Mari's bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 25 Nov 2024 03:33:06 -0800 60 Mari's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Reliquary (Pendergast, #2) 39030 464 Douglas Preston 0765354950 Mari 5 4.03 1997 Reliquary (Pendergast, #2)
author: Douglas Preston
name: Mari
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)]]> 8130423 In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.]]> 361 Rick Riordan Mari 5 4.44 2008 The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Mari
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/16
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]]> <![CDATA[Tower of Silence (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, #4)]]> 62707391 But Vadal is being held prisoner on the island of Fortress. In order to save those who need him most, he must escape and find his way across the demon-infested sea and return to Thera, the prophet of an illegal and forgotten god. It is she who has sent the Sons of the Black Sword to war against the warrior caste, hoping to buy time until Vadal’s return.
But as the chaos swirls, Grand Inquisitor Omand Vokkan launches a coup to install Lord Protector Devedas as his puppet king. Devedas has no intention of being anyone’s puppet, but it may not matter. For Vokkan has struck a secret bargain with a demon. Vokkan will destroy the casteless for this ancient being; in exchange, he will be granted the power of the ancient gods.

Ashok Vadal, Thera, and the Sons of the Black Sword face foes both human and supernatural, Byzantine political intrigue and bloody hand-to-hand combat, gods and demons alike. But Vadal is a warrior with a warrior’s heart, and woe to those who would stand in his way—man, god, demon, or otherwise! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).]]> 471 Larry Correia 1625799055 Mari 5 favorites 4.59 Tower of Silence (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, #4)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/07/09
shelves: favorites
review:
Interesting. There are 4 ratings, but I just rated so it should have moved to 5, having read it. I think its entirely possible Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ isnt working that well.
]]> A Lady for a Duke 57007967 A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Manda Collins!

When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.

Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.

As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.]]> 460 Alexis Hall 1538753758 Mari 1 4.05 2022 A Lady for a Duke
author: Alexis Hall
name: Mari
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2023/03/07
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review:
I picked it up without realizing it was a Dude for a Duke. I dont even know how I found myself reading it, but besides being queer its just not worth reading, and Im not queer, so I never finished it. It really made not much sense. It seemed like the characters didnt even want to go where the writer was placing them. Thats why its so long and for no reason.
]]> The Last White Man 58885796 From the New York Times -bestselling author of Exit West , a story of love, loss, and rediscovery in a time of unsettling change.

One morning, a man wakes up to find himself transformed. Overnight, Anders’s skin has turned dark, and the reflection in the mirror seems a stranger to him. At first he shares his secret only with Oona, an old friend turned new lover. Soon, reports of similar events begin to surface. Across the land, people are awakening in new incarnations, uncertain how their neighbors, friends, and family will greet them. Some see the transformations as the long-dreaded overturning of the established order that must be resisted to a bitter end. In many, like Anders’s father and Oona’s mother, a sense of profound loss and unease wars with profound love. As the bond between Anders and Oona deepens, change takes on a different a chance at a kind of rebirth--an opportunity to see ourselves, face to face, anew.
Ěý
In Mohsin Hamid’s lyrical and urgent prose, The Last White Man powerfully uplifts our capacity for empathy and the transcendence over bigotry, fear, and anger it can achieve.]]> 192 Mohsin Hamid 0593538811 Mari 1 3.43 2022 The Last White Man
author: Mohsin Hamid
name: Mari
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2023/03/07
date added: 2023/03/07
shelves:
review:
What a bonkers book. Who wouldn't love to have their skin turn darker? You would be eligible for many grants and scholarships, and could get hired far easier to higher paying jobs, especially government jobs. Other then that, its really not that impressive. People have been getting a tan for ages. Literally nothing said in this book is true, and what kind of name is Oona? It sounds like she should be one of Willie Wonka's Oompa Loompas.
]]> Queen Bee (The Diamonds, #1) 57750279

Lady Ela Dalvi knows the exact moment her life was forever changed—when her best friend, Poppy, betrayed her without qualm over a boy, the son of a duke. She was sent away in disgrace, her reputation ruined.

Nearly three years later, eighteen-year-old Ela is consumed with bitterness and a desire for . . . revenge. Her enemy is quickly joining the crème de la crème of high society while she withers away in the English countryside.

With an audacious plan to get even, Ela disguises herself as a mysterious heiress and infiltrates London’s elite. But when Ela reunites with the only boy she’s ever loved, she begins to question whether vengeance is still her greatest desire.

In this complicated game of real-life chess, Ela must choose her next move: Finally bring down the queen or capture the king’s heart?]]> 368 Amalie Howard 0593650328 Mari 1 3.83 2023 Queen Bee (The Diamonds, #1)
author: Amalie Howard
name: Mari
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 1
read at: 2023/03/07
date added: 2023/03/07
shelves:
review:
Wish fulfillment series for someone that had a fight with their best friend in High School I think. Its like the tv series of Bridgerton, not the book, was serialized. If you want to read a regency romance, just read a real one. I would be embarrassed to be caught reading this thing. Rather nasty selfish characters, especially the lead.
]]> <![CDATA[Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark, #4)]]> 28220758 “Shadow Falls has everything I could wish for in a series…a thrilling tale of self-discovery, friendship and love.� �Bewitched Bookworm

After captivating millions across the globe, the Shadow Falls saga reaches its final—and most unforgettable—chapter yet! Prepare to fall in love all over again. . .

Being a dyslexic witch is a curse in itself, but Miranda Kane’s time at Shadow Falls has helped her harness her magical powers. Now, just as she’s finally mastered them and is preparing to graduate with her friends, a near-death experience threatens to ruin it all.

Miranda awakens in the hospital with a mysterious tattoo that no one can explain. As she struggles to make sense of it � and questions her feelings for a certain irresistible shape-shifter and a hot new guy � the strange markings begin to spread all over her body, leaving her desperate to find answers. But before she can solve that problem, a new one arises: her sister is missing.

Has her sister been kidnapped? Miranda will risk her life to find out. Will she live to share the day she’s worked so hard for with her friends? When the clock strikes midnight, will Miranda make it to her graduation at Shadow Falls?

C. C. Hunter brings The Shadow Falls saga to a spectacular conclusion in this thrilling finale: Midnight Hour!]]> 416 C.C. Hunter 1250035880 Mari 1 4.32 Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark, #4)
author: C.C. Hunter
name: Mari
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2023/03/07
date added: 2023/03/07
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Literally one of the least suspenseful mysteries in the world, the typical kick ass girl that we see in every movie, every tv show and every book now too. I would love to see just one story where women were actually physically weaker just like they are in real life. So that I could actually relate to them. Not everything has to be wish fulfillment. Its just so cheap. The Shawn/Perry thing just made no sense to me. She could have just said she liked (Its so obvious, but I best not say) right away and saved everyone the trouble there too. Basicly everything in this series happens just so we have a story. Its sad that so few writers are any good.
]]> <![CDATA[Grunge (Monster Hunter Memoirs, #1)]]> 27276237
Unfortunately, the sign he's to look for is "57."ĚýWhich, given the food services contract in Bethesda Hospital, creates some difficulty. Eventually, it appears that God's will is for Chad to join a group called "Monster Hunters International"Ěýand protect people from things that go bump in the night. From there, things trend downhill.Ěý

Monster Hunter Memoirs is the (mostly) true story of the life and times of one of MHI's most effective—and flamboyant—hunters. Pro-tips for up and coming hunters range from how to dress appropriately for jogging (low-profile body armor and multiple weapons) to how to develop contacts among the Japanese yakuza, to why it's not a good idea to make billy goat jokes to trolls.Ěý

Grunge harkens back to the Golden Days of Monster Hunting when Reagan was in office, Ray and Susan Shackleford were top hunters and Seattle sushi was authentic.]]> 307 Larry Correia 1476781494 Mari 5 4.09 2016 Grunge (Monster Hunter Memoirs, #1)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/12/25
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]]> The Raven and the Reindeer 28963596
A strange, sly retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s "Snow Queen," by T. Kingfisher, author of "Bryony and Roses" and "The Seventh Bride."]]> 226 T. Kingfisher Mari 2 4.22 2016 The Raven and the Reindeer
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Mari
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2016
rating: 2
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date added: 2022/12/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Les Chroniques du Grimnoir - L'intégrale (French Edition)]]> 30369042 États-Unis, début des années 1930. Les dirigeables sillonnent le ciel, Berlin est peuplée de zombies et la magie, apparue depuis près d’un siècle, a changé la donne. Le grand public hésite entre admiration et haine des « actifs », ces gens qui se téléportent, lisent dans les esprits, modifient la gravité, contrôlent les animaux, guérissent par imposition des mains...

Deux organisations de magiques se livrent une guerre souterraine acharnée : l’Imperium et son maître le « président », qui tiennent le Japon, et le Grimnoir, société secrète de résistants aux intentions louables mais aux méthodes discutables.

Jake Sullivan, lui, vétéran de la Grande Guerre au passé de truand, ne doit la liberté qu’� son serment de mettre ses pouvoirs au service du FBI chaque fois qu’une enquête implique des « actifs » criminels. Il sera bientôt confronté aux véritables enjeux géopolitiques d’un monde au bord de l’enfer et de la destruction ; il lui faudra choisir son camp.

Magie brute, dans un style très visuel et percutant, mêle gangs ters, superhéros désinvoltes et désabusés, jolies filles teigneuses, bagarres épiques et armes à feu à tous les étages. Roman de fantasy urbaine à la croisée du polar, du steampunk et de l’uchronie, ce premier livre des « Chroniques du Grimnoir » louche aussi sur le double héritage des comics et des pulps américains.

Pour la première fois réunis en intégrale les trois livres des Chroniques du Grimnoir.

]]> 1511 Larry Correia 2367934126 Mari 5 4.33 Les Chroniques du Grimnoir - L'intégrale (French Edition)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/11/13
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]]> <![CDATA[The White Tower (The Aldoran Chronicles, #1)]]> 36636875 B01MA3CMIM


Winner 2017 National IE Award for Fantasy.
Winner 2017 Readers Favorite for Epic Fantasy.
Winner 2017 Beverly Hills Book Awards for Fantasy.
RunnerUp 2017 Kindle Book Awards for Fantasy/SciFi.

Magic is outlawed.

Those caught wielding it are taken to the White Tower. They are never heard from again.

After the chaos of the great Wizard Wars nearly a thousand years ago, the people turned their backs on magic. It was deemed evil. Those born with it will stop at nothing to remain hidden.

In the north, a young boy is hunted by the Black Watch. Desperate to survive, he turns to the one thing he fears most. Magic. A young girl's affection for him forces her to pick up the sword. Her life may never be the same. In the east, a tortured prisoner vows to escape the White Tower. His sister’s life depends on it. And in the west, a captain fights to protect his king while shielding the woman he loves from the king's son.

The world balances on the edge of a blade.

Can a handful of wielders manage to change it?

The first installment in the Aldoran Chronicles, a new epic fantasy saga filled with magic and monsters, sword and scorcery, heroes, villains, and those in between.]]> 645 Michael Wisehart Mari 5 3.98 2016 The White Tower (The Aldoran Chronicles, #1)
author: Michael Wisehart
name: Mari
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/11/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness (Ordinary Terrible Things)]]> 39979639 Not My Idea, the latest in the critically-acclaimed Ordinary Terrible Things series, is a book about whiteness.

A white child sees TV news coverage of a white police officer shooting a brown person whose hands were up. Upset, he asks his mother why; she deflects, assuring him that he is safe. Later, they visit an aunt and uncle, where the TV, always on, shows a rally in response to the police shooting. The child glimpses a moving press conference with the victim’s family while his aunt claims she simply “can’t watch the news.�

The book’s narrator accompanies the child as he faces history and himself. The activities section urges kids to grow justice (“like a bean sprout in a milk carton�) inside of themselves, seek out and listen to the truth about racism and white supremacy, and prepare to be changed, heartbroken, and liberated by this experience.

Part history lesson, part compassionate primer to assist children (and parents) past defensiveness, Not My Idea is a tangible tool for necessary conversations.]]> 64 Anastasia Higginbotham 1948340003 Mari 1 4.02 2020 Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness (Ordinary Terrible Things)
author: Anastasia Higginbotham
name: Mari
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/09/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Wicked Magic (A Touch of Darkness #1)]]> 48999519
Being the Daughter of a Light High Priestess means Lydia Laveau has one fate: the life of a light witch. But when her ceremony choses her for the Dark Faction—something deemed impossible—her world crashes down around her.

Soon, Lydia finds herself wrapped up in a clandestine whirlwind of blackmail, illegal magic, and betrayal. She has one goal: keep her head down, get through her five year pledge at the school for dark witches, and return to the human world she calls home.

But when she meets Anson Abernathy, a drop dead gorgeous third year Wicked Born accused of murder, she finds herself drawn to him...and all the danger that comes with their attraction.

Can Lydia survive her five-year pledge without unraveling centuries of tradition? Or will her own secrets unlock answers that threaten her very existence?]]> 294 Candace Osmond Mari 1 3.95 2019 Wicked Magic (A Touch of Darkness #1)
author: Candace Osmond
name: Mari
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/19
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]]> <![CDATA[The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)]]> 43235810 Jill and Eustace must rescue the Prince from the evil Witch.

NARNIA...where owls are wise, where some of the giants like to snack on humans, where a prince is put under an evil spell...and where the adventure begins.

Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor...or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face to face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rillian is to be saved.]]> 243 C.S. Lewis 0064405044 Mari 5 3.96 1953 The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Mari
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1953
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/08/19
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]]> Love on the Brain 59856881 A STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis--with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project--a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia--Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school--archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it's her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas...devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?]]> 354 Ali Hazelwood 0593336844 Mari 1 3.95 2022 Love on the Brain
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Mari
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Husband Material (London Calling, #2)]]> 59236649 Wanted:
One (very real) husband
Nowhere near perfect but desperately trying his best

In BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.

Good thing Oliver is such perfect HUSBAND MATERIAL.

This Summer 2022, you’re invited to the event(s) of the season.]]> 424 Alexis Hall 1728250927 Mari 1 3.57 2022 Husband Material (London Calling, #2)
author: Alexis Hall
name: Mari
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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review:

]]> Carrie Soto Is Back 60435878 Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the 'Battle-Axe' anyway. Even if her body doesn't move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.]]> 384 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158687 Mari 1 4.19 2022 Carrie Soto Is Back
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Mari
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[The Many Daughters of Afong Moy]]> 59348307
As Washington’s former poet laureate, that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art. But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors, Dorothy believes the past has truly come to haunt her. Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life, Dorothy seeks radical help.

Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma, Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers; Zoe Moy, a student in England at a famous school with no rules; Lai King Moy, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic; Greta Moy, a tech executive with a unique dating app; and Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America.

As painful recollections affect her present life, Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited. A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories. Dorothy endeavors to break the cycle of pain and abandonment, to finally find peace for her daughter, and gain the love that has long been waiting, knowing she may pay the ultimate price.]]> 362 Jamie Ford 1982158212 Mari 1 3.84 2022 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
author: Jamie Ford
name: Mari
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> Acts of Violet 58724862
Nearly a decade ago, iconic magician Violet Volk performed her greatest trick yet: vanishing mid-act. Though she hasn't been seen since, her hold on the public imagination is stronger than ever. While Violet sought out the spotlight, her sister Sasha always had to be the responsible one, taking over their mother's hair salon and building a quiet life for her beloved daughter, Quinn. But Sasha can never seem to escape her sister's orbit or her memories of their unresolved, tumultuous relationship. Then there's Cameron Frank, tapped to host a podcast devoted to all things Violet, who is determined to finally get his big break--even if he promised to land an exclusive interview with Sasha, the one person who definitely doesn't want to talk to him.

As the ten-year anniversary approaches, the podcast picks up steam, and Cameron's pursuit of Sasha becomes increasingly intrusive. He isn't the only one wondering what secrets she might be keeping: Quinn, loyal to the aunt she always idolized, is doing her own investigating. Meanwhile, Sasha begins to experience an unsettling series of sleepwalking episodes and coincidences, which all seem to lead back to Violet. Pushed to her emotional limits, Sasha must finally confront the most painful truths about her sister, and herself, even at the risk of losing everything.]]> 336 Margarita Montimore 1250815061 Mari 1 3.48 2022 Acts of Violet
author: Margarita Montimore
name: Mari
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Lapvona 59089897 In a village in a medieval fiefdom buffeted by natural disasters, a motherless shepherd boy finds himself the unlikely pivot in a power struggle that puts all manner of faith to a savage test, in a spellbinding novel that represents Ottessa Moshfegh's most exciting leap yet

Little Marek, the abused and delusional son of the village shepherd, never knew his mother; his father told him she died in childbirth. One of life's few consolations for Marek is his enduring bond with the blind village midwife, Ina, who suckled him when he was a baby, as she did for many of the village's children.

Ina's gifts extend beyond childcare: she possesses a unique ability to communicate with the natural world. Her gift often brings her the transmission of sacred knowledge on levels far beyond those available to other villagers, however religious they might be. For some people, Ina's home in the woods outside the village is a place to fear and to avoid, a godless place.

Among their number is Father Barnabas, the town priest and lackey for the depraved lord and governor, Villiam, whose hilltop manor contains a secret embarrassment of riches. The people's desperate need to believe that there are powers that be who have their best interests at heart is put to a cruel test by Villiam and the priest, especially in this year of record drought and famine.

But when fate brings Marek into violent proximity to the lord's family, new and occult forces upset the old order. By year's end, the veil between blindness and sight, life and death, the natural world and the spirit world will prove to be very thin indeed.]]> 304 Ottessa Moshfegh 0593300262 Mari 1 3.54 2022 Lapvona
author: Ottessa Moshfegh
name: Mari
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> The Hotel Nantucket 59227941 Ěý
Filled with the emotional tension and multiple points of view that characterize Elin's books (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added touch of historical reality, Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this summer drama for the ages.Ěý]]> 416 Elin Hilderbrand 0316258679 Mari 1 4.01 2022 The Hotel Nantucket
author: Elin Hilderbrand
name: Mari
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> Cult Classic 58772761 Hilariously insightful and delightfully suspenseful, Cult Classic is an original: a masterfully crafted tale of love, memory, morality, and mind control, as well as a fresh foray into the philosophy of romance.

One night in New York City’s Chinatown, a woman is at a work reunion dinner with former colleagues when she excuses herself to buy a pack of cigarettes. On her way back, she runs into a former boyfriend. And then another. And . . . another. Nothing is quite what it seems as the city becomes awash with ghosts of heartbreaks past.

What would normally pass for coincidence becomes something far stranger as the recently engaged Lola must contend not only with the viability of her current relationship but with the fact that both her best friend and her former boss, a magazine editor turned mystical guru, might have an unhealthy investment in the outcome. Memories of the past swirl and converge in ways both comic and eerie, as Lola is forced to decide if she will surrender herself to the conspiring of one very contemporary cult.

Is it possible to have a happy ending in an age when the past is ever at your fingertips and sanity is for sale? With her gimlet eye, Sloane Crosley spins a wry literary fantasy that is equal parts page-turner and poignant portrayal of alienation.]]> 304 Sloane Crosley 0374603391 Mari 1 3.28 2022 Cult Classic
author: Sloane Crosley
name: Mari
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> Woman of Light 58587145 A dazzling epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award Finalist Sabrina & Corina

"There is one every generation--a seer who keeps the stories."

Luz "Little Light" Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930's Denver on her own, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors' origins, how her family flourished and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

Written in Kali Fajardo-Anstine's singular voice, the wildly entertaining and complex lives of the Lopez family fill the pages of this multigenerational western saga. Woman of Light is a transfixing novel about survival, family secrets, and love, filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, all of whom are just as special, memorable, and complicated as our beloved heroine, Luz.]]> 336 Kali Fajardo-Anstine 0525511326 Mari 1 3.62 2022 Woman of Light
author: Kali Fajardo-Anstine
name: Mari
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/08/18
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]]> They Came to Baghdad 140337
But no daydream of love could match the real life adventure that unfolded: a stranger was stabbed in her bed, someone issued a hushed warning, and her rival for Edward's affections neatly arranged her kidnapping. From the steamy Arab marketplace to the vast and arid desert, Victoria was pursued by an unknown power that threatened not only her, but the fate of the entire world ...]]> 368 Agatha Christie 0007154933 Mari 5 3.83 1951 They Came to Baghdad
author: Agatha Christie
name: Mari
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1951
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/17
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]]> <![CDATA[Monster Hunter Siege (Monster Hunter International, #6)]]> 32919680
GO BIG OR GO HOME

When Monster Hunter International's top hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, was given a tip about some hunters who had gone missing in action, he didn’t realize their rescue mission would snowball into the single biggest operation in MHI's history. Their men are being held prisoner in a horrific nightmare dimension, and the only way to reach them is through the radioactive ruins of a monster-infested war zone.

As if that wasn't bad enough, it’s also the home base of the powerful creature behind the devastating attacks on the Last Dragon and Copper Lake. It turns out ancient gods of chaos really hate trespassers. But this god picked a fight with the wrong crew, and now MHI wants payback. Calling on their allies, a massive expedition is formed, and with the odds stacked against them, a legion of hunters goes to war.

It’s D-Day at the City of Monsters.

Monster Hunter Siege :

"Correia’s latest slugfest between men and demons covers all the heavy-duty weaponry, slick military banter, humor, tough evil dudes, and a strong-jawed hero who’s ready to save the world."� Publishers Weekly

About Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter

“…once it grabs a hold of you it can be a tough fight to put [it] down.� –iGeekOut

“[A] no-holds-barred all-out page turner that is part science fiction, part horror, and an absolute blast to read.”� Bookreporter.com

“If you love monsters and action, you’ll love this book. If you love guns, you’ll love this book. If you love fantasy, and especially horror fantasy, you’ll love this book.”� Knotclan.com

“A gun person who likes science fiction—or, heck, anyone who likes science fiction—will enjoy [these books]…The plotting is excellent, and Correia makes you care about the characters…I read both books without putting them down except for work…so whaddaya waitin� for? Go and buy some…for yourself and for stocking stuffers.”—Massad Ayoob

“This lighthearted, testosterone-soaked sequel to 2009's Monster Hunter International will delight fans of action horror with elaborate weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, disgusting monsters, and an endless stream of blood and body parts.”� Publishers Weekly

About Larry

“[E]verything I like in intense action scenes, evil in horrifying array, good struggling against the darkness, and most of all people—gorgeously flawed human beings faced with horrible moral choices that force them to question and change and grow.”—Jim Butcher on Son of the Black Sword

The Monster Hunter Series
Monster Hunter International
Monster Hunter Vendetta
Monster Hunter Alpha
Monster Hunter Legion
Monster Hunter Nemesis
Monster Hunter Siege

Monster Hunter Grunge

The Monster Hunters
(Omnibus contains Monster Hunter International, Monster Hunter Vendetta, and Monster Hunter Alpha)]]> 384 Larry Correia 1481482556 Mari 5 4.32 2017 Monster Hunter Siege (Monster Hunter International, #6)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2017
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/17
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]]> <![CDATA[Monster Hunter Legion (Monster Hunter International, #4)]]> 13051355 Monster Hunter International might be the premier monster eradication company in the business, but they’ve got competition.

When hunters from around the world gather in Las Vegas for a conference, a creature left over from a World War Two weapons experiment wakes up and goes on a rampage across the desert. A not-so-friendly wager between the rival companies turns into a race to see who can bag the mysterious creature first.

Only there is far more to this particular case than meets the eye, and as Hunters fall prey to their worst nightmares, Owen Zastava Pitt and the staff of Monster Hunter International have to stop an ancient god from turning Sin City into a literal hell on earth.

]]> 377 Larry Correia 1451637969 Mari 5 4.31 2012 Monster Hunter Legion (Monster Hunter International, #4)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/17
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]]> <![CDATA[Monster Hunter Vendetta (Monster Hunter International, #2)]]> 7683254 Owen Pitt never met a gun he didn’t like, or a monster he couldn’t shoot. But now, the monsters are shooting back . . .

Accountant turned professional monster hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, managed to stop the nefarious Old One’s invasion plans last year, but as a result made an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult known as the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition wants to capture Owen in order to gain the favor of the great Old Ones.

The Condition is led by a fanatical necromancer known as the Shadow Man. The government wants to capture the Shadow Man and has assigned the enigmatic Agent Franks to be Owen’s full time bodyguard, which is a polite way of saying that Owen is monster bait.

With supernatural assassins targeting his family, a spy in their midst, and horrific beasties lurking around every corner, Owen and the staff of Monster Hunter International don’t need to go hunting, because this time the monsters are hunting them. Fortunately, this bait is armed and very dangerous . . .]]> 612 Larry Correia 1439133913 Mari 5 4.25 2010 Monster Hunter Vendetta (Monster Hunter International, #2)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/08/17
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]]> <![CDATA[Hard Magic (Grimnoir Chronicles, #1)]]> 8643407 423 Larry Correia 1439134340 Mari 5 4.13 2012 Hard Magic (Grimnoir Chronicles, #1)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
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Extremely sophisticated. Larry's writing has matured a lot from Monster Hunter, and its all for the best. I literally know nothing about guns, so I int tell you anything about their description, and I dont care about them either. I support the 2nd amendment, but Im a 5'4" 110 girl, and I cant use anything bigger then a teeny one. I have weak Han ds, and need someone to open jars for me. So..not one of those cool women like Faye who can go bad arse on the enemy, but the characters are so compelling, I hated it when the series ended. I want to visit them again. Heinrich especially.
]]> Kaikeyi 57127277 “I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.�

So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on tales about the might and benevolence of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the worthy. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to the marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.

Desperate for independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With it, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen.

But as the evil from her childhood stories threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. And Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak—and what legacy she intends to leave behind.

The unforgettable tale of a woman determined to leave her mark in a world gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. "Patel's mesmerizing debut shines a brilliant light on the vilified queen from the Ramayana"
(Publishers Weekly, starred review).]]> 478 Vaishnavi Patel 0759557330 Mari 2 Very interesting? 4.18 2022 Kaikeyi
author: Vaishnavi Patel
name: Mari
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
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Very interesting?
]]> Days Come and Go 60117457 Days Come and Go is the remarkable story of three generations of women both within and beyond its borders. Through the voices of Anna, a matriarch living out her final days in Paris; Abi, Anna’s thoroughly European daughter (at least in her mother’s eyes); and Tina, a teenager who comes under the sway of a militant terrorist faction, Boum’s epic is generous and all-seeing. Brilliantly considering the many issues that dominate her characters� lives—love and politics, tradition and modernity�Days Come and Go, in Nchanji Njamnsi’s vivid translation, is a page-turner by way of Frantz Fanon and V. S. Naipaul. As passions rise, fall, and rise again, Boum's stirring English-language debut offers a discerning portrait of a nation that never once diminishes the power of everyday human connection.]]> 350 Hemley Boum 194964135X Mari 0 genocide 3.97 2019 Days Come and Go
author: Hemley Boum
name: Mari
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2022/08/17
shelves: genocide
review:

]]> The Last Children of Tokyo 37800111
As hopes for Japan's youngest generation fade, a secretive organisation embarks on an audacious plan to find a cure - might Yoshiro's great-grandson be the key to saving the last children of Tokyo?]]> 138 YĹŤko Tawada 1846276705 Mari 3 3.30 2014 The Last Children of Tokyo
author: YĹŤko Tawada
name: Mari
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2014
rating: 3
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date added: 2022/08/17
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]]> Legend of the Northern Blade 54667099 Hae-Min Mari 5 4.44 2019 Legend of the Northern Blade
author: Hae-Min
name: Mari
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2019
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/07/14
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review:
Awesome. Really enjoyable characters, very well plotted story. A stellar example of a revenge and beyond story.
]]> <![CDATA[Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories]]> 32736
And no Yiddish writer was more beloved than Tevye’s creator, Sholem Rabinovich (1859�1916), the “Jewish Mark Twain,� who wrote under the pen name of Sholem Aleichem. Beautifully translated by Hillel Halkin, here is Sholem Aleichem’s heartwarming and poignant account of Tevye and his daughters, together with the “Railroad Stories,� twenty-one tales that examine human nature and modernity as they are perceived by men and women riding the trains from shtetl to shtetl.]]> 309 Sholom Aleichem 0805210695 Mari 5 4.19 1894 Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories
author: Sholom Aleichem
name: Mari
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1894
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/06/25
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]]> The Men 55585992
Deep in the California woods on an evening in late August, Jane Pearson is camping with her husband Leo and their five-year-old son Benjamin. As dusk sets in, she drifts softly to sleep in a hammock strung outside the tent where Leo and Benjamin are preparing for bed. At that moment, every single person with a Y chromosome vanishes around the world, disappearing from operating theaters mid-surgery, from behind the wheels of cars, from arguments and acts of love. Children, adults, even fetuses are gone in an instant. Leo and Benjamin are gone. No one knows why, how, or where.

After the Disappearance, Jane forces herself to enter a world she barely recognizes, one where women must create new ways of living while coping with devastating grief. As people come together to rebuild depopulated industries and distribute scarce resources, Jane focuses on reuniting with an old college girlfriend, Evangelyne Moreau, leader of the Commensalist Party of America, a rising political force in this new world. Meanwhile, strange video footage called “The Men� is being broadcast online showing images of the vanished men marching through barren, otherworldly landscapes. Is this just a hoax, or could it hold the key to the Disappearance?

From the author of The Heavens, The Men is a gripping, beautiful, and disquieting novel of feminist utopias and impossible sacrifices that interrogates the dream of a perfect society and the conflict between individual desire and the good of the community.]]> 272 Sandra Newman 0802159672 Mari 5 2.96 2022 The Men
author: Sandra Newman
name: Mari
average rating: 2.96
book published: 2022
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/05/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Wolf Destinies (Rocky Mountain Pack, #4)]]> 60445643
She’s powerful, vicious, and cruel, feared by the entire supernatural community. She’s also an immortal. Yeah, she can’t be killed—supposedly. Nothing like an insurmountable challenge, right?

I’ve trained for years to defeat any opponent, and this time, I have my mate Bruno, my sister, my pack, and a pair of strange mages at my side, ready to go down fighting with me.

My enemy might be invincible, but that won’t stop us from doing everything we can to take her down. Better to live in a world without her in it than to keep going when she’s controlled everything I’ve ever done. Either way, I’ll secure my freedom.

With nothing to lose, and everything to gain, I will find the way to kill her before she ends me. With magic, the impossible is never quite what it seems.

* The Rocky Mountain Pack series is gritty, sexy, and action-packed urban fantasy paranormal shifter romance.

* Wolf Destinies is a full-length novel recommended for mature readers due to language, sexual situations, and graphic fighting scenes.]]> 231 LucĂ­a Ashta Mari 1 4.35 Wolf Destinies (Rocky Mountain Pack, #4)
author: LucĂ­a Ashta
name: Mari
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/27
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I dont know. All I can say is that the ending......isnt one. I feel like that is a cop out. And actually, this just has too much sex.
]]> <![CDATA[The First Heretic (The Horus Heresy, #14)]]> 7922982 503 Aaron Dembski-Bowden 1844168840 Mari 1 4.31 2010 The First Heretic (The Horus Heresy, #14)
author: Aaron Dembski-Bowden
name: Mari
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2010
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/27
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]]> The Children of Húrin 597790 The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales , also edited by Tolkien's son, Christopher, only hinted at the depth and power of the tragic story of Túrin and Niënor, the children of Húrin, the lord of Dor-lómin, who achieved renown for having confronted Morgoth, who was the master of Sauron, the manifestation of evil in the Lord of the Rings.

Six thousand years before the One Ring is destroyed, Middle-earth lies under the shadow of the Dark Lord Morgoth. The greatest warriors among elves and men have perished, and all is in darkness and despair. But a deadly new leader rises, TĂşrin, son of HĂşrin, and with his grim band of outlaws begins to turn the tide in the war for Middle-earth -- awaiting the day he confronts his destiny and the deadly curse laid upon him.]]> 315 J.R.R. Tolkien 0007246226 Mari 5 4.04 2007 The Children of HĂşrin
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Mari
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/05/27
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]]> <![CDATA[The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy, #2)]]> 34050917 The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel, introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.

In The Girl in the Tower, Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, she has only two options left: marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.

But after she prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.]]> 360 Katherine Arden 1101885963 Mari 1 4.34 2017 The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy, #2)
author: Katherine Arden
name: Mari
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2017
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/27
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]]> Strangers We Know 57226625 The search for a serial killer leads a woman into the twisted tangle of her own family tree in a chilling novel by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Missing Sister and Lies We Bury.

Adopted when she was only days old, Ivy Hon knows little about her lineage. But when she’s stricken with a mystery illness, the results of a genetic test to identify the cause attract the FBI. According to Ivy’s DNA, she’s related to the Full Moon Killer, who has terrorized the Pacific Northwest for decades. Ivy is the FBI’s hope to stop the enigmatic predator from killing again.

When an online search connects Ivy with her younger cousin, she heads to rural Rock Island, Washington, to meet the woman. Motivated by a secret desire to unmask a murderous relative, Ivy reaches out to what’s left of a family of strangers.

Discovering her mother’s tragic fate and her father’s disappearance is just the beginning. As Ivy ventures into a serial killer’s home territory, she realizes that she may be the next victim of poisonous blood ties.]]> 271 Elle Marr Mari 1 3.81 2022 Strangers We Know
author: Elle Marr
name: Mari
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir]]> 58082211
Nothing survives in this city. But in a place that never allowed you to write your own history, even remembrance can be a radical act.

Hong Kong has long been known as a city of extremes: a former colony of the United Kingdom that today exists at the margins of an authoritarian, ascendant China; a city rocked by mass protests, where residents once rallied against threats to their democracy and freedoms. But it is also misunderstood and often romanticized, its history and politics simplified for Western headlines. Drawing richly from her own experience, as well as interviews with musicians, protesters, and writers who have made Hong Kong their home, journalist Karen Cheung gives us an insider’s view of this remarkable city at a critical moment in history—both for Hong Kong and democracies around the world.

Coming of age in the wake of Hong Kong’s reunification with China in 1997, Cheung traverses the multifold identities available to her in childhood and beyond, whether that was her experience at an English-speaking international school where her classmates would grow up to be “global citizens� struggling to fit in with the rest of Hong Kong, or within her deeply traditional, multilingual family. Along the way, Cheung gives a personal account of what it’s like to seek out affordable housing and mental healthcare in one of the world’s most expensive cities. She also takes us deep into Hong Kong’s vibrant indie music and literary scenes–youth-driven spaces of creative resistance. Inevitably, Cheung brings us with her to the protests, where her understanding of what it means to belong to Hong Kong finally crystallized.

Weaving together memoir, cultural criticism, and reportage, The Impossible City transcends borders to chart the parallel journeys of both a young woman and a city as they navigate the various, sometimes contradictory, paths of coming into one’s own.]]> 352 Karen Cheung 0593241436 Mari 1 3.87 2022 The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir
author: Karen Cheung
name: Mari
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[The City of Dusk (The Dark Gods #1)]]> 58505859
But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying.

Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs—Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light� will sacrifice everything to save the city.

But their defiance will cost them dearly.

Set in a gorgeous world of bone and shadow magic, of vengeful gods and defiant chosen ones, The City of Dusk is the first in a dark epic fantasy trilogy that follows the four heirs of four noble houses—each gifted with a divine power—as they form a tenuous alliance to keep their kingdom from descending into a realm-shattering war.]]> 576 Tara Sim 0316458899 Mari 1 3.68 2022 The City of Dusk (The Dark Gods #1)
author: Tara Sim
name: Mari
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Loveboat Reunion (Loveboat, Taipei, #2)]]> 57924359 tumultuous past.

Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted—but at least they're friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.

Now that fall is here, they're focusing on what really matters. Sophie is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy.

But the world doesn’t seem to want either to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.� Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.

Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together . . . or are they destined to combust?]]> 432 Abigail Hing Wen 0062957309 Mari 1 3.76 2022 Loveboat Reunion (Loveboat, Taipei, #2)
author: Abigail Hing Wen
name: Mari
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[K-Pop Revolution (K-pop Confidential, #2)]]> 57468741
In the sequel to K-Pop Confidential, Candace is a Rookie idol. Her life is suddenly filled with the fans, cameras, and glamor of stardom: She and her boyfriend, YoungBae, are a K-Pop power couple; she’s a walking icon at Brandt Foreign School; and her new girl group, known simply as THE GIRLS, is poised to break records across the industry. With her status as the industry’s K-Pop Warrior, she has all the clout at her disposal to make waves. Right?

Her label, S.A.Y., promises to help make the sweeping changes for the industry to become a more humane and compassionate place for artists. But what will happen when the road to a record-breaking debut isn’t as smooth as they’d planned? When a rival girl group emerges to steal the spotlight, carrying the message of change better than Candace ever could, she’ll have to decide what it’ll cost her and her bandmates to stand up for their beliefs. And as the world turns against her, with online bullies scrutinizing her every word, there’s only so much that one person can take.

From the top of the world to the brink of disaster, Candace is going to have to figure out why the world is out to get her. And she’s not going to be able to do it alone.

How far does one girl need to be pushed to start a K-Pop Revolution?]]> 368 Stephan Lee 1338751131 Mari 1 4.02 2022 K-Pop Revolution (K-pop Confidential, #2)
author: Stephan Lee
name: Mari
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> A Thousand Steps into Night 55959479
From New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, Traci Chee, comes a Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry.]]> 373 Traci Chee 0358469988 Mari 1 3.84 2022 A Thousand Steps into Night
author: Traci Chee
name: Mari
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> Violets 49092634
We next meet San, aged twenty-two, as she starts a job in a flower shop. There, we are introduced to a colourful cast of characters, including the shop's mute owner, the other florist Su-ae, and the customers that include a sexually aggressive businessman and a photographer, who San develops an obsession for. Throughout, San's moment with Namae lingers in the back of her mind.

A story of desire and violence about a young woman who everyone forgot, VIOLETS is a captivating and sensual read, full of tragedy and beauty.]]> 218 Kyung-Sook Shin 1558612904 Mari 1 3.58 2001 Violets
author: Kyung-Sook Shin
name: Mari
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2001
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> Rouge Street: Three Novellas 57771220 Already compared to Hemingway and Murakami, Shuang Xuetao is one of the most highly celebrated young Chinese writers—his English-language debut Rouge Street collects three dazzling novellas of Northeast China, mixing realism, mysticism, and noir

An enterprising inventor dreams of escaping his drab surroundings in a flying machine. A criminal, trapped beneath a frozen lake, transforms into a giant fish. A strange girl pledges to ignite a field of sorghum stalks.

Rouge Street collects three novellas by Shuang Xuetao, the lauded young Chinese writer whose frank, fantastical short fiction has already inspired comparisons to Ernest Hemingway and Haruki Murakami. Located in China’s frigid Northeast, Shenyang, the author’s birthplace, boasts an illustrious past—legend holds that the emperor’s makeup was manufactured here. But while the city enjoyed renewed importance as an industrial hub under Mao Zedong, China’s subsequent transition from communism to a private economy led to an array of social ills—unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, domestic violence, divorce, suicide—which gritty Shenyang epitomizes.

Orbiting the toughest neighborhood of a postindustrial city whose vast, inhospitable landscape makes every aspect of life a struggle, these many-voiced missives are united by Shuang Xuetao’s singular style—one which balances hardscrabble naturalism with the transcendent, and faces the bleak environs with winning humor. Lyrical, masterful, Rouge Street illuminates not only the hidden pains of those left behind in an extraordinary economic boom, but also the unlikely, nourishing grace they, nevertheless, manage to discover.]]> 240 Shuang Xuetao 1250835879 Mari 1 3.82 2022 Rouge Street: Three Novellas
author: Shuang Xuetao
name: Mari
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[I Was the President's Mistress!!]]> 57693562 I Was the President's Mistress!! is an unflinching satire about power, corruption, sex, and all the other topics you were told never to discuss in polite company.

First came the Sexy-Sexygate scandal. Then an impeachment trial. Finally, a battle royale for the presidency. At the center of this political typhoon is Vita Nova, the most famous movie star in the Philippines and a former paramour of the country’s most powerful man. Now, for the first time ever, she bares herself completely in a tell-all memoir that puts the sensational in sensationalistic.

The setting: a sweating, heaving country. The time: right now. The plot: a drug war rages, an assassin brandishes a pistol, a damsel rises from ashes to power, and a government teeters on the brink. Among the players: a dreamer who boxed and acted his way to the presidency, his Koran-toting nemesis in the senate, a horny bishop, a cowboy turned warlord, a poor little rich boy dying with his dynasty, a washed-up reporter redeemed by one last scoop, a high-school sweetheart driven mad by decades of disappointment, and an American naval officer tempting our heroine with a way out. As Vita warns, viewer discretion is advised.

In this masterful and audacious novel, Miguel Syjuco’s signature style—hilarious, insightful, playful, provocative—animates thirteen indelible voices whose stories present a cross-section of a complicated society. I Was the President’s Mistress!! hurtles headlong into love, politics, faith, history, memory, and the ongoing war over who will tell the stories the world shall know as truth.]]> 384 Miguel Syjuco 0374174059 Mari 1 3.11 2022 I Was the President's Mistress!!
author: Miguel Syjuco
name: Mari
average rating: 3.11
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> Activities of Daily Living 58085233
As Alice roots deeper into Hsieh’s radical use of time—in one piece, the artist confined himself to a cell for a year; in the next, he punched a time clock every hour, on the hour, for a year—and his mysterious disappearance from the art world, her project starts metabolizing events from her own life. She wanders from subway rides to street protests, loses touch with a friend, and tenderly observes her father’s slow decline.

Moving between present-day and 1980s New York City, with detours to Silicon Valley and the Venice Biennale, this vivid debut announces Lisa Hsiao Chen as an audacious new talent. Activities of Daily Living is a lucid, intimate examination of the creative life and the passage of time.]]> 352 Lisa Hsiao Chen 0393881121 Mari 1 3.84 2022 Activities of Daily Living
author: Lisa Hsiao Chen
name: Mari
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[People from Bloomington (Penguin Classics)]]> 58588140 An eerie, alienating, yet comic and profoundly sympathetic short story collection about Americans in America by one of Indonesia's most prominent writers, now in an English translation for its fortieth anniversary, with a foreword by Intan Paramaditha


A Penguin Classic


In these seven stories of The People from Bloomington our peculiar narrators find themselves in the most peculiar of circumstances and encounter the most peculiar of people. Set in Bloomington, Indiana, where the author lived as a graduate student in the 1970s, this is far from the idyllic portrait of small-town America. Rather, sectioned into apartment units and rented rooms, and gridded by long empty streets and distances traversable only by car, it's a place where the solitary can all too easily remain solitary; where people can at once be obsessively curious about others, yet fail to form genuine connections with anyone. The characters feel their loneliness acutely and yet deliberately estrange others. Budi Darma paints a realist world portrayed through an absurdist frame, morbid and funny at the same time.

For decades, Budi Darma has influenced and inspired many writers, artists, filmmakers, and readers in Indonesia, yet his stories also transcend time and place. With The People from Bloomington, Budi Darma draws us to a universality recognized by readers around the world--the cruelty of life and the difficulties that people face in relating to each other while negotiating their own identities. The stories are not about "strangeness" in the sense of culture, race, and nationality. Instead, they are a statement about how everyone, regardless of nationality or race, is strange, and subject to the same tortures, suspicions, yearnings, and peculiarities of the mind.
]]> 208 Budi Darma 0143136607 Mari 1 3.74 1980 People from Bloomington (Penguin Classics)
author: Budi Darma
name: Mari
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1980
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now]]> 55959483 Cultural critic Jeff Yang, blogger Phil Yu of Angry Asian Man, and Wong Fu Productions’ĚýPhilipĚýWang team up (with iconic guests!) for a graphic romp through the ups and downs of how, over the past three decades,ĚýAsian Americans went from quiet and invisible toĚýincredibly relevant andĚýirresistibly cool

The first generation of U.S.-born Asian Americans raised after 1965’s Hart-Cellar Act passed would have found it difficult to imagine that sushi and boba would one day be beloved by all, that a Korean boy band named BTS would be the biggest musical act in the world, that one of the biggest movies of 2018 would be Crazy Rich Asians, or that a Facebook group for Asian American identity memes would be 2 million members strong.ĚýAnd that’s not mentioning the execs working behind the scenes at major companies;Ěýthe activists and representatives fighting for equity;Ěýand the singers, rappers, dance crews, and social media pioneers making their mark on pop culture. And still: Asian America is just getting started.

In this intimate, eye-opening, and frequently hilarious guided tourĚýthrough the pop-cultural touchstones and sociopolitical shifts of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and beyond, Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Phil Wang chronicle how we’ve arrived at today’s unprecedented diversity of Asian American cultural representation through engaging, interactive graphics (like aĚýstep-by-step walk-through of a typical night out in Koreatown...for those who probably won't remember it the day after), charts (how much has yellowface fluctuated decade over decade?), graphic essays from major AAPI artists, exclusive roundtables with Asian American cultural icons, and more, framed byĚýextended insider narratives of each decade byĚýthe threeĚýco-authors. Rise is an informative, lively, and inclusive celebration of community, and will remain a cultural touchstone for years to come.]]> 496 Jeff Yang 0358508096 Mari 1 4.40 2022 Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now
author: Jeff Yang
name: Mari
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Honor 56271394 Ěý
IndianĚýAmerican journalistĚýSmita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. While Meena’s fate hangs in the balance, Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales. She also finds herself increasingly drawn to Mohan, an Indian man she meets while on assignment. But the dual love stories of Honor are as different as the cultures of Meena and Smita themselves: Smita realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair, knowing she can decide later how much it means to her.

In this tender and evocative novel about love, hope, familial devotion, betrayal, and sacrifice, Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time.]]> 326 Thrity Umrigar 161620995X Mari 1 4.32 2022 Honor
author: Thrity Umrigar
name: Mari
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Forbidden City 58621983 A teenage girl living in 1960s China becomes Mao Zedong's protégée and lover--and a poster child for the Cultural Revolution--in this provocative, poignant novel from the bestselling author of A River of Stars.

On the eve of China's Cultural Revolution and her sixteenth birthday, Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls for a mysterious duty in the capital, she seizes the opportunity to escape her impoverished village. It is only when Mei arrives at the Chairman’s opulent residence—a forbidden city unto itself—that she learns that the girls� job is to dance with the Party elites. Ambitious and whip-smart, Mei makes a beeline toward the Chairman.

Mei gradually separates from the other recruits to become the Chairman’s confidante—and paramour. As he fends off political rivals, Mei faces down schemers from the dance troupe who will stop at nothing to take her place, as well as the Chairman’s imperious wife, who has schemes of her own. When the Chairman finally gives Mei a political mission, she seizes it with fervor, but the brutality of this latest stage of the revolution makes her begin to doubt all the certainties she has held so dear.

Forbidden City is an epic yet intimate portrayal of one of the world's most powerful and least understood leaders during the most turbulent period of modern Chinese history. Mei's harrowing journey toward truth and disillusionment raises questions about power, manipulation, and belief, as seen through the eyes of a passionate teenage girl.]]> 352 Vanessa Hua 0399178813 Mari 1 3.56 2022 Forbidden City
author: Vanessa Hua
name: Mari
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Sari, Not Sari 58438641
Manny Dogra is the beautiful young CEO of Breakup, a highly successful company that helps people manage their relationship breakups. As preoccupied as she is with her business, she’s also planning her wedding to handsome architect Adam Jamieson while dealing with the loss of her beloved parents.

For reasons Manny has never understood, her mother and father, who were both born in India, always wanted her to become an “All-American� girl. So that’s what she did. She knows next to nothing about her South Asian heritage, and that’s never been a problem—until her parents are no longer around, and an image of Manny that’s been Photoshopped to make her skin look more white appears on a major magazine cover. Suddenly, the woman who built an empire encouraging people to be true to themselves is having her own identity crisis.

But when an irritating client named Sammy Patel approaches Manny with an odd breakup request, the perfect solution presents itself: If they both agree to certain terms, he’ll give her a crash course in being “Indian� at his brother’s wedding.

What follows is days of dancing and dal, masala and mehndi as Manny meets the lovable, if endlessly interfering, aunties and uncles of the Patel family, and, along the way, discovers much more than she could ever have anticipated.]]> 304 Sonya Singh 1982185910 Mari 1 3.10 2022 Sari, Not Sari
author: Sonya Singh
name: Mari
average rating: 3.10
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Such Big Dreams 59089923 A savvy former street child working at a law office in Mumbai fights for redemption and a chance to live life on her own terms in this fresh, propulsive debut novel about fortune and survival.

Rakhi is a twenty-three-year-old haunted by the grisly aftermath of an incident that led to the loss of her best friend eleven years ago. Constantly reminded she doesn't belong, Rakhi lives alone in a Mumbai slum, working as a lowly office assistant at Justice For All, a struggling human-rights law organization headed by the renowned lawyer who gave her a fresh start.

Fiercely intelligent and in possession of a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, Rakhi is nobody's fool, even if she is underestimated by everyone around her. Rakhi's life isn't much, but she's managing. That is, until Rubina Mansoor, a fading former Bollywood starlet, tries to edge her way back into the spotlight by becoming a celebrity ambassador for Justice For All. Steering the organization into uncharted territories, she demands an internship for Alex, a young family friend from Canada and Harvard-bound graduate student. Ambitious, persistent, and naĂŻve, Alex persuades Rakhi to show him "the real" India. In exchange, he'll do something to further Rakhi's dreams in a transaction that seems harmless, at first.

As old guilt and new aspirations collide, everything Rakhi once knew to be true is set ablaze. And as the stakes mount, she will come face-to-face with the difficult choices and moral compromises that people make in order to survive, no matter the cost. Reema Patel's transportive debut novel offers a moving, smart, and arrestingly clever look at the cost of ambition and power in reclaiming one's story.]]> 336 Reema Patel 0593499506 Mari 1 4.00 2022 Such Big Dreams
author: Reema Patel
name: Mari
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Time Is a Mother 58582927 On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Vuong contends with personal loss, the meaning of family, and the cost of being the product of an American war in America. At once vivid, brave, and propulsive, Vuong's poems circle fragmented lives to find both restoration as well as the epicenter of the break.

The author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds, winner of the 2016 Whiting Award, the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize, and a 2019 MacArthur fellow, Vuong writes directly to our humanity without losing sight of the current moment. These poems represent a more innovative and daring experimentation with language and form, illuminating how the themes we perennially live in and question are truly inexhaustible. Bold and prescient, and a testament to tenderness in the face of violence, Time Is a Mother is a return and a forging forth all at once.
]]> 114 Ocean Vuong 0593300238 Mari 1 3.94 2022 Time Is a Mother
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Mari
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Four Treasures of the Sky 55987334
At once a literary tour de force and a groundbreaking work of historical fiction, Four Treasures of the Sky announces Jenny Tinghui Zhang as an indelible new voice. Steeped in untold history and Chinese folklore, this novel is a spellbinding feat.]]> 326 Jenny Tinghui Zhang 1250811783 Mari 1 4.07 2022 Four Treasures of the Sky
author: Jenny Tinghui Zhang
name: Mari
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> An Arrow to the Moon 41580931
Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents� expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their familiesâ€� enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love…but time is running out, and fate will have its way. Ěý
An Arrow to the Moon , Emily X.R. Pan’s brilliant and ethereal follow-up toĚý The Astonishing Color of After, Ěýis a story about family, love, and the magic and mystery of the moon that connects us all. Ěý]]> 400 Emily X.R. Pan 0316464058 Mari 1 3.45 2022 An Arrow to the Moon
author: Emily X.R. Pan
name: Mari
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Portrait of a Thief 57021127 Ocean’s Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.

History is told by the conquerors. Across the Western world, museums display the spoils of war, of conquest, of colonialism: priceless pieces of art looted from other countries, kept even now.

Will Chen plans to steal them back.

A senior at Harvard, Will fits comfortably in his carefully curated roles: a perfect student, an art history major and sometimes artist, the eldest son who has always been his parents� American Dream. But when a mysterious Chinese benefactor reaches out with an impossible—and illegal—job offer, Will finds himself something else as well: the leader of a heist to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures, looted from Beijing centuries ago.

His crew is every heist archetype one can imag­ine—or at least, the closest he can get. A con artist: Irene Chen, a public policy major at Duke who can talk her way out of anything. A thief: Daniel Liang, a premed student with steady hands just as capable of lockpicking as suturing. A getaway driver: Lily Wu, an engineering major who races cars in her free time. A hacker: Alex Huang, an MIT dropout turned Silicon Valley software engineer. Each member of his crew has their own complicated relationship with China and the identity they’ve cultivated as Chinese Americans, but when Will asks, none of them can turn him down.

Because if they succeed? They earn fifty million dollars—and a chance to make history. But if they fail, it will mean not just the loss of everything they’ve dreamed for themselves but yet another thwarted at­tempt to take back what colonialism has stolen.

Equal parts beautiful, thoughtful, and thrilling, Portrait of a Thief is a cultural heist and an examination of Chinese American identity, as well as a necessary cri­tique of the lingering effects of colonialism.]]> 375 Grace D. Li 0593184734 Mari 1 3.44 2022 Portrait of a Thief
author: Grace D. Li
name: Mari
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Disorientation 58350424 A Taiwanese American woman’s coming-of-consciousness ignites eye-opening revelations and chaos on a college campus in this outrageously hilarious and startlingly tender debut novel.

Twenty-nine-year-old PhD student Ingrid Yang is desperate to finish her dissertation on the late canonical poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never read about “Chinese-y� things again. But after years of grueling research, all she has to show for her efforts are junk food addiction and stomach pain. When she accidentally stumbles upon a curious note in the Chou archives one afternoon, she convinces herself it’s her ticket out of academic hell.

But Ingrid’s in much deeper than she thinks. Her clumsy exploits to unravel the note’s message lead to an explosive discovery, upending not only her sheltered life within academia but her entire world beyond it. With her trusty friend Eunice Kim by her side and her rival Vivian Vo hot on her tail, together they set off a roller coaster of mishaps and misadventures, from book burnings and OTC drug hallucinations, to hot-button protests and Yellow Peril 2.0 propaganda.

In the aftermath, nothing looks the same to Ingrid—including her gentle and doting fiancé, Stephen Greene. When he embarks on a book tour with the super kawaii Japanese author he’s translated, doubts and insecurities creep in for the first time� As the events Ingrid instigated keep spiraling, she’ll have to confront her sticky relationship to white men and white institutions—and, most of all, herself.

For readers of Paul Beatty’s The Sellout and Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown, this uproarious and bighearted satire is a blistering send-up of privilege and power in America, and a profound reckoning of individual complicity and unspoken rage. In this electrifying debut novel from a provocative new voice, Elaine Hsieh Chou asks who gets to tell our stories—and how the story changes when we finally tell it ourselves.]]> 403 Elaine Hsieh Chou 0593298357 Mari 1 3.84 2022 Disorientation
author: Elaine Hsieh Chou
name: Mari
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Peach Blossom Spring 58231775 A "beautifully rendered" novel aboutĚýwar, migration, and the power of telling our stories,ĚýPeach Blossom Spring follows three generations of a Chinese familyĚýon their search for a place to call home (Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author).

"Within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time."

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge.

Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. How can he keep his family safe in this new land when the weight of his history threatens to drag them down? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story?

Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the haunting question: What would it mean to finally be home?]]> 400 Melissa Fu 0316286737 Mari 2 4.16 2022 Peach Blossom Spring
author: Melissa Fu
name: Mari
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories]]> 57693414 From an award-winning team of authors, editors, and translators comes a groundbreaking short story collection that explores the expanse of Chinese science fiction and fantasy.

In THE WAY SPRING ARRIVES AND OTHER STORIES , you can dine at a restaurant at the end of the universe, cultivate to immortality in the high mountains, watch roses perform Shakespeare, or arrive at the island of the gods on the backs of giant fish to ensure that the world can bloom.

Written, edited, and translated by a female and non-binary team, these stories have never before been published in English and represent both the richly complicated past and the vivid future of Chinese science fiction and fantasy.

Time travel to a winter's day on the West Lake, explore the very boundaries of death itself, and meet old gods and new heroes in this stunning new collection.]]> 385 Yu Chen 1250768918 Mari 1 3.86 2022 The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories
author: Yu Chen
name: Mari
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea, #1)]]> 56978089
When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.]]> 374 Judy I. Lin 1250767083 Mari 1 3.81 2022 A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea, #1)
author: Judy I. Lin
name: Mari
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> The Cartographers 55004093 What is the purpose of a map?

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence... because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps...

From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.]]> 392 Peng Shepherd 0062910698 Mari 1 3.62 2022 The Cartographers
author: Peng Shepherd
name: Mari
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[Under Lock & Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mystery, #1)]]> 57693382 Under Lock & Skeleton Key layers architecture with mouthwatering food in an ode to classic locked-room mysteries.

An impossible crime. A family legacy. The intrigue of hidden rooms and secret staircases.

After a disastrous accident derails Tempest Raj’s career, and life, she heads back to her childhood home in California to comfort herself with her grandfather’s Indian home-cooked meals. Though she resists, every day brings her closer to the inevitable: working for her father’s company. Secret Staircase Construction specializes in bringing the magic of childhood to all by transforming clients� homes with sliding bookcases, intricate locks, backyard treehouses, and hidden reading nooks.

When Tempest visits her dad’s latest renovation project, her former stage double is discovered dead inside a wall that’s supposedly been sealed for more than a century. Fearing she was the intended victim, it’s up to Tempest to solve this seemingly impossible crime. But as she delves further into the mystery, Tempest can’t help but wonder if the Raj family curse that’s plagued her family for generations—something she used to swear didn’t exist—has finally come for her.]]> 343 Gigi Pandian 1250804981 Mari 1 3.50 2022 Under Lock & Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mystery, #1)
author: Gigi Pandian
name: Mari
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea]]> 56978100
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…]]> 325 Axie Oh 1250780861 Mari 1 4.10 2022 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
author: Axie Oh
name: Mari
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Only a Monster (Monsters, #1) 58210340 With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, is the first in a planned trilogy.

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.]]> 416 Vanessa Len Mari 1 3.85 2022 Only a Monster (Monsters, #1)
author: Vanessa Len
name: Mari
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2)]]> 58502675
Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can't believe Staphanie and her family aren't just like her own, they are The Family--actual mafia, and they're using Meddy's wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won't let Meddy's wedding ceremony become a murder scene--over their dead bodies--and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.

The aunties are back, fiercer than ever and ready to handle any catastrophe--even the mafia--in this delightful and hilarious sequel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties.
]]> 293 Jesse Q. Sutanto 0593333055 Mari 1 3.42 2022 Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2)
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: Mari
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> Brown Girls 57717412
We live in the dregs of Queens, New York, where airplanes fly so low that we are certain they will crush us...

This remarkable story brings you deep into the lives of a group of friends--young women of color growing up in Queens, New York City's most vibrant and eclectic borough. Here, streets echo with languages from all over the globe, subways rumble above dollar stores, trees bloom and topple across sidewalks, and the briny scent of the ocean wafts from Rockaway Beach. Here, girls like Nadira, Gabby, Naz, Trish, Angelique, and many others, attempt to reconcile their immigrant backgrounds with the American culture they come of age in. Here, they become friends for life--or so they vow.

Exuberant and wild, they sing Mariah Carey at the tops of their lungs and roam the streets of The City That Never Sleeps, pine for crushes who pay them no mind--and break the hearts of those who do--all the while trying to heed their mothers' commands to be dutiful daughters, obedient young women. As they age, however, their paths diverge and rifts form between them, as some choose to remain on familiar streets, while others find themselves ascending in the world, drawn to the allure of other skylines, careers, and lovers, beckoned by existences foreign and seemingly at odds with their humble roots.

In musical, evocative prose, Brown Girls illustrates a collective portrait of childhood, motherhood, and beyond, and is an unflinching exploration of race, class, and marginalization in America. It is an account of the forces that bind friends to one another, their families, and communities, and is a powerful depiction of women of color attempting to forge their place in the world. For even as the dueling forces of ambition and loyalty, freedom and marriage, reinvention and stability threaten to divide them, it is to each other--and to Queens--that the girls ultimately return.]]> 209 Daphne Palasi Andreades 0593243420 Mari 2 3.90 2022 Brown Girls
author: Daphne Palasi Andreades
name: Mari
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century]]> 58476152 Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, the strange is made familiar and the familiar strange, such that a girl growing wings on her legs feels like an ordinary rite of passage, while a bug-infested house becomes an impossible, Kafkaesque nightmare. Each story builds a new world all its own: a group of children steal a haunted doll; a runaway bride encounters a sea monster; a vendor sells toy boxes that seemingly control the passage of time; an insomniac is seduced by the Sandman. These visions of modern life wrestle with themes of death and technological consequence, guilt and sexuality, and unmask the contradictions that exist within all of us.ĚýĚý

Mesmerizing, electric, and wholly original, Kim Fu’s Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century blurs the boundaries of the real and fantastic, offering intricate and surprising insights into human nature.]]> 232 Kim Fu 1951142993 Mari 1 3.84 2022 Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century
author: Kim Fu
name: Mari
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[The Verifiers (Claudia Lin, #1)]]> 58065392 Introducing a sharp-witted heroine for the 21st century: a new amateur sleuth exploring the landscape—both physical and virtual—of New York in a debut novel about love, technology, and murder.

Claudia Lin is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls—and that she's just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency.

A lifelong mystery reader who wrote her senior thesis on Jane Austen, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job. But when a client goes missing, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate—and uncovers a maelstrom of personal and corporate deceit. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a clever and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and the nature of romantic love in the digital age.]]> 358 Jane Pek 0593313798 Mari 1 3.46 2022 The Verifiers (Claudia Lin, #1)
author: Jane Pek
name: Mari
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> The Family Chao 58085230
The ensuing trial brings to light potential motives for all three brothers: Dagou, the restaurant’s reckless head chef; Ming, financially successful but personally tortured; and the youngest, gentle but lost college student James.]]> 303 Lan Samantha Chang 0393868079 Mari 1 3.28 2022 The Family Chao
author: Lan Samantha Chang
name: Mari
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> The Swimmers 58214333 From the award winning author of The Buddha in the Attic and When the Emperor Was Divine, a tour de force of economy, precision, and emotional power about what happens to a group of obsessed recreational swimmers when a crack appears at the bottom of their local pool.

The swimmers are unknown to each other except through their private routines (slow lane, fast lane), and the solace each takes in their morning or afternoon laps. But when a crack appears at the bottom of the pool, they are cast out into an unforgiving world without comfort or relief.

One of these swimmers is Alice, who is slowly losing her memory. For Alice, the pool was a final stand against the darkness of her encroaching dementia. Without the fellowship of other swimmers and the routine of her daily laps she is plunged into dislocation and chaos, swept into memories of her childhood and the Japanese internment camp in which she spent the war. Narrated by Alice's daughter, who witnesses her stark and devastating decline, The Swimmers is a searing, intimate story of mothers and daughters, and the sorrows of implacable loss, written in spellbinding, incantatory prose.

The most commanding and unforgettable work yet from a modern master.
]]> 176 Julie Otsuka 0593321332 Mari 1 3.65 2022 The Swimmers
author: Julie Otsuka
name: Mari
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #2)]]> 58052538 336 Mia P. Manansala 0593201701 Mari 1 3.72 2022 Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #2)
author: Mia P. Manansala
name: Mari
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> Fiona and Jane 57238523 A witty, warm, and irreverent book that traces the lives of two young Taiwanese American women as they navigate friendship, sexuality, identity, and heartbreak over two decades.

Best friends since second grade, Fiona Lin and Jane Shen explore the lonely freeways and seedy bars of Los Angeles together through their teenage years, surviving unfulfilling romantic encounters, and carrying with them the scars of their families' tumultuous pasts. Fiona was always destined to leave, her effortless beauty burnished by fierce ambition--qualities that Jane admired and feared in equal measure. When Fiona moves to New York and cares for a sick friend through a breakup with an opportunistic boyfriend, Jane remains in California and grieves her estranged father's sudden death, in the process alienating an overzealous girlfriend. Strained by distance and unintended betrayals, the women float in and out of each other's lives, their friendship both a beacon of home and a reminder of all they've lost.

In stories told in alternating voices, Jean Chen Ho's debut collection peels back the layers of female friendship--the intensity, resentment, and boundless love--to probe the beating hearts of young women coming to terms with themselves, and each other, in light of the insecurities and shame that holds them back.

Spanning countries and selves, Fiona and Jane is an intimate portrait of a friendship, a deep dive into the universal perplexities of being young and alive, and a bracingly honest account of two Asian women who dare to stake a claim on joy in a changing, contemporary America.]]> 288 Jean Chen Ho 0593296044 Mari 1 3.28 2022 Fiona and Jane
author: Jean Chen Ho
name: Mari
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> How High We Go in the Dark 57850265
Among those adjusting to this new normal are an aspiring comedian, employed by a theme park designed for terminally ill children, who falls in love with a mother trying desperately to keep her son alive; a scientist who, having failed to save his own son from the plague, gets a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects-a pig-develops human speech; a man who, after recovering from his own coma, plans a block party for his neighbours who have also woken up to find that they alone have survived their families; and a widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter who must set off on cosmic quest to locate a new home planet.

From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead, How High We Go in the Dark follows a cast of intricately linked characters spanning hundreds of years as humanity endeavours to restore the delicate balance of the world. This is a story of unshakable hope that crosses literary lines to give us a world rebuilding itself through an endless capacity for love, resilience and reinvention. Wonderful and disquieting, dreamlike and all too possible.]]> 293 Sequoia Nagamatsu 0063072645 Mari 1 3.81 2022 How High We Go in the Dark
author: Sequoia Nagamatsu
name: Mari
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> Joan Is Okay 55333768
Joan is a thirtysomething ICU doctor at a busy New York City hospital. The daughter of Chinese parents who came to the United States to secure the American dream for their children, Joan is intensely devoted to her work, happily solitary, successful. She does look up sometimes and wonder where her true roots lie: at the hospital, where her white coat makes her feel needed, or with her family, who try to shape her life by their own cultural and social expectations.

Once Joan and her brother, Fang, were established in their careers, her parents moved back to China, hoping to spend the rest of their lives in their homeland. But when Joan’s father suddenly dies and her mother returns to America to reconnect with her children, a series of events sends Joan spiraling out of her comfort zone just as her hospital, her city, and the world are forced to reckon with a health crisis more devastating than anyone could have imagined.

Deceptively spare yet quietly powerful, laced with sharp humor, Joan Is Okay touches on matters that feel deeply resonant: being Chinese-American right now; working in medicine at a high-stakes time; finding one’s voice within a dominant culture; being a woman in a male-dominated workplace; and staying independent within a tight-knit family. But above all, it’s a portrait of one remarkable woman so surprising that you can’t get her out of your head.]]> 224 Weike Wang 0525654836 Mari 1 3.65 2022 Joan Is Okay
author: Weike Wang
name: Mari
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> The School for Good Mothers 57846320 An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781982156121 can be found here.

In this taut and explosive debut novel, one lapse in judgement lands a young mother in a government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance.

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents� sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough.

Until Frida has a horrible day.

The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida � ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgement. Now, a host of government officials will determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion. Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that she can live up to the standards set for mothers � that she can learn to be good.

This propulsive, witty page-turner explores the perils of “perfect� upper-middle-class parenting, the violence enacted upon women by the state and each other, and the boundless love a mother has for her daughter.]]> 336 Jessamine Chan Mari 1 3.51 2022 The School for Good Mothers
author: Jessamine Chan
name: Mari
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom, #1)]]> 57789637
“Epic, romantic, and enthralling from start to finish.”—Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series

“An all-consuming work of literary fantasy that is breathtaking both for its beauty and its suspense."—BookPage, starred review

A captivating and romantic debut epic fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.]]> 503 Sue Lynn Tan 0063031302 Mari 1 4.08 2022 Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom, #1)
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: Mari
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> To Paradise 57739876 From the author of the classic A Little Life, a bold, brilliant novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the American experiment, about lovers, family, loss and the elusive promise of utopia.

In an alternate version of 1893 America, New York is part of the Free States, where people may live and love whomever they please (or so it seems). The fragile young scion of a distinguished family resists betrothal to a worthy suitor, drawn to a charming music teacher of no means. In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic, a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older, wealthier partner, hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father. And in 2093, in a world riven by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule, a powerful scientist’s damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him—and solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearances.

These three sections are joined in an enthralling and ingenious symphony, as recurring notes and themes deepen and enrich one another: A townhouse in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village; illness, and treatments that come at a terrible cost; wealth and squalor; the weak and the strong; race; the definition of family, and of nationhood; the dangerous righteousness of the powerful, and of revolutionaries; the longing to find a place in an earthly paradise, and the gradual realization that it can’t exist. What unites not just the characters, but these Americas, are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human: Fear. Love. Shame. Need. Loneliness.

To Paradise is a fin de siècle novel of marvellous literary effect, but above all it is a work of emotional genius. The great power of this remarkable novel is driven by Yanagihara’s understanding of the aching desire to protect those we love � partners, lovers, children, friends, family and even our fellow citizens � and the pain that ensues when we cannot.]]> 720 Hanya Yanagihara 0385547935 Mari 1 3.74 2022 To Paradise
author: Hanya Yanagihara
name: Mari
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 1
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date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of OrĂŻsha, #1)]]> 34728667 They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving ZĂ©lie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now ZĂ©lie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, ZĂ©lie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in OrĂŻsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be ZĂ©lie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.]]> 544 Tomi Adeyemi 1250170974 Mari 1 4.10 2018 Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of OrĂŻsha, #1)
author: Tomi Adeyemi
name: Mari
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
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]]> A Cosmic Christmas 13547820

Joy to the world . . . or, joy to the worlds! Let heaven and nature—and also the supernatural—sing. A Cosmic Christmas presents twelve stories of Christmas in very unusual circumstances, ranging from vampires to robots, from the hills of Appalachia to a high orbit space station, all celebrating the holiday in their own, off-beat ways.

New York Times best-selling author Larry Correia sends his popular tough guy detective and magicwielder, Jake Sullivan, on a special case, while visions of tommy guns dance in the heads of the thugs he’s up against. Mark L. Van Name’s Lobo, an A.I. housed in a pocket battle starship, drops his usual cynical pose when challenged by a troubled family at Christmas time. Nebula Award-winner Catherine Asaro tells of a romantic weekend that turns into a mystery in a futuristic high-tech house—all that and Christmas, too. Mercedes Lackey delivers a ghost story with a not-so-friendly visitation from the beyond, and George O. Smith, a star of the Golden Age of science fiction, is on hand with an episode from his classic Venus Equilateral series, in which a Christmas celebration on a gigantic space station is interrupted by the arrival of a ruthless interplanetary criminal, who didn’t drop by to hand out presents. And much more, in a holiday package that any fan of science fiction and fantasy would be delighted to find under their tree, on any planet.

About A Cosmic Christmas
“If you love monsters and action, you’ll love [Larry Correia]. If you love guns, you’ll love [Correia]. If you love fantasy, and especially horror fantasy, you’ll love [Correia].”� Knotclan.com

“[Catherine Asaro creates] an entertaining mix of hard SF and romance.� —Publishers Weekly

“Just when I was thinking science fiction might be over, Mark Van Name proves that there are still smart, exciting, emotional sci-fi stories to be told.� –Orson Scott Card]]> 320 Hank Davis 1451638620 Mari 5 3.42 2012 A Cosmic Christmas
author: Hank Davis
name: Mari
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/03/14
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]]> <![CDATA[Tokyo Raider: A Tale of the Grimnoir Chronicles (Grimnoir Chronicles, #3.6)]]> 23700532 1 Larry Correia Mari 5 4.04 2014 Tokyo Raider: A Tale of the Grimnoir Chronicles (Grimnoir Chronicles, #3.6)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/03/14
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]]> <![CDATA[Son of the Black Sword (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, #1)]]> 25110977 About Son of the Black "This book has everything I like in intense action scenes, evil in horrifying array, good struggling against the darkness, and most of all people—gorgeously flawed human beings faced with horrible moral choices that force them to question and change and grow."—Jim Butcher, creator of the New York Times best-selling Dresden Files“I loved the book, it was great, fast paced, with wonderful characters, and also a lot of wonderful scenes that screamed to be painted.”—Larry Elmore, legendary, award-winning artist, and cover artist for Son of the Black Sword.About the Urban Fantasy of Larry “[A] no-holds-barred all-out page turner that is part science fiction, part horror, and an absolute blast to read.”—Bookreporter.]]> 432 Larry Correia 1476780862 Mari 5 4.18 2015 Son of the Black Sword (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, #1)
author: Larry Correia
name: Mari
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/19
date added: 2022/03/14
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I loved it. Its a bit weird for me, because I simply never read this sort of genre, but I love almost everything Larry Correira has done, so I gave it a shot. and its great. Very original world building, and a very insightful subtext. Most of all its very difficult to not love the protagonist. He is adorable as a talkative little kid, and he is equally adorable as a brutal killing machine. Watching him slowly cure himself of the magic that took his free will, you realize that he is not fearless because of the meddling, but because he was always fearless.
]]> Liberalism: Find a Cure 42748877 336 Mark Dice 1943591059 Mari 5 4.41 Liberalism: Find a Cure
author: Mark Dice
name: Mari
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/12/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The Bohemian Grove: Facts & Fiction]]> 25905461 130 Mark Dice 1943591016 Mari 5 4.13 2015 The Bohemian Grove: Facts & Fiction
author: Mark Dice
name: Mari
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/12/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1)]]> 19547856
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.]]> 320 Becky Albertalli 0062348671 Mari 2 4.14 2015 Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1)
author: Becky Albertalli
name: Mari
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2021/11/17
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]]> <![CDATA[James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal]]> 35521471
Meet Professor James Moriarty - consulting criminal.

In these three original tales - collected for the first time - Andy Weir brings to life a Moriarty worthy of the Great Detective himself.

1. The Adventure of the Dishonor Among Thieves
2. The Adventure of the Unscrupulous Assassin
3. The Adventure of the Sealed Room]]> 1 Andy Weir Mari 5 3.76 2017 James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal
author: Andy Weir
name: Mari
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/10/26
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]]> <![CDATA[The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 1]]> 44451891
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake, a Japanese elementary school is transported into a hostile world where the students and teachers are besieged by terrifying creatures and beset by madness.

Out of nowhere, an entire school vanishes, leaving nothing but a hole in the ground. While parents mourn and authorities investigate, the students and teachers find themselves not dead but stranded in a terrifying wasteland where they must fight to survive.]]> 744 Kazuo Umezz 197470937X Mari 1 4.03 1972 The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 1
author: Kazuo Umezz
name: Mari
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1972
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2021/10/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Cazadora (Wolves of No World, #2)]]> 43311447
Werewolves. Witches. Romance. Resistance.

Enter a world straight out of Argentine folklore...

Following the events of Lobizona, Manu and her friends cross the mystical border into Kerana--a cursed realm in Argentina--searching for allies and a hiding place. As they chase down leads about the Coven--a mythical resistance manada that might not even exist--the Cazadores chase down leads about Manu, setting up traps to capture and arrest her.

Just as it seems the Cazadores have Manu and her friends cornered, the Coven answers their call for help. As Manu catches her breath among these non-conforming Septimus, she discovers they need a revolution as much as she does.

But is she the right one to lead them? After all, hybrids aren't just outlawed. They're feared and reviled. What happens when the Coven learns of Manu's dual heritage? Will they still protect her? Or will they betray her?

And after running this far, for this long--how much farther can Manu go before her feet get tired, and she stops to take a stand?]]> 400 Romina Garber 1250239168 Mari 1 4.05 2021 Cazadora (Wolves of No World, #2)
author: Romina Garber
name: Mari
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2021/10/26
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]]> Lawn Boy 35489159 Lawn Boy is an important, entertaining, and completely winning novel about social class distinctions, about overcoming cultural discrimination, and about standing up for oneself.]]> 320 Jonathan Evison 1616202629 Mari 1 3.78 2018 Lawn Boy
author: Jonathan Evison
name: Mari
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2021/09/26
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]]> Summer of Fear 477990
From the moment Rachel's cousin Julia arrives that summer, she seems to seep into Rachel's life like a poison. Everyone else is enchanted by her - including Rachel's boyfriend. But what does Julia really want?]]> 219 Lois Duncan 044098324X Mari 5 3.83 1976 Summer of Fear
author: Lois Duncan
name: Mari
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1976
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/07/04
shelves:
review:
I absolutely love this book because its one of the first to use these tropes. It has been copied so many times. The message is a perfect one for young women. Don't offer friendship that hasn't been earned, and don't let anyone, not even your own parents push someone on you that makes you uncomfortable. Not even if they seem perfect. ESPECIALLY if they seem perfect. Trust your instincts.
]]> The NKJV UltraSlim Bible 633880 Anonymous 0785200304 Mari 5 4.79 2008 The NKJV UltraSlim Bible
author: Anonymous
name: Mari
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Murder at an Irish Christmas (Irish Village Mystery, #6)]]> 53533254 The O'Sullivan clan of County Cork, Ireland, are back to investigate another case of murder--this time at Christmas!

Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan's holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies...

This December in Kilbane, if you're planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi's Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait--the entire O'Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James's fiancee Elise's family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhan is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam.

When the O'Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern--until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.

With the extended family--including Enda's much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist--suspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhan to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhan had better pick up the tempo--before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise...]]> 306 Carlene O'Connor 1496719123 Mari 5 3.97 2020 Murder at an Irish Christmas (Irish Village Mystery, #6)
author: Carlene O'Connor
name: Mari
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Destroyer of Light (Hades & Persephone, #2)]]> 26830535 …while the sunlit world withers.

Demeter holds out in Eleusis, pushing both mankind and the gods to frozen starvation in order to reclaim her daughter. The newly married rulers of the dead must reach an accord with Persephone’s mother to stay her deadly course� and come face to face with sacrifice, responsibility, and the balance of power among the gods.

Destroyer of Light concludes the erotic romance begun in Receiver of Many: a battle of wills among the gods is writ large across the dying earth, a cruel sorcerer-king faces his trial, and the King and Queen of the Underworld realize a destiny that the Fates alone could have foreseen.]]> 492 Rachel Alexander Mari 4 4.31 2016 Destroyer of Light (Hades & Persephone, #2)
author: Rachel Alexander
name: Mari
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Gilded Ones (Deathless, #1)]]> 53028775
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.

The start of a bold and immersive West African-inspired, feminist fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther. In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice.]]> 432 Namina Forna 1984848690 Mari 1 But the thing that makes me dislike the writer is the paragraph about oppression. This writer in her DEBUT NOVEL has been given about the same publicity that the average Stephen King book receives. The cover is beautiful, expensive gold( and you know the pollution from making it is huge). Her advance was astronomic. She is EXTREMELY privileged. Most writers don't get an advance on their debut novel at all, and many very talented ones have to self publish, and hand out their first work from a printer. Its still better reading then this crap. It still bothers me when truly privileged people talk about oppression.]]> 3.95 2020 The Gilded Ones (Deathless, #1)
author: Namina Forna
name: Mari
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2021/02/25
date added: 2021/02/26
shelves:
review:
My problem with this book was the total lack of originality. It's really just a bunch of used up YA tropes, and social "justice" wishful thinking. Deka is Buffy, but Buffy without the charm and the humanity. The most original thing about the book is the use of African culture, which makes sense if you want to establish a patriarchal misogyny. Africa is the place female genitals are sliced off and parents kill baby girls. But she didn't invent African culture, and the way she introduces the village just isn't that interesting. From there we go on to a Harry Potter magical dorm, where these Buffy Potentials learn how to use their powers, except they don't need to learn anything because they are already great, so you have to wonder why they bother. The politics are straight out of CNN, and the main protagonists are mean girls from your high school, who are all pretty, and cool, and would never hand out with a geeky white girl like you.
But the thing that makes me dislike the writer is the paragraph about oppression. This writer in her DEBUT NOVEL has been given about the same publicity that the average Stephen King book receives. The cover is beautiful, expensive gold( and you know the pollution from making it is huge). Her advance was astronomic. She is EXTREMELY privileged. Most writers don't get an advance on their debut novel at all, and many very talented ones have to self publish, and hand out their first work from a printer. Its still better reading then this crap. It still bothers me when truly privileged people talk about oppression.
]]> <![CDATA[Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead]]> 13588356 Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a powerful new vision that encourages us to dare greatly: to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly, and to courageously engage in our lives.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.� —Theodore Roosevelt

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts.

In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. The book that Dr. Brown’s many fans have been waiting for, Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truth—and trust—in our organizations, families, schools, and communities.]]> 287 Brené Brown 1592407331 Mari 1 4.29 2012 Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
author: Brené Brown
name: Mari
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2012
rating: 1
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date added: 2021/02/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong]]> 51475373 From The Guardian’s Georgina Lawton, a moving examination of how racial identity is constructed—through the author’s own journey grappling with secrets and stereotypes, having been raised by white parents with no explanation as to why she looked black.

Raised in sleepy English suburbia, Georgina Lawton was no stranger to homogeneity. Her parents were white; her friends were white; there was no reason for her to think she was any different. But over time her brown skin and dark, kinky hair frequently made her a target of prejudice. In Georgina’s insistently color-blind household, with no acknowledgement of her difference or access to black culture, she lacked the coordinates to make sense of who she was.

It was only after her father’s death that Georgina began to unravel the truth about her parentage—and the racial identity that she had been denied. She fled from England and the turmoil of her home-life to live in black communities around the globe—the US, the UK, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, and Morocco—and to explore her identity and what it meant to live in and navigate the world as a black woman. She spoke with psychologists, sociologists, experts in genetic testing, and other individuals whose experiences of racial identity have been fraught or questioned in the hopes of understanding how, exactly, we identify ourselves.

Raceless is an exploration of a fundamental question: what constitutes our sense of self? Drawing on her personal experiences and the stories of others, Lawton grapples with difficult questions about love, shame, grief, and prejudice, and reveals the nuanced and emotional journey of forming one’s identity.
]]> 304 Georgina Lawton 006300948X Mari 1 4.08 2021 Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong
author: Georgina Lawton
name: Mari
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 1
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date added: 2021/02/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story]]> 15654 The Stranger Beside Me defies our expectation that we would surely know if a monster lived among us, worked alongside of us, appeared as one of us. With a slow chill that intensifies with each heart-pounding page, Rule describes her dawning awareness that Ted Bundy, her sensitive coworker on a crisis hotline, was one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He would confess to killing at least thirty-six young women from coast to coast, and was eventually executed for three of those cases. Drawing from their correspondence that endured until shortly before Bundy's death, and striking a seamless balance between her deeply personal perspective and her role as a crime reporter on the hunt for a savage serial killer -- the brilliant and charismatic Bundy, the man she thought she knew -- Rule changed the course of true-crime literature with this unforgettable chronicle.]]> 548 Ann Rule 0451203267 Mari 1 4.13 1980 The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story
author: Ann Rule
name: Mari
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1980
rating: 1
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date added: 2021/02/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The President's Vampire (Nathaniel Cade, #2)]]> 9440171
For 140 years, Nathaniel Cade has been the President's Vampire, sworn to protect and serve his country. Cade's existence is the most closely guarded of White House a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against nightmare scenarios that ordinary citizens only dream of.

When a new outbreak of an ancient evil-one that he has seen before- comes to light, Cade and his human handler, Zach Barrows, must track down its source. To "protect and serve" often means settling old scores and confronting new betrayals . . . as only a centuries-old predator can.]]> 337 Christopher Farnsworth 0399157395 Mari 3 4.01 2011 The President's Vampire (Nathaniel Cade, #2)
author: Christopher Farnsworth
name: Mari
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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date added: 2021/02/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7)]]> 5091 The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author's long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Alternate cover edition for ISBN-10: 1416524525; ISBN-13: 9781416524526]]> 1050 Stephen King Mari 1 4.27 2004 The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7)
author: Stephen King
name: Mari
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2004
rating: 1
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date added: 2021/02/20
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