First published in 1966, this acclaimed Irish classic is an account of time as an apprentice stonecarver by a craftsman who was one of Ireland’s most respected sculptors. The young Seamus Murphy, studying modelling at the Crawford School of Art in Cork in the 1920s, took the unusual step of apprenticing himself to a master stone carver to learn the ancient craft of the mason. ‘Stone Mad’ tells the story of his seven years of growing knowledge of the challenges and joys of stone – and of the men who worked it. His artistic feeling for quality responded to his workmates’ reverence for the ‘well made thing’. The result is a book of surpassing beauty, full of warmth, humour and profound perception.
Readers met the irrepressible Karen Memory in Elizabeth Bear’s 2015 novel Karen Memory, and fell in love with her steampunk Victorian Pacific Northwest city, and her down-to-earth story-telling voice. iO9--28 New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Well Worth Checking Out in March Unbound Worlds--20 Best New Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books--March 2018 The Verge--15 new science fiction and fantasy books--March 2018 Kirkus--18 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in March 2018 NerdMuch--20 Best New Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books--March 2018 Now Karen is back with Stone Mad, a new story about spiritualists, magicians, con-men, and an angry lost tommy-knocker—a magical creature who generally lives in the deep gold mines of Alaska, but has been kidnapped and brought to Rapid City. Karen and Priya are out for a night on the town, celebrating the purchase of their own little ranch and Karen’s retirement from the Hotel Ma Cherie, when they meet the Arcadia Sisters, spiritualists who unexpectedly stir up the tommy-knocker in the basement. The ensuing show could bring down the house, if Karen didn’t rush in to rescue everyone she can. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
This book is the product of the author telling and hearing stories over a period of 80 plus years. Many of these stories are funny, some are sad and some are true. Many of these stories are amusing and will take you back to a time when life was difficult yet not complicated. The purpose of the book is strictly to entertain the reader, not to convey facts or give instructions.
“Bear pumps fresh energy in the steampunk genre with a light touch on the gadgetry and a vivid sense of place . . . Karen and the ladies kick ass.” —Library Journal (starred review) Set in the late nineteenth century—when the city we now call Seattle Underground was the whole town (and still on the surface), when airships plied the trade routes, would-be gold miners were heading to the gold fields of Alaska, and steam-powered mechanicals stalked the waterfront, Karen Memery (“like memory only spelt with an e”) is a young woman on her own, making the best of her orphaned state by working in Madame Damnable’s high-quality bordello. Through Karen’s eyes we get to know the other girls in the house—a resourceful group—and the poor and the powerful of the town. Trouble erupts one night when a badly injured girl arrives at their door, begging for sanctuary, followed by the man who holds her indenture, and who has a machine that can take over anyone’s mind and control their actions. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the next night brings a body dumped in their rubbish heap—a streetwalker who has been brutally murdered. Bear brings alive this Jack-the-Ripper yarn of the old west with a light touch in Karen’s own memorable voice, and a mesmerizing evocation of classic steam-powered science. “[A] rollicking, suspenseful, and sentimental steampunk novel . . . [Karen’s] story is a timeless one: a woman doing what is needed to get by while dreaming and fighting for great things to come.” —Publishers Weekly
For nearly thirty years, Kevin C. Kearns collected the memories and recollections of Dubliners on tape. These interviews have formed the basis of an extraordinary body of work, one whose subjects have included the life of the Dublin pub and the tenement house. In this ambitious book, he considers their contributions in aggregate, drawing on the voices of ordinary Dubliners to build an oral folk history of the city in the twentieth century. Firemen, engine drivers, bell ringers, gatekeepers, cinema ushers, gravediggers, dockers, factory workers, butchers, hatters, booksellers and many more: all contribute their own words to this epic portrait of Dublin city life in the turbulent decades separating the Victorian and modern eras. In Dublin Voices, the words of ordinary Dubliners can be heard as they recall their lives and times. Lucid, witty and compelling, these oral narratives bring the city to life in a manner that conventional histories simply cannot match.
Locked in the Family Cell is the first book on Ireland to provide a sustained and interdisciplinary analysis of gender, sexuality, nationalism, the public and private spheres, and the relationship between these categories of analysis and action. Kathryn Conrad examines the writers and activists who are resistant to simplistic nationalist constructions of Ireland and its subjects. She exposes the assumptions and the effects of national discourses in Ireland and their reliance on a limited and limiting vision of the family: the heterosexual family cell. By actively situating theoretical readings and concerns in practice, Conrad follows the lead of scholars such as Lauren Berlant, Gloria Anzaldua, Ailbhe Smyth, and others who have encouraged dialogue not only among scholars in different academic disciplines but between scholars and activists. In doing so she provides not only a critique of interest to scholars in a variety of fields but also a productive political intervention.
After an unexpected enemy tragically outcasts her into the wild, young 7-year-old Shayna must find her way through ice, blood, and tears in order to fight for her survival and discover the truth behind the disappearance of her father and the secrets to the wealthy estate of the city of Hemisturn.
A young Anglo-Saxon woman is travelling across an empty East Anglian landscape. She’s dressed as a man, for safety. But when her only companion is murdered, she knows she faces discovery, and almost certainly much worse.
Best known for his novel Trout Fishing in America, American writer Richard Gary Brautigan (1935-1984) published eleven novels, ten poetry collections, and two story collections, as well as five volumes of collected work, several nonfiction essays, and a record album of spoken voice recordings. Brautigan's idiosyncratic style and humor caused him to be identified with the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The authors of many of these 32 essays knew Brautigan personally and professionally; others came to know and respect him through a cultivated connection with his writings. The essays--many of which are new, others of which were published in obscure journals--combine personal remembrance of the man and critical appraisal of his still-controversial works. Includes previously unpublished photographs and artworks.
Enjoy this FREE Urban Fantasy series starter by USA Today Bestselling author Kim Richardson. A fantasy filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance, the rich world of Steel Maiden is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling and The Girl of Fire and Thorns. IN A LAND WHERE MAGIC IS BANNED and where cruel High priests rule, Elena steals the most valuable jewel in the Empire in the hopes to sell it and start a new life. But she is caught, and the punishment for stealing is death. And yet in that moment she is given a choice—death or to become one of the High priests' champions in The Great Race. Elena is catapulted without warning into the bloodiest race in all the realms, forced to compete with a man she hates while she develops a growing passion for another. She struggles to understand her special skills, her mysterious healing powers that she must keep secret. Within a world built on a religious sect and dangerous secrets, she becomes a woman torn between obligation and desire, between a man she supposedly hates and another. As Elena comes to terms with her own secret, she discovers the truth behind the race and must stop the ancient, wicked evil that threatens all living things before it's too late. From the award winning author of MARKED comes a new mesmerizing series full of action, adventure, and steamy romance. "Elena is an engaging, well-drawn character…a solid start to a new series…" – Kirkus Reviews "There's romance, adventure, action and a really neat world that felt cohesive. I think fans of "Throne of Glass" might really enjoy this one..." – The Reader's Hollow "This story is chock full of adventure, action, and sizzling romance...written with such richness that readers who give it a try will not be disappointed." – Janelle Fila for Readers' Favorite "Overall this is a strong story for its genre. With a lot of purpose. I can't wait to read book #2 in the series. 5 Boundless stars." – Boundless Book Reviews Search terms: free book, free paranormal romance, free fantasy, paranormal romance adult, urban fantasy, fantasy romance, slow-burn romance, paranormal romance, PNR, complete series, witch romance, Gods, demons, angels, magic, first in series, free romance book, free books to read and download, free novel, romance books free.
