Displaying the top 100 results that match your query. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/rssapi.jsp?browse=true&N=7450 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1696586 A collection of humorous short stories about love and romance, including the tale of a besotted Sherlock Holmes ignoring all the clues that his girlfriends been cheating on him. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1704545 While treating themselves to a modest vacation in sunny Florida, newly unemployed Wisconsinites Patrick and Barbara McDougal get the ride of a lifetime when they, after being robbed of everything, are rescued by bighearted psychopath and happy tour guide Serge Storms. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1754375 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1738560 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1739491 After Queenie Wake is dismissed from her restaurant job, she returns to North Star to cook meals for death row inmates. Hopeful that the bad memories of her late mother and promiscuous sister (now the mother of the captain of the high school football team) have been forgotten by the locals, Queenie discovers that some people cant be forgotten--heartbreaker Everett Coburn--her old high-school sweetheart. When secrets from the past emerge, will Queenie be able to stick by her family or will she leave home again?--P. [4] of cover. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1735100 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1704433 Everyone at IRS special agent Tara Holloways office is looking for love by signing up for an online dating service. As depressing as that is to Tara, her life only gets worse when she finds out that her next case involves cash-funneling to terrorists. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1738713 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1713001 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1754710 The last original wife among her husbands group of cronies, Leslie Anne, after an accident, realizes her perfect life is a sham and embraces the healing powers of South Carolinas white beaches where she, with the help of the feisty and funny residents,reclaims the strong and sexy woman she was meant to be. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1705448 The narrator faces the prospect of permanent life as a married man and looks upon the institution of marriage with the same cynicism he brings to fatherhood and his dead-end job. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1757228 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753742 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1751227 While celebrating their anniversary in Italy, amateur sleuth/caterer Faith Fairchild and her husband, the Reverend Tom Fairchild, find murder on the itinerary when a new acquaintance is killed in the Eternal City and someone tries to sabotage her former assistants new cooking school in Florence. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1738652 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1754370 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753607 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1738980 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1711720 Three months has been Gladie Burgers limit when it comes to staying in one place. Thats why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her eccentric Grandma Zelda recruits her to the familys matchmaking business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. Whats more, Gladie is also highly unqualified, having a terrible track record with romance. Still, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has the gift. But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy. When Zeldas neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre familys drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbors death was murder. Its not too long before shes in way over her head-- with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions shes unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued-- either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first? -- p. [4] of cover. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1685687 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1759461 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1759412 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1732411 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1696718 Complications arise throughout his family when churchgoing and respected community member Robert John Browns caught hiding a barnful of migrant workers with no papers. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753615 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1715436 When her boyfriend relationship collapses, Hannah Sugarman seizes the chance to do what shes always loved and launches an underground supper club out of her new landlords town house. Though her delicious dishes become the talk of the town, Hannah faces various romantic prospects that leave her guessing and confused, parents who dont support cooking as a career, and her own fears of taking a risk and charting her own path. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753131 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1704552 A debut novel about a young journalist at D.C.s hottest and most cut-throat political rag who uncovers a scandal sure to turn the Beltway inside out. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1712685 While treating themselves to a modest vacation in sunny Florida, newly unemployed Wisconsinites Patrick and Barbara McDougal get the ride of a lifetime when they, after being robbed of everything, are rescued by bighearted psychopath and happy tour guide Serge Storms. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1715773 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1750443 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1759234 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753700 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1743327 Working as a birdwatching guide to scrape together enough money to survive, Nathan Lochmueller performs nature research in backwater Indiana, where he falls in love with a heartbreaking free spirit named Lola and confronts the accidental turns of his life. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1744796 The hilarious story of a struggling young actress trying to get ahead--and keep it together--in New York City. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753730 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1743322 A British astronomer, Thayer, high on Darwin and other progressive scientists of [his] age, has come to believe that beings more highly evolved than us are alive on Mars (he has evidence) and that there will be a perfect moment in which we can signal to them that we are here, too. He gets the support and funding for a massive project to build the Equilateral, a triangle with sides hundreds of miles long, in the desert of Egypt in time for that perfect window. But as work progresses, the Egyptian workers, less evolved than the British, are also less than cooperative, and a bout of malaria that seems to activate at the worst moments makes it all much more confusing and complex than Thayer ever imagined--Amazon.com. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1683302 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753706 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1754683 Andrew Yancy, late of the Miami Police, soon-to-be-late of the Key West Police, has a human arm in his freezer. There is a logical explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, his commander might relieve him of Health Inspector duties, aka Roach Patrol. But first Yancy will negotiate an ever-surprising course of events, from the Keys to Miami to a Bahamian out island, with a crew of equally ever-surprising characters, including: the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; an avariciously idiotic real estate developer; a voodoo witch whose lovers are blinded-unto-death by her particularly peculiar charms; Yancys new love, a kinky medical examiner; and the eponymous Bad Monkey. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1704323 Twenty years after ruling the halls of her suburban Chicago high school, Lissy Ryder doesnt understand why her glory days ended. Back then, she was worshipped-- beloved-- feared. Present day, not so much. Shes been pink-slipped from her high-paying job, dumped by her husband and kicked out of her condo. Now, at thirty-seven, shes struggling to start a business out of her parents garage and sleeping under the hair-band posters in her old bedroom. Lissy finally realizes karma is the only bitch bigger than she was. Her present is miserable because of her past. But its not like she can go back in time and change who she was-- or can she? http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1752783 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1729569 Kati Hirschel, the owner of Istanbuls only mystery book store, is fed up. It all starts when her lover Selim insists that she behave like the Turkish wife of a respectable lawyer--looking glamorous and making witty small talk the only requirements. Then her landlady announces an outrageous rent increase on her Istanbul apartment. Shed rather find a new place by bribing government officials, paying baksheesh, than moving in with Selim. Kati is offered a large apartment with a view over the Bosphorous at a bargain price. Too good to be true--until a man is found murdered there and she becomes the polices prime suspect--P. [4] of cover. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1702013 At fifteen, Josh Paquette and Khadijah Silvergate-Dunn catch Joshs father and Khadijahs mother kissing in a natural foods store. As both of their families fall apart, the teenagers sign a pact never to cheat on anyone, ever. They have no problem keeping the vow-- until they meet again at twenty-eight, both struggling with career and identity, and both engaged to other people -- dust jacket flap. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1731306 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1732410 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1694768 After years of being a TV ratings juggernaut but now taking a hit in viewership, Project Icon keeps assistant producer Sasha King hopping, what with its diva judges, foul-mouthed contestants, and muckracking gossip columnists. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1738922 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1743542 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1682630 Astonished by his imminent marriage to a woman he believed out of his league, Seth flies to their destination wedding in Florida only to be swept up in a maelstrom of violence involving rioters, Russian gangsters, angry strippers, and a desperate python. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1759441 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753873 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1750536 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1754471 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1759399 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1752868 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1685332 An eccentric Upper East Side family loses all their money and their penthouse and seeks refuge in Central park, in a picture book for grown-ups. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1696576 After inheriting a large sum of money, Henry Lang moves to Brooklyn to live like a twenty-something hipster and pursue his dream of a publishing career but instead finds himself in increasingly disturbing situations. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1684675 When her husband leaves her for a younger, blonder woman, overwhelmed single mother Molly Hagan takes a copywriting position at a new bakery where she, after meeting a sexy British pastry chef, just might get her own happily ever after. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1715782 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1695512 Struggling with encroaching middle age and a broken engagement, advertising agent Finbar Dolan is forced to cancel his Christmas plans to tackle a last-minute work assignment only to learn that his estranged and abusive father has taken ill and that his siblings are unwilling to help, a situation that forces Fin to re-evaluate his choices. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1753769 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1696023 Losing her home when her owner passes away, Prudence the brown tabby cat is taken in by her former owners grieving daughter, who maintains a meticulously organized life to avoid the pain of past losses and memories about her dynamic relationship with her mother. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1731315 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1729557 Presents a collection of stories featuring such characters as a deranged male birth doula, an aerobics instructor trying to save her soul, and a doomsday hustler. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1480889 When a college graduate with a history of hapless jobs (ice cream scooper; gift wrapper; laziest ever part-time clerk at the Pet Library) reads Robert Louis Stevensons novel Treasure Island, she is dumbstruck by the timid design of her life. ... Convinced that Stevensons book is cosmically intended for her, she redesigns her life according to its core values: boldness, resolution, independence, and horn-blowing. Accompanied by her mother, her sister, and a hostile Amazon parrot that refuses to follow the script, our heroine embarks on a domestic adventure more frightening than anything shed originally planned--Book jacket flap. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1537994 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1522388 Having watched her life turn into a noreaster, 34-year-old LeeLee Satterfield is back home in the South, ready to pick back up where she left off. But thats a task easier said than done. LeeLees a single mom, still dreaming of the Vermonter who stole her heart. Accompanied by her three best friends who pepper her with advice and peach daiquiris, LeeLee opens another restaurant and learns she has to prove herself yet again. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1518332 After a gutless corpse called Hollow Man is found on the beach and giant shark carcasses stuffed with human limbs clog up busy intersections, one-man vigilante Serge Storms, determined to be a spy, decides to investigate. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1660663 Structured as a daybook of sorts, with the Cursing Mommy--beleaguered wife of Larry and mother of two boys, twelve and nine--trying (more or less) valiantly to offer tips on how to do various tasks around the home, only to end up on the ground, cursing, surrounded by broken glass. Her voice is somewhere between Phyllis Dillers and Sylvia Plaths: a hilariously desperate housewife with a taste for swearing and large glasses of red wine, who speaks to the frustrations of everyday life. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1629834 Winning a blue ribbon at the livestock fair and escaping the butchers knife, winsome 18th-century pig Toby tours the country and astonishes circus audiences with his ability to count, spell and read minds before attending Oxford and Edinburgh, where he encounters such luminaries as Samuel Johnson, Robert Burns and William Blake. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1667207 This hilarious new novel by Americas best-selling cowboy poet, Baxter Black, offers a funny, fast-paced inside look at the lives of rodeo cowboys and the women they love--or that they want to love-- http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1574844 Starting a rumor about an assassination plot targeting the Dalai Lama as part of an effort to gain support for a secret weapons system, Bird McIntyre and Angel Templeton provoke Washington crises that bring the United States and China to the brink of war. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1502853 Relocating to New York after finishing design school, Boyet Hernandez embarks on a promising career only to be wrongly accused of terrorist ties and locked up indefinitely in a tiny cell where he frantically prepares for a trial. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1629952 How far would you go to get revenge on an ex? Would you.... * Send dead roses to his new girlfriend? * Spend a thousand dollars on a psychic hotline? * Try to conjure up a voodoo curse? If any of those ring a bell (and even if they dont), youll love Ashleigh Prince, the charmingly hilarious heroine of Chrissie Manbys Getting Over Mr. Right. Ashleigh doesnt think shes asking too much-- she just wants a nice, smart, funny boyfriend with a decent job who happens to love her too. When she meets Michael Parker, she finally thinks shes found it. But after two years together, she doesnt seem to be much closer to the dream. And then, out of nowhere, Michael dumps Ashleigh, in the meanest way possible: on Facebook. But, as the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Ashleigh is devastated, and she vows to get Michael back by any means necessary. The irrepressibly likable Ashleigh will be every womans new best friend. Shes the heroine willing to go to all of the lengths of revenge that women everywhere have dreamed about, but never have been crazy enough to carry out. Getting Over Mr. Right is a rolicking read, and a fabulous summer beach read-- http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1684649 John Lincoln, a 33-year old book editor in Chicago, dreams of joining the world of real writers and editors in New York. He needs a hot bestseller, and finds his salvation in Amy OMalley, a recent Univ. of Chicago graduate who has worked on the schools famous sex survey. With Lincolns prodding, Amy writes an erotic thriller. Her book opens doors for Lincoln but not in the way he imagined. This comic novel is about the hard work of understanding what it is you want out of life. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1685935 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1572654 Flatscreen tells the story of Eli Schwartz as he endures the loss of his home, the indifference of his parents, the success of his older brother, and the cruel and frequent dismissal of the opposite sex. He is a loser par excellence-- pasty, soft, and high-- who struggles to become a new person in a world where nothing is new. Into this scene of apathy rolls Seymour J. Kahn. Former star of the small screen and current paraplegic sex addict, Kahn has purchased Elis old family home. The two begin a dangerous friendship, one that distracts from their circumstances but speeds their descent into utter debasement and, inevitably, YouTube stardom. By storys end, through unlikely acts of courage and kindness, roles will be reversed, reputations resurrected, and charges (hopefully) dropped -- p. [4] of cover. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1694431 Phineas Throckmorton, town clerk, has been barricaded in the courthouse basement for over a year. But the lender seems increasingly determined to evict him, and may succeed after one of its executives is found shot, apparently from inside the basement. Meg and her fellow townspeople suspect that someone hopes to end the siege by framing Mr. Throckmorton. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1519717 Relocating his family to an unremarkable rural town in New York in the hopes of starting over, Solomon Kugel must cope with his depressive mother, a local arsonist, and the discovery of a believed-dead historical specimen hiding in his attic. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1555252 Modern gods and goddesses wreak havoc on an unemployed butcher from New Jersey. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1623045 Karen Nieto passed her earliest years a feral child, left alone to wander the vast beach property near her family failing tuna cannery in Mazatlan, Mexico. When her mother dies, Karens long-kept family secret is revealed. What to do with the troubled and autistic Karen? http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1584894 Winn Van Meter is heading for his familys retreat on the pristine New England island of Waskeke. Normally a haven of calm, for the next three days this sanctuary will be overrun by tipsy revelers as Winn prepares for the marriage of his daughter Daphne to the affable young scion Greyson Duff. Winns wife, Biddy, has planned the wedding with military precision, but arrangements are sideswept by a storm of salacious misbehavior and intractable lust: Daphnes sister, Livia, who has recently had her heart broken by Teddy Fenn, the son of her fathers oldest rival, is an eager target for the seductive wiles of Greysons best man; Winn, instead of reveling in his patriarchal duties, is tormented by his long-standing crush on Daphnes beguiling bridesmaid Agatha; and the bride and groom find themselves presiding over a spectacle of misplaced desire, marital infidelity, and monumental loss of faith in the rituals of American life--Dust jacket. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1675663 A music student working in Prague cataloging Beethovens manuscripts discovers clues that her deceased mentor may not have committed suicide and becomes involved with a time-travel drug, a 400-year-old dwarf, a handsome Prince and a powerful U.S. senator. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1704754 A respected Mexican businessman finds his idyllic life crumbling in the face of his wifes infidelity with a corrupt director of national security, his brother-in-laws worship of a child preacher, and his mistress break with reality. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1557914 How will Jane Austen break the news to her fianc that shes not only undead, but also a 200-plus-year-old literary icon? In sleepy upstate New York, Janes wedding preparations have taken on a bloodsucking intensity. So when Walter suggests they combine their marriage and honeymoon with a house tour of Europe, Jane jumps at the chance. But to Janes chagrin, more than one secret from her past is about to resurface. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1628045 Harry Lipkin, the worlds oldest private investigator, takes on the case of Norma Weinberger, a wealthy woman whose belongings are being pilfered by one of her staff, people she employs, trusts, cares for, and treats like family. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1536745 Obsessively following the edicts of the Girl Scouts Handbook in spite of her lack of a troop, young Rory longs to escape the Reno trailer park where she lives with her bartender mother. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1654361 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1486903 In Molly Shapiros fun and sexy debut novel, four women try to sort through the wild and complicated world of text messaging, status updates, and other high-speed connections. Best friends and fellow midwesterners Katie, Annie, Maxine, and Claudia are no strangers to dealing with love and relationships, but with online dating and social networking now in the mix, they all have the feeling theyre not in Kansas anymore. Katie, a divorced mother of two, secretly seeks companionship through the Internet only to discover that the rules of the dating game have drastically changed. Annie, a high-powered East Coast transplant, longs for a baby, yet her online search for a sperm donor is not as easy--or anonymous--as she anticipates. Maxine, a successful artist with a seemingly perfect husband, turns to celebrity gossip sites to distract herself from her less-than-ideal marriage. And Claudia, tired of her husbands obsession with Facebook, finds herself irresistibly drawn to a handsome co-worker. As these women navigate the new highs and lows of the digital age, they each find that their wrong turns lead surprisingly to the right click and, ultimately, the connection they were seeking-- http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1548518 An explosive fiction debut from an astonishing new voice: darkly funny, wildly original stories about the power of love, and the love of power--two urgent human desires that inevitably, and often calamitously, intertwine. The unforgettable opener, The Infamous Bengal Ming, is narrated by a misunderstood tiger whose affection for his keeper goes horribly awry. In Demons, a woman tries to celebrate Thanksgiving after the sudden death of her husband, even though his corpse is still sprawled on their living-room floor. In The Strange Career of Dr. Raju Gopalarajan, an ex-CompUSA employee sets up a medical practice in a suburban strip mall armed only with textbooks from the local library and fake business cards. The heroes--and anti-heroes--of I Am An Executioner include a railroad manager in a turn-of-the-century Indian village, the newlywed executioner of the title, and an elephant writing her autobiography--the creations of a riotous, singular imagination that promises to dazzle the universe of American fiction-- http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1677531 Andy Warner has just escaped from a zombie research facility in Portland, Oregon, where hes been subjected to experimental testing for the past year. With Christmas just days away, Andy figures that donning a jolly old St. Nick costume to throw off his would-be captors is just the ticket. But he never expects to encounter a sweet, lonesome nine-year-old girl who not only reminds Andy of the family hes lost but who thinks hes the real Santa. He also doesnt count on being recognized as last years national quasi-celebrity by a clandestine group of decaying supporters who look to him for leadership. For the living and the undead, this unforgettable holiday tale will truly put on display just who is gnawing and who is nice... http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1590833 Set in 1930s Russia, this darkly humorous, tragic, and ultimately heroic novel tells the tale of Vladimir, an eight-year-old Russian boy suddenly stricken with a chronic case of the hiccups. He soon finds himself spirited away to a Moscow hospital by the famous physician Sergei Namestikov, who puts him through a series of extraordinary--and often bizarre--treatments in an effort to find a cure. When Sergeis chief medical rival, the brilliant Alexander Afiniganov, discovers that beneath Vladimirs blank eyes lurks a pure, unbridled evil, he takes steps to remove the child from polite society. Abandoned by everyone but his hiccups, Vladimir decides to return to the world he once knew, encountering many strange people and situations along the way. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1609082 The great city of Edinburgh is renowned for its impeccable restraint, so how, then, did the extended family of 44 Scotland Street come to be trembling on the brink of reckless self-indulgence? Bertie is--finally!--about to turn seven. But one afternoon he mislays his meddling mother Irene, and learns a valuable lesson: wish-fulfillment can be a dangerous business. Angus and Domenica contemplate whether to give in to romance on holiday in Italy, and even usually down-to-earth Big Lou is overheard discussing cosmetic surgery--P. [4] of cover. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1569093 Starting a rumor about an assassination plot targeting the Dalai Lama as part of an effort to gain support for a secret weapons system, Bird McIntyre and Angel Templeton provoke Washington crises that bring the United States and China to the brink of war. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1518185 Once a month, four New York City moms forget about shaky marriages, rebellious children, and rocky careers--and place a bet on friendship. Besides the fact that their kids all attend the same fashionable Brooklyn Heights private school, Bess, Robin, Carla, and Alicia have little in common. Thrown together on the tony schools Diversity Committee, the women impulsively turn their awkward first meeting into a boisterous game of poker. Instead of betting with chips or pocket change, however, they play for intimate secrets about their lives. Soon enough, virtual strangers are transformed into close confidantes. As the Diversity Commitee meetings become a highly anticipated monthly ritual, the new friends reveal more with each game. Appearances deceive. Picture-perfect housewife Bess struggles to relate to her surly teenage daughter and judgmental mother. Robin, a bohemian single mom, grapples with the truth concerning her childs real father. Carla, an ambitious African American doctor, attempts to balance the colossal demands of her family with her dream of owning her own private practice. And to distract herself from her troubled marriage, shy copywriter Alicia fantasizes about an attractive younger colleague. Putting all their cards on the table, the four women grow to rely on one another, bracing for one final showdown--Provided by publisher. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1684246 Whenever Uncle Fred arrives in London, problems get solved, true lovers are reunited, and his nephew Pongo goes into spasms. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1576263 A cowboy governor finds himself the accidental leader of Texass right-wing revolution in this irreverent, entertaining debut novel. Written with the comedic mastery of Christopher Buckley, Dont Mess with Travis tells the story of Ben Travis, a no-name Texas senator who becomes governor after a late-night accident takes the lives of the men ahead of him in the chain of command. Before the paint has even dried on his parking spot, the recently divorced Travis uncovers the latest Washington power grab and decides theres only one solution: secession. The stunt pits Travis (and Texas) against the president, a golf-obsessed, progressive egomaniac with spotty leadership skills, and the liberal elites behind him, who will try every dirty trick to derail the new governor and hold on to the most prosperous state in the Union. Despite the doomsday threats from D.C., Travis forges ahead in a thrilling and hysterical quest to fight big government tyranny and restore sanity to the nation.--from publishers description http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1577798 When Gulliver Leverenz abandons LA to make a fresh start in New York, he leaves behind his family, his friends--and one bastard exboyfriend. Its certainly an impusle move: Gully has no job, no money, and no direction. What he does have is a former fraternity brother with a posh apartment, a crew of incredibly hot friends, a reputation as a rising star in the gay nightlife scene. As luck would have it, Gully soon snags a job with a talent agent and even finds himself a new boyfriend. Theres just one catch: Gulliver knows this budding relationship could get him in a lot of trouble. And inevitably, it does just that. The whole mess blows up in his face, leading to an onslaught of catastrophes that leaves him in a tragic and seemingly hopeless situation beheath the skyscrapers. But Gulliver is tougher than he reaslizes and is determined to prove, once and for all, that he has what it takes to make it in New York. By turns exciting, sad, and hysterially funny, Gulliver Takes Manhattan is a candid tale of one mans adventures in the greatest city in the world.--cover, p.4. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1675454 Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld despairs over an academic rivals undeserved acclaim and stumbles into a haphazard romance with a charming widow before a mountaineering accident catapults him into unwanted fame.