Amelia usually loves Christmas, but this year is her first one alone since her husband passed away – though she's not quite by herself. Somehow, she's been lumbered with a menagerie of pets over the holidays, no thanks to the new village vet closing the local kennels. Between a parrot, two tortoises and god-knows-how-many baby mice, Amelia ends up seeing a lot more of Jules the vet than she planned to. And despite her neighbours' fury for the man who shut down a local institution, she can't help enjoying every moment she spends with Jules. She tells herself it doesn't really matter as surely Jules will be driven out of the village by this time next year. But as Amelia's about to discover... ...love isn't just for Christmas!
There is no crueler cage than the confines of the human mind in this riveting sequel to Menagerie from the New York Times–bestselling author. When their coup of Metzger’s Menagerie is discovered, Delilah Marlow and her fellow cryptids find their newly won freedom brutally stripped away as they are sold into The Savage Spectacle, a private collection of “exotic wildlife.” Specializing in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors, the Spectacle’s owner, Willem Vandekamp, caters to the forbidden fetishes of the wealthy and powerful. At the Spectacle, any wish can be granted—for the right price. But Vandekamp’s closely guarded client list isn’t the only secret being kept at the Spectacle. Beneath the beauty and brutality of life in the collection lie much darker truths, and no one is more determined than Delilah to strip the masks from the human monsters and drag all dark things into the light. “Oh what a disturbingly dark, and haunting world Rachel Vincent has crafted! Spectacle is definitely not for the fainthearted. However, it is the characters who are the heart and soul of Spectacle. The world they live in is harsh and brutal but it is the strength, love, and loyalty we see emerging out of the darkness that makes Spectacle so significant. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the third book of the Menagerie series!” —Fresh Fiction “A bravura example of fantasy series-building.” —Publishers Weekly
Forty fine-feathered friends to crochet using easy-to-master techniques with projects for all skill levels, from the bestselling author of Edward’s Menagerie. You’ll be as happy as a lark as you crochet your way through this colorful collection of birds, including a bashful Flamingo, a romance-writing Owl, and a politically incorrect Pheasant. Read all about these kooky characters, their adorations and aversions, daydreams and delusions, then crochet them for friends and family. Each bird can be crocheted in four different sizes, making over 160 different pattern possibilities—so pick your first project and get started! The patterns use basic stitches, are grouped by difficulty and include step-by-step technical guides for beginners, so there’s no excuse to chicken out. These loveable birds are quick to make using a super-soft yarn in a sophisticated color palette, and will become your best friends as their larger-than-life personalities and easy-to-master techniques get their claws into you. Praise for Edward’s Menagerie: Birds “This book is a hoot! (Pun intended . . . ) . . . I’m not naturally a fan of amigurumi, but this book by Kerry Lord may change all that.” —Bonnie Bay Crochet “Edward's Menagerie: Birds has some of the most adorable toy birds that I have ever seen! . . . The author put a tremendous amount of detail into each bird pattern, which makes them all adorable in their own way.” —The Stitchin’ Mommy
To protect those most vulnerable, Haven Haviland must trust her heart--and her regrets--to a mysterious newcomer in this moving contemporary romance. Few in the community of Whisper Canyon have actually met Jace Daring, a handsome recluse who lives at Aspen Crossroads, the farm at the edge of town. But that doesn't stop the rumors about the multiple women who live with him. He must protect the truth--that his farm-to-table restaurant will provide new livelihoods for women rescued from human trafficking--or he risks the safety and futures of those relying on him. But he can't do it alone. Haven Haviland has always been everyone's safe place to fall until one mistake closes her counseling practice and leaves her open to the town's gossip. Trusting men has gotten her in trouble before. However, accepting Jace's job offer to mentor the rescued women seems like the perfect way to right her wrongs. When the mayor's campaign to clean up Whisper Canyon targets Aspen Crossroads, the restaurant comes under fire, dangers from the women's pasts are awakened, and Haven's sins are exposed for all to see. Jace would sacrifice himself to save Haven and the women under his care, but his efforts might not be enough. And in the end, it might not be the women most in need of saving after all.
Jaffy Brown is running along a street in London’s East End when he comes face to face with an escaped circus animal. Plucked from the jaws of death by Mr Jamrach – explorer, entrepreneur and collector of the world’s strangest creatures – the two strike up a friendship. Before he knows it, Jaffy finds himself on board a ship bound for the Dutch East Indies, on an unusual commission for Mr Jamrach. His journey – if he survives it – will push faith, love and friendship to their utmost limits.
Make the holidays extra special with hand-made ornaments of oven-bake clay! Find step-by-step instructions to make ten unique animal ornaments, including a panda, polar bear, mouse, owl, arctic seal, blue bird, reindeer, penguin, fox, and elephant. Add accessories like a santa hat and scarf, and surprise your friends and relatives this Christmas with an unforgettable, hand-made ornament.
Welcome to the creative kingdom of artist Michelle Waldie, where beloved animals become magnificent geometric wonders to color. This fresh new coloring book renders foxes, birds, hedgehogs, and more with a prismatic look that makes them as cool to display as they are pleasing to color. With just the right level of detail, these unique designs can easily be completed in one sitting if so desired, but those who want a more involved coloring session can opt for a 3-dimensional look—and make these animals leap off the page. Plus, designs print single-sided, and the pages are easily removable for sharing and display. Whimsical and fun, Crystal Menagerie sets the imagination running wild and will bring coloring fans hours of immersive creative relaxation.
Christmas is in the air in Kedgewick Creek, North Carolina, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Will romance find four couples in the month of December or will the pressure to keep the festivities Mistletoe Square is known for keep these couples apart? Find out in this collection of four novellas from inspirational authors Pepper Basham, Cara Putman, Janine Rosche, and Teresa Tysinger. The Christmas Clue to Loving You by Pepper Basham After five years away, Piper Dawson returns home to Kedgewick Creek and is pulled into a Christmas Scavenger Hunt that resurrects a heartbreak from Christmas past she’s not quite ready to mend. Will a matchmaking granny, a little Christmas magic, and a cute guy in a kilt make all the difference to her Christmas yet-to-come? Silver Bell Secrets by Cara Putman Growing up with dyslexia, Avery Blair didn’t love books, but the family-owned bookshop held her heart. She never expected her little business on the backside of nowhere to garner a New York City publishing house’s attention. Hunter Chase has lived an “always winter, never Christmas” existence, and spending the holidays in Christmas Town U.S.A. wasn’t exactly on his Christmas wish list, but he had no choice when his boss gave him an ultimatum. Can small town and big city discover a Christmas future that will last far beyond the page? An Unscripted Christmas by Teresa Tysinger Ellie and Oliver Larson face a Christmas full of uncertainty rather than festive cheer. Ellie is tired of playing a supporting role to Oliver’s passion of running the Kedgewick Creek Playhouse. Oliver can’t imagine his life without her. When things go off script, will their love story find its second act? Dreams in Toyland by Janine Rosche Toy shop owner Peyton Hammond knows a secret that could take down online giant Kiljoy Toyz and its owner, Joey Kiljoy. After the two adversaries spend Christmas Eve delivering gifts for charity, will the sun rise on newfound love, or will prejudice and lost dreams keep hope in the dark?
Featured in the Netflix series Love, Death & Robots Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his multiple award-winning stories for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume. With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. This mesmerizing collection features many of Ken’s award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), “Mono No Aware” (Hugo Award winner), “The Waves” (Nebula Award finalist), “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” (Nebula and Sturgeon Award finalists), “All the Flavors” (Nebula Award finalist), “The Litigation Master and the Monkey King” (Nebula Award finalist), and the most awarded story in the genre’s history, “The Paper Menagerie” (The only story to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards). Insightful and stunning stories that plumb the struggle against history and betrayal of relationships in pivotal moments, this collection showcases one of our greatest and original voices.
Enter a whole new world of 50 animal crochet patterns from bestselling author Kerry Lord. Crochet your way through this new collection of easy-to-make amigurumi characters – from a philosophical sloth and a chess-playing armadillo to a very fluffy Angora bunny who loves her job in customer service. Learn to improve your crochet techniques, working up from the beginner projects through to the more challenging later patterns. Each animal uses only basic stiches and there’s step-by-step instructions that mean this is the perfect book to learn to crochet. Each animal follows Kerry’s basic standard form, so if you can make one animal from the book, you can learn to make them all. Level one patterns: Hare; Alpaca; Tapir; Camel; Wombat; Kangaroo; Buffalo; Warthog. Level two patterns: Woodmouse; Meerkat; Oryx; Rat; Arctic Hare; Mouse; Beaver; Quokka; Ox; Possum; White Tiger; Three-toed Sloth; Platypus; Mole; Black and White Ruffed Lemur; Echidna; Tasmanian Devil. Level three patterns: Arctic Fox; Reindeer; Chinchilla; Moose; Giant Anteater; Fennec Fox; Llama; Baboon; Badger; Gibbon; Okapi; Otter; Fallow Stag; Angora Rabbit; Sloth Bear; Leopard; Muskox; Boer Goat; Shire Horse; Armadillo; Snow Leopard; Skunk; Flying Fox; Lynx; Red Panda.