Download or read book Demons in the Spring written by Joe Meno and published by Akashic Books. This book was released on 2010-08-01 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of 20 short stories, with illustrations by 20 artists from the fine art, graphic art and comic book worlds - including Charles Burns, Paul Hornschemeier and Caroline Hwang. The hardback edition was a finalist in the Granta's 2009 Story Prize, alongside the works of Jumpa Lahiri and Tobias Wolff. In these stories, oddly modern moments occur in the most familiar of public places.

Download or read book Demons in the Details written by Sara Ronis and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2022-08-09 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Babylonian Talmud is full of stories of demonic encounters, and it also includes many laws that attempt to regulate such encounters. In this book, Sara Ronis takes the reader on a journey across the rabbinic canon, exploring how late antique rabbis imagined, feared, and controlled demons. Ronis contextualizes the Talmud's thought within the rich cultural matrix of Sasanian Babylonia, placing rabbinic thinking in conversation with Sumerian, Akkadian, Ugaritic, Syriac Christian, Zoroastrian, and Second Temple Jewish texts about demons to delve into the interactive communal context in which the rabbis created boundaries between the human and the supernatural, and between themselves and other religious communities. Demons in the Details explores the wide range of ways that the rabbis participated in broader discussions about beliefs and practices with their neighbors, out of which they created a profoundly Jewish demonology.

Download or read book Resurrection written by S. Usher Evans and published by Sun's Golden Ray Publishing. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From award-winning author S. Usher Evans comes a smashing continuation of her bestselling urban fantasy series. Picking up six months after the Demon Spring trilogy, the Demon Fall trilogy will leave readers guessing alongside our main characters as they explore the new reality of demons and humans. Lotan is safe, but the world continues to churn unpredictably. Jack continues to struggle with the decision made by Anya - and what it might mean for their already-rocky relationship. Meanwhile, he and Cam must toe the line between their demon friends and an increasingly active ICDM - who seem hell-bent on eradicating demons completely. Filled with twists and turns, and an ending that no reader will see coming, Resurrection is a stellar addition to the Demon Spring world. The Demon Fall trilogy is a spin-off series in the Demon Spring universe. It is strongly recommended that readers begin with the Demon Spring series prior to starting this one. Content warning for adult situations, depression, and suicide. The Demon Spring Series Demon Spring 1. Resurgence 2. Revival 3. Redemption Demon Fall 1. Reawakening 2. Resurrection 3. Reclamation Topics: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Norse Mythology, Vikings, Wizards, Witches, Shifters, Vampires, Thor, Loki, Freya, Gods, goddesses, Fantasy, Adult Fantasy, tough woman, Viking folklore, folklore, myth, mythology, fantasy paranormal, fantasy books, free fantasy books, myths & legends, magic, free magic book, divine, supernatural, legacy, dark fantasy, dark, evil spirits, supernatural suspense, demon slayer, demon hunter, government demon hunter, government demon slayer, UF, UF with demons, UF with monsters, agent demon hunter

Download or read book Reawakening written by S. Usher Evans and published by Sun's Golden Ray Publishing. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From award-winning author S. Usher Evans comes a smashing continuation of her bestselling urban fantasy series. Picking up six months after the end of Redemption, the final book in the Demon Spring trilogy, Reawakening will leave readers guessing alongside our main characters as they explore the new reality of demons and humans. Demons still walk amongst us, but ever since Bael, king of the demons, was killed in the Great Demon War, things have been a little topsy-turvy for demon hunters Jack Grenard and Cam Macarro. Jack, alongside the now-human Anya, has been living a semi-retired life in Seattle, moonlighting as a vigilante demon hunter. But Anya continues to spiral, unsure what to make of her life now that Bael is no longer controlling it. Across the Pacific, Cam Macarro balances her job as the Director for Weapons Development for the International Coalition for Demon Management while secretly dating Lotan, the prince of the wolf-shifting nox demons. Lotan wants to take things to the next level, but Cam is dragging her feet--that is, until Lotan is mysteriously kidnapped by forces unknown. Cam recruits Jack and Anya to help bring Lotan back, but the odds are stacked against them in an increasingly dangerous demonic world. But when Anya hears a rumor she might be able to reclaim her former glory, she sets the three of them on a world-spanning adventure that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Reawakening is the first book in the brand-new Demon Fall trilogy, a spin-off series in the Demon Spring universe. It is strongly recommended that readers begin with the Demon Spring series prior to starting this one. Content warning for adult situations, depression, and suicide. The Demon Spring Series Demon Spring Resurgence Revival Redemption Demon Fall Reawakening Resurrection Reclamation Topics: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Norse Mythology, Vikings, Wizards, Witches, Shifters, Vampires, Thor, Loki, Freya, Gods, goddesses, Fantasy, Adult Fantasy, tough woman, Viking folklore, folklore, myth, mythology, fantasy paranormal, fantasy books, free fantasy books, myths & legends, magic, free magic book, divine, supernatural, legacy, dark fantasy, dark, evil spirits, supernatural suspense, demon slayer, demon hunter, government demon hunter, government demon slayer, UF, UF with demons, UF with monsters, agent demon hunter

Download or read book Something Like Spring written by Jay Bell and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jason Grant doesn't have much, aside from a beat-up old guitar and knack for getting kicked out of foster homes. His latest placement is set to be just another in a long line of failures. Then he meets Caesar Hubbard, a handsome guy who lives down the hall. For the first time in his life, Jason wants to stay, which means learning to be part of a family, and not letting his feelings--or his actions--ruin his first real chance of falling in love.

Download or read book Rebel Spring written by Morgan Rhodes and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-12-03 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: War brought them together. Love will tear them apart. Auranos has been conquered and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But alluring, dangerous magic still beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world. . . . CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia LUCIA is haunted by the deadly outcome of her breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that will forever change the face of this land. Praise for Falling Kingdoms “From an opening dripping with blood, magic, and betrayal through complex interweaving plots detailing treachery, deceit, and forbidden love, this novel . . . will immediately engage readers and keep them intrigued.”—Booklist “[It] will gut you emotionally . . . make you ache, cry, and beg for the sequel as you turn the last page. I absolutely loved it.”—Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Queen “This triple-layered tale of bloodshed, heartbreak, and tangled court intrigue kept me turning pages very late into the night.”—Lesley Livingston, author of Wondrous Strange and Starling Richelle Mead, bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series, sits down with Morgan Rhodes to talk about Rebel Spring, the much-anticipated second book in her bestselling Falling Kingdoms series. Richelle Mead: Morgan Rhodes (aka Michelle Rowen) has been my friend for a number of years. We've hung out together at conferences and swooned over each other's books. When she was able to work on Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide, I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have someone who was already a fan of the VA world and whose writing I personally loved. I'm just as excited about her Falling Kingdoms series and couldn't resist this chance to ask her some questions about Rebel Spring, the next book in the series! Morgan Rhodes: I was thrilled for the chance to write the VA Ultimate Guide! I remember Richelle telling me there were plans for the book and I piped up with: “I totally want to write that!” And what fun it was to delve back into a series that I loved (and am still in love with thanks to the wonderful Bloodlines spinoff). I’m counting down the days for the VA movie! Richelle is not only a friend, but one of my very favorite authors, so it’s a real honor to be interviewed by her about Rebel Spring. RM: So without further ado, let’s start talking about the new book. The world of Falling Kingdoms is so vivid and detail-rich. When it comes to world-building for these novels, where do you get your inspiration? MR: I get my inspiration from pretty much everywhere, although I’m visually inspired by some of my favorite TV shows and movies, which run the gamut from Lord of the Rings to The Princess Bride to Game of Thrones, to name just a few. RM: At the end of Falling Kingdoms, things are looking pretty bleak in Mytica. Is it fair to say that Rebel Spring will be quite a bit darker than book 1? MR: The stakes have been raised and sharpened, for sure. Blood will spill and lives will be lost. But I don’t think I would ever want to write a book that was unrelentingly bleak from beginning to end. I can promise that Rebel Spring contains plenty of comic relief and romance to counterbalance the darker bits. RM: The Falling Kingdoms books are written from multiple POVs, and each of your narrators has such a unique voice and perspective. How does your experience vary from POV to POV? Are there some characters that are more difficult than others? Do you have a favorite? MR: It’s been a wonderful and exciting challenge to write in multiple points of view from my diverse cast. I will admit, some POVs are always a joy to write and others prove to be a challenge. I try to put myself in the head of that character and see the world from their eyes, no matter who they are or what their goals are. I get into the heads of a couple different characters in Rebel Spring, including a villain who definitely sees things from a darker angle than anything I’ve written before – which was fun. The characters whose scenes I most look forward to writing since they are very specific personalities and basically take over and make things easier for me are Cleo and Magnus. They tend to surprise me while the other characters usually stick to the outline! RM: Let’s talk body count. You’re very good at making me fall in love with your characters, but you’re also very good at killing them off when I least expect it. How do you decide the who, how, when, and why when it comes to killing off your characters? MR: I never knew how much I enjoyed killing characters until I started writing this series. *evil grin* However! I like to think those who get the ax (sometimes, um, literally) are necessary deaths. It’s all for a purpose, to change another character in the face of their shock and grief, to lead them down a path they never would have taken before, and to spark a desire for revolution and vengeance in the hearts of those who might previously have been passive and peaceful. Plus, I always think when things seem a bit too ideal and characters are getting too comfortable, it’s a good time to get a few heads rolling to keep things interesting for readers – and for me as the writer! RM: What’s going on with Magnus? He seems like kind of a jerk in Falling Kingdoms, but I get the sense he’s got a soft spot. MR: With a father like King Gaius, whose nickname is the “King of Blood,” it would be pretty hard for a prince to grow up as a nice dude with a sunny disposition! Magnus really came alive on the page for me, more so than any other character in the cast. Initially, he was supposed to be a jerk through and through, but he’s really more of a lost soul whose entire life has been devoted to attempting to gain his cruel and driven father’s love and respect. However, Magnus has begun to learn that he might have a different set of morals than the king, even though he knows following in Daddy’s footsteps would make life easier for him. This isn’t to say that Magnus hasn’t made (and will make) some rather dreadful decisions that will certainly cast a shadow over his future relationships and experiences. RM: Jonas has a lot of axes to grind by the end of book 1. What can we expect from him in Rebel Spring? MR: I think the main thing with Jonas is that beneath his thirst for vengeance (focused on both the murderer of his brother Aron and King Gaius) is that he really does mean well. He cares about the people of downtrodden Paelsia, and he’s someone, unlike his fellow countrymen, who doesn’t believe his future is ruled by uncontrollable fate. In Rebel Spring, Jonas has been thrust into the position of rebel leader, which will be a challenge for him on many levels. RM: Okay, ultimate personality test: Are you a Cleo or a Lucia? MR: Both are princesses from vastly different kingdoms and upbringings – Cleo is a girl who has favored parties and frivolity in the past, while Lucia prefers learning and solitude. Cleo is stubborn and sometimes reckless, and Lucia is more measured and controlled, but may be considered naïve in many ways. I wouldn’t say I’m much like either princess, really, although I am blond like Cleo and I love books like Lucia. :) RM: Lastly, can you talk a little bit about your writing process? MR: It would be next to impossible to undertake a large tapestry of a series like Falling Kingdoms if I didn’t plan a lot of it ahead of time. I work from a detailed outline and map out character goals and conflicts and relationship arcs, but I’m still surprised by some of the things my characters say and do that can take me in a direction different from what was meticulously planned. So far, it’s been a lot of fun to explore these unexpected paths to see where they lead.

Download or read book The Trip to Echo Spring written by Olivia Laing and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2014 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published: Great Britain: Canongate Books, 2013.

Download or read book Russian Spring written by Norman Spinrad and published by Gateway. This book was released on 2013-05-27 with total page 547 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the near future, the debt-laden U.S. owns a technology that renders it "the world's best-defended Third World country." The only real outer-space planning is in Common Europe, so young American "space cadet" Jerry Reed goes to work in Paris. He falls in love with and marries Soviet career bureaucrat Sonya Gagarin and the story jumps ahead 20 years, blending world events with a focus on their family. Sonya's star has risen with the Euro-Russians' while Jerry has been stymied by pervasive anti-Americanism. Daughter Franja has her father's space fever and enrolls in a Russian space school; son Bob, fiercely curious about an earlier, admired America before it was run by xenophobic "Gringos," enters Berkeley. Ten years later the U.S. is a pariah, Euro-Russia the pet of the civilized world and the Reeds scattered - politics forced Jerry and Sonya's divorce, Franja speaks only to her mother and Bob is trapped in "Festung Amerika." A series of odd, occasionally tragic events brings the family (and the world) together. Despite some tech-talk this is not science fiction: the first two-thirds of this hefty book is chillingly logical, if sometimes very funny, and while the "happy" ending may seem forced, Spinrad ( Bug Jack Barron ) gives us a wild, exhilarating ride into the next century.

Download or read book Demon Spring Books 1 3 written by S. Usher Evans and published by Sun's Golden Ray Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-26 with total page 820 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From award-winning author S. Usher Evans comes a brilliant urban fantasy series about a demon hunter struggling to reclaim the man he once was and the demon who might just save him. Fans of Jim Butcher and Kim Harrison will enjoy this unique take on overcoming demons - both real and imagined. Demons are real - and walk amongst us every day. At the International Coalition for Demon Management, agent Jack Grenard knows this better than most. The scion of a demon hunting family, his career was on an upward trajectory until demons brutally murdered his wife. Three years later, he's restarting his life in Atlanta with his partner Cam, dealing with low-level demonic lords and keeping the peace. But looming in the distance is Demon Spring, the breaking of the barrier between our world and the demonic one that occurs every four years. No one knows when or where it will occur exactly, but the unlucky city will be ravaged for a fortnight by monsters and mayhem. Jack has it on good authority that the schism will occur far from Atlanta - that is, until he comes across a human-saving demon who seems to be keeping a secret. She's enigmatic and dangerous, but Jack is inexplicably drawn to her. But as the days tick closer to Demon Spring, Jack wonders if she's simply a distraction or something much more deadly. Get swept away in an intricate world of monsters and mayhem that RT Reviews calls, "a brilliant start to a promising urban fantasy series." Content warnings for adult situations, violence, domestic abuse, and depression/suicide. The Demon Spring Series Demon Spring Trilogy Resurgence Revival Redemption Demon Fall Trilogy Reawakening Resurrection Reclamation Praise for the Demon Spring Series ★★★★★ "As good or better than most of the urban fantasy you'll find on [the bestseller lists]" - Robyn Bennis, author of The Guns Above ★★★★★ "Perfect blend between urban fantasy and real life struggles." - Chelsea Coats, Goodreads Reviewer ★★★★★ "The personal and professional drama of the main character drew one in and set the reader up for fascinating read with an explosive ending." - Kristin W., Goodreads Reviewer ★★★★★ "It is very easy to get sucked into the Demon Spring world and I can’t wait to crack open the second in the series." - Katrina M., Goodreads Reviewer Topics: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Norse Mythology, Vikings, Wizards, Witches, Shifters, Vampires, Thor, Loki, Freya, Gods, goddesses, Fantasy, Adult Fantasy, tough woman, Viking folklore, folklore, myth, mythology, fantasy paranormal, fantasy books, fantasy books, myths & legends, magic, free magic book, divine, supernatural, legacy, dark fantasy, dark, evil spirits, supernatural suspense, demon slayer, demon hunter, government demon hunter, government demon slayer, UF, UF with demons, UF with monsters, agent demon hunter, urban fantasy boxed set, urban fantasy anthology, paranormal boxed set, paranormal box set, urban fantasy box set

Download or read book Reclamation written by S. Usher Evans and published by Sun's Golden Ray Publishing. This book was released on 2021-07-27 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From award-winning author S. Usher Evans comes a smashing continuation of her bestselling urban fantasy series. Picking up six months after the Demon Spring trilogy, the Demon Fall trilogy will leave readers guessing alongside our main characters as they explore the new reality of demons and humans. Anya's worst fears have been realized. After making a potentially world-altering mistake, she struggles to clean up her mess--and doesn't want to tell Jack, Cam, or Lotan. In the human world, the aftershocks of the new world order continue to rattle even the most hardened demon hunters. Old alliances are broken while new ones falter in new chaos - and Anya is the number one suspect. But Jack refuses to believe she's become the monster they say she is and would move heaven and earth to prove it. The final chapter in the Demon Spring / Demon Fall series will shock and surprise readers, keeping them on the edge of their seat until the very end. The Demon Fall trilogy is a spin-off series in the Demon Spring universe. It is strongly recommended that readers begin with the Demon Spring series prior to starting this one. Content warning for adult situations, depression, and suicide. The Demon Spring Series Demon Spring Resurgence Revival Redemption Demon Fall Reawakening Resurrection Reclamation

Download or read book Winter Demon written by Yamila Abraham and published by . This book was released on 2006-10 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When three ruthless fire demons come to terrorize the monk Hakuin's village he's forced to seek help from Fuyu, the snow demon who tormented him a year ago. Fuyu is thrilled to see his beautiful monk again. He'll defeat the demons only if Hakuin becomes his willing slave. Fuyu realizes too late that the fire demons are out of his league. Even worse, the lead demon thinks the fey Fuyu would make a nice slave in his own right. When Fuyu is put in the same position he put Hakuin a year ago he starts to realize the error of his ways. Maybe, in time, he can even be redeemed to his beloved monk. Also, a pacifist is forced to bring an assassin to a rival lord. It doesn't help that the assassin is part of the group who wiped out the pacifist's race. So why are they sleeping together?

Download or read book Snow Melts in Spring written by Deborah Vogts and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-08-30 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She loves the land. Mattie Evans grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Although her family has lost their ranch, she still calls this land home. A skilled young veterinarian, she struggles to gain the confidence of the local ranchers. Fortunately, her best friend and staunchest supporter is John McCray, owner of the Lightning M Ranch. They both love the ranch, and can’t imagine living anywhere but in the Flint Hills. He’s haunted by it. Gil McCray, John’s estranged son, is a pro football player living in California. The ranch is where his mother died and where every aspect of the tallgrass prairie stirs unwanted memories of his older brother’s fatal accident. Gil decides leaving the ranch is the best solution for his ailing father and his own ailing heart. But he doesn’t count on falling in love. Falling in love isn’t an option. Or is it? When Mattie is called in to save a horse injured in a terrible accident, she finds herself unwillingly tossed into the middle of a family conflict. Secret pain, secret passions, and secret agendas play out against the beautiful landscapes as love leads to some unexpected conclusions about forgiveness and renewal.

Download or read book Chasing Spring written by R. S. Grey and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-02-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I thought I'd left Blackwater, Texas behind for good. I didn't belong in the small town, but my dad wouldn't listen. He dragged me back home in his beat-up truck and dropped a bomb along the way: Chase Matthews was moving in with us. He was the golden boy of my high school, my former best friend, and the last person I wanted sleeping across the hall. His presence was too great a reminder of the ghosts I was trying to forget.I didn't ask for a hero. I don't want to be saved.To me, Lilah Calloway meant late nights sneakin' out, moonlit hair, and sparklers in July. She was my best friend until the day she left and I'd assumed Blackwater had seen the last of her. Then, like a tempest, she rolled back into town for the final half of senior year. The chopped hair and dark devil-may-care attitude warned most people away, but I knew if I fought hard enough, I could find the lost girl.I didn't want to be her hero. Some girls don't need to be saved.

Download or read book The Demon in Democracy written by Ryszard Legutko and published by Encounter Books. This book was released on 2018-06-26 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ryszard Legutko lived and suffered under communism for decades—and he fought with the Polish anti-communist movement to abolish it. Having lived for two decades under a liberal democracy, however, he has discovered that these two political systems have a lot more in common than one might think. They both stem from the same historical roots in early modernity, and accept similar presuppositions about history, society, religion, politics, culture, and human nature. In The Demon in Democracy, Legutko explores the shared objectives between these two political systems, and explains how liberal democracy has over time lurched towards the same goals as communism, albeit without Soviet style brutality. Both systems, says Legutko, reduce human nature to that of the common man, who is led to believe himself liberated from the obligations of the past. Both the communist man and the liberal democratic man refuse to admit that there exists anything of value outside the political systems to which they pledged their loyalty. And both systems refuse to undertake any critical examination of their ideological prejudices.

Download or read book Chicago Noir The Classics Akashic Noir written by Joe Meno and published by Akashic Books. This book was released on 2015-08-10 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this superior entry in Akashic's noir series, Meno offers nearly a century of Chicago crime fiction....Familiar bylines abound: Max Allan Collins, Richard Wright, Nelson Algren, Sherwood Anderson, Fredric Brown, Patricia Highsmith (with an excerpt from her novel The Price of Salt), Stewart M. Kaminsky, Sara Paretsky. Others may be less familiar to mystery specialists, but all turn in impressive performances." --Publishers Weekly, Starred review "Richard Wright, Nelson Algren, and Sandra Cisneros are not crime-fiction writers, and yet their Chicago certainly embodies the individual-crushing ethos endemic to noir. Meno also includes stories from writers who could easily have been overlooked (Percy Spurlark Parker, Hugh Holton) to ensure that diverse voices, and neighborhoods, are represented. Add in smart and essential choices from Fredric Brown, Sara Paretsky, and Stuart Kaminsky, and you have not an anthology not for crime-fiction purists, perhaps, but a thought-provoking document all the same." --Booklist "The fifteen short stories comprising Chicago Noir: The Classics, which are knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Joe Meno, are true gems of the noir literary tradition....Chicago Noir: The Classics is a consistently entertaining and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections." --Midwest Book Review "I've always enjoyed reading noir. Dark, ironic mysteries are a good read to me. Since this collection includes old classics as well as some new stories, I knew it would be good....I wasn't disappointed." --Journey of a Bookseller "Chicago Noir The Classics does everything anthologies and noir are supposed to, but this title achieves an unheralded goal that deserves notice....This is wonderful diversity, coming both unexpected and unhearalded. Anthologies are supposed to convey a sense of having covered the territory, Joe Meno has. Ethnically diverse city, ethnically diverse plots. Better, Chicago Noir The Classics showcases diversity as normal, everyday. This adds inescapable satisfaction to a sense of the editor's having covered the territory." --La Bloga "A worthy addition to the Akashic Books noir series." --Book Chase Although Los Angeles may be considered the most quintessentially "noir" American city, this volume reveals that pound-for-pound, Chicago has historically been able to stand up to any other metropolis in the noir arena. Classic reprints from: Harry Stephen Keeler, Sherwood Anderson, Max Allan Collins, Richard Wright, Nelson Algren, Fredric Brown, Patricia Highsmith, Barry Gifford, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Sara Paretsky, Percy Spurlark Parker, Sandra Cisneros, Hugh Holton, and Stuart Dybek. From the introduction by Joe Meno: "More corrupt than New York, less glamorous than LA, Chicago has more murders per capita than any other city its size. With its sleek skyscrapers bisecting the fading sky like an unspoken threat, Chicago is the closest metropolis to the mythical city of shadows as first described in the work of Chandler, Hammett, and Cain. Only in Chicago do instituted color lines offer generation after generation of poverty and violence, only in Chicago do the majority of governors do prison time, only in Chicago do the dead actually vote twice. "Chicago--more than the metropolis that gave the world Al Capone, the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, the death of John Dillinger, the crimes of Leopold and Loeb, the horrors of John Wayne Gacy, the unprecedented institutional corruption of so many recent public officials, more than the birthplace of Raymond Chandler--is a city of darkness. This darkness is not an act of over-imagination. It's the unadulterated truth. It's a pointed though necessary reminder of the grave tragedies of the past and the failed possibilities of the present. Fifty years in the future, I hope these stories are read only as fiction, as somewhat distant fantasy. Here's hoping for some light."

Download or read book Marvel and a Wonder written by Joe Meno and published by Akashic Books. This book was released on 2015-08-10 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A boy and his grandfather hunt for a stolen horse in this novel “evoking William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy” (Booklist). Longlisted for the American Library Association’s Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction In the summer of 1995, Jim Falls, a Korean War vet, struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old mixed-race grandson, Quentin, on a farm in southern Indiana. In July, they receive a mysterious gift—a beautiful quarter horse—which upends the balance of their difficult lives. The horse’s appearance catches the attention of a pair of troubled, meth-dealing brothers and, after a violent altercation, the horse is stolen and sold. Grandfather and grandson must travel the landscape of the bleak heartland to reclaim the animal and to confront the ruthless party that has taken possession of it. Along the way, both will be forced to face the misperceptions and tragedies of their past. “A vivid portrait of Heartland America . . . I’ve long been an admirer of Joe Meno’s work, and this is his most ambitious book yet.” —Dan Chaon, New York Times–bestselling author of Ill Will “[Meno] has a knack for giving small happenings emotional weight. . . . Meno knows how to make you love his characters, want what they want. But don’t think he’s going to let things turn out well for them. Marvels and wonders aren’t worth the trouble. Fortunately, this book is.” —The New York Times Book Review “It’s at once a story about two people and an exploration of the past, present, and future of the country. . . . As the fate of the horse, of Jim Falls, of Quentin—of America!—becomes more perilous, the book picks up speed. The story is operating on different levels—as a family story, an epic, and in the end a page-turner—but they remain skillfully balanced.” —Chicago Reader “A wise and touching novel of love, loyalty, courage; an extraordinary book not to be missed.” —Library Journal

Download or read book The Fires of Spring written by James A. Michener and published by Dial Press. This book was released on 2014-04-15 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An intimate early novel from James A. Michener, now remembered as the beloved master of the historical epic, The Fires of Spring unfolds with the bittersweet drama of a boy’s perilous journey into manhood. David Harper is an orphan, seemingly doomed to loneliness and poverty. As an adolescent con artist and petty thief, David spends his days grifting at an amusement park, the place where he first learns about women and the mysteries of love. Soon he discovers that his longing to embrace the world is stronger than the harsh realities that constrain him. Featuring autobiographical touches from Michener’s own life story, The Fires of Spring is more than a novel: It’s a rich slice of American life, brimming with wisdom, longing, and compassion. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Hawaii. Praise for The Fires of Spring “A warm-hearted, readable story, crammed with lively incident and remarkable characters.”—The Atlantic “Heartfelt . . . immensely readable . . . Michener is a born writer.”—The New York Times “Michener is a gifted storyteller.”—Kirkus Reviews “Brilliantly done.”—Library Journal