Download or read book Song of the Sparrow written by Lisa Ann Sandell and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2017-06-27 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This gripping addition to the Camelot canon -- written in beautiful verse -- has received glowing praise, and is an empowering story of rebellion and courage. Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings created in her name. She is Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a book all her own. The year is 490 A.D. and 16-year-old Elaine has a temperament to match her fiery red hair. Living on a military base with her father, brothers, and the rest of Arthur's army, Elaine pines for the handsome Lancelot, and longs for a female companion. But when the cruel, beautiful Gwynivere arrives, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. Can Elaine find the strength to survive the birth of a kingdom?

Download or read book You Are Not a Gadget written by Jaron Lanier and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2010-01-12 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NATIONAL BESTSELLER A programmer, musician, and father of virtual reality technology, Jaron Lanier was a pioneer in digital media, and among the first to predict the revolutionary changes it would bring to our commerce and culture. Now, with the Web influencing virtually every aspect of our lives, he offers this provocative critique of how digital design is shaping society, for better and for worse. Informed by Lanier’s experience and expertise as a computer scientist, You Are Not a Gadget discusses the technical and cultural problems that have unwittingly risen from programming choices—such as the nature of user identity—that were “locked-in” at the birth of digital media and considers what a future based on current design philosophies will bring. With the proliferation of social networks, cloud-based data storage systems, and Web 2.0 designs that elevate the “wisdom” of mobs and computer algorithms over the intelligence and wisdom of individuals, his message has never been more urgent.

Download or read book The Third Pole written by Mark Synnott and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-04-13 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ***NPR Books We Love selection*** “If you’re only going to read one Everest book this decade, make it The Third Pole. . . . A riveting adventure.”—Outside Shivering, exhausted, gasping for oxygen, beyond doubt . . . A hundred-year mystery lured veteran climber Mark Synnott into an unlikely expedition up Mount Everest during the spring 2019 season that came to be known as “the Year Everest Broke.” What he found was a gripping human story of impassioned characters from around the globe and a mountain that will consume your soul—and your life—if you let it. The mystery? On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine set out to stand on the roof of the world, where no one had stood before. They were last seen eight hundred feet shy of Everest’s summit still “going strong” for the top. Could they have succeeded decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay? Irvine is believed to have carried a Kodak camera with him to record their attempt, but it, along with his body, had never been found. Did the frozen film in that camera have a photograph of Mallory and Irvine on the summit before they disappeared into the clouds, never to be seen again? Kodak says the film might still be viable. . . . Mark Synnott made his own ascent up the infamous North Face along with his friend Renan Ozturk, a filmmaker using drones higher than any had previously flown. Readers witness first-hand how Synnott’s quest led him from oxygen-deprivation training to archives and museums in England, to Kathmandu, the Tibetan high plateau, and up the North Face into a massive storm. The infamous traffic jams of climbers at the very summit immediately resulted in tragic deaths. Sherpas revolted. Chinese officials turned on Synnott’s team. An Indian woman miraculously crawled her way to frostbitten survival. Synnott himself went off the safety rope—one slip and no one would have been able to save him—committed to solving the mystery. Eleven climbers died on Everest that season, all of them mesmerized by an irresistible magic. The Third Pole is a rapidly accelerating ride to the limitless joy and horror of human obsession.

Download or read book The Epic Crush of Genie Lo written by F. C. Yee and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2017-08-08 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie’s every waking thought. But when she discovers she’s a celestial spirit who’s powerful enough to bash through the gates of heaven with her fists, her perfectionist existence is shattered. Enter Quentin, a transfer student from China whose tone-deaf assertiveness beguiles Genie to the brink of madness. Quentin nurtures Genie’s outrageous transformation—sometimes gently, sometimes aggressively—as her sleepy suburb in the Bay Area comes under siege from hell-spawn. This epic YA debut draws from Chinese folklore, features a larger-than-life heroine, and perfectly balances the realities of Genie’s grounded high school life with the absurd supernatural world she finds herself commanding.

Download or read book River of Darkness written by Buddy Levy and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2022-04-05 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The acclaimed author of Labyrinth of Ice charts the legendary sixteenth-century adventurer’s death-defying navigation of the Amazon River. In 1541, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his lieutenant Francisco Orellana searched for La Canela, South America’s rumored Land of Cinnamon, and the fabled El Dorado, “the golden man.” Quickly, the enormous expedition of mercenaries, enslaved natives, horses, and hunting dogs were decimated through disease, starvation, and attacks in the jungle. Hopelessly lost in the swampy labyrinth, Pizarro and Orellana made the fateful decision to separate. While Pizarro eventually returned home in rags, Orellana and fifty-seven men continued into the unknown reaches of the mighty Amazon jungle and river. Theirs would be the greater glory. Interweaving historical accounts with newly uncovered details, Levy reconstructs Orellana’s journey as the first European to navigate the world’s largest river. Every twist and turn of the powerful Amazon holds new wonders and the risk of death. Levy gives a long-overdue account of the Amazon’s people—some offering sustenance and guidance, others hostile, subjecting the invaders to gauntlets of unremitting attacks and signs of terrifying rituals. Violent and beautiful, noble and tragic, River of Darkness is riveting history and breathtaking adventure that will sweep readers on a voyage unlike any other. Praise for Buddy Levy and River of Darkness “In River of Darkness, Buddy Levy recounts Orellana’s headlong dash down the Amazon. Like Mr. Levy’s last book, Conquistador, about the conquest of Mexico, River of Darkness presents a fast-moving tale of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. . . . Though impromptu, the expedition was one of the most amazing adventures of all time.” —Wall Street Journal “An exciting, well-plotted excursion down the Amazon River with the early Spanish conquistador. . . . [A] richly textured account of the rogue, rebel and visionary whose discovery still resonates today.” —Kirkus Reviews “A rollicking adventure . . . Levy successfully conveys the Amazon’s power and majesty, while shedding light on the futility of humanity’s attempt to tame it.” —The A.V. Club

Download or read book On the Line written by Serena Williams and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2009-09-01 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the biggest stars in tennis, Serena Williams has captured every major title. Her 2009 Australia Open championship earned her the #1 world ranking for the third time in her illustrious career - and marked only the latest exclamation point on a life well and purposefully lived. As a young girl, Serena began training with an adult-sized racquet that was almost as big as her. Rather than dropping the racquet, Serena saw it as a challenge to overcome-and she has confronted every obstacle on her path to success with the same unflagging spirit. From growing up in the tough, hardscrabble neighborhood of Compton, California, to being trained by her father on public tennis courts littered with broken glass and drug paraphernalia, to becoming the top women's player in the world, Serena has proven to be an inspiration to her legions of fans both young and old. Her accomplishments have not been without struggle: being derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic shooting of her older sister, and criticized for her unorthodox approach to tennis. Yet somehow, Serena always manages to prevail. Both on the court and off, she's applied the strength and determination that helped her to become a champion to successful pursuits in philanthropy, fashion, television and film. In this compelling and poignant memoir, Serena takes an empowering look at her extraordinary life and what is still to come.

Download or read book William Shakespeare written by Ari Berk and published by Candlewick Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes Shakespeare's experiences in London and his retirement to the country in a fictional account that includes excerpts from his works.

Download or read book Stan Lee s How to Draw Comics written by Stan Lee and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2010-11-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Stan Lee's How to Draw Comics, Stan Lee reveals his secrets for: * Costumes * Penciling, Inking & Coloring * Lettering & Word Balloons * Digital Advances * Perspective & Foreshortening * What Makes Great Action * Page & Panel Layout * Covers * Creating a Portfolio * Getting Work When it comes to comic books, one name says it all: Stan Lee. His characters are classics. His industry knowledge is vast. His creativity is boundless. And now, he’s sharing what he knows with you, Grasshopper! His cohorts have always been—and still are—some of the best in the business: Jack Kirby, John Romita, Sr., Neal Adams, Gil Kane, Mike Deodato, Jr., Frank Cho, and Jonathan Lau, and many others, Stan includes their work here and discusses what exactly makes it so great. He touches on all the important stuff: anatomy, foreshortening, perspective, action, penciling, inking, hand lettering vs. digital lettering, color, character and costume design, panel flow, materials and tools, computers, file formats, and software. He includes an overview of the history and development of the comic book industry, and there’s an extensive section on various types of covers—the super important element that makes the reader want to pick up that comic! In a world where good battles evil at every turn and the hero fights valiantly to get the girl, no stone is left unturned! Here you’ll also find info on all the small details—that really aren’t so small: word balloons, thought balloons, whisper balloons, bursts, sound effect lettering, and splash pages! And KA-BLAMMM! . . . once you’ve created your art, then what? Lest you think Stan would turn you out into the wilderness without a road map, fellow traveler, there’s also information on preparing and submitting your portfolio, on getting work, and on suggested reading and schools. Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics features a cover that reunites long time collaborator John Romita Sr. and original cover artist of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. John Romita Sr. was most famous for his collaboration on The Amazing Spider-Man with Stan Lee! It’s time for a new approach . . . “a cornucopia of cutting-edge, techno-savvy instructions to lead you down the freshly laid yellow brick road of creativity.” It’s time for a book that takes you on the new journey of creating comic books for the 21st century and beyond! Excelsior!

Download or read book Leonardo s Swans written by Karen Essex and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2006-01-10 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Isabelle d’Este, daughter of the Duke of Ferrara, born into privilege and the political and artistic turbulence of Renaissance Italy, is a stunning black-eyed blond and an art lover and collector. Worldly and ambitious, she has never envied her less attractive sister, the spirited but naïve Beatrice, until, by a quirk of fate, Beatrice is betrothed to the future Duke of Milan. Although he is more than twice their age, openly lives with his mistress, and is reputedly trying to eliminate the current duke by nefarious means, Ludovico Sforza is Isabella’s match in intellect and passion for all things of beauty. Only he would allow her to fulfill her destiny: to reign over one of the world’s most powerful and enlightened realms and be immortalized in oil by the genius Leonardo da Vinci. Isabella vows that she will not rest until she wins her true fate, and the two sisters compete for supremacy in the illustrious courts of Europe. A haunting novel of rivalry, love, and betrayal that transports you back to Renaissance Italy, Leonardo’s Swans will have you dashing to the works of the great master—not for clues to a mystery but to contemplate the secrets of the human heart.

Download or read book Understanding Media written by Marshall McLuhan and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-09-04 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When first published, Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media made history with its radical view of the effects of electronic communications upon man and life in the twentieth century.

Download or read book The Invention of Hugo Cabret written by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic. This book was released on 2015-09-03 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An orphan and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy train station. He desperately believes a broken automaton will make his dreams come true. But when his world collides with an eccentric girl and a bitter old man, Hugo's undercover life are put in jeopardy. Turn the pages, follow the illustrations and enter an unforgettable new world!

Download or read book Hero of the Underground written by Jason Peter and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2008-07-08 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This New York Times bestselling gritty memoir Hero of the Underground offers a no-holds-barred look at the twisted underbelly of a seemingly perfect life. Jason Peter, an All-American football player, captain of the National Champion Nebraska Cornhuskers, first round NFL draft pick. . . and heroin addict. I wasn't afraid of death. How could I be? I lived under death's shadow every day. When you swallow sixty Vicodin, twenty sleeping pills, drink a bottle of vodka, and still survive, a certain sense of invulnerability stays with you. When you continually use drugs with the kind of reckless determination that I did, the limit to how much heroin or crack you can ingest is not defined by dollar amounts but by the amounts your body can withstand without experiencing a seizure or respiratory failure. . . . I found myself contemplating death again. Only this time I wasn't going to leave it to chance. I was going to buy a gun, load the thing, place the barrel in my mouth, and blow my fucking brains out. "Had Hunter Thompson been a football player instead of a fan, this is the book he'd have written. Flat-out, mash-your-face-in-the-dirt amazing." —Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight

Download or read book Nevermore written by Kelly Creagh and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-08-30 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, "Nevermore" is the story of Varen--a Poe fan and Goth--and Isobel--a cheerleader and unlikely heroine.

Download or read book Wizardmatch written by Lauren Magaziner and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-03-06 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Take the hilarious, magic-infused world of Eva Ibbotson's Which Witch, add the lovable feuding family from The Incredibles, and you'll get Wizardmatch--funny, fantastical, action-packed, and totally heartwarming. Twelve-year-old Lennie Mercado loves magic. She practices her invisibility powers all the time (she can now stay invisible for fifteen seconds!), and she dreams of the day that she can visit her grandfather, the Prime Wizard de Pomporromp, at his magical estate. Now Lennie has her chance. Poppop has decided to retire, and his grandchildren are coming from all over to compete in Wizardmatch. The winner inherits his title, his castle, and every single one of his unlimited magical powers. The losers get nothing. Lennie is desperate to win, but when Poppop creates a new rule to quelch any sibling rivalry, her thoughts turn from winning Wizardmatch to sabotaging it...even if it means betraying her family. Comedic, touching, and page-turny, Wizardmatch is perfect for fans of Mr. Lemoncello's Library, The Gollywopper Games, and The Candymakers.

Download or read book Last Things written by Jacqueline West and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Everything I love in a book."—Victoria Schwab, author of #1 New York Times bestseller This Savage Song “The kind of taut, atmospheric thriller that gets your heart racing and sets your imagination on fire. Sensational.”—Claire Legrand, New York Times-bestselling author of Furyborn Finalist for the Minnesota Book Award New York Times–bestselling author Jacqueline West captivates readers with a dark, hypnotic story about the cost of talent—and the evil that lurks just out of sight. Fans of Holly Black and Victoria Schwab will be mesmerized by this gorgeous, magnetic novel. High school senior Anders Thorson is unusually gifted. His band, Last Things, is legendary in their northern Minnesota hometown. With guitar skills that would amaze even if he weren’t only eighteen, Anders is the focus of head-turning admiration. And Thea Malcom, a newcomer to the insular town, is one of his admirers. Thea seems to turn up everywhere Anders goes: gigs at the local coffeehouse, guitar lessons, even in the woods near Anders’s home. When strange things start happening to Anders, blame immediately falls on Thea. But is she trying to hurt him? Or save him? Can he trust a girl who doesn’t seem to know the difference between dreams and reality? And how much are they both willing to sacrifice to get what they want? Told from Anders’s and Thea’s dual points of view, this exquisitely crafted novel is full of unexpected twists and is for fans of Holly Black’s The Darkest Part of the Forest and Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood.

Download or read book Star Wars written by Matthew Reinhart and published by SCHOLASTIC. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Wars with this pop-up extravaganza that takes readers on a 3-D, movable journey unto the Star Wars universe.

Download or read book I d Like You More If You Were More like Me written by John Ortberg and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2017-10-03 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I’d Like You More If You Were More like Me takes on one of life’s most important questions: How can I get closer to God and other people? We were created for deep connections. When people have deep connections, says John Ortberg, they win in life. When they don’t have deep connections, they cannot win in life. I’d Like You More if You Were More like Me offers help in overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to making deep connections: the fact that we’re so different. Different from God and different from each other. The good news is that connectedness is not based on similarity, but on shared experiences. When one person invites another to share an experience, they’re connected. It can be sharing a beautiful sunset or a meal, having a great conversation over cup of coffee, going for walk, or even teasing somebody. And when we share those same experiences with God, we get closer to him, too. God wants to connect with us—so much that he sent his son to live as a human being. God took on flesh and shared every human experience. So we don’t have to wonder what a close relationship with God looks like anymore. An intimate relationship with God and other people doesn’t have to be a cliché, it can be a daily way of life.