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万本电子书0元读

Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime
Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime
Joanne Drayton
¥63.18
The Empress of Crime's life was the ultimate detective story – revealed for the first time in this forthright and perceptive biography. While Ngaio Marsh had a flamboyant public persona, she was fiercely protective of her private life. And no one knows better how to cover tracks with red herrings and remove incriminating evidence than a crime fiction writer… This fascinating biography of Ngaio Marsh pieces together both the public and private Marsh in a way that is as riveting as a crime novel. Through her writing and her theatre work, Joanne Drayton assembles the pieces to the puzzle that is Marsh, proving that life can be as thrilling as fiction. Marsh wrote her first detective novel in a London flat in the depths of the 1930s Depression, bringing life to Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn in her first book, A Man Lay Dead. Through 32 novels he would establish himself as one of the great super-sleuths, and Marsh as one of the four Queens of Golden Age detective fiction, alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham. In 1932, a family tragedy brought Marsh home to New Zealand, to a life divided - between hemispheres, between passionate relationships at home and abroad, and between the world of publishing and her life as a stage director. In 1949 her writing would earn her the ultimate distinction when Penguin and Collins released the 'Marsh Million': 100,000 copies each of ten of her titles on to the world market. The popular appetite for classic whodunits was insatiable and Ngaio Marsh was one of the best. But her greatest love was the stage - or was it?
The Sacrifice
The Sacrifice
Joyce Carol Oates
¥66.22
New York Times bestselling author Joyce Carol Oates returns with an incendiary novel that illuminates the tragic impact of sexual violence, racism, brutality, and power on innocent lives and probes the persistence of stereotypes, the nature of revenge, the complexities of truth, and our insatiable hunger for sensationalism. When a fourteen-year-old girl is the alleged victim of a terrible act of racial violence, the incident shocks and galvanizes her community, exacerbating the racial tension that has been simmering in this New Jersey town for decades. In this magisterial work of fiction, Joyce Carol Oates explores the uneasy fault lines in a racially troubled society. In such a tense, charged atmosphere, Oates reveals that there must always be a sacrifice—of innocence, truth, trust, and, ultimately, of lives. Unfolding in a succession of multiracial voices, in a community transfixed by this alleged crime and the spectacle unfolding around it, this profound novel exposes what—and who—the “sacrifice” actually is, and what consequences these kind of events hold for us all. Working at the height of her powers, Oates offers a sympathetic portrait of the young girl and her mother, and challenges our expectations and beliefs about our society, our biases, and ourselves. As the chorus of its voices—from the police to the media to the victim and her family—reaches a crescendo, The Sacrifice offers a shocking new understanding of power and oppression, innocence and guilt, truth and sensationalism, justice and retribution. A chilling exploration of complex social, political, and moral themes—the enduring trauma of the past, modern racial and class tensions, the power of secrets, and the primal decisions we all make to protect those we love—The Sacrifice is a major work of fiction from one of our most revered literary masters.
Her Perfect Lips: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance (A Novella)
Her Perfect Lips: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance (A Novella)
Lisa Fox
¥27.17
You have to take a risk to live an adventure. Determined, capable, and primed to rock her first big marketing conference, Stacy Saunders is not about let to anything get in the way of her ambition. It's been a long time since she's been in New Orleans, but she has no use for beads or Bourbon Street. She built a strict itinerary for this trip – one that certainly didn't include running into the gorgeous Tennyson Landry again. A chance reunion between the former lovers brings old feelings to the surface and the possibility of rekindling old flames. Their second time around could be the best time of all – if they can bridge the gap even wider than the thousand miles between them…
The Goodbye Gift: A gripping story of love, friendship and betrayal
The Goodbye Gift: A gripping story of love, friendship and betrayal
Amanda Brooke
¥58.86
Three best friends. One tragic accident. A heartbreaking novel about friendship, love and sacrifice from R&J bestseller, Amanda Brooke Lucy has been desperate for a new heart for as long as she can remember. But getting the call to say a donor has been found will be a bittersweet relief: because for her to live, someone else must die. Julia, Helen and Phoebe have been fast friends for all their lives, through Helen’s unplanned pregnancy, the sudden death of Phoebe’s mother, and Julia’s desperation to conceive with her much younger husband. Yet a deep friendship can hide many secrets, and as their relationship reaches crisis point, what has long been buried is going to come bubbling to the surface. With one tragic accident, these four lives will converge and Lucy will get her new heart. But who has made the ultimate sacrifice?
The Affair: A shocking story of a schoolgirl and a scandal
The Affair: A shocking story of a schoolgirl and a scandal
Amanda Brooke
¥58.57
A shocking story about a fifteen-year-old girl and the man who took advantage of her “You might as well know from the start, I’m not going to tell on him and I don’t care how much trouble I get in. It’s not like it could get any worse than it already is. I can’t. Don’t ask me why, I just can’t.” When Nina finds out that her fifteen-year-old daughter, Scarlett, is pregnant, her world falls apart. Because Scarlet won’t tell anyone who the father is. And Nina is scared that the answer will destroy everything. As the suspects mount – from Scarlett’s teacher to Nina’s new husband of less than a year – Nina searches for the truth: no matter what the cost.
Paddington: The Story of the Movie (Paddington movie)
Paddington: The Story of the Movie (Paddington movie)
Jeanne Willis
¥44.15
This is the official novelisation of the amazing new movie story. Follow the action and fun as Paddington arrives in London, meets the Brown family and gets involved in lots of exciting adventures. The original story of the movie is retold by the brilliant children’s author Jeanne Willis.
Dead Man Walking (Part 1 of 3) (Detective Mark Heckenburg, Book 4)
Dead Man Walking (Part 1 of 3) (Detective Mark Heckenburg, Book 4)
Paul Finch
免费
Dead Man Walking can be read either in three parts or as a full-length ebook (available 20 November 2014). The fourth unputdownable book in the DS Mark Heckenburg series. A killer thriller for fans of Stuart MacBride and Luther, from the #1 ebook bestseller Paul Finch. His worst nightmare is back… As a brutal winter takes hold of the Lake District, a prolific serial killer stalks the fells. ‘The Stranger’ has returned and for DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg, the signs are all too familiar. Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, The Stranger murdered his victims in vicious, cold-blooded attacks – and when two young women go missing, Heck fears the worst. As The Stranger lays siege to a remote community, Heck watches helplessly as the killer plays his cruel game, picking off his victims one by one. And with no way to get word out of the valley, Heck must play ball… A spine-chilling thriller, from the #1 ebook bestseller. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and James Oswald.
Architecture of the Shot
Architecture of the Shot
Paul Knorr
¥57.00
From Alabama Slammer to Zoot Suit Riot, Architecture of the Shot is your fun and informative guide to 75 perfectly crafted shots and shooters. Become the master of the shot and let’s get this party started! The perfect home begins with a blueprint and a dream, and your perfect shots and shooters should start the same way! The Architecture of the Shot will reveal the answers to all your queries on these gorgeous, perfectly crafted mini cocktails and more. Focusing on the precise measurements to make the perfect drink as well as the recommended embellishments and ideal occasions for each, this guide will ensure you’re the shot-master at your next hosted event! Laying out the exact measurements from the bottom of your glass to the top, you’ll discover the order in which you should layer your liquor, the precise measurements needed, and even recommended brands and drinking etiquette. Featuring 75 different shots and recipes (including specifications, notes, and embellishments), this is the perfect gift for the cocktail lover in your life. Don’t waste another minute on bad drinks – become a master of the shot with this beautifully illustrated guide.
Letters of Not Lite
Letters of Not Lite
Dale Shaw
¥22.66
A text-only edition of the hilarious Letters of Not. A collection of remarkable and completely made-up correspondence from the great and the good across history. Many books have collated the exceptional letters and personal writing of the famous, offering a fascinating insight into well-known figures’ personal lives and hidden desires. But what of the undistinguished epistles of the renowned? Can their less auspicious musings divulge clues to their hopes and ambitions? Probably not. But they can be quite funny. ‘Letters of Not’ assembles the fictional jotted dross that was never before considered worthy of collection. The Post-it notes, the shopping lists, the failed limericks and the birthday card sentiments of history’s most celebrated sons and daughters. This ‘lite’ edition contains 6 never before seen letters. Inside you will find: Werner Herzog’s impassioned note to his cleaning lady Patti Smith’s gym application Captain Scott’s other last letter to his wife Salvador Dali’s to do list Mark E. Smith’s audio tour of Ripon Cathedral Harold Pinter greetings cards Pope Benedict’s handover notes James Joyce’s out of office Dr Heimlich’s other manoeuvre A letter from the table next to the Algonquin Round Table Tweets from the 1966 Newport Folk Festival Instructions on what to do when you meet Van Morrison And many more, beautifully rendered in their original, blatantly falsified glory and hilariously transcribed for your pleasure.
Humbugs and Heartstrings
Humbugs and Heartstrings
Catherine Ferguson
¥67.39
‘The most delightful Christmas tale I have ever read.’ Girls Love to Read A festive story about love, friendships, and a sprinkling of Christmas magic. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Lucy Diamond. Two ex-friends. One Christmas to remember … Bobbie's boss Carol is a real misery-guts, dedicated to making the lives of everyone around her unhappy in pursuit of every last penny. What makes it worse is that the two women have history: they were once best friends. When handsome hotelier Charlie steps into the frame the two women go to battle as one sees a romantic future and the other a possible lifeboat for her business. With wonderful warmth and humour – and the odd mince pie fight – the women are forced to confront their shared past, the turbulent present and, most importantly, the potential of the future. Curl up this Christmas with this heartwarming and funny read. You’ll never look at a mince pie in the same way again…
The 13th Gift: Part One (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
The 13th Gift: Part One (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
Joanne Huist Smith
¥9.71
A true Christmas story of a family suffering their darkest moments finding strength and love from a surprise Christmas miracle. December 1999: It was the Christmas season, but Joanne Smith was numb. She wished she could just go to sleep and wake up on December 26. No singing. No laughter. No shopping. She typically enjoyed the holidays, but this year she couldn’t celebrate. Her beloved husband of almost twenty years had died two months previously. What had once been a happy home was now devastated, leaving her and her three children drowning in grief. Until they were thrown a lifeline. Twelve days before Christmas, Jo was in the midst of rushing her kids to school, when she discovered a poinsettia sitting on her doorstep with a card, signed cryptically by her “true friends.” That seemingly small gift was the turning point for the Smith family, as over the course of the twelve days of Christmas, a new gift arrived daily. The mystery of the Christmas presents – specifically, the generosity and kindness behind them – worked its magic on the Smiths as the family knitted back together. They rose out of their grief and latched onto the hope they suddenly felt again: that with love, with community, and with family, even the most broken hearts can be mended.
Constance Street: Part 1 of 3
Constance Street: Part 1 of 3
Charlie Connelly
¥36.50
One forgotten street, 12 unforgettable women. ‘’Ang on boy, Joan’s got sumfink to show yer.’ She rummaged in a drawer for a moment, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. ‘Constance Street,’ she said. ‘As I remember it.’ Through the story of one street – Constance Street – we hear the true life tales of a tight knit group of working class women in the East End of London set against a backdrop of war, hardship and struggle. It’s a story of matriarchy and deep family ties, of a generation that was scattered away from the street during the blitz bombings, but which maintained the ties of that street for decades afterwards. Set in an area of East London called Silvertown, a once thriving docking community that at the turn of the 20th century was the industrial heartland of the south of England; the story focuses on the lives of 12 incredible women and their struggle to survive amidst the chaos of the war years. We have Nellie Greenwood, the author’s great grandmother who runs a laundry in Silvertown which becomes the focal point of the community. In 1917 a munitions factory in Silvertown explodes flattening much of the surrounding area and causing extensive damage to Constance Street – Nellie’s daughter is blown from her crib but miraculously survives. Deciding to open the laundry as a field hospital for the injured, Nellie and the women on the street come together to tend the wounded, the sick and the emotionally shattered as they cope with the aftermath of not just one but two world wars. Through the Great War, the roaring Twenties, the Depression and then the unimaginable – the outbreak of a second world war – Nellie and the street survive with love, laughter and friendships that bind the community together. But just as this incredible group of women live through the worst, the unthinkable happens. On 7 September 1940, Constance Street is no more. Following in the footsteps of Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth and The Sugar Girls, Constance Street is a life-affirming, heart-warming read that reminds us of a time when people pulled together.
Constance Street: Part 2 of 3
Constance Street: Part 2 of 3
Charlie Connelly
¥36.50
Constance Street can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts. This is PART 2 of 3. You can read Part 2 one week ahead of release of the full-length eBook and paperback. One forgotten street, 12 unforgettable women. Through the story of one street – Constance Street – we hear the true life tales of a tight knit group of working class women in the East End of London set against a backdrop of war, hardship and struggle. It’s a story of matriarchy and deep family ties, of a generation that was scattered away from the street during the blitz bombings, but which maintained the ties of that street for decades afterwards. Set in an area of East London called Silvertown, a once thriving docking community that at the turn of the 20th century was the industrial heartland of the south of England; the story focuses on the lives of 12 incredible women and their struggle to survive amidst the chaos of the war years. We have Nellie Greenwood, the author’s great grandmother who runs a laundry in Silvertown which becomes the focal point of the community. In 1917 a munitions factory in Silvertown explodes flattening much of the surrounding area and causing extensive damage to Constance Street – Nellie’s daughter is blown from her crib but miraculously survives. Deciding to open the laundry as a field hospital for the injured, Nellie and the women on the street come together to tend the wounded, the sick and the emotionally shattered as they cope with the aftermath of not just one but two world wars. Through the Great War, the roaring Twenties, the Depression and then the unimaginable – the outbreak of a second world war – Nellie and the street survive with love, laughter and friendships that bind the community together. But just as this incredible group of women live through the worst, the unthinkable happens. On 7 September 1940, Constance Street is no more. Following in the footsteps of Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth and The Sugar Girls, Constance Street is a life-affirming, heart-warming read that reminds us of a time when people pulled together.
Swallow This: Serving Up the Food Industry’s Darkest Secrets
Swallow This: Serving Up the Food Industry’s Darkest Secrets
Joanna Blythman
¥66.22
From the author of What to Eat and Shopped, a revelatory investigation into what really goes into the food we eat. Even with 25 years experience as a journalist and investigator of the food chain, Joanna Blythman still felt she had unanswered questions about the food we consume every day. How ‘natural’ is the process for making a ‘natural’ flavouring? What, exactly, is modified starch, and why is it an ingredient in so many foods? What is done to pitta bread to make it stay ‘fresh’ for six months? And why, when you eat a supermarket salad, does the taste linger in your mouth for several hours after? Swallow This is a fascinating exploration of the food processing industry and its products – not just the more obvious ready meals, chicken nuggets and tinned soups, but the less overtly industrial – washed salads, smoothies, yoghurts, cereal bars, bread, fruit juice, prepared vegetables. Forget illegal, horse-meat-scandal processes, every step in the production of these is legal, but practised by a strange and inaccessible industry, with methods a world-away from our idea of domestic food preparation, and obscured by technical speak, unintelligible ingredients manuals, and clever labelling practices. Determined to get to the bottom of the impact the industry has on our food, Joanna Blythman has gained unprecedented access to factories, suppliers and industry insiders, to give an utterly eye-opening account of what we’re really swallowing.
Victorians Undone: Tales of the Flesh in the Age of Decorum
Victorians Undone: Tales of the Flesh in the Age of Decorum
Kathryn Hughes
¥73.58
‘Intriguing, gleefully contentious and – appropriately enough – fizzing with life, Victorians Undone is the most original history book I have read in a long while’ John Preston, Daily Mail A groundbreaking account of what it was like to live in a Victorian body from one of our best historians. Why did the great philosophical novelist George Eliot feel so self-conscious that her right hand was larger than her left? Exactly what made Darwin grow that iconic beard in 1862, a good five years after his contemporaries had all retired their razors? Who knew Queen Victoria had a personal hygiene problem as a young woman and the crisis that followed led to a hurried commitment to marry Albert? What did John Sell Cotman, a handsome drawing room operator who painted some of the most exquisite watercolours the world has ever seen, feel about marrying a woman whose big nose made smart people snigger? How did a working-class child called Fanny Adams disintegrate into pieces in 1867 before being reassembled into a popular joke, one we still reference today, but would stop, appalled, if we knew its origins? Kathryn Hughes follows a thickened index finger or deep baritone voice into the realms of social history, medical discourse, aesthetic practise and religious observance – its language is one of admiring glances, cruel sniggers, an implacably turned back. The result is an eye-opening, deeply intelligent, groundbreaking account that brings the Victorians back to life and helps us understand how they lived their lives.
Wing Girl
Wing Girl
Nic Tatano
¥45.62
‘One of the top 20 books of 2013’ – I Heart… Chick Lit ‘E-book novel of the year’ – Chick Lit Chloe Wing Girl: [wing-gurl] noun 1. A young, single woman frequenting liquor-serving establishments who attracts then later repels eligible men that are eventually picked up by her friends. 2. The essential accessory for dating in Manhattan. For years guys have cruised bars using the "wing man" as a divide and conquer weapon designed to liberate a gorgeous woman from her not-so-beautiful friend. Meet Belinda Carson, Wing Girl. She's a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners investigative reporter fighting for truth, justice and higher ratings. But while her fame draws in the hotties, it’s unfortunate that you can’t buy a new personality at Bloomingdales! Because up close and personal these unsuspecting suitors get fried by a snarky attitude that's sharp enough to slice a stale bagel… which leaves her grateful friends to swoop in for the delectable leftovers! Only enough is enough – isn’t it time for Belinda to stop taking one for the team and land her own Mr Right?
Boss Girl
Boss Girl
Nic Tatano
¥54.65
Sydney Hack is the single, thirtysomething VP of news for a failing network… and she also has a taste for younger men. She soon realizes a whole lot of over-thirty female viewers do as well, so she sets out to give these women what they want; a chiseled, trophy buck in his twenties sitting on the anchor desk next to a woman… Just. Like. Them. With nothing to lose she does the unthinkable; along with three female managers who happen to be her best friends she brings out the casting couch and turns it into a sleeper sofa. Doesn't matter that the men have no television experience. As long as they look good. And there’s a hint of romance in every newscast. Ratings skyrocket as a result, but Sydney and her female cohorts discover something else along the way… True love is not always age appropriate.
It Girl
It Girl
Nic Tatano
¥54.65
~ Veronica Summer is stuck in the dream job from hell. The spunky New York reporter is offered the network's morning anchor position, but she doesn't want it because she's a night person. Then the network plays a trump card, promising her the evening anchor chair in three years. So the fiery redhead takes the plunge, with the ultimate gig waiting down the road. Problem is, that road is filled with two am wake-up calls and the only social life she has is one with bats and raccoons. She quickly realizes she'll never survive the grind and decides the only way out is to get fired by being her snarky self on live television. And the ratings skyrocket. Veronica becomes the nation's It Girl, so the network makes her a celebrity contestant on its most popular nighttime dance competition show, Dance Off. While her journalistic credibility is shot to hell by the show's skimpy costumes, she's thrown into close contact with two incredibly attractive men; her dance partner and the show's sarcastic British judge. And she soon discovers that love is the ultimate gig.
The Park Bench Test: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance
The Park Bench Test: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance
Sarah Lefebve
¥51.50
~ “Can you still see yourself sitting on a park bench, holding hands with that person when they are old and wrinkly? That’s the question you have to ask yourself…” Aspiring journalist Becky loves her boyfriend Alex, but when her best friend Katie gets engaged, she’s left wondering if Alex really is her Mr Right. Their other best friend Emma doesn’t believe in ‘the One’– she’s just looking for a man who will stick around longer than her dad did. As they come together to plan Katie’s big day, navigating the chaos of wedding dress shopping, seating plans, and the dreaded singles table, the girls begin to question their own relationships; and the possibility of settling for anything less than butterflies… Debut author Sarah Lefebve asked her own friends and family how they knew they had found the elusive Mr Right and then turned their honest – and often surprising – answers into this charming, emotional and downright funny romance.
Forever Baby: Jenny’s Story - A Mother’s Diary
Forever Baby: Jenny’s Story - A Mother’s Diary
Mary Burbidge
¥54.65
“I have a darling baby. A patient placid baby who nuzzles warmly into her sheepskin and gives me a sleepy smile when I come in. She sits up, bounces happily and reaches out for a cuddle …” “I’ve had my darling baby for nearly twenty years now and unless something happens, I guess I’ll have her for another twenty years.” Praise for Forever Baby – “Mary’s writing has the quality of being both a participant and an observer. As a participant in a life and death voyage, she writes with emotional force. As an observer, there are some great passages of acute observation and stark – sometimes black – humour. “But the dominant emotion is love: love given by Mary and the Burbidge Family to their daughter Jenny; love given by Jenny to Mary and family. A special love for a special child, which we are privileged, through this book, to share.” The Hon. Joan Kirner, former Premier of Victoria “Some people just burn with a brighter flame, and Mary Burbidge, doctor, mother and fierce diarist, is one of them. When Mary gave birth over twenty years ago to a disabled baby girl, she began writing from the heart to make sense and meaning of her life. “I have quoted Mary’s experience in one of my own books, but I could never have suspected the dramatic turn of events that would conclude this story. The gritty, heart-bursting world of parenting is captured in a way that I have rarely met elsewhere, but the drama, transcendence and tragedy of raising a child with a disability takes this to a deeper plane still. “Jenny’s story and Mary’s telling of it, will grip the reader and change how they see the world around them for a very long time.” Steve Biddulph, psychologist and author
The Islands of Chaldea
The Islands of Chaldea
Diana Wynne Jones
¥51.50
The brand new and final novel from the magical pen of ‘the Godmother of Fantasy’, Diana Wynne Jones; co-authored with her sister Ursula Jones. Now in paperback. How are you supposed to turn into a Wise Woman if your powers just won’t show up? Aileen is convinced she’ll never become as magical as her Aunt Beck. Then one day her aunt is set a seemingly impossible mission. She must go to the island of Logra and rescue the kidnapped High Prince from the enemy, and Aileen must go with her. They set off along with Ivar, Aileen’s spoilt cousin, and Ogo his clophopping servant, recruiting on their way a huge and elusive cat, a monk with an uncannily wise parrot, and a boy inventor who keeps a pet lizard up his sleeve. But this is no band of mighty warriors, and the evil Lograns and their wizards have blocked their way with an invisible barrier in the sea. Aileen doubts that even with all the magic in the Islands of Chaldea, including Aunt Beck’s, they will be able to penetrate it. But Aileen is about to discover that she could be more important to the mission than she realises. Perhaps it is her, above all, who is being drawn to Logra, and for a very special purpose…