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The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
Truly deserving of the accolade a modern classic, Donna Tartt’s novel is a remarkable achievement—both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 11
The Grim Grotto
by Lemony Snicket
This is from the back of the bookDear Reader, Unless you are a slug, a sea anemone, or mildew, you probably prefer not to be damp. You might also prefer not to read this book, in which the Baudelaire siblings encounter an unpleasant amount of dampness as they descend into the depths of despair, underwater. In fact, the horrors they encounter are too numerous to list, and you wouldn't want me even to mention... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 4
The Miserable Mill
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader, I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a... (more)
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Lemony Snicket
The Unauthorized Autobiography
by Lemony Snicket
A Warning from the Publisher: Many readers have questions about Lemony Snicket, author of the distressing serial concerning the trials of the charming but unlucky Baudelaire orphans, published under the collective title A Series of Unfortunate Events. Before purchasing, borrowing, or stealing this book, you should be aware that it contains the answers to some of those questions, such as the following: 1. Who is... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 13
The End
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,You are presumably looking at the back of this book, or the end of the end. The end of the end is the best place to begin the end, because if you read the end from the beginning of the beginning of the end to the end of the end of the end, you will arrive at the end of the end of your rope. This book is the last in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and even if you braved the previous twelve volumes,... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 1
The Bad Beginning
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader, I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster... (more)
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Acacia: Book 1
Acacia
The War with the Mein
by David Anthony Durham
Leodan Akaran, ruler of the Known World, has inherited generations of apparent peace and prosperity, won ages ago by his ancestors. A widower of high intelligence, he presides over an empire called Acacia, after the idyllic island from which he rules. He dotes on his four children and hides from them the dark realities of traffic in drugs and human lives on which their prosperity depends. He hopes that he might... (more)
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A Drowned Maiden's Hair
A Melodrama
by Laura Amy Schlitz
A feisty orphan is taken in by a band of phony spiritualists in this intriguing, engaging novel. Maud Flynn is known at the orphanage for her impertinence, so when the charming Miss Hyacinth and her sister choose Maud to take home with them, the girl is as baffled as anyone. It seems the sisters need Maud to help stage elaborate séances for bereaved, wealthy patrons. As Maud is drawn deeper into the deception,... (more)
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Mephisto
by Klaus Mann
A searing indictment of evil in Hitler's Germany. Hendrik Hofgen is a man obsessed with becoming a famous actor. When the Nazis come to power in Germany, he willingly renounces his Communist past and deserts his wife and mistress in order to keep on performing. His diabolical performance as Mephistopheles in Faust proves to be the stepping-stone he yearned for: attracting the attention of Hermann Goring, it wins... (more)
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Crash
by David Cronenberg
CRASH tells a tale of sex on the highway, in which the characters realign their minds, bodies, and sexuality to dominant technology in an apocalyptic and provocative vision of the future. This is the book version of a successful, but slightly scandalous, film by the gifted and entertaining director David Cronenberg, starring James Spader, Rosanna Arquette, and Holly Hunter. Photos from the movie.
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Cry For Help: Book 2
Agents Provocateurs
by Jeremy Hurd
By the time City Hall spokesman Sean Delancy discovers that his young new girlfriend is the serial killer responsible for the mounting death toll terrifying citizens and keeping him stammering during press conferences, he is already falling in love with her and may be in too deep to do anything but see the relationship to its natural end; regardless of what that entails.
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation
by Yoshiyuki Tomino
Called "a cornerstone of anime SF," Japan's Gundam franchise that began in 1979 now boasts a worldwide cult of devotees. In the Gundam universe, the Earth Federation battles rebellious off-world colonies, and "Newtype" warriors with evolved mentality pilot gargantuan suits of high-tech armor. This novelization presents creator Yoshiyuki Tomino's unvarnished vision for his own core series, with richer... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 8
The Hostile Hospital
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,Before you throw this awful book to the ground and run as far away from it as possible, you should probably know why. This book is the only one which describes every last detail of the Baudelaire children's miserable stay at Heimlich Hospital, which makes it one of the most dreadful books in the world. There are many pleasant things to read about, but this book contains none of them. Within its... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 12
The Penultimate Peril
by Lemony Snicket
After any harrowing struggle, it is nice to consider checking into a hotel for a rest. In fact, this might be just the break Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire could use after their wearying deep-sea adventure. A hotel can be a good choice for any family vacation. With so many floors, such a variety of rooms, and a curious array of guests, spending time in the safety of the right hotel can be the... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 9
The Carnivorous Carnival
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,The word 'carnivorous,' which appears in the title of this book, means 'meat-eating,' and once you have read such a bloodthirsty word, there is no reason to read any further. This carnivorous volume contains such a distressing story that consuming any of its contents would be far more stomach-turning than even the most imbalanced meal. To avoid causing discomfort, it would be best if I didn't... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 6
The Ersatz Elevator
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,If you have just picked up this particular book, then it is not too late to put it back down. Like the previous books in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there is nothing to be found in these pages but misery, despair, and discomfort, and you still have time to choose something else to read. Within the chapters of this story, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire encounter a darkened staircase, a red... (more)
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 5
The Austere Academy
by Lemony Snicket
Dear Reader,If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don't. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives. Truth be told, within the chapters that make... (more)