fiction

"In . . . [this] book devoted exclusively to narrative fiction, America's . . . literary critic and . . . Yale professor [Harold Bloom] writes trenchantly about . . . [forty-eight] masterworks spanning the Western tradition"--Provided by publisher.

"'Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes ... ' Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It's 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it's too late"--Publisher.

Young adult novelist Denise Jaden offers advice for creating captivating stories by showing how ideas work, pinpointing the tools aspiring writers need to fan their creative flames.

Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she's found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness, but first they must free his brother and find hers. It's a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right, the crown and the kingdom are hers. Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms' dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure the crown never sits upon Poppy's head. But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible: travel to the Land of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people and each other.

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as he. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that's one order she's more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her. Casteel Da'Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he's the only way for her to get what she wants: to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she's ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones which could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans which will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself and about him. Plans which could bind their lives together in unexpected ways neither kingdom is prepared for. And she's far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation. But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms which would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

"These seventeen essays by . . . writers of color start a more inclusive conversation about storytelling and encourage readers and writers to re-evaluate the codes and conventions that have shaped their assumptions about how fiction should be written. Edited by Deepa Anappara, author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, and Taymour Soomro, author of Other Names for Love, this anthology features writers from around the world, from a diversity of backgrounds and across genres, including: American Dirt critic Myriam Gurba, who describes the circle of Latina writers she has always worked within; . . . novelist Tahmima Anam, who writes about giving herself permission to be funny as an artist of color; and New York Times opinion columnist Mohammed Hanif, who recalls censorship he experienced at the hands of political authorities"--Provided by publisher.

A young Ukrainian girl finds her hometown longing for freedom and embarks on a journey through the landscapes and folklore of Ukraine to find it.

"An instructional book on how to write a story from bestselling author Frances O'Roark Dowell"--Provided by publisher.