万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

Men of Honour: Trafalgar and the Making of the English Hero
Men of Honour: Trafalgar and the Making of the English Hero
Adam Nicolson
¥90.84
The Battle of Trafalgar can claim to be one of the most known of the great human events. In Men of Honour, Adam Nicolson takes one of the greatest identifiable heroes in British history, Horatio Nelson, and examines the broader themes of heroism, violence and virtue. Trafalgar gripped the nineteenth century imagination like no other battle: it was a moment of both transcendent fulfilment and unmatched despair. It was a drama of such violence and sacrifice that the concept of total war may be argued to start from there. It finished the global ambitions of a European tyrant but culminated in the death of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the greatest hero of the era. This book fuses the immediate intensity of the battle with the deeper currents that were running at the time. It has a three-part framework: the long, slow six hour morning before the battle; the afternoon itself of terror, death and destruction; and the shocked, exultant and sobered aftermath, which finds its climax at Nelson's funeral in a snowy London the following January. Adam Nicolson examines the concept of heroes and heroism, both then and now, using Nelson as one of the greatest examples. A man of complexity and contradiction, he was a supreme administrator of ships and men; overflowing with humanity, charm and love but also capable of astonishing ruthlessness and ferocity. Nelson's own courage, vanity, ruthlessness and sweetness made him one of the great identifiable heroes of English history. In Men of Honour, Adam Nicolson also traces the stories of many unknown people of the day. He tackles the grand theme of heroism; the move from the age of reason to the age of romanticism; and examines a battle that was not only a uniquely well-documented crisis in human affairs but also a lens on its own time. Adam Nicolson does not approach Trafalgar as a military historian. His book gives a wonderfully immediate recreation of both the battle itself and its aftermath in a rich, concrete and intellectually engaging style.
Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice
J. A. Jance
¥74.65
New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance brings her two best-loved series characters together as Beaumont and Brady investigate a pair of cases that cross state lines Seattle investigator J.P. Beaumont is working a series of murders in which six young women have been wrapped in tarps, doused with gasoline and set on fire. Their charred remains have been scattered around various dump sites, creating a grisly pattern of death across western Washington. At the same time, thousands of miles away in the Arizona desert, Cochise County sheriff Joanna Brady is looking into a homicide in which the elderly caretaker of an ATV park was run over and left to die. All the man has left behind is his dog, who is the improbable witness to some kind of turf warfare – or something more sinister. But, here, as the threads of their two seemingly seperate cases wind together, Beaumont and Brady must put aside echoes of their shared past as they are once again drawn into an orbit of deception. Except this time it’s not just their own lives that are in danger but those of the people closest to them as well.
Abandoned: The true story of a little girl who didn’t belong
Abandoned: The true story of a little girl who didn’t belong
Anya Peters
¥45.62
Separated from her real mother at birth, Anya grew up in terror of her drunken bullying uncle. Beaten, humiliated and sexually abused by him from the age of six, she thought her life couldn't get worse. But one day it did. "I was used to Daddy screaming 'whore's child' at me, over and over again. But I couldn't get used to what he made me do." Anya was too terrified to tell anybody about what her uncle did to her. But then he got careless and started abusing her in front of the other children. When her brothers started calling her a 'whore', Anya cracked and all her terrible secrets came pouring out. Anya had always coped because there was one woman who loved her deeply, her 'Mummy'. But this time love was not enough. One morning 'Mummy' just left. Determined to make a new life, Anya buried her feelings and tried to move on. But when she ended up homeless, living in her car, she knew she had to face her past if she was ever going to find happiness and security again. Top 10 Sunday Times Bestseller, Abandoned is Anya's inspirational story of her fight to find love, acceptance and a place to belong.
Diary of a Married Call Girl
Diary of a Married Call Girl
Tracy Quan
¥44.65
The witty, sexy sequel to Tracy Quan’s bestselling ‘Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl’. Like everyone, Nancy finds that as life goes on, she has to adapt. She’s learning to hone her respectable image as the wife of investment banker Matt, cooking fashionable meals and taking his shirts to the cleaners, while turning a few tricks on the side. Volume is down, but the sex is kinkier. And she finds herself pulled into the discreet subculture of the married call girl. Some women’s husband’s know what they do, some don’t, and some ‘know, but don’t know.’ Nancy’s is in the dark, although her best friend Allison’s increasing presence in the media spotlight threatens to expose Nancy’s secret. Meanwhile, Matt wants a baby, but Nancy isn’t so sure. Motherhood could end her career for good – and what will it do to her body? Will Nancy have to give up her career to save her marriage? What if she becomes the frumpy wife her clients often come to her to escape? Fans of Quan’s first Nancy Chan novel, readers of Candace Bushnell’s ‘4 Blondes’, and anyone who enjoys a walk on the wild side will love this revealing romp.
Falling out of Heaven
Falling out of Heaven
John Lynch
¥88.39
Hauntingly told and emotionally charged, this is an immense story of consuming addiction and the betrayal of trust. Gabriel O'Rourke seemingly has everything: a loving wife, an adoring young son, a worthwhile job. He is rooted in a community, is part of a family, has a home. Yet, gradually, his world slowly pulls apart, until Gabriel finds himself homeless and destitute, living out of rubbish skips on the street. In a psychotic haze he is admitted into a secure unit, his body addled by alcohol, his mind broken. Here, by confronting the blighting reality of his own alcoholism, Gabriel is forced finally to unearth the muddled spectre of the past: the black betrayals by those around him, his traumatic relationship with his father, and the true darkness of some obsessions. Learning to navigate a landscape pockmarked with trauma to undergo a journey of painstaking absolution and halting reconstruction, Gabriel understands that only by untangling the mistakes of the past can he hope to reclaim his future.
Across The Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories
Across The Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories
Garth Nix
¥56.11
Must-have short story collection by Garth Nix, containing thirteen stories all introduced by the author himself. ACROSS THE WALL brings together an eclectic mix of Garth Nix’s writing spanning several years. The opening story is the 2005 World Book Day novella and Old Kingdom story NICHOLAS SAYRE AND THE CREATURE IN THE CASE, winner of two prestigious Aurealis Awards. The rest of the collection includes two tales inspired by Arthurian legend, a war story, a western, a traditional tale with a twist and a hilarious choose-your-own-adventure spoof. The volume is introduced by the author himself and, even better, so is each story – giving context, anecdotes and a generous dollop of Nix’s own wry humour. Plus! A final bonus section of frequently asked questions for which Garth Nix supplies vital answers.
Tiger, Tiger
Tiger, Tiger
Lynne Reid Banks
¥42.08
Two tigers. One city. Two very different lives. A compelling story about friendship, brotherhood and battling against the odds. In Ancient Rome Caesar is almighty and his power is played out in the gladiatorial arena, where animals and men are baited, challenged and destroyed. Two tiger cubs have been kidnapped from the jungle. One is tamed and de-clawed for pampered life as an exotic pet for Aurelia, Caesar's daughter, but the other is cruelly caged and made even more brutal, trained to fight and kill. Princess Aurelia loves her pet tiger, Boots, and grows ever more fond of his keeper, Julius. But when a childish prank goes awry, Boots escapes. Furious Caesar sentences Julius to death in the arena… and Boots is to face the same fate. So the two tigers are reunited in the gladiatorial ring, one a cosseted pet, the other a vicious predator. In a world dominated by Caesar's will, all must fight for freedom.
The Invisible Girl (The Wall and the Wing, Book 1)
The Invisible Girl (The Wall and the Wing, Book 1)
Laura Ruby
¥44.15
Step into a wildly imaginative world with an invisible girl, a flying boy and where being weird is brilliantly wonderful! A magically fantastical story from American author, Laura Ruby. In a vast and sparkling city where nearly everyone can fly, 12-year-old Gurl is trapped. Orphaned and lonely, she believes she is nothing more than a flightless "leadfoot", until one fateful night when she discovers that she has the power to make herself invisible. But even with this newfound talent, Gurl can't hide from a giant rat man with a taste for cats, a manipulative matron with a penchant for plastic surgery, and a belligerent boy named Bug. Gradually, Gurl learns to control her power and teams up with Bug to figure out who and what she is. Their quest takes them on a wild ride where they confront mind-bending monkeys, an eccentric genius with a head full of grass and a pocket full of kittens and the handsome but lethal Sweetcheeks Grabowski – the gangster who holds the key to Gurl's past…and the world's future.
The Pinhoe Egg (The Chrestomanci Series, Book 7)
The Pinhoe Egg (The Chrestomanci Series, Book 7)
Diana Wynne Jones
¥51.50
Glorious new rejacket of a Diana Wynne Jones favourite, featuring Chrestomanci – now a book with extra bits! Spells always have consequences and it's Chrestomanci's job to make sure everything is safely under control. Even so, in the village around Chrestomanci Castle, all sorts of secret magical misuse is going on. And when Cat Chant finds the Pinhoe egg, chaos is just the beginning! A masterpiece of magic, mayhem and mirth!
Love Always
Love Always
Harriet Evans
¥45.62
A compelling and heartbreaking tale of lost love, family secrets and those little moments that can change your life for ever. Returning to the wild Cornish coast for the funeral of her beloved grandmother, Natasha has no idea of how things are about to change. This trip reunites her with her large and complicated family for perhaps the last time: Summercove, her grandparents' beautiful house by the sea, is being sold. With it go a generation of memories and the key to the death, many years ago, of fifteen-year-old Cecily, her aunt, a tragedy that no one ever discusses. When she finds the opening pages of Cecily's diary, written the summer she died, Natasha discovers the family she idealised has secrets that have long been buried. But where is the rest of the diary? Back in London, trying to rebuild her own life, Natasha is haunted by Cecily's writing and the tragic tale of love, rivalry and heartbreak promised in those scant pages. She has to know what happened, the summer her aunt died. And so she makes some life-changing decisions – and in the process finds out that a second chance at love might be possible…
Unlocking the Masonic Code: The Secrets of the Solomon Key
Unlocking the Masonic Code: The Secrets of the Solomon Key
Ian Gittins
¥37.96
Explores all aspects of the most talked about secret society in the world, from its most famous members to its infamous history. For centuries the Freemasonry has been the subject of rumour and intrigue. From its obscure origins to the suspicion that it exercises huge influence on government and multinational corporations, there has always been more than a whiff of controversy about the organisation. Unlocking the Masonic Code reveals the truth behind the myths, sifts the facts from the fiction, and unveils the mysterious rites and ceremonies. Ian Gittins delves deep into the true origins of the society, its philosophy and practices, describes the rituals, and profiles a number of key figures. Along the way, he also shows where fact and fiction have fought, and fiction has won the battle.
The Playboy King's Wife (Mills &  Boon Modern) (Kings of the Outback, Book 2)
The Playboy King's Wife (Mills & Boon Modern) (Kings of the Outback, Book 2)
Emma Darcy
¥31.10
Samantha Connelly finally knows what it is to feel sexy, elegant– and desirable. Playboy Tommy King, the man she has secretly loved for years, is amazed at her transformation. Up to now, Sam and Tommy have clashed head-on. Suddenly the friction deepens into fiery sexual attraction. But is this just another game for Tommy to win… or will Sam be the woman he marries?
The Temptation Trap (Mills &  Boon Modern)
The Temptation Trap (Mills & Boon Modern)
Catherine George
¥31.10
The Charmer… Ewen Fraser's rakish reputation went before him–Rosanna had read the newspapers, and could see with her own eyes his collection of girlfriends, past and present… The Charmed … But that didn't stop her falling for him–he was funny, tender, warm and sexy, and working closely with him was a joy… The Trap… Rosanna was tempted. Ewen was all that she'd ever wanted, but could she trust her instincts when they told her that Ewen, the infamous lover-and-leaver, had marriage at heart after all?
Confessions of the Heart (Mills &  Boon Intrigue)
Confessions of the Heart (Mills & Boon Intrigue)
Amanda Stevens
¥22.27
WAS IT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT… Anna Sebastian wanted desperately to learn about the stranger whose transplanted heart beat within her chest…particularly once the erotic dreams and deathly silent late-night calls began. But when her journey brought her face-to-face with her darkly handsome fantasy lover, she debated whether to divulge the truth. For brooding widower Ben Porter was rumored to have murdered the wife whose tragic end had given Anna a precious second chance…. OR SOMETHING EVEN MORE DANGEROUS? A former cop, Ben knew that Anna harbored secrets, just as he knew they would become lovers. But Anna's sudden appearance aroused more than his guarded heart and urge to protect. It awakened a dormant killer who'd chosen now to strike again….
Duplicate Daughter (Mills &  Boon Intrigue) (Dead Ringer, Book 2)
Duplicate Daughter (Mills & Boon Intrigue) (Dead Ringer, Book 2)
Alice Sharpe
¥23.84
MISSION: ALASKA Katie Fields came to Alaska demanding answers. What she found was a much-too-appealing single father determined to protect his little girl–and their hermit lifestyle–from outsiders. Nick Pierce may have been reluctant to help her, but Katie was convinced the rugged pilot could track down her missing mother. Now, with a storm raging and Katie's long-lost twin recovering back home, she and Nick had no choice but to journey through the icy wilderness, avoiding an unknown enemy tracking their every move…and an all-too-dangerous desire threatening to erupt.
Mr Nastase: The Autobiography
Mr Nastase: The Autobiography
Ilie Nastase
¥56.11
The amazing life story of the enfant terrible of tennis in the 1970s and 80s – winner of two Grand Slam titles, three Grand Slam doubles titles and twice a Wimbledon finalist. It is not an overstatement to say that Ilie Nastase was in part responsible for the explosion of interest in tennis in the seventies. Thanks to his success, his lifestyle, his sex appeal and the controversy that continually surrounded him, Nastase's name was recognisable far beyond the confines of tennis. Yet, he also had a dark side and he regularly got himself into trouble with umpires and spectators alike. His court-side tantrums and manic questioning of line calls could spiral out of control and, all too often, he found himself fined and disqualified – and making the next day's front pages. Bjorn Borg had great difficulty adjusting to life after retirement and lost vast amounts of money, while the late Vitas Gerulaitis had a major cocaine problem. Ilie reveals how he helped both of them at a time when their problems were taking a huge toll on their personal lives. He also provides opinions and anecdotes on a host of other characters, including John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe, Henri Leconte, Yannick Noah, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. As a result of his celebrity status, Nastase moved amongst the beautiful people. His book recalls some of his more memorable encounters and experiences, including dancing the night away in New York's Studio 54 and Castel in Paris with the likes of Bianca Jagger and Claudia Cardinale, and bedding some of the world's most desirable women (an Italian countess and a former Miss UK are among his conquests). For the many sports fans who followed tennis and followed his career, his stories behind the varied headline-grabbing outbursts will prove fascinating and irresistible.
I, Houdini (First Modern Classics)
I, Houdini (First Modern Classics)
Lynne Reid Banks
¥40.02
Houdini is no ordinary hamster. He is an escapologist with an exceptional talent for getting out of cages and urge to escape leads him to all kinds of adventures… New edition published into the First Modern Classics list, fantastic stories for young readers. He may look like a small, furry pet, but really he is a Wild Creature – a freedom-loving hamster with a life-long passion for escape and a yearning for the Great Outside, leaving chaos and destruction as he goes. He tells his hilarious adventures with great intelligence and no modesty – for the world beyond carpets and floorboards can be a terrifying place…
The Garden in the Clouds: From Derelict Smallholding to Mountain Paradise
The Garden in the Clouds: From Derelict Smallholding to Mountain Paradise
Antony Woodward
¥66.22
A warm, witty memoir of one man’s escape from the city in an unlikely quest to create out of a mountainous Welsh landscape a garden fit for inclusion in the prestigious Yellow Book – the ‘Gardens of England and Wales Open for Charity’ guide – in just one year. It was a derelict smallholding so high up in the Black Mountains of Wales it was routinely lost in cloud. But to Antony Woodward, Tair-Ffynnon was the most beautiful place in the world. Equally ill-at-ease in town and country after too long in London’s ad-land, Woodward bought Tair-Ffynnon because he yearned to reconnect with the countryside he never felt part of as a child. But what excuse could he invent to move there permanently? The solution, he decided, was a garden. In just a year he’d create a garden so special it would be selected for the prestigious Yellow Book – the famous National Gardens Scheme guide to gardens open to the public for charity. It’s an unlikely ambition to entertain in this most unlikely of settings, and one that soon sees Woodward driven by odder and odder compulsions – from hauling a 20-tonne railway carriage up the mountain to making hay with hopelessly antiquated machinery. The path to Woodward’s elusive sense of belonging turns out to be a rocky and winding one, taking in childhood haunts, children’s books and Proustian nostalgia trips. As the family battles gales, mud and Welsh mountain sheep of marble-eyed cunning, not to mention the notoriously fastidious NGS County Organiser, it remains deeply uncertain whether the ‘Not Garden’ and the ‘infinity vegetable patch’ (that grows only stones) will ever make the grade… Warm, thought-provoking and brilliantly funny, this is a memoir of a hopeless romantic with a grandly ludicrous ambition – an ambition to which anyone who’s ever dropped into a garden centre, or opened a packet of seeds, has already succumbed.
A Song for Arbonne
A Song for Arbonne
Guy Gavriel Kay
¥63.18
Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world. The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country's throne. To the north lies militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is determined to irradicate the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south. Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise's lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law sets the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultures. Intertwined is the tale of a young woman troubadour whose role suggests the sweep of the drama to come.
Mask Of A Hunter (Mills &  Boon Intrigue) (The Seekers, Book 2)
Mask Of A Hunter (Mills & Boon Intrigue) (The Seekers, Book 2)
Sylvie Kurtz
¥31.10
THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK Haunted by the demons of his past, hardened Seeker "Ace" Esteleone was the man least likely to mix business with pleasure. But the reckless behavior of the book-smart beauty he'd sworn to protect was threatening to ruin his investigation, and pretending to be her lover was the only way to keep them both safe. Desperate to find her missing sister, Aurora Cates hadn't counted on being dragged into the arms of the dark, unpredictable hunter. The passionate kisses meant for show soon shook them to the core–and led Ace to tell her his deepest secret. But when his cover was blown, Aurora was put right in the line of fire….
Maverick Christmas (Mills &  Boon Intrigue)
Maverick Christmas (Mills & Boon Intrigue)
Joanna Wayne
¥23.84
CHRISTMAS CAME TO SHERIFF JOSH McCAIN'S HOUSE WITH MORE THAN A FEW SURPRISES He'd been solitary for so long–his own man. Then suddenly a single father doing his best. But above all, the Montana lawman did what was right no matter the cost. Until he met Chrysie Atwater and her two girls. She had a fake name, a fake past and few details in between. And for some reason Josh found her totally irresistible. Was it the spirit of Christmas that had him breaking the rules, or his own loneliness? More likely it was the fierce determination he saw in Chrysie's eyes. She went to considerable trouble to protect her daughters, and Josh was resolved to fi nd out why. But he'd do it on his terms before he'd reveal her secrets to the authorities, who he suspected were involved in setting her up. It would take a Christmas miracle and then some to do that and still celebrate Christmas as a family….