万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues
Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues
Trisha Ashley
¥34.14
When Tansy Poole inherits a run-down shoe shop tucked away in the village of Sticklepond, ‘Cinderella’s Slippers’ is born – providing the footwear to make any fairytale wedding come true… Carrying everything a bride would want to walk down the aisle in, Tansy’s shop soon expands to carry shoe-themed wedding favours, bridesmaid gifts and even delicious chocolate shoes. It’s the dream destination for any shoe-lover! If only everything in her personal life could be as heavenly – but with a fiancé trying to make her fit into a size 8 wedding dress, not to mention the recent discovery of disturbing family revelations, Tansy takes refuge in the shop’s success. But one man isn’t thrilled by the stream of customers hot-footing it to Cinderella’s Slippers… Actor Ivo Hawksley, resident of the cottage next to the shop, is troubled by a dark secret in his past and has come to Sticklepond to nurse his own broken heart. However, Ivo realises that he and Tansy have a link in their past and soon, they both find out how secrets shared can make a very strong bond indeed… Forget the Jimmy Choos, Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues is the only accessory you need for spring 2012…
Pedigree Mum
Pedigree Mum
Fiona Gibson
¥34.14
The e-book bestselling author, Fiona Gibson is back. Laugh-out-loud funny from the author that bought you Mum On The Run. Fiona’s writing deals with the real life cringe-worthy moments we all know so well… A straying husband. A broken heart. And a crazy rescue dog in a town of posh pooches… When Kerry Tambini upped sticks with her family to a new home on the coast, she couldn’t have been happier. Then husband Rob made the biggest mistake of his life… Stranded with her children in snooty Shorling, Kerry has plenty on her plate. So how can she say no to the kids' pleas for a dog when they're missing their father dreadfully? Will adopting a wayward hound lead Kerry to a new love – or has she bitten off more than she can chew? As she steps back into the dating world Kerry must juggle her family, her neurotic dog and try to fit in with the local pedigree mums, making her a true heroine for our time.
DOG Is GOD Spelt Backwards:Bonnie
DOG Is GOD Spelt Backwards:Bonnie
Isabel George
¥15.60
An inspiring and heart-warming short story of canine devotion and bravery. When Corporal Jenny Chester was matched with Arms and Explosives search dog Bonnie it felt like the best Christmas present ever. Friends from day one, partners beyond doubt, through service in Bosnia and Iraq they shared food on the run, sleeping in bags in the cold and shade of the same tree. A bond made in wartime that created a partnership for life. Extracted from the bestselling title The Dog That Saved My Life.
Breaking the Silence
Breaking the Silence
Casey Watson
¥58.86
From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a true story of two deeply troubled boys both in need of a loving home. This is the sixth title in the series. The Watsons are astonished when they answer their front door to find their case worker with a small boy on the doorstep. Jenson is just nine years old. He was removed from his home thirty minutes earlier when it was discovered his mother had left him at home while she went on holiday with her boyfriend. A couple of weeks later Casey is in for a second shock when she is asked to take a second nine-year-old boy, Georgie. Georgie is autistic and has been in a children’s home since he was a toddler. The home is closing and social services need somewhere temporary for him to stay. With her own grown up son, Kieron, having Asperger’s (a mild form of autism), Casey knows this is one child she cannot say no to. The relationship between Jenson and Georgie is difficult from the outset. Jenson is rebellious and full of attitude and he kicks off at anything, constantly winding Georgie up. Georgie doesn’t cope well with change and is soon in a permanent state of stress. Despite Casey’s best efforts, her innate love for the children is being tested and she begins to question if she can handle Jenson’s cruelty. But over time it becomes clear that the boys have formed an unlikely bond. Could this be the solution to all of their troubles?
The Skull and the Nightingale
The Skull and the Nightingale
Michael Irwin
¥66.22
Set in England in the early 1760s, this is a chilling and deliciously dark tale of manipulation, sex, and seduction. When Richard Fenwick, a young man without family or means, returns to London from the Grand Tour, his wealthy godfather, James Gilbert, has an unexpected proposition. Gilbert has led a fastidious life in Worcestershire, but now in his advancing years, he feels the urge to experience, even vicariously, the extremes of human feeling—love and passion, adultery and deceit—along with something much more sinister. He has selected Fenwick to be his proxy, and his ward has no option but to accept. But Gilbert’s elaborate and manipulative “experiments” into the workings of human behaviour drag Fenwick into a vortex of betrayal and danger where lives are ruined and tragedy is always one small step away. And when Fenwick falls in love with one of Gilbert’s pawns and the stakes rise even higher – is it too late for him to escape the Faustian pact?
The Frozen Lake
The Frozen Lake
Elizabeth Edmondson
¥49.74
A novel of family secrets hidden through two generations, set against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District in midwinter. From the author of The Villa in Italy. One family Christmas uncovers two generations of secrets… The year of 1936 is drawing to a close. Winter grips Wetmoreland and causes a rare phenonmenon: the lakes freeze. For two local families, the Richardsons and the Grindleys, the frozen lake entices long-estranged siblings and children to return home for Christmas. Some are aware of the storm clouds of war gathering over Europe, yet everyone wants to put troubles aside, however personal, to enjoy a frozen Christmas. But one visitor carries a seed of violence and not even the matriarch of the Richardson clan can prevent the carefully buried secrets of the past from erupting to change everything. A compelling blend of family closeness and strife, dazzling passion and the dark influence of history, this is an enthralling read to curl up and savour.
The One Before The One
The One Before The One
Katy Regan
¥45.62
A contemporary love story told with Katy's inimitable laugh-out-loud humour, poignancy and heart. TO DO LIST Make something with Quinoa Pluck eyebrows Do something 'cultural' every week Dump married boyfriend Caroline's life was meant to be sorted when she made the decision to end her engagement, 3 months before the big day. With her to-do list tasks getting crossed off and her career going great guns, Caroline is sure she's now a fully functioning adult. So when her 17 year old half-sister Lexi, arrives unexpectedly at her door, it doesn't quite fit with her image that she's drunk and wearing her wedding dress! Lexi has come to stay for the summer but their relationship is strained, as Lexi is the result of their father's infidelity. An affair that led to the divorce that destroyed Caroline's mother and ruined her own childhood. Needless to say, Caroline is in no hurry to confess her relationship with her married lover Toby. As the summer wears on, Caroline has decisions to make, and a life to reconsider, but surely a 17 year old can't teach her anything about how to live well?
The Sleepover Club on the Beach (The Sleepover Club, Book 42)
The Sleepover Club on the Beach (The Sleepover Club, Book 42)
Angie Bates
¥27.27
Join the Sleepover Club:Frankie, Kenny, Felicity, Rosie and Lyndsey, five girls who want to have fun – but who always end up in mischief! A long weekend of camping by the seaside offers a few surprises for the Sleepover Club. Their first surprise is that there are no funfairs or arcades near the campsite – boring! But then they find a mysterious message in a bottle, washed up by the tide… Roll up your combats and paddle on over! AGE 7-9
The Hundred Days: Aubrey/Maturin series, book 19
The Hundred Days: Aubrey/Maturin series, book 19
Patrick O’Brian
¥66.22
Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. Now, for the first time, they are available in electronic book format, so a whole new generation of readers can be swept away on the adventure of a lifetime. This is the nineteenth book in the series. Following the extraordinary success of The Yellow Admiral, this latest Aubrey-Maturin novel brings alive the sights and sounds of North Africa as well as the great naval battles in the days immediately following Napoleon’s escape from Elba. Aubrey and Maturin are in the thick of the plots and counterplots to prevent his regaining power. Coloured by conspiracies in the Adriatic, in the Berber and Arab lands of the southern shores of the Mediterranean, by night actions, fierce pursuits, slave-trading and lion hunts, The Hundred Days is a masterpiece. ’O’Brian is far and away the best of the Napoleonic storytellers and The Hundred Days is one of the best of the series: a classic naval adventure, crammed with incident, superbly plotted and utterly gripping…This is O’Brian at his brilliant, entertaining best and when he is on this form the rest of us who write of the Napoleonic conflict might as well give up and try a new career. Fans of the series will need no encouragement to buy this book, but if you are new to Aubrey and Maturin then this is as splendid an introduction as you could wish for.’ Bernard Cornwell
The Sugar Girls - Joan’s Story
The Sugar Girls - Joan’s Story
Duncan Barrett,Nuala Calvi
¥18.74
This is Joan’s story, one of four stories from The Sugar Girls.During the Blitz and the years of rationing, the Sugar Girls kept Britain sweet. The work was back-breakingly hard, but the Tate & Lyle factory was more than just a workplace - it was a community, a calling, a place of love and support and an uproarious, tribal part of East London. ‘Joan had joined Tate & Lyle expressly for the social life, and she was determined to make the most of it. She could see that her old friend Peggy already had an established group of her own among the sugar girls, so she set about building a new set of friends. It wasn’t difficult for Joan, whose cheerful self-confidence, natural chattiness and naughty sense of humour acted as a magnet to those around her.’ In the years leading up to and after the Second World War thousands of women left school at fourteen to work in the bustling factories of London’s East End. Despite long hours, hard and often hazardous work, factory life afforded exciting opportunities for independence, friendship and romance. Of all the factories that lined the docks, it was at Tate & Lyle’s where you could earn the most generous wages and enjoy the best social life, and it was here where The Sugar Girls worked This is an evocative, moving story of hunger, hardship and happiness, providing a moving insight into a lost way of life, as well as a timeless testament to the experience of being young and female. Includes Joan’s own personal photographs of life as a sugar girl.
The Keeper (DI Sean Corrigan, Book 2)
The Keeper (DI Sean Corrigan, Book 2)
Luke Delaney
¥58.86
The second novel in the DI Sean Corrigan series – authentic and terrifying crime fiction with a psychological edge, by an ex-Met detective. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Stuart MacBride. Thomas Keller knows exactly who he’s looking for… They tried to keep them apart, but when he finds her, he’s going to keep her. Just like he knows she wants him to. DI Sean Corrigan is not like other detectives. His dark past has given him the ability to step into a crime scene and see it through the offender’s eyes. He understands what drives a person to commit terrible acts – but sometimes his gift feels more like a curse. When women start disappearing from their homes in broad daylight, Corrigan’s Murder Investigation Team is reluctant to take on a missing persons case. But then the first body turns up, and Corrigan knows he must quickly get into the mind of the murderer. Because this killer knows exactly who he wants. And he won’t stop until he finds her.
The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor:A Hercule Poirot Short Story
The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor:A Hercule Poirot Short Story
Agatha Christie
¥9.71
A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook. An ageing country squire, heavily insured and whose estate is in financial ruin is thought to have committed suicide. Hercule Poirot investigates under the guise of a representative of the company who insured the victim in order to uncover the identity of the real murderer.
The Idol House of Astarte:A Miss Marple Short Story
The Idol House of Astarte:A Miss Marple Short Story
Agatha Christie
¥9.71
A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook. Years ago, a murder was committed on the night of a costume party thrown by Sir Richard Haydon, a man who was a rival of his cousin Eliot for the affections of the lovely Diana Ashley. Sir Richard’s estate contained the grove of Astarte, which held a mysterious stone summer house. The summer house was rumoured to have been the site of numerous sacred rites in years long past, and in a surprise act, Diana enacted the role of Astarte, startling Sir Richard who stumbled and fell. When the others reached him body, he was found dead of a knife wound to the heart. After all these years, can the Club still solve the case?
Bad Boy
Bad Boy
Olivia Goldsmith
¥33.65
Jon is Mr Perfect – handsome (in a nerdy sort of way), caring, lots of money – so why can't he get a girlfriend? Even his best friend Tracie always goes for bad boys; because women secretly love BAD. Jon's desperate, but Tracie can help – she can teach him the Bad Boy Rules. A sharp haircut, cool new clothes and a complete attitude transplant later, and Jon's the man of the moment. He can have any woman he wants, and does! But now Tracie's not so happy… while her girlfriends are all fighting over the new Jon, she seems to be losing her best friend. And she's starting to wonder – has she created a monster?
When Sophie Met Darcy Day
When Sophie Met Darcy Day
Helen Yeadon
¥63.77
A heartwarming collection of stories from a woman who brings together disadvantaged children and abandoned racehorses, with remarkable results. Thirteen-year-old Sophie hadn’t uttered a word to anyone for over two years when she got out of her parents car at a remote farm in Devon. Her parents were beside themselves with worry, and at the end of their tether, but try as they might, nothing seemed to make a difference. They’d heard about a place called Greatwood through friends - where owners Helen and Michael Yeadon looked after retired racehorses - and decided to take Sophie along for a visit. Helen asked Sophie to help her change the dressings on the infected cuts on the legs of Darcy Day, one of their more troubled horses, and it was instantly clear that these two had some kind of special connection. Darcy Day would normally back away from people, but this time she lowered her head and stepped forward, to let Sophie stroke her nose. It was the start of an incredible relationship that would transform both horse and child, and it gave Michael and Helen an idea. They registered as a charity, moved to bigger premises, and began inviting children with a wide range of learning disabilities to volunteer to help with the animals. The results were amazing - traumatised horses and anxious or disturbed children bonded with each other, and every week little miracles were happening before their eyes. Boys with diagnoses such as Asperger’s Syndrome or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or those who’d been excluded from school for unruly behaviour, flourished through the discipline of working on the farm. Girls made timid and anxious by abusive backgrounds or school bullies came out of the shells. In this book are twenty of the most incredible tales of children who were given back their futures by the unique and extraordinary institution of Greatwood.
Angel Rock
Angel Rock
Darren Williams
¥72.99
A beautiful, haunting, engrossing, terrifying, enchanting novel destined to win prizes and storm the bestseller lists. To read this book is a total immersion experience. Since it was first acquired in a hot auction, Darren Williams’ novel has attracted comparisons – Picnic at Hanging Rock, To Kill a Mockingbird, Stand By Me, to name but a few (and no coincidence that all three have been made into major movies, because Angel Rock is a feast for all the senses) – but it is also a completely unique and original novel. The setting is Australia, 1969. Two half-brothers get lost in the wild wooded countryside around the small town of Angel Rock. Only the eldest, 13-year-old Tom, finds his way home. At about the same time, a 16-year-old girl goes missing from the town and is found in Sydney. She has killed herself. The policeman who gets the case in the city follows the trail back to Angel Rock. In searching for a meaning in this tragic death, he is searching for nothing less than a meaning in his own troubled life. The tales of the policeman, Gibson, and the boy, Tom, converge in the mystical back-country of Angel Rock, in a story that is part coming-of-age, part detective thriller, of redemption both individual and communal, and altogether one story that you will never forget.
Blackwater Sound
Blackwater Sound
James Hall
¥54.05
Compelling action and suspense in the Florida Keys and Bahamas – in the atmospheric new thriller from a writer acclaimed by Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly and Robert Crais. The Braswells had everything: money, looks and power. But when their eldest son, the family’s shining light, was killed in a freak fishing accident, he took with him a dark secret. Ten years later, in the steamy shallows off the Florida coast, an airliner crashes, killing all aboard. Helping pull corpses from the water, Thorn finds himself drawn into a bizarre conspiracy: someone has developed a high-tech weapon capable of destroying electrical systems in a powerful flash. How are the secretive Braswells and their family-owned company involved? And what does it have to do with the family’s obsessive hunt for the great marlin that killed their golden boy? Featuring two of his most popular characters, police photographer Alexandra Rafferty and reluctant investigator Thorn, BLACKWATER SOUND is James Hall’s finest thriller yet. Loaded with action and suspense, spiced with humour and featuring some of his most unforgettable villains, it bristles with all the heat and tension of a tropical Florida summer.
Family Fan Club
Family Fan Club
Jean Ure
¥45.42
A humorous, poignant and heartwarming story of four girls and their exasperating parents, from the Queen of Tween, Jean Ure. “People always fall out after they’re married. I’m going to stay single.” Jasmine, Laurel, Rose and Daisy. Four very different sisters, four very different attitudes! As if living with each other wasn’t bad enough, living with their parents is worse – particularly parents who are both actors. Please! But after the Great Row, the girls find themselves living with Mum, while Dad has gone to America to find work. How are the sisters going to achieve their own personal ambitions: become an actress, model, writer, vet… when they can’t even achieve their joint ambition – to reunite parents who are on different continents?
A French Novel
A French Novel
Frédéric Beigbeder
¥73.58
Arrested for snorting cocaine off a car bonnet, award-winning author and quintessential dilettante Frederic Beigbeder reflects on his troubled childhood, while spending a night in the cells. In his most autobiographical book to date, the author of the award-winning ‘Windows on the World’ recounts his stay in police custody, when in January 2008 he was arrested for snorting cocaine outside a Paris nightclub. As he lies in his cell, he revisits his childhood, from the carefree days when his grandfather taught him to skim pebbles at the beach in Cénitz, to his parents’ divorce; the conflicting influences of his hedonistic father and his studious, seemingly conventional brother. And then Beigbeder recalls his first, unrequited loves. This patchwork of memories is as much a portrait of the era as it is the story of a fragile, self-critical man who has finally dropped the mask. Witty, sharp, with a pitiless, self-deprecating irony, and yet tender and true, ‘A French Novel’ is a gem. Beigbeder’s search for answers in the lost country of his childhood will speak to a whole generation searching for its soul.
Every Single Minute
Every Single Minute
Hugo Hamilton
¥69.26
‘Not only haunted by death, but also by beauty and the strangeness of being alive. A deeply memorable novel’ Colm Tóibín ‘… I have friends and family, I am in this wonderful country, I have money, there is nothing much wrong with me except I am dying.’ ?na has little over a week left to live and wants to see Berlin for the first and last time. Her friend Liam accompanies her. As the city streets open up to them, so too do their pasts. ?na recalls her life – her lovers, her famous father, her alcoholic mother and the death of her younger brother. For Liam the weekend becomes a lesson in true living from a friend he is about to lose.
The Registrar's Convenient Wife (Mills & Boon Medical)
The Registrar's Convenient Wife (Mills & Boon Medical)
Kate Hardy
¥20.60
Single dad Eliot Slater will do anything for his son, but now Eliot is worried he could lose custody–could a marriage of convenience help him keep his son? So he proposes to his boss! Consultant paediatrician Claire Thurman is good friends with her registrar, and his equally cute son. In fact, she is secretly rather attracted to Eliot, even though she tries to keep a professional distance. But when he asks her to become his convenient wife she discovers it's not enough–she wants to be a wife in every way…