The Burn Palace

The Burn Palace
Author: Stephen Dobyns
Publisher: Penguin Group
Total Pages: 481
Release: 2014-01-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0142180440

"One of the best of the best...You can't ask for more than this book gives. I loved it." – Stephen King “An exquisitely unexpected, delightfully believable exploration of what normal looks like when it goes through the (evil) looking glass.” —Oprah.com The sleepy community of Brewster, Rhode Island, is just like any other small American town. It’s a place where most of its inhabitants will die blocks from where they were born; where gossip spreads like wildfire, and the big weekend entertainment is the inevitable fight at the local bar. But recently, something out of the ordinary—perhaps even supernatural—has been stirring. While packs of coyotes gather and a baby is stolen and replaced with a snake, a series of inexplicably violent acts confounds Detective Woody Potter—and inspires terror in the locals. A Richard Russo small-town tableau crossed with a Stephen King thriller, The Burn Palace is a darkly funny, twisted portrait of chaos and paranoia that keeps readers guessing until the final pages.

The Burn Palace

The Burn Palace
Author: Stephen Dobyns
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2013-02-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101611049

The sleepy community of Brewster, Rhode Island, is just like any other small American town. It’s a place where most of the population will likely die blocks from where they were born; where gossip spreads like wildfire, and the big entertainment on weekends is the inevitable fight at the local bar. But recently, something out of the ordinary—perhaps even supernatural—has been stirring in Brewster. While packs of coyotes gather on back roads and the news spreads that a baby has been stolen from Memorial Hospital (and replaced in its bassinet by a snake), a series of inexplicably violent acts begins to confound Detective Woody Potter and the local police—and inspire terror in the hearts and minds of the locals. From award-winning author Stephen Dobyns comes a sardonic yet chillingly suspenseful novel: the literary equivalent of a Richard Russo small-town tableau crossed with a Stephen King thriller. The Burn Palace is a darkly funny, twisted portrait of chaos and paranoia, with an impressive host of richly rendered, larger-than-life characters and a thrilling plot that will keep readers guessing until the final pages.

Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man

Video Palace: In Search of the Eyeless Man
Author: Maynard Wills
Publisher: Tiller Press
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2020-10-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1982156449

A collection of chilling stories from the leading writers in horror and suspense, exploring elusive urban legends. Join Michael Monelo, one of the creators of the Blair Witch Project, and TV writer/director veteran, Nick Braccia, on a journey through urban horror and suspense. Explore the world of Maynard Wills, PhD, professor of folklore and fan of the podcast, Video Palace. The podcast followed a man named Mark Cambria, who along with his girlfriend Tamra Wulff, investigated the origins of a series of esoteric white video tapes. Cambria went missing in pursuit of these tapes, but not before hearing whispers of an ominous figure called the Eyeless Man. Fascinated by the podcast and Cambria’s disappearance, Wills embarks on his own investigation into the origins of the tapes and the Eyeless Man, who he believes has lurked in the dark corners of media culture and urban legends for at least seventy-five years. As part of his study, he has invited popular writers of horror and gothic fiction to share their own Eyeless Man stories, whether heard around the campfire or experienced themselves. Get swept away in this thrilling and terrifying horror anthology—which can be read on its own or as a companion to the hit Shudder podcast, Video Palace. Short stories include: -“Deep Focus” by Bob DeRosa -“The Satanic Schoolgirls” by Meirav Devash and Eddie McNamara -“Doorways of the Soul” by Owl Goingback -“A Texas Teen Story” by Brea Grant -“Two Unexplained Disappearances in South Brisbane, Recalled by an Innocent Bystander” by Merrin J. McCormick -“Dreaming in Lilac on a Cool Evening” by Rebekah McKendry and David Ian McKendry -“Ecstatica” by Ben Rock -“The Inward Eye” by John Skipp -“The Real Sharon Lockenby” by Graham Skipper -“Ranger Ronin Presents…” by Gordon B. White

The Red Palace

The Red Palace
Author: June Hur
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2022-01-25
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1250800560

June Hur, critically acclaimed author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls, returns with The Red Palace—a third evocative, atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco. To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood... Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father's approval. But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher's innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation. In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed. Praise for The Red Palace: An ABA Indie Bestseller A Junior Library Guild Selection Forbes Most Anticipated Book of 2022 Selection "A tense political thriller, a beautiful romance, and a coming of age all in one unique package." —School Library Journal, starred review "This atmospheric historical mystery will transport and captivate readers ... A beautifully written story full of historical and cultural details that will leave readers aching for a follow-up." —Booklist, starred review "An expertly choreographed mystery with a touch of romance and an emotionally satisfying conclusion ... The perfect book to curl up with for a cozy winter afternoon of murder and intrigue." —NPR

The Palace Papers

The Palace Papers
Author: Tina Brown
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 537
Release: 2022-04-26
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0593138104

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The “addictively readable” (The Washington Post) inside story of the British royal family’s battle to overcome the dramas of the Diana years—only to confront new, twenty-first-century crises “Frothy and forthright, a kind of Keeping Up with the Windsors with sprinkles of Keats.”—The New York Times (Notable Book of the Year) ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Elle, Town & Country “Never again” became Queen Elizabeth II’s mantra shortly after Princess Diana’s tragic death. More specif­ically, there could never be “another Diana”—a mem­ber of the family whose global popularity upstaged, outshone, and posed an existential threat to the Brit­ish monarchy. Picking up where Tina Brown’s masterful The Diana Chronicles left off, The Palace Papers reveals how the royal family reinvented itself after the trau­matic years when Diana’s blazing celebrity ripped through the House of Windsor like a comet. Brown takes readers on a tour de force journey through the scandals, love affairs, power plays, and betrayals that have buffeted the monarchy over the last twenty-five years. We see the Queen’s stoic re­solve after the passing of Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, and Prince Philip, her partner for seven decades, and how she triumphs in her Jubilee years even as family troubles rage around her. Brown explores Prince Charles’s determination to make Camilla Parker Bowles his wife, the tension between William and Harry on “different paths,” the ascend­ance of Kate Middleton, the downfall of Prince An­drew, and Harry and Meghan’s stunning decision to step back as senior royals. Despite the fragile monar­chy’s best efforts, “never again” seems fast approaching. Tina Brown has been observing and chronicling the British monarchy for three decades, and her sweeping account is full of powerful revelations, newly reported details, and searing insight gleaned from remarkable access to royal insiders. Stylish, witty, and erudite, The Palace Papers will irrevoca­bly change how the world perceives and under­stands the royal family.

The Church of Dead Girls

The Church of Dead Girls
Author: Stephen Dobyns
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 466
Release: 2015-08-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 110199181X

One by one, three young girls vanish in a small town in upstate New York. With the first disappearance, the townspeople begin to mistrust outsiders. When the second girl goes missing, neighbors and childhood friends start to eye each other warily. And with the third disappearance, the sleepy little town awakens to a full-blown nightmare. The Church of Dead Girls is a novel that displays Stephen Dobyns’ remarkable gifts for exploring human nature, probing the ruinous effects of suspicion. As panic mounts and citizens take the law into their own hands, no one is immune, and old rumors, old angers, and old hungers come to the surface to reveal the secret history of a seemingly genteel town and the dark impulses of its inhabitants.

The Golem and the Jinni

The Golem and the Jinni
Author: Helene Wecker
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 426
Release: 2013-04-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062110853

“An intoxicating fusion of fantasy and historical fiction. . . . Wecker’s storytelling skills dazzle." —Entertainment Weekly A marvelous and absorbing debut novel about a chance meeting between two supernatural creatures in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay by a disgraced rabbi knowledgeable in the ways of dark Kabbalistic magic. She serves as the wife to a Polish merchant who dies at sea on the voyage to America. As the ship arrives in New York in 1899, Chava is unmoored and adrift until a rabbi on the Lower East Side recognizes her for the creature she is and takes her in. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert and trapped centuries ago in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard. Released by a Syrian tinsmith in a Manhattan shop, Ahmad appears in human form but is still not free. An iron band around his wrist binds him to the wizard and to the physical world. Chava and Ahmad meet accidentally and become friends and soul mates despite their opposing natures. But when the golem’s violent nature overtakes her one evening, their bond is challenged. An even more powerful threat will emerge, however, and bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their very existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, in a wondrously inventive tale that is mesmerizing and unforgettable.

Wrecked Palace

Wrecked Palace
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: The PageSmith LLC
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2021-01-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 195193699X

One night was all it took for everything to change. From college student to guardian in a single breath. My siblings became my world. No time for date nights or romantic dreams. I traded quiet weekends for sleepless nights. Giving my all to make sure they were cared for. But Griffin had a brokenness that called to me—one that mirrored my own. Gruff and just a little bit reckless. He was the last thing I needed. But everything I wanted. Only someone isn’t happy about this new life I’m building. Deciding to set fire to everything I hold close. And when the smoke clears, there might be only ashes left behind… ***** Read what others are saying about Wrecked Palace: "A tortured hero, an inspirational heroine, suspense, and a slow-burn romance are the perfect recipe for a book that will utterly captivate readers. A must read for 2021!" - Samantha Young, NY Times Bestseller "An emotional story of loss and healing that wraps around your heart. Catherine Cowles delivered! I couldn't stop reading until I finished in one sitting." - Carly Phillips, NY Times Bestselling Author Wrecked Palace wrecked me in the best way! Heartwarming, swoony moments, sizzling chemistry, and just enough intrigue to keep me completely invested--this book had me hooked from page one! - Willow Aster, USA Today Bestselling Author ***** Read what others are saying about Catherine Cowles: "I fell in love with these characters, with the writing, and with this unexpected story. I can't recommend it enough!" - Alessandra Torre, New York Times Bestseller “Heartwarming, romantic and with an added bit of suspense, Beautifully Broken Pieces had me glued to every page! Catherine Cowles, meet your newest super fan.” - Devney Perry, USA Today Bestseller “Cowles writes fresh, addicting, and intensely beautiful stories!” - Susan Stoker, New York Times Bestseller "Catherine Cowles has a way of pulling the reader into the world she has created and leaves you there for days after you have read the last page." - Kelly Elliott, New York Times Bestseller “I walked away knowing I would read every single thing this talented new author ever writes." - Natasha is a Book Junkie

The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2007-01-02
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1416544666

A triumphant tale of a young woman and her difficult childhood, The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience, redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and wonderfully vibrant. Jeannette Walls was the second of four children raised by anti-institutional parents in a household of extremes.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Publisher: Dramatists Play Service Inc
Total Pages: 86
Release: 1967-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780822212263

THE STORY: The home of the Blackwoods near a Vermont village is a lonely, ominous abode, and Constance, the young mistress of the place, can't go out of the house without being insulted and stoned by the villagers. They have also composed a nasty s