Mike Tyson Slept Here by
Some college seniors head to the business world after graduation, but Brant Gilmour chooses prison specifically, a job teaching GED classes at the same Indiana correctional facility that once held Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson Slept Here is an unorthodox novel that unblinkingly, hilariously confronts the most difficult truths about love and human nature.
Lillian on Life by
"I absolutely loved Lillian on Life." —Kate Atkinson "I found it full of life and full of wisdom.” —Erica Jong Smart, poignant, funny, and totally original, Lillian on Life is as fresh and surprising as fiction gets. This is the story of Lillian, a single woman reflecting on her choices and imagining her future. Born in the Midwest in the 1930s; Lillian lives, loves, and works in Europe in the fifties and early sixties; she settles in New York and pursues the great love of her life in the sixties and seventies. Now it’s the early nineties, and she’s taking stock. Throughout her life, walking the unpaved road between traditional and modern choices for women, Lillian grapples with parental disappointment and societal expectations, wins and loses in love, and develops her own brand of wisdom. Lillian on Life lifts the skin off the beautiful, stylish product of an era to reveal the confused, hot-blooded woman underneath.
Fort Canning Hill by
On a small hill in Singapore's bustling downtown lies Fort Canning Park, a historic landmark that is home to WWII museum, an archeological dig, a spice garden, shaded pathways, lush lawns, restaurants and a hotel. Fort Canning Park: Exploring Singapore's Heritage pays tribute to the fascinating roots and multi-faceted personality of this hill.In many ways, the story of Fort Canning Park parallels the transformation of Singapore from a sleepy fishing village to a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. During the 14th century, Malay royalty lived atop this hill and five centuries later, the British developed a fort here. This was also the place where the British surrendered to Japanese during World War Two.Fort Canning Park: Exploring Singapore's Heritage presents a holistic journey through the park. Besides uncovering its military, architectural, trading and natural heritage, the authors also take an intriguing look into its previous inhabitants, the diverse botanical life and surrounding heritage spots near the hill.This book also explores its social relevance in contemporary times - besides attracting nature lovers, fitness enthusiasts and artists, it has also evolved to a cultural destination and is a venue for many exhibitions and performance art events.It is the first publication to focus on Fort Canning Park, and rightly places this humble hill as one of Singapore's most captivating destinations.
On the Rationality of Poetry by
This study explores Heinrich Böll's 'aesthetic thinking', as it is expressed in the author's disparate and voluminous writings on literature. Böll's work in this field is situated in the multi-faceted context of social, political, and cultural developments in post-war Germany, and is shown to be an important adjunct to the novels and stories which were honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature.An understanding of Heinrich Böll's 'aesthetic thinking' can illuminate the writer's fiction in an intriguing way. In particular, Böll's defence of the 'rationality of poetry' raises issues which reverberate in continuing debates on the social validity of literature.
Donna Tartt's the Secret History by
Continuum Contemporaries will be a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration for members of book clubs and readings groups, as well as for literature students.The aim of the series is to give readers accessible and informative introductions to 30 of the most popular, most acclaimed, and most influential novels of recent years. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question. The books in the series will all follow the same structure:a biography of the novelist, including other works, influences, and, in some cases, an interview; a full-length study of the novel, drawing out the most important themes and ideas; a summary of how the novel was received upon publication; a summary of how the novel has performed since publication, including film or TV adaptations, literary prizes, etc.; a wide range of suggestions for further reading, including websites and discussion forums; and a list of questions for reading groups to discuss.
The Unpossessed City by
Environmental activist AJ Palladino, first encountered in 'Rock Bottom', is no stranger to juggling work and family. But when she's asked to help solve a potentially catastrophic case involving a nuclear power plant in South Carolina that is plagued by a series of unexplained mishaps, it takes all of her strength to keep everything from crashing down on her.Soon AJ's simple business trip turns disastrous as she uncovers the source of the plant's accidents and, after an approaching hurricane prevents her from returning home, her son disappears. Can AJ save the community and her son in time?
The Geographer's Library by
Jon Fasman's dizzyingly plotted intellectual thriller suggests a marriage between Dan Brown and Donna Tartt. When reporter Paul Tomm is assigned to investigate the mysterious death of a reclusive academic, he finds himself pursuing leads that date back to the twelfth century and the theft of alchemical instruments from the geographer of the Sicilian court. Now someone is trying to retrieve them. Interspersed with the present action are the stories of the men and women who came to possess those charmed--and sometimes cursed--artifacts, which have powers that go well beyond the transmutation of lead into gold. Deftly combining history, magic, suspense, and romance--and as handsomely illustrated as an ancient incunabulum--The Geographer's Library is irresistible.
Below are samples of some of the authors’ work, or links to interesting online information about them, for you to read before you meet them. As you do, keep in mind questions you might want to ask them about their writing experiences.
