Prestigious private school comptroller Rob Carmichael likes the safe bets in life. A few weeks before his fortieth birthday, though, Robs ordinary existence spins out of control. A heart attack claims Robs childhood friend. He alienates his kids and his fiance. His ex-wife wont leave him alone. Hes in trouble on the job. Needing an escape from his problems and a chance to regroup, Rob joins the American Association of Afterlife Arrangers for their annual Las Vegas convention. In the desert, surrounded by people whose business is death, Rob discovers the safe bets are off, and that if he wants his life back, hell need to bet against the house for a change.
The Patterson clan—Elly, John, Michael, and Lizzie—continues to charm moms, dads, brothers, and sisters with the lighthearted and engaging chronicles of their family in this For Better or For Worse collection, Pushing 40. Cartoonist Lynn Johnston's presentation of daily battles, bungles, tears and smiles has endeared her to a loyal following across the country. Pushing 40 provides new dimensions of Johnston's lively and entertaining portrayal of family life—bringing nods of recognition with her sensitive insight and wry sense of humor.
“The Unforgiving Minute is one of the most compelling memoirs yet to emerge from America's 9/11 era. Craig Mullaney has given us an unusually honest, funny, accessible, and vivid account of a soldier's coming of age. This is more than a soldier's story; it is a work of literature." —Steve Coll, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars and The Bin Ladens "One of the most thoughtful and honest accounts ever written by a young Army officer confronting all the tests of life." —Bob Woodward In this surprise bestseller, West Point grad, Rhodes scholar, Airborne Ranger, and U. S. Army Captain Craig Mullaney recounts his unparalleled education and the hard lessons that only war can teach. While stationed in Afghanistan, a deadly firefight with al-Qaeda leads to the loss of one of his soldiers. Years later, after that excruciating experience, he returns to the United States to teach future officers at the Naval Academy. Written with unflinching honesty, this is an unforgettable portrait of a young soldier grappling with the weight of war while coming to terms with what it means to be a man.
Fifteen powerful women and writers you know and love—from the pages of The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vogue, Glamour, and The Atlantic—offer captivating, intimate, and candid explorations about what it’s really like turning forty—and that the best is yet to come. The big 4-0. Like eighteen and twenty-one, this is a major and meaningful milestone our lives—especially for women. Turning forty is a poignant doorway between youth and...what comes after; a crossroads to reflect on the roads taken and not, and the paths yet before you. The decade that follows is ripe for nostalgia, inspiration, wisdom, and personal growth. In this dazzling collection, fifteen writers explore this rich phase in essays that are profound, moving, and above all, brimming with joie de vivre. With a diverse array of voices—including Veronica Chambers, Meghan Daum, Kate Bolick, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Sloane Crosley, KJ Dell’Antonia, Julie Klam, Jessica Lahey, Catherine Newman, Sujean Rim, Jena Schwartz, Sophfronia Scott, Allison Winn Scotch, Lee Woodruff, and Jill Kargman—On Being 40(ish) offers a range of universal themes—friendship, independence, sex, beauty, aging, wisdom, and the passage of time. On Being 40(ish) reflects the hopes, fears, challenges, and opportunities of a generation. Beautifully designed, this is “a must read for anyone 40ish or beyond...Like a pep talk from your big sister, favorite cousin, and wise best friend” (Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo).
My twelve uncles who played important but unknown roles in history. Usually unpredictable, often zany, they reflect life in the Thirties and Forties. They included spies and Senators; communists and conmen; magicians and marathoners; sportsmen and soldiers. Most of them came to unexpected ends.
What if we gave birth to future and past generations at the same time? Gershon Polokov feels a deep attachment to his great granddaughter, Sophie. He believes her to be the reincarnation of his deceased wife, Sophie’s great grandmother. Before he dies, Gershon tells newborn Sophie the story of their past life together and the new life that is to come. Then, in his final hours, Gershon has stronger visions of the future than of the past, while Sophie’s memories intensify as she matures. Are the two destined to reunite as husband and wife, as they have been joined in every incarnation? Is there a mutual drive to find each other in every life and, together, discover the keeper of their souls? In this novel of recognition and continuity, the lives of two families, spanning several decades, are connected through generations of reincarnated souls, some with memories of their former lives and others without. MINDY LITTMAN HOLLAND, a nonfiction and fiction writer, is also an artist and photographer. Her previous book, WAIT UNTIL YOU’RE FIFTY: A WOMAN’S JOURNEY INTO MIDLIFE, was also published by Sunstone press. Mindy lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit the author: www.mindylittmanholland.com.
When Lynn's husband is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, strange things start to happen – things that can't be explained – and her perfect world starts to crumble... Unputdownable, Hitchcockian domestic noir from number-one bestselling author Louise Voss. 'The slow reveals and hints at the darkness to come make it impossible to put down' Sarah Pinborough 'A brilliant tale of deception with a twist that took my breath away' Mark Edwards 'Brilliantly unsettling' Jane Casey ____________________ Lynn Naismith gave up the job she loved when she married Ed, the love of her life, but it was worth it for the happy years they enjoyed together. Now, ten years on, Ed has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, and things start to happen; things more sinister than missing keys and lost words. As some memories are forgotten, others, long buried, begin to surface ... and Lynn's perfect world begins to crumble. But is it Ed's mind playing tricks, or hers...? ____________________ 'A disturbing, brilliant tale of lies and psychological manipulation' Kate Rhodes 'Tense, super-twisty and well-written' Amanda Jennings 'A cracking page-turner that sucks you straight into the dark heart of human behaviour' Marnie Riches 'Completely gripping' Cass Green 'An addictive thriller with a damaged and relatable heroine at its center, The Old You is an original novel that is both shocking and touching' Foreword Reviews 'Twists, turns and stabs you in the heart. It deserves to be huge' Martyn Waites 'I was guessing right to the end' Katerina Diamond 'Cleverly plotted and beautifully executed' Susi Holliday 'Poignant, clever and terrifically tense' William Shaw 'A must-read for all psychological thriller fans' Steph Broadribb 'A twisty, thrilling read with engaging and complex characters!' Sarah Ward 'Kept me up way past my bedtime ... really original and compelling' Howard Linskey 'Exceptionally clever, intriguing and mysterious ... this is how a psychological crime thriller should be written' Random Things through My Letterbox 'Gripping and twisty' Mel McGrath 'An expert piece of contrivance' Publishers Weekly 'Ingeniously plotted and totally addictive' Paddy Magrane 'A masterclass in how to write an accomplished, clever and slick domestic noir – characters that are believable, secrets that are merely hinted at and twists that are genuinely jaw-dropping without being absurd' Beverley Has Read
Irvine Welsh, the author of Trainspotting, is up to his old tricks with his new work of transgressive short fiction. Irvine Welsh's first short-story collection since his debut work The Acid House presents five extraordinary stories, which remind us that he is a master of the short form, a brilliant storyteller, and—unarguably—one of today's funniest and most subversive writers. In "Rattlesnakes" three young Americans, lost in the desert, are accosted by two armed Mexicans. A Korean chef and a Chicago socialite find themselves connected through the disappearance of a pooch named Toto in "The D.O.G.S. of Lincoln Park." And in the title story, Mickey Baker—an ex-pat English bar owner living on the Costa Brava—tries to keep all of his balls in the air: maintaining his barmaid's weight at the sexual maximum, attending to the youthful Persephone, and dodging his ex-wife and Spanish gangsters. In typically Welshian fashion, the characters and settings are anything but typical. These stories will make you laugh and gasp.
The second short-story collection by Kim Jung-hyuk, the author of Penguin News, features a total of eight short stories, including “Syncopation D” which won the 2nd Kim You-jeong Literary Award in 2008. They represent the many sounds sampled by the author when he recorded over 600 kinds of musical instruments. Like instruments coming together in a symphony, the stories combine to make an opus consisting of variations on a theme. While the stories begin in an upbeat fashion and work to a crescendo, they end with notes in a minor key filling the vacuum. The Library of Musical Instruments is a collection to contemplate on more than one occasion.
