Other books that might interest you

• 

  Humpty Dumpty in Oakland

  Philip K. Dick

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "A fascinating glimpse into how Dick's uniquely warped perspective evolved." -Entertainment Weekly (Grade: A) 
   
  Humpty Dumpty in Oakland is a tragedy, a dark comedy, and vintage Philip K. Dick. 
   
  Al Miller is a self-proclaimed nobody, a used-car salesman with a lot full of junkers. His elderly landlord, Jim Fergessen, has decided to retire and has just cashed in on his property, which includes the lot that Al rents next to Fergessen's garage. 
   
  Chris Harman is a record-company owner who has relied on Fergessen's for years to fix his Cadillac. When he hears about Jim Fergessen's sudden retirement fund, he tells him about a new realty development that Harman swears is a surefire path to easy wealth. Fergessen sees his chance to finally be a real businessman, well-to-do and respected like Harman. 
   
  Al is convinced that Harman is a crook out to fleece Fergessen. Even if he doesn't particularly like Fergessen, Al is not going to stand by and watch him get cheated. Only Al's not very good at this, either. Maybe he's not even right. 
   
  "It would be a shame to miss this….We all know that easy money rarely is, but it's a lesson worth reading about again." -The Kansas City Star 
   
  "This paranoid and ambiguity-filled exploration into the psyche of the small businessman showcases not only Dick's wild imagination and sardonic wit but also, and most notably, his mastery at intertwining perception with reality." -Publishers Weekly

  Show book

• 

  Secrets of the Jam Factory Girls

  Mary Wood

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Secrets of the Jam Factory Girls is a moving saga novel of friendship set in the heart of pre-WWI London from bestselling author, Mary Wood.Elsie’s worked her way up at Swift’s Jam Factory from the shop floor to the top, and now it’s her time to shine. But when she’s involved in an incident involving her half-sister Millie’s new husband, she is forced to keep it secret – the truth could threaten their sisterly bond.Dot is dogged by fear, coming to terms with her mother’s rejection of her. She should be enjoying the happiness she craves with her beloved Cess; instead, she’s trapped in an asylum, haunted by the horrifying cries of inmates. All she wants is to get married, but what chance is there for her if she’s locked away?Millie is trying to build a life with her new husband. But the man she loves is not all he seems . . .Can the Jam Factory girls create the future they all deserve?This historical saga series begins with The Jam Factory Girls.

  Show book

• 

  Red Men And White

  Owen Wister

  • 1
  • 0
  • 0

  These eight stories are made from our Western Frontier as it was in a past as near as yesterday and almost as by-gone as the Revolution; so swiftly do we proceed. They belong to each other in a kinship of life and manners, and a little through the nearer tie of having here and there a character in common. Thus they resemble faintly the separate parts of a whole, and gain, perhaps, something of the invaluable weight of length; and they have been received by my closest friends with suspicion. ...When our national life, our own soil, is so rich in adventures to record, what need is there for one to call upon his invention save to draw, if he can, characters who shall fit these strange and dramatic scenes? One cannot improve upon such realities. If this fiction is at all faithful to the truth from which it springs, let the thanks be given to the patience and boundless hospitality of the Army friends and other friends across the Missouri who have housed my body and instructed my mind. And if the stories entertain the ignorant without grieving the judicious I am content. (Summary from Author's Preface)

  Show book

• 

  The Seamstress of Hollywood...

  Erin McGraw

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  A Kansas seamstress reinvents herself in Los Angeles, but the past comes back to haunt her, in this “superb, surprising” historical novel (The Seattle Times). At age seventeen, Nell Plat is an unhappily married woman, quick with her needle and wit, but ill-suited to wifely duties like cooking, mothering, and tending to her boorish husband. Unable to shake her dreams of glamour and excitement, she abandons her family and quiet life in Kansas for the hustle, bustle, and glittering lights of Los Angeles.   Among the wannabes and celebrities of the silver screen, Nell reinvents herself as Madame Annelle, seamstress to the stars. But just as she begins stitching her way to success, her past shows up on her doorstep, threatening to unravel her carefully crafted ruse.   “Meticulously researched” (The A.V. Club) and “vibrant with historical accuracy” (SFGate)—based on the true story of the author’s grandmother—The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard is a fascinating look at old Hollywood glamour, gender roles, and the ever-evolving American dream.

  Show book

• 

  A Year of Broken Promises -...

  Jean Reinhardt

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  A Year of Broken Promises continues the story of James and Mary McGrother, a young Irish fisherman and his wife, who were the main characters in A Pocket Full of Shells.Even with the famine years behind them, tragedy and hardship does not stop. Promises made in good faith are broken, along with the hearts of those making them. A solicitor, a constable, and a secretive organization all play a part in determining the fate of a young couple whose only desire is to provide for their family and live a simple life.

  Show book

• 

  Longsword II - The Songs of...

  David Pilling

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  1267 AD. Civil war continues to rage in England between the supporters of King Henry III and rebel barons known as the Disinherited. The memory of Simon de Montfort, butchered on the field of Evesham, is kept alive by his devoted followers. Disturbing rumours reach London of fresh trouble in distant Northumberland, where royal agents have vanished without trace. At the same time a band of discontented barons have formed an alliance against the crown and occupied Alnwick Castle, one of the strongest castles in the north.Hugh Longsword, now a full-blown spy in royal pay, is sent north to investigate the rumours. Scarred by his recent experiences, he is also haunted by the memory of Esther, the beautiful Jewess of York. Along the way he encounters an assassin known only as the Wolf, a gang of fanatical Montfortian cultists, and a ruthless, sadistic clergyman who dreams of gaining power at all costs.

  Show book