Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

**Over 10,000,000 copies in print worldwide # 1 *New York Times* Bestseller A *Los Angeles Times *Bestseller A *Wall Street Journal *Bestseller A *Newsday *Favorite Book of 2006 A *USA Today *Bestseller A Major Motion Picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz** Jacob Janowski's luck had run out--orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was the Great Depression and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. There he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but brutal animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this group of misfits was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. --publisher's description
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Our Souls at Night

Our Souls at Night

Kent Haruf

Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future. In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf's inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in houses now empty of family, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with. Their brave adventures - their pleasures and their difficulties - are hugely involving and truly resonant, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer's enduring contribution to American literature.
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Ape House

Ape House

Sara Gruen

Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena are no ordinary apes. These bonobos, like others of their species, are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language. Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn’t understand people, but animals she gets - especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she’s ever felt among humans... until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what’s really going on inside. When an explosion rocks the lab, severely injuring Isabel and “liberating” the apes, John’s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime, one he’ll risk his career and his marriage to follow. Then a reality TV show featuring the missing apes debuts under mysterious circumstances, and it immediately becomes the biggest - and unlikeliest - phenomenon in the history of modern media. Millions of fans are glued to their screens watching the apes order greasy take-out, have generous amounts of sex, and sign for Isabel to come get them. Now, to save her family of apes from this parody of human life, Isabel must connect with her own kind, including John; a green-haired vegan; and a retired porn star with her own agenda. *Ape House* delivers great entertainment, but it also opens the animal world to us in ways few novels have done, securing Sara Gruen’s place as a master storyteller who allows us to see ourselves as we never have before.
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Suicide Plunge

Suicide Plunge

Philip Arnold

Criticism / Literary Criticism / Literary Fiction

Billy Frank has just one goal in life; to restore his family honor by winning the most dangerous horse race of all, the Suicide Plunge. With little time to train and riding a horse that has just recovered from a serious injury, Billy figures he has nothing to lose..except his life. This high octane novel is a fast paced adventure that will keep the reader in suspense until the last page is turned.Billy Frank has just one goal in life; to restore his family honor by winning the most dangerous horse race of all, the Suicide Plunge. With little time to train and riding a horse that has just recovered from a serious injury, Billy figures he has nothing to lose..except his life. Can Billy overcome the apparent betrayal of those he loves the most? Can he conquer the stigma of being an 18 year old Native American growing up in a white man's world? This high octane novel is a fast paced adventure that will keep the reader in suspense until the last page is turned.
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Plainsong

Plainsong

Kent Haruf

Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

"Ambitious, but never seeming so, Kent Haruf reveals a whole community as he interweaves the stories of a pregnant high school girl, a lonely teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their mother, and a couple of crusty bachelor farmers. From simple elements, Haruf achieves a novel of wisdom and grace--a narrative that builds in strength and feeling until, as in a choral chant, the voices in the book surround, transport, and lift the reader off the ground." -FROM THE CITATION FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Eventide

Eventide

Kent Haruf

Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

Kent Haruf, award-winning, bestselling author of Plainsong returns to the high-plains town of Holt, Colorado, with a novel of masterful authority. The aging McPheron brothers are learning to live without Victoria Roubideaux, the single mother they took in and who has now left their ranch to start college. A lonely young boy stoically cares for his grandfather while a disabled couple tries to protect their a violent relative. As these lives unfold and intersect, Eventide unveils the immemorial truths about human beings: their fragility and resilience, their selfishness and goodness, and their ability to find family in one another. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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The Perfect Place Of Knowledge

The Perfect Place Of Knowledge

Elaine Smith

Fiction / Contemporary / Literary Fiction

Blazing Star Books brings you this story where spiritual guides—loved ones from the past—whisk Katie to an astral plan of ultimate knowledge. She embraces the journey, encountering famous historical masters and grabs the opportunity to ask important questions. But something is missing…and it is Katie who stumbles on the answer. This is The Perfect Place..or is it?Come to a Spiritual Plane Where Endless Knowledge Can Be Acquired Just By Being There.The Perfect Place is a supernatural plane of existence where knowledge is literally in the air. The place truly seems perfect—with no evil or need—only the pursuit of learning. What question would you ask Plato given the chance? Could one find the answer to a crucial inquiry from the sage words of Benjamin Franklin? What would Dr. Seuss say about the 21st century? Would Alexander Graham Bell like cell phone texting? Katie and her three spirit guides enthusiastically explore this Perfect Place of Knowledge. They encounter important and obscure historical figures in their search for answers. Actually talking with legendary people is a wonder Katie is amazed to experience. The spirit companions—loved ones from Katie's own past—have extraordinary powers, whisking her through a supernatural portal to experience the Place of Knowledge. But time is running out for the Place due to the flaw Katie has stumbled upon. Only one person or spirit will be chosen to determine the fate of the Perfect Place. Who will it be?
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The Last Teacher

The Last Teacher

Chris Dietzel

Dystopian / Literary Fiction / Science Fiction

As parts of everyday life begin to fade away, one teacher struggles to keep a semblance of normality for the teenagers in her classroom. But what can she teach to students who know they will one day be the final remnants of mankind? THE LAST TEACHER is a story about realizing which lessons are most important in life.A Great De-evolution short story.Clay Thompson is an American writer based in a small English town outside London, where he enjoys a comfortable lifestyle with Claire, a recent love interest. After years of enjoying good fortune, Clay experiences a calamitous setback that threatens his livelihood and even his new found relationship. Desperate to get his life back on track he seeks out a renowned local gypsy to “fix” his recent misfortune. Clay’s encounter pays dividends that exceed his expectations...at a price. Will Clay successfully navigate through this maze of a nightmare? Or will he find out...When you dance with the Devil, the music never ends.A paranormal thriller Inspired by true events
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Riding Lessons

Riding Lessons

Sara Gruen

Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

As a world-class equestrian and Olympic contender, Annemarie Zimmer lived for the thrill of flight atop a strong, graceful animal. Then, at eighteen, a tragic accident destroyed her riding career and Harry, the beautiful horse she cherished. Now, twenty years later, Annemarie is coming home to her dying father's New Hampshire horse farm. Jobless and abandoned, she is bringing her troubled teenage daughter to this place of pain and memory, where ghosts of an unresolved youth still haunt the fields and stables—and where hope lives in the eyes of the handsome, gentle veterinarian Annemarie loved as a girl . . . and in the seductive allure of a trainer with a magic touch. But everything will change yet again with one glimpse of a white striped gelding startlingly similar to the one Annemarie lost in another lifetime. And an obsession is born that could shatter her fragile world.
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The Theta Patient

The Theta Patient

Chris Dietzel

Dystopian / Literary Fiction / Science Fiction

After receiving three new patients at the mental institution he runs, Dr. Bradburn is immediately visited by an agent of the Tyranny who insists one of the men is a radical. Only by asking each patient a series of questions will the supposed threat be identified. But the questions Dr. Bradburn is told to ask will make him rethink everything he knows about the world around him.After receiving three new patients at the mental institution he runs, Dr. Bradburn is immediately visited by an agent of the Tyranny who insists one of the men is a radical. Only by asking each patient a series of questions will the supposed threat be identified. But the questions Dr. Bradburn is told to ask will make him rethink everything he knows about the world around him:- Do you believe in time travel?- Is the world a better place today than it was a hundred years ago?- If you could go back in time and change any event, what would you change?A Theta Timeline short story.
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Flying Changes

Flying Changes

Sara Gruen

Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction / Contemporary

There is a time to move on, a time to let go . . . and a time to fly.“Sara Gruen writes with passionate precision about horses and their humans and the healing power of love.”—Maryanne Stahl, author of Forgive the MoonAnxiety rules Annemarie Zimmer’s days—the fear that her relationship with the man she loves is growing stagnant; the fear that equestrian daughter Eva’s dreams of Olympic glory will carry her far away from her mother . . . and into harm’s way. For five months, Annemarie has struggled to make peace with her past. But if she cannot let go, the personal battles she has won and the heights she has achieved will have all been for naught.It is a time of change at Maple Brook Horse Farm, when loves must be confronted head-on and fears must be saddled and broken. But it is an unanticipated tragedy that will most drastically alter the fragile world of one remarkable family—even as it flings open gates that have long confined them, enabling them all to finally ride headlong and free.
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The Nobody People

The Nobody People

Bob Proehl

Fiction / Contemporary / Literary Fiction

When a group of outcasts with extraordinary abilities comes out of hiding, their clash with a violent society will spark a revolution—or an apocalypse. "Much like the X-Men comics, Proehl masterfully uses science fiction as a lens to examine social inequality and human evil."—Booklist Avi Hirsch has always known his daughter was different. But when others with incredible, otherworldly gifts reveal themselves to the world, Avi realizes that her oddness is something more—that she is something more. With this, he has a terrifying revelation: Emmeline is now entering a society where her unique abilities unfairly mark her as a potential threat. And even though he is her father, Avi cannot keep her safe forever. Emmeline soon meets others just like her: Carrie Norris, a teenage girl who can turn invisible . . . but just wants to be seen. Fahima Deeb, a woman with an uncanny knack for machinery . . . but it's her Muslim faith...
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