Publisher: Mozaika Publications
So I’m a seer. A Cognizant under the Mandate. Life should be easy now, right? Wrong. With all the "accidents" that keep befalling me, I'll be lucky to survive the week. That is, if my crazy boss doesn't work me to death first...
Although written from a child's perspective, this is not a kids book but a series of funny, poignant, and sometimes disturbing stories about life in a late 19th-century Russian-Jewish village -- the world of my grandparents. Sholem Rabinovich (1859-1916) was born in Pereiaslav, Ukraine and later immigrated to New York. His short stories about Tevye and his daughters were freely adapted into the musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Rabinovich's will contained the following injunction: "Let my name be recalled with laughter or not at all." His translator, Hannah Berman, was Irish of Lithuanian descent.Some of these stories may be too intense for younger children. (summary by Adrian Praetzellis)Show book
He didn’t know how or why--it just...happened one day. Jason Cole was working on finding a suitable picture for some newsletter or something. One of ten or twenty specific photos he would find that day. Same old thing he’d done a hundred times before. Looking through stock photos, this time for a cooking ad. Then he found her. In a picture titled “attractive woman in apron smiling holding a spatula.” That was the first time he ever saw her. And that first time was enough. It was her. He knew it. It was like a form a destiny or something. He just...knew. He was going to kill her.Show book
The story is recounted by the protagonist, Count Antoine de C, in the first person. Hundreds of years ago, Antoine's noble ancestor was responsible for the death of a dark wizard, Michel Mauvais. The wizard's son, Charles le Sorcier, swore revenge on not only him but all his descendants, cursing them to die on reaching the age of 32. The protagonist recounts how his ancestors all died in some mysterious way around the age of 32. The line has dwindled and the castle has been left to fall into disrepair, tower by tower. Finally, Antoine is the only one left, with one poor servant, Pierre, who raised him, and a tiny section of the castle with a single tower is still usable. Antoine has reached adulthood, and his 32nd year is approaching. His servant eventually dies, leaving him completely alone, and he begins exploring the ruined parts of the castle. He finds a trapdoor in one of the oldest parts. Below, he discovers a passage with a locked door at the end. Just as he turns to leave, he hears a noise behind him and sees that the door is open and someone is standing in it. The man attempts to kill him but Antoine kills him first. His dying words reveal that he is none other than Charles, who actually managed to successfully fabricate the elixir of life, enabling him to personally fulfill the curse generation after generation.Show book
If the counselors of Camp Firwood send you into the woods, you're as good as dead. When the rebellious teenager Kevin gets sent to a summer camp by his parents, he initially has no idea what's in store for him. Every two weeks, the camp organizes an event called The Trial. The campers all dread it. They don't want to spend the night in the woods with the Firwood Wraith roaming around. And the more they misbehave, the higher the chances they'll be chosen. By the time Kevin realizes what Camp Firwood really is, he is trapped - and every week, more and more campers go missing.Show book
Cold Quarry is a fast-paced thriller with believable characters that draw readers in and make them hold on tight for an unexpected ride.Show book
Alexander Grin is known for his strange and chilling tales, and this one is certainly one of the oddest of them all. The author would like us to consider, what would happen if a creation not only outsmarted its creator but became truly dangerous.Show book
