Ruby is a thief-in-training and a keeper of secrets—ones she doesn't even know herself. A Riddle in Ruby is the first book in a witty and fast-paced fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans for Jonathan Stroud, Septimus Heap, and The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates.Ruby Teach, daughter of a smuggler and pirate, has been learning how to swindle and steal and pick the most complex locks for as long as she can remember. But a collision with aristocratic young lord Athen sends her spinning into chaos. Little did she know that her whole life has been spent in hiding from nefarious secret societies and the Royal Navy . . . who are both now on her trail. In this debut middle grade adventure, Kent Davis weaves a rip-roaring tale through an alternate colonial Philadelphia. A world where alchemy—that peculiar mix of magic and science—has fueled the industrial revolution. With this highly original setting, a cast of fully rounded characters and rapid-fire, funny dialogue, A Riddle in Ruby will call to mind fantasy greats like Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett.

Part II of the Saga of the Redeemed picks up right where The Iron Ring left off …After Tyvian Reldamar gets double-crossed by his business partner, he is affixed with an iron ring that prevents the wearer from any evildoing. Not one to be deterred by this setback, he quickly puts into motion a plan for revenge—one that will use every dirty trick in the book.But things are never simple for mastermind Tyvian, especially not after he uncovers a sinister plot: evil wizard Banric Sahand is planning to decimate the city of Freegate. Now Tyvian must learn to work with—and rely on—his motley crew of accomplices, including an adolescent pickpocket, an obese secret-monger, a fearsome gnoll, and a Mage Defender…who is also trying to get him arrested. Time is running out for Tyvian's plan for revenge—while the fate of the city hangs in the balance.

Dr. William Glasser offers a new psychology that, if practiced, could reverse our widespread inability to get along with one another, an inability that is the source of almost all unhappiness. For progress in human relationships, he explains that we must give up the punishing, relationship destroying external control psychology. For example, if you are in an unhappy relationship right now, he proposes that one or both of you could be using external control psychology on the other. He goes further. And suggests that misery is always related to a current unsatisfying relationship. Contrary to what you may believe, your troubles are always now, never in the past. No one can change what happened yesterday.

When Pete Jordan arrives in Amsterdam to study how to make America's cities more bicycle-friendly, he immediately falls in love with the city that already lives life on two wheels. His new bride, Amy Joy, joins Pete, and despite their financial hardships and instability, she eventually finds her own new calling as a bicycle mechanic as Pete discovers the untold history of cycling in Amsterdam.From its beginnings as an elitis t pastime in the 1890s to the street-consuming craze of the 1920s, from the bicycle's role in a citywide resistance to the Nazi occupation to the White Bikes of the 1960s and the bike fishermen of today, Jordan chronicles the evolution of Amsterdam's cycling.Part personal memoir, part history of cycling, part fascinating street-level tour of Amsterdam, In the City of Bikes is the story of a man who loves bikes in a city that loves bikes.

The human brain can actually grow and a bigger brain means better memory, creativity, speed of learning, and ability to concentrate.In Boost Your Brain, Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D., guides you through the innovative brain fitness program that he has developed for his patients at the NeurExpand Brain Center, an institute dedicated to helping people quickly sharpen their brain performance. You start the program with an assessment of your current brain health and then are given specific brain-fit strategies proven to promote brain acuity and longevity, detailing the latest scientific evidence behind each. Concrete advice is given on how to spur new cell growth, which foods help to build new synapses, what creates brain reserve, and more. Dr. Fotuhi also highlights key behaviors to avoid explaining, for example, how one common sleep disorder can shrink your brain's memory and attention centers by as much as 18 percent!Dr. Fotuhi brings together the latest brain science discoveries about neuroplasticity, which show not only that the size of the brain can be increased within a matter of weeks resulting in better focus, memory, and creativity but that the increase can be scientifically measured. Boost Your Brain is the only book that uses groundbreaking advances in neuroscience to present a clear explanation and pre*ive plan for how to access the benefits of significantly enhanced brain performance at any age.

Enter the era of medical research using mobile devices with the help of this guide on ResearchKit!About This BookCreate a simple clinical research app using most aspects of ResearchKitBuild a simple survey with various data types with the results printed on the screen.A step-by-step guide introducing Apple's ResearchKit and techniques to incorporate it into various apps.Who This Book Is ForThis book is aimed at medical researchers with basic iOS coding knowledge and iOS developers looking to create clinical research apps.What You Will LearnLearn to create customized consent formGet introduced to two backend services: a simple backend server using Sinatra and Sage BridgeBuild a custom task (a conditional survey example) and a navigable taskGet an Overview of ResearchKit's open source repository and App CoreInteraction with the hardware of the device including the gyro and the motion sensorsLearn the basics of this revolutionary technologyGet introduced to the barebones app and learn to write your first codeIn DetailResearchKit is an open source software development framework from Apple that lets you easily create mobile applications for clinical research studies. ResearchKit provides you the ability to orchestrate the administration of tasks and recording of the results. ResearchKit provides tasks in order to perform informed consent, active tasks, and surveys.Starting with the basics of the ResearchKit framework, this books walks you through the steps of creating iOS applications that could serve as the basis of a clinical research mobile app.This book will introduce readers to ResearchKit and how to turn your iPhone into into a clinical research tool. The book will start off by installing and building the research framework in line with the researcher's needs; during this, the reader will learn to embed ResearchKit in the application and create a small task.After this, the book will go a little deeper into creating modules for surveys, consents, and so on. The book will also cover the various aspects of privacy and security with regard to participant data, and how to build dashboards for visualizing medical data and results in line with the researcher's requirements: data backends, JSON serialization and deserialization, and so on.Readers will be able to fully utilize ResearchKit for medical research, will be able to get more and more patients to participate in their surveys, and will gain insights from the surveys using the dashboards created.Style and approachA hands-on guide with ample screenshots for you to follow and learn about ResearchKit. Each topic is explained sequentially and placed in context so that you can get a better understanding of every step in the process of creating clinical research apps.

Develop games for iOS and Android using Cocos2d with the aid of over 70 step-by-step recipesAbout This BookLearn to efficiently use Cocos2d to develop cross-platform games, and have them work on iOS as well as AndroidGet acquainted with industry-wide professional tools such as Glyph Designer, Texture Packer, and Physics Editor, as well as using the Swift/ Sprite builder implementation of Cocos2dUse the easy-to-follow recipes to develop as well as deploy games to the Playstore and the App StoreWho This Book Is ForThis book is for intermediate game developers and especially the ones who are generally curious to find out what’s new in Cocos2d v 3.3.What You Will LearnBuild custom sprites with custom animations for the gameBuild interactivity into your game by adding gestures and touch interactionsUnderstand AI enemy programming and path finding to make games more excitingAdd physics to your game to make it more lively and interactiveGet familiar with the Swift and Sprite builder implementations along with Objective-C programmingPerform hassle-free deployment of games built in iOS onto AndroidAdd effects and particle systems to make the game more colorfulIn DetailCocos2d is the world’s leading game development framework for developing iOS games. With the introduction of Swift and Spritebuilder, it has become easier than ever to develop the games of your dreams without much effort. With Cocos2d, you can also deploy the game on Android, thereby maximizing profit and reducing development and porting costs.The book starts off with a detailed look at how to implement sprites and animations into your game to make it livelier. You will then learn to add scenes to the game such as the gameplay scene and options scene and create menus and buttons in these scenes, as well as creating transitions between them. From there on, you will get an understanding of how to program user interactions such as tapping, holding, and swiping. You’ll then add accelerometer inputs and physics to the scene, and make objects respond back to the inputs. A game is practically incomplete without audio being added, so this will be covered next.The next section will include ways to add Artificial Intelligence to enemies in the game, allowing them to patrol, chase, and shoot in a projectile manner. You will then learn to use NSUserDefault to save and load game progress, and create and access files using JSON, Plist, and XML files for custom storage and retrieval of data. Then you will learn to add dynamic lighting to your game and will use industry-wide tools such as Texture Packer, Glyph Designer, Physics Editor, Particle Designer, and Sprite Illuminator to create more visually appealing and performance-optimized games.Towards the end of the book, we dive into Apple’s latest programming language—Swift, highlighting the major differences between Objective C and Swift. The book culminates with taking your existing game developed for iOS and porting it to Android, showing you how to install the Android Xcode plugin as well.Style and approachThe book is written in an extremely lucid and step-by-step manner; it can be understood easily by anyone. The topics included are broken down into individual chapters so you can refer to the specific chapter to get answers on the subject you are interested in.

Create fully-featured and highly functional iOS apps by writing tests firstAbout This BookLearn test-driven principles to help you build apps with fewer bugs and better designsBecome more efficient while working with Swift to move on to your next project faster!Learn how to incorporate all of the principles of test-driven development (TDD) in to your daily programming workflowWho This Book Is ForIf debugging iOS apps is a nerve-racking task for you and you are looking for a fix, this book is for you.What You Will LearnImplement TDD in swift application developmentGet to know the fundamentals, life cycle, and benefits of TDDExplore the tools and frameworks to effectively use TDDDevelop models and controllers driven by testsConstruct the network layer using stubsUse functional tests to ensure the app works as plannedAutomate and streamline the building, analysing, testing, and archiving of your iOS appsIn DetailTest-driven development (TDD) is a proven way to find software bugs early. Writing tests before your code improves the structure and maintainability of your app.Test-driven iOS Development with Swift will help you understand the process of TDD and how it impacts your applications written in Swift. Through practical, real-world examples, you’ll start seeing how to implement TDD in context. We will begin with an overview of your TDD workflow and then deep-dive into unit testing concepts and code cycles. We will showcase the workings of functional tests, which will help you improve the user interface. Finally, you will learn about automating deployments and continuous integration to run an environment.Style and approachThis is an easy-to-follow example-driven tutorial, packed with lots of tips and tricks that explore TDD bit-by-bit in the process of making an iOS application.

Learn the fundamentals of Cython to extend the legacy of your applicationsAbout This BookLearn how to extend C applications with pure Python codeGet more from Python – you’ll not only learn Cython, you’ll also unlock a greater understanding of how to harness PythonPacked with tips and tricks that make Cython look easy, dive into this accessible programming guide and find out what happens when you bring C and Python together!Who This Book Is ForThis book is for developers who are familiar with the basics of C and Python programming and wish to learn Cython programming to extend their applications.What You Will LearnReuse Python logging in CMake an IRC bot out of your C applicationExtend an application so you have a web server for rest callsPractice Cython against your C++ codeDiscover tricks to work with Python ConfigParser in CCreate Python bindings for native librariesFind out about threading and concurrency related to GILExpand Terminal Multiplexer Tmux with CythonIn DetailCython is a hybrid programming language used to write C extensions for Python language. Combining the practicality of Python and speed and ease of the C language it’s an exciting language worth learning if you want to build fast applications with ease.This new edition of Learning Cython Programming shows you how to get started, taking you through the fundamentals so you can begin to experience its unique powers.You’ll find out how to get set up, before exploring the relationship between Python and Cython. You’ll also look at debugging Cython, before moving on to C++ constructs, Caveat on C++ usage, Python threading and GIL in Cython. Finally, you’ll learn object initialization and compile time, and gain a deeper insight into Python 3, which will help you not only become a confident Cython developer, but a much more fluent Python developer too.Style and approachThis practical and a fast-paced guide gives you all the information you need to start programming using Cython.

Master Puppet for configuration management of your systems in an enterprise deploymentAbout This BookThis book is an advanced guide to using and deploying Puppet 4 in your organization with a special focus on issues faced in larger enterprise deploymentsFrom an experienced author, learn to deal with scaling, performance, and multiple developers with the help of real-world examplesThis is the most up-to-date guide on Puppet, and covers the advanced concepts of Puppet 4Who This Book Is ForThis book is for those who have intermediate knowledge of Puppet and are looking to deploy it in their environment. Some idea how to write simple modules for configuration management with Puppet is a prerequisite for this book.What You Will LearnScale out your Puppet infrastructure using proxying techniquesAutomate your code promotion workflow using Git and r10kSolve real-world problems using public modules from the Puppet ForgeUse Hiera to separate the data of your configuration from the code of your configurationWrite your own custom facts in RubyExtend Puppet with your own custom facts, modules, and typesUse exported resources to orchestrate change between machinesDebug a puppetserver using Java techniquesIn DetailPuppet is a configuration management system and a language. It was written for and by system administrators to manage large numbers of systems efficiently and prevent configuration drifts.Mastering Puppet deals with the issues faced when scaling out Puppet to handle large numbers of nodes. It will show you how to fit Puppet into your enterprise and allow many developers to work on your Puppet code simultaneously. In addition, you will learn to write custom facts and roll your own modules to solve problems. Next, popular options for performing reporting and orchestration tasks will be introduced in this book. Moving over to troubleshooting techniques, which will be very useful. The concepts presented are useful to any size organization.By the end of the book, you will know how to deal with problems of scale and exceptions in your code, automate workflows, and support multiple developers working simultaneously.Style and approachThis book is a step-wise guide packed with examples to help you configure complex systems in Puppet.

Automate and control your home using the power of the BeagleBone Black with practical home automation projectsAbout This BookBuild, set up, and develop your circuits via step-by-step tutorial of practical examples, from initial board setup to device driver managementGet access to several kinds of computer peripherals to monitor and control your domestic environment using this guideThis book is spread across 10 chapters all focused on one practical home automation projectWho This Book Is ForThis book is for developers who know how to use BeagleBone and are just above the “beginner” level. If you want to learn to use embedded machine learning capabilities, you should have some experience of creating simple home automation projects.What You Will LearnBuild a CO (and other gas) sensor with a buzzer/LED alarm to signal high concentrationsLog environment data and plot it in a fancy mannerDevelop a simple web interface with a LAMP platformPrepare complex web interfaces in JavaScript and get to know how to stream video data from a webcamUse APIs to get access to a Google Docs account or a WhatsApp/Facebook account to manage a home automation systemAdd custom device drivers to manage an LED with different blinking frequenciesDiscover how to work with electronic components to build small circuitsUse an NFS, temperature sensor, relays, and other peripherals to monitor and control your surroundingsIn DetailBeagleBone is a microboard PC that runs Linux. It can connect to the Internet and can run OSes such as Android and Ubuntu. BeagleBone is used for a variety of different purposes and projects, from simple projects such as building a thermostat to more advanced ones such as home security systems.Packed with real-world examples, this book will provide you with examples of how to connect several sensors and an actuator to the BeagleBone Black. You’ll learn how to give access to them, in order to realize simple-to-complex monitoring and controlling systems that will help you take control of the house. You will also find software examples of implementing web interfaces using the classical PHP/HTML pair with JavaScript, using complex APIs to interact with a Google Docs account, WhatsApp, or Facebook. This guide is an invaluable tutorial if you are planning to use a BeagleBone Black in a home automation project.Style and approachThis step-by-step guide contains several home automation examples that can be used as base projects for tons of other home automation and control systems. Through clear, concise examples based on real-life situations, you will quickly get to grips with the core concepts needed to develop home automation applications with the BeagleBone Black using both the C language and high-level *ing languages such as PHP, Python, and JavaScript.

Gain practical insights into predictive modelling by implementing Predictive Analytics algorithms on public datasets with PythonAbout This BookA step-by-step guide to predictive modeling including lots of tips, tricks, and best practicesGet to grips with the basics of Predictive Analytics with PythonLearn how to use the popular predictive modeling algorithms such as Linear Regression, Decision Trees, Logistic Regression, and ClusteringWho This Book Is ForIf you wish to learn how to implement Predictive Analytics algorithms using Python libraries, then this is the book for you. If you are familiar with coding in Python (or some other programming/statistical/*ing language) but have never used or read about Predictive Analytics algorithms, this book will also help you. The book will be beneficial to and can be read by any Data Science enthusiasts. Some familiarity with Python will be useful to get the most out of this book, but it is certainly not a prerequisite.What You Will LearnUnderstand the statistical and mathematical concepts behind Predictive Analytics algorithms and implement Predictive Analytics algorithms using Python librariesAnalyze the result parameters arising from the implementation of Predictive Analytics algorithmsWrite Python modules/functions from scratch to execute segments or the whole of these algorithmsRecognize and mitigate various contingencies and issues related to the implementation of Predictive Analytics algorithmsGet to know various methods of importing, cleaning, sub-setting, merging, joining, concatenating, exploring, grouping, and plotting data with pandas and numpyCreate dummy datasets and simple mathematical simulations using the Python numpy and pandas librariesUnderstand the best practices while handling datasets in Python and creating predictive models out of themIn DetailSocial Media and the Internet of Things have resulted in an avalanche of data. Data is powerful but not in its raw form - It needs to be processed and modeled, and Python is one of the most robust tools out there to do so. It has an array of packages for predictive modeling and a suite of IDEs to choose from. Learning to predict who would win, lose, buy, lie, or die with Python is an indispensable skill set to have in this data age.This book is your guide to getting started with Predictive Analytics using Python. You will see how to process data and make predictive models from it. We balance both statistical and mathematical concepts, and implement them in Python using libraries such as pandas, scikit-learn, and numpy.You’ll start by getting an understanding of the basics of predictive modeling, then you will see how to cleanse your data of impurities and get it ready it for predictive modeling. You will also learn more about the best predictive modeling algorithms such as Linear Regression, Decision Trees, and Logistic Regression. Finally, you will see the best practices in predictive modeling, as well as the different applications of predictive modeling in the modern world.Style and approachAll the concepts in this book been explained and illustrated using a dataset, and in a step-by-step manner. The Python code snippet to implement a method or concept is followed by the output, such as charts, dataset heads, pictures, and so on. The statistical concepts are explained in detail wherever required.

Learn to design, build, and manage your infrastructure on the most popular of all the Cloud platforms—Amazon Web ServicesAbout This BookLearn how to leverage various Amazon Web Services (AWS) components and services to build a secure, reliable, and robust environment to host your applications onDeep dive into the core AWS service offerings with hands-on tutorials, real-world use case scenarios, and best practicesA self-paced, systematic, and step-by-step guide to learning and implementing AWS in your own environmentWho This Book Is ForThis book is for those who want to learn and leverage AWS. Although no prior experience with AWS is required, it is recommended that you have some hands-on experienceofLinux, Web Services, and basic networkingWhat You Will LearnA brief introduction to Cloud Computing and AWS accompanied by steps to sign up for your first AWS accountCreate and manage users, groups, and permissions using AWSS Identity and Access Management servicesGet started with deploying and accessing EC2 instances, working with EBS Volumes and SnapshotsCustomize and create your very own Amazon Machine ImageDesign and deploy your instances on a highly secured, network isolated environment using Amazon VPCEffectively monitor your AWS environment using specialized alarms, custom monitoring metrics, and much moreExplore the various benefits of Database-as-a-Service offerings and leverage them using Amazon RDS and Amazon DynamoDBTake an in-depth look at what’s new with AWS, including EC2 Container Service and Elastic File SystemIn DetailAWS is at the forefront of Cloud Computing today. Many businesses are moving away from traditional datacenters and toward AWS because of its reliability, vast service offerings, lower costs, and high rate of innovation. Because of its versatility and flexible design, AWS can be used to accomplish a variety of simple and complicated tasks such as hosting multitier websites, running large scale parallel processing, content delivery, petabyte storage and archival, and lots more.Whether you are a seasoned sysadmin or a rookie, this book will provide you with all the necessary skills to design, deploy, and manage your applications on the AWS cloud platform. The book guides you through the core AWS services such as IAM, EC2, VPC, RDS, and S3 using a simple real world application hosting example that you can relate to. Each chapter is designed to provide you with the most information possible about a particular AWS service coupled with easy to follow hands-on steps, best practices, tips, and recommendations.By the end of the book, you will be able to create a highly secure, fault tolerant, and scalable environment for your applications to run on.Style and approach This in-depth and insightful guide is filled with easy-to-follow examples, real-world use cases, best practices, and recommendations that will help you design and leverage AWS.

Master the advanced concepts of PL/SQL for professional-level certification and learn the new capabilities of Oracle Database 12cAbout This BookLearn advanced application development features of Oracle Database 12c and prepare for the 1Z0-146 examinationBuild robust and secure applications in Oracle PL/SQL using the best practicesPacked with feature demonstrations and illustrations that will help you learn and understand the enhanced capabilities of Oracle Database 12cWho This Book Is ForThis book is for Oracle developers responsible for database management. Readers are expected to have basic knowledge of Oracle Database and the fundamentals of PL/SQL programming. Certification aspirants can use this book to prepare for 1Z0-146 examination in order to be an Oracle Certified Professional in Advanced PL/SQL.What You Will LearnLearn and understand the key SQL and PL/SQL features of Oracle Database 12cUnderstand the new Multitenant architecture and Database In-Memory option of Oracle Database 12cKnow more about the advanced concepts of the Oracle PL/SQL language such as external procedures, securing data using Virtual Private Database (VPD), SecureFiles, and PL/SQL code tracing and profilingImplement Virtual Private Databases to prevent unauthorized data accessTrace, analyze, profile, and debug PL/SQL code while developing database applicationsIntegrate the new application development features of Oracle Database 12c with the current conceptsDiscover techniques to analyze and maintain PL/SQL codeGet acquainted with the best practices of writing PL/SQL code and develop secure applicationsIn DetailOracle Database is one of the most popular databases and allows users to make efficient use of their resources and to enhance service levels while reducing the IT costs incurred. Oracle Database is sometimes compared with Microsoft SQL Server, however, Oracle Database clearly supersedes SQL server in terms of high availability and addressing planned and unplanned downtime. Oracle PL/SQL provides a rich platform for application developers to code and build scalable database applications and introduces multiple new features and enhancements to improve development experience.Advanced Oracle PL/SQL Developer's Guide, Second Edition is a handy technical reference for seasoned professionals in the database development space. This book starts with a refresher of fundamental concepts of PL/SQL, such as anonymous block, subprograms, and exceptions, and prepares you for the upcoming advanced concepts. The next chapter introduces you to the new features of Oracle Database 12c, not limited to PL/SQL. In this chapter, you will understand some of the most talked about features such as Multitenant and Database In-Memory. Moving forward, each chapter introduces advanced concepts with the help of demonstrations, and provides you with the latest update from Oracle Database 12c context. This helps you to visualize the pre- and post-applications of a feature over the database releases. By the end of this book, you will have become an expert in PL/SQL programming and will be able to implement advanced concepts of PL/SQL for efficient management of Oracle Database.Style and approach The book follows the structure of the Oracle Certification examination but doesn't restrict itself to the exam objectives. Advanced concepts have been explained in an easy-to-understand style, supported with feature demonstrations and case illustrations.

Washington Territory, 1886 Jacob and Nell Ellstrom step from ship to shore and are struck dumb by the sight of their new home—the Harbor, a ragged township of mud streets and windowless shacks. In the years to come this will be known as one of the busiest and most dangerous ports in the world, and with Jacob's station as the only town physician, prosperity and respect soon rain down on the Ellstroms. Then their son, Duncan, is born, and these are grand days, busy and full of growth. But when a new physician arrives, Jacob is revealed as an impostor, a fraud, and he flees, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves.Years later, on a fated Fourth of July picnic, Duncan Ellstrom falls in love. Her name is Teresa Boyerton, and her father owns the largest sawmill in the Harbor. Their relationship is forbidden by class and by circumstance, because without Jacob there to guide him, Duncan has gone to work for Hank Bellhouse, the local crime boss. Now, if Duncan wants to be with Teresa, he must face not only his past, but the realities of a dark and violent world and his place within it.Told from various points of view, Brian Hart's novel follows the evolution of the Harbor from a mudstamp outpost to a city that rivals the promise of San Francisco. The Bully of Order is a meditation on progress, love, and identity; a spellbinding novel of fate and redemption—told with a muscular lyricism and filled with a cast of characters Shakespearean in scope—where everyone is as much at the mercy of the weather as they are of the times.

In this unforgettable teen romance that fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti will devour, Quinn Sullivan falls for the recipient of her boyfriend's donated heart, forming an unexpected connection that will leave readers utterly breathless.After Quinn's boyfriend, Trent, dies in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the fragments of her now-unrecognizable life. But whoever received Trent's heart has mysteriously remained silent. The essence of a person, Quinn has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent's, then in a way she still has a piece of him.Risking everything to find peace once and for all, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she's falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she's lost . . . and all that remains at stake.

Angus:My mixed-breed cat, half domestic tabby, half Scottish wildcat. The size of a small Labrador, only mad.Thongs:Stupid underwear. What's the point of them, anywayThey just go up your bum, as far as I can tell.Full-Frontal Snogging:Kissing with all the trimmings, lip to lip, open mouth, tongues ... everything.Her dad's got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien -- just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia's year just might turn out to be the most fabbitty fab fab ever!

Georgia Nicolson has started dating the Sex God (aka Robbie). So life should be perfect . . . except in Georgia's life, nothing is ever perfect. Her cat, Angus (the size of a small Labrador), is terrorizing the neighborhood. Her sister, Libby (who is slightly mad), hides her pooey knickers at the bottom of Georgia's bed.Then the Sex God breaks it off because she's too young. It's time for a plan. It's time for a Red Herring. It's time for Georgia to become a "heartless boy magnet!"

For fans of Downton Abbey . . . The peaceful beauty of the English countryside belies the turmoil of forbidden love and the apprehension of a changing world for the families of NetherwoodYorkshire, 1904. On Netherwood Common, Russian émigré Anna Rabinovich shows her dear friend Eve Williams a gracious Victorian villa—Ravenscliffe—the house Anna wants them to live in. There's a garden and a yard and room enough for their children to play and grow. Something about the house speaks to Anna, and you should listen to a house, she believes...Ravenscliffe holds the promise of happiness. Across the square, Clarissa and her husband, the Earl of Netherwood, are preparing for King Edward's visit. Clarissa is determined to have everything in top shape at Netherwood Hall—in spite of the indolent heir to the estate, Tobias, and his American bride—and much of it depends on the work going on downstairs as the loyal servants strive to preserve the noble family's dignity and reputation.As Anna restores Ravenscliffe to its full grandeur, she strikes up a relationship with hardworking Amos Sykes—who proposed to Eve just one year ago. But when Eve's long-lost brother Silas turns up in their close-knit mining community, cracks begin to appear in even the strongest friendships.As change comes to the small town and society at large, the residents of Netherwood must find their footing or lose their place altogether.

Two remarkably different worlds—one of wealth and privilege, the other of poverty and desperation—are about to collide in one shattering moment in this mesmerizing tale of high drama, forbidden love, and families fighting to hold on to what they haveUpstairs: Lord Netherwood, a coal baron, earns his considerable wealth from the three mines he owns. Supplying a bustling industrial empire with the highest-quality coal keeps his coffers filled—money he needs to run his splendid estate, Netherwood Hall, and to dress his wife and daughters in the latest fashions. And keeping his heir, the charming but feckless Tobias, out of trouble, doesn't come cheap.Downstairs: Eve Williams, the wife of one of Lord Netherwood's most stalwart employees, cleverly manages her family's well-being on the low wages her hardworking husband earns in the mines. But when her ordered life amid the terraced rows of miners' houses is brought crashing down by the twin arrivals of tragedy and charity, Eve must look to her own self-sufficiency and talent to provide for her three young children. And soon the divide between "upstairs" and "downstairs" is about to close . . .and neither world will ever be the same.

The beach house is a peaceful haven, a place to escape everyday problems. Here, three families find their feelings intensified and their lives transformed each summer.When thirty-year-old Julia, mourning the death of her husband, decides to sell the Santa Cruz beach house they owned together, she sets in motion a final summer that will change the lives of all the families who rent it year after year. Teenaged Chris discovers the bittersweet joy of first love. Maggie and Joe, married sixty-five years, courageously face a separation that even their devotion cannot prevent. The married woman Peter yearns for suddenly comes within his reach. And Julia ultimately finds the strength to rebuild her life—something she once thought impossible.With equal measures of heartbreak and happiness, bestselling author Georgia Bockoven's unforgettable novel tells of the beauty of life and the power of love, and speaks to every woman who has ever clung to a child or loved a man.