Tommy ​and Grizel

Stephen Baxter - Resplendent
RESPLENDENT ​is a collection of stories that encompasses mankind's epic fight for survival against the Xeelee, a narrative of how man will change and evolve over our epic journey out into the universe. These tales will encompass the rise of sub-molecular empires in the first nanoseconds after the Big Bang to mankind's final transformation. Full of cutting-edge science, descriptions of time and space on a mind-boggling scale and memorable, all-too-human characters. It is both the capstone to one of the most significant series in the history of SF and a remarkable achievement in its own right. This is a mature and uniquely talented writer at the height of his powers.

Alisa Surkis - Monica Nolan - The ​Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories
These ​are the unbridled desires of women without men... When their same-sex passion explodes, will the stables ever be safe again? You've read about them, these sisters under the skin, vulnerable to the temptations of Sappho... Passion-starved twilight girls crossing over into a man's world of high withers, rippling hindquarters and glossy coats... Meet women like Pauline in _Miss Barnard's Unit_ –the country girl bereft of feminine influence who comes of age in World War I, and comes undone in the arms of a worldly debutante... Terry in _Snake Eyes for Silky_, a jockey from the school of hard knocks who falls hard for a whip-wielding gangster's moll, and finds that she must choose between her heart and her horse... Innocents like Lena and Lily in _The Chosen Horse_, who bond over the sad fate of a cart horse, and their unspoken need to tread the waters of Lesbos... A world-class jumper like Julie in _Lady Snow_, a champion tempted by the irresistible rhythms of the bisexual Euro-beat... A young girl like Oreola in _Pastures of Passion_, who follows a lost foal to a curious farm girl–and her own destiny... These are the women of the big book of lesbian horse stories. the paddock gates are open–come inside and join the fun! With an inspired sense of nostalgia, sensation, and wry humor, Alisa Surkis and Monica Nolan invite readers back into the curves of third-sex pulp fiction where odd-girls-out now ride as free as a filly with their Bohemian desires–side-saddle be damned. But this time, from coy flirtation to requited lust, there's nary a man in sight to set them on the straight-and-narrow.

Cathy Lamb - Such ​A Pretty Face
In ​this warm, funny, thoroughly candid novel, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb introduces an unforgettable heroine who's half the woman she used to be, and about to find herself for the first time… Two years and 170 pounds ago, Stevie Barrett was wheeled into an operating room for surgery that most likely saved her life. Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks without wheezing, plants a garden for self-therapy, and builds and paints fantastical wooden chairs. At thirty-five, Stevie is the one thing she never thought she'd be: thin. But for everything that's changed, some things remain the same. Stevie's shyness refuses to melt away. She still can't look her neighbors' gorgeous great-nephew in the eye. The Portland law office where she works remains utterly dysfunctional, as does her family—the aunt, uncle, and cousins who took her in when she was a child. To top it off, her once supportive best friend clearly resents her weight loss. By far the biggest challenge in Stevie's new life lies in figuring out how to define her new self. Collaborating with her cousins to plan her aunt and uncle's problematic fortieth anniversary party, Stevie starts to find some surprising answers—about who she is, who she wants to be, and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place. And with each revelation, she realizes the most important part of her transformation may not be what she's lost, but the courage and confidence she's gathering, day by day. As achingly honest as it is witty, Such A Pretty Face is a richly insightful novel of one woman's search for love, family, and acceptance, of the pain we all carry—and the wonders that can happen when we let it go at last.

Cathy Lamb - Henry's ​Sisters
Reunited ​in their Oregon home town when their mother undergoes major surgery, three sisters take over the near-bankrupt family bakery while caring for their disabled brother and grandmother, a situation that forces them to confront their pasts, their prospects, and their relationships with each other. By the author of Julia's Chocolates.

Cathy Lamb - The ​First Day of the Rest of My Life
"The ​First Day of the Rest of My Life" is an eloquent and triumphant tale of a fierce act of love, a family's legacy, and one woman's awakening to her own power - with no secrets.

Cathy Lamb - Julia's ​Chocolates
"I ​left my wedding dress hanging in a tree somewhere in North Dakota. I don't know why that particular tree appealed to me. Perhaps it was because it looked as if it had given up and died years ago and was still standing because it didn't know what else to do..." In her deliciously funny, heartfelt, and moving debut, Cathy Lamb introduces some of the most wonderfully eccentric women since The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and The Secret Life of Bees, as she explores the many ways we find the road home. From the moment Julia Bennett leaves her abusive Boston fiancé at the altar and her ugly wedding dress hanging from a tree in South Dakota, she knows she's driving away from the old Julia, but what she's driving toward is as messy and undefined as her own wounded soul. The old Julia dug her way out of a tortured, trailer park childhood with a monster of a mother. The new Julia will be found at her Aunt Lydia's rambling, hundred-year-old farmhouse outside Golden, Oregon. There, among uppity chickens and toilet bowl planters, Julia is welcomed by an eccentric, warm, and often wise clan of women, including a psychic, a minister's unhappy wife, an abused mother of four, and Aunt Lydia herself--a woman who is as fierce and independent as they come. Meeting once a week for drinks and the baring of souls, it becomes clear that every woman holds secrets that keep her from happiness. But what will it take for them to brave becoming their true selves? For Julia, it's chocolate. All her life, baking has been her therapy and her refuge, a way to heal wounds and make friends. Nobody anywhere makes chocolates as good as Julia's, and now, chocolate just might change her life--and bring her love when she least expects it. But it can't keep her safe. As Julia gradually opens her heart to new life, new friendships, and a new man, the past is catching up to her. And this time, she will not be able to run but will have to face it head on. Filled with warmth, love, and truth, Julia's Chocolates is an unforgettable novel of hope and healing that explores the hurts we keep deep in our hearts, the love that liberates us, the courage that defines us, and the chocolate that just might take us there.

Cathy Lamb - If ​You Could See What I See
In ​this moving, insightful new novel, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb delves into the heart of going home again, the challenge of facing loss—and the freedom of finally letting go… For decades, the women in Meggie O’Rourke’s family have run Lace, Satin, and Baubles, a lingerie business that specializes in creations as exquisitely pretty as they are practical. The dynamic in Meggie’s family, however, is perpetually dysfunctional. In fact, if Meggie weren’t being summoned back to Portland, Oregon, by her grandmother, she’d be inclined to stay away all together. Since her husband’s death a year ago, Meggie’s emotions have been in constant flux, and so has her career as a documentary film maker. Finding ways to keep the family business afloat—and dealing with her squabbling sister and cousin—will at least give her a temporary focus. To draw customers to their website, Meggie decides to interview relatives and employees about their first bras and favorite lingerie. She envisions something flip and funny, but the confessions that emerge are unexpectedly poignant. There are stories of first loves and aching regrets, passionate mistakes and surprising rendezvous. And as the revelations illuminate her family’s past, Meggie begins to find her own way forward. With warmth and unflinching humor, If You Could See What I See explores the tender truths we keep close—and what can happen when we find the courage to bare them to the world.

M. R. James - Room ​13 and Other Stories (Heinemann Guided Readers)
This ​is an Elementary Level title in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of stories - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five levels: Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200).

Monica Ali - Untold ​Story
Diana's ​life and marriage were fairy tale and nightmare. Adored by millions, in her personal life she suffered heartbreak and betrayal. Within a life of privilege, she frequently felt trapped and alone. Constrained by protocol and precedent, she refused to follow the rules. Untold Story takes the life of the world's most famous woman as a point of departure, examining the past and imagining a future. The fictional princess who is the novel's heroine is at breaking point and, believing that the Establishment is plotting her assassination, she makes an irrevocable decision: to stage her own death and begin a new life under an assumed identity. After a period of intense upheaval, Lydia (as she is known) settles in small town America and establishes a fragile peace. It is threatened by thoughts of what she has lost: not the glamour and glitz of royalty but that which is most precious - her children. She is, at least, safe in the knowledge - having altered her appearance and ten years after her 'death' - that her secret will never be uncovered. But then a chance encounter with a member of the paparazzi robs her of that certainty. Will he recognize her? Should she flee or remain calm? Is there anyone she can trust and turn to, or will she inevitably be betrayed? Untold Story is a novel about family and friendship, intrigue and obsession, the meaning of identity, and the peculiar calamity of fame.

Mulk Raj Anand - Untouchable
Bakha ​is a young man, proud and even attractive, yet none the less he is an outcast in India's caste system: an Untouchable. In deceptively simple prose this groundbreaking novel describes a day in the life of Bakha, sweeper and toilet-cleaner, as he searches for a meaning to the tragic existence he has been born into - and comes to an unexpected conclusion. Mulk Raj Anand poured a vitality, fire and richness of detail into his controversial work, which led him to be acclaimed as his country's Charles Dickens and one of the twentieth century's most important Indian writers.

Zoe Perdita - Titan ​in Chains
They ​call him Titan. Calder King has it all: a football scholarship at a prestigious university, a guaranteed position as CEO of his family's company (someday) and all the hot co-eds he can handle, but Calder is way more interested in his missing memories and the weird things he can do -- like his super strength and invulnerability. Not to mention the crazy vigilantes terrorizing the city, the ones Calder alone (aka Titan) can handle. Enter super genius Patrick Black. Not only is he Calder's new college roommate, he's also the ward of the man Calder's family despises. On the surface they should be enemies, but Patrick's the only person who understands what it's like to have the whole world expect stuff from you -- stuff Calder's not sure he can give. Never mind that Patrick is also openly gay and way too hot for his own good. Because Calder is straight, and Patrick doesn't date straight guys. Patrick Black's whole persona is a carefully controlled lie. By day, he's a studious college student, and by night he's a vigilante exposing the city's dark underbelly as Apprentice. That doesn't mean he can't have a little fun once in a while. Calder King is fun and gorgeous, but he's also as straight as a damn ruler, which takes him off the table. When a mysterious stranger named Titan rescues Patrick one night, sparks fly. If Patrick can’t have Calder, maybe Apprentice can have Titan. Lust and sex bring these two college roommates together but will their buried secrets tear them apart?

Zoe Perdita - Burn
When ​Ben and Axel settled in Santa Cruz, they thought they’d finally get some peace. They were wrong. An old pack war is brewing, and two local werewolves need their help. Quinton Santos and Gage Varela are the only remaining wolves from the once great Westside pack. As a dangerous threat resurfaces, they need an alpha to lead their pack. But Gage and Quinton are only beta wolves. Even worse, they can hardly stand each other. Gage knows the rich and arrogant Quinton is his mate. While giving into his desire for the beautiful man is easy, Gage isn’t about to fall in love. Quinton used to be confident, but the fire that killed his family left scars deeper than those on his skin. He knows Gage is the stronger wolf, and he’s worked hard to prove he’s not weak. But no matter what Quinton does, Gage only sees him as rich and useless. When the leader of the rival Eastside pack, a destructive alpha hell-bent on killing them, attacks, they need Axel and Ben’s help to defeat him. Axel and Ben work to bring their new pack together, but it isn’t easy with two betas who are at each others throats. After years of hurt, can Gage and Quinton let go of the darkness in the past and forgive enough to fall in love?

Zoe Perdita - Break
Being ​an omega sucks. Luca Collins should know. His pack mistreats him, his dad doesn't care about him, and bullies make his life hell. Enter Colton Smith, the kind hearted human who befriends Luca. They share a first kiss, a first love, and plan to run away from their little Montana town and start a new life together. But fate has different plans. While Luca is sure Colton's his mate, that belief is shaken when a group of wolf hunters attack Luca's pack -- a group Colton belongs to. Proof that humans and wolves don't mix. Alone and brokenhearted, Luca flees town and ends up in the clutches of a sadistic alpha. When they meet again, Colton's a wolf, and Luca is hiding in a shell, broken into a thousand different pieces from countless abuse. Can they overcome the secrets that tore them apart and find the love they once shared?

Kyra Davis - Just ​One Night
Kasie ​Fitzgerald knows who she’s _supposed_ to be. Responsible. Reliable. Predictable. She’s an ambitious workaholic who is devoted to the sensible man she plans to marry. But one wild, impulsive night in Vegas is about to open her eyes up to who she wants to be... Trying her sexy new dress and her luck at a blackjack table, Kasie meets _him_. Intense. Flirtatious. Dangerous. She accepts his invitation for a drink...and then to his hotel room. She doesn’t know his name. But she’ll never forget the sex. Hard. Thrilling. Explosive. So when her mystery man later shows up at her office unexpectedly, she succumbs to his mastery, both in bed and in the boardroom. There’s no telling where the powerful, wealthy Robert Dade will lead her. But there’s also no resisting her desire...however far she’ll go under its spell. The only question is who she’ll be when the journey ends. You should sleep with a stranger, her best friend whispered in her ear—and so begins the intense, erotic journey of Kasie Fitzgerald in Book One of the Just One Night series, a blockbuster bestseller and “an uplifting story in which sex is presented both as freedom and as a metaphor for power” (Publishers Weekly).

Kyra Davis - Just ​One Lie
In ​the instant international sensation Just One Night, sensible Kasie Fitzgerald unleashed her passions—and found herself—through an explosive affair. In Just One Lie, we meet Kasie’s wild and tortured sister, whose impulsivity and lack of self-control has set off a chain of events that changes her family forever. Melody Fitzgerald is the opposite of the “perfect” daughter. The lead singer of an indie rock band, she is impulsive and creative, with a rebellious streak that both defines her and becomes her greatest enemy. Her lover, the enticing and unpredictable Ash, shares her free spirit and penchant for trouble. On the face of it, he seems to be her perfect match. So why is she so drawn to her soft spoken, reliable drummer, Brad Witmer? How can a man who wears polo shirts and reads the financial section of the paper be of any interest to her at all? And why on earth does someone like that appear to be so captivated by her? Before she knows it, Melody finds herself on a path of self-discovery, passion, and affairs of the heart. But will a dark secret from her past derail it all? Or will its exposure be the very thing that unburdens her heart and allows her to seek a future with the one man who loves her completely?

Kyra Davis - Just ​Once More
Picking ​up shortly after the events in the sizzling _New York Times_ bestseller _Just One Night_—which the _New York Journal of Books_ declared “gives _Fifty Shades of Grey_ a run for its money”—this sexy e-short, told from the perspective of Robert Dade, delves further into his tumultuous love affair with Kasie Fitzgerald. “If you won’t be ruthless for love, how valuable is that love?” Robert Dade is a man who knows what he wants and never hesitates to go after it. Money, power, and—at long last—the woman he loves, Kasie Fitzgerald, are now his. But after so many years of living by his own rules will he really make the compromises necessary to keep Kasie by his side? And when a man even richer and more ruthless than he is takes an interest in Kasie, will Dade be able to protect her? Or will his controlling nature drive her toward the very danger he seeks to shield her from? The seductive second tale in the New York Times bestselling _Just One Night_ series, _Just Once More_ introduces some of the fascinating characters from the wild new Kyra Davis novel, Just One Lie—the long-awaited next full-length work in the internationally beloved series.

Maggie Stiefvater - Tessa Gratton - Brenna Yovanoff - The ​Anatomy of Curiosity
The ​follow-up to the acclaimed title The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. In an unassuming corner of Brooklyn, a young woman learns to be ladylike, to love context, and to speak her mind from a very curious sort of tutor. In a faraway land convulsed by war, a young soldier hears the desert’s curious hum as he disarms bombs with the person he doesn’t know how to love. In a place so shriveled by drought that any drowning is a curiosity, a young writer tries again and again to tread water beneath the surface of a vast and unusual sea. Three new stories—complete with commentary on the creative process—from three acclaimed young adult authors working at the height of their powers. Curious?

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Born ​of Legend
It ​is in the darkest hours of a universe’s past that their legends are born and their heroes rise… No one knows exactly how much heart they have until their mettle is put to the hazard and they reach the lowest point of hell. There, they have only two choices. Lie down and die. Or find the strength to push themselves to their feet and fight back with everything they have. Dagger is the alias that is used by Ushara’s husband, and the father of the twins, who is on the run for his life. This is his story and shows how he became a member of the Tavali and what happens to them after Born of Betrayal ends.

Larissa Ione - Z
Zhubaal, ​fallen angel assistant to the Grim Reaper, has spent decades searching for the angel he loved and lost nearly a century ago. Not even her death can keep him from trying to find her, not when he knows she’s been given a second chance at life in a new body. But as time passes, he’s losing hope, and he wonders how much longer he can hold to the oath he swore to her so long ago… As an emim, the wingless offspring of two fallen angels, Vex has always felt like a second-class citizen. But if she manages to secure a deal with the Grim Reaper — by any means necessary — she will have earned her place in the world. The only obstacle in the way of her plan is a sexy hardass called Z, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn. Soon it becomes clear that they have a powerful connection rooted in the past…but can any vow stand the test of time?

Brian Thacker - Sleeping ​Around
Shamelessly ​freeloading his way around the world, cadging free food and accommodation wherever and however he can, Brian Thacker is a 'couch surfer' par excellence. This is extreme travel at its most 'out there'.