How can a fairy's blessing be such a curseAt her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift -- the "gift' of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse -- once and for all. In this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birth was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom'and she'll have to obeyAgainst a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella's quest to break the curse once and for all and discover who she really is is as sharply funny as Catherine, Called Birdy and as richly poignant as Beauty , and has all the marks of a classic in the making.

One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, Mere Christianity has sold millions of copies worldwide. The book brings together C. S. Lewis legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times. Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity many denominations, Mere Christianity provides an unequalled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to absorb a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.

Beverly Cleary's Newbery Medal-winning book explores the thoughts and emotions of a sixth-grade boy, Leigh Botts, in letter form as he writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw. After his parents separate, Leigh Botts moves to a new town with his mother. Struggling to make friends and deal with his anger toward his absent father, Leigh loses himself in a class assignment in which he must write to his favorite author. When Mr. Henshaw responds, the two form an unexpected friendship that will change Leigh's life forever. Supports the Common Core State Standards

February the fifteenth is a very special day for me. It is the day I gave birth to my first child. It is also the day my husband left me...I can only assume the two events weren't entirely unrelated.Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to their first baby, James informs her that he's leaving her. Claire is left with a newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a postpartum body that she can hardly bear to look at.She decides to go home to Dublin. And there, sheltered by the love of a quirky family, she gets better. So much so, in fact, that when James slithers back into her life, he's in for a bit of a surprise.

This book is aimed at system administrators and technical architects moving from a virtualized environment to cloud environments; who are familiar with cloud computing platforms. Knowledge of virtualization and managing Linux environments is expected. Prior knowledge or experience of OpenStack is not required, although beneficial.

This book is suitable for the novice and experienced system administrators, programmers, and anyone who would like to learn how to work with the TCP/IP protocol suite. It can be read even by those who have little background in networking

Filled with practical, step-by-step instructions and clear explanations for the most important and useful tasks. A concise guide full of step-by-step recipes to teach you how to install and configure a Debian web server.This is an ideal book if you are an administrator on a Development Operations team or infrastructure management, who is passionate about Linux and their Web applications but have no previous experience with Debian or APT-based systems.

Dear Reader, If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all.If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket Ages 10+

Everyone who wants a fulfilling career needs a mentor -- someone who has seen it all before, someone who can share hard-won experiences and teach valuable lessons. In this expanded and enhanced version of his best-selling book, Monday Morning Leadership , David Cottrell packs all of the wisdom of his wide-ranging business experience into this inspirational story. Cottrell introduces us to Jeff, a successful corporate manager who has hit a major wall. Jeff has been leading his team, quarter after quarter, to great sales and better profits for several years -- until now. The tricks that used to work wonders have lost their magic; Jeff is in a slump and is at a loss to find his way out of it. Overworked, stressed, and feeling that his personal and professional lives are at risk, Jeff reaches out to the father of a college buddy, a retired and tremendously accomplished former executive named Tony. Tony and Jeff agree to meet every Monday for ten weeks to work through Jeff's problems and get his career back on track. In the course of these intimate sessions, Jeff discovers the secrets of real leadership: "Until I accept total responsibility -- no matter what -- I will not be able to put plans in place to accomplish my goals." And, "My success is the result of making better choices and recovering quickly from poor choices." Tony leads Jeff through tough lessons in how to manage his people, how to manage his own time, how to manage his superiors, and how to escape from "management land." Most of all, Jeff learns that his success is intimately bound with the success of his people and that tolerating lackluster performance in himself and others on the team only leads to discontent from his most prized and productive employees. Through Jeff's mentoring sessions, the reader meets a character of integrity who dispenses homespun but effective wisdom. Spend time with Tony and Jeff at their Monday morning meetings, and you will find yourself on the road to becoming a better leader and being more successful at work.

Use PyCharm with fluid efficiency to write idiomatic python codeAbout This BookUnderstand how PyCharm works and how you can leverage its strength to develop applications quicklyMaster PyCharm’s editor to get a fast workflowFull of examples and illustrations that focus on the practical aspects of using PyCharm Who This Book Is For If you know PyCharm but want to understand it better and leverage its more powerful but less obvious tool set, this is the book for you. Serving as a launch pad for those who want to master PyCharm and completely harness its best features, it would be helpful if you were familiar with some of Python’s most prominent tools such as virtualenv and Python’s popular docstring formats such as reStructuredText and EpyType.What You Will LearnUnderstand the internal workings of the IntelliJ PlatformLeverage PyCharm’s powerful search tools, and learn which ones are the best for you and your workflowCustomize PyCharm’s enhanced Python interpreter and its inbuilt terminalDevelop web applications quickly and easily with different frameworks such as Flask and DjangoUnderstand how code completion works in PyCharm for Python and JavaScript In Detail PyCharm is addictive, with powerful and configurable code completion, superb editing tools, top-notch support, diverse plugins, and a vibrant ecosystem to boot. Learning how PyCharm works and maximising the synergy of its powerful tools will help you to rapidly develop applications. From leveraging the power of the editor to understanding PyCharm's internals, this book will give you a comprehensive view of PyCharm and allow you to make your own choices about which workflow and tools are best for you. You will start by getting comfortable with PyCharm and making it look exactly like you want. You can customize the tools and taskbars to suit individual developers' coding styles. You also learn how to assign keyboard shortcuts. You will master debugging by inserting breakpoints, collecting runtime data, and debugging from the console. You will understand how PyCharm works underneath and how plugins such as Codemap, Vim, Bitbucket, Assets compressor, markdown, bash file, shortcut translator, and .gitignore leverage the power of the IntelliJ platform. You will become comfortable using the VCS interface in PyCharm and see the benefits of using it for some simple tasks as well as some more complex tasks such as partial commits using changelists. You will take an in-depth look at the various tools in PyCharm, improving your workflow drastically. Finally, you will deploy powerful PyCharm tools for Django, Flask, GAE, and Pyramid Development, becoming well acquainted with PyCharm’s toolset for web development with popular platforms. Packed with insider tricks, this book will help you boost productivity with PyCharm.Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide with plenty of examples and screenshots. Each topic starts off with the goal of enhancing or changing a part of PyCharm to make it suit your needs.

"English Made Easy," a story from Kevin Moffett's dazzling new collection, Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events, explores the persistence of grief in the life of a single mother and recent widow. Moffett's story is a moving meditation on how we process loss—both within ourselves and with those around us.

What does an admissions officer look for in a college application essayYou. It's that simple. There's no formula, no trick, no strategy, says Harry Bauld, a former Ivy League admissions officer. But with acceptance rates at all-time lows, just being yourself in an essay means understanding your readers and the unique form in which you are writing. In this fully revised and updated edition of the classic guide to writing the best essay of your life, Bauld reveals the big clich s (The Trip, The Jock, Miss America, Pet Death) and helps you discover ways to come alive on the page as a real person instead of applicant number 13,791.

A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook. After a supper of canned lobster and a dessert of canned trifle, three people become ill and Mrs Jones is found dead. Although a bought of botulism is suspected, the Tuesday Night Club is keen to investigate further…

Discover the incredible memoirs of internationally bestselling author Casey Watson with this free extended eBook sampler of Casey’s first book, and Sunday Times bestseller, The Boy No One Loved. Justin was five years old; his brothers two and three. Their mother, a heroin addict, had left them alone again. Later that day, after trying to burn down the family home, Justin was taken into care. Six years on, after 20 failed placements, Justin arrives at Casey’s home. Casey and her husband Mike are specialist foster carers. They practice a new style of foster care that focuses on modifying the behaviour of profoundly damaged children. They are Justin’s last hope, and it quickly becomes clear that they are facing a big challenge. Try as they might to make him welcome, he seems determined to strip his life of all the comforts they bring him, violently lashing out at schoolmates and family and throwing any affection they offer him back in their faces. After a childhood filled with hurt and rejection, Justin simply doesn’t want to know. But, as it soon emerges, this is only the tip of a chilling iceberg. A visit to Justin’s mother on Boxing Day reveals that there are some very dark underlying problems that Justin has never spoken about. As the full picture becomes clearer, and the horrific truth of Justin’s early life is revealed, Casey and her family finally start to understand the pain he has suffered…

TIMING IS EVERYTHING Single mom Layne Slater thought she’d seen the last of Jason McAndry when he chose the rodeo over her and their unborn son. Now, Jason’s back in Cowboy Creek and just as handsome as ever. But Layne can’t give in to those feelings again. She has to protect her children…and her heart. Jason wants to try to make up for the pain he caused when he left. The least he can do is help Layne while he’s home. Before long, Jason realizes he’s finally ready to be the husband, father, and man his family deserves. But can Jason prove to Layne, that this time, their love is forever?

A ruthless dissection of American life in the late 1960s, from the author of The Last Thing He Wanted and A Book of Common Prayer. Somewhere out beyond Hollywood, resting actress Maria Wyeth drifts along the freeway in perpetual motion, anaesthetized to pain and pleasure, seemingly untainted by her personal history. She finds herself, in her early thirties, radically divorced from husband, lovers, friends, her own past and her own future. Play It As It Lays is set in a place beyond good and evil, literally in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and the barren wastes of the Mojave, but figuratively in the landscape of the arid soul. Capturing the mood of an entire generation, Didion chose Hollywood to serve as her microcosm of contemporary society and exposed a culture characterized by emptiness and ennui. Two decades after its original publication, it remains a profoundly disturbing novel, an immaculately wrought portrait of a world (California on the cusp of the 70s) where too much freedom made a lot of people ill.

Toast. You know when you're trying to make it and you just can't get it right? It's too light or too soft, then totally burnt. Are you the kind of person who tries to scrape off the black? Or do you smother it with jam to hide the taste? Do you throw it away, or do you just eat it? Up until now, I ate the burnt toast … then I hit forty. It took Teri Hatcher a divorce, the experience of single motherhood, a parade of bad dates, a stalled career and a memorable fortieth birthday to realize that she didn't want to spend another decade preparing herself for the next disaster. Burnt Toast is the heartfelt, funny, poignant and inspiring account of Teri's jagged route to happiness. Teri reveals her life in unexpected ways, in the hopes of keeping other women from eating the burnt toast, and explains why you'll never get a second chance if you don't open yourself up to the possibility.

A full-length novel by Charles Osborne adapted from Agatha Christie’s stage play, in which a diplomat’s wife finds a body that mustn’t be discovered… Following BLACK COFFEE and THE UNEXPECTED GUEST comes the final Agatha Christie play novelisation, bringing her superb storytelling to a new legion of fans. Clarissa, the wife of a Foreign Office diplomat, is given to daydreaming. ‘Supposing I were to come down one morning and find a dead body in the library, what should I do?’ she muses. Clarissa has her chance to find out when she discovers a body in the drawing-room of her house in Kent. Desperate to dispose of the body before her husband comes home with an important foreign politician, Clarissa persuades her three house guests to become accessories and accomplices. It seems that the murdered man was not unknown to certain members of the house party (but which ones?), and the search begins for the murderer and the motive, while at the same time trying to persuade a police inspector that there has been no murder at all…

Green Town, Illinois stands at the very heart of Ray Bradbury Country. A lovingly re-imagined version of the author's native Waukegan, it has served as the setting for such modern classics as Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Farewell Summer. In Summer Morning, Summer Night, Bradbury returns to this signature locale with a generous new collection of twenty-seven stories and vignettes, seventeen of which have never been published before. Together, they illuminate some of Green Town's previously hidden corners, and reaffirm Bradbury's position as the undisputed master of a unique fictional universe.

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . . Sara Shepard's #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series is the inspiration for the hit ABC Family original TV show. This collection contains the final eight novels in the series.Includes:Pretty Little Liars #9: Twisted Pretty Little Liars #10: Ruthless Pretty Little Liars #11: Stunning Pretty Little Liars #12: Burned Pretty Little Liars #13: Crushed Pretty Little Liars #14: Deadly Pretty Little Liars #15: Toxic Pretty Little Liars #16: Vicious

J.J. Tully is a former search-and rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he’s not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs) and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding somethingAre there dark forces at work—or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that’s right in front of him?Bestselling author Doreen Cronin uses her deadpan humor to pitch-perfect effect in her first novel for young readers. Heavily illustrated with black-and-white artwork from Kevin Cornell, this new series is destined to become a classic.