Showing titles in Literature & Fiction

In the fall of 1991, Zooey Orson transfers to the Blackfriars School for Boys hoping for a fresh start following a scandal at his last school. Before he knows it, he’s fallen in with a group of boys who all share the same secret, one which they can only express openly within the safety of the clandestine gatherings of the Vicious Circle—the covert club for gay students going back decades. But when the boys unwittingly happen upon the headmaster’s copy of an arcane occult text, they unleash an eldritch secret so terrible, it threatens to consume them all.

First Meetings is a collection of three novellas (plus the original "Ender's Game") that journey into the origins and the destiny of one Ender Wiggin.

In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong. In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward. For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages–and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz?

Russia, 1940. Fifteen-year-old Misha’s life is about to transform when his father is offered a job in Stalin’s inner circle. They move into a luxurious apartment in the Kremlin, but doubts about the glorious new Russia quickly surface. Misha realizes that the secret police can do whatever they like. His own mother is arrested and sent to prison, but Misha and his father daren’t complain. Then as German troops advance on Moscow, the atmosphere in the Kremlin ignites.

Arc was an ordinary young woman from Earth when she was summoned to an icy hell where she fought for her survival in the name of training to become a hero. Now, after defeating the Overlord itself and achieving the status of hero, she leaves with the goal of enjoying her freedom. She arrives at Arlas, a fantasy world with magic and monsters, a world with numbers, tiers, and classes, a world governed by the System that summoned her.

Nicholas Flamel is the greatest Alchemyst to ever live. The records show that he died in 1418, but what if he's actually been making the elixir of life for centuries? The secrets to eternal life are hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed, and in the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. There is one hope. If the prophecy is true, Sophie and Josh Newman have the power to save everyone. Now they just have to learn to use it.

Her friends warn her not to go to Brendan Fear's birthday party at his family's estate on mysterious Fear Island. But Rachel Martin has a crush on Brendan and is excited to be invited. Brendan has a lot of party games planned. But one game no one planned intrudes on his party - the game of murder. As the guests start dying one by one, Rachel realizes to her horror that she and the other teenagers are trapped on the tiny island with someone who may want to kill them all.

Shortly after her 16th birthday, Sunshine Griffith and her mother, Kat, move from sunny Austin, Texas, to the rain-drenched town of Ridgemont, Washington. Though Sunshine is adopted, she and her mother have always been close, sharing a special bond filled with laughter and inside jokes. But from the moment they arrive, Sunshine feels her world darken with an eeriness she cannot place. And even if Kat doesn't recognize it, Sunshine knows that something about their new house is just...creepy.

The enchantment continues...nine short stories from the beloved The Lunar Chronicles. The universe of The Lunar Chronicles holds stories - and secrets - that are wondrous, vicious and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realise their destinies? With nine stories to explore, Stars Above is essential for fans of the best-selling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

Maurice, an amazing cat who has survived four years on the toughest streets in the whole of the Discworld, reckons that rats are dumb - clever, OK, but dumb. Maurice, however, is smart, smart enough to recognize that there's a new kind of rat around: rats who have been eating wizards' rubbish and can now talk. Smart enough to get a pretty amazing idea when he spots a stupid-looking kid playing the flute....Now Maurice has his very own "plague of rats" and his own Pied Piper.

Wade Westmore is used to being in the spotlight. So when he’s passed over for the lead in the spring musical, it comes as a major blow—especially when the role goes to his ex-boyfriend, Reese, who dumped him for being too self-involved. Shy sophomore Elijah Brady is used to being overlooked. Forget not knowing his name—most of his classmates don’t even know he exists. So when he joins the stage crew for the musical, he seems destined to blend into the scenery. When the two have a disastrous backstage run-in, Elijah proposes an arrangement that could solve both boys’ problems.

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city

Penny Paxton is the daughter of an icon. Her supermodel mother has legions of adoring fans around the world, and Penny is ready to begin her journey to international adoration, starting with joining the elite Dorian Drama School. When Penny’s new mentor offers her an opportunity she cannot refuse, to have a portrait painted by a mysterious artist who can grant immortal beauty to all his subjects, Penny happily follows in the footsteps of Dorian’s most glittering alumni, knowing that stardom is sure to soon be hers.

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the hospital—specifically, in the psychiatric ward. Despite the bandages on his wrists, he’s positive this is all some huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal; not like the other kids in the hospital with him. But over the course of the next forty-five days, Jeff begins to understand why he ended up here—and realizes he has more in common with the other kids than he thought.

The future is divided by Perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. If you're inside, you're lucky. If you're outside, life expectancy takes a nose dive. Riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. But her life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through and murders her sister. She forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. Luc decides to go with her; otherwise she'll be dead before she's past the security gate. But what awaits her outside is more unbelievable than she ever imagined.

When Ellen Carr abandons grey, dreary London to become housekeeper at an experimental school in Austria, she soon knows she's found her calling. Swept into an idyllic world of mountains, music, eccentric teachers and wayward children, Ellen brings order and joy to all around her. But it's the handsome, mysterious gardener, Marek, who intrigues her - Marek, who has a dangerous secret. As Hitler's troops march across Europe, Ellen finds she has promises to keep, even if it means sacrificing her future happiness.

Depuis des décennies, le mal règne dans l'Empire d'Alagaësia. Un jour, "Eragon", un jeune fermier, découvre au cœur de la forêt une pierre magnifique. Elle est si bleue, si lisse ! Fasciné, il l'emporte à Carvahall, le village où il vit avec son oncle et son cousin. Comment pourrait-il deviner qu'il s'agit d'un œuf, et qu'un dragon porteur d'un héritage ancestral, aussi vieux que l'Empire lui-même, va éclore ? Dès lors, la vie d'Eragon est bouleversée. Contraint de quitter les siens, il s'engage dans une quête qui le mènera aux confins de l'Alagaësia.

It's the summer of 1932 in New York City, and word on the street is that Joey Drew Studios is planning something big: a new cartoon character to star alongside the world-famous Bendy! The new addition, Alice Angel, has the halo and sweet disposition to match her name, but the twisted tale of her creation can't be told from just one perspective. From the animators to the voice actresses to the guy who sweeps the floors, everyone has something to say about birth of the little angel who almost brought the most powerful cartoon studio in the big city to its doom.

Life should be Gucci gooseberry gorgeous for loved-up Cat. And it is … until her über-cool and swoonsome girlfriend, Morgan Delaney, takes on Cat's friend–and the most powerfully popular influencer in Lambley Common–Siobhan Collingdale, for the hotly contested spot of Head Girl. With her loyalties put to the test, Cat throws herself into the gender-indifferent school production of Romeo and Juliet. (A decision she soon regrets...) As life imitates art, Cat's left wondering if she (or the school) can survive Collingdale versus Delaney.

Takasu Ryuuji might look like a thug, but he's actually a nice guy. Making friends when you've got an unintentionally scary face is tough--and don't even get him started on girlfriends. But with his secret crush in his class, the start of his second year of high school is off to a good start...until he crosses paths with Aisaka Taiga. Beautiful, frightening, and not quite five feet tall, the girl known as the palmtop tiger is the one person in school even scarier than Ryuuji himself--and he's just made the mistake of making her very, very angry.