The Involuntary Sojourner

      S. P. Tenhoff

A debut collection of stories, uncanny and profound.
In this striking debut, S. P. Tenhoff takes us to real and imagined countries around the globe, where characters find themselves passengers on voyages beyond the boundaries of their familiar world and their understanding of themselves. A town is split in two, a line painted down the middle, when two warring governments decide, arbitrarily, to redraw borders. A man hits a boy in a car accident that he begins to suspect might not have been an accident after all. An aging puppeteer in Edo-period Japan struggles to choose a successor before dementia overtakes him. And in the title story, a mysterious illness causes its victims to travel like sleepwalkers to distant countries, where they wake to discover that they are now fluent in languages and cultures they previously didn't know at all. Uncanny and profound, these ten stories capture those pivotal moments when our sense of place and self is forever shaken, and we must...

Crossroad

      W. H. Cameron

On a desolate road in the Oregon high desert, an apprentice mortician stumbles upon a horrific car crash—and into a vortex of treachery, long-buried secrets, and growing menace.
Melisende Dulac is a fish out of water after relocating from the East Coast to a small community in the Oregon high desert. But just as she's beginning to think of Barlow County as home, her life takes an ominous turn when she comes upon a grisly multiple car wreck and three shattered bodies on an isolated road outside of town. Near the scene, Melisende trips over a fourth body, that of a newborn girl lying a physics-defying distance from the wreckage. There is no one to claim the infant, nor a clear indication she was even part of the accident.
The crash offers plenty of opportunities for an apprentice mortician—but when the victims' bodies are stolen from her family's mortuary, Melisende is branded suspect number one. Then, Portland lawyer Kendrick Pride arrives on the scene on...

The Fairy Shop

      Tara Lain

Tattooed hunk Asher is the man of Nate's dreams—and his daughter Delly's nightmares, as she's afraid of large men. Can choosing a wand at the Fairy Shop help her find her courage and change their lives?

The Doctor's Pregnant Bride (Mail-Order Bride Book 1)

      Stella Clark

When Becky Wade's husband dies unexpectedly, her world is turned upside down. With no means to support herself, and having discovered she is pregnant, she answers an ad in the Matrimonial Times, hoping for a fresh start for her and her unborn child.

Dr. Karl Madden wants a marriage of convenience, where emotions do not come into play. He's looking for a woman to take care of his house and help him in his clinic. Having his heart broken once, Karl does not intend to open his heart to anyone again.

When Becky arrives in Wyoming, Karl is shocked to see that she is pregnant and threatens to send her back to Chicago. While a desperate Becky begs for his forgiveness, Karl refuses, although he feels his heart stir each time he looks at her. When tragedy strikes, can Karl forgive Becky before both of their lives are destroyed forever?

The Wonderful

      Saskia Sarginson

Sometimes, the truth lies in fiction

It's hard to be an American girl in 1957. Especially when your dad's job means you have to move four thousand miles from home. Especially if you'd rather play baseball than wear a dress. Especially if you see your mom fraying a little more from anxiety each day. And especially if being five minutes older means you have to protect your fragile twin brother.

Still, Hedy Delaney loves her family, and she's trying to make the best of her new life on a U.S. airbase in England. After all, her dad's a war hero, her mother's a beauty, and her brother's a brainiac who writes moving stories about space travel.

Then one tragic day, the unforeseen occurs and all three are ripped away, leaving Hedy alone with countless questions. What really happened on the airbase? What went on behind military closed doors? What were the secrets that could never be told? And how could any of it have led to her family's destruction?

In her...

The Book of Science and Antiquities

      Thomas Keneally

Thomas Keneally, the bestselling author of The Daughters of Mars and Schindler's List, returns with an exquisite exploration of community and country, love and morality, taking place in both prehistoric and modern Australia.
An award-winning documentary filmmaker, Shelby Apple is obsessed with reimagining the full story of the Learned Man—a prehistoric man whose remains are believed to be the link between Africa and ancient Australia. From Vietnam to northern Africa and the Australian Outback, Shelby searches for understanding of this enigmatic man from the ancient past, unaware that the two men share a great deal in common.

Some 40,000 years in the past, the Learned Man has made his home alongside other members of his tribe. Complex and deeply introspective, he reveres tradition, loyalty, and respect for his ancestors. Willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, the Learned Man cannot conceive that a man millennia later...

The Genealogical Adam and Eve

      S. Joshua Swamidass

Evolutionary science teaches that humans arose as a population, sharing common ancestors with other animals. Most readers of the book of Genesis in the past understood all humans descended from Adam and Eve, a couple specially created by God. These two teachings seem contradictory, but is that necessarily so? In the fractured conversation of human origins, can new insight guide us to solid ground in both science and theology?In The Genealogical Adam and Eve, S. Joshua Swamidass tests a scientific hypothesis: What if the traditional account is somehow true, with the origins of Adam and Eve taking place alongside evolution? Building on well-established but overlooked science, Swamidass explains how it's possible for Adam and Eve to be rightly identified as the ancestors of everyone. His analysis opens up new possibilities for understanding Adam and Eve, consistent both with current scientific consensus and with traditional readings of Scripture. These new possibilities open a...

Faithful Unto Death

      Sarah Hawkswood

'The characters and descriptions of medieval life are thoroughly engaging ... A page-turner' Mystery People

June 1144. When the naked corpse of an unknown man is discovered and the Prince of Powys's messenger fails to reach Earl Robert of Gloucester, Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin head to Wales to confirm his identity, and piece together evidence that the dead man deserved a noose rather than a dagger. Retracing his steps leads them to a manor with a sarcastic lord, a neglected wife, a bitter mother and a fevered brother, all amidst folk who do not want the truth uncovered. The lord sheriff's men have to unravel a knot where the law and justice seem to be in opposition.

Contracted as His Countess

      Louise Allen

From a recluse secluded in a castle...
...to his countess!
Cloistered away in a castle since birth, Madelyn Aylmer must now fulfill her eccentric father's dying request: wed nobleman Jack Ransome! She has what Jack needs—land—and so he accepts their marriage of convenience and vows to introduce this sheltered innocent to society. But what Madelyn hadn't expected was the way her body reacts to Jack, especially to his promise of a union filled with unbridled passion!
"A refreshingly different historical romance"
— All About Romance on A Lady In Need of an Heir by Louise Allen

Transcendence and Rebellion

      Michael G. Manning

The world is on the cusp of destruction as Mordecai’s power grows beyond the limits of his own control. The only hope of salvaging their civilization lies with his children, but they have been scattered and branded outlaws. Mordecai is trapped by his own strength, a power too great to wield. Can his children stop the apocalypse, even if it means sacrificing their father?

You Suck: A High School Bully Romance (Bullies of Crescent Academy Book 1)

      Sophie Stern

Once upon a time, my family name meant something. It meant everything. Then my father was taken away and my world was shattered. Where our name once brought glory and recognition, now it brings only disdain.

Now when I roam the halls of Crescent Academy, I'm nothing.

A nobody.

A forgotten girl who gets nasty looks from everyone.

Especially Gavin.

There was a time when our families were close. Our dads were practically brothers. Now Gavin can't stand to even look at me.

Now he's nothing but a bully.

And he makes my life hell at every fucking chance.

YOU SUCK is a high school bully romance. Not for the faint of heart.

The Biafran War (1967-1970)

      Michael Gould

The Biafran War was truly a ’brother’s war’, which saw family and friends on opposing sides. When the breakaway province of Biafra tried to secede from Nigeria in 1967, the result was a civil war of terrifying intensity. The minority Igbo people stood little chance of victory in the face of the overwhelming superiority of the Nigerian army in the north. Envisaged initially as a short conflict, the war confounded all expectations, stretching on for almost three years - the Igbo had far inferior resources and fewer weapons, yet they were determined to defend their right to independence.This book answers many of the most important questions surrounding the conflict - including how such an avoidable conflict came about, why the war became so drawn-out and how the leadership of the opposing Generals - Ojukwu, who led the Biafran revolt, and Gowon, who was President of the Nigerian Federation - defined the conflict. In doing so, Michael Gould offers a fascinating and comprehensive portrait of one of the defining conflicts of modern Africa.

Half a Wizard

      Stefon Mears

In a world where elves build on the bones of lost civilizations, Cavan Oltblood carves out a path to adventure. Not quite a warrior and not quite a wizard, this king's bastard rides with Ehren the smiling priest, and Amra, the deadliest swordswoman alive. Killers burst through the door at the worst time. So much for Cavan's bath, much less his date. Someone wants Cavan dead. Someone willing to kill everyone Cavan loves, to steal something Cavan doesn't know he has. Half a Wizard, a novel of high fantasy adventure, full of magic and action where the decisions of one person can affect the fate of kingdoms. From Stefon Mears, author of With a Broken Sword and Twice Against the Dragon.

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Global Search » Gray City » All Books Online Free

Persuasion

Persuasion

      Jane Austen / Romance & Love 

Twenty-seven-year old Anne Elliot is Austen's most adult heroine. Eight years before the story proper begins, she is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne's family on the brink of financial ruin and his own sister a tenant in Kellynch Hall, the Elliot estate. All the tension of the novel revolves around one question: Will Anne and Wentworth be reunited in their love? Jane Austen once compared her writing to painting on a little bit of ivory, 2 inches square. Readers of Persuasion will discover that neither her skill for delicate, ironic observations on social custom, love, and marriage nor her ability to apply a sharp focus lens to English manners and morals has deserted her in her final finished work. 

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Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Darker

      E. L. James / Romance & Love 

Daunted by the singular tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life. This book is intended for mature audiences.

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This Man Confessed

This Man Confessed

      Jodi Ellen Malpas / Romance & Love 

THE STUNNING CONCLUSION TO THE THIS MAN TRILOGY IS A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! The Manor, the very place where their passionate love affair began, fills with guests on what should be the happiest day of Ava and Jesse's lives. She has accepted that she'll never tame the fierceness in Jesse-and she doesn't want to. Their love is profound, their connection powerful, but just when she thinks that she's finally gotten beneath his guarded exterior, more questions arise, leading Ava to believe that Jesse Ward may not be the man she thinks he is. He knows too well how to take her to a place beyond ecstasy . . . but will he also drive her to the brink of despair? It's time for this man to confess. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. 

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Fallen Crest High

Fallen Crest High

      Tijan / Romance & Love 

Mason and Logan Kade are two brothers who did their own thing. They were rich and expected to attend Samantha's school, Fallen Crest Academy. They chose public school and now she has to live with them. The problem is that she doesn't care at all: about them, about her friends, about her cheating boyfriend, or even about her parent's divorce. But maybe that's a good thing. Maybe change is a good thing.

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Gone Girl

Gone Girl

      Gillian Flynn / Thrillers & Crime 

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 

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The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

      John Green / Young Adult / Romance & Love 

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

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Captive in the Dark

Captive in the Dark

      C. J. Roberts / Romance & Love 

Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was. Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him. WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence. 

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