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万本电子书0元读

Portrait of an Unknown Woman
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
Bennett, Vanora
¥83.69
The year is 1527. The great portraitist Hans Holbein, who has fled the reformation in Europe, is making his first trip to England under commission to Sir Thomas More. In the course of six years, Holbein will become a close friend to the More family and paint two nearly identical family portraits. But closer examination of the paintings reveals that the second holds several mysteries...Set against the turmoil, intrigue and, tragedy of Henry VIII's court, Portrait of an Unknown Woman vividly evokes sixteenth-century England on the verge of enormous change. As the Protestant Reformation sweeps across Europe to lap at England's shores, relations between her king and the Catholic Church begin to plummet-driven by Henry VIII's insatiable need for a male heir and the urgings of his cunning mistress Anne Boleyn-and heresy begins to take hold. As tensions rise, Henry VIII turns to his most trusted servant and defender of Catholic orthodoxy, Sir Thomas More to keep peace in England, but soon the entire More family find their own lives at risk.At the center of Portrait of an Unknown Woman is Meg Gigg's, Sir Thomas More's twenty-three year old adopted daughter. Intelligent, headstrong, and tender-hearted, Meg has been schooled in the healing arts. And though she is devoted to her family, events conspire that will cause Meg to question everything she thought she knew-including the desires of her own heart. As the danger to More and his family increases, two men will vie for Meg's affections: John Clement, her former tutor and More's protg who shares Meg's passion for medicine, but whose true identity will become unclear, and the great Holbein, who's artistic vision will forever alter her understanding of the world. With a striking sense of period detail Portrait of an Unknown Woman is an unforgettable story of sin and religion, desire and deception. It is the story of a young woman on the brink of sensual awakening and of a country on the edge of mayhem.
The Post-Birthday World
The Post-Birthday World
Shriver, Lionel
¥83.03
American children's book illustrator Irina McGovern enjoys a secure, settled life in London with her smart, loyal, disciplined partner, Lawrence until the night she finds herself inexplicably drawn to kissing another man, a passionate, extravagant, top-ranked snooker player. Two competing alternate futures hinge on this single kiss, as Irina's decision to surrender to temptation or to preserve her seemingly safe partnership with Lawrence will have momentous consequences for her career, her friendships and familial relationships, and the texture of her daily life.
A Poisoned Season
A Poisoned Season
Alexander, Tasha
¥78.32
London's social season is in full swing, and Victorian aristocracy is atwitter over a certain gentleman who claims to be the direct descendant of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Adding to their fascination with all things French, an audacious cat burglar is systematically stealing valuable items that once belonged to the ill fated queen. But things take a dark turn. The owner of one of the pilfered treasures is found murdered after the theft is reported in the newspapers, and the mysterious thief develops a twisted obsession with Lady Emily Ashton. It takes all of Lady Emily's wit and perseverance to unmask her stalker and ferret out the murderer, while faced with a brewing scandal that threatens both her reputation and her romance with the dashing Colin Hargreaves.
Together Tea
Together Tea
Kamali, Marjan
¥83.92
Darya has discovered the perfect gift for her daughter's twenty-fifth birthday: an ideal husband. Mina, however, is fed up with her mother's endless matchmaking and grading of available Iranian American bachelors.After Darya's last ill-fated attempt to find Mina a husband, mother and daughter embark on a journey to Iran, where the two women gradually begin to understand each other. But after Mina falls for a young man who never appeared on her mother's spreadsheets and Darya is tempted by an American musician, will this mother and daughter's tender appreciation for each other survive?
City of Hope
City of Hope
Kerrigan, Kate
¥90.51
The heartrending and inspiring sequel to Ellis Island, Kate Kerrigan's City of Hope is an uplifting story of a woman truly ahead of her timeWhen her beloved husband suddenly dies, young Ellie Hogan decides to leave Ireland and return to New York, where she worked in the 1920s. She hopes that the city will distract her from her anguish. But the Great Depression has rendered the city unrecognizable. Gone are the magic and ambiance that once captured Ellie's imagination.Plunging headfirst into a new life, Ellie pours her passion and energy into running a refuge for the homeless. Her calling provides the love, support, and friendship she needs in order to overcome her grief—until, one day, someone Ellie never thought she'd see again steps through her door. It seems that even the vast Atlantic Ocean isn't enough to keep the tragedies of the past from catching up with her.
The Scrivener's Tale
The Scrivener's Tale
McIntosh, Fiona
¥83.03
Gabe Figaret, an ex-psychologist turned writer, now works in a bookshop in Paris. He lives a quiet life as he attempts to rehabilitate his psyche from the ravages of his past. While he'd prefer to probe his own mind rather than a stranger's, he cannot refuse when Reynard, a doctor and one of his regular customers, asks Gabe to mentor a patient, a mysterious young woman named Angelina.Angelina is shy. She is mute and delusional. At first, she appears to be terrified of Reynard. But Gabe quickly discovers that Angelina is not quite what she seems. As his relationship with the enigmatic Angelina deepens, Gabe's life in Paris becomes increasingly unstable. He senses a presence watching, lurking, following his every move.When Angelina tells Gabe that he must kill her, and then flee to a fantastical realm she calls Morgravia, he is aghast. But Angelina gives him proof that Morgravia is not a delusion; it is real. Soon, Gabe's world will be turned upside down, and he will learn shocking truths about his past, and the perilous trials in his future.
Lineup
Lineup
Shoham, Liad
¥84.16
International bestselling author Liad Shoham makes his American debut in this compelling, superbly plotted crime thriller.After a brutal rape disturbs a quiet Tel Aviv neighborhood, baffled detectives find no clues, no eyewitnesses, and no suspects. The father of the shattered victim refuses to rest until justice is done, so he begins his own investigation. Keeping watch over his daughter's apartment from the street, he notices Ziv Nevo lurking in the shadows.All circumstances—and the victim—point to Nevo's guilt, and it appears the case is closed. But appearances can be deceiving. Detective Eli Nachum is eager to wrap up this high-profile case, which threatens to thwart his career. He sees an easy conviction when the father, determined to succeed where the police have failed, hands over Nevo. But why does the suspect keep silent during the interrogationWhat secret is he hidingWhat should Nachum and the idealistic young district attorney understand from the suspect's silence?What unfolds is a brilliant, fast-paced story that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Lineup is a twisted tale of mistaken identity, organized crime, a disgraced detective looking for redemption, a tireless young reporter, and an innocent man with a not-so-innocent past. Which lines will they cross and what will they be willing to risk, as their worlds begin to collapseThis seamless, gripping novel introduces a powerful new voice in crime fiction.
Asylum City
Asylum City
Shoham, Liad
¥145.49
Another triumph.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)Poised between the shores of Africa and the developed coastline of continental Europe, Tel Aviv is home to a large refugee population. Many immigrants walk its streets, desperately yearning for a new life. To assist them, Michal Poleg, an ardent young activist, volunteers with the city’s Office of Migrant Aid. But as badly as these immigrants would like to stay, there are more than a few locals who want them to leave. And when Michal is found dead in her apartment, her involvement with the controversial asylum seekers seems an obvious starting point in the search for answers.Officer Anat Nachmias has never been asked to lead an investigation until she is assigned to Michal’s case. But the deeper Anat delves into Michal’s activism, the more she is convinced that the working theory is wrong, especially when she doesn’t believe a word of the young African man who soon confesses to the crime. What she does believe is that Michal, a petite, opinionated woman, got herself involved in something much bigger, and far more dangerous, than she could handle.Joined by Michal’s clumsy but charming boss, Itai, Anat descends into a shadowy, amoral underworld—and what she discovers will shock the city, setting in motion events that will have dramatic, far-reaching consequences.“An amazing thriller. . . . Extremely well-written, this plot is one that will stay in the memory for a good, long time to come.”—Suspense Magazine
What I Had Before I Had You
What I Had Before I Had You
Cornwell, Sarah
¥83.03
Written in radiant prose and with stunning psychological acuity, award-winning author Sarah Cornwell's What I Had Before I Had You is a deeply poignant story that captures the joys and sorrows of growing up and learning to let go.Olivia Reed was fifteen when she left her hometown of Ocean Vista on the Jersey Shore. Two decades later, divorced and unstrung, she returns with her teenage daughter, Carrie, and nine-year-old son, Daniel, recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Distracted by thoughts of the past, Olivia fails to notice when Daniel disappears from her side. Her frantic search for him sparks memories of the summer of 1987, when she exploded out of the cocoon of her mother's fierce, smothering love and into a sudden, full-throttle adolescence, complete with dangerous new friends, first love, and a rebellion so intense that it utterly recharted the course of her life.Olivia's mother, Myla, was a practicing psychic whose powers waxed and waned along with her mercurial moods. Myla raised Olivia to be a guarded child, and also to believe in the ever-present infant ghosts of her twin sisters, whom Myla took care of as if they were alive—diapers, baby food, an empty nursery kept like a shrine. At fifteen, Olivia saw her sisters for the first time, not as ghostly infants but as teenagers on the beach. But when Myla denied her vision, Olivia set out to learn the truth—a journey that led to shattering discoveries about herself and her family.Sarah Cornwell seamlessly weaves together the past and the present in this riveting debut novel, as she examines the relationships between mothers and daughters, and the powerful forces of loss, family history, and magical thinking.
The Art of Lainey
The Art of Lainey
Stokes, Paula
¥56.08
Perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Dessen, and Susane Colasanti, The Art of Lainey tells the story of how, with the help of The Art of War, Lainey plots the perfect plan to get her boyfriend back. But is getting him back really what she wants?Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warnings, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.And that's when Lainey and Bianca stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, the girls are sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey's arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous.After a few "dates," it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game. Can fighting for what she wants help Lainey figure out what she really needs?
The Book of Love
The Book of Love
Weingarten, Lynn
¥101.00
In the magical sequel to The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten, Lucy must break the sisterhood's curse before she loses her chance at true love. Since she joined the Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers, Lucy's life has been perfect. Girls want to be her. Boys want to date her. She has access to magic. And her broken heart has completely healed. Her only regret is that her best friend, Tristan, is still hurting from her rejection. As she searches for a way to heal Tristan's heart, she discovers the truth behind her initiation into the sisterhood—and that her sisters have unimaginable secrets they've been keeping from her. Trapped in a group she no longer trusts, Lucy realizes it just might be better to risk a broken heart than to never fall in love again.
Gentleman’s Relish
Gentleman’s Relish
Patrick Gale
¥46.99
An exhilarating new collection of stories by the author of Richard & Judy-bestseller ‘Notes from an Exhibition’, combining wit and poignancy to illuminate experiences both common and uncommon. Love (and loathing) within families is dissected – a father makes an unexpected discovery about his son which is too hard for him to cope with. A son wreaks revenge through the power of cookery. Three generations of the same family gain freedom through the years in a once-despised caravan. A bored wife finds happiness when an old lag teaches her the art of angling. A dog-training lesson with a puppy who hasn’t grasped the meaning of ‘obedience’ leads to the discovery of a murder. Here too are music and silence – the sweetness and sadness of festivals, of the Church and of the control exercised by those in charge in small communities. This tremendously enjoyable collection of stories has the same wit, tenderness and acute psychological observation as Gale’s bestselling novels, including NOTES FROM AN EXHIBITION and the recent THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH. For Gale's many fans, GENTLEMAN’S RELISH is certain to be a real treat.
The Other Queen
The Other Queen
Philippa Gregory
¥66.22
A dramatic novel of passion, politics and betrayal from the author of The Other Boleyn Girl. They can fear me, and they can hate me. They can even deny me. But they cannot kill me. 1568. The Virgin Queen Elizabeth I has ruled England for ten years, but refuses to name a successor, despite the rival claims that threaten her kingdom. Bess of Hardwick, the new Countess of Shrewsbury, has secured her future with her fourth marriage to George Talbot. Ambitious and shrewd, Bess anticipates royal favour when she and the Earl are asked to give sanctuary to the fugitive Mary Queen of Scots. But the Scottish queen rails against house arrest in a desolate castle and plots to regain her throne. The castle becomes the epicentre of intrigue against Elizabeth, the Earl blinded by admiration for the other queen. Even Bess’s own loyalty is thrown into question. If Elizabeth's spymaster William Cecil links the Talbots to the growing conspiracy to free Mary, they will all face the Tower…
Hit the Beach! (The Sleepover Club)
Hit the Beach! (The Sleepover Club)
Harriet Castor
¥27.27
Also published as Sleepover Girls Go Surfing. The hugely popular Sleepover Club series is back with a gorgeous new look. Meet Frankie, Kenny, Fliss, Rosie and Lyndz – five best friends who just want to have fun! The surf’s up, the tide is high and it’s time for the Sleepover Club to hit the beach during their school activity week in Devon. A whole week of secret midnight feasts! The girls have surfing lessons from cool instructor Bethany, but will they spend more time in the water than on the board? One thing’s for sure, there’s always trouble ahead when the Sleepover girls are involved… As well as a great story this book has tips for fun things to do at your own sleepover party for you and your friends. Pack up your sleepover kit and join in the fun!
The Sunflower Forest
The Sunflower Forest
Torey Hayden
¥45.62
Bestselling author Torey Hayden’s novel poignantly tells of a daughter’s attempt to grow up in the shadow of her mother’s haunted past. Warm, melancholy and evocatively rendered this book captures the essence of a family touched by sadness. A haunting tale of a family who can't escape the consequences of their mother's tormented childhood. Hayden, a master storyteller, again turns her talent to fiction in this novel that combines a psychological thriller with a nuanced family drama. Lesley’s Hungarian mother Mara – charming, childlike, lovable – is traumatized by her adolescent Holocaust experiences. Though her American husband and daughters try to live a normal life, Mara holds them thrall to her moods and quirks. Lesley struggles to understand, but dealing with Mara is a severe strain which sets her apart from her peers. But when Mara’s psychosis results in tragedy, Lesley goes to Wales in search of her mother’s remembered joy.
Madness: A Bipolar Life (Text Only)
Madness: A Bipolar Life (Text Only)
Marya Hornbacher
¥72.30
A searing, unflinching and deeply moving account of Marya Hornbacher’s personal experience of living with bipolar disorder. From the age of six, Marya Hornbacher knew that something was terribly wrong with her, manifesting itself in anorexia and bulimia which she documented in her bestselling memoir ‘Wasted’. But it was only eighteen years later that she learned the true underlying reason for her distress: bipolar disorder. In this new, equally raw and frank account, Marya Hornbacher tells the story of her ongoing battle with this most pervasive and devastating of mental illnesses; how, as she puts it, ‘it crept over me like a vine, sending out tentative shoots in my childhood, taking deeper root in my adolescence, growing stronger in my early adulthood, eventually covering my body and face until I was unrecognizable, trapped, immobilized’. She recounts the soaring highs and obliterating lows of her condition; the savage moodswings and impossible strains it placed on her relationships; the physical danger it has occasionally put her in; the endless cycle of illness and recovery. She also tackles the paradoxical aspects of bipolar disorder – how it has been the drive behind some of her most creative work – and the reality of a life lived in limbo, ‘caught between the world of the mad and the world of the sane’. Yet for all the torment it documents, this is a book about survival, about living day to day with bipolar disorder – the constant round of therapy and medication – and managing it. As well as her own highly personal story, the book includes interviews with family, spouses and friends of sufferers, the people who help their loved ones carry on. Visceral and inspiring, lyrical and sometimes even funny, ‘Madness’ will take its place alongside other classics of the genre such as ‘An Unquiet Mind’ and ‘Girl, Interrupted’.
The Mentor
The Mentor
Steve Jackson
¥51.50
Spying, lying and dying. Fans of ‘Spooks’ will be swept away by Steve Jackson’s explosive debut novel. They say lightning never strikes twice. They are wrong. London has been bombed for the second time in 2 years, but this time the enemy is a lot closer to home. Paul Aston, a young MI6 Agent, is sent to investigate. But nothing could have prepared him for the scenes of horror and devastation that he sees. Images that will stay with him for the rest of his life. The government blames MI6, MI6 blames the government, but the truth behind what the media are calling 18/8 is more chilling than anyone could have imagined. Slowly, Aston tears away the layers of corruption, betrayal and murder to reveal the real culprit. Someone who knows every trick in the book, because he’s played every trick in the book. Someone who has a deep seething hatred of MI6 and will stop at nothing until his vengeance is satisfied. He is The Mentor.
Trick or Treat (The Sleepover Club)
Trick or Treat (The Sleepover Club)
Jana Hunter
¥27.27
The hugely popular Sleepover Club series is back with a gorgeous new look. Meet Frankie, Kenny, Fliss, Rosie and Lyndz - five best friends who just want to have fun! It's Halloween and the Sleepover Club girls have organised a special spooky sleepover at Kenny's house. Then her horrible big sister Molly goes and ruins everything. But Molly had better watch out as the girls are determined to get their own back. And their plan involves a geeky boy and a witchy little love potion... As well as a great story this book has tips for fun things to do at your own sleepover party for you and your friends. Pack up your sleepover kit and join in the fun!
The Necklace: A true story of 13 women, 1 diamond necklace and a fabulous idea
The Necklace: A true story of 13 women, 1 diamond necklace and a fabulous idea
Cheryl Jarvis
¥54.25
One day a woman of average means waltzes by a jewellery shop window and spots a ?20,000 diamond necklace. She can't get it out of her head. Eventually she gets the idea of sharing it with friends, persuading them to chip in a grand each to buy the necklace. This is the true story of 13 ordinary women, and one extraordinary adventure. The Necklace is the amazing true story of thirteen women who didn't want to give up on their dreams. They clubbed together to buy a gorgeous diamond necklace, agreeing that each of them would have it for four weeks at a time. They would meet every month to find out what the necklace (now dubbed 'Jewelia') had been up to. The club had some rules: if someone went to Paris, they got the necklace. At least once, everyone had to wear the necklace whilst making love. After two years, the necklace had been loaned out to nieces, grandmas, friends and granddaughters. It had been worn by brides and colleagues and sisters and friends. And when it was their turn for the necklace the women of Jewelia wore it for both the daily routines and special events of their lives, to teach school, to work in the farmer's market, to go fishing and skydiving. It started something. The Necklace is the story of how an object of desire became a catalyst for connection, friendship and more. It's like Calendar Girls, only maybe a bit more glamorous, glitzy and sparkling.
Star of the Morning: The Extraordinary Life of Lady Hester Stanhope (Text Only)
Star of the Morning: The Extraordinary Life of Lady Hester Stanhope (Text Only)
Kirsten Ellis
¥192.67
The dramatic story of Lady Hester Stanhope – a wilful beauty turned bohemian adventurer – who left England as a young woman, unashamedly enjoyed a string of lovers and established her own exotic fiefdom in the Lebanese mountains where she died in 1839. Ambitious, daring and uncompromising, Lady Hester Stanhope was never cut out for a conventional life. Born into an illustrious political dynasty, she played society hostess for her uncle, William Pitt the Younger. After his death, she struck out for unchartered territory, setting sail with her lover for the Mediterranean and Constantinople – turning her back on England, as events would transpire, forever. It was in the Middle East, however, that she found her destiny. As the greatest female traveller of her age, she was the first western woman to cross the Syrian desert, where she was hailed by the Bedouin as their ‘Star of the Morning’. From her labyrinthine fortress in the mountains of Lebanon, where she established what amounted to her own fiefdom, she exerted a canny influence over the region's devious politics. Hers was a life of adventure and intrigue – yet in the years following her death her remarkable story has been largely dismissed, reworked by the Victorians into a cautionary tale for young women with wayward tendencies. This captivating biography, drawing on fresh research from three continents, resurrects Hester as the complex, courageous and fearless woman she was, bringing to life her hidden loves, friendships and ambitions. More than a mere traveller, here was a woman whose aspirations led her straight to the heart of the shadowy race for influence between the great powers of the nineteenth century – a world of shifting alliances, double agents, romance, intrigue and murder. Above all, Lady Hester Stanhope was a woman driven by her desire to make a mark on the world, whose search for love and spiritual meaning in a war-torn Middle East provide an illuminating and moving parallel for our time.
The Inside Ring
The Inside Ring
Mike Lawson
¥38.16
THE WEST WING MEETS 24 IN A PACE-RIDDEN TALE OF CONSPIRACY, CORRUPTION AND COLD-BLOODED MURDER Joe De Marco is running out of time. Someone has made an attempt on the president’s life, but the wrong man is dead. How could this happen when the president and those nearest to him are protected by a group of men known as THE INSIDE RING? Is there a chink in the armour? A break in the circle, is someone not quite what they seem? Joe's search for the answers takes him from the corridors of power to the swamps of the southern states, where one lie will lead to another until finally the shocking truth will emerge in an orgy of violence. THE INSIDE RING where greed and corruption walk hand in hand with murder.