Download or read book Net of Jewels written by Ellen Gilchrist and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2013-11-22 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Home for the summer in Dunleith, Alabama, Rhoda Manning’s life appears at ease. But the headstrong, passionate 19-year-old refuses to settle for a comfortable, conventional existence. Yearning for a life of profundity, adventure, and beauty, Rhoda breaks from the seemingly secure world of her family to recklessly follow her dreams—but not without tragic and disturbing consequences. A failed marriage, shady abortion, an impulsive decision to sneak into a midnight meeting of the Klan, dates with her shrink, a deluge of booze, and a bout of repentance all seem to vie as the means to Rhoda's own liberation. Gilchrist unflinchingly takes us through the turbulence of Rhoda’s formative years, on an outrageous coming-of-age journey of a young white woman in the 1960’s South—digging through the bone to reveal the chill of human experience. PRAISE: “One of the lies we enjoy telling ourselves is that when we were young, we were crazy and wild. But hey, sensitive, too, and reflective, full of conscience, already evolving into the mature human beings we are now. Ellen Gilchrist`s novel, Net of Jewels, provides an uncomfortable reminder that, more likely, we were controlled by brute forces-our raw emotions and emerging libidos, our parents and our desperate need to fit in, whatever that meant where and when we grew up.” —Chicago Tribune “Ellen Gilchrist refracts life through a prism of precious gems, a net of jewels. Her fiction is always a kind of prose poem, a dance of seven veils. Like all of Gilchrist’s work, her latest novel dazzles and pulsates, and even in the few passages of below-normal sheen, Net of Jewels still qualifies as an almost imperceptibly flawed diamond.” —Los Angeles Times In her ninth book, which begins in the mid-50's, Ellen Gilchrist tracks a 19-year-old who drinks too much, marries too young, and is bored by her own children. The plucky Rhoda Manning has appeared in many of Gilchrist's short stories; in Net of Jewels she positively struts. ...She struggles to free herself from the constraints of upper-crust Southern society, yet insists on enjoying all its advantages. Interestingly, Gilchrist chooses not describe Rhoda's transformation into a ''better'' person ... ''If we could understand one thing entirely, we might understand it all.'' Rhoda philosophizes. ... An engaging novel [with] beauty and emotional horsepower. —Entertainment Weekly

Download or read book I Cannot Get You Close Enough written by Ellen Gilchrist and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book I Cannot Get You Close Enough written by Ellen Gilchrist and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2017-08-06 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three intertwining novellas about love, death, and the bonds of blood: “To say that Ellen Gilchrist can write is to say that Placido Domingo can sing.”—Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Journeying through the lives of different members of the Hand family, Ellen Gilchrist weaves together tumultuous relationships that are bound by blood. A harrowing custody battle leads Anna Hand to Istanbul and back to ensure once and for all that her niece is safe from her conniving mother’s ploys. Jessie, finally free from her mother’s influence, has her life upended when Olivia, the sister she never knew she had, appears at the Hands’ home. Between this and the shocking loss of her aunt, Jessie doesn’t know if her resentment of Olivia comes from their chaotic meeting or something suspicious bubbling just beneath Olivia’s surface. Meanwhile Olivia, the half-Native American child who had never known a normal family, must cope with this new world of high society. Losing Anna, and having a dark and desperate secret exposed, may send her back to Tahlequah—if it doesn’t send her over the edge first. And Anna, leaving a legacy of literature in her wake, may do more harm in death than she ever wanted in life, as her sister enters a vicious fight to recover her lost writing… “Always she takes the long, comic view of her characters' frailties, for only through the chaos they create, she seems to suggest, do family trees writhe toward the light.”—The New York Times “Gilchrist brilliantly captures the intimate accents and rhythms of a family under stress.”—Publishers Weekly “A thoroughly engaging work.”—Library Journal

Download or read book Close Enough for the Angels written by Paul Madonna and published by Petty Curse Books. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A mystery and a love story about art, creativity, and above all, luck--good, bad, and everything in between. With over one hundred lush and haunting drawings, this full-length, character driven story is a fresh and innovative reinvention of the illustrated novel.

Download or read book Close Enough to Touch written by Victoria Dahl and published by HQN Books. This book was released on 2017-02-27 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A heartbroken LA makeup artist gets back on the horse with a sexy Wyoming cowboy in this romantic comedy by a USA Today–bestselling author. Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West? For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn’t the land of golden opportunity. It’s the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson, Grace thinks she’ll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting. . . . Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can’t help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay—and those fires from long ago may burn them both. They’ll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever. Originally published in 2012. Praise for the novels of Victoria Dahl “Sassy and smokingly sexy . . . One delicious joyride of a book.” —New York Times–bestselling author Connie Brockway on Talk Me Down “A hot and funny story about a woman many of us can relate to.” —Salon.com on Crazy for Love “A hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters.” —Booklist on Start Me Up

Download or read book Close Enough to Touch written by Richard Peck and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fade written by Kyle Mills and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp novels Kyle Mills rewrites the rules for thrillers with Fade -- a novel ripped from today's headlines Welcome to the new war on terror. A secret wing of Homeland Security is recruiting agents to work undercover in the Middle East, and the director wants his second-in-command, Matt Egan, to bring aboard an old friend, Salam Al Fayed—better known as Fade. He's perfect: An ex-Navy Seal and the son of immigrants, he speaks flawless Arabic. Trouble is, he's "retired"; he was wounded in the line of duty, and the government refused to pay for the risky surgery that could have helped him. Now he's walking around with a bullet lodged near his spine, and he's not too fond of anyone in the government -- least of all, his ex-best friend Matt Egan, whom he blames for his present condition. Against Egan's wishes, the director tries to "persuade" Fade to join the team. But Fade is prepared to fight back at any cost. The chase is on -- will Matt be able to find his friend-turned-fugitive before Fade can take the ultimate revenge? Fade is a remarkable, take-no-prisoners program from an unparalleled writer at the height of his talents.

Download or read book Close Enough for Jazz written by Michael Zwerin and published by Quartet Books (UK). This book was released on 1983 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mike Zwerin played with Miles Davis in the original Birth of the Cool sessions, but most of the anecdotes from his life as a participant and observer of jazz come from his days in the big bands of Maynard Ferguson and Claude Thornhill. Plenty of goofy moments from musicians on the road, self-discovery in Paris, etc. Not quite a working-class session musician, but not a star either, Mike comes off as amusing and down-to-earth. A fun read for musicians.

Download or read book Falling Through Space written by Ellen Gilchrist and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2000 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enhanced with 15 new essays, this collection is the benchmark of an acclaimed writer's spunk and sense of place. Originally published in 1987, "Falling Through Space" provides a funny and intimate diary of a writer's self-discovery. 42 photos.

Download or read book Victory Over Japan written by Ellen Gilchrist and published by Diversion Books. This book was released on 2014-01-17 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1984, this collection of 14 short stories set in Arkansas and Mississippi went on to win that year’s National Book Award for fiction, confirming Ellen Gilchrist’s place as one of the preeminent literary talents of her generation. Victory Over Japan takes us into the lives of an unforgettable group of Southern women — beautiful, complicated, enchanting, and sometimes dangerous — in and out of bars, marriages, divorces, lovers' arms, and even earthquakes, in an attempt to find happiness, or at least some satisfaction. Throughout these stories, one hears echoes of Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty, but Ms. Gilchrist has her own unique literary voice, and it is outrageously funny, moving, tragic, and always appealing. PRAISE: “To say that Ellen Gilchrist can write is to say that Placido Domingo can sing. All you need to do is listen.” —Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post “She is what they call a natural, writing with passion, authority and a noticeable lack of the self-consciousness that weighs down much of contemporary fiction.” —San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle “Ellen Gilchrist’s achievement is to create lives which refuse to be bound on the page by words and sentences . . . the writing is full of understanding that doesn’t advertise itself as perception or insight.” —London Daily Telegraph

Download or read book No One Is Talking About This written by Patricia Lockwood and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-02-16 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FINALIST FOR THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE & A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK OF 2021 WINNER OF THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE “A book that reads like a prose poem, at once sublime, profane, intimate, philosophical, witty and, eventually, deeply moving.” —New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice “Wow. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book. What an inventive and startling writer…I’m so glad I read this. I really think this book is remarkable.” —David Sedaris From "a formidably gifted writer" (The New York Times Book Review), a book that asks: Is there life after the internet? As this urgent, genre-defying book opens, a woman who has recently been elevated to prominence for her social media posts travels around the world to meet her adoring fans. She is overwhelmed by navigating the new language and etiquette of what she terms "the portal," where she grapples with an unshakable conviction that a vast chorus of voices is now dictating her thoughts. When existential threats--from climate change and economic precariousness to the rise of an unnamed dictator and an epidemic of loneliness--begin to loom, she posts her way deeper into the portal's void. An avalanche of images, details, and references accumulate to form a landscape that is post-sense, post-irony, post-everything. "Are we in hell?" the people of the portal ask themselves. "Are we all just going to keep doing this until we die?" Suddenly, two texts from her mother pierce the fray: "Something has gone wrong," and "How soon can you get here?" As real life and its stakes collide with the increasingly absurd antics of the portal, the woman confronts a world that seems to contain both an abundance of proof that there is goodness, empathy, and justice in the universe, and a deluge of evidence to the contrary. Fragmentary and omniscient, incisive and sincere, No One Is Talking About This is at once a love letter to the endless scroll and a profound, modern meditation on love, language, and human connection from a singular voice in American literature.

Download or read book Love and Other Impossible Pursuits written by Ayelet Waldman and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2007-02-13 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this moving, wry, and candid novel, widely acclaimed novelist Ayelet Waldman takes us through one woman’s passage through love, loss, and the strange absurdities of modern life.Emilia Greenleaf believed that she had found her soulmate, the man she was meant to spend her life with. But life seems a lot less rosy when Emilia has to deal with the most neurotic and sheltered five-year-old in New York City: her new stepson William. Now Emilia finds herself trying to flag down taxis with a giant, industrial-strength car seat, looking for perfect, strawberry-flavored, lactose-free cupcakes, receiving corrections on her French pronunciation from her supercilious stepson – and attempting to find balance in a new family that’s both larger, and smaller, than she bargained for. In Love and Other Impossible Pursuits Ayelet Waldman has created a novel rich with humor and truth, perfectly characterizing one woman’s search for answers in a crazily uncertain world.

Download or read book Close Enough to Touch written by Colleen Oakley and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A witty, inventive, and bittersweet” (Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author) love story for anyone who’s ever wanted something—or someone—just out of reach, Close Enough to Touch will delight fans of Jojo Moyes’s One Plus One and Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project. Can you miss something you never had? Jubilee Jenkins is no ordinary librarian. With a rare allergy to human touch, any skin-to-skin contact could literally kill her. But after retreating into solitude for nearly ten years, Jubilee’s decided to brave the world again, despite the risks. Armed with a pair of gloves, long sleeves, and her trusty bicycle, she finally ventures out the front door—and into her future. Eric Keegan has troubles of his own. With his daughter from a failed marriage no longer speaking to him, and his brilliant, if psychologically troubled, adopted son attempting telekinesis, Eric’s struggling to figure out how his life got so off course, and how to be the dad—and man—he wants to be. So when an encounter over the check-out desk at the local library entangles his life with that of a beautiful—albeit eccentric—woman, he finds himself wanting nothing more than to be near her. Charming and utterly unique, Close Enough to Touch is “a story that overflows with compassion, humor, and the impulsive need to read just one more chapter until you reach the very satisfying end” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author).

Download or read book Not a Fan Updated and Expanded written by Kyle Idleman and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2016-02-02 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Not a Fan has already called more than one million readers to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple--moving from fan to follower in their relationship with Jesus. After years of serving God, pastor and bestselling author Kyle Idleman had a startling revelation: for too long, he had been living as a fan of Jesus; someone who tried to make Christianity seem as appealing, comfortable, and convenient as he possibly could to others. Idleman decided something had to change--he needed to embark on the journey of becoming a completely committed follower of God, not just a fan. Fans want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires sacrifice, while followers are all in and completely committed to Christ. Not a Fan gives you the tools you need to determine exactly where you stand when it comes to your relationship with Jesus. No matter where you are in your walk with Christ, Not a Fan calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. With frankness and a touch of humor, Idleman invites you to: Examine your relationship with God Determine if you're following Jesus or just following the rules Pray the way Jesus prayed Start truly living for the one who gave his all for you This expanded and updated version of Not a Fan also includes a new introduction and an entirely new chapter about how to practically live out the book's core message. Join Idleman as he challenges you to take an honest look at your relationship with Jesus and discover what it really means to be a follower.

Download or read book Last Lecture written by Perfection Learning Corporation and published by Turtleback. This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book So Good They Can t Ignore You written by Cal Newport and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2012-09-18 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In an unorthodox approach, Georgetown University professor Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice, and sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving their careers. Not only are pre-existing passions rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work, but a focus on passion over skill can be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers. Cal reveals that matching your job to a pre-existing passion does not matter. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it. With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love, and will change the way you think about careers, happiness, and the crafting of a remarkable life.

Download or read book If He Had Been with Me written by Laura Nowlin and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2013-04-02 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If he had been with me everything would have been different... I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know—the cause of the argument—is crucial. So let me tell you...