Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man: The Early Years
Thomas Mann
Classics / Fiction / Philosophy
Thomas Mann's final novel recounts the strange and entranced career of the gifted swindler, Felix Krull, through his childhood and early manhood. Krull is a man unhampered by moral precepts that govern the conduct of ordinary mortals, and this natural lack of scruple, coupled with his formidable mental and physical endowments, enables him to develop the arts of subterfuge and deception with astonishing success and to rise swiftly from poverty to affluence. Following Krull along the shady paths his nature has destined him to take, the reader moves through a world peopled by bizarre characters from the lowest to the highest reaches of European society. Chameleon-like, Krull readily adapts himself to the situation of the moment, and so adept in the practices of chicanery does he become that his victims almost seem to count themselves privileged. And so it is too with the women who encounter the irresistible Krull, for where Krull is, the normal laws of human behavior are in suspense.
Originally the character of Felix Krull appeared in a short story Mann wrote in 1911. The story wasn't published until 1936, in the book Stories of Three Decades along with 23 other stories written from 1896 to 1929, the year in which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Much later, he expanded the original story into a novel, managing to finish and publish Part 1, "The Early Years," of the Confessions of Felix Krull to great public success. Due to Mann's death in 1955 the saga of the morally flexible and irresistible con-man remains unfinished.
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Finding Katie: The Diary of Anonymous, a Teenager in Foster Care
Beatrice Sparks
Young Adult / Fiction / Classics
This appealing teen read tells the story of Katie, a teen from an abused home, and her journey through foster care.
Katie is always surrounded by wealth, but feels terribly alone because of the secret horror of her angry, abusive father. When she's thrown out of her house and put into foster care, it seems like the end of the world.
But as she moves through the foster care system, she begins to realize that she can help others. Can she, at last, find courage and strength of her own?
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Sabotage on the Solar Express
M. G. Leonard
Children's / Classics / Fiction
'A thrilling and hugely entertaining adventure story' – David Walliams on The Highland Falcon ThiefRide into danger with Hal and Uncle Nat on the fifth breathtaking Adventures on Trains Mystery, Sabotage on the Solar Express, from bestselling award-winners M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. Perfect for readers of 8 to 12 and brilliantly illustrated in black and white throughout by Elisa Paganelli.Billionaire train enthusiast August Reza has invited Harrison Beck and Uncle Nat on the maiden voyage of the Solar Express – the winning design of his Reza's Rocket competition. But during the journey, they discover the train has been sabotaged, hurtling passengers into a heart-stopping, action-packed, thrill ride across the Australian Outback. Can Hal find the saboteur and stop the runaway train before disaster strikes?Sabotage on the Solar Express can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the Adventures on...
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Finding Tessa
Unknown
Classics / Poetry / Fiction
A woman disappears and frames her husband for her murder—but she soon learns the past isn't so easily left behindJace and Tessa appear to be a young couple in love with nothing to hide. But looks can be deceiving.When Jace Montgomery comes home late from entertaining clients, he discovers that his wife Tessa is missing. There's broken glass at the back door. Clumps of her hair. Blood. The cops in their small New Jersey town have him pegged as a suspect, especially after he explodes at a reporter during a press conference. Jace maintains his innocence despite the mounting evidence against him, but when a coworker he's accused of having an affair with also disappears and a search warrant turns up an illegal gun in Jace's home, all signs point to him as the culprit. What is he really hiding?Meanwhile, Tessa finally feels safe, having set up her husband to take the fall for her disappearance—and someone close to him is helping...
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Hong lou meng. English
Xueqin Cao
Classics / Fiction / Cultural
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
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Damascus Station
Unknown
Classics / Poetry / Fiction
A CIA officer and his recruit arrive in war-ravaged Damascus to hunt for a killer.CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, supercharging Haddad's recruitment and creating unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy.But the cat-and-mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Asad's spycatcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard. Set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion, Damascus Station is a gripping thriller that offers a textured portrayal of espionage, love, loyalty, and betrayal in one of the most difficult CIA assignments on the planet.
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Unbuttoning the Tuscan Tycoon
Michelle Douglas
Romance / Classics / Fiction
Sparks are flying under the Tuscan sun in the latest Harlequin Romance by Michelle Douglas. This summer......will these opposites attract? Taking a break from her high stress job, Frankie expected to be picking grapes on a vineyard—not running the restaurant instead! But the instant fireworks with her brooding new boss meant he was impossible to say no to—for all the right reasons. While Dante may seem uptight, Frankie enjoys how she can use her new carefree attitude to help unbutton this tempting tycoon and reveal his long-buried playful side...From Harlequin Romance: Be swept away by glamorous and heartfelt love stories.One Summer in ItalyBook 1: Unbuttoning the Tuscan TycoonBook 2: Cinderella's Secret Fling
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