In the tales that make up The Elephant Vanishes, the imaginative genius that has made Haruki Murakami an international superstar is on full display. In these stories, a man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald’s in the middle of the night; and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard. By turns haunting and hilarious, in The Elephant Vanishes Murakami crosses the border between separate realities—and comes back bearing remarkable treasures. Includes the story "Barn Burning," which is the basis for the major motion picture Burning.
The perfect revision aid for GCSE students taking AQA English Literature. Please note that all the material in this book is available in the second edition of 'Sunlight on the Grass': A Student Guide to the AQA GCSE Short Story Anthology by Natalie Twigg and David Wheeler - ISBN: 978-1494251703.
Jay Jin is the headstrong teenage rebel, determined to prove she's serious about making art. J. Max is the tall debonair foreigner, in Korea on business, with more - much more - to his background than he lets on. On the surface, it would seem as though Jay and J. have nothing in common...until a chance encounter in a hotel lobby sparks a mysterious attraction. Will true love prove strong enough to overcome the language barrier, not to mention the thousands of miles separating two attractive people? Then there are the interventions of friends and family who think they know best...as well as a disastrous encounter with a spicy chicken kebab!
Soon to be a Netflix movie starring Gabrielle Union! Will a forty-year-old woman with everything on the line – her high-stakes career, ticking biological clock, bank account – risk it all for a secret romance with the one person who could destroy her comeback, for good? Jenna Jones, former It-girl fashion editor, is forty, broke and desperate for a second chance. When she’s dumped by her longtime fiancé and fired from Darling magazine, she begs for a job from her arch nemesis, Darcy Vale. Darcy, the beyond-bitchy publisher of StyleZine.com, agrees to hire her rival – only because her fashion site needs a jolt from Jenna’s old school cred. But Jenna soon realizes she’s in over her head. Jenna’s working with digital-savvy millennials half her age, has never even “Twittered,” and pretends to still be a Fashion Somebody while living a style lie (she sold her designer wardrobe to afford her sketched-out studio, and now quietly wears Walmart’s finest). What’s worse is that the twenty-two-year-old videographer assigned to shoot her web series is driving her crazy. Wildly sexy with a smile Jenna feels in her thighs, Eric Combs is way off-limits – but almost too delicious to resist.
While their parents deal with a scandal, 16-year-old Annie and her brother, Jay, spend winter break with an aunt and uncle they barely remember and uncover family secrets in this novel from the "New York Times"-bestselling author of the adult novel "The Descendants."
The Story begins when Ben and Carol meet as children and we watch their deep and enduring friendship grow along with their feelings of undeclared love. We experience the deportment of a sweeter and more restrained time. Destined to be no more than acquaintances, Ben and Carol are soul mates and are dedicated to each other. In 1941 the US enters World War II and Ben and Carol's lives take diverging paths. Together with his childhood best friend Mark, Ben eventually enters the service to become part of the first paratrooper unit, the 501st Army regiment. Due to their language fluencies, from the 501st they are drafted into the OSS. During an undercover mission, Mark is captured and Ben left for dead until he is found by Julia in the French countryside. She saves his life and he changes hers. The two are called upon to be unlikely heroes as they develop a friendship based on trust and respect. At home, Carol believes Ben is dead and is swept off her feet by Dr. David Butler. Carol's life evolves very differently than the one she imagined with Ben. Circumstances and challenges teach Ben and Carol and Julia and Mark to rely on God for their strength and to trust Him with their lives. In the end lives are saved and changed by faith and providence, friendship and benevolent love; especially the love of the most perfect girl. Reen Christie is a Registered Nurse, who has been privileged to learn about the true life stories related to her by her patients. An author since her youth, Reen was encouraged by a special couple to write their love story and weave it into her imagination. With God's direction, the result of weaving their wonderful stories together is this inspired novel.
The New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew returns with an electrifying new novel about how the past will always find us... "Literary suspense at its finest.”—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Baby “A wonderfully addictive book with virtuoso plotting and characters - for anyone who loved Girl on the Train, it’s a must read.” — Rosamund Lupton Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy with a genius IQ. Three years ago, she was involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead. She served her time, and now her mother, Maria, is resolved to keep that devastating fact tucked far away from their new beginning, hiding the past even from her new husband and demanding Zoe do the same. Tonight Zoe is giving a recital that Maria has been planning for months. It needs to be the performance of her life. But instead, by the end of the evening, Maria is dead. In the aftermath, everyone—police, family, Zoe’s former solicitor, and Zoe herself—tries to piece together what happened. But as Zoe knows all too well, the truth is rarely straightforward, and the closer we are to someone, the less we may see.
The sadistic Clarence Ewan captures and torments both Jarte and Lady Jay. The only way either one of them will get out alive is for the other to sell their soul in the most despicable manner. But, will they come out of the experience the same people? Will their love survive? Meanwhile, the Violet Force plots a daring escape, but cannot launch it until they know Jarte is safe, leaving Jay to endure Clarence's degraded humanity alone. And later on, even Luigi wishes to save her from the relentless machinations of the royal court. Many men wish to save her, but for Jay the ultimate salvation can only come from one place. Her own self.
This witty, warm-hearted retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is a love letter to female friendship. Perfect for Stephanie Perkins fans, and anyone who's ever thought of trying on a new identity to impress a guy. Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D'Agostino, a proverbial "ten," who happens to be fluent in six languages--seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes . . . What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It's only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany's friendship survive the fallout? From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming. "There is much to appreciate about this book: its cleverness, its humor, that it embraces and normalizes therapy, that it places familial love and friendship on a level with romantic love. But, perhaps best of all, it offers teens, especially those struggling to accept and love themselves, a picture of a girl who makes mistakes and fights to begin again." --Booklist, starred review "At once painful and heartfelt . . . a smart and honest look at female beauty, with plenty of panache to boot." --Kirkus, starred review
Jay lives incognito among the dark alleys of New York City, trying desperately to run from a life that continues to hunt her down. Yet, her talent shine and draws acclaim from the public. And even as she attempts to keep her identity anonymous, her art work may be a trail leading directly to her doorstep. Only one blustering, overprotective landlord seems to be what stands between Jay and world-class assassins. Unfortunately, even if they fail to reach her, new conspiracies are being launched and they now target her mother, father, and brother. Now she doesn't even have Jarte to call on for help. Clarence Ewan hasn't forgotten about her, either.