Alessandra's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 18 Aug 2024 15:34:23 -0700 60 Alessandra's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)]]> 25895524 The international bestselling author of the Broken Empire and the Red Queen's War trilogies begins a stunning epic fantasy series about a secretive order of holy warriors...

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don't truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls.

A bloodstained child of nine falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass's care there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies.

Despite the security and isolation of the convent, Nona's secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Her arrival sparks old feuds to life, igniting vicious struggles within the church and even drawing the eye of the emperor himself.

Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.]]> 467 Mark Lawrence 1101988851 Alessandra 4 4.13 2017 Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2017
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone, #1)]]> 10194157 Alternative Cover Edition #1

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.]]> 358 Leigh Bardugo 1250048117 Alessandra 5 3.93 2012 Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone, #1)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Darkest Part of the Forest]]> 20958632
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries� seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does�

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?]]> 328 Holly Black 0316213071 Alessandra 5 3.87 2015 The Darkest Part of the Forest
author: Holly Black
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)]]> 51190882
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

Librarian Note: Older cover of B07VH6Y4JD.]]> 119 Nghi Vo Alessandra 5 3.90 2020 The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
author: Nghi Vo
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 5
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]]> Taming Flame 61608233
"Just that she is all heart. She doesn't have an artificial bone in her body, and therefore, doesn't have the ruthlessness necessary to survive the royal court."

Flaminius's days of bouncing between beds are snatched away the instant he sets eyes on his perfect genetic match, Aurelia. Suddenly, the tedious task of claiming his rightful place on the throne of Arkhnuet doesn't seem as daunting with his whip-smart wife by his side. But it's not like Aurelia had a choice; Flaminius is the only soul she can reproduce with, and she's not about to play a role in her people's extinction.

After a swift wedding and passionate honeymoon, an assassination attempt plummets the lovers back into the reality of ruling. Fueled by their indomitable matched hormones and fierce loyalty to each other, together they must evade his mother's Machiavellian schemes, hunt down the mysterious cause of death among the match-making Keys, and protect the people from a violent supremacist cult, the Oradagra. But it turns out that the greatest threat to their existence is something neither of them could have seen coming, and it's a race against time to save the entire Arkhnuetian planet.]]> 312 Therisa Peimer 1039125611 Alessandra 3 4.29 2022 Taming Flame
author: Therisa Peimer
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2022
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1)]]> 40605251 The magical saga of the women behind King Arthur's throne.

“A monumental reimagining of the Arthurian legends . . . reading it is a deeply moving and at times uncanny experience. . . . An impressive achievement.”—The New York Times Book Review

In Marion Zimmer Bradley's masterpiece, we see the tumult and adventures of Camelot's court through the eyes of the women who bolstered the king's rise and schemed for his fall. From their childhoods through the ultimate fulfillment of their destinies, we follow these women and the diverse cast of characters that surrounds them as the great Arthurian epic unfolds stunningly before us.

As Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar struggle for control over the fate of Arthur's kingdom, as the Knights of the Round Table take on their infamous quest, as Merlin and Viviane wield their magics for the future of Old Britain, the Isle of Avalon slips further into the impenetrable mists of memory, until the fissure between old and new worlds' and old and new religions' claims its most famous victim.]]> 1009 Marion Zimmer Bradley Alessandra 5 4.20 1982 The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1)
author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1982
rating: 5
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]]> The Phantom Tollbooth 378 Librarian's Note: For an alternate cover edition of the same ISBN, click here.

This beloved story -first published more than fifty years ago- introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond.

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .]]> 248 Norton Juster 0394820371 Alessandra 5 4.19 1961 The Phantom Tollbooth
author: Norton Juster
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1961
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence (Zodiac Legacy, #1)]]> 22215757 463 Stan Lee 1423180852 Alessandra 5 3.83 2015 The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence (Zodiac Legacy, #1)
author: Stan Lee
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/03/25
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]]> Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1) 44652 Trespassers will be turned to stone

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite . . .

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, powerful forces of evil are unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives, to save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world.]]> 351 Brandon Mull 1590385810 Alessandra 4 novels, re-read 4.13 2006 Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1)
author: Brandon Mull
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2006
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: novels, re-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Good Dragon Deserves Another (Heartstrikers, #2)]]> 25635416
Refusal to play along with his mother’s plans means death, but there’s more going on than even Bethesda knows, and with Estella back in the game with a vengeance, Heartstriker futures disappearing, and Algonquin’s dragon hunter closing in, the stakes are higher than even a seer can calculate. But when his most powerful family members start dropping like flies, it falls to Julius to defend the clan that never respected him and prove that, sometimes, the world’s worst dragon is the best one to have on your side.]]> 487 Rachel Aaron 1952367387 Alessandra 5 novel, ya-fiction, my-books 4.31 2015 One Good Dragon Deserves Another (Heartstrikers, #2)
author: Rachel Aaron
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: novel, ya-fiction, my-books
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., #1)]]> 13555073
For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .]]> 440 Jonathan Stroud 0857532014 Alessandra 5 young-adults 4.24 2013 The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., #1)
author: Jonathan Stroud
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: young-adults
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Magic Misfits (The Magic Misfits, #1)]]> 28107444 From award-winning actor, Neil Patrick Harris, comes the magical first book in a new series with plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on.

After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.

(Psst. Hey, you! Yes, you! Congratulations on reading this far. As a reward, I'll let you in on a little secret... This book isn't just a book. It's a treasure trove of secrets and ciphers and codes and even tricks. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll discover more than just a story--you'll learn how to make your own magic!)]]> 256 Neil Patrick Harris 0316355585 Alessandra 5 books-i-own, owned-books 4.00 2017 The Magic Misfits (The Magic Misfits, #1)
author: Neil Patrick Harris
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: books-i-own, owned-books
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]]> <![CDATA[The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)]]> 42080479 The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are�?]]> 488 Soman Chainani 006210490X Alessandra 5 4.00 2013 The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)
author: Soman Chainani
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: young-adult, favourites, book-club, action-adventure, wishlist, owned, ya-lit, 5-stars
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava, #1)]]> 36222611
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?]]> 355 Roshani Chokshi 1368012353 Alessandra 5 4.07 2018 Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava, #1)
author: Roshani Chokshi
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: kindle, faves, favs, young-adult-fiction, my-library, ebook, loved, teen, i-own, all-time-favorites, adventure, books
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Being a Witch, and Other Things I Didn't Ask For]]> 34186576 Kirkus Reviews � Verdict: Get it.]]> 380 Sara Pascoe 0993574734 Alessandra 5 4.29 2015 Being a Witch, and Other Things I Didn't Ask For
author: Sara Pascoe
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: teen-fiction, ebooks, read-more-than-once, fiction, ya, favorite, finished, ya-books, bookshelf, own-it, favorites, on-my-shelf, action, my-favorites, reread
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]]> 'night, Mother 50544 'night, Mother is a taut and fluid drama that addresses different emotions and special relations. By one of America's most talented playwrights, this play won the Dramatists Guild's prestigious Hull-Warriner Award, four Tony nominations, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize in 1983.

'night, Mother had its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in December 1982. It opened on Broadway in March 1983, directed by Tom Moore and starring Anne Pitoniak and Kathy Bates; a film, starring Anne Bancroft and Sissy Spacek, was released in 1986.
]]> 66 Marsha Norman 0822208210 Alessandra 5 3.90 1983 'night, Mother
author: Marsha Norman
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1983
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Morning Star (Red Rising Saga, #3)]]> 18966806
Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.]]> 525 Pierce Brown 0345539842 Alessandra 5 4.52 2016 Morning Star (Red Rising Saga, #3)
author: Pierce Brown
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2016
rating: 5
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]]> The Arbitrator 30760409
Max Nowaz’s science fiction novel, The Arbitrator, follows the story of 153 year-old Jim Brown, a former highly successful administrator who is now rotting in jail, for tax fraud. However, in reality, he is there for taking revenge and killing several people on the planet Levita, after meeting the beautiful Narissa...

In prison, he has acquired a drug habit, which is killing him slowly and his only chance of survival is a very expensive renewal process, which will make him young again and cure his drug habit. After ten years in jail, he is suddenly given a reprieve and offered a chance to redeem himself. He is sent as the ‘Arbitrator� to ‘Pirrus� in another solar system, to try and stop a rebellion and bring matters under control. Will he complete the mission successfully to earn enough funds for his regeneration? Only time will tell.
This novel tries to portray realistically, the darker side of colonisation, where a population is ruthlessly exploited in the guise of bringing them civilisation. Brown, a well-oiled cog in such a system prides himself on being ruthlessly efficient in his tyrannical task of keeping the population down, has a change of heart after meeting Gina, a girl he uses as his plaything.
He then slowly embarks on a path of self-emancipation in trying to better the lot of the people under his charge. He is not only up against his own government, the EPA, but also against other forces trying to overthrow him. He also discovers a plot by some external powers trying to invade the planet and is hurled into an epic adventure in a game of survival.
This novel may not be everybody's cup of tea, because of its complex political undertones as it tries to show the insidious underbelly of an autocratic form of colonisation, though it can be enjoyed simply as a great Sci-Fi adventure story.]]> 229 Max Nowaz 1785892134 Alessandra 4 4.25 2016 The Arbitrator
author: Max Nowaz
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2016
rating: 4
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]]> The Time Traveler's Wife 18619684 537 Audrey Niffenegger 1939126010 Alessandra 5 4.07 2003 The Time Traveler's Wife
author: Audrey Niffenegger
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2003
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/10/08
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]]> Macbeth 8852
This shocking tragedy - a violent caution to those seeking power for its own sake - is, to this day, one of Shakespeare’s most popular and influential masterpieces.]]> 249 William Shakespeare 0743477103 Alessandra 5 3.90 1623 Macbeth
author: William Shakespeare
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1623
rating: 5
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date added: 2022/10/08
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]]> Remember (Redemption, #2) 35332 Strong-willed Ashley Baxter is trying to forget.

She has locked up her heart, convinced that no one—including God—could love her. Four unlikely people—Alzheimer's patients—find the cracks in Ashley's heart and slowly help her remember.

Then comes the nightmare of September 11, which forever changes the lives of the Baxter family, causing them to remember what is important and leading them to make decisions that are both heartbreaking and hope-filled.

Landon Blake, who has loved Ashley since he was a teenager, tries to dull the pain of her rejection by immersing himself in the rescue efforts at Ground Zero.

Tragedy and healing. Hurt and forgiveness.
Redemption.
And powerful lessons about remembering. ]]> 409 Karen Kingsbury 0842356290 Alessandra 5 4.42 2002 Remember (Redemption, #2)
author: Karen Kingsbury
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2002
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Out to Canaan (Mitford Years, #4)]]> 78674 464 Jan Karon 0143035061 Alessandra 5 4.30 1997 Out to Canaan (Mitford Years, #4)
author: Jan Karon
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1997
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/10/11
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]]> Fireproof 3412815
Growing up, his wife Catherine always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter . . . just like her father.Now, after seven years of marriage, she wonders when she stopped being "good enough."Countless arguments and anger have them wanting to move on to something with more sparks.

As they prepare for divorce, Caleb's father challenges him to commit to a 40-day experiment: "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb reluctantly agrees, not realizing how it will change his world forever.

Surprised by what he discovers about the meaning of love, Caleb begins to see his wife and marriage as worth fighting for.But is it too late? His job is to rescue others.Now Captain Holt must face his toughest job ever. . . rescuing his wife's heart."]]> 284 Eric Wilson 1595547169 Alessandra 4 4.47 2008 Fireproof
author: Eric Wilson
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2008
rating: 4
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]]> The Bondage Breaker 786082 The Bondage Breaker leads readers away from the shadows and shackles in their lives and toward the freedom that comes when they

realize they have the right to be free confront the power of Satan fight the temptation to do it their way trade deception for grace affirm their identity in Christ ]]> 302 Neil T. Anderson 0736902414 Alessandra 5 4.18 1990 The Bondage Breaker
author: Neil T. Anderson
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1990
rating: 5
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]]> Courageous 10790276 375 Randy Alcorn 1414358466 Alessandra 4 4.54 2011 Courageous
author: Randy Alcorn
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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date added: 2021/10/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World]]> 58868338
Our polarized, divisive culture seems to be without heroes and role models. We are adrift in a dark sea of disillusionment and distrust and we need "human lighthouses" to give us hope and direct us back to the goodness in each other and in our own hearts.

Steve Pemberton found a lighthouse in an ordinary man named John Sykes, his former high school counselor. John gave Steve a safe harbor after Steve escaped an abusive foster home and together they navigated a new path that led to personal and professional success. Through stories of people like John and several others, you will identify how the hardships you have overcome equip you to be a "human lighthouse," inspiring those around you.

The humble gestures of kindness that change the course of our lives can shift the course for America too. With a unique vision for building up individuals and communities and restoring trust, The Lighthouse Effect opens your eyes to those who are quietly heroic. You will reflect on the lighthouses in your own life and be reminded that the greatest heroes are alongside us--and within us.]]> 240 Steve Pemberton 0310362334 Alessandra 5 4.29 The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World
author: Steve Pemberton
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/09/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires]]> 244383 Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve.

As you listen, you’ll discover powerful processes that will help you go with the positive flow of life.

It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good—and this CD set will show you how to make it so in every way!]]> 314 Esther Hicks 1401904599 Alessandra 5 4.19 2004 Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires
author: Esther Hicks
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2004
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/09/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage]]> 55115150 "Anne Lamott is my Oprah." -Chicago Tribune

From the bestselling author of Help, Thanks, Wow comes an inspiring guide to restoring hope and joy in our lives.

In Dusk Night Dawn, Anne Lamott explores the tough questions that many of us grapple with. How can we recapture the confidence we once had as we stumble through the dark times that seem increasingly bleak? As bad news piles up--from climate crises to daily assaults on civility--how can we cope? Where, she asks, "do we start to our world and joy and hope and our faith in life itself back . . . with our sore feet, hearing loss, stiff fingers, poor digestion, stunned minds, broken hearts?"

We begin, Lamott says, by accepting our flaws and embracing our humanity.

Drawing from her own experiences, Lamott shows us the intimate and human ways we can adopt to move through life's dark places and toward the light of hope that still burns ahead for all of us.

As she does in Help, Thanks, Wow and her other bestselling books, Lamott explores the thorny issues of life and faith by breaking them down into manageable, human-sized questions for readers to ponder, in the process showing us how we can amplify life's small moments of joy by staying open to love and connection. As Lamott notes in Dusk Night Dawn, "I got Medicare three days before I got hitched, which sounds like something an old person might do, which does not describe adorably ageless me." Marrying for the first time with a grown son and a grandson, Lamott explains that finding happiness with a partner isn't a function of age or beauty but of outlook and perspective.

Full of the honesty, humor, and humanity that have made Lamott beloved by millions of readers, Dusk Night Dawn is classic Anne Lamott--thoughtful and comic, warm and wise--and further proof that Lamott truly speaks to the better angels in all of us.]]> 224 Anne Lamott 0593189698 Alessandra 4 3.95 2021 Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage
author: Anne Lamott
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2021
rating: 4
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date added: 2021/09/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life]]> 46161166 choose to stop doing. It feels like something we're wired to do, something we just can't escape. But is it?

Anne Bogel's answer is no. Not only can you overcome negative thought patterns that are repetitive, unhealthy, and unhelpful, you can replace them with positive thought patterns that will bring more peace, joy, and love into your life. In Don't Overthink It, you'll find actionable strategies that can make an immediate and lasting difference in how you deal with questions both small--Should I buy these flowers?--and large--What am I doing with my life? More than a book about making good decisions, Don't Overthink It offers you a framework for making choices you'll be comfortable with, using an appropriate amount of energy, freeing you to focus on all the other stuff that matters in life.]]> 217 Anne Bogel 0801094461 Alessandra 1 3.89 2020 Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life
author: Anne Bogel
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2020
rating: 1
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date added: 2021/09/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers]]> 52891090 224 Dane C. Ortlund 1433566133 Alessandra 3 4.50 2020 Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
author: Dane C. Ortlund
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2020
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done]]> 48931078 Being a Lazy Genius isn't about doing more or doing less. It's about doing what matters to you.

"I could not be more excited about this book."--Jenna Fischer, actor and cohost of Office Ladies podcast

The chorus of "shoulds" is loud. You should enjoy the moment, dream big, have it all, get up before the sun, track your water consumption, go on date nights, and be the best. Or maybe you should ignore what people think, live on dry shampoo, be a negligent PTA mom, have a dirty house, and claim your hot mess like a badge of honor.

It's so easy to feel overwhelmed by the mixed messages of what it means to live well.

Kendra Adachi, the creator of the Lazy Genius movement, invites you to live well by your own definition and equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn't. Everything from your morning routine to napping without guilt falls into place with Kendra's thirteen Lazy Genius principles, including:

- Decide once
- Start small
- Ask the Magic Question
- Go in the right order
- Schedule rest

Discover a better way to approach your relationships, work, and piles of mail. Be who you are without the complication of everyone else's "shoulds." Do what matters, skip the rest, and be a person again.]]> 240 Kendra Adachi 0525653910 Alessandra 4 4.11 2020 The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done
author: Kendra Adachi
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Next Person You Meet in Heaven]]> 38718233 The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom tells the story of Eddie’s heavenly reunion with Annie—the little girl he saved on earth—in an unforgettable novel of how our lives and losses intersect.

Fifteen years ago, in Mitch Albom’s beloved novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the world fell in love with Eddie, a grizzled war veteran- turned-amusement park mechanic who died saving the life of a young girl named Annie. Eddie’s journey to heaven taught him that every life matters. Now, in this magical sequel, Mitch Albom reveals Annie’s story.

The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. Injured, scarred, and unable to remember why, Annie’s life is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew. Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love, she believes she has finally found happiness.

As the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo. But when her wedding night day ends in an unimaginable accident, Annie finds herself on her own heavenly journey—and an inevitable reunion with Eddie, one of the five people who will show her how her life mattered in ways she could not have fathomed.

Poignant and beautiful, filled with unexpected twists, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven reminds us that not only does every life matter,but that every ending is also a beginning—we only need to open our eyes to see it.]]> 218 Mitch Albom 0062294466 Alessandra 5 4.32 2018 The Next Person You Meet in Heaven
author: Mitch Albom
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2018
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?]]> 56495 336 Rick Warren 0310276993 Alessandra 3 3.97 2002 The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?
author: Rick Warren
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2002
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Tooth and Nail (Inspector Rebus, #3)]]> 69802 277 Ian Rankin 0752809407 Alessandra 5 3.89 1992 Tooth and Nail (Inspector Rebus, #3)
author: Ian Rankin
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1992
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The High Window (Philip Marlowe, #3)]]> 2049
Fast-talking, trouble-seeking private eye Philip Marlowe is a different kind of detective: a moral man in an amoral world. California in the �40s and �50s is as beautiful as a ripe fruit and rotten to the core, and Marlowe must struggle to retain his integrity amidst the corruption he encounters daily.

In The High Window, Marlowe starts out on the trail of a single stolen coin and ends up knee-deep in bodies. His client, a dried-up husk of a woman, wants him to recover a rare gold coin called a Brasher Doubloon, missing from her late husband’s collection. That’s the simple part.

But Marlowe finds that everyone who handles the coin suffers a run of very bad luck: they always end up dead. If Marlowe doesn’t wrap this one up fast, he’s going to end up in jail - or worse, in a box in the ground.

Starring Toby Stephens, this thrilling dramatisation by Robin Brooks retains all the wry humour of Chandler’s serpentine suspense novel. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 8 October 2011.]]> 272 Raymond Chandler 0394758269 Alessandra 1 4.05 1942 The High Window (Philip Marlowe, #3)
author: Raymond Chandler
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1942
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed]]> 6538 Now updated with new material that brings the killer's picture into clearer focus.

In the fall of 1888, all of London was held in the grip of unspeakable terror. An elusive madman calling himself Jack the Ripper was brutally butchering women in the slums of London’s East End. Police seemed powerless to stop the killer, who delighted in taunting them and whose crimes were clearly escalating in violence from victim to victim. And then the Ripper’s violent spree seemingly ended as abruptly as it had begun. He had struck out of nowhere and then vanished from the scene. Decades passed, then fifty years, then a hundred, and the Ripper’s bloody sexual crimes became anemic and impotent fodder for puzzles, mystery weekends, crime conventions, and so-called “Ripper Walks� that end with pints of ale in the pubs of Whitechapel. But to number-one New York Times bestselling novelist Patricia Cornwell, the Ripper murders are not cute little mysteries to be transformed into parlor games or movies but rather a series of terrible crimes that no one should get away with, even after death. Now Cornwell applies her trademark skills for meticulous research and scientific expertise to dig deeper into the Ripper case than any detective before her—and reveal the true identity of this fabled Victorian killer.

In Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed, Cornwell combines the rigorous discipline of twenty-first century police investigation with forensic techniques undreamed of during the late Victorian era to solve one of the most infamous and difficult serial murder cases in history. Drawing on unparalleled access to original Ripper evidence, documents, and records, as well as archival, academic, and law-enforcement resources, FBI profilers, and top forensic scientists, Cornwell reveals that Jack the Ripper was none other than a respected painter of his day, an artist now collected by some of the world’s finest museums: Walter Richard Sickert.

It has been said of Cornwell that no one depicts the human capability for evil better than she. Adding layer after layer of circumstantial evidence to the physical evidence discovered by modern forensic science and expert minds, Cornwell shows that Sickert, who died peacefully in his bed in 1942, at the age of 81, was not only one of Great Britain’s greatest painters but also a serial killer, a damaged diabolical man driven by megalomania and hate. She exposes Sickert as the author of the infamous Ripper letters that were written to the Metropolitan Police and the press. Her detailed analysis of his paintings shows that his art continually depicted his horrific mutilation of his victims, and her examination of this man’s birth defects, the consequent genital surgical interventions, and their effects on his upbringing present a casebook example of how a psychopathic killer is created.

New information and startling revelations detailed in Portrait of a Killer include:

- How a year-long battery of more than 100 DNA tests—on samples drawn by Cornwell’s forensics team in September 2001 from original Ripper letters and Sickert documents—yielded the first shadows of the 75- to 114 year-old genetic evid...]]> 383 Patricia Cornwell 0425192733 Alessandra 3 3.49 2002 Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed
author: Patricia Cornwell
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2002
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley, #1)]]> 31374
Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry."

Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley—and in their own lives as well.]]> 413 Elizabeth George 0553278029 Alessandra 2 4.03 1988 A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley, #1)
author: Elizabeth George
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1988
rating: 2
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]]> Time Bomb (Alex Delaware, #5) 1208531
Intrigued by a request from the sniper's father to conduct a "psychological autopsy" of his child, Alex begins to uncover a strange pattern of innocence, neglect, and loss. Then suddenly it is more than a pattern -- it is a trail of blood. In the dead sniper's past was a dark and vicious plot. And in Alex Delaware's future is the stuff of grown-up nightmares: the face of real human evil.]]> Jonathan Kellerman 0751512702 Alessandra 1 3.87 1990 Time Bomb (Alex Delaware, #5)
author: Jonathan Kellerman
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1990
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[Twisted: The Collected Short Stories]]> 28567 New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver has long thrilled fans with tales of masterful villains and their nefarious ways, and the brilliant minds who bring them to justice. Now the author of the Lincoln Rhyme series has collected for the first time his award-winning, spine-tingling stories of suspense -- stories that will widen your eyes and stretch your imagination.
A beautiful woman goes to extremes to rid herself of her stalker; a daughter begs her father not to go fishing in an area where there have been a series of brutal killings; a contemporary of the playwright William Shakespeare vows to avenge his family's ruin; and Jeffery Deaver's most beloved character, criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, is back to solve a chilling Christmastime disappearance.
Diverse, provocative, eerie and inspired, this collection of Jeffery Deaver's best stories exhibits the amazing range and signature plot twists that have earned him the title "master of ticking-bomb suspense" (People). With nods to O. Henry and Edgar Allan Poe, these beautifully crafted pieces, never before compiled in one volume, pulse with subtle intrigue and Deaver's incomparable imagination.]]> 480 Jeffery Deaver 0743491599 Alessandra 2 3.92 2003 Twisted: The Collected Short Stories
author: Jeffery Deaver
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2003
rating: 2
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]]> Magnolias in Paradise 32316602 -David Lentz, Author of Bloomsday: The Bostoniad

"This book is immensely readable and is packed with fast paced actions and cliff hanging chapter endings."
-Ashok Shenolikar, Author of Choices They Made


Ernst arrives at the Paradise train station with fifty-thousand dollars to ransom his sweetheart, and while looking among the crowd for the young man with a magnolia, a beggar seizes his bag of cash and escapes through the revolving door. Chasing after the rascal, he slams into his contact--his girlfriend's lover in town. Now, he must beat his love-rival to the money and rescue her before the deadline.

MAGNOLIAS IN PARADISE is a 108,000-word crime novel and the first in a potential series. As in Larry Brown’s Father and Son, good confronts evil in a southern town. And as in Joe R. Lansdale’s Cold in July, an ordinary man gets sucked into a conspiracy, with psychopaths terrorizing a small town and FBI agents going after a corrupt sheriff. In the end, the man must take the law into his hands. But in this case, ending in tragedy. Here, the author combined Will Christopher Baer’s surreal settings and mentally unstable villains, with Brian Evenson’s literary minimalism and heroes cursing their knowledge.]]> 290 Leonard Seet 0967493730 Alessandra 5 3.75 2016 Magnolias in Paradise
author: Leonard Seet
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2016
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Absent One (Department Q, #2)]]> 13505130 The Keeper of Lost Causes, Jussi Adler-Olsen introduced Detective Carl Mørck, a deeply flawed but brilliant detective newly assigned to run Department Q, the home of Copenhagen’s coldest cases.

The result wasn’t what Mørck—or readers—expected, but by the opening of Adler-Olsen’s shocking, fast-paced follow-up, Mørck is satisfied with the notion of picking up long-cold leads. So he’s naturally intrigued when a closed case lands on his desk: A brother and sister were brutally murdered two decades earlier, and one of the suspects—part of a group of privileged boarding-school students—confessed and was convicted.

But once Mørck reopens the files, it becomes clear that all is not what it seems. Looking into the supposedly solved case leads him to Kimmie, a woman living on the streets, stealing to survive. Kimmie has mastered evading the police, but now they aren’t the only ones looking for her. Because Kimmie has secrets that certain influential individuals would kill to keep buried . . . as well as one of her own that could turn everything on its head.]]> 406 Jussi Adler-Olsen 0525952896 Alessandra 3 3.88 2008 The Absent One (Department Q, #2)
author: Jussi Adler-Olsen
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2008
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Crucifix Killer (Robert Hunter, #1)]]> 6479723
All the skin has been ripped from her face - while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that's impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true?

Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him? Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining.]]> 448 Chris Carter 1847376223 Alessandra 4 4.27 2009 The Crucifix Killer (Robert Hunter, #1)
author: Chris Carter
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2009
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lincoln Lawyer (The Lincoln Lawyer, #1; Harry Bosch Universe, #16)]]> 40612032
Haller is the Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car. He travels between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers � they’re all on Mickey Haller’s client list. For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence � it’s about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it’s even about justice.

A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney’s dream, what they call a franchise case. And, as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career.

Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal � this time to save his own life.]]> 405 Michael Connelly Alessandra 5 4.38 2005 The Lincoln Lawyer (The Lincoln Lawyer, #1; Harry Bosch Universe, #16)
author: Michael Connelly
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Gray Ghost (Bill Dix Detective, #1)]]> 23126497
Dix and Petersen, against their better judgment, are drawn into helping their island friends even though it could cost them their careers. Leads are chased down in the Bahamas and Miami. The two detectives identify a diabolical plot of a sinister man known only as “The Caller.�

An elaborate trap is set for The Caller, but he's two steps ahead of the detectives. As the drama unfolds, it's unclear who can be trusted. When it appears The Caller will get away once again, lead detective Dix and his sidekick Petersen exhaust everything they have in an effort to capture the criminal mastermind.

From the Author:
Gray Ghost was developed from headline news and blended with real life cases I've investigated over my career in law enforcement as a narcotics and homicide detective. Although this is fiction, there is much truth to the story. I researched the area the story takes place in and visited the location. I interviewed law enforcement members from the various agencies to ensure my work is valid.
C. L. Swinney is a narcotics investigator currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have investigated hundreds of narcotics, homicide, gang, and Mexico cartel cases along the west coast of the United States, Mexico, Canada, London, and China. I have been invited to speak at law enforcement conferences throughout the United States, and I'm recognized as an expert in narcotics, wiretaps, and cell phone forensics. I recently became a contributor to Policeone.com, the nation's premier law enforcement website.]]> 242 C.L. Swinney Alessandra 2 3.97 2013 Gray Ghost (Bill Dix Detective, #1)
author: C.L. Swinney
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2013
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[Dance Hall of the Dead (Leaphorn & Chee, #2)]]> 425100 255 Tony Hillerman 0061000027 Alessandra 2 3.98 1973 Dance Hall of the Dead (Leaphorn & Chee, #2)
author: Tony Hillerman
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1973
rating: 2
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]]> One Shot (Jack Reacher, #9) 220968
The gunman worked from a parking structure just thirty yards away–point-blank range for a trained military sniper like James Barr. His victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But why does Barr want Reacher at his side? There are good reasons why Reacher is the last person Barr would want to see. But when Reacher hears Barr’s own words, he understands. And a slam-dunk case explodes. Soon Reacher is teamed with a young defense lawyer who is working against her D.A. father and dueling with a prosecution team that has an explosive secret of its own. Like most things Reacher has known in life, this case is a complex battlefield. But, as always, in battle, Reacher is at his best.

Moving in the shadows, picking his spots, Reacher gets closer and closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. And for Reacher, the only way to take him down is to know his ruthlessness and respect his cunning–and then match him shot for shot…]]> 466 Lee Child 0440241022 Alessandra 3 4.21 2005 One Shot (Jack Reacher, #9)
author: Lee Child
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2005
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Reversal (The Lincoln Lawyer, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #22)]]> 7936809
After 24 years in prison, new DNA evidence means convicted killer Jason Jessup has been granted another trial. Haller takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.

Haller becomes convinced Jessup is guilty. Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, his defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years.

With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. What does Bosch think? If he's sure of anything, it's that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.]]> 389 Michael Connelly 0316069485 Alessandra 5 4.15 2010 The Reversal (The Lincoln Lawyer, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #22)
author: Michael Connelly
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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]]> Curtain (Hercule Poirot, #44) 81903
Poirot’s final case, a mystery which brings him and Hastings back to Styles where they first solved a crime together. The story was both anticipated and dreaded by Agatha Christie fans worldwide, many of whom still refuse to read it, as it is known to contain Poirot’s death.

Agatha Christie wrote it during World War II, as a gift for her daughter should she not survive the bombings, and it was kept in a safe for over thirty years. It was agreed among the family that Curtain would be published finally in 1975 by Collins, her long-standing publishers, and that Sleeping Murder (the Marple story written during the war for her husband, Max) would follow.

The reception of Poirot’s death was international, even earning him an obituary in The New York Times; he is still the only fictional character to have received such an honour. The first actor to take on the role of portraying Poirot in his final hours was David Suchet, as the final episode of the series Agatha Christie’s Poirot for which he’d been playing the role for twenty-five years. The episode was adapted in 2013.]]> 215 Agatha Christie 0425173747 Alessandra 2 4.09 1975 Curtain (Hercule Poirot, #44)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1975
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[The Crossing (Harry Bosch, #18; Harry Bosch Universe, #28)]]> 25010281
Bosch doesn't want anything to do with crossing the aisle to work for the defense. He feels it will undo all the good he's done in his thirty years as a homicide cop. But Mickey promises to let the chips fall where they may. If Harry proves that his client did it, under the rules of discovery, they are obliged to turn over the evidence to the prosecution.

Though it goes against all his instincts, Bosch reluctantly takes the case. The prosecution's file just has too many holes and he has to find out for himself: if Haller's client didn't do it, then who did? With the secret help of his former LAPD partner Lucy Soto, Harry starts digging. Soon his investigation leads him inside the police department, where he realizes that the killer he's been tracking has also been tracking him.]]> 388 Michael Connelly 0316225886 Alessandra 4 4.20 2015 The Crossing (Harry Bosch, #18; Harry Bosch Universe, #28)
author: Michael Connelly
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[A Sea of Troubles (Commissario Brunetti, #10)]]> 71675 319 Donna Leon 009941516X Alessandra 5 3.85 2001 A Sea of Troubles (Commissario Brunetti, #10)
author: Donna Leon
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2001
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club, #3)]]> 13132 339 James Patterson Alessandra 4 4.03 2004 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club, #3)
author: James Patterson
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2004
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Silence of the Grave (Inspector Erlendur, #4)]]> 82991 280 Arnaldur Indriðason 0312340710 Alessandra 4 3.97 2001 Silence of the Grave (Inspector Erlendur, #4)
author: Arnaldur Indriðason
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2001
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Heartshot (Bill Gastner Mystery, #1)]]> 1616870 A car full of teens out by the lake, running from a stop by Deputy Torrez, goes
airborne into a rocky outcrop, killing all five kids and revealing a package under the seat. A stash of cocaine this size argues someone or ones has brought big time crime to the county. Were the dead kids merely innocent dupes? Partying that July Fourth night? Dealing?
Searching for answers, Bill deploys his department while dealing with grieving parents, one of whom starts packing a gun. Then a second explosion of violence
fells an undercover cop whose fate is decided in a tension-filled, brilliantly described, air ambulance flight.
Under pressure, the sheriff's department shows its mettle and pulls together to make a formidable team. Its weak spot may be Bill, whose mind is too tough to
crumble but whose body, long mistreated, gradually succumbs to stress. Ignoring
all advice and sense he pilots the case to a final dramatic, midair confrontation where the fate of the killer and the cop will be decided....
The author's deep affection for southern New Mexico and his gift for vividly
etching ordinary people make this well-plotted first novel a standout.

About the Author: Steven F. Havill lives near Albuquerque, New Mexico,
with his wife Kathleen, a writer and artist. A dedicated high school teacher
of high school biology and English by day Havill earned both his B.A. and M.A.
from the University of New Mexico. Besides writing the seven Undersheriff
Bill Gastner mysteries, of which Heartshot is the first, Havill has also
written three Western novels.]]> 208 Steven F. Havill 1890208299 Alessandra 4 3.93 1991 Heartshot (Bill Gastner Mystery, #1)
author: Steven F. Havill
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1991
rating: 4
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]]> Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, #7) 6424 Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1

BLOWN UP

All New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has to do is bring in semi-retired bail jumper Eddie DeChooch. For an old man he's still got a knack for slipping out of sight--and raising hell. How else can Stephanie explain the bullet-riddled corpse in Eddie's garden? Who else would have a clue as to why two of Stephanie's friends suddenly vanished? For answers Stephanie has the devil to pay: her mentor, Ranger. The deal? He'll give Stephanie all the help she needs--if she gives him everything he wants...

MESSED UP

As if things weren't complicated enough, Stephanie's just discovered her Grandma Mazur's own unmentionable alliance with Eddie. Add a series of unnerving break-ins, not to mention the bombshell revelation leveled by Stephanie's estranged sister, and Stephanie's ready for some good news. Unfortunately, a marriage proposal from Joe Morelli, the love of her life, isn't quite cutting it. And now--murder, a randy paramour, a wily mobster, death threats, extortion, and a triple kidnapping aside--Stephanie's really got the urge to run for her life...

~]]> 337 Janet Evanovich 0312980140 Alessandra 5 4.15 2001 Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, #7)
author: Janet Evanovich
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2001
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Drowning (Patrik Hedström, #6)]]> 25328976 The Mermaid, has been published to rave reviews. So why is he as distant and unhappy as ever?

When crime writer Erica Falck, who helped Christian discover and develop his talents, learns he has been receiving anonymous threats, she investigates not just the messages but also the young author mysterious past. Then, one of Christian’s closet friends, Magnus, goes missing.

Erica’s husband, Detective Patrik Hedström, has his worst suspicions confirmed as the mind-games aimed at Christian become a disturbing reality. Christian's group of friends—a “gang of four� from childhood—is a tangled web of relationships, love triangles, and family secrets that Erica and Patrick must unravel in order to discover what really happened to Magnus and who is still threatening Christian.

But, with the victims themselves concealing evidence, the investigation is going nowhere. Is their silence driven by fear or guilt? What is the secret they would rather die to protect than live to see revealed?]]> 476 Camilla Läckberg 1605988561 Alessandra 3 3.99 2008 The Drowning (Patrik Hedström, #6)
author: Camilla Läckberg
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2008
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Bourne Ultimatum (Jason Bourne, #3)]]> 31259
At a small-town carnival two men, each mysteriously summoned by telegram, witness a bizarre killing. The telegrams are signed Jason Bourne. Only they know Bourne's true identity and understand the telegram is really a message from Bourne's mortal enemy, Carlos, known also as the Jackal, the world's deadliest and most elusive terrorist. And furthermore, they know that the Jackal wants: a final confrontation with Bourne.

Now David Webb, professor of Oriental studies, husband, and father, must do what he hoped he would never have to do again: assume the terrible identity of Jason Bourne. His plan is simple: to infiltrate the politically and economically Medusan group and use himself as bait to lure the cunning Jackal into a deadly trap, a trap from which only one of them will escape.]]> 725 Robert Ludlum 0752858491 Alessandra 5 4.09 1990 The Bourne Ultimatum (Jason Bourne, #3)
author: Robert Ludlum
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1990
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> The Redeemer (Harry Hole, #6) 33641782 B004J4WMZO

A fantastically gripping thriller from the best-selling author of The Snowman.

Christmas shoppers stop to hear a Salvation Army concert on a crowded Oslo street. A gunshot cuts through the music and the bitter cold: one of the singers falls dead, shot in the head at point-blank range. Harry Hole—the Oslo Police Department’s best investigator and worst civil servant—has little to work with: no suspect, no weapon, and no motive. But Harry’s troubles will multiply. As the search closes in, the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and Harry’s chase takes him to the most forbidden corners of the former Yugoslavia.

Yet it’s when he returns to Oslo that he encounters true darkness: among the homeless junkies and Salvationists, eagerly awaiting a savior to deliver them from misery—whether he brings new life or immediate death.

With its shrewdly vertiginous narrative, acid-etched characters, and white-hot pace, The Redeemer is resounding proof of Jo Nesbø’s standing as one of the best crime writers of our time.]]> 466 Jo Nesbø Alessandra 5 4.10 2005 The Redeemer (Harry Hole, #6)
author: Jo Nesbø
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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]]> Shutter Island 21686 369 Dennis Lehane 038073186X Alessandra 5 4.12 2003 Shutter Island
author: Dennis Lehane
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> Indelible (Grant County, #4) 182012
Going back and forth between present and past, the narrative takes place in two time frames: present and ten years prior to the shooting. The “present� narration evolves over several hours; the “past� takes place over the course of a week.

Lena will primarily get the present narration, working outside the station with Frank trying to figure out who the shooter is and how to resolve the hostage situation. Inside the station, Jeffrey has not been fatally wounded, but Sara knows he could easily die if the bleeding is not stopped. He drifts in and out of consciousness and through Sara and Jeffrey we get the past, and the case that leads up to the present day shooting.]]> 384 Karin Slaughter 0060567112 Alessandra 1 4.15 2004 Indelible (Grant County, #4)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2004
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Hidden Prey (Lucas Davenport, #15)]]> 888927
"One of the strongest in Sandford's Prey series" says 'Entertainment Weekly.' "Good, dark, perverse, bloody fun," adds 'The Washington Post Book World.']]> 440 John Sandford 0425199606 Alessandra 5 4.08 2004 Hidden Prey (Lucas Davenport, #15)
author: John Sandford
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #6)]]> 194366 455 Arthur Conan Doyle 0192123173 Alessandra 2 4.29 1905 The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #6)
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1905
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[A Perfect Match (Lloyd & Hill, #1)]]> 94228 256 Jill McGown 0330315811 Alessandra 5 3.88 1983 A Perfect Match (Lloyd & Hill, #1)
author: Jill McGown
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Death du Jour (Temperance Brennan, #2)]]> 128756 451 Kathy Reichs 0671011375 Alessandra 5 3.97 1999 Death du Jour (Temperance Brennan, #2)
author: Kathy Reichs
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Vanished Man (Lincoln Rhyme, #5)]]> 28568
Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to help with the high-profile investigation and to ferret out a master illusionist they've dubbed "the conjurer." As the fatalities rise and the minutes tick down, Rhyme and Sachs must move beyond the smoke and mirrors to prevent a terrifying act of vengeance that could become the greatest vanishing act of all.]]> 560 Jeffery Deaver 0743437810 Alessandra 4 4.09 2003 The Vanished Man (Lincoln Rhyme, #5)
author: Jeffery Deaver
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4)]]> 42283287
Trying to get to the bottom of Billy's story, Strike and Robin Ellacott � once his assistant, now a partner in the agency � set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.

And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike's own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been � Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.

The most epic Robert Galbraith novel yet, Lethal White is both a gripping mystery and a page-turning next instalment in the ongoing story of Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.]]> 650 Robert Galbraith 0316422770 Alessandra 5 4.22 2018 Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4)
author: Robert Galbraith
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2018
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Bury Your Dead (Armand Gamache, #6)]]> 8578294
Although he is supposed to be on leave, Gamache cannot walk away from a crime that threatens to ignite long-smoldering tensions between the English and the French. Meanwhile, he is receiving disquieting letters from the village of Three Pines, where beloved Bistro owner Olivier was recently convicted of murder. "It doesn't make sense," Olivier's partner writes every day. "He didn't do it, you know." As past and present collide in this astonishing novel, Gamache must relive the terrible event of his own past before he can bury his dead.]]> 401 Louise Penny Alessandra 4 4.49 2010 Bury Your Dead (Armand Gamache, #6)
author: Louise Penny
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus, #1)]]> 634407
Knots and Crosses introduces a gifted mystery novelist, a fascinating locale and the most compellingly complex detective hero at work today.
]]> 228 Ian Rankin 0312956738 Alessandra 5 3.83 1987 Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus, #1)
author: Ian Rankin
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1987
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> Cockroaches (Harry Hole, #2) 18373214 When the Norwegian ambassador to Thailand is found dead in a Bangkok brothel, Inspector Harry Hole is dispatched from Oslo to help hush up the case.

But once he arrives Harry discovers that this case is about much more than one random murder. There is something else, something more pervasive, scrabbling around behind the scenes. Or, put another way, for every cockroach you see in your hotel room, there are hundreds behind the walls. Surrounded by round-the-clock traffic noise, Harry wanders the streets of Bangkok lined with go-go bars, temples, opium dens, and tourist traps, trying to piece together the story of the ambassador’s death even though no one asked him to, and no one wants him to—not even Harry himself.]]> 368 Jo Nesbø Alessandra 5 3.73 1998 Cockroaches (Harry Hole, #2)
author: Jo Nesbø
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1998
rating: 5
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]]> Columbine 5632446
Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on the scene and spent ten years on Columbine—widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen he draws on mountains of evidence, insight from the world's leading forensic psychologists, and the killers' own words and drawings—several reproduced in a new appendix. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers, which contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors.]]> 417 Dave Cullen 0446546933 Alessandra 4 4.28 2009 Columbine
author: Dave Cullen
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Bitter Recoil (Bill Gastner Mystery, #2)]]> 675873 192 Steven F. Havill 189020840X Alessandra 4 3.88 1992 Bitter Recoil (Bill Gastner Mystery, #2)
author: Steven F. Havill
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/08/18
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]]> <![CDATA[The Pusher (87th Precinct, #3)]]> 37947 192 Ed McBain 0752857932 Alessandra 4 3.83 1956 The Pusher (87th Precinct, #3)
author: Ed McBain
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1956
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[A Pint of Murder (Madoc Rhys #1)]]> 673407 Old Agatha Treadway baked her own bread, canned her own vegetables---and died of botulism in her very own kitchen. Accident, says Dr. Druffitt. Murder, says neighbor Janet Wadman. And says it again when she finds the doctor dead, too. Detective Inspector Madoc Rhys, of the royal Canadian Mounted Police, agrees. But who's the killer...the town miser, who wants the one thing only Mrs. Treadway could have given him?

The miser's son who's panting for the doctor's daughter? Widow Druffitt, who's holding secret meetings with unlikely people? The hired girl who listens at keyholes? The hired man who hides in haylofts? It's an awful mess...and when Rhys gets it sorted out, he faces an even tougher problem of his own.

This is #1 in Madoc & Janet Rhys Series.

]]> 186 Alisa Craig 0380703343 Alessandra 5 3.91 1980 A Pint of Murder (Madoc Rhys #1)
author: Alisa Craig
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1980
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Spider Bones (Temperance Brennan, #13)]]> 7189177 Kathy Reichs�#1 New York Times bestselling author and producer of the FOX television hit Bones—returns with the thirteenth riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan.

John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery’s grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the U.S. military’s Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how “ex� is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery’s dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu’s flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?

A complex and riveting tale of deceit and murder unfolds in this, the thirteenth thrilling novel in Reichs’s “cleverly plotted and expertly maintained series� (The New York Times Book Review). With the smash hit Bones now in its fifth season and in full syndication—and her most recent novel, 206 Bones, an instant New York Times bestseller—Kathy Reichs is at the top of her game.

]]> 306 Kathy Reichs 1439102392 Alessandra 1 3.93 2010 Spider Bones (Temperance Brennan, #13)
author: Kathy Reichs
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2010
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)]]> 476543 His powers—Inhuman...

His passion—Beyond immortal...

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments... and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love...

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive—and unimaginably powerful...

Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter! ]]> 379 Gena Showalter 0373772467 Alessandra 5 4.07 2008 The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/06/07
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]]> The Mistake (Off-Campus, #2) 25564665 He's a player in more ways than one�

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hookups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he'll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he's worth a second chance.

Now he's going to need to up his game�

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She's not a charity case, and she's not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He'll have to work for it. This time around, she'll be the one in the driver's seat, and she plans on driving him wild.]]> 296 Elle Kennedy 151166066X Alessandra 5 4.03 2015 The Mistake (Off-Campus, #2)
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[A Wallflower Christmas (Wallflowers, #4.5)]]> 3050104 A scandalous love under the mistletoe.

It’s Christmas time in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed.

Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallfowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.]]> 216 Lisa Kleypas 0312533780 Alessandra 5 3.84 2008 A Wallflower Christmas (Wallflowers, #4.5)
author: Lisa Kleypas
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno, #1)]]> 10140661
When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide.

An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, "Gabriel's Inferno" is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.]]> 506 Sylvain Reynard 1936305623 Alessandra 4 3.99 2011 Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno, #1)
author: Sylvain Reynard
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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]]> The Odyssey 1381 Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy.

So begins Robert Fagles' magnificent translation of the Odyssey.

If the Iliad is the world's greatest war epic, then the Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of everyman's journey though life. Odysseus' reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival in his encounters with divine and natural forces, during his ten-year voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, is at once a timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance.

In the myths and legends that are retold here, Fagles has captured the energy and poetry of Homer's original in a bold, contemporary idiom, and given us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery.

Renowned classicist Bernard Knox's superb Introduction and textual commentary provide new insights and background information for the general reader and scholar alike, intensifying the strength of Fagles' translation.

This is an Odyssey to delight both the classicist and the public at large, and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students.

--

Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, presents us with Homer's best-loved and most accessible poem in a stunning new modern-verse translation.]]> 541 Homer 0143039954 Alessandra 4 3.80 -700 The Odyssey
author: Homer
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.80
book published: -700
rating: 4
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]]> The Casual Vacancy 13497818 A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN�

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford appears to be an English idyll—with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey—but behind its charming façade lies a town at war. The rich clash with the poor, teenagers battle their parents, wives contend with their husbands, and teachers struggle with their pupils. Pagford is far from what it seems.

The empty seat Barry leaves on the town council becomes the catalyst for the fiercest conflict the town has ever seen. The election to fill his seat is fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations. Who will triumph in this battle of wills?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking, and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.]]> 503 J.K. Rowling 0316228532 Alessandra 5 3.28 2012 The Casual Vacancy
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn, #2)]]> 23308084 The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.]]> 416 Renée Ahdieh 0399171622 Alessandra 2 4.03 2016 The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn, #2)
author: Renée Ahdieh
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey, #2)]]> 7747064
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.]]> 359 Julie Kagawa 0373210132 Alessandra 5 4.08 2010 The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey, #2)
author: Julie Kagawa
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ocean at the End of the Lane]]> 15783514
Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.]]> 181 Neil Gaiman 0062255657 Alessandra 3 4.00 2013 The Ocean at the End of the Lane
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Alessandra 4 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Blood Song (Raven's Shadow, #1)]]> 13569581 “The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm.�

Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. He has no family now save the Order.

Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the unified realm. Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright and dropped at the doorstep of the Sixth Order like a foundling knows no bounds. He cherishes the memory of his mother, and what he will come to learn of her at the Order will confound him. His father, too, has motives that Vaelin will come to understand. But one truth overpowers all the rest: Vaelin Al Sorna is destined for a future he has yet to comprehend. A future that will alter not only the realm, but the world.]]> 591 Anthony Ryan 1466085665 Alessandra 4 4.42 2011 Blood Song (Raven's Shadow, #1)
author: Anthony Ryan
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Everything We Keep (Everything, #1)]]> 29639736 A Wall Street Journal bestseller.

A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents� restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

]]> 306 Kerry Lonsdale 1503990338 Alessandra 4 3.88 2016 Everything We Keep (Everything, #1)
author: Kerry Lonsdale
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2016
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[21 Lessons for the 21st Century]]> 38820046 In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the most innovative thinkers on the planet turns to the present to make sense of today's most pressing issues.

How do computers and robots change the meaning of being human? How do we deal with the epidemic of fake news? Are nations and religions still relevant? What should we teach our children?

Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.

In twenty-one accessible chapters that are both provocative and profound, Harari builds on the ideas explored in his previous books, untangling political, technological, social, and existential issues and offering advice on how to prepare for a very different future from the world we now live in: How can we retain freedom of choice when Big Data is watching us? What will the future workforce look like, and how should we ready ourselves for it? How should we deal with the threat of terrorism? Why is liberal democracy in crisis?

Harari's unique ability to make sense of where we have come from and where we are going has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. Here he invites us to consider values, meaning, and personal engagement in a world full of noise and uncertainty. When we are deluged with irrelevant information, clarity is power. Presenting complex contemporary challenges clearly and accessibly, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is essential reading.]]> 372 Yuval Noah Harari 0525512179 Alessandra 5 4.15 2018 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2018
rating: 5
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date added: 2021/05/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]> 498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Alessandra 1 3.66 2005 Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 1
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date added: 2021/05/26
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]]> Milk and honey 23513349 Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

It is split into four chapters, with each chapter dealing with a different pain. Healing a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them -- because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.]]> 204 Rupi Kaur 1502784270 Alessandra 5 3.96 2014 Milk and honey
author: Rupi Kaur
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2014
rating: 5
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]]> Allegiant (Divergent, #3) 18710190
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, ALLEGIANT, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the DIVERGENT series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in DIVERGENT and INSURGENT.]]> 531 Veronica Roth 0007524277 Alessandra 5 3.59 2013 Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2013
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Win Friends & Influence People]]> 4865
Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 30 million copies. Dale Carnegie's first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie's principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.

Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.]]> 288 Dale Carnegie Alessandra 1 4.22 1936 How to Win Friends & Influence People
author: Dale Carnegie
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1936
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)]]> 1582996 Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go � especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil � and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings � and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.]]> 453 Cassandra Clare 1416914293 Alessandra 5 4.12 2008 City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass]]> 24213
When Alice sees a white rabbit take a watch out of its waistcoat pocket she decides to follow it, and a sequence of most unusual events is set in motion. This mini book contains the entire topsy-turvy stories of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, accompanied by practical notes and Martina Pelouso's memorable full-colour illustrations.]]> 239 Lewis Carroll Alessandra 4 4.07 1871 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass
author: Lewis Carroll
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1871
rating: 4
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]]> Fahrenheit 451 13079982 Sixty years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.� But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.]]> 194 Ray Bradbury Alessandra 5 3.97 1953 Fahrenheit 451
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1953
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)]]> 6381205 Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?]]> 357 Gail Carriger 0316056634 Alessandra 3 3.90 2009 Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)
author: Gail Carriger
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2009
rating: 3
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]]> American Gods 30165203
Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there...]]> 635 Neil Gaiman Alessandra 5 4.11 2001 American Gods
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2001
rating: 5
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]]> The Man in the High Castle 216363
This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to wake.]]> 259 Philip K. Dick 0679740678 Alessandra 1 3.64 1962 The Man in the High Castle
author: Philip K. Dick
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1962
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[Sourcery (Discworld, #5; Rincewind, #3)]]> 34499 276 Terry Pratchett 0061020672 Alessandra 1 3.90 1988 Sourcery (Discworld, #5; Rincewind, #3)
author: Terry Pratchett
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1988
rating: 1
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]]> <![CDATA[The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, #2)]]> 7631105 Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end.

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.

There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers� destruction—and they’re determined to survive.]]> 362 James Dashner 0385738757 Alessandra 5 3.90 2010 The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, #2)
author: James Dashner
name: Alessandra
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)]]> 186074
The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.]]> 662 Patrick Rothfuss 075640407X Alessandra 5 4.52 2007 The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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]]> Siddhartha 52036 152 Hermann Hesse Alessandra 5 4.07 1922 Siddhartha
author: Hermann Hesse
name: Alessandra
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1922
rating: 5
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]]>