The books just keep on coming! Lots of neat looking books have arrived - can't wait to start reading! Check out these titles and then stop by in a few weeks to read the reviews.
The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by David Litwack Evolved Publishing presents the literary saga of a young girl plucked from the sea under mysterious circumstances, in "The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky" by David Litwack, award-winning author of "There Comes a Prophet" and "Along the Watchtower." ~~~ After centuries of religiously motivated war, the world has been split in two. Now the Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in the Republic, reason is the guiding light-two different realms, kept apart and at peace by a treaty and an ocean. ~ Children of the Republic, Helena and Jason were inseparable in their youth, until fate sent them down different paths. Grief and duty sidetracked Helena's plans, and Jason came to detest the hollowness of his ambitions. ~ These two damaged souls are reunited when a tiny boat from the Blessed Lands crashes onto the rocks near Helena's home after an impossible journey across the forbidden ocean. On board is a single passenger, a nine-year-old girl named Kailani, who calls herself "The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky." A new and perilous purpose binds Jason and Helena together again, as they vow to protect the lost innocent from the wrath of the authorities, no matter the risk to their future and freedom. ~ But is the mysterious child simply a troubled little girl longing to return home? Or is she a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of a godless Republic, as the outlaw leader of an illegal religious sect would have them believe? Whatever the answer, it will change them all forever... and perhaps their world as well.
Duel for the Crown: Affirmed, Alydar, and Racing's Greatest Rivalry by Linda Carroll From the moment they first galloped head-to-head in Saratoga Springs, the two chestnut colts showed they were the stuff of racing legend. Alydar, all muscle with a fearsome closing kick, was already the popular favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. Affirmed, deceptively laid-back streamlined elegance, was powered forward by his steely determination not to settle for second place. In the Sport of Kings, the Triple Crown is the most valued prize, requiring a horse to win not just one race, but three: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. And 1978 would not be just for the record books, but also one of the greatest dramas ever played out in the racing world. There were names to conjure with, worthy of the Sport of Kings. The bloodline of Native Dancer. The teen wonderboy jockey Steve Cauthen. The once unbeatable Calumet Farm—the Damn Yankees of the racing world—now in eclipse and hoping for a comeback. The newcomer Harbor View Farm—owned by brash financier Louis Wolfson, who wouldn’t let even a conviction and a prison sentence for securities violations stand in the way of his dreams of glory. And the racetracks themselves: Belmont, Saratoga, Pimlico. And, of course, Churchill Downs.
The Hollow Ground by Natalie S. Harnett The underground mine fires ravaging Pennsylvania coal country have forced eleven-year-old Brigid Howley and her family to seek refuge with her estranged grandparents, the formidable Gram and the black lung‒stricken Gramp. Tragedy is no stranger to the Howleys, a proud Irish-American clan who takes strange pleasure in the “curse” laid upon them generations earlier by a priest who ran afoul of the Molly Maguires. The weight of this legacy rests heavily on a new generation, when Brigid, already struggling to keep her family together, makes a grisly discovery in a long-abandoned bootleg mine shaft. In the aftermath, decades-old secrets threaten to prove just as dangerous to the Howleys as the burning, hollow ground beneath their feet.
Guess Who Zoo by Howard Eisenberg Fun that educates. Monkey has stolen Zookeeper's keys and the animals won't return until children guess their names. A charming rhyming story for ages 3-6 followed by inter-active poems with clues in every line and the animal's name left blank. (Plus there's a special fascinating fact section entitled, If Animals Could Talk...) This book is based on the Guess Who Zoo CD that won a Parents' Choice Award and a Parenting Magazine Pick.
Fairy Tale Murders by Kelly Money Women are disappearing in Topeka and with each disappearance there comes another “special delivery” from a man who calls himself the Fairy Tale Murderer. Detective Kate Kingsley searches for her missing best friend, Kristen, while hot on the trail of an emerging serial killer. Is Kristen one of the killers “princesses” or is she simply the bait to lure Kate to her own Fairy Tale ending?
Time Lost: Teenage Survivalist II by Julie L. Casey Ben's 13th year was when his family fell apart, but his 14th year is when his whole world, or more precisely, the whole world, collapses. He had thought 13 was his unlucky number, the year that Time turned its back on him, but he was wrong; that year, it was he who had turned his back on Time. The following year, the fury of the sun turns back Time for everyone in the world. On PF (Power Failure) Day, a huge electromagnetic surge from the sun destroys the power grids and civilization as we know it. Living in the middle of downtown Kansas City makes survival nearly impossible. Starvation, dehydration, disease, freezing temperatures, and out-of-control fires imperil the desperate population. After facing unimaginable losses, Ben finds hope for the future when he meets Sara, who has endured her own share of agonizing loss. But when a murderous gang threatens to take away everything Ben has left, they flee to a wilderness area of a large city park where they learn to live off the land for survival.
A Long Time Gone by Karen White When Vivien Walker left her home in the Mississippi Delta, she swore never to go back, as generations of the women in her family had. But in the spring, nine years to the day since she’d left, that’s exactly what happens—Vivien returns, fleeing from a broken marriage and her lost dreams for children. What she hopes to find is solace with “Bootsie,” her dear grandmother who raised her, a Walker woman with a knack for making everything all right. But instead she finds that her grandmother has died and that her estranged mother is drifting further away from her memories. Now Vivien is forced into the unexpected role of caretaker, challenging her personal quest to find the girl she herself once was. But for Vivien things change in ways she cannot imagine when a violent storm reveals the remains of a long-dead woman buried near the Walker home, not far from the cypress swamp that is soon to give up its ghosts. Vivien knows there is now only one way to rediscover herself—by uncovering the secrets of her family and breaking the cycle of loss that has haunted her them for generations.
Muzzled by Eileen Brady Anything can happen during a veterinary house call, including murder. Dr. Kate Turner thinks she’s seen it all until she finds two elderly clients shot dead and their show dogs running loose in the house. Chief of Police Bobby Garcia dismisses it as a sad murder-suicide, but Kate isn’t so sure. Something about the scene isn’t right. There are twenty-seven Cavalier King Charles spaniels found in the home but one dog may be missing. Or is he?
As she learns more about the murdered couple a twisted scheme of fraud and deceit begins to develop. Each one of her house call clients provides a clue to the mystery. Is the tattooed biker who loves to bake a hit man? Did a ten million dollar lawsuit drive the filmmaker to shoot for real? Or perhaps the estranged daughter got tired of waiting for her inheritance? As the number of suspects goes up so does the cups of coffee and pieces of pie Kate wolfs down, leaving her nerves jangling and her pants too tight. Before she knows it someone tries to frame her for the murder. Who can she trust? The bookkeeper with her pet parrot, Capt Hook, stuffed into her cleavage or the grouchy office manager who knows where all the bodies are buried?
