And So We Dream: A Novel by Linda Mahkovec (121 Reviews)    Price verified 21 minutes ago

"A lucidly described coming-of-age tale" with "a mysterious, almost mythic feminine glamour" -- Kirkus "A brilliantly engaging, entertaining, and at times poignant coming-of-age story, And So We Dream is a compelling read by author Linda Mahkovec showcasing her genuine flair as a novelist for the kind of literary experience that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf." -- Midwest Book Review From the author of the best-sellingChristmastime series, comes And So We Dream, a coming-of-age story set in 1970. Twelve-year-old Joey Roland is sent away to family friends while his parents try to work things out. He's eager to leave sadness and secrets behind in Chicago and head downstate to the small town of Greenberry, where the Vitale family awaits him. He thinks of their town as boyland -- a world of bike riding, fishing, and going barefoot. Though initially shy of the beautiful teenage daughters -- Anne, Vita, and Beth -- they welcome him into their lives of adventure, beauty, and dreams. Joey especially bonds with the middle sister, Vita, and her all-or-nothing pursuit of an acting career. Joey's "there must be more" merges with Vita's "I must make it happen" resulting in a magical summer where the town of Greenberrry becomes the crucible for two desperate dreamers.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Those We Love at First by Michael Bergman (1 Review)    Price verified 5 hours ago

Love is messy. It's a reality that Meredith and Daniel know too well. They once loved each other and never really stopped, even though their lives veered down different paths. Now, Meredith is married to a man who adores her, and she has a surprise for him that will change everything. But how will the shadows of her past trauma affect her relationship with him and her teenage son? Now, Daniel is a recovering addict working to mend his connection to his son. But his past begins to haunt him and threatens to undo all the gains he has made. Will a new relationship keep him on course, or will everything come crashing down? Those We Love at First continues the story of the characters introduced in Bergman's debut novel Until Summer. The first book was about fighting for hope and love against the darkness of trauma and loss. Those We Love at First tells the story of two families whose lives are forever intertwined as they strive to hold on to love in a world that tries to tear them apart. Love is messy, but love is worth it. *** (Trigger Warnings: Self-harm, Domestic Violence)

Genre: Literary Fiction

Everything We Are (Heart Of The Canyon Book 2) by Jacie Middlemann (38 Reviews)    Price verified 5 hours ago

Jake wants to see for himself whether his mother is having a mid-life crisis or a later-in-life adventure. He's betting on the second. Mallie's oldest son checked up on her not long after she returned to the canyon and the home she grew up in... the home where she raised her children until a tragedy forced her to make the difficult decision to leave. Now her youngest son is on his way... Jake Westin is returning to the canyon where he grew up. It's been ten years since the last time he was there. He can still vividly remember the circumstances that led to his family's departure all those years ago. It wasn't something he thought of often. Who would want to? Just as much as he wanted to see how his mother was doing since her return to the canyon he was also looking forward to seeing Lizzie. When he was a child the two of them had gone on all kinds of quests together for lizards and anything else that moved, searched for the buried treasure Lizzie swore was to be found somewhere in the canyon, and spent hours staring at the stars and picking out those that made up constellations of their own making. He was also curious about his mother's other neighbor in their small corner of the canyon. Unlike Lizzie who had walked away from the glitter and fame of the city that was spread out below the canyon, Clay Tobin was just beginning to make his mark there according to both of his sisters. And he wanted to talk to his mother... he needed to hear her reasons for coming back after all these years instead of taking his brother and sister's assumptions as gospel. More importantly... he wanted to understand. Years ago Mallie Westin left her home because she felt she had no choice. Now years later, the choice is hers. The Heart of the Canyon series is about the strength of family, the endurance of friendship, and the unwavering and unconditional longing for home... and all it means. Everything We Are is the second in the series... can be read alone but the series is best ...

Genre: Literary Fiction

The Flaw in His Character by I. C. Talbot (Icy Road Publishing) (1 Review)    Price verified 6 hours ago

Estelle Dean was swept off her feet by wealthy businessman Jack Rutledge, who she married just a few weeks, then moved into his lovely house. But when Jack is away on business, Estelle needs something to do, so she and her friend Connie Johnson look for a class to take. The class Estelle chooses makes is the difference between life and death.

Genre: Literary Fiction

History of von Schatt (1913-1960) by Richard Daub (Clay Road Press) (12 Reviews)    Price verified 2 hours ago

The man, the monster... This history chronicles the origin of the von Schatt family: from the abandonment of its patriarch, Heinrich, on the steps of an orphanage in prewar Germany; through his apprenticeship on the high seas with a salty drunken smuggler; his flight from the Nazis to Sweden; his kidnapping of a child bride to America; his becoming the most feared Captain in the US military troop transport fleet; his concurrent role as husband and father of two dysfunctional Long Island families; and his lifelong obsession to uncover the secret behind a set of coordinates he'd found written on an old map. ABOUT RICHARD DAUB On a wood paneled wall in his grandmother's Long Island home had been hung a creepy painting of the grandfather he'd never met, a ship captain supposedly so frightening that the author, as a boy, could see fear in the eyes of the adults whenever they spoke of "The Captain", who, by then, had been dead two decades, wild tales of land and sea they probably never imagined the boy would recall later in life as a washed-up journalist turned fiction writer. Do you see any resemblance?

Genre: Literary Fiction

London Lies Bleeding: Introducing a New Kind of Hero (Justin Martello Book 1) by Gomery Kimber (Procursus Press) (27 Reviews)    Price verified 2 hours ago

Former special operative Justin Martello is being blackmailed. If he refuses British Intelligence's hush-hush assignments, he'll end up in jail - or six feet under... Nice kid Nero has been kidnapped, and his employer wants MI6's top negotiator to get him back. But as soon as Martello begins to investigate, he discovers that Nero has been living a double life. Navigating the mean streets of London's underworld, Martello quickly becomes entangled in a web of drug dealing, people trafficking and political corruption. But after receiving an uncanny message from the kidnap victim, he tracks down Nero to a strange WW2-era installation. Nero's kidnapper, Ramadan, turns out to be leading a double life as well. He's betrayed gang boss Granit, who's intent on taking over the whole London underworld. Rescuing Nero is just the first step. Martello needs to neutralise Granit too, or London will descend into a welter of violence and anarchy. Get your copy right now because you're sure to devour this page-turning adventure in just one sitting! POPULAR FICTION, SERIOUS IDEAS - GOMERY KIMBER IS THE WINNER OF MARK DAWSON'S SPF FOUNDATION THRILLER SCHOLARSHIP 2023.

Genre: Literary Fiction

A Little Discovery (Manor Drive Book 1) by Kate Bauer (K.A. Bauer) (14 Reviews)    Price verified 7 hours ago

Lucky is anything but his namesake. First, he gets tricked into marrying a woman when she claims he got her pregnant. Now, he's getting divorce papers claiming he's been unfaithful. To add insult to injury, no one will even listen to his side of the story. A kind hearted bartender saves him from sleeping in his car, but can he handle sharing a house with eight other men? Spencer hates his job as a private investigator. All he wants is to be a professional photographer, but to do that he needs income. Being a PI pays the bills. His last case funded his college exchange course in Australia, but it still leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Coming back home to the house at the end of Manor Drive, Spencer is in for a surprise because the subject of that very case is the man now sleeping on their couch.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Obscure Reflections at Dawn by Jack Clubb (Archlight Publishing) (9 Reviews)    Price verified 2 hours ago

"Fantastically grim horror- Obscure Reflections at Dawn is a must for horror fans." -OnlineBookClub When an artist wakes up in an underground chamber with no memory of how he had gotten there, his attention falls to the dead man whose body is in a chair as if to still be alive. Looking for answers, he finds a curious star engraved into the stone bedrock of the floor and performs a ritual to contact powers from beyond the light and dark to guide him safely out. Meredith Hook is an insurance lawyer and amateur violinist who, after purchasing her grandparent's home, finds herself amidst a looming backdrop of memories and frightening enemies who are out to settle old scores. She's plunged into a world of terrible enemies, all serving a mad god who is seeking revenge. It's all in Meredith's attempt to see the brightest light there is to behold, but she must first face an impossible horror. Join Jack Clubb as he takes the reader into a world where he holds up an ornate mirror, reflecting our own grim reality back at us and occultly hinting at what's beyond the veil of existence within the pages of Obscure Reflections at Dawn.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Coming Up Short 4: A Psychological Horror Series by Charles Welch (95 Reviews)    Price verified one hour ago

A man finds himself the subject of interrogation related to a break in at his home. Or does he? The line between reality and insanity is easily blurred and razor thin for Marv Stillman. Two best friends join one another on yet another adventure, this time to the furthest remote corner of the Rocky Mountains. They seek evidence of an ever-elusive beast. What they don't know is that sometimes the thing you should fear isn't what hides in the woods, but the thing that's been right in front of you all along. In an elevator, a young woman and man find themselves stuck between floors with an old man who is anything but helpful. As their time in the unmoving car lengthens, there are signs that there is much more on the line than escaping their confinement. Who is the old man who seems to know far more about them than he should? Coming Up Short 4 is a new collection of tales of the macabre by the author of the award winning Within the Fog and Killer of Killers series. Warning: These stories will keep you up late at night, nervously chewing your fingernails, cringing at every little creak of your home. Our reality may not be what you have been led to believe.

Genre: Literary Fiction

The Many Lives Of Caroline by Arthur M Wyatt (Arthur M Wyatt) (5 Reviews)    Price verified 8 hours ago

Caroline, a single, unhappy accountant with a tendency to drown her sorrows in wine, will soon find out there were many different paths her life could have taken. She will be forced to live out each one. Regardless of how painful it is, she will have to deal with the decisions made and the lives lost. What starts simply as dreams she can barely remember, eventually becomes a nightmare. The line between reality and the dream world begins to blur. Eventually she realizes she will have to take drastic measures to bring this nightmare to an end... "The Many Lives Of Caroline: A Multiverse Novel"

Genre: Literary Fiction

Listen To The Colours by J.L. Dupont (28 Reviews)    Price verified 9 hours ago

One war, five years, three lives - two childhood friends separated by Nazi ideology, and a twelve-year-old French boy who's not like other boys. Three distinct struggles to come to terms with loss and suffering and the absurdity of war. Until in the waning months of the war, Germany's deployment of its secret V1 weapon irrevocably entangles their lives in the forests of Normandy. Listen To The Colours is the author's second novel, inspired by the memories of those who witnessed the construction of the V1 ramps in the forests of Normandy. They suffered in silence, and helped change the course of the war.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Welcome Home Billionaire: A Small Town Second Chance Romance by Bertie Stein (18 Reviews)    Price verified 2 hours ago

He's a NYC Billionaire. My best friend's brother. And the father of my daughter. Nick Pope, Sienna's older blue eyed, totally ripped, completely off limits brother. It's been years since he left town. I thought I'd never see him again. Losing Sienna drew us together for just one night. And then he was gone, for what I thought would be forever. But now he's back... more handsome and sexier than I remember. And he has a proposition... for me. There is definitely still an attraction between us, but telling him about his daughter now could ruin everything. Ava is my whole world and I don't want to risk losing her, or my second chance with Nick.

Genre: Literary Fiction

The Moment of Now by Elizabeth Day (Blue Root Press) (109 Reviews)    Price verified 6 hours ago

Ben used to tell Ella everything. Now he's not telling her anything. He can't, because she won't understand. Even he doesn't. All he knows is he can't keep doing this day after day, pretending everything is okay. He has to go... even though he has no idea where to. No plan is sometimes an extraordinarily good one. As Ella's world unravels, she can't help but wonder, how did she not see that something was wrong with Ben? And can one lie really undo everything? The more courageous the question, the louder the heart will respond.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Charley Is My Darling : An evacuee coming of age tale by Joyce Cary (Lume Books) (20 Reviews)    Price verified 6 hours ago

A charming, accessible tale of childhood and youth, that offers plentiful insight and raises many questions. Charley is a London lad and an evacuee. Initially an outcast, his wit and humour win him friends, although not always of the best type. Among Charley Brown's first deeds as an evacuee to Longwater in the West Country is to let loose the local bull. Boys who one minute had taunted him with the refrain 'Ballocky baldy' (Charley's lice having been evacuated from London with him), were the next minute acknowledging him as their natural leader. Charley Brown, one of Joyce Cary's most uproarious and memorable creations, is a love and a terror. He is a quivering jelly in the hands of girls and women of any age who show him kindness; through the wild force of his imagination he holds children rapt with tales of desperate gunmen with exquisite manners and a taste for the beautiful. He leads his gang into daring acts both grand and bad. As Charley's sweetheart Lizzy Galor rightly puts it, he's every bit as good as the movies... But those movies don't always have a happy ending. Charley is My Darling will please those who already enjoy the work of Cary. Readers with an interest in social history, education and child development will also enjoy it. Praise for Charley is my Darling and Joyce Cary: 'To find a novelist who saw more deeply and conveyed more truly you have to go back to Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, Balzac and Goethe, Mann and Hesse' - Bernard Levin 'One of the best of our novelists, certainly one of the most original, in the great early tradition of Defoe and Fielding' - Elizabeth Bowen 'Whenever I am idle I choose a Cary novel in the way I might seek a friend's company, and it is not long before I am encouraged, inspired to write' - Paul Theroux Joyce Cary was born in 1888 into an old Anglo-Irish family and educated at Clifton. He studied art, first in Edinburgh and then in Paris, before going up to Trinity College, Oxford in 1909 to read law. On coming down he ...

Genre: Literary Fiction

Ninety Days Without You by Jennifer Woodward (38 Reviews)    Price verified 2 hours ago

Is falling in love your ambition? It's certainly Kat's. The high of giving your life over to love is exceptional. Finding the Person to Complete You = Mission Accomplished. Kat, a heartbroken American playwright, meets Charlie and is instantly smitten with his delightful British accent, his insight and humor, and his frank honesty at being 15-years sober. Finally, here's a man with the outgoing, fun-loving soul of an alcoholic -- but he doesn't drink. A whirlwind transatlantic romance ensues. But what looks like love turns into the shock of Kat's life. Can she face the reality of his other illness? Can she come to terms with her own addiction to him? Woodward's dark, funny and heartbreaking tale blends romance and comedy with brutal self-discovery and compelling readability. Ninety Days Without You is about relationships, addiction, mental health, family, friends, love, sex -- and the essential journey towards knowing and loving yourself.

Genre: Literary Fiction