is now widespread support for Maric and the rebel cause. Victory is all but assured for the rebels. Maric also exacts justice on the traitor nobles who murdered his mother, luring them to a meeting under the pretense of a truce, then killing them for their crimes, before Loghain and Rowan break the back of Meghren's armies at the Battle of River Dane, ensuring Meghren's downfall and the eventual defeat of the occupation. The novel closes with Mother Ailis, who once lived within the outlaw camp, telling Maric and Rowan’s son Cailan stories of his father; after three more years of war, Denerim fell to the rebels after a long siege, Meghren was executed for his crimes and Maric is crowned as king. Ailis tells that Maric has become a popular king, Loghain has become a powerful lord and has married and had a daughter, and that Rowan has died after a long illness. After relating this, Ailis hobbles after Cailan, who has run off into the distance. |
The Tomorrow People | Judith Merril | 1,960 | Only one man, Johnny Wendt, has returned from the first expedition to Mars. Efforts to determine what happened to the others are in vain; four pages of the ship's log are missing, and Johnny's companion, Doug Laughlin, apparently wandered off to die in the desert. Johnny's girlfriend, Lisa Trovi, and a psychiatrist named Phil Kutler try to cure Johnny by luring him to the Moon and getting him to grapple with whatever happened on Mars. Johnny reacts so badly that they return to Earth as quickly as possible. |
Last Night In Twisted River | John Irving | 2,009 | The novel opens in 1954 in the small logging settlement of Twisted River on the Androscoggin River in northern New Hampshire. A log driving accident on the river has just claimed the life of a young logger, Angel, who slipped and fell under the logs. Dominic Baciagalupo is the camp's Italian-American cook who lives above the kitchen with his 12-year old son, Daniel. Dominic lost his wife, Rosie, ten years previously when a drunk Dominic, Rosie and a logger and mutual friend, Ketchum, were dancing on the frozen river, and the ice broke and Rosie went under. Later another accident happens that changes the lives of Dominic, Daniel and Ketchum. "Injun Jane", the kitchen's dishwasher and girlfriend of the local law officer, Constable Carl, is having an affair with Dominic. One night, mistaking her for a bear attacking his father, Daniel kills her with an eight-inch cast-iron skillet. Dominic takes Jane's body and deposits it on the kitchen floor of Carl's house, knowing that Carl will be passed out drunk and will probably believe he killed her, as he often beat her up. Early the next morning Dominic and Daniel tell Ketchum what happened and flee Twisted River in case the bad-tempered Carl finds out what really happened. Dominic and Daniel head for a restaurant in the Italian North End of Boston to tell Angel's mother of her son's death. Dominic gets a job as a cook in the restaurant and changes his surname to Del Popolo (Angel's mother's surname) to hide from Carl. During this time Daniel attends Exeter, a private school in southern New Hampshire, followed by the University of New Hampshire. While at university Daniel starts writing his first novel. He also meets Katie Callahan, a radical art student, whom he agrees to marry. Katie has one mission in life: to make potential Vietnam War draftees fathers, thus enabling them to apply for paternity deferment. Men who qualified for this deferment became known as "Kennedy fathers". In April 1970 President Nixon put an end to the 3-A paternity deferment for new fathers.="SSS/> Men who qualified for this deferment became known as "Kennedy fathers". In April 1970 President Nixon put an end to the 3-A paternity deferment for new fathers." "nb"=""nb"" "paternity deferment"=""paternity deferment""/> Daniel and Katie have a son Joe, but when Joe is two, Katie leaves Daniel to find another young man to rescue from the war. Daniel moves to Iowa with Joe, where he enrolls in the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He also changes his name to Danny Angel to hide from Carl, and uses this nom de plume to publish his novels. After graduating from the Writers' Workshop in 1967, Danny and Joe move to Putney, Vermont. Ketchum keeps in touch with both Dominic and Danny via telephone and letters, and warns them that Carl is looking for them. On Ketchum's advice, Dominic leaves Boston to join Danny in Vermont. He changes his name to Tony Angel, father of the writer Danny Angel. While Danny teaches writing at Windham College, Tony opens and runs his own restaurant. After the publication of his fourth and most successful novel, Kennedy Fathers (based on Katie), Danny stops teaching and focuses on writing. Then in 1983, two of the sawmill's wives in Twisted River are passing through Vermont and stop for a meal at Tony's restaurant. They recognize Tony and later tell Carl where "Cookie" is. Again, on Ketchum's advice, the father and son are forced to flee, this time to Toronto. With their cover blown, Tony and Danny revert back to their original names. Dominic finds another restaurant to work in, while Danny continues writing, still under his pseudonym. Joe remains in the United States while at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Danny meets a Canadian screenwriter named Charlotte Turner, who is writing the screenplay of Danny's abortion novel East of Bangor. They decide to marry, but only after Joe graduates. When Joe dies in a car accident in 1987, Danny decides he cannot face the possibility of ever losing another child, and he and Charlotte part ways. He retains the right to a lonely cabin on an island in Georgian Bay at Pointe au Baril, owned by Charlotte, which he uses for his writing. In 2001, Ketchum gets careless and unwittingly leads Carl to Dominic and Danny's house in Toronto. Carl shoots and kills Dominic and Danny retaliates by shooting and killing Carl. Ketchum is devastated at having failed to protect his friends and takes his own life at Twisted River. Danny, who has now lost his mother, father, son and their friend, tries to focus on writing his next book, a follow-up to his previous eight semi-autobiographical novels. Then his last hope, Amy ("Lady Sky"), arrives on his doorstep. When Joe was two, Amy had parachuted naked onto a pig farm Danny and Joe were visiting. Danny rescued Amy from the pig pen and Joe, awe-struck by this event, called her "Lady Sky". Amy in turn offered to help Danny whenever he needed it. Having read all about the famous writer and his misfortunes, Amy tracks Danny down and moves in with him. Happy now, Danny finds the opening sentence of his new book: "The young Canadian, who could not have been more than fifteen, had hesitated too long." |
Freddy Goes Camping | null | null | Camphor and his butler Bannister appear at the Bean farm, asking Freddy to send Camphor’s visiting aunts packing. Aunt Elmira is demanding, fat and gloomy. Aunt Minerva is bossy; she regularly burns her cooking. The aunts planned to stay at the hotel across the lake, but it is suddenly haunted. As before in Freddy and Mr. Camphor, Bannister and Camphor enjoy their game of reciting proverbs, then deciding if they are appropriate. Punning, Bannister says, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard." Freddy and the cow Mrs. Wiggins walk to the estate, deciding that resolving the hotel’s problems will in turn solve Camphor’s problems. Camphor suggests that as campers, they can observe the hotel free of suspicion. Freddy grapples with the challenges of camping, such as making his first flapjacks (pancakes). Since animals would know Freddy, he is in disguise. Their first night they talk loudly — to establish themselves as campers to anyone overhearing. Mischievously, Camphor pokes holes in Freddy’s cover story about studying with a witch doctor: :(Freddy) "'...you put them on and then wish for whatever you want.' :'And do you get your wish?' :'Sometimes. And sometimes not. All depending.' :'On what?' :'Oh, on general conditions. This and that.' :'Very clear,' said Mr. Camphor. 'From your description I feel that I could almost make one myself.'" (p. 54) There is a gunshot from the hotel. They find Mrs. Filmore, the owner, leaving the hotel on account of a ghost. They help her leave, but decide to remain themselves. Soon a lion-sized cat head smashes through a window, and they flee to camp. It is wrecked. On examination next morning, much of the hotel damage is caused by rats — probably Simon’s gang. Freddy goes to Camphor’s for supplies, then to the Bean farm to update the animals. He is told of a meeting between Simon and the mysterious Mr. Eha, where the rat describes plans to attack the Camphor estate after Eha controls the hotel. Freddy returns to spy on the hotel, and overhears Simon plotting with Eha. Eha dons a ghost costume, and leaves to scare the campers: Freddy slips into the hotel, leaving mothballs in Eha’s coat pocket, so as to track him by smell. Freddy hurries back to camp, but Eha escapes. Mr. Bean is at Camphor’s estate: to general surprise his is adeptly flattering Aunt Minerva. The mothball smell is tracked to a Mr. Anderson in town. Realizing that Anderson is "Eha", Freddy barges into his office disguised as a doctor. The pig’s doctoring routine is unconvincing, and Freddy flees. On a tip, the pig guesses that a tourist camp on the lake is a hideout. There, he finds his old adversary, Simon the rat. Simon is working with Anderson. Freddy uses the opportunity to slyly hint that the Bean farm will be undefended that night. Therefore everyone is actually prepared when Anderson and the rat gang come. Mrs. Bean calmly treats Anderson’s ghost disguise as the ghost of Mr. Bean’s grandfather. Anderson is routed by the animals’ own ghost versions, and the rats surrender after a shotgun blast. Kind treatment from Mr. Bean, Camphor and the animals brings a change in Camphor’s aunts. Minerva is pleasant, and proves to be a good cook. Gloomy Elmira is so taken with Freddy’s poem about a swamp she decides to vacation there immediately. A group returns to camp near the hotel. Anderson is there, renovating. When he visits, Bean spiders return with him, as spies. Knowing that Anderson has a terrible temper, insects are sent to bug him, especially to ruin his sleep. The fire department is called to a false alarm on the hotel property. Freddy sabotages Anderson’s car. When finally they confront the sleep-deprived Anderson, he is forced to return the hotel to Mrs. Filmore. Seeing they have lost, the rats leave. With all the problems resolved, the campers decide to continue enjoying their stay outdoors. |
Master of the Desert Nomads | David "Zeb" Cook | null | In this scenario, the adventurers follow a river and cross the desert to find an evil abbey. The adventure details a number of wilderness encounters. Tribes of nomad raiders from the Great Waste have begun sacking town, prompting the governor of the Republic to send out a call for help to fight these nomads. When the party joins the reserves to meet the main army at a recently-liberated village, they discover signs of the nomads and camp there for several days. At the beginning of the mission, the player characters must use stealth to find out more about the Master of these nomads, and report back to those who hired the party. |
Sordello | null | 1,840 | The setting is northern Italy in the 1220s, dominated by the struggle between the Guelphs (partisans of the Pope) and the Ghibellines (partisans of the Holy Roman Emperor). Sordello is a Ghibelline, like his lord Ecelin II da Romano, and the soldier Taurello. Browning begins by summoning the shades of all dead poets to listen to the story he has to tell. The one who intimidates him most is the "pale face[d]" Shelley (whom he does not name). The citizens of Verona have just heard that their Guelph prince, Count Richard of St Boniface, has been captured by Taurello Salinguerra. Not long ago, Taurello had been lured away from Ferrara; in his absence, his palaces were burned by Guelphs. On his return, he takes vengeance, and Azzo and Richard flee. They come back and besiege Ferrara, but when Richard is invited to a parley, he is captured. In a castle at Verona, the Council of Twenty-Four discuss the city's predicament; in a distant room, the poet Sordello sits motionless, thinking about his love, Palma. Browning describes Sordello's childhood and youth as a orphaned page at the lonely castle of Goito, near Mantua. He spent nearly all his time wandering about the pine forest and marsh, and had little human company other than the elderly servants; what he knew about the world he knew by hearsay. Sometimes he would stare at a stone font in a vault of the castle, dreaming that the female statues who held it up were under a curse, and that he could plead with God for their pardon and release. At other times he would indulge in daydreams about himself as a great hero, in whom all virtues, skills and powers would combine — in other words, as a reinvention of Apollo. Browning comments that an aesthete can fail in life either through attempting nothing, or attempting too much. Sordello once heard that the lady Palma was being wooed by the Guelph, Count Richard, and she became another subject of his daydreams. Sordello is wandering through the wood towards Mantua, daydreaming about Palma, when he comes upon a crowd gathered by the city's wall. They are listening to the aged troubador Eglamor. Impatient with Eglamor's feeble efforts, Sordello interrupts him and continues his song so effectively that, to his own astonishment, he wins the prize, and Palma bestows upon him her scarf. Eglamor responds graciously to his defeat, but walks home alone and troubled, and dies the same night. At his funeral, Sordello praises him highly. Eglamor's jongleur, Naddo, becomes Sordello's jongleur. Sordello, long reluctant to do so, finally enquires about his birth and origins. He is told that he was the son of an archer who saved the lives of Adelaide and Palma when they were nearly killed by a fire set by Ecelin himself. Disappointed, Sordello then gives up the plan of becoming a "man of action", and devotes himself to minstrelsy, but quickly becomes bored and slapdash; he tries reinventing his language in order to express his visions more directly, but encounters public incomprehension and personal fatigue. Sordello is deeply divided between his conceptions of poet as profession and poet as destiny. The lady Adelaide dies suddenly; then the news comes that Ecelin II has resolved to retire to a monastery. Taurello confronts his lord on horseback, but is unable to make him change his mind. Taurello is thus forced to abandon his plan to join the Emperor on a new Crusade. He travels to Mantua, where Sordello is appointed to welcome him with song, but the baffled troubadour, lacking inspiration, wanders back to Goito. At Goito, Sordello re-immerses himself in his daydreams for a whole year, but he has lost his self-confidence, and he begins to wonder if he had thrown over all prospect of success as an ordinary human being, let alone as an Apollo. He concludes that he had been a narcissist, whose lack of devotion to anything outside of himself had been his ruin. His bitter musings are interrupted by Naddo, who brings news that he has been summoned to Verona to sing at Palma's wedding with Count Richard. But when Sordello arrives at Verona, Palma meets him and confesses her love for him. (At this point, the narrative returns to where it began at the start of Book I.) The death of Adelaide and the withdrawal of Ecelin has made it possible for her to confess her love to Sordello and ask him to marry her. This would make him the head of the House of Romano; in fact, Taurello approves strongly, as it would make an alliance with the Guelphs unnecessary. (Browning had written this much of the poem when in 1838 he travelled to Italy for the first time. With contemporary Venice as a background, the rest of Book III consists of a discussion of his own hopes for the future, and his reasons for writing Sordello.) Ferrara has been destroyed; envoys of the Lombard League arrive to negotiate a ransom for Count Richard. Sordello, too, arrives in Ferrara, making the long journey at the risk of his precarious health. He had planned to visit Azzo VII, camped outside the city, but first he goes to the palace of San Pietro to talk to Taurello Salinguerra. He is appalled by Taurello's explanation of the Ghibelline policy. He walks stunned through the city, and, on meeting the delegates from Verona, sings for them at their request; one of them turns out to be Palma in disguise. Back in the palace, Taurello ponders the events of his life (the theft of his first fiancée by Azzo VI, his plotting with Ecelin II to win back Ferrara, and the loss of his wife and child while fleeing from Vicenza), and briefly toys with the idea of taking Ecelin II's place. Sordello converses with Palma, and declares himself disgusted with both the Guelphs and the Ghibellines: both sides pursue selfish ends and exploit the common people. He conceives the idea of building a City of God in which Christendom can be reunited. At dawn he leaps up to meet the ordinary folk and to sketch the foundation of his plans in his mind. By sunset, Sordello has already concluded his dream is impracticable. Even if the Utopia could be brought into being overnight by a single genius, the ideal city would crumble instantly when transferred into the hands of ordinary sinners. But he then realizes his mistake: failure to accept that lasting progress can only be made one step at a time. He has already decided that the Guelphs represent the common people's interests more closely, because they subordinate, at least in principle, the momentary dominions procured by strength and cunning to the eternal dominion of God and His law. He concludes that his immediate duty is to convince Taurello to take up the Guelph cause and keep the Emperor away from Lombardy. Sordello goes to Taurello and Palma and delivers his pitch, but his curiosity to see what effect his speech is having on the soldier robs his long disused voice of emotion, and Taurello responds with puzzled amusement, and then with sarcasm. Sordello's pride is touched, and, realizing that this will be his last chance to express himself in any consequential way, he defends with eloquence the concept of poetry as a calling higher than any other. When he has finished, Taurello shrugs and admits that his own life's work, seemingly more substantial, has been demolished by Ecelin's abdication, and impulsively throws the Imperial baldric on Sordello's neck, declaring him head of the house of Romano. A strange intuition arises in both. It is then that Palma confesses what she has known for more than a year: Sordello is Taurello's son, the child he thought had perished at Vicenza. Sordello desires to be left alone; Taurello and Palma go downstairs, where Taurello, excited out of his wits, starts to unfold a mad project to ignore both Emperor and Pope and build a new centre of power on the house of Romano. Sordello debates with himself about his best course of action. Should he persist in his determination to throw in his lot with the Guelphs, or does his sudden elevation to the status of a Ghibelline leader imply that his destiny lies with them? Would the common people benefit from the triumph of the Guelphs? Can he expect to fulfil any of his hopes at all, or would it be wiser to see to his own happiness, even at the expense of his new subordinates? He concludes that his previous failures have been a result of the failure to accept the limitations inherent in being human, and his reluctance to devote himself to a single end, or to a single cherished person. He throws the Imperial emblem to the floor. The stress of this moment is too much, and when Taurello and Palma return, they find that he has collapsed and died. Taurello's hopes of rising in the world are dashed. He marries Sophia, a daughter of Ecelin II, and dwindles into an unremarkable old age, eventually being captured and exiled to Venice. The Ghibelline cause triumphs through the ruthlessness of Ecelin III and Alberic. Sordello's career is inflated by chroniclers and he is misremembered as a statesman and hero. Nothing authentic remains of his life, apart from a fragment of the Goito lay, his first and least remarkable song. |
A Princess of Landover | Terry Brooks | null | The book began a prologue on the witch Nightshade still trapped in the form of a crow in a cage in Woodland Park Zoo, having been exiled from Landover for more than five years. Apart from having mysteriously appeared in the cage, her red eyes marked her different from other birds and elicited brief interest from animal experts. They gave up trying to study her after failing repeatedly to capture her, despite her being in a cage. The story proper began in the principal's office of the exclusive private school Carringon Women's Preparatory in New England where Mistaya "Misty" Holiday had been sent by Ben to "learn about places other than" Landover. The school was informed that her parents were away most of the time and all correspondence to be made via Miles Bennett, Ben's former law partner. The headmistress Harriet Appleton was with Misty, recounting the girl's previous visits to the same office. The first was when Misty organized a school protest and shut down classes for three days when the school tried to remove a two hundred year old tree from the school grounds. The second was when Misty formed an unapproved club for students to "engage in a bonding-with-nature program", the sticking point for the school authorities being ritualistic scarring for the members, which Misty thought would "convey the depth of commitment" and "reminder of the pain and suffering human ignorance fostered". Besides, Misty thought it should not be a problem as the "scarring was done in places that weren't normally exposed to the light of day". The third and current visit came about because Misty had done something to terrify fellow student Rhonda Masterson to the point of hysterics and had to be sedated by a nurse. Rhonda and other blue-blooded East Coast snots had been bullying Misty until the latter was pushed too far by being called a name Misty refused to repeat. In retaliation, Misty conjured up an image of Strabo, the last dragon of Landover. Though the headmistress could not be sure what Misty had done, she suspended Misty from school and indicated she would consider accepting Misty back if Misty agrees to be the type of student expected in Carringon. Misty was only too glad to leave and decided to do so immediately instead of waiting for the Christmas break. Taking a flight to Dulles, the Waynesboro, she returned to Landover through a portal located in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, passable only by certain magic. As Misty arrived in Landover, thinking about resuming her study of magic with Questor, she was met unexpectedly by Strabo, who somehow knew and made it clear he did not appreciate his image being used by Misty. Her next encounter was much more pleasant, with the mud puppy Haltwhistle coming to greet her. The third encounter before she reached home was a tied-up G'home Gnome Poggwydd, whom she rescued. Once at home in Sterling Silver, Ben was informed to his dismay the reason of Misty's return. After a heated argument with Misty, Ben discussed with his advisors. Questor Thews and Abernathy Questor suggested for Misty to be sent to organize the Libiris, a royal library which was started by the last wise and dedicated king of Landover, to foster greater interest in reading for all subjects of Landover. The project stalled and the library fell into neglect. Questor proposed fixing the library and reopening it would be a worthwhile project for Misty. It was revealed that Questor and Abernathy also withheld something from Ben about the libiris. Before Ben could approach Mistaya about the project, he was presented with a proposal of marriage to his daughter from Laphroig, lord of the Rhyndweir, the largest of Greensward baronies. Personally repulsed, Ben diplomatically avoided giving a direct answer. However, Laphroig chose to interpret it as tacit approval to woo the girl, and sprung himself to Misty who had not been informed. Aghast, Misty rebelled and refused to accept Ben's explanation, nor his idea of her going to the Libiris. She chose to ran from home to her grandfather and enlisted the aid of Poggwydd to hide some of the packings she would need. Unfortunately, it also resulted in her becoming stuck with the Gnome as a travelling companion. In addition, she was joined by the mysterious cat Edgewood Dirk who seemed to be able to come and go as it pleases, and refused to talk or appear other than an ordinary cat except when alone with her. When Misty arrived at her grandfather's domain of the lake country, he allowed her to stay but refused to take her side against her father. Realising her grandfather was going to send her back, Misty took a chance when Edgewood Dirk offered her to escape. At Dirk's subtle proddings, Misty realised the only place she can go to escape from being found by her father or grandfather was the Libiris, the very place she was supposed to go in the first place. Convincing herself that she was going on her own accord, Misty presented herself as a peasant girl to the Libiris. Misty was almost turned away by the Libiris staff Rufus Pinch, had not his assistant Thom who intervened and pretended Misty was his sister Ellice. Together, they seemed to persuade Craswell Crabbit, the person in charge of Libiris, to allow Misty to stay and help with the work in organising the books. While Ben and the River King had been trying unsuccessfully to locate Misty, Laphroig deployed his spies to watch the royal castle, convinced he could take advantage of the situation. Questor and Abernathy discussed between themselves what would be the "last place" anyone would think of looking for Misty and came to a startling conclusion that the Libiris might be the place. Questor made a secret visit to the Libiris and contacted Misty. By then, Misty realised something strange was going on in the Libiris and was convinced Crabbit was up to something bad. She was determined to stay on to investigate while Questor was to return to Sterling Silver, ready to act as backup if necessary. Misty discovered some similarities between the Libiris and the sentient castle Sterling Silver. With Thom's help, she learned that books of magic were being passed to demons of Abaddon. And with some help from Edgewood Dirk, she was able to implement a temporary fix. Unfortunately, Misty's efforts were discovered by Craswell who had her and Thom captured. Apparently, Craswell had known all along her identity as Princess of Landover. Meanwhile, through his spies watching Sterling Silver, Laphroig learned the location of Mistaya and set forth there with a large group of armed men to demand Misty from Crabbit. Deciding to play off Laphroig and Ben against each other, Crabbit offered to help by inducing Misty to agree to marry Laphroig, using the threat of Thom's life in the process. Misty came up with a plan quickly and agreed to the ceremony, demanding it to be held outdoors, and promising not to escape. Once in place, she cast a spell to bring forth the image of Strabo again. Though the illusion was done correctly, the uproar it caused was short lived and she and Thom remained prisoners. However, that was only part of her plan - her goal was to incite the appearance of the real Strabo who promised to visit her if she ever invoke his image again. The arrival of the real Strabo was much more effective at disrupting the wedding, but Strabo soon got distracting chasing after the armoured men-at-arms which he considered delicacies. Misty was still faced with the armed Laphroig, Pinch who had a crossbow and Crabbit the magician. A stunning explosion occurred when Laphroig's thrown dagger, Pinch's crossbow bolt, and magic from Crabbit and Misty came together. When the explosion cleared and Misty recovered from being stunned, Laphroig had been turned to stone and there was no sign of Crabbit nor Pinch. Misty had no time to congratulate herself for the demons of Abaddon were breaking through within the Libiris. With Thom's help, Misty managed to seal the breach from Abaddon. The Libiris began to heal itself, being a creation from the materials taken from Sterling Silver. It was all over by the time Ben and the others from Sterling Silver arrived. Thom turned out to be the missing brother of Laphroig. Succeeding to the barony, he chose to give the land to the subjects of Rhyndweir in return for reasonable tax to the crown. Back in the Woodland Park Zoo, the strange crow with red eyes disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared before. And as mysteriously, two men in strange attire appeared in the same cage, ranting in an unknown language. After being taken away by security, the two ended up in custody of Homeland Security, which also could not understand them nor figure out where they came from. |
Untouchable | Mulk Raj Anand | 1,935 | Untouchable’ is the story of a single day in the life of 18 year old untouchable boy named Bakha, who lives in pre-independence India. Bakha is described as `strong and able-bodied`, full of enthusiasm and dreams varying from to dressing like a ‘Tommie’ (Englishmen) in ‘fashun’ to playing hockey. However, his limited means and the fact that he belongs to the lowest caste even amongst untouchables, forces him to beg for food, to often face humiliation, and to be at the mercy of the whims of other, higher caste, Hindus. The day described in the story is a difficult one for Bakha. Over the course of the day, he is slapped in public for 'polluting' an upper caste Hindu through an accidental touch and has food thrown at him by another person after he cleans her gutters. His sister is molested by a priest, he is blamed for an injury received by a young boy following a melee after a hockey match, and he is thrown out of his house by his father. In the story, Mulk Raj Anand presents two choices, or ways in which Bakha in particular and untouchables in general can be liberated from the life they are born into. The first choice is that of Christianity, a religion that does not recognize the caste system. The second comes from the teachings of Gandhi who calls for the freeing of Harijans. |
Freddy the Pilot | null | null | Freddy is convincing Sniffy the skunk to read Robin Hood when Mr. Boomschmidt arrives at the Bean farm with Boomschmidt’s Stupendous and Unexcelled Circus (formerly Boomschmidt’s Colossal and Unparalleled Circus). He has a "snorter" of a dilemma, as he puts it. Mr. Boom invites the Bean animals to his small circus to observe. The show is interrupted by Mr. Condiment’s lawyer, who claims that performer Mademoiselle Rose is endangered by the circus animals. The Bean farm animals easily put the lie to that, but the show is interrupted again by a plane bombing with sacks of flour. The performance is ruined. Finally the truth comes from Mr. Boom who "pretended to be a lot more simple-minded than he was so as to mix people up": Condiment is behind the disruptions: forcing Rose to marry him. Freddy decides to learn to fly, and to chase the bomber. The flying instructor says he will be chasing a World War II fighter — faster than any plane Freddy can acquire. At any rate, Mr. Bean is so proud of Freddy he buys him a plane and turns Bean farmland into an airstrip. Reading of Freddy’s feat in the newspapers attracts inventor Uncle Ben to the farm to perfect his bombsite, but the device cannot be perfected before generals come to evaluate it. They leave, unsatisfied. In disguise as a woman, Freddy investigates Condiment. Condiment is pressuring the bookstore owner into carrying his comics, including Lorna, the Leopard Woman, In the Lair of the Great Serpent. The circus boa constrictor sneaks up on Condiment as a prank, suggesting, "Want a little hug?" He flees in terror, giving Freddy the idea to pose as Lorna. Using a phony Spanish accent, he visits Condiment, letting drop that he is the Leopard Woman. Uncle Ben considers undermining enemies by selling them his defective bombsite, until Freddy discovers by accident that it is good at finding lost change. (This eventually proves to be more interesting to the generals.) Freddy's is plane now freed from bombsite testing, he takes it up for a ride. He arrives at the circus in time to spot the mysterious plane. He gives chase, but is outdistanced. Back in his Leopard Woman disguise, Freddy lures Condiment into a dark circus trailer. He claims Condiment promised to marry him, and is enraged. The lights go off, and Freddy substitutes a live leopard for himself. When Condiment revives from fainting, Freddy is back, with Rose at his side. Condiment is convinced Freddy is the Leopard Woman, and cancels the comic. Freddy hopes Condiment is sufficiently frightened to leave Rose alone. For days, unseen, Freddy follows the mysterious plane, starting closer to its destination each time, and finally locating its secret airfield. He returns to discover the skunks have taken Robin Hood to heart, and sporting quarterstaffs and bows. This gives Freddy the notion to use them as spies, parachuted by umbrella onto the distant airfield. The pig encourages the unenthusiastic skunks appropriately: :"'Why, how now, lads?' he said. 'Ye tell me ye be bound for a life of adventure in the merry greenwood, and yet methinks ye hang back when ‘tis question of trading hard knocks with a stout foe.'" (p. 131) They protest they are not cowards like rabbits — which is overheard by one of the "Horrible Ten" gang of rabbits. This leads to two fracases, but the rabbits are appeased when allowed to join the mission. The team is successfully dropped on the airfield. After a couple days they tire of spying, and determine to destroy the plane. Without resources, they steal gunpowder from the criminals in a house by the airfield, and are highly pleased when they succeed in destroying it. Unaware, Freddy lands, and is discovered by Condiment not only to be a pig, but also the Leopard Woman. He is taken prisoner, but is soon freed by the skunks and rabbits. They easily convince Condiment he is about to be roasted and eaten for “People who read comics will believe almost anything”. Condiment is tied up, but later escapes, so the confrontation continues, until the gang escapes. Freddy’s detective partner, Mrs. Wiggins the cow, arrives in disguise, fooling him, and giving her the opportunity to say, "I know you! You’re the fat, lazy good-for-nothing pig that lives on poor old Mr. Bean." She disguises herself as the Demon Woman of Grisly Gulch — another character in Condiment’s comic books. Completely cowed, as it were, Condiment is forced to write a confession of his crimes. Back at the circus, Rose cries when she reads it. In the moment of emotion, Condiment realizes he has a bargaining chip: in exchange for dropping charges, he informs Mr. Boom that Rose wants to marry him. There is a wedding the next day, and for the first time since Freddy has known him, Mr. Boom mixes himself up. |
The Colour of a Dog Running Away | null | null | The main character in the story is named Lucas. Lucas is a translator and former musician living in Barcelona, Spain. The story begins by Lucas finding a cryptic invitation to a local art gallery under his door. In turn, Lucas goes to this event and sets in motion a serious of unique events that not only disturb his daily routine, but will change his perspective forever. Lucas meets his first love, Nuria. Lucas and Nuria begin an intense love affair. Lucas meets other characters that occupy utilize his building. He meets mythic gypsies whom steal rabbits who have been raised on the roof of his building. However, shortly after Lucas and Nuria begin their relationship,they are kidnapped by a religious cult. |
Child's Play | Kia Abdullah | 2,009 | A psychological crime thriller, Child's Play follows the story of 25-year-old Allegra Ashe who, after a chance encounter with an alluring stranger, is recruited into ‘Vokoban’, a covert government unit that uses a mysterious new law to chase and convict paedophiles. Allegra becomes deeply involved with the unit and so begins her descent into the darkness and depravity of the human mind. As her life spirals out of control, the reader becomes a voyeur in a world of lust, danger, deceit and revenge. The plot explores certain controversial themes such as rape and paedophilia. Having faced a degree a controversy over her first novel, Life, Love and Assimilation, Abdullah is unsure how her second novel will be received: "It's ultra violent and ultra sexual, and there are some morally ambiguous sex scenes in there, so I don't know how people will react to that," she says on her website. She adds: |
A Failure of Capitalism | null | null | The primary argument of the book is that we have gone from a recession into a depression (the "D" word, as one author calls it) The text is divided into a preface, a conclusion, and 11 chapters: # The Depression and its Proximate Causes # The Crisis in Banking # The Underlying Causes # Why a Depression Was Not Anticipated # The Government Responds # A Silver Lining? # What We Are Learning About Capitalism and Government # The Economics Profession Asleep at the Switch # Apportioning Blame # The Way Forward # The Future of Conservativism Some of the causes of the depression that Posner cites are the lack of enforceable usury laws, which would discourage risky loans, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and central banks taking risks, securitization of mortgages, illiquidity and insolvency of the banking system, the housing bubble, blindness to warning signs of a crisis, and the preconceptions of ideology. Posner wraps up the book with a chapter containing several suggestions, including eventual re-regulation of the banking industry, but warns that "this is not the time" to do so — a long-term solution after the economy recovers — that can "wait calmer days." He also suggests putting off reorganization of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve until a later time. In the meanwhile, he writes, "piecemeal reforms may be feasible and helpful." These include a halt on government marketing of home ownership, backloading of compensation, increasing marginal income tax rates on the highest incomes, and usury laws to discourage risky loans. |
Stark Naked: A Paranomastic Odyssey | Norton Juster | null | Emotional Heights is a town where everybody's name is a play on words. The hero, Stark Naked, is a naked (except for a beret and a large 1930's-era motion picture camera) film-maker who wanders about the town seemingly amazed and perplexed by the unusual names of the townspeople. He walks in from the highway and makes his way past the town's distinguished and not so distinguished citizens. Some of the names are in lists, other names are illustrated by Roth, in a melancholy, yet humorous style. He marvels at the school ("Get High" with principal Martin Nett), the business district (home of Walter Wall Rugs) and the university (where he finds the intellectual Noel Lott). He finishes up at a restaurant (Chef Al Dente), the hospital (Carson Oma, M.D.) and finally the town cemetery (Last resting place of Dustin Toodust). |
The Monsters of Templeton | Lauren Groff | 2,008 | Willie Upton returns home to Templeton for the summer from her graduate studies in archaeology with several dark secrets. Her life seemingly in shambles, she moves back in with her mother for the summer. She never knew the identity of her real father and her mother gives her the shocking revelation that her real father is alive and living in Templeton, but it is up to Willie to dig up the deep dark secrets of the small town and thus discover his identity. She excavates data from the local archives and from ancient books and letters. She gradually pieces together her family tree. While all of this is going on, Willie is concerned in the present about a possible pregnancy, about her sick friend she left back in California, about her mother's relationship with a local preacher, about her old acquaintance Zeke and of course about Glimmey, the kindly but now dead lake monster. In the end she discovers the true identity of her father and that she was closer to him then she ever could have thought. |
Last Shot | John Feinstein | 2,006 | Steven Thomas is one of 2 lucky winners of the USA Basketball Writer's Association's contest for aspiring journalists. His prize? A trip to New Orleans and a coveted press pass for the Final Four. It's a basketball junkie's dream come true! But the games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court. Steven and his fellow winner, Susan Carol Anderson, are nosing around the Superdome and overhear what sounds like a threat to throw the championship game. Now they have just 48 hours to figure out who is blackmailing one of MSU's star players . . . and why. |
How the Scots Invented the Modern World | Arthur Herman | 2,001 | The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Epiphany, consists of eight chapters and focuses on the roots, development, and impact of the Scottish Enlightenment on Scotland and Great Britain. The roots come from an appreciation for democracy and literacy that developed from the Scottish Reformation, when John Knox brought Calvinist Presbyterianism to Scotland. He preached that God ordained power into the people and that it was for the people to administer and enforce God's laws, not the monarchy. For common people to understand God's laws they had to be able to read the Bible so schools were built in every parish and literacy rates grew rapidly, creating a Scottish-oriented market for books and writers. Though they each resented one another, the English and Scots joined in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain; the English wanted the Scots controlled and the Scots realized they could not match English power. The Scots immediately benefited from a centralised government that paid little attention to it, for example, inexpensive imports reduced the impacts of famines and allowed a Scottish culture to flourish. Herman calls the Scottish Enlightenment "more robust and original" than the French Enlightenment and that the product of the "Scottish school" was that humans are creatures of their environment, constantly evolving and trying to understand itself via social sciences. The defeat of the 1745 Jacobite rising decimated the antiquated social structure based around clans lorded over by chieftains; this liberalized the Scottish way of life by allowing citizens to own land and keep the profits instead of giving all profits to the chieftains who owned all the land. Their literate foundation allowed the Scots to become economically literate and take advantage of trade. Edinburgh and Glasgow became epicenters of intellectual thought. There existed in Scotland a clergy who believed that a moral and religious foundation was required for, and compatible with, a free and open sophisticated culture moderated hardline conservatives. Herman presents biographies of Francis Hutcheson, Henry Home (Lord Kames), Robert Adam, Adam Smith, and others to illustrate the Scottish development. The second part, Diaspora, focuses on the impacts of Scots on events, the world, and industries. Most Scots immigrants in the American colonies sympathised with the British during the American Revolutionary War but those who did fight in the militias were the most capable because many were the same refugee families from the 1745 Jacobite rising. Herman claims that the Scottish School of Common Sense influenced much of the American declaration of independence and constitution. After Great Britain lost the American colonies, a second generation of Scottish intellectuals saved Britain from stagnation and reinforced a self-confidence that allowed the country to manage a world empire during the Victorian era. Scots in India, like James Mill, led the British idea of liberal imperialism, that they had to take over indigenous cultures and run their society for their own good, or "the white man's burden". Herman claims that Sir Walter Scott invented the historical novel giving modernity a "self-conscious antidote" and gave literature a "place as part of modern life". In science and industry Herman states that James Watt's steam engine "gave capitalism its modern face, which has persisted down to today". It permitted business to choose its location, like in cities close to inexpensive labour and it was Scots who rectified negative impacts industry had, i.e. public health movement. Scots' contribution to modern society is illustrated with biographies of Scots like Dugald Stewart, John Witherspoon, John McAdam, Thomas Telford, and John Pringle, among others. |
Mind the Gap | null | null | The book tells the story of Jazz, a teenage girl whose mother is murdered. Her mother's last message, written in her own blood, says "Jazz hide forever." So Jazz runs away from the mysterious Uncles who have both protected and terrified her mother. She ends up hiding in the London Underground, where she joins up with a group of runaways known as the United Kingdom. As she spends more time there, she learns that everything is connected and begins to uncover the secrets around her life and the death of her father. |
The Primrose Ring | Ruth Sawyer | 1,915 | "In a children's hospital, a nurse relates the story of a giant ogre named Pain to the young patients." http://www.missinglinkclassichorror.co.uk/pi.htm |
Some Came Running | James Jones | 1,957 | Dave Hirsh is a cynical Army veteran who winds up in his hometown of Parkman after being put on a bus in Chicago while intoxicated. Ginny Moorehead, a woman of seemingly loose morals and poor education, has taken the same bus. Hirsh had left Parkman 16 years before when his older brother Frank placed him in a charity boarding school, and is still embittered. Frank has since married well, inherited a jewelry business from the father of his wife Agnes, and made their social status his highest priority. Dave's return threatens this, so Frank makes a fruitless stab at arranging respectability, introducing him to his friend Professor French and his daughter Gwen, a schoolteacher. Dave moves in different circles, however. He befriends Bama Dillert, a gambler who has serendipitously settled in Parkman. Two factors seem to offer Dave hope and redemption: he takes a fatherly interest in his niece, Frank's daughter Dawn, and falls in love with Gwen. Despite his somewhat notorious reputation, Dave is basically a good, honest man, well aware of his own shortcomings. His cynicism is often a mask to hide the pain of rejection. Though Ginny is not his social or intellectual match, he eventually sees the basic good in her and responds to her unconditional love. In the end, Ginny, stalked by her former boyfriend (a Chicago hoodlum), proves unequivocally the depth of her love for Dave by taking a fatal bullet for him. In the novel, however, it is Dave who is the innocent victim. |
The Sending | Isobelle Carmody | 2,011 | In a world where happiness and love are rare, Elspeth Gordie has found both. But in the midst of planning a trip to the Red Land, Elspeth at last receives her summons to leave the Land on her quest to stop the computermachine Sentinel from unleashing a second apocalypse. Though she has prepared for this day for years, nothing is as she imagined. She will go far from her desitination to those she thought lost forever. To toxic Blacklands to find a pack of mutant human-hating wolves, for only they can lead her to the forgotten Beforetime city which haunts her dreams. Accepting her mission will cost her dearly, but to refuse, or to fail, is to condemn the world to annihilation. |
Names in Marble | null | 1,936 | The novel is divided in three parts. The main characters of the novel are two brothers, Henn and Juhan Ahas. In the first part, set at the beginning of the war, a group of students from Tartu join the Estonian Army (most students join immediately). In the beginning, Henn Ahas hesitates but after his hometown is attacked he joins the army. In the first part, the political and economic situation of the nation is described through the group of students. The second part contains autobiographical references and describes the situation at the war front, and the experiences of soldiers. The third part of the novel focuses on the final stage of the war and in particular the Treaty of Tartu, which recognised the independence of Estonia. The book ends with the group of students returning to their homes. |
Juliet, Naked | Nick Hornby | 2,009 | Duncan, an obsessive music fan, receives a CD of 'Juliet, Naked', an album of solo acoustic demos of the songs on the album 'Juliet' by his favorite artist, Tucker Crowe. Duncan's girlfriend Annie opens it first and listens to it on her own. Duncan is angry, especially when she expresses her dislike for it. He writes an enthusiastic review for the fan website he is a member of. Annie writes a passionate article criticising it and receives an email response from Tucker Crowe himself. Further email correspondence ensues, much of which consumes Annie's thoughts. Tucker Crowe is in Pennsylvania preparing for a visit from his daughter Lizzie, whom he has never met. He has five children from four relationships, and his youngest son Jackson and Jackson's mother Cat are the only ones he lives with. Lizzie reveals that she is visiting because she is pregnant. Duncan meets a new colleague called Gina, whom he sleeps with. He tells Annie of his affair and she insists he move out. The next day Annie talks to her judgmental therapist Malcolm. Duncan regrets leaving Annie but she refuses to take him back. Cat breaks up with Tucker but Tucker remains looking after Jackson. Annie places a photo of Tucker and Jackson on her fridge and invites Duncan round to make him see it, gleeful that he doesn't know the significance, and tells him she is in a relationship with him. She ponders the years she has wasted with Duncan and ends up going to the pub with her friend Ros, during which she meets Gav and Barnesy, two Northern Soul dancers. Barnesy comes back to her house and tells her he loves her, but leaves after she says she won't sleep with him. Annie discusses the incident the next day with Malcolm. Tucker discovers that Lizzie has lost the baby and Cat talks him into visiting Lizzie. On arrival in London, Tucker has a heart attack and is taken into the hospital. Lizzie invites all his children and ex-wives to visit for a family reunion. A mini-narrative describes the events which caused Tucker to end his career after hearing that he had a daughter, Grace from the relationship before/during Julie. Annie visits him in the hospital and he suggests staying at her house to avoid the family reunion. The next day Annie visits again and they do, though Annie discovers he had not yet met with Grace. Tucker tells her about Grace and Juliet and Annie insists he call his family. They discuss his work; Tucker sees it as inauthentic rubbish while Annie thinks it's deep and meaningful music while clarifying that while the music is good it doesn't mean that Tucker as a person is good. She also admits that she was in a relationship with Duncan, whom Tucker knows of from the website. Annie encourages Tucker to meet Duncan but he refuses. The next day they bump into Duncan. Tucker introduces himself but Duncan doesn't believe him. After considering it, Duncan comes over and Tucker shows Duncan his passport as proof. They have tea together and Tucker clarifies some of Duncan's beliefs about him, while Duncan expresses his love of his music. Grace calls Tucker. She says she understands how he and she can't be close because it would mean giving up 'Juliet'. An exhibition Annie has been working on opens at the Gooleness museum, where she works as a curator. She suggests that Tucker could open it but the councillor in charge says he's never heard of him and invites Gav and Barnsey (two local Northern Soul dancers) to do it instead. At the party Annie admits to Tucker that she likes him romantically and afterwards they have sex. Annie says she has used a contraceptive but didn't. Tucker and Jackson return to America. Annie tells Malcolm about it all and tells him that she would like to sell her house and move right away to America to join Tucker and Jackson. Malcolm's paternalistic comment lets her realize that she's cured. She can then leave him. In the epilogue, Duncan and other fans review on the fan website a new release from Tucker, which they think is terrible; one of them writes, 'Happiness Is Poison'. Only one new member says she and her husband love the new album, while they find 'Juliet' too gloomy for their liking. |
Delicate Edible Birds | Lauren Groff | null | The anthology comprises nine dramatic stories, taken together, spanning a century. In each story, a slice of life of various American women is revealed. *"Lucky Chow Fun" takes place in the mythical Templeton (Cooperstown, New York), the setting of her first novel. In this tale, Seventeen-year-old Lollie hopes to leave for college without looking back, but sinister events end up causing her to fear for the safety of her little sister and the future of her once-safe little town. *"L. Debard and Aliette" is a crafty re-telling of the story of Abelard and Héloïse in New York amidst the 1918 flu pandemic. *"Majorette" is a story of a young woman's personal growth in Hershey, Pennsylvania and the events that make her more worldy and the father and grandfather that always hold their little girl in deep affection. *"Blythe" is the story of a bored, introverted Philadelphia attorney who has turned into a stay-at-home mom whose life changes when she takes a night class and meets an extroverted and eccentric woman who draws her out. *"The Wife of the Dictator" is a character study of a simple American girl who marries a Latin American Dictator. Her fate is inexorably bound up with his. *"Sir Fleeting" is a story where a Midwestern farm girl on her honeymoon in Argentina falls into lifelong lust for a French playboy. *"Watershed" is a tragedy, between a husband and a wife, which proves the maxim "don't say things you'll later regret". *"Delicate Edible Birds" takes place during the fall of France. A disparate, but close group of War correspondents are held against their will by an evil French Farmer who exacts a steep price in exchange for not turning them over to the Nazis. |
The Stolen Lake | Joan Aiken | null | After her adventures in Nightbirds On Nantucket, Dido Twite is travelling back to England on the HMS Thrush. En route, she befriends the ship's open-minded steward, Holystone. The ship changes course, landing on the coast of New Cumbria. Bound by ancient treaties between Britain and New Cumbria, they are given orders to assist Ginevra, the Queen. Travelling to Bath, the capital city, the crew learn that Ginevra wants them to help her recover a lake, which she claims has been stolen by New Cumbria's neighbour, Lyonesse. It seems that she is the same immortal Ginevra, or Guinevere, of myth and has waited centuries for the return of her king, Arthur. Unfortunately, she has attained immortality by cannibalistic vampirism, murdering and consuming local maidens. It then transpires that Holystone is an incarnation of Arthur, who for a thousand years had lain in suspended animation on an island in the missing lake. But this Arthur is not at all pleased at the monstrosity his ancient spouse has become. |
The Sanctuary Sparrow | Edith Pargeter | 1,983 | The story takes place over 7 days in May 1140. At the midnight services of Matins on a lovely May night, a boy speeds into the Abbey church just ahead of mob after him for theft and murder. The boy's name is Liliwin. He is a wandering jongleur and entertainer, most recently thrown out of a local goldsmith's wedding reception for breaking a wine jug during his routine. Abbot Radulfus, in his calm but forceful way, stops the mob, grants the victim's request for sanctuary and successfully orders the mob to return in quiet the next morning to discuss their charges. The next day, a sergeant under the absent Sheriff Prestcote visits the abbey to hear the charges against Liliwin. The boy is now accused of assault and robbery, the victim Walter Aurifaber being alive but unconscious since the attack. The boy's term of sanctuary will expire in forty days; if he leaves the grounds he will be taken – if lucky by the Sheriff's men, if not by the townspeople. Abbot Radulfus firmly asserts the rights of sanctuary for Lilliwin, who protests his innocence. The grandson of the Aurifaber house then requests Bother Cadfael to treat his grandmother at their home. Radulfus directs him to do so. Cadfael treats Dame Juliana, allowing him to interview several people in the house where the crime happened. He retrieves the juggling balls that Liliwin left behind. Dame Juliana is a greedy and controlling woman, a trait that affects the entire household. At the Abbey, Cadfael tells Liliwin that Walter the goldsmith will recover and be able to recount his experience. Cadfael takes his relief as a sign of Liliwin's innocence, expressing as much to Deputy Sheriff Hugh Beringar, returned from other duties in Shropshire. Liliwin's only tears fall for the loss of his rebec, which Cadfael finds on a walk back to the Abbey. When Liliwin hears that Rannilt has sympathy for him, he expresses sentiment for her also. Brother Anselm teaches him to read and write music, then adapts Liliwin's tunes for church music, and works to restore the rebec to condition. A weekend in the Abbey sees Liliwin begin to recover from his wounds in a true sanctuary. The routine is broken on Monday when Rannilt visits Liliwin with food from Susanna, and discarded men's clothing from Margery. The two fall deeply in love, then make love and fall asleep behind the chapel altar during Vespers. Liliwin's absence is noted; it is thought and hoped by Brother Prior that the young jongleur has abandoned his sanctuary. Liliwin and Rannilt wake at Compline having slept too long. Rannilt leaves unnoticed, escorted home by Liliwin, the pair walking past the guards on duty to watch for him. He risks his sanctuary for her safety. Prior Robert is most disappointed to see him the next morning. Liliwin saw Daniel leave the Aurifarber home that evening, which he reports to Brother Cadfael after Prime. That same night, Cadfael comes upon the body of Baldwin Peche the locksmith at the river's edge, the same person sought by Madog of the Dead-boat. Madog and Cadfael find clues of where his body was put in the river. They suspect Baldwin was killed at the time Liliwin was missed by Brother Prior. The townspeople accuse Liliwin of this crime immediately. Liliwin lies to Hugh Beringar, who saves him from the crowd. Later Liliwin confesses his real guilt to Cadfael. Daniel is a suspect in this murder, Margery realizes when Beringar interviews her and she lies to him. Margery realizes also that her new husband is seeing other women. She establishes her power with him and stops his wanderings, while removing the suspicion of murder from his head. Daniel's paramour has scorned him, upon being asked to say he was with her. Together Daniel and Margery confess the truth of Daniel's whereabouts the night of the murder to Hugh Beringar. At the goldsmith's house, Margery and sister-in-law Susanna fight for dominance. Susanna was not allowed a dowry by her father; she is the housekeeper for her father, brother and grandmother over 15 years. Margery wins, as decided by Dame Juliana to be effective the next morning, while Cadfael was present. Susanna puts her housekeeping accounts in order. Her grandmother hears her late in the evening at this task, and comes out to talk with her, giving a compliment on her granddaughter's management of the stores of oatmeal, which Rannilt overhears. Dame Juliana suffers a stroke in the stress of a sad realization. Her dying words to Cadfael are that she wishes she could have held her great-grandchild. The following evening Susanna quietly leaves for Wales with Iestyn and Rannilt. At a second meeting with Madog of the Dead-boat on the river, he and Cadfael find the place of Baldwin Peche's murder, where the Aurifaber property meets the Severn. Three plants grow there, found on his body. Further clues of rocks and a coin there point to the murderer, and the thief. Cadfael, Beringar and Liliwin realise that while Susanna could not have attacked Walter the goldsmith in his shop and stolen his wealth, an accomplice could have done so. Then Susanna could then have retrieved the treasure that was stolen from the well bucket and hidden it in that oatmeal bin. When Baldwin's servant boy found a coin in the well bucket, Baldwin deduced who held the stolen silver. Baldwin attempted to blackmail Susanna, a distinct mistake. She killed him by hitting him with a rock from behind and drowning him when he was unconscious, in the morning. She hid the body near the river where the laundry was dried, then gave Rannilt the day off so the body would not be seen where it fell. Cadfael deduces that Susanna is pregnant and wanted the money to elope to Wales with her lover, Iestyn, apprentice in her father's shop. They realize that Dame Juliana had figured all this out before she died, yet sought no outside help to resolve the problems in her family. Liliwin secures his freedom from Hugh Beringar, it being clear Liliwin had no role in these crimes. With Walter as a guide, Beringar, Cadfael, Liliwin and the sheriff's men pursue Susanna, Iestyn and Rannilt, who has been abducted as a witness. They corner the fugitives in the Aurifaber horse barn near the road to Wales and a hostage situation develops. Iestyn negotiates with Beringar for safe passage for Susanna, in exchange for release of Rannilt. Walter objects loudly to any bargain that risks his money, caring naught for his daughter. Beringar is patient. Liliwin the acrobat climbs to the air vent, quietly peels away the lattice wood and enters the hay loft in search of Rannilt. As dawn breaks, Rannilt slips toward the exit as Iestyn goes for Liliwin with a knife. At the same moment, Susanna runs to Iestyn and takes the arrow meant for him. Hugh Beringar climbs to the loft to take Iestyn from his dead lover. Walter runs about gathering his coins, spread across the ground by the sorrowing Iestyn. In the epilogue, Liliwin and Rannilt marry at the Abbey, and are compensated by the townsfolk for the hardship they experienced. Brother Anselm gave Liliwin his rebec, fully repaired. After the ceremony, Liliwin asks the fate of Ietsyn. Beringar will argue in his favor, as Ietsyn did not murder, what he stole is returned, and he acted at his lover's behest. Beringar sees a future for him. Liliwin and Rannilt set out on their new life. |
A Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World | Jonathan Edwards | 1,765 | Edwards argues against the people of his day that claimed that human happiness was the end for which God created the world. Edwards instead puts forth the idea that the reason for God's creation of the world was not human happiness, but the magnification of his own glory and name. Edwards then continues to argue that since true happiness comes from God alone, human happiness is an extension of God's glory, and that there are "ultimate" ends and "chief" ends, but they all end at the same conclusion. Edwards, like in Virtue, discusses how there is no true happiness without being happy in God. |
Creepers | David Morrell | 2,006 | Frank Balenger, a reporter, meets a group of four 'Creepers', urban explorers whose primary target in this case is the long abandoned Paragon Hotel. The Creepers introduce themselves as Rick, an athletic young man who is the husband of Cora, an intelligent and attractive young woman who is still longed for by Vinnie, another member of the group. They are led by Professor Conklin, who introduced them to 'Creeping' while they were students of his in College. The history of the Paragons owner, Morgan Carlisle, is told to the group by Conklin. Carlisle was a Hemophiliac ("The slightest bump or fall causes almost uncontrollable bleeding..."), who never left his Hotel until one morning he walked out to the beach the Hotel is next to and shot himself in the face with a shotgun. The five soon break into the Paragon through an underground sewer system which leads them to the pool area. They wander about, eyeing old pictures of the Hotel in its Glory, and walk up the aged stairs to some of the rooms, discovering, among other things, a decaying monkey in a suitcase left there years ago by the rooms occupant. Suddenly the floor gives and Vinnie almost falls through, though Balenger is able to assist him up and to safety. The group has a bathroom break by urinating into waterbottles (they refuse to leave any evidence of their presence behind), when something moves in the dark distance and Balenger takes out a handgun, though this is unnoticed by any of the others. They decide to leave but the stairs begin to sway and the Professor injures his leg. After the Professor is safe, Balenger and the others notice a sound in the distance, which to their horror they realize is whistling to a song Rick played earlier. Before they realize it they have been attacked and Balenger's gun is stolen. Three men tie the Creepers up and introduce themselves as Mack, JD, and Tod. JD throws Rick over the banister to fall three stories and likely to his death. Tod reveals that the reason they came was to steal from the seemingly mythical vault of a gangster named Carmine Danata, who was a frequent guest of the Hotel and was supposed to be a friend of Carlisle. Eventually they find Danata's suite. Vinnie and Balenger set the wounded Professor on a couch in the room and set off to find the Vault. They find it hidden behind a wall and in a long corridor that is in between the rooms. The vault is opened when to their shock they find a woman has been living inside the vault for an undetermined amount of time. She tells them her name is Amanda, and she reveals that she is under the capture of a mysterious man named Ronnie, who lives inside the hotel. Balenger, Tod, and Vinnie go back to the room only to find Conklin decapitated. It appears that Ronnie has killed him and disappeared. Tod, JD, and Mack decide to leave Balenger, Vinnie, Cora, and Amanda so that Ronnie may kill them as he wishes. The three leave the Creepers tied up, but Balenger is able to get out of the restraints and help the others out of theirs. Tod then returns to them, saying that JD and Mack ran into hidden piano wire and were killed by Ronnie. Balenger gets his gun back and the five try to go upstairs, Balenger remembering that Carlisle's suite had been there. They get to Carlisle's suite only to discover that Ronnie has made this his home, complete with an exercise studio, set of elevators, kitchen, and movie theatre. They discover that Ronnie has a video system all about the Paragon and has been spying on them all the time. Then Ronnie himself appears on the screen and waves to them while welding the door they got in from shut. Seemingly trapped, the elevator starts to come up. Balenger aims his gun at it, but when the doors open Rick steps out, still barely alive and impaled by a piece of furniture. An ecstatic Cora runs toward him, only for Rick to die again in her arms. She begins to cry, but is suddenly shot from under the floor. Ronnie has made a system under the floor and could hear Cora and shoot at her. Vinnie begins to weep for the now dead Cora but Balenger stops him, insisting that Ronnie can hear them from underneath. In the confusion, Tod disappears. Vinnie is injured in a shootout but Balenger and Amanda are able to help him to the roof. Unable to get all three of them down, Balenger decides the only thing to do is go back to the bottom floor. They are able to get there and find Tod, who says the door they came in from is indeed welded. Ronnie once again appears. Tod is killed, but the others manage to escape to the nearby beach. Amanda and Balenger bury an unconscious Vinnie, hoping to hide him and possibly save him if Ronnie comes out to find them. Sure enough he does, and Balenger has a scuffle which is ended when Amanda beats Ronnie over the head from behind with a wooden slat. The three make their way back to the Paragon, which is now surrounded by Policemen. When an officer asks what has happened, Balenger replies, "The Paragon Hotel." |
2 States: The Story of My Marriage | Chetan Bhagat | 2,009 | Partly autobiographical, the story is about Krish and Ananya who hail from two different states of India, are deeply in love and want to get married. The story begins in the IIM Ahmedabad mess, where Krish, a Punjabi boy from Delhi sights a beautiful girl, Ananya, a Tamilian from Chennai, quarreling with the mess staff about the food. Ananya was tagged as the "Best girl of the fresher batch". They become friends within a few days and decide to study together every night. In mean time, they become romantically involved. They both get jobs, and have serious plans for their wedding. At first Krish tries to convince his girlfriend Ananya's parents and at last and convinces them by helping Ananya's father to do his first PowerPoint Presentation, her brother, Manju, by giving him tuition and later convinces her mom by asking her sing in a concert organised by Krish's office, i.e Citibank. She was convinced as she had her biggest dream of singing in a big concert comes to be true. She sang along with T.S Subramanium and Hariharan. Then they tried to convince Krish's mom the problem was Krish's mother's relatives who doesn't quite like this, they say that Krish should not marry a Madrasi but ends up agreeing with them when Ananya tries to help one of Krish's cousin to get married and succeeds to do so. Now as they have convinced both their parents they now try to make their parents meet each other to know each. They go to GOA. But this dream of theirs ends as Ananya's parents finds something fishy between Krish's mom and him. Ananya's family end up deciding that Krish and Ananya will not marry each other But at last Krish's father who was like an enemy for Krish helps Krish and Ananya to get married as he convinces Ananya's family well. They really do very hard to convince each other parents and finally make it. It is narrated in a first person point of view in a humorous tone, often taking digs at both Tamil and Punjabi cultures . The novel ends with Ananya giving birth to twin boys. They say that the babies belong to a state called 'India'; with a thought to end inequality. What is even more interesting is the continuation of character Hari of Five Point Someone in Krish. |
61 Hours | Lee Child | 2,010 | Set in the town of Bolton, South Dakota, Reacher begins his latest adventure on a wrecked senior citizen tour bus after a near-miss with another motorist leaves the bus spinning on the icy road and trapped in a snowy bank. Immersed in a snowy, frozen landscape, Reacher works with local law enforcement to help the fragile victims. Hours later, Reacher learns Bolton is not like most towns. Beside its freezing, snowy climate, the town plays host to one of the largest prisons in the U.S., making the town and its law enforcement subject to the needs and demands of the gigantic correctional facility. At the same time, a band of outlaw bikers, settled outside the town, are on edge after their leader is arrested on drug charges. As the biker awaits trial, protecting Janet Salter, the only witness to the biker's drug transaction, becomes a top priority, and Reacher agrees to aid local law enforcement to help protect the elderly Salter. Throughout the story, brutal enemies, both foreign and domestic, are encountered. The foreign criminal from Mexico is named Plato, and the bad cop in Bolton is Chief Holland, who murders his deputy chief, Andrew Peterson; a crooked lawyer; and the witness Salter. Reacher finds help from one of his successors, Susan Turner, the current leader of the elite 110th Special Investigations Unit (Reacher's old command), while interesting new details of his past come to light, such as how a dent appeared in his desk (from injuring a corrupt general), and of how Reacher caught the attention of military command because of his childhood behavior patterns. The ending leaves the reader guessing as to the conclusion. We do not learn how Reacher manages to escape an underground facility filled with fuel by Plato's henchmen before it ignites. A brief description of how he survives the conflagration appears in the next Reacher novel, Worth Dying For. |
The Birds | Tarjei Vesaas | null | The story revolves around the inner world of Matthew, who is mentally challenged and lives with his sister. |
Freddy the Pied Piper | null | null | On a snowy February 14, Freddy learns his friend Mr. Boomschmidt ran out of money for his circus during the war years, when performances were restricted. The animals scattered a year previously to manage for themselves. Freddy gets an appeal to reassemble them and find a way to finance restarting the circus. Valentines and Jinx the cat’s painting aside, Freddy and Jinx go to Centerboro for advice. The bank will not loan money without collateral: “Chickens are off two cents, and lambs very weak. But rhinoceroses—not a very active market in them”. On a different matter, on Freddy’s advice, the bank puts out cheese so the mice will not eat the money. Freddy learns that the circus lion Leo is 200 miles away. He is lucky to catch his rich friend Mrs. Church driving that direction. She pays for a hotel while he and Jinx investigate. At Mrs. Guffin’s pet shop Freddy buys a canary that winks at him while he is questioning. The canary turns out to be a chickadee dyed yellow; he gives Freddy enough information about Leo to confront Mrs. Guffin. They manage to free him, but are now fugitives, since Mrs. Guffin claims she owns Leo. She tries to reclaim him, but is held captive until Mrs. Church arrives to take them home. Freddy’s plan to solve the bank’s mouse infestation attracted even more mice. Since the townspeople are also infested, he decides to go into business with cat acquaintances removing them. Soon they are earning good money toward restarting the circus, but Old Whibley the owl has a better plan: to rent a place for the town mice to stay the winter. The mice are won over. Freddy decides to stage a little theater, and the move into the new place is done in a parade with the pig leading as the Pied Piper. Freddy decides to take the money earned and travel with Jinx and the circus animals to Mr. Boomschmidt. They almost reach him when they come across a race track. Some animals join a race. The rhinoceroses carrying the money is waylaid by a man from the track, and the money is stolen. They arrive at Mr. Boomschmidt’s empty handed, but are welcomed just the same. While there, Freddy gets a tip from a buzzard they met on their journey, and the animals recover their money. To save Mr. Boomschmidt’s pride, Freddy concocts a séance reading where the money he earned is discovered as hidden treasure. Satisfied, but not fooled, Mr. Boomschmidt restarts the circus. |
Rookwood | William Harrison Ainsworth | null | The plot of the novel takes place in England, 1737. At a manor called Rookwood Place, there existed a legend claiming that a death would follow after a branch of an ancient tree would break. After a branch does fall from the tree, Piers Rookwood, the owner, dies. It is revealed to Luke Bradley that he was the son, and thus heir, of Piers Rookwood along with the fact that Piers Rookwood murdered Bradley's mother. This knowledge comes to Bradley while he stands near his mother's coffin, which falls and opens at the moment of revelation. During the fall, it is revealed that she was wearing a wedding ring, which proves that Bradley was not an illegitimate heir. However, the whole incident was put together by Peter Bradley, the boy's grandfather. At the same time, Rookwood's wife, Maud Rookwood, puts forth her own schemes to ensure that her son, Ranulph Rookwood, is able to claim the inheritance for himself. As the events unfold, Bradley falls in love with Eleanor Mowbray but she is in love with her cousin, Ranulph Rookwood. At his grandfather's promptings, Bradley ditches his love, a gypsy named Sybil Lovel, in order to pursue and try to force Mowbray into marriage. While this happens, the character Dick Turpin,a highwayman and thief, is introduced at the manor, under the pseudonym Palmer. While there, he makes a bet with one of the guests that he could capture himself. Eventually, Turpin is forced to escape upon his horse, Black Bess. The horse, though fast enough to keep ahead of all of the other horses, eventually collapses and dies under the stress of the escape. Later, Turpin reappears and tries to help Bradley attain Mowbray's hand in marriage, but Bradley is fooled into marrying Lovel instead, Mowbray having been taken by the gypsies. Soon afterwards, Lovel kills herself. In revenge for Lovel's death, Lovel's family poisons a lock of hair and gives it to Bradley, which soon results in his death. After the death of his grandson, Peter Bradley comes clean about his identity; he is the brother of Reginald Rookwood, father to Piers, and his real name is Alan Rookwood. Alan Rookwood confronts Maud Rookwood, and the two attack each other in the Rookwood family tomb. However, they activate some kind of machinery that causes the tomb to shut and imprison them together forever. In the end, the only surviving family members, Ranulph Rookwood and Eleanor Mowbray marry. * Piers Rookwood * Lady Maud Rookwood * Ranulph Rookwood * Luke Bradley * Susan Bradley * Peter Bradley/Alan Rookwood * Sybil Lovel * Elanor Mowbray * Dick Turpin |
Dark Entries | Ian Rankin | null | The plot of the novel involves John Constantine being convinced to enter a reality television program which has suffered several strange hauntings, a thinly veiled satire of British programmes Most Haunted and Big Brother. This turns out to be not a television programme made for humanity, but for the denizens of Hell, and John must work out a way to escape from this. |
The Cry of the Halidon | Robert Ludlum | null | The story concerns a geologist, Alex McAuliff, who is commissioned to undertake a survey in Jamaica. The survey must be carried out in secrecy. In common with other Ludlum novels the lead character discovers there is more to the deal than expected and McAuliff is enlisted by British Intelligence. The story develops as McAuliff's resources and abilities are tested eventually leading him to a secret organisation hidden in the Jamaican mountains. It too describes a secret organisation. fr:Le Secret Halidon |
Tenth Grade Bleeds | null | null | Vlad saves a small goth boy named Sprat, who was being bullied by Bill and Tom. Later on Sprat's group of friends (Goth kids that hang out front of the high school at night that Vlad was eager to talk to but afraid.) came to Vlad’s table at lunch to thank him for saving Sprat. Henry and Meredith, Vlad's girlfriend, disapproved of the goth kids so Vlad decided to go with them to the Crypt (Gothic club). Nelly tries giving the sex talk with Vlad, but he didn't want to listen. They both agreed that Otis will be the one to explain it to Vlad. Vlad has night terrors of a dark figure, and out of the shadow that surrounded it appear a silver blade. Moonlight glinted off its razor sharp surface, the man plunged the blade downward, ripping it through Vlad’s stomach. Later on he finds out that the dreams are from Otis who was captured by D’Ablo. Henry and Vlad end up separating from their friendship demanding Vlad undo the bond between them. When Vlad goes with them he meets a beautiful girl named Snow. After saving Snow from her abusive father He sinks his teeth into her neck sucking her almost dry making her drop to the ground and him leaving her there scared, wanting more of her blood. Later he calls Henry sobbing asking for help, Vlad and Henry end up friends and vampire/drudge again. Both going to face D’ablo and give the journal to him. While walking only ten steps Henry lets out a scream and Vlad turns to see Ignatius, the vampire who’d attacked him before, had Henry by a fistful of hair. A sharp, curved blade was pressed dangerously close to Henry’s throat. Later on finding out that Ignatius is none other than his own grandfather, who wants to kill Vlad and bring honor back to his family’s name. D'Ablo goes and ties Vlad up to a chair and gags him. Later than Vlad gets free. D’Ablo got away after Vlad burnt his hand off. Otis returns to Nelly’s house with Vlad and Henry waiting upon the letter from Vikas stating otherwise. At the freedom Fest Vlad breaks up with Meredith to save her from himself, and goes to the back ally where he once bit into Snow's neck and meets her there. Finally, Vlad bites into her neck because she is now his drudge. they meet frequently for some days. The book ends with a letter that Vlad was supposed to get awhile back containing Otis's teaching on writing in Elysian Code. |
Eleventh Grade Burns | Heather Brewer | 2,010 | Joss returns to Bathory, to finish the job he started during freshman year. When Vlad finds out Joss is returning and talks to his uncle, Otis, about not killing Joss because he still thinks of Joss as a friend. On the last day of summer multiple vampires come to Vlad's house to celebrate Otis's life. That's when Vlad meets Cratus, Dorian and several other unnamed vampires. Vlad finds out that Dorian has a taste for vampire blood. During this event we learn that D'Ablo got on the council of elders. At the end of the first day of school Vlad learns from Otis that Vikas will teach Vlad all he knows about the Slayer Society and until Vlad is proficient and he is still required to do his homework. On the fifth day of school Eddie Poe pays the school bullies to bring Vlad to him after school. The bullies duct tape Vlad to a tree and Eddie puts a necklace of garlic around his neck. Eddie then cuts open his hand with a knife to see if Vlad is a vampire. Joss shows up, he takes the garlic off of Vlad's neck and Eddie nearly gets killed, except that Henry shows up and convinces Vlad to wait until not as many people can see them fighting. Vikas tells Vlad a story about how his best friend betrays him. Vlad finds out that Dorian knows everyone's secrets that he encounters, but he never shares those secrets . On October 31, Vlad and Henry go to the Crypt for a vampire Halloween party. Henry dresses up but Vlad does not, since he only plans on feeding from Snow. Vikas is poisoned by someone so Vlad doesn't have lessons that day . Vlad wrongly exacts revenge on Joss without killing him; he breaks Joss' arm and beats him up. Vlad also finds out that they have been invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the McMillan's. Vlad is nearly killed by D'Ablo but Vlad breaks the sacrificial blade that D'Ablo tried to kill him with, off in D'Ablo's body . Vlad goes to the winter dance with Snow. Vlad and Otis go to New York for Otis's pre-trial. The pre-trial and the trial are held in the secret room of The V-Bar. On December 31, Tristian is killed by someone who wants to get at the Vampires of Bathory. Eddie Poe ends up writing an article about Vlad being a vampire. After this Vlad skips school for several days with the intent of never going to school again. During Vlad's last lesson by Vikas he moves as Vikas and Otis have never seen any vampire move before. Dorian allows Vlad to ask several questions about the prophecy. He finds out that he will rule over Vampire kind out of necessity and he will enslave the Human race out of charity. Vlad and Otis go back to New York to have Otis's trial but it ends up that he is acquitted. Vlad is again put on trial for destroying D'Ablo's hand and for revealing his true nature to humans. Joss shows up at Vlad's house and kills Dorian by accident. Vlad starts to fight him off almost killing him with one last hit, but then somebody shows up at the fight and tells him to stop. The last word of the book is "Dad?". |
Twelfth Grade Kills | Heather Brewer | null | At the prologue of the book, D'Ablo is murdered by a mysterious man. He is described as familiar, but lacked further information because D'Ablo dies immediately afterward. Cutting back to the present, Vlad sees his father and doubts whether he really is there. He thinks he is going crazy from drinking Dorian's blood in the previous book. His dad then disappears, leaving Vlad with Dorian's corpse and a severely injured Joss lying on the ground. Henry later comes and is the one who calls the hospital for Joss. Vlad insists that he stays despite Henry's protests. Vlad and Henry then walk home to Nelly's while Vlad explains what happened during the night. When they reach Nelly's house, they are greeted by Em and Enrico. Em informs Vlad and his Uncle Otis that D'Ablo is dead. Vlad then negotiates with Em to let him go free if he gives her his father, who of which Vlad is still uncertain is alive. Em agrees and gives Vlad until the end of the year to hand over his father. She then tells Vlad that she is actually his great-grandmother. Vlad is immensely surprised, especially when Otis reassures him by saying it's true. After Em's visit, Vlad and Henry go to the hospital to visit Joss. Two cops confront Vlad about Joss and Vlad answers some of their questions. Joss's mother will not let Vlad anywhere near Joss. After the visit, two more cops confront Vlad outside the hospital. The four cops attack Vlad, revealing that they are Slayers. Vlad knocks them unconscious with his vampire abilities. Later that day, Vlad begins his search for his father all over town. Soon enough Henry, Otis and Vikas help him in the search. Finally, days later,Vlad decides to go to his hiding spot (the belfry) in the school. When he is there, he discovers his father, who greets him warmly and explains his motives for hiding. Vlad and his father finally make up go to their house as father and son. At the house Tomas says he was hiding from a secret vampire society that wants the Pravus to enslave vampire kind and that they were responsible for the fire and Mellina's death. Otis shows up soon after and gets angry at his half brother for making Vlad suffer for many years. At the end, Snow is turned into a vampire by Vlad to keep her from dying, and Tomas is revealed to be evil and a man who had Vlad just so Vlad could become the Pravus and then Tomas could take his powers. Tomas also killed Vlad's mom, and the man in the charred bed was Aidan, the son of Dorian. Nelly dies at the hand of Tomas, then later Vlad kills Tomas with Joss' stake. Vikas turned out to be Tomas' partner in crime and had helped Tomas kill Mellina, Vlad's mom. Vikas had opened the drapes to burn Aidan. Vikas is killed by the Lucis which slips from Vlad's hand- while on- and falls over the edge of a building, slicing an unsuspecting Vikas in half. Also, it is supposedly revealed that Snow's eyes turn iridescent green near the end, hinting something, that maybe life would finally go his way. |
Not by Bread Alone | null | null | Late in the Joseph Stalin era, a teacher of physics, Dimitri Lopatkin, invents a machine which revolutionizes the centrifugal casting of pipes, then a difficult and time-consuming operation. Lopatkin, a loyal communist, believes his invention will help the Soviet economy if it is used. Despite the virtue of the machine, it is rejected by bureaucrats. When Lopatkin gets a chance to have a demonstration model built at a Moscow institute, his opponents favor a rival machine, and then cancel Lopatkin's. Lopatkin is offered a chance to work on his machine for the military, which he accepts, but is soon arrested and accused of passing secrets to his lover, Nadia Drozdov, the estranged wife of one of the officials who opposes him. At trial, Lopatkin asks what secrets he is accused of betraying, and he is told by the judges that he is not allowed to know that, the identity of the secrets is itself secret. One of the judges, a young major named Badyin, sees the absurdity of the proceedings and defends Lopatkin. Nonetheless, the inventor is convicted and sentenced to eight years in a labor camp, with Badyin announcing he will write a dissenting opinion. While Lopatkin gains permission to have his papers turned over to Nadia, the papers are believed to be destroyed. A year and a half later, Lopatkin's case is reviewed, and he is released and returns. He finds that Nadia has been able to obtain his papers, that the designers who built the demonstration model have been able to replicate it, and that his machine is in operation in a factory in the Urals. An investigation is ordered into the officials who blocked Lopatkin, but they get off lightly and are later promoted. Lopatkin is now a respected inventor, earning a fine living. The officials, who form an invisible web that frustrate the individualists, suggest that he should buy a car, a television, or a dacha, and by implication become like them, but Lopatkin says, no, he will continue to fight them: "Man lives not by bread alone, if he is honest." Lopatkin realizes he will spend his life fighting the bureaucrats. |
Veracity | Laura Bynum | null | Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a forbidden, Red-Listed word is to risk physical punishment, or even death. But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled Book of Noah, they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper—a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors’ ultimate weapon—or the instrument of their destruction. |
Tropic Moon | Georges Simenon | 1,933 | The story concerns Joseph Timar, a sensitive young Frenchman, who travels from La Rochelle to Libreville in Gabon to work at a job his uncle has arranged for him at SACOVA, a logging business. Upon arriving, he discovers the job is not available; unsure of what to do, he finds temporary residence at a local hotel where he ends up spending his time drinking and playing billiards with a group of hotel regulars: an assortment of loggers and minor government officials. After the first night of his stay, Timar awakens to an unexpected sexual encounter with Adèle, the proprietor's wife. Shortly thereafter, a black servant, Thomas, is found murdered and Adèle's ailing husband Eugène finally dies of snail fever. The night before Eugène's funeral, using the pretence of leaving Adèle alone to grieve, the regulars convince Timar to come with them on a late night jaunt to a native village. Here the group picks up African women, one of whom is married, but whose husband seems used to his wife being treated as a whore by the white colonials. The group drives to a clearing in woods and a drunken party ensues. Timar stands by while the others steal the women's clothing and drive off laughing. After the funeral, Adèle convinces Timar to use his uncle's influence to acquire a concession for the two of them for which she will provide the capital. Despite a growing suspicion that Adèle is being less than honest with him, Timar agrees. The details are worked out, and the two begin the journey by riverboat to their new territory. They pause at a village where Adèle inexplicably disappears into a native hut for a time before returning. Timar contracts dengue fever along the way, and spends the rest of the trip in a state of delirium. |
Runt | Marion Dane Bauer | 2,002 | One spring day in the forests of Minnesota, a litter of five is born into a wolf pack led by King and his mate Silver. Of the six, five pups are of regular size: Leader, Sniffer, Runner, Thinker and Helper and Hunter. The last pup looked much smaller than the others and his mother gave him the name Runt, much to King's disappointment. As Runt grows older, he still is smaller than the others but grows over time. At one point in Runt's life, he and Thinker leave the pack, a porcupine comes along and shoots them with quills. Runt was hit, and Thinker got hit in the eye, They tried to go home and when they did Thinker had died soon later. King was so angry and sad. He thought he would be renamed twice; one time he though he would be renamed "Brave One" when he howled at the humans, and the other time he thought he would be "Provider" when he brings back the tail of a cow. In the end he is named "Singer" for all the times he sang when he was happy, lonely or sad. |
The Sound of Fishsteps | Buket Uzuner | null | Turkish prodigy Afife Piri, a descendent of Ottoman-Turkish cartographer Piri Reis, is invited, along with 87 other international selects, to take part in a UN sponsored retreat in an unnamed Scandinavian city. At the retreat she encounters a man claiming to be the French novelist Romain Gary, with whom she falls in love, and the descendents of other iconoclastic geniuses including Joan of Arc, Anaïs Nin, Nehru and Edvard Grieg. The mysterious director of the retreat, Dr. Gunnar, however, has a secret agenda that is slowly revealed. |
The Quest Begins | Cherith Baldry | 2,008 | The novel follows the adventure of four bears, Kallik (a polar bear), Lusa (a black bear), Toklo (a brown bear) and Ujurak (a shapeshifter who is usually a brown bear). The novel first follows Kallik who lives with her mother and brother. However, they are separated on ice when a group of killer whales attacks them and Kallik must survive by herself. On her own, Kallik decides to go to a gathering place for polar bears that her mom told her about. At the gathering, Kallik asks other polar bears if they have seen her brother, but no one has. Alone, Kallik meets a female bear Nanuk who helps Kallik around the area. However, Nanuk is killed by a helicopter crash shipping her and Kallik back to the wild and Nanuk tells Kallik about a place where the ice never melts. Hearing this, Kallik sets off to this place. Somewhere is the Rocky Mountains in southern Canada, Toklo's mom is bringing Toklo and his sickly brother to a river to teach them how to catch salmon. However, in insanity, Toklo's mom abandons Toklo after a mental break because his brother died. Now Toklo must survive on his own, just like Kallik. Wandering randomly, Toklo meets an injured human who requests Toklo to retrieve certain herbs, which he does. The human introduces himself as a Shapeshifter named Ujurak and the two travel together. Lusa is a pampered black bear living in the Bear Bowl, a zoo in Canada. Despite knowing that the wilderness is harsh, Lusa has dreams about one day escaping and living outside. Her father, King, once lived in the wild and is strongly against Lusa's idea. One day, Toklo's mom is brought into the Bear Bowl. She talks with Lusa about how much she regretted abandoning her cubs, but that it was too late and that she couldn't find them. Hearing this, Lusa decides to bring a message to Toklo about how sorry his mother is. Although Lusa succeeds in escaping, she realises the dangers of the wild. At the end of the story, Ujurak and Toklo meet up with Lusa. |
Child of All Nations | Pramoedya Ananta Toer | 1,980 | The story continues where This Earth of Mankind leaves off, shortly after Annelies has departed by ship to the Netherlands with Panji Darman secretly in tow. Having promised to watch over Annelies, Panji discovers her room on the ship, only to be recruited by the ship's crew in taking care of the severely ailing young woman. Panji continues to accompany her after arriving in the Netherlands where she unfortunately passes away after rapidly deteriorating. He relays this information back to Nyai and Minke through multiple letters. From this point, Minke attempts to continue on with his life by writing for Maarten Nijman and the Soerabaiaasch Nieuws, however he is challenged by his good friend Jean Marais, as well as Kommer later on, to write in Javanese or Malay. They argue that in doing so, he would be helping his people in their struggle to overcome the oppression laid down by the Dutch occupying their nation. At first, Minke refuses on the grounds that it would tarnish his rising, refutable position in his influential field. His opinion quickly changes after recording an interview between Nijman and a member of the Chinese Young Generation, Khouw Ah Soe. After being a part of the unique experience, Minke feels quite proud, as well as curious of Soe's position and beliefs. Soon after, he discovers the article he wrote was completely ignored, only to be replaced by Nijman's self-report of Soe being a Chinese radical, opposing old Chinese traditions, and generally being a trouble-maker. Minke feels hurt from the encounter, and decides to take Kommer up on his offer to visit the Sidoarjo region and discover who his people really are. |
Search the Sky | Cyril M. Kornbluth | 1,954 | Halsey's Planet is in decline, and when a generation ship arrives, having failed to contact six other planets, Ross is sent to discover the state of the interstellar colonies. He is given a ship which can make the trip from colony to colony almost instantaneously. The technology used in the ship has been kept secret because it could give rise to interstellar war if one colony decided to conquer others. However, the isolated populations are also affected by genetic drift resulting in a decline in their societies. The first planet he visits has been completely destroyed, the second is a gerontocratic travesty of a democracy, and the third is a repressive matriarchy. On the way he picks up companions Helena and Bernie. The next planet they visit is supposed to be Earth, but it turns out not to be; not only are its planetary statistics different from Earth's, but it is populated by a race of almost-identical people called Joneses. This planet, also called Jones, is ruled by a cult of total conformity in all areas of life, including genetic phenotype. Ross discovers that the equation whose meaning he has been seeking refers to the loss of unfixed genes in a small population, which explains the degeneracy of the planets he has visited. Dr. Sam Jones learns that he has been worshiping an equation on genetic drift, and joins the little band. They sort out their navigational problem and finally make it to Earth, which is a civilisation of morons protected by a small minority of hidden geniuses, like the situation in "The Marching Morons". Ross realises that the problem with all the degenerate worlds is their isolation; luckily he has the FTL drive and so sets about rectifying the problem by bringing them together. |
The Cream of the Jest | James Branch Cabell | 1,917 | The book begins with a chapter in which Richard Harrowby, a Virginian cosmetics manufacturer, promises to explain the sudden appearance of "genius" in his late neighbor, Felix Kennaston. His story will be based on his notes from a conversation with Kennaston. There follow the last six chapters of Kennaston's first draft. A clerk named Horvendile is in love with the heroine, Ettare, but sees her as the ideal woman who is in all desired women, not someone he can love with the disappointments of living with a flesh-and-blood person. He brings about the climactic confrontation between hero and villain. After the hero wins, Horvendile reveals to him and Ettare that they are characters in a book and that he is the Author's stand-in. He must return to his own, prosaic country. As safe-conduct back to Storisende, Ettare gives him half of a talisman she wears, the Sigil of Scoteia. Having composed this while walking in his garden, Kennaston realizes he has dropped a piece of lead: a broken half of a disk inscribed with indecipherable characters. He surmises he was unconsciously inspired by it to invent the sigil. That night he falls asleep looking at the gleaming metal and has a lucid dream of Ettare, who is also aware that she is dreaming. When he touches her, he wakes up. Kennaston writes a new ending for his novel. After a reviewer condemns it as indecent, it becomes a bestseller. When Kennaston sleeps facing light reflected from the mysterious sigil, he dreams that he as Horvendile meets Ettare in various times and places, but she is always untouchable. (He can set up the reflections conveniently because he sleeps in a separate room from his wife; their relations had long been friendly but mutually uncomprehending.) Fascinated by the sigil and mysterious clues he receives, by his dreams, and by the ironic philosophical speculations they lead him to, he loses interest in ordinary life apart from his next book. Just before that book is published, he enters his wife's dressing room in her absence and finds the other half of the sigil. He concludes that she was Ettare all along, and he remembers his former love for her. However, she ignores his tentative affection, and her only comment when he shows her the sigil is that their neighbor Harrowby might know something about it. She throws both pieces away. Without the inspiration of his dreams, Kennaston largely stops writing. His wife dies. As Harrowby is interested in the occult, Kennaston follows his wife's hint by showing him the sigil (found in her dressing room) and telling him about the dreams. Harrowby recognizes it as the mock-antique lid of his company's brand of cold cream. He does not disillusion Kennaston, but "gently" raises the possibility that the sigil might not be miraculous. Kennaston scornfully replies that such a possibility would not change what the sigil taught him: everything in life is miraculous. Cabell himself drew the book's image of the sigil, which looks like writing in a strange alphabet. When turned upside-down and looked at in a mirror, it reads, "James Branch Cabell made this book so that he who wills may read the story of man's eternally unsatisfied hunger in search of beauty. Ettare stays inaccessible always and her loveliness is his to look on only in his dreams". |
The Little Stranger | Sarah Waters | 2,009 | Faraday, a country doctor with humble beginnings, is called to Hundreds Hall, an 18th century estate that has lived far beyond its former glory. He treats a young maid who dislikes the large, drafty emptiness of the house, but strikes a friendship with Caroline Ayres, the unmarried daughter of the family, her brother Roderick, who continues to heal physically and mentally from his experiences as a pilot in World War II, and their mother, the lady of the estate. He begins treating Roderick's lingering badly healed wounds and becomes a family friend, knowing them well enough to realise they are in dire financial straits and unable to keep the house in any comfortable condition without selling their lands or objects in the house. In an attempt to cheer up the family and possibly match Caroline to a potential husband, they throw a party for a few family friends when disaster strikes. A couple brings their young child who is mauled by Caroline's ancient and previously gentle Labrador retriever. Roderick begins to behave moodily and drink heavily. Faraday believes the strain of managing the estate is at fault. Roderick, however, divulges that something appeared in his room the night the dog attacked the girl. It was first in his room trying to harm him, and that he must keep the unseen force focused on him so as not to direct its attention to his sister or mother. Spots begin appearing on his walls looking like burns, and he is committed to a mental hospital after Caroline awakes in the middle of the night to find his room on fire though he is passed out in a drunken stupor. Faraday and Caroline waver between romance and confused platonic friendship. Other sounds in the house alarm Caroline and Mrs Ayres and their two maids. They find curious childish writing on the walls where these activities have taken place. The maids' bells sound without anyone calling them; the phone rings in the middle of the night with no one on the line. A 19th century tube communication device linking the abandoned nursery to the kitchen begins to sound, scaring the maids. When Mrs Ayres goes to investigate, she is locked in the nursery where Susan, her much-loved first daughter, died of diphtheria at eight years old. Experiencing shadows and indiscernible fluttering and frantic to escape, Mrs Ayres pounds the windows open, cutting her arms. After Caroline and the maids free her and she recovers, she comes to believe and take comfort that Susan is around her at all times, that Susan is impatient to be with her though she sometimes harms her. Caroline and the maid find one morning Mrs Ayres has hanged herself. The day of Mrs Ayres' funeral, Faraday and Caroline set plans to marry in six weeks' time. Caroline, however, is listless and uninterested in the wedding, eventually calling it off and making plans to sell Hundreds Hall. Faraday is unable to believe it and tries several times to talk Caroline out of it to no avail. On the night of their would-be wedding, Faraday has a call that keeps him out and comes home to learn that Caroline hurled herself off of the second floor onto a marble landing, killing herself. The maid reports at the inquest that she awoke to hear Caroline go upstairs to inspect a sound she heard in the darkened hall. She simply said "You!" then fell to her death. Three years later, Faraday continues to visit the abandoned mansion, unable to find what Caroline saw. |
Monsters of Men | Patrick Ness | 2,010 | The book picks up where the previous one left off. A Spackle army marches on New Prentisstown from one direction, and the forces of the Answer from the other direction. Mayor Prentiss has been freed by Todd to help defend the city, whilst Viola is with the Answer and the scout ship, in hopes of acquiring additional aid. The Mayor assembles his army and orders attacks on the Spackle army at the waterfall near the city. The Spackle, however, while outgunned, are thousands in number, and their weaponry has evolved since the first war thirteen years prior. While keeping the bows and arrows, a new weapon that unleashes white 'sticky' fire is mounted on the back of their bullock -like creatures, labelled ‘battlemores’ by the settlers. This, along with another weapon - white sticks that shoot a mixture of organic chemicals - easily beat back the Mayor's first wave. Todd is nearly obliterated by the fire weapon, but uses his Noise in the same way he used it against the Mayor to incapacitate the rider of the battlemore. A second wave of soldiers, this time utilising artillery to cover them, are able to send the Spackle back in retreat. Meanwhile, Viola finds Mistress Coyle with the scout ship, which has landed at the base of the demolished communications tower. Two friends from the settler convoy, Simone and Bradley have been sent to look for Viola, and are shocked at the state she, and the settlement, is in. Mistress Coyle, at first surprised that Viola is alive, quickly recovers, and tries to explain her actions. But Viola silences her and warns Simone and Bradley not to trust the healer. Then, concerned with Todd’s safety, Viola asks Bradley to launch a survey probe to scope out the scene. After seeing the war and Spackle weaponry, and faced with the risk of losing Todd, Viola nearly launches one of the scout ship's point-to-point missiles at the battle. However, the Mayor’s secret artillery is fired first. Bradley and Simone accept Viola's decision that nobody is trustworthy, save for Todd, and send the probe to observe the Spackle encampment, revealing the enormous numbers they have. The narrative then switches to a Spackle in the midst of the Spackles’ camp. The spackle is 1017, called the Return, and exists as a separate entity to the Land, the Spackles. He is the only surviving Burden, and seeks revenge on the Clearing for killing his ‘one’. His viewpoint ends with Bradley's probe being shot down. The next day, Spackle dam off the river far down, blocking the water supply, and attack the Mayor's camp with a bow-launched burning boomerang that is capable of returning after hitting several targets and then being re-launched in a matter of seconds. Coyle attempts to manipulate Viola to launch a missile to save ‘her boy’, but Bradley is heavily against it. Todd, being watched by a new probe, becomes a stationary target when his horse, Angharrad, refuses to move and he refuses to leave her (he cannot do the same thing he did to Manchee). When Viola thinks she sees Todd getting hit by one boomerang, though it was actually the Mayor's horse, she launches the missile, which causes a catastrophic explosion. This kills all the Spackle archers and blocks the way up and down the hillside, separating the two armies. The Mayor then sends the thought ‘I am the circle and the circle is me’ into Todd, softly, though Todd objects and threatens to hurt him. Then he notices that this quietens his Noise, and pushes away the memories of war, and so he finds himself repeating it for comfort and power. Viola arrives at the town square, shaken that she caused a war for Todd. Todd tells her that he would have done the same, but she finds little comfort. She then notices that Todd’s Noise is quieter, and he sees that she is ill, but the two do not elaborate on either conditions. The narrative switches again to the Return, who is arguing with the Sky, the leader of the Spackle, and demands more action and attacks. The Sky refuses to do anything that will not be for the good of the Land, but asks the Return to trust him, and takes his to the Pathway’s End. He reveals ‘the Source’, a human captured before the war began. The Sky offers the Source to the Return if the two armies reach peace. The Return is unsure why such a person would be considered a reward until he recognises the Source as Ben, Todd's adoptive father. Meanwhile, refugees begin to pour in from the outskirts of New Prentisstown - most of the men joining the Mayor's forces in the town square, while most of the women joining Coyle's forces at the landing site. The Spackle begin attacking the town at random, destroying various targets and killing any scout parties the Mayor sends. The white stick weapons are realised to be some sort of ballistic weapon that shoot acid, which vaporizes on leaving the barrel, but keeps cohesion until it hits a target. Eventually, the water store is attacked, and nearly all of the remaining water is lost. During this time, the Mayor loses control over ordering soldiers with his Noise, and Todd hits him and takes over. The Mayor praises him for having such ability, but Todd is preoccupied with the discovery of James’ body (a soldier who feeds the horses, drowned in the water tank flood). He would not have been killed if Todd had not controlled him to go get extra water for Angharrd, and this causes Todd to regret having controlled him for his own desires. Now without water, and the Answer without food, the two parties are forced into a peace talk at the destroyed House of Healing. The Mayor and Todd meet Coyle, Simone, Bradley and Lee, and Todd and Viola quickly disclose the fact that they have brought additional soldiers who are in hiding. However, Todd doesn’t reveal why his Noise is becoming harder to hear, and Viola refuses to acknowledge that the infection from her arm band is starting to seriously affect her. After negotiations, a peace is reached and a transfer of food is made from New Prentisstown to Coyle's camp. Now that the two groups are working together, the Mayor lures Spackle out to fight them, and the Answer provides bombs to destroy the attacking Spackle. Bradley, nicknamed ‘the Humanitarian’, angrily convinces Todd and Viola to stop this. A Spackle is captured by the Mayor, and then sent back to the encampment with two messages. The Mayor sends one of absolute silence, and Todd tells them that they want peace. He hears the Spackle call him ‘the Knife’ before running away. Angry that the Mayor undermined her, Mistress Coyle sends a bomb into the Spackle stronghold. The Spackle respond by sending the same Spackle that was captured, telling them to send two people to meet the Sky on the hill tomorrow morning. Viola and Bradley, who has caught the Noise germ and will thus appear more trustworthy, are sent to talk. The Sky greets them, but one individual - 1017, the survivor of the Mayor's genocide, and the Spackle who had sworn vengeance on Todd when he was saved - recognizes Viola as Todd's ‘one’, and attempts to murder her. However, he stops when he sees the ID band that had been banned onto her wrist, and in his surprise is taken away by the Land. Hesitantly, the peace talks resume. That night, however, the Spackle launch a surprise attack on the Mayor and Todd. But the Mayor, who had read the Sky’s Noise through the messenger, knew of this plan beforehand and had already set up his artillery and soldiers. After killing the attacking Spackle, the Mayor grabs Todd’s comm and tells the Sky that he can read him and that he should forfeit. The Sky, shocked, agrees. The Return, meanwhile, has returned to the Pathway’s End to kill Ben as peace has now been reached. The Sky meets him there, and watches as the Return fails to murder Ben, unable to kill just like Todd. He resents this, but the Sky tells him he will need this knowledge when he becomes the Sky, and then wakes up Ben, ignoring the Return’s confusion at this statement. When Ben wakes, he can speak in the language of the Land. The next day, peace is reached, though negotiations are scheduled to continue. The Mayor strategically announces that they have beaten the Spackle to the hilltop campers, and that a cure for the ID band infection has been found. Mistress Coyle is outraged and convinced that the Mayor planned this, and takes to testing the cure, warning that audience that the Mayor is up to something. Her accusations are met with booing and anger, and she recedes in bitter anger. Soon, testing reveals that the cure uses an aggressive antibiotic mixed with an aloe the Mayor claims he found in Spackle weaponry, which allows the medicine to disperse ten to fifteen times faster. Viola asks Todd to decide if she should take the cure. At the town square, the Mayor teaches Todd how to read by giving his skill of reading through Noise. After reading his mother’s diary, Todd asks the Mayor if the cure is real, and the Mayor simply says it will. Convinced, Todd brings the bandages to Viola the next morning to treat her infection. A little later, Mistress Coyle delivers a speech on her intentions to resign and hand over leadership to the Mayor fully. However, it quickly turns out to be a plot to kill the Mayor using a bomb strapped to her own person. Todd, in an attempt to save Simone who is in front of Mistress Coyle, inadvertently saves the Mayor instead, foiling her plan and revealing that he can control people with his Noise (as he ordered Wilf to jump from his position near Mistress Coyle). The Mayor thanks Todd endlessly but Todd is horrified that he has saved the Mayor subconsciously and not Simone, as proven by the replay on nearby probes. Viola is similarly horrified, unsure of who Todd has become. She tells him that she hates his silence, and they fight, Todd convinced that the Mayor has changed and Viola accusing him of turning into the Mayor. She then tells him that she cannot trust him anymore; that he isn’t him anymore, causing his Noise to flare up in anger, shock and hurt. The Mayor interrupts before more can be said, intent on delivering another speech to show the citizens that he is okay. As the Mayor starts the speech, and asks Todd to be his son, Ben and the Return arrive. Todd, overwhelmed by happiness, launches himself at Ben and leaves the Mayor on stage, ordering people to get out of his way as he runs. The two embrace, and the Mayor is left feeling betrayed and unwanted. Now that Ben can speak the Spackle’s language, he prefers using his Noise to communicate, and, consequently, Todd’s noise opens up around Ben as they talk. After this, Todd asks Viola to leave New Prentisstown with him when the war is over, and declares that he doesn’t care about what will happen to everyone without his supervision. His Noise is audible once more, and he openly thinks about how beautiful Viola is and how he wants to hold her. He hastily apologises, but Viola kisses him, and thinks that it feels like ‘finally’. The present party splits to settle a peace immediately, leaving Todd and the Mayor alone. Angered that Todd no longer cares about him, and wishes to leave him the moment peace is established, the Mayor shoots Ivan and steals the scout ship, kidnapping Todd in the process. Learning how to operate the scout ship by stealing Bradley’s Noise, the mayor launches the missiles at the Spackle, where Bradley, Viola and Ben are still negotiating terms. However, the missiles and 'cluster bombs' later fired does not explode. The Mayor decides to try something different, remembering a trick Bradley’s grandfather had taught his grandson. He remixes the fuel and releases it. The fuel mixture is the same used by Viola's campfire box in 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' when only a few drops blew up the bridge between old Prentisstown and Farbranch. The fire kills many Spackles, including the Sky, and the Return becomes the new Sky. Todd attempts to call Viola, but is cut off by the mayor. However, Todd manages to convey that they are headed for the ocean. The new sky then releases the water as a retort. In this process, the town is swept away, and the army, previously controlled by the mayor, returns to self-control. Humans and the Sky then manages a ceasefire. The Mayor then lands at the ocean. The new Sky decides to attack the settlers, while the Mayor had ordered his remaining captains to attack the Answer and march into the town square to die. However, Lee, using a rifle with Wilf's help, kills Captain Tate and the soldiers join the remaining people. Wilf and Ben manage to dissuade the Sky from the attack, Wilf’s honest and open Noise showing the Sky how to listen to the Land, leaving the Mayor disappointed. Viola and Bradley now ride to the ocean in hopes of aiding Todd. However, Acorn, Viola's horse, dies from exhaustion, and she is forced to ride Angharrad while Bradley is left behind. At the ocean, the Mayor congratulates Todd, then says he will be a fine leader of New World - a world he doesn't want to be a part of, as the mayor is dying, by his 'too much knowledge'. The mayor then fights with Todd, using only their noises, and Todd wins. The mayor then commits suicide by walking into the sea, where the killer fish eats him. The Sky arrives on his battlemore with Ben. He sees Viola and Todd, but mistakes Todd for the Mayor and shoots him in the chest with the acid rifle. Todd’s Noise disappears, and he dies, driving Viola to threaten shooting the Sky back. The Sky, revealing that he shot despite knowing that it might have been Todd, realises how wrong he was to do so, and feels the regret Todd felt when killing a Spackle in book one. Viola stops short of killing him, realising that it would cause never-ending war, and that no one would remember Todd, and everything that he had done, after. She warns the Sky to get out of her sight, and returns to Todd. Ben suddenly asks if she can hear anything, swearing that he can hear Todd’s Noise. The Spackle attempt to cure Todd with their medicine, and house him in the Pathway’s End. The remedies are working, and his Noise returns in burst on and off. The main convoy is about to arrive to a large ceremony, one which Viola will not attend because she will not leave Todd’s side until he wakes up, though she knows that he will be changed, like Ben was. The Sky has promised not to take the cure for the band infection until Todd is cured, in an act of self-discipline, but Viola does not forgive him and will not let him enter to see Todd. Everyday, Viola continues to read Todd's mother's journal to him, hoping that he will hear and come back. The epilogue cycles through Todd's experiences in the coma. He is entering his old memories, at his school, at Farbranch, but also human and Spackle memories from all over New World. He searches for Viola, unsure who she is, who he is. Every now and then, he hears abstracts from his mother’s diary, and Viola, and he begs Viola to keep calling for him. The novel ends with hope that he’ll return, the last lines being "Keep calling for me Viola-, Cuz here I come". |
Freddy and the Ignormus | null | null | :"'When you’re alone,' said Freddy firmly, 'and you hear or see something scares you, the thing to do is walk right up and find out what it is.'" (p. 9) In answer, the stuttering frog Theodore challenges him to visit the Big Woods. The Woods were owned by Mr. Grimsby, who attacked animals. After he left, the Woods' reputation worsened. Not for the first or last time, Freddy and Theodore find it is easier to be brave when not in the Woods. When startled, they flee outside, only to meet their enemy Simon the Rat, who has seen their flight. He warns about a mysterious, killer "Ignormus". Simon’s return prompts a general meeting of the F.A.R. (First Animal Republic), a group once organized to tend the farm while the Beans vacationed. Many do not believe that Freddy was in the Big Woods, including Charles the rooster. :"'Or is it, as some old legends tell, a bird with the head of a lion?...Is its name, as Simon says, the Ignormus? No one knows.' :'If you just got up to tell us that you don’t know anything,' said Old Whibley...'you can sit down again. We knew that before.'" (p. 51) Freddy dares Charles to go into the Big Woods with him. Charles is frightened, but his wife Henrietta bullies him. The rooster and Freddy arrive independently in the woods. Freddy’s imagination turns a sighting of the rooster into a creature with a long snout and tail feathers. Charles in turn mistakes the pig. After Charles brags widely, they discover that they only saw one other. The animal’s bank is robbed, the Ignormus is suspected. Freddy disguises himself as a hunter, borrowing Mr. Bean’s shotgun. While investigating the old Grismby house Freddy fires at what he thinks is a snake, knocking himself out. When he revives the shotgun is missing. At the farm, the practical cow, Mrs. Wiggins modestly questions why such a terrible Ignormus would not confront Freddy. "'I don’t know what I mean...I just say what I think. You’re smart. It’s up to you to figure out what I mean.'" (p. 130) The Bean farm is robbed, and missing items are found in Freddy’s pigpen. Freddy gets a report that animals are being threatened in the name of the Ignormus. Investigating, an extortion letter in familiar handwriting is found. Jinx the cat is unimpressed with the pig’s deductions: :"'To the eye of the trained detective nothing is ever just what it seems to be.' :'What does that make you, then?' said the cat." (p. 160) Suspiciously, walking the Big Woods road, seeking the letter writer, they once again meet Simon. Then a huge white shape with horns floats from the woods, and they flee. Returning to the Grimsby house, the missing shotgun is pointed at Freddy and Theodore from a window. Retreating to the bridge where the animals are leaving goods extorted from them, they encounter Charles talking with the Ignormus’ small henchman. Hidden, Freddy mimics the henchman’s voice, insulting the rooster and sending him into a fighting fury. Charles wins the fight (and gains the reputation that follows him through the rest of the series). They discover that the henchman is Simon’s son just before he escapes. Frightened animals are starting to leave the farm when Freddy gives a speech pointing out that they are "deserting under fire". Animal patriotism and fighting spirit are roused. A beetle volunteers to climb up the shotgun barrels to gnaw out the gunshot. F.A.R. president Mrs. Wiggins organizes her troops. Charging the Grimsby house, they are halted by Simon. But he just has insults and seeks no compromise. The charge continues, the gun goes off, the gunpowder alone slightly injuring Freddy. The house is overrun, but they only find Simon and his gang. Old Whibley the owl reveals the final mystery, dropping on Freddy the weighted bedsheet used to allow the "Ignormus" to drift through air. Mrs. Bean is sympathetic about the rats' trials, and they accept her offer of hospitality, except Simon, "I don’t want kind words, and I don’t deserve them." (p. 278) The rest of the animals throw a party. But at the end, Jinx observes that there will always be "Ignormuses". |
The Other Lands | David Anthony Durham | 2,009 | Several years have passed since the demise of Hanish Mein. Corinn Akaran rules with an iron grip on the Known World's many races. She hones her skills in sorcery by studying The Book of Elenet, and she dotes on her young son, Aaden – Hanish's child – raising him to be her successor. Mena Akaran, still the warrior princess she became fighting the eagle god Maeben, has been battling the monsters released by the Santoth's corrupted magic. In her hunt she discovers a creature wholly unexpected, one that awakens emotions in her she has long suppressed. And Dariel Akaran, once a brigand of the Outer Isles, has devoted his labors to rebuilding the ravaged empire brick by brick. Each of the Akaran royals is finding their way in the post-war world. But the queen's peace is difficult to maintain, and things are about to change. When the League brings news of upheavals in the Other Lands, Corinn sends Dariel across the Grey Slopes as her emissary. From the moment he sets foot on that distant continent, he finds a chaotic swirl of treachery, ancient grudges, intrigue and exoticism. He comes face to face with the slaves his empire has long sold into bondage. His arrival ignites a firestorm that once more puts the Known World in threat of invasion. A massive invasion. One that dwarfs anything the Akarans have yet faced. <!-- |
A Grass Rope | William Mayne | 1,957 | When Adam Forrest comes to re-paint the outside of the Unicorn Inn in Vendale he is determined to make sense of an old story told in the Dyson and Owland families. Long ago, it is said, Dyson the innkeeper desired to marry Gertrude Owland, the daughter of a knight, who lived on the other side of the ridge in Thoradale. She was willing, but the knight refused permission and trained a pack of hounds, together with a fierce unicorn brought from overseas, to defend her. Dyson used magic to entice the animals into the land of the fairies under the fell, while he eloped with Gertrude. However, he did not know that all the Owland fortune was in the collars of the animals, and he was later drowned by the fairies while trying to retrieve it. According to local legend, the hounds can sometimes still be heard hunting under the hill. Mary and Nan Owland live at Lew Farm, near the site of the old Owland house. Mary is young enough to believe in the fairies of the tale and to believe that the hounds and the unicorn are still alive under the fell, while her older sister Nan does not believe any of it. Adam thinks there is a common-sense explanation and, quite possibly, a treasure to find. While repainting the inn sign he finds an ancient hunting horn embedded in the frame. He guesses that Dyson used it to draw the hounds towards a steep black cliff between the dales known as Yowncorn Yat (local dialect for "Unicorn Gate"), the cliff having acted as an echo wall. One night Mary sneaks out to Yowncorn Yat and crawls through a tunnel under the hill which she thinks is an entrance to fairyland. She catches one of the hounds, except that it turns out to be a fox, and unknowingly picks up some silver treasure and a horned skull at the bottom of a mineshaft. Adam is sure he has worked it all out except that he cannot account for the skull which could only have belonged to a unicorn. |
The Anome | Jack Vance | null | It tells the story of a boy growing to manhood in the land of Shant, a society composed of many different, and wildly individual cantons, some of which are run by cults. Each adult wears an explosive torc which can be detonated by remote command, bringing about instant death by decapitation. The torcs are controlled by an anonymous dictator, the Anome, whose identity is literally unknown. Because those whose heads are exploded are selected primarily by the cantonal leaders, for violations of local law, the Anome is able to operate with only a handful of assistants, or 'Benevolences', who themselves do not know his identity. |
The Family Frying Pan | null | null | Set initially in Tsarist Russia, the novel tells of Sara Moses, always known as 'Mrs Moses'. She is a sixteen year old servant girl who is the sole survivor of a pogrom in her shtetl. She manages to escape and is able to bring with her only a heavy frying pan found in the ruins of the Rabbi's house. She travels across Russia, hoping to find freedom and safety, utilising the pan to cook what food she is able to find. As she travels, she is joined by various fellow-escapees from Russia. Every night, around the cooking fire, each traveller tells a tale from his or her life. Mrs Moses eventually finds sanctuary in Australia and marries a fellow (non-Jewish) Russian refugee. Their great-granddaughter, the narrator, continues to cook fish every Friday evening for shabbat dinner, using the frying pan, which is possessed of a Russian Soul. |
The Incendiary's Trail | James McCreet | null | The book begins with the grisly murder of a conjoined (‘Siamese’) twin who is part of a travelling freak show. Investigating the crime is Sergeant George Williamson, a member of the newly formed Metropolitan Police Detective Force. However, when police regulations prevent Williamson from investigating the crime as freely as he might, a suspected criminal is recruited by the detective’s superior, Inspector Albert Newsome. The investigation leads the policeman and their new recruit to a blackmailer and arsonist (or ‘incendiary’ in the language of the time) who – unknown to the policemen – knows their unwilling ‘volunteer’ personally and has scores to settle. The story has a number of murders – one of them a classic ‘locked-room’ mystery – and also some large set pieces, including a public hanging, a masked ball and a balloon chase. |
The Pyramid. The Soviet Mafia | null | 1,990 | The 260 pages of the book are divided in 27 chapters. The first part describes the motives for the Soviet corruption. The second part shows how Soviet Intelligence finds out about so called Uzbek Affair. To the common Russians some names in this book became synonymous with corruption, nepotism and the Great Cotton Scandal of the late Brezhnev period. At last few episodes from life of Brezhnev's family (Galina Brezhneva and others). |
Petrogypsies | null | null | Henry Lee MacFarland is a big ugly man, a farmer who is so strong that he has to be gentle, whether he's dealing with livestock or with normal people. Sprocket is a hundred and twelve feet of healthy young male Driller, dark as a moonless night, with a spiked tongue that can bore four miles into the earth in his relentless quest for the thing he loves best—Texas heavy crude oil. Doc, Razer, Big Mac, and the others in Sprocket's crew are the roughest, rowdiest bunch in the oilpatch. They live inside of Sprocket's body and travel like gypsies from one drilling job to another. They work like animals. Party like 'em, too. Then there's Star, the stunning Casing gypsy who has a hankering for fine cigars, a killer instinct at poker, and a taste for big, ugly, strong men. Looking for adventure, Henry Lee leaves the farm behind and signs on with Sprocket's crew. He gets a lot more "adventure" - as in monsters, mayhem, and murder — than he bargained for. |
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas | Augusten Burroughs | null | The book is a collection of autobiographical holiday stories recounted by the author. |
End the Fed | Ron Paul | 2,009 | Paul argues that "in the post-meltdown world, it is irresponsible, ineffective, and ultimately useless to have a serious economic debate without considering and challenging the role of the Federal Reserve." In End the Fed, Paul draws on American history, economics, and anecdotes from his own political life to argue that the Fed is both corrupt and unconstitutional. He states that it is inflating currency today at nearly a Weimar or Zimbabwe level, which Paul asserts is a practice that threatens to put the United States into an inflationary depression where the US dollar, which is the reserve currency of the world, would suffer severe devaluation. A major theme throughout the work also revolves around the idea of inflation as a hidden tax making warfare much easier to wage. Because people will reject the notion of increasing direct taxes, inflation is then used to help service the overwhelming debts incurred through warfare. In turn the purchasing power of the masses is diminished, yet most are unaware. This has the biggest impact on low income individuals since it is a regressive tax. CPI presently does not include food and energy, yet this is where the majority of poor peoples' income is spent. He further maintains that most people are not aware that the Fed — created by the Morgans and Rockefellers at a private club off the coast of Georgia — is actually working against their own personal interests. Instead of protecting the people, the Fed now serves as a cartel where the name of the game is bailout or otherwise known as privatized profits but socialized losses. Paul also draws on the historical links between the creation of central banks and war, explaining how inflation and devaluations have been used as war financing tools in the past by many governments from monarchies to democracies. |
Freddy and the Dragon | null | null | Back from a trip, Freddy is surprised that many in Centerboro want him arrested. Considerable property damage has been done by a gang including a pig looking like Freddy. Investigating, Freddy shows that damage done in one case could not have been done by him. He is still under suspicion, and is called for an unpleasant police questioning. He instructs the A.B.I. (Animal Bureau of Investigation) to search the countryside, and immediately discovers a bull who has been damaging farms and crops. Freddy’s perfume-filled water pistols turn the bull Percy into a smelly laughing stock. He is subdued and they capture him. The search for the gang continues. Most of Centerboro thinks Freddy is responsible for the crimes, but not the “solid” citizens. Since Freddy is the president of his animal bank, the town’s human banker vouches for him: :"'You think that because he is a banker, he is incapable of committing a crime?'... :'Sir,' said Mr. Weezer, 'when a banker commits a crime, it is a big crime, a first-class crime, a crime on a scale with his standing in the community.'" (p. 62) The Bean cow sisters discover that Percy is the father who abandoned them as calves; the bull is unmoved. He refuses to discuss his gang. Freddy had been asked for a suggestion to help a circus. Now Uncle Ben the inventor suggests creating a fire-breathing dragon. The gang begins demands for money. Freddy and Jinx the cat lie in ambush at the money drop site, but are terrified by the appearance along a dark road of a headless horseman. Once they have recovered, Freddy learns from the A.B.I. that many of the gang were seen in that area, including a scruffy pig. Freddy has Samuel Jackson the mole burrow under Percy, to pretend to be his conscience. The mole convinces Percy to behave well, and to reveal the gang’s hideout. Percy reforms his manners so successfully that he becomes popular. Freddy avoids arrest on a technicality. The spiders Mr. and Mrs. Webb are sent to explore the gang’s hideout. They discover a huge, complicated cave system, with many animals and people. Once Uncle Ben’s dragon is ready the animals stake out the cave. The dragon upsets the headless horseman’s activities, but the police are not convinced by the evidence. Scorning the cave map created by the spiders, they send in their own troops. Although Freddy is in disguise to avoid arrest, he and Jinx intercept a new member coming to join the gang. Breaking into his hotel room, they steal the snake doing robberies. The snake is released far away, and the discouraged owner leaves town. Some police troopers exploring the cave are missing. The police decide to use the spider’s map and the animal’s help. The gang is partly captured. The circus is held, and Samuel Jackson’s fake medium makes the animal’s enemy Mrs. Underdunk look foolish. The animals storm the cave, and with the help of Uncle Ben’s atomic station wagon, also trap the headless horseman. The extortion money proves to be in the house of Mr. Anderson — another longstanding enemy. As the series closes, he is finally sent to the penitentiary. |
Kir Ianulea | Ion Luca Caragiale | 1,909 | The narrative opens with the rally of all devils, as ordered by "the Overlord of Hell" Dardarot. Probably a replica version of Astaroth, the latter confesses being intrigued by the large number of human victims who claim to have sinned only because of women, and indicates that he considers a method for verifying the truth in this claim. Dardarot decides to send "the little one", Aghiuţă ("Hell's Bells" or "Dickens"), into an extended investigation on Earth. Although received with displays of fatherly affection by Dardarot, the boy is reluctant to perform such tasks, since, as the narrator informs, he is not on his first mission among humans: previously, he had served an old woman, and forced by her to expend his energy on the futile task of straightening a curly hair. Unimpressed, Dardarot provides him with 100,000 gold coins (the bounty confiscated from a stingy mortal), with the indication that he is to marry and live with his human wife for ten years. Transformed into a handsome young mortal and evicted from Hell by his moody overlord, Aghiuţă decides to head for Bucharest, a city with "room for parties" and many business opportunities. He arrives in the Wallachian capital and books a room at Manuc's Inn, before renting a cluster of townhouses and gardens in Negustori area (the merchants' district, close to Colţea Hospital). The new guest intrigues Aghiuţă's new landlord, who sends the old and cunning housekeeper Marghioala to engage him in conversation and find out his story. Recommending himself as Ianulea "of Arvanite stock", the young man explains that he is from near Mount Athos (Sfântagora), in Ottoman Greece, the son of olive tree planters. He provides an elaborate story about his early years, claiming that both his parents died at sea, while taking him on pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem—victims of bowel obstruction caused by eating beans after radishes. He recounts having been kept on as a servant and boy seaman by the brutal captain of the ship, and having survived a number of near shipwrecks, and then purchasing his own vessel. After further such adventures, Aghiuţă-Ianulea claims, he had been able to amass a fortune and settle in a peaceful country. He also boasts knowledge of several languages without access to formal studies, and claims that his knowledge of Romanian will put Wallachian locals to shame. In the end, Ianulea threatens Marghioala not to share his secret with anyone else, aware that such a warning will only entice her to spread the story around the neighborhood. Rumor spreads of Ianulea's fortune and the young man, referred to as a kir ("sir", from the Greek κύρ), becomes the center of interest in high society, being invited to events organized by boyars and merchants alike. The details of his account become well-known, his deeds magnified by popular imagination, and, as a consequence, the entire neighborhood is convinced that beans should never be eaten after radishes. Meanwhile, Ianulea begins courting Acriviţa, the daughter of unsuccessful trader Hagi Cănuţă, who is beautiful and well-proportioned, but has mild esotropia. Although she can offer him no dowry, he decides to marry her, and their wedding is an occasion for Ianulea to display his insatiable taste for luxury. The day after their union, Acriviţa (also referred to as Ianuloaia, "Ianulea's woman") undergoes a sudden change in character from "gentle and amendable" to "tougher and uppity", entitling herself master of the household and exercising control over her husband's affairs. She is also increasingly jealous, constantly spying on her husband and ordering her servants to do the same, but does not feel accountable for her own actions. She therefore hosts lavish parties and card game sessions in her husband's house, and irritates him by defaming her own friends. During one such gathering, she informs her guests that a female acquaintance of hers has been fornicating with one of the Wallachian Prince's sons, with a consul of the Russian Empire, and even, after being banished to Căldăruşani Monastery, with an Orthodox monk. Acriviţa also claims that the unnamed friend plots to "break" her household by committing adultery with Ianulea. This enrages Ianulea, and the couple begin shouting abuse at each other, while their stunned guests look on. The Ianuleas eventually reconcile and the kir is placated, addressing his wife as parigboria tu kosmu (παρηγοριά του κόσμου, "consolation of the world"). Unbeknown to him, Acriviţa has by then begun selling various objects of value in his property to feed her gambling habit. Tricking Ianulea with displays of her affection, she also persuades him to provide a dowry for her two unmarried sisters, as well as capital for her two brothers' respective businesses. Ianulea proceeds to service this and other whims ("had she asked for the Colţea Belfry on a silver platter, kir Ianulea would have brought it to her on a silver platter"). As a result, Ianule's fortune is steadily depleted, and he comes to rely on expected proceeds from his investment in the business of his brothers-in-law, while steadily falling into debt. While his credit rating crumbles, Acriviţa's itinerant siblings return with bad news: one has lost his ship in front of İzmir, the other has been robbed at the Leipzig Trade Fair. Ianulea's only option is to flee Bucharest in a haste and escape his creditors. As he rides past Cuţitul de Argint Church, he notices that he is being pursued by armed guards, sent by the Bucharest Aga to lock him into a debtors' prison. He abandons his horse and runs up a hill and into a vineyard, pleading with the keeper to provide him with shelter. The latter, who presents himself as Negoiţă, reluctantly accepts to do so when Ianulea assures him that his pursuers are not boyars. In exchange for his help, Ianulea lets him on his secret identity, and promises to reward him. He explains: "Whenever you hear that the devil's got into a woman, a wife, or a girl, whatever, no matter the place where they live and no matter what station in life they have, you should know it's about me that they're talking. You go right away to the respective house for I won't leave the woman until you chase me out... Naturally that seeing you cure their precious jewel they will offer you a reward". The devil leaves the vineyard, and the focus moves on Negoiţă. Catching rumor of a demonic possession in Colentina neighborhood, where a rich girl has come to speak in tongues, shouting and divulging all sorts of embarrassing secrets. The vineyard keeper promises to relieve her suffering in exchange for 100 gold coins, and Ianulea subsequently fulfills his promise. He scolds Negoiţă for accepting such a small amount, and informs that he should make his way for Craiova, where they are going to repeat their act with the daughter of a local administrator, the kaymakam. This happens exactly as predicted by the devil, who, upon exiting the girl's body, informs the peasant that he no longer considers himself indebted. As thanks for his service, Negoiţă is granted an Oltenian estate and assigned a boyar's title. His blissful relaxation is interrupted abruptly when the kaymakam orders him on mission to Bucharest, where the Phanariote prince's daughter is also being tormented by a demon. Although much troubled, the healer follows princely envoys, and is warmly greeted by the prince (who casually addresses him in Greek, unaware that Negoiţă is in reality a local peasant). Nevertheless, the princess strongly rejects the healer's presence, and asks instead for "my old man", a certain Captain Manoli Ghaiduri. The soldier is immediately sent for, and reveals himself to be the girl's secret love interest, a "splendid" Greek from the princely guard. While the princess persistently asks Manoli to mangle the intruding healer, the latter thinks of a ruse: suggesting that the girl's illness needs specialized help, he asks permission to consult with Acriviţa Ianulea, "the widow of the wretch", whom he recommends as a better doctor than he. His demand has an instant effect on the princess: instead of shrieking and shouting, she begins cluttering her teeth. Within three days, she is spontaneously relieved of her symptoms. Negoiţă does however proceed to Negustori, learning that Acriviţa was chased out of her home by the creditors and moved back in with her father. Once there, he claims to be a debtor of Ianulea's, presenting her with 100 gold coins and a deed to the Cuţitul de Argint vineyard. He manages to intrigue her by suggesting that, should she ever hear of a demon possessing a woman or girl, she is to walk up to the victim, call out parigboria tu kosmu, and recount her longing for Ianulea. She promises to follow his advice, and Negoiţă returns to court, before deciding to head out of the city for good. He receives yet more presents from the princely family, as well as emotional thanks from Manoli Ghaiduri. As Negoiţă rides out on his way to Oltenia, the devil takes control of another young lady, the daughter of Wallachia's Orthodox Metropolitan. This is Acriviţa's opportunity to follow Negoiţă's advice, and, as soon as she enters the room, the demon flees in panic. The story ends on Aghiuţă's return to Hell, where he requests from Dardarot not to ever accept either Negoiţă and Acriviţa into Hell, and assign them instead to Heaven: "let Saint Peter make up with them as best he can." He also demands and obtains a period of rest to last three centuries, as "those little affairs down on earth left me dog-tired." |
Dimiter | William Peter Blatty | null | The novel begins in Albania, where a spy named Paul Dimiter is tortured by the authorities. Revealed as an 'Agent from hell', they try to get more from him, but before they know it, he escapes. The novel moves to Jerusalem one year later, where a half Arab-European policeman, Peter Meral, finds a murder victim who supposedly was from a mental hospital. Meral tries to find out if there is a connection between Jerusalem and Albania and the enigma of Dimiter. |
Les clefs de babel | null | 2,009 | The book takes place inside the tower of Babel in to which humanity took refuge 1,000 years ago, as so to take protection from a cloud that poisoned the earth. The group of humans entered the tower in five separate groups, each also separated their area of the tower off as so to prevent possible diseased persons entering. The plot begins in the highest most portion of the tower when the main character's father gives him a cat who he says can speak; the opposition leader who is also the main character's father is assassinated whilst attending an Opera. The boy (Liram) then flees and is told by an acquaintance of his father that he must delve into the lower reaches of the tower; taking his cat with him, Liram descends alone. On the next floor, he awakes in a hospital and they recognise him as not being a member of their society; their belief of staying clean requires the shaving of one's hair, and after a medical inspection, a barber comes to shave his hair. The barber had discovered several years before, a baby girl with a pentagonal tattoo on her left shoulder. The barber notices that after shaving the hair on the boy's head; that he also has a similar tattoo. The barber introduces the boy to the girl (Maïan) whom he discovered as a baby; and they inform him that he is a clef de Babel (a key of Babel), that there are five in total and that each of them has a specific power, Maïan is able to walk through objects and walls, Maïan then explains of a disc she saw in a temple which had a marking on that was very similar to their tattoos. They agree to steal the object, which they do. The monks discover who stole it and set out to hunt down and kill the culprits, thus forcing Maïan and Liram to venture further down the tower. |
A Week in December | null | null | The book begins with the elaborate seating plan of a dinner party. It ends once that dinner party has taken place. Sophie, the wife of a newly elected Member of Parliament, must decide whom to place where. Several of the protagonists are present at the dinner, and the storylines are, to a large extent, tied up as a result of what occurs there. In the course of the book the reader is introduced to John Veals, a hedge fund trader who is arguably the most important character. He is a ruthless businessman, whose immense fortune seems to have become meaningless. He is more interested in the chase, the challenge of acquiring more and more capital. As he embarks on one of the riskiest deals of his life, his family is about to be torn apart. But does he even care? An unsuccessful barrister is assigned to represent a young female tube driver; a Scottish Muslim is drawn into a radical group, while a postgraduate literature student looks on; a Polish footballer tries hard to adapt to life in a Premier League team, while his Russian model girlfriend adjusts to life in London. A pickle millionaire enlists the help of R. Tranter, novelist and critic, to prepare for his meeting with the Queen when he receives his OBE. |
Keynes: The Return of the Master | null | null | The book is divided into a preface, an introduction and three main parts which include a total of eight chapters. The preface introduces Skidelsky's broad themes. In addition to the relevance of Keynes's economics due to the crisis, the author talks about the newly energised questioning concerning wider issues such as the role of morality in 21st-century life and on how Keynes's philosophy and ethics might offer an answer. The introduction maps out the ground the book will cover - the rise of Keynesianism from the late 1930s; its fall in the 1970s; the subsequent rise of free-market-friendly economics, which Skidelsky considers suffers from a regressive over-reliance on maths; the discrediting of this form of economics by the late 2000s crises and the new relevance of Keynes. Chapter 1 includes a thumbnail sketch of the unfolding events that comprise the 2007-2009 crises, a brief discussion of the government response and an outline of the various causes, along with a summary of how they have been covered in the media. The crises is described as the deflation of the asset bubble once confidence was undermined in key underlying factors: American house prices and the credit worthiness of sub-prime mortgages. Following on from this was the liquidity crunch in the world of finance, with the knock-on effect on the real economy. Lord Skidelsky divides his discussion of the response into two sections, covering the bail-outs and the stimulus packages. He identifies the follow possible causes: financial innovation; lack of regulation; the behaviour of the bankers & hedge funds and the failings of both credit-rating agencies and governments. He finishes by asserting that all these actors are influenced by economic theories, and that it is recent trends in economics that are the real cause of the crises. Chapter 2 is about economics as its been practised in the years leading up to 2009. The author refers to Keynes's view that an over-reliance on maths is a mistake, because mathematical models will always depend on the validity of their underlying assumptions. Skidelsky says that modern mainstream macroeconomics has become closely integrated with maths, at the expense of other disciplines such as political economy and history, and that this is partly why it became so unreliable at making accurate predictions or offering good advice. Various schools of thought within modern economics are briefly discussed, such as rational expectations, real business cycle theory and efficient market theory. Chapter 3 has a brief biographical sketch of Keynes's life, especially as it relates to his economics. Attention is paid especially to Keynes's direct involvement with the markets as a private investor and consultant for others, his involvement with academic economics and his dealings with government policy-makers. Chapter 4 focuses on Keynes's economics, in particular in the evolution of his thinking and how he challenged mainstream thinking. There is emphasis on the high importance Keynes placed on the role of uncertainty; his central insight that demand, not supply, is the key factor governing unemployment; and Keynes's principal policy recommendation that the rate of interest be kept permanently low so that a high proportion of savings will be channelled into job-creating investment. Chapter 5 begins with a discussion of the displacement of Keynesian economics by rival theories promoted by Milton Friedman and others. The chapter goes on to compare the Golden Age of Capitalism (1951–1973), where Keynesian policy was widely followed by the world's governments, with the Washington Consensus (1980–2009) period. Skidelsky finds that the golden age benefited from considerably higher economic growth, lower unemployment and inequality, without significantly higher inflation. The author discusses various arguments concerning to what extent the exceptional global conditions of the golden age were due to Keynes's influence, and concludes that to a large degree the "old coach" was responsible. Chapter 6 concerns Keynes's philosophical and ethical views, and how they relate to our current conception and practice of capitalism. Skidelsky asserts that central to current thinking and praxis is Negative liberty - the idea that society and those who govern it ought not to make any judgement about what is desirable for people, but just leave individuals as free as possible to pursue their own aims, what ever those may be. With relation to the economy, the current mainstream view sees capitalism as an end in itself, the expression of a population's will relayed via the market. This is contrasted with Keynes's view that capitalism is a means rather than an end, and ought to aim at allowing populations the leisure to pursue the "good life" chiefly living ethically, and having time for the appreciation of beauty and the pleasures of human intercourse. Chapter 7 is about Keynes's political thinking. In particular it focuses on his doctrine of prudence, which follows on from Keynes's views on uncertainty. Keynes held that, as the long-term future is very hard to predict, it is very rarely justified for politicians to implement policies that cause short-term pain to their populations for possible long-term gains. Chapter 8 sums up Keynes's relevance to the current age as of 2009. The author suggests that Keynes would likely advise us to rethink macroeconomic policy, with a greater emphasis on balanced growth and with a somewhat large role for government in ensuring there is a smooth flow of investment to help protect the economy from unpredictable shocks. Macroeconomics should be reformed so that it again recognises the role of uncertainty and so it draws on other areas of knowledge such as history and International political economy, with a less central role for maths. The global savings glut needs to be addressed. Ethics should once again have a role in guiding capitalism, as should Keynes's vision of harmony, where differences are cherished rather than pressured to conform, as can be the case with current concepts of "social cohesion" and "consensus". |
The Stray Dog | null | null | A family of four meets a stray dog while having a picnic in the park. The two kids name the dog Willy and ask their parents if they can keep him. Unfortunately, their parents say no. During the next week, every member of the family keeps on thinking about Willy. When Saturday comes, they decide to go on another picnic to see if the stray dog will appear again. When they see a dogcatcher chase after the dog, they try to save him. When they catch up to him, the dogcatcher says that the dog doesn't belong to anyone. The kids tell him that the dog does belong to them by saying that the boy's belt was the dog's collar and the girl's hair ribbon was his leash. The dogcatcher is satisfied and leaves. |
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