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Time Shelter: Winner of the International Booker Prize 2023
by Georgi GospodinovA GUARDIAN AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR'The most exquisite kind of literature... I've put it on a special shelf in my library that I reserve for books that demand to be revisited every now and then. 'OLGA TOKARCZUK, author of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead'Could not be more timely... It's funny and absurd, but it's also frightening, because even as Gospodinov plays with the idea as fiction, the reader begins to recognise something rather closer to home... A writer of great warmth as well as skill'GUARDIAN'In equal measure playful and profound, Time Shelter renders the philosophical mesmerizing, and the everyday extraordinary. I loved it'CLAIRE MESSUD, author of The Woman Upstairs 'A genrebusting novel of ideas... Gospodinov's vision of tomorrow is the nightmare from which Europe knows it must awake. And accident, in combination with the book's own merits, may just have created a classic'THE TIMES 'Gospodinov is one of Europe's most fascinating and irreplaceable novelists, and this his most expansive, soulful and mind-bending book'DAVE EGGERS, author of The Circle'Touching and intelligent'NEW YORK TIMES'A powerful and brilliant novel: clear-sighted, foreboding, enigmatic'SANDRO VERONESI, author of The Hummingbird'An immensely enjoyable book which achieves depth with an affable narrative voice'IRISH TIMES In Time Shelter, an enigmatic flâneur named Gaustine opens a 'clinic for the past' that offers a promising treatment for Alzheimer's sufferers: each floor reproduces a decade in minute detail, transporting patients back in time. As Gaustine's assistant, the unnamed narrator is tasked with collecting the flotsam and jetsam of the past, from 1960s furniture and 1940s shirt buttons to scents and even afternoon light. But as the rooms become more convincing, an increasing number of healthy people seek out the clinic as a 'time shelter', hoping to escape from the horrors of our present - a development that results in an unexpected conundrum when the past begins to invade the present. Intricately crafted, and eloquently translated by Angela Rodel, Time Shelter cements Georgi Gospodinov's reputation as one of the indispensable writers of our times, a major voice in international literature. Georgi Gospodinov is one of Europe's most acclaimed writers. Originally from Bulgaria, his novels have won his country's most prestigious literary prize twice and have been shortlisted for more than a dozen international prizes - including the 2015 PEN Literary Award for Translation, the Premio Gregor von Rezzori, the Premio Strega Europeo, the Bruecke Berlin Preis, and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt Literaturpreis. He has won the 2016 Jan Michalski Prize for Literature, the 2019 Angelus Literature Central Europe Prize and the 2021 Premio Strega Europeo, among others.
Ooze Control (School Bus Of Horrors (PDF))
by Michael DahlAfter school, a boy boards an odd-looking bus. Inside, the floor, the seats and even the ceiling are covered with chewed-up wads of gum. Soon, the sticky wads grow thicker, climb higher, come alive . . . and the bus windows will not open! Can the boy escape before the ooze takes control? Step aboard the addictively creepy SCHOOL BUS OF HORRORS, where the final destination is never expected.
The War of the Worlds (Usborne Young Reading: Series Three) (PDF)
by Russell PunterMysterious explosions on the surface of Mars signal the beginning of an alien invasion. Soon the ruthless creatures are terrorizing Earth with their unstoppable death rays. Can nothing prevent these merciless Martians from taking over the world? H.G. Wells’ classic story of Martian invasion, vividly retold for newly independent readers.
The Extinction Trials (The\extinction Trials Ser. #1)
by S. M. WilsonThe first book in the heart-stopping The Extinction Trials trilogy, for fans of The Hunger Games and Jurassic Park. Betrayal. Sacrifice. Survival. Welcome to The Extinction Trials... In Stormchaser and Lincoln's ruined world, the only way to survive is to risk everything. To face a contest more dangerous than anyone can imagine. And they will do anything to win. But in a land full of monsters - human and reptilian - they can't afford to trust anyone. Perhaps not even each other... Shortlisted for the 2019 Scottish Teenage Book Prize
Scavengers
by Darren SimpsonLandfill has lived his whole life as a scavenger, running with wooflings, swimming with turtles and feasting on whatever he can catch. Old Babagoo has always looked after him, on one condition. Follow Babagoo's rules. And the most important rule of all is NEVER go beyond the wall. But Landfill longs to venture Outside. And some rules are made to be broken. Darren Simpson's exhilarating storytelling will make you think about the world differently in this urgent, compelling tale for our times.
The Bewitching Of Aveline Jones (Aveline Jones #2)
by Phil HickesTurn on your torches and join Aveline Jones! Aveline is thrilled when she discovers that the holiday cottage her mum has rented for the summer is beside a stone circle. Thousands of years old, the local villagers refer to the ancient structure as the Witch Stones, and Aveline cannot wait to learn more about them. Then Aveline meets Hazel. Impossibly cool, mysterious yet friendly, Aveline soon falls under Hazel's spell. In fact, Hazel is quite unlike anyone Aveline has ever met before, but she can't work out why. Will Aveline discover the truth about Hazel, before it's too late? Join the world of Aveline Jones, where mysteries are solved, spirits are laid to rest, and everybody gets to bed on time. Perfect for adventurers aged 9+ and fans of Michelle Harrison, Piers Torday and Jamie Littler.
Clover's Luck (The Magical Animal Adoption Agency #1)
by Kallie GeorgeClover discovers the Magical Animal Adoption Agency in the first in a marvelous new illustrated chapter book series!Despite her name, Clover has always felt decidedly unlucky. So when she stumbles upon a mysterious cottage in the Woods, she can hardly believe her good fortune. It's the Magical Animal Adoption Agency, and it houses creatures of all kinds. Fairy horses, unicorns, and a fiery young dragon are just the beginning!Mr. Jams, the Agency's owner, agrees to hire her as summer helper and Clover hopes her luck has finally changed. But when she's left alone to care for the Agency, a sneaky witch comes after the magical creatures! Will Clover outsmart her in time to protect the animals?The first installment in a new illustrated chapter book series by Kallie George, featuring enchanting illustrations by Alexandra Boiger, will charm young readers as Clover learns that courage and heart can be even more powerful than good luck.
The Enchanted Egg (The Magical Animal Adoption Agency #2)
by Kallie GeorgeBook 2 in the marvelous illustrated chapter book series, The Magical Animal Adoption Agency.There's a new resident at the Magical Animal Adoption Agency-but this one hasn't hatched yet! Mr. Jams brought home an enchanted egg from his last journey, and Clover can't wait to find out what kind of creature the polka-dotted shell contains.But one morning when Clover checks on the cozy nest of feathers she's made for the egg, she finds it empty, and the baby animal is nowhere in sight! Clover is anxious to find the creature, but the Agency is full of visitors looking for pets of their own. Will Clover be able to match them with their perfect companions and save the mysterious animal before Mr. Jams returns from his trip?With charming illustrations by Alexandra Boiger, the second book in Kallie George's The Magical Animal Adoption Agency series celebrates the magic of new friends and the power of seeing with your heart.Praise for Clover's Luck"[This] gentle tale of magic and self-reliance will entertain confident new independent readers. Clover's sweet story is a good next step for lovers of the Magic Tree House." -- Kirkus Reviews"The first novel in George's new series is a charming story, delicately written, with a winning heroine. Clover's first adventure with the magical animals at the agency comes to a conclusion that will satisfy young readers." -- Booklist Online
The Missing Magic (The Magical Animal Adoption Agency #3)
by Kallie GeorgeBook 2 in the marvelous illustrated chapter book series, The Magical Animal Adoption Agency.A new volunteer has joined the Magical Animal Adoption Agency, and Clover's not too happy about it! Oliver Von Hoof is supposed to be an expert on magical animals, but he's barely older than Clover. How can he be an expert on anything? And it doesn't help that Mr. Jams keeps turning to Oliver instead of Clover for help with the animals.When Mr. Jams is called away from the Agency on a secret mission, Clover and Oliver are put in charge of the Agency once again. But when Picnic the invisible puppy starts turning visible, and the Agency's green cat, Dipity, begins to look white, Clover and Oliver realize that all of the amazing creatures are becoming ordinary. Even Oliver's trusty magical wands aren't enough to cure them! Will Oliver and Clover learn to work together in time to restore the animals' magical powers?Alexandra Boiger's delightful illustrations shine in the third book of Kallie George's The Magical Animal Adoption Agency series where an open heart can best the nastiest of spells.Praise for Clover's Luck"[This] gentle tale of magic and self-reliance will entertain confident new independent readers. Clover's sweet story is a good next step for lovers of the Magic Tree House." -- Kirkus Reviews"Readers will be envious of the world of magic that Clover becomes ensconced in and eager to read future installments." -- Publishers Weekly"The first novel in George's new series is a charming story, delicately written, with a winning heroine. Clover's first adventure with the magical animals at the agency comes to a conclusion that will satisfy young readers." -- Booklist Online"Clover is a winning hero worth following." -- Library Media Connection
Every Last Word
by Tamara Ireland StoneThe New York Times bestseller everyone is talking about.If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.
Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief Ser. #1)
by Livia BlackburneIntrigue prowls around every corner—and danger is a way of life—in this arresting young adult fantasy novel. Growing up on Forge's streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that's not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she's not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he is persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can't quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by the Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease. When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces, even as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point.
Out of Abaton: The Wooden Prince (Out Of Abaton Ser. #1)
by John Claude BemisThe automa Pinocchio has always been duty-bound to serve in the floating palace of Venice's emperor. So when Pinocchio finds himself locked in a trunk and delivered to a new master-a wanted criminal and alchemist named Geppetto-he is curious about everything around him. But most curious is the way Pinocchio seems to be changing from a wooden servant into a living, human boy. Before Geppetto and Pinocchio can uncover the mystery surrounding the automa's transformation, Pinocchio is stolen away. Determined to find Geppetto again, Pinocchio begins a harrowing journey across the Empire, where danger in the form of half-beast outlaws and winged airmen abounds for a lost automa. Meanwhile, Princess Lazuli, the daughter of the ruler of a magical kingdom called Abaton, is also on a quest through the emperor's territory. Her father, Prester John, has been captured by the Venetian Empire, and Lazuli is desperate to rescue him. With the emperor's airmen closing in fast, Lazuli learns the only hope for saving her father-and her beloved home-lies in Pinocchio and Geppetto. In a masterful reimagining of Pinocchio, John Claude Bemis weaves an enchanting, thrilling adventure for middle-grade readers in the first installment in the Out of Abaton duology.
Hunter (A Hunter Novel #1)
by Mercedes LackeyNew York Times bestselling fantasy author Mercedes Lackey breaks into YA with a dangerous, utterly original futuristic world in which a fearless teen girl leaves behind her close community to be a Hunter in Apex City and finds something worse than the usual monsters. Long ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were ripped open, and it's taken centuries to bring back civilization in the wake of the catastrophe. Now, the luckiest Cits live in enclosed communities, behind walls that keep them safe from the hideous creatures fighting to break through. Others are not so lucky. To Joyeaux Charmand, who has been a Hunter in her tight-knit mountain community since she was a child, every Cit without magic deserves her protection from dangerous Othersiders. Then she is called to Apex City, where the best Hunters are kept to protect only the most important people. Joy soon realizes that the city's powerful leaders care more about luring Cits into a false sense of security than protecting them. More and more monsters are getting through the barriers, and the close calls are becoming too frequent to ignore. Yet the Cits have no sense of how much danger they're in-to them, Joy and her corp of fellow Hunters are just action stars they watch on TV. When an act of sabotage against Joy takes an unbearable toll, Joy uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in the city. There is something much worse than the usual monsters infiltrating Apex.
The Murk
by Robert LettrickIn the Okefenokee Swamp grows a rare and beautiful flower with a power unlike any other. Many have tried to claim it???no one has come out alive. But fourteen-year-old Piper Canfield is desperate, and this flower may be her only chance to keep a promise she made a long time ago. Accompanied by her little brother, Creeper, her friend Tad, and two local guides, Piper embarks on the quest of a lifetime. But there's a deadly predator lurking unseen in the black water, one nearly as old as the Oke itself. Some say it's a monster. Others say an evil spirit. The truth is far more terrifying. Piper's task is simple: find the flower . . . or die trying.
The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co. #3)
by Jonathan StroudAs a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines. There is a new spirit of openness in the team now that Lockwood has shared some of his childhood secrets, and Lucy is feeling more and more as if her true home is at Portland Row. It comes as a great shock, then, when Lockwood and George introduce her to an annoyingly perky and hyper-efficient new assistant, Holly Munro.Meanwhile, there are reports of many new hauntings, including a house where bloody footprints are appearing, and a department store full of strange sounds and shadowy figures. But ghosts seem to be the least of Lockwood & Co.'s concerns when assassins attack during a carnival in the center of the city. Can the team get past their personal issues to save the day on all fronts, or will bad feelings attract yet more trouble?Danger abounds, tensions escalate, and new loyalties form in this third delightfully terrifying adventure in the critically acclaimed Lockwood & Co. series. Praise for The Screaming Staircase"This story will keep you reading late into the night, but you'll want to leave the lights on. Stroud is a genius at inventing an utterly believable world which is very much like ours, but so creepily different. Put The Screaming Staircase on your 'need to read' list!" -Rick Riordan "A pleasure from tip to tail, this is the book you hand the advanced readers that claim they'd rather read Paradise Lost than Harry Potter. Smart as a whip, funny, witty, and honestly frightening at times, Stroud lets loose and gives readers exactly what they want. Ghosts, kids on their own without adult supervision, and loads of delicious cookies." -Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal "Stroud shows his customary flair for blending deadpan humor with thrilling action, and the fiery interplay among the three agents of Lockwood & Co. invigorates the story (along with no shortage of creepy moments)." -Publishers Weekly Praise for The Whispering Skull *"An occult portal and its spectral guardian nearly cut short the careers of three rising young ghost hunters in this madcap sequel to The Screaming Staircase (2013). For all their internecine squabbling, the three protagonists make a redoubtable team-and their supporting cast, led by the sneering titular skull in a jar, adds color and complications aplenty. Rousing adventures for young tomb robbers and delves into realms better left to the dead." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"Stroud writes with a fine ear for dialog, a wry sense of humor, and a knack for describing haunted places. Creating tension that ebbs and flows, he slowly builds the dramatic narrative to a resounding crescendo, and he makes the quieter scenes that follow just as compelling." -Booklist (starred review)
The Drake Equation
by Bart KingNoah Grow is a bird-watcher. If you're picturing some kid in a big floppy hat, peering up into trees through giant binoculars . . . well, good job. That's exactly what he does. Right now, Noah is on a quest to find a wood duck. According to his calculations, aka the Drake Equation, the odds are good -- really good -- for spotting one. That's why he gets off the bus at the wrong stop. And that's how he ends up running down a hill, crashing into a fence, and landing right next to a strange, glittery disk. Noah and his best friends, Jason and Jenny, soon discover that the mysterious disk is, well, mysterious. It gives Noah peculiar powers. As things go from odd to outrageous, Noah is swept up in a storm of intergalactic intrigue and middle-school mayhem. There's much more at stake than Noah realizes. Bart King delivers a hilarious sci-fi adventure with just the right mix of heart and humor that will have readers looking out for birds-and strange alien objects.
Until Midnight: An Alienated short (Alienated)
by Melissa LandersDon't miss the free romantic story that connects Alienated and Invaded! Cara and Aelyx only have one day to spend together before he returns to earth and she travels to Aelyx's home planet, L'eihr. Homesick and worried about the upcoming year apart, Cara is desperate to make these final hours count. Worst of all, Cara is missing Christmas, stuck on board an alien spaceship. When Aelyx learns that Cara is forgoing her favorite holiday, he tries to recreate Christmas in space by researching traditional earth customs...but a few things get lost in translation.Includes bonus chapters from Alienated and a sneak peek at Invaded.
The Creeping Shadow (Lockwood & Co. #4)
by Jonathan StroudAfter leaving Lockwood & Co. at the end of The Hollow Boy, Lucy is a freelance operative, hiring herself out to agencies that value her ever-improving skills. One day she is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Lockwood, who tells her he needs a good Listener for a tough assignment. Penelope Fittes, the leader of the giant Fittes Agency wants them--and only them--to locate and remove the Source for the legendary Brixton Cannibal. They succeed in their very dangerous task, but tensions remain high between Lucy and the other agents. Even the skull in the jar talks to her like a jilted lover. What will it take to reunite the team? Black marketeers, an informant ghost, a Spirit Cape that transports the wearer, and mysteries involving Steve Rotwell and Penelope Fittes just may do the trick. But, in a shocking cliffhanger ending, the team learns that someone has been manipulating them all along. . . .
Starflight (Starflight #1)
by Melissa LandersFast-paced adventure, found family, intrigue, and enemies-to-lovers romance combine in an action-packed young adult novel for fans of Firefly.Solara Brooks needs a fresh start, someplace where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. Still, off-world travel doesn't come cheap, and Solara is left with no choice but to indenture herself in exchange for passage to the outer realm. She just wishes it could have been to anyone besides Doran Spaulding, the rich, pretty-boy quarterback who made her life miserable in school. The tables suddenly turn when Doran is framed for conspiracy on Earth, and Solara cons him into playing the role of her servant on board the Banshee. Given the price on both Doran and Solara's heads, it may just be the safest place in the universe. It's been a long time since Solara has believed in anyone, and Doran is the last person she expected to trust. But when the Banshee's dangerous enemies catch up with them, Solara and Doran must come together to protect the ship that has become their home—and the eccentric crew that feels like family.
Momotaro: Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters (Momotaro Ser. #1)
by Margaret DillowayPercy Jackson meets Hayao Miyazaki in this critically acclaimed contemporary Japanese folktale about a boy who discovers his latent powers on a quest to save his father. Xander Miyamoto would rather do almost anything than listen to his sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Stedman, drone on about weather disasters happening around the globe. If Xander could do stuff he's good at instead, like draw comics and create computer programs, he might not be counting the minutes until the dismissal bell. When spring break begins at last, Xander plans to spend it playing computer games with his best friend, Peyton. Xander's father briefly distracts him with a comic book about a samurai warrior named Momotaro that springs out of a peach pit. Xander tosses it aside, but Peyton finds it more interesting. Little does either boy know that the comic is a warning. They are about to be thrust into the biggest adventure of their lives a journey wilder than any Xander has ever imagined, full of weird monsters. To win at this deadly serious game they will have to rely on their wits, courage, faith, and especially, each other.
Elite (A Hunter Novel #2)
by Mercedes LackeyScience fiction and fantasy meet in this fascinating series from acclaimed author Mercedes Lackey.Joy knows she'll be facing more dangerous Othersiders than ever before as a new member of the Elite Hunter unit, but if anyone is up to the challenge it's her. She's been Hunting these monsters since she was a child, and has a pack of eleven fiercely protective magical Hounds. Then the rules change. Monsters unlike any Joy's ever seen or even heard of are breaking through Apex City's barriers, and the Hunters are scrambling to find new ways to fight them-all the while hiding the true danger Apex faces from the Cits, who are ignorant of the severity of the Othersiders' attacks.The leaders of Apex must come together to protect the city, but tensions have never been higher between the Hunters and the powerful PsiCorps, with each group competing to be the primary protector of the city. The conflict escalates even further when Joy starts discovering bodies of Psimons while patrolling the city sewers on a special assignment from her uncle, who commands the Hunters. Someone is killing Psimons, and if Joy doesn't uncover the true culprit she might just take the fall for it.Chaos erupts when Ace, the murderous Hunter who tried to kill Joy at her Elite trials, escapes from the Army's captivity and defects to the Othersiders. Joy has no idea what Ace might be capable of with the help of the cunning Folk, but she may be about to find out; Othersider forces are gaining strength and momentum just beyond the barriers. A storm is approaching Apex City, and unless Joy and her fellow Hunters put up the fight of their lives, it might just sweep them all away . . .
Song of the Sword (Animas #3)
by C. R. GreyAn ebook exclusive! After her defeat at the Progress Fair, Viviana's determined to return, and this time, she's building an army. With the Dominae strengthening, Tremelo, Bailey, and the rest of their friends work feverishly to develop a device that could overpower Dominance once and for all. But when Tremelo is kidnapped, Bailey must take the lead in the fight to protect the bond. As they prepare for battle, Bailey uncovers a legend: a sword with the power to defeat Viviana is hidden somewhere in the kingdom. On an epic journey across Aldermere in search of the sword, the friends unravel startling secrets about the bond, Bailey's past, and each other. In this thrilling conclusion to the Animas trilogy, Bailey and his friends must risk everything to save the bond they treasure and restore the rightful king to the throne of Aldermere.
Royal Bastards (Royal Bastards Ser. #1)
by Andrew ShvartsTilla's father loved her as a child, but cast her aside when he had trueborn children. She spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels under the castle and nights drinking with the servants. Tilla longs to sit by her father's side, instead she sits with the other bastards. Then, at a feast honoring a visiting princess, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards' Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the princess on a late-night escapade. But rebellion is brewing - the bastards band together and flee, realizing only they have the power to prevent civil war.
The Empty Grave (Lockwood & Co. #5)
by Jonathan StroudFive months after the events in THE CREEPING SHADOW, we join Lockwood, Lucy, George, Holly, and their associate Quill Kipps on a perilous night mission: they have broken into the booby-trapped Fittes Mausoleum, where the body of the legendary psychic heroine Marissa Fittes lies. Or does it? This is just one of the many questions to be answered in Book 5 of the Lockwood & Co. series. Will Lockwood ever reveal more about his family's past to Lucy? Will their trip to the Other Side leave Lucy and Lockwood forever changed? Will Penelope Fittes succeed in shutting down their agency forever? The young agents must survive attacks from foes both spectral and human before they can take on their greatest enemy in a climactic and chaotic battle. And to prevail they will have to rely on help from some surprising--and shadowy--allies. Jonathan Stroud once again delivers a rousing adventure full of danger, laughs, twists, and frights. The revelations will send readers back to Book 1 to start the series all over again. Exclusive to this paperback edition: a Lockwood & Co. short story, "The Dagger in the Desk," and an illustrated ghost guide.