Books with category đź’ť Heartwarming
Displaying books 289-336 of 763 in total

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

2013

by Francis Chan

Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.


Whether you've verbalized it yet or not, we all know something's wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions?


God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts—it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

When the Butterflies Came

Everybody thinks Tara Doucet has the perfect life. But in reality, Tara’s life is anything but perfect: Her dear Grammy Claire has just passed away, her mother is depressed and distant, and she and her sister Riley can’t seem to agree on anything.

But when mysterious and dazzling butterflies begin to follow her around after Grammy Claire’s funeral, Tara just knows in her heart that her grandmother has left her one final mystery to solve.

A strange butler brings Tara and Riley to Grammy Claire’s house, where Tara finds a stack of keys and detailed letters from Grammy Claire herself. Note by note, Tara learns unexpected truths about her grandmother’s life. As the letters grow more ominous and the clues more difficult to decipher, Tara realizes that the secrets she must uncover could lead to mortal danger.

And when Tara and Riley are swept away to the beautiful islands of Chuuk to hear their grandmother’s will, Tara discovers the most shocking truth of all — one that will change her life forever.

From Kimberley Griffiths Little comes a magical, breathtaking mystery full of loss and love, family and faith.

Dear Life, You Suck

2013

by Scott Blagden

"The shrinkadinks think I have a screw loose. Ain’t playing with a full deck. Whacked-out wiring. Missing marbles."

Irreverent, foulmouthed seventeen-year-old Cricket is the oldest ward in a Catholic boys’ home in Maine—and his life sucks. With prospects for the future that range from professional fighter to professional drug dealer, he seems doomed to a life of “criminal rapscallinity.”

In fact, things look so bleak that Cricket can’t help but wonder if his best option is one final cliff dive into the great unknown.

But then Wynona Bidaban steps into his world, and Cricket slowly realizes that maybe, just maybe, life doesn’t totally suck.

BrĂşjulas que buscan sonrisas perdidas

2013

by Albert Espinosa

El amor verdadero, la familia, la venganza, las segundas oportunidades, la sinceridad... En su nueva novela, Albert Espinosa nos sumerge en una emocionante historia protagonizada por unos personajes inolvidables que nos harán reflexionar y descubrir lo que es realmente importante en la vida.

Nunca dejaré de buscar mi archipiélago de sinceridad... ¿Quieres formar parte de él?

«Jamás nos mentiremos... Escúchame bien, eso implica algo más que ser sincero... En este mundo mucha gente es falsa... Las mentiras te rodean... Saber que existe un archipiélago de personas que siempre te dirán la verdad vale mucho... Quiero que formes parte de mi archipiélago de sinceridad...»

«Saber que puedes confiar en la otra persona, que nunca te mentirá, que siempre te dirá la verdad cuando se lo pidas, no tiene precio... Te hace sentir fuerte, muy poderoso...»

«Y es que la verdad mueve mundos... La verdad te hace sentir feliz... La verdad creo que es lo único que importa...»

The Mighty Miss Malone

"We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful" is the motto of Deza Malone’s family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for Black men.


When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, clinging to the hope that they will find Father.


The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

Welcome to Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat diner in Plainview, Indiana, a home away from home for Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean. Dubbed "The Supremes" by high school pals in the tumultuous 1960s, they’ve weathered life’s storms for over four decades and counseled one another through marriage and children, happiness and the blues.

Now, however, they’re about to face their most challenging year yet. Proud, talented Clarice is struggling to keep up appearances as she deals with her husband’s humiliating infidelities; beautiful Barbara Jean is rocked by the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair; and fearless Odette is about to embark on the most terrifying battle of her life.

With wit, style, and sublime talent, Edward Kelsey Moore brings together three devoted allies in a warmhearted novel that celebrates female friendship and second chances.

Honor

2013

by Elif Shafak

Honor is a powerful novel by internationally bestselling Turkish author, Elif Shafak. Set against the backdrop of 1970s London, this dramatic tale delves into the lives of Turkish immigrants as they navigate love, family, and cultural misunderstandings.

The story follows twin sisters born in a Kurdish village. Jamila remains in the village, embracing her role as a midwife, while Pembe ventures to London with her Turkish husband, Adem, in search of a new life. In London, they face a pivotal choice: remain loyal to their old traditions or attempt to assimilate into a new culture.

When Adem abandons the family, their eldest son, Iskender, steps up to protect the family's honor. As Pembe embarks on a chaste affair with Elias, Iskender learns the heart-wrenching truth that love can coexist with the potential for deep hurt.

Honor is a gripping exploration of guilt and innocence, loyalty and betrayal, and the trials faced by immigrants. It is a poignant reflection on the love and heartbreak that often fracture families.

The Kite Runner

2013

by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is an unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant. Set against the backdrop of a country in turmoil, this beautifully crafted novel explores themes such as the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption.

Discover the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies—in this sweeping story of family, love, and friendship. Told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is a powerful novel that has become a beloved classic.

Beauty Awakened

2013

by Gena Showalter

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary—and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.

She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall.

Though he fights duty, destiny, and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life—even if he has to sacrifice his own.

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

2013

by Rita Leganski

Conceived in love and possibility, Bonaventure Arrow didn't make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. No one knows Bonaventure's silence is filled with resonance - a miraculous gift of rarified hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. Growing up in the big house on Christopher Street in Bayou Cymbaline, Bonaventure can hear flowers grow, a thousand shades of blue, and the miniature tempests that rage inside raindrops. He can also hear the gentle voice of his father, William Arrow, shot dead before Bonaventure was born by a mysterious stranger known only as the Wanderer.

Bonaventure's remarkable gift of listening promises salvation to the souls who love him: his beautiful young mother, Dancy, haunted by the death of her husband; his Grand-mere Letice, plagued by grief and long-buried guilt she locks away in a chapel; and his father, William, whose roaming spirit must fix the wreckage of the past. With the help of Trinidad Prefontaine, a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed.

Ibuk

2013

by Iwan Setyawan

Seperti sepatumu ini, Nduk. Kadang kita mesti berpijak dengan sesuatu yang tak sempurna. Tapi kamu mesti kuat. Buatlah pijakanmu kuat.

Masih belia usia Tinah saat itu. Suatu pagi di pasar Batu telah mengubah hidupnya. Sim, seorang kenek angkot, seorang playboy pasar yang berambut selalu klimis dan bersandal jepit, hadir dalam hidup Tinah lewat sebuah tatapan mata. Keduanya menikah, mereka pun menjadi Ibuk dan Bapak.

Lima anak terlahir sebagai buah cinta. Hidup yang semakin meriah juga semakin penuh perjuangan. Angkot yang sering rusak, rumah mungil yang bocor di kala hujan, biaya pendidikan anak-anak yang besar, dan pernak-pernik permasalahan kehidupan dihadapi Ibuk dengan tabah. Air matanya membuat garis-garis hidup semakin indah.

Ibuk, novel karya penulis national best seller Iwan Setyawan, berkisah tentang sebuah pesta kehidupan yang dipimpin oleh seorang perempuan sederhana yang perkasa. Tentang sosok perempuan bening dan hijau seperti pepohonan yang menutupi kegersangan, yang memberi nafas bagi kehidupan.

Calling Dr. Laura

When Nicole Georges was two years old, her family told her that her father was dead. When she was twenty-three, a psychic told her he was alive. Her sister, saddled with guilt, admits that the psychic is right and that the whole family has conspired to keep him a secret. Sent into a tailspin about her identity, Nicole turns to radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger for advice.


Packed cover-to-cover with heartfelt and disarming black-and-white illustrations, Calling Dr. Laura tells the story of what happens to you when you are raised in a family of secrets, and what happens to your brain—and heart—when you learn the truth from an unlikely source. Part coming-of-age and part coming-out story, Calling Dr. Laura marks the arrival of an exciting and winning new voice in graphic literature.

Escorted

2013

by Claire Kent

Lori might be a popular romance writer, but she's never been anything but a flop with sex and love in her personal life. Still a virgin at twenty-six and increasingly frustrated by her inexperience, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

She hires a talented, sexy male escort to take care of her inconvenient virginity. She assumes one time with Ander will be enough, but she never dreams how much pleasure he can make her feel. Once isn't nearly enough. Twice isn't enough either. Soon, she becomes one of his regular clients.

Lori knows that nothing would be as foolish as falling in love with her paid escort, but she's never been wise with her heart. And, despite his professionalism, Ander doesn't seem entirely immune either.

Home Front

2013

by Kristin Hannah

Home Front is a profound exploration of the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage, set against the backdrop of war. Kristin Hannah crafts a provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost.

Michael and Jolene Zarkades are like many couples, facing the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve-year marriage teeters on the brink of collapse. A deployment sends Jolene deep into harm's way, leaving defense attorney Michael at home, struggling with the role of single parent to their two girls.

As a mother, Jolene is torn apart by leaving her family, yet as a soldier, she understands the true meaning of duty. Through her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of life on the front lines, shielding her family from the harsh realities of war. But war changes Jolene in ways none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must confront his darkest fears and fight his own battle—for everything that matters to his family.

This story offers a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family. It is a tale of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.

Hopeless

2013

by Colleen Hoover

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

The Quirky Tale of April Hale

2013

by Cathy Octo

Tall, dark, and mysterious—Ryder Black is everything a girl wants. The catch? He’s trouble. Naturally, he’s irresistibly charming. Surprisingly, he’s impressively academic, too. But it’s his knack for getting into fights that makes him notorious.

Dorky, clumsy, and just plain odd—April Hale talks like Yoda, eats her food based on the day of the week, and prefers binge watching TV shows to partying. She has also spent the past few years eavesdropping on the Blacks’ morning fights. It was her daily routine. Until that one morning that Ryder catches her looking into his bedroom window… and she becomes all but anonymous in his eyes.

Hell-bent on making contact, Ryder gets a sneak peek into the quirky world of April when she stuffs all of her fingers in her mouth and faints the first time he talks to her.

She’s unusual. He’s captivated.

In this delightfully wacky and fun story, we discover that sometimes what makes us outcasts from the world are the very things that make us special. Join April and Ryder in their journey to discovering more about life… and about each other. It will give you butterflies in the stomach, tickle your funny bones, and pull at your heartstrings until the very last page.

Spilled Milk

2013

by K.L. Randis

Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call about the escalating brutality in her home. When social services jeopardize her safety, condemning her to keep her father’s secret, it’s a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she’s been hiding.

In her pursuit for safety and justice, Brooke battles a broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home. When jury members and a love interest congregate to inspire her to fight, she risks losing the support of family and comes to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved.

Spilled Milk is a novel of shocking narrative, triumph, and resiliency.

Vele hemels boven de zevende

Lou is 12, Eva 36, Elsie 42, Casper 46, and Jos 71. Five interconnected individuals share their stories. They speak of unexpected joys that complicate life, secrets that seem too vast, the intricate art of growing up, and obstacles that become mountains, barely climbable. They continue to strive, reaching the limits of human endurance.

In Vele hemels boven de zevende, five diverse characters battle more with themselves than with each other in this existence, which is both ridiculously beautiful and wonderfully challenging at the same time.

Ketchup Clouds

2012

by Annabel Pitcher

Secrets, romance, murder and lies: Zoe shares a terrible secret in a letter to a stranger on death row in this second novel from the author of the bestselling debut, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

Two Brothers

2012

by Ben Elton

Two Brothers is a heartrending story set against the darkening shadow of the Nazis. This novel by bestselling author Ben Elton takes us to Berlin, 1920, where two babies are born. Two brothers, united and indivisible, sharing everything. They are twins in all but blood.

As Germany marches into its Nazi Armageddon, the ties of family, friendship, and love are tested to the very limits of endurance. The brothers are faced with an unimaginable choice. Which one of them will survive?

This is a story about making decisions with horrifying consequences, and the resilience of the human spirit amidst the backdrop of history's darkest hour.

Grandma! Can I Get a Dog?

Grandma! Can I Get a Dog? is a delightful story about the special relationship between a grandmother and her grandson. It begins with Grandma and her grandson, Boy, going on an adventure to the store. There, Boy eagerly asks Grandma to buy him a dog. However, Grandma isn't thrilled with this idea at all.

Will Boy ever get a dog of his own? Join them in this heartwarming and whimsical tale to find out!

Nobody's Boy

2012

by Hector Malot

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of Nobody's Boy (Sans Famille) by Hector Malot. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

2012

by Jenny Wingfield

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at the "old home place," a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities.

The children embrace the reunion as a welcome escape from the prying eyes of their father’s congregation; for Willadee, it’s a precious opportunity to spend time with her mother and father, Calla and John. But just as the reunion is getting underway, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core: John’s untimely death and, soon after, the loss of Samuel’s parish, which set the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But it is Blade Ballenger, a traumatized eight-year-old neighbor, who soon captures Swan’s undivided attention. Full of righteous anger, and innocent of the peril facing her and those she loves, Swan makes it her mission to keep the boy safe from his terrifying father.

With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of one’s own family, and with the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield emerges as one of the most vital, engaging storytellers writing today. In The Homecoming of Samuel Lake, she has created a memorable and lasting work of fiction.

A Week in Winter

2012

by Maeve Binchy

Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy.

Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Chicky is finally ready to welcome the first guests to Stone House’s big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms.

Meet the guests: John, the American movie star, who thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian, forced into taking a holiday together; Nicola and Henry, husband and wife, shaken by seeing too much death in their medical practice; Anders, who hates his father’s business but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired schoolteacher who criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone’s relief; the Walls, disappointed to have won this second-prize holiday in a contest where first prize was Paris; and Freda, the librarian, afraid of her own psychic visions.

Sharing a week with this unlikely cast of characters is pure joy, full of Maeve’s trademark warmth and humor. Once again, she embraces us with her grand storytelling.

Birds of a Lesser Paradise

Birds of a Lesser Paradise is a heartwarming and hugely appealing debut collection that explores the way our choices and relationships are shaped by the menace and beauty of the natural world.

Megan Mayhew Bergman's twelve stories capture the surprising moments when the pull of our biology becomes evident, when love or fear collides with good sense, or when our attachment to an animal or wild place can't be denied. In "Housewifely Arts," a single mother and her son drive hours to track down an African Gray Parrot that can mimic her deceased mother's voice. A population control activist faces the ultimate conflict between her loyalty to the environment and her maternal desire in "Yesterday's Whales." And in the title story, a lonely naturalist allows an attractive stranger to lead her and her aging father on a hunt for an elusive woodpecker.

As intelligent as they are moving, the stories in Birds of a Lesser Paradise are alive with emotion, wit, and insight into the impressive power that nature has over all of us.

De overgave

2012

by Arthur Japin

De Overgave is een aangrijpend verhaal over een Texaanse pioniersfamilie die wordt overvallen door een groep Comanche-indianen. De gevolgen van deze aanval zijn hartverscheurend. Veertig jaar later krijgt de hoogbejaarde Granny, die destijds haar familie voor haar ogen zag gedood of ontvoerd worden, bezoek van Quanah, de aanvoerder van de door haar zo gehate Comanche. Hij is op weg om zich over te geven en zijn verslagen volk voor altijd in het reservaat te leiden. Hiermee wordt, na bijna vierhonderd jaar, de onderwerping van de oorspronkelijke bewoners van Amerika een feit.

De Overgave vertelt het aangrijpende en onvoorstelbare leven van een vrouw die in het gevecht om haar kinderen en kleinkinderen uiteindelijk het machtigste wapen moet leren hanteren: vergeving.

Looking for Alaska / An Abundance of Katherines / Paper Towns / The Fault in Our Stars

2012

by John Green

Discover four critically acclaimed, award-winning modern classics from #1 New York Times-bestselling author John Green in this deluxe box set. This collection includes:

  • Printz Award–winning Looking for Alaska
  • Printz Honor book An Abundance of Katherines
  • Edgar Award–winning Paper Towns
  • #1 New York Times–bestselling The Fault in Our Stars

These stories take you on emotional journeys filled with adventure, heartache, and profound insights into the teenage experience. John Green masterfully captures the complexities of youth, love, and friendship.

This exquisite library case, designed by Karen Kavett, features unique designs and icons from all four titles, offering a beautifully upgraded collection for fans and new readers alike.

Back to You

2012

by Priscilla Glenn

When Lauren Monroe first laid eyes on Michael Delaney back in high school, she had every reason to stay away from him; within minutes of their first encounter, his volatile actions confirmed his notorious reputation. But Lauren saw something in him that caused her to question his bad-boy persona, and against her better judgment, she took a chance. She had no way of knowing that the unlikely friendship they formed would become so important to her.

Or that it would end so painfully.

Eight years later, when Lauren begins her new job at Learn and Grow Day Care, Michael is the last person she expects to see. Refusing to revisit the hurt and confusion of their past, Lauren vows to keep her distance from him. But staying away from Michael proves to be more difficult than she thought, despite her lingering grief and her instincts for self-preservation.

As Lauren and Michael recall the friendship that changed them forever and the events that tore them apart, will they finally be able to heal? Or will the ghosts of Michael’s past prove to be too much to overcome?

The Silver Linings Playbook

2012

by Matthew Quick

Meet Pat. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure a happy ending for him—the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent time in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat's now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he's being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he's being hunted by Kenny G!

In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat's mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. The result is a touching and funny story that helps us look at both depression and love in a wonderfully refreshing way.

Mister God, This is Anna

2012

by Fynn

The Touching True Story that won the hearts of millions of readers around the world!

Anna was only four years old when Fynn found her on London's fog-shrouded docks. He took her back to his mother's home, and from that first moment, their times together were filled with delight and discovery. Anna had an astonishing ability to ask—and to answer—life's largest questions. Her total openness and honesty amazed all who knew her. She seemed to understand with uncanny certainty the purpose of being, the essence of feeling, the beauty of love.

You see, Anna had a very special friendship with Mister God.

Red Thread Sisters

A poignant and compelling story of friendship, family, and love.

Wen has spent the first eleven years of her life at an orphanage in rural China, and the only person she would call family is her best friend, Shu Ling. When Wen is adopted by an American couple, she struggles to adjust to every part of her new life: having access to all the food and clothes she could want, going to school, and being someone's daughter. But the hardest part of all is knowing that Shu Ling remains back at the orphanage, alone.

Wen knows that her best friend deserves a family and a future, too. But finding a home for Shu Ling isn't easy, and time is running out...

The News from Spain: Seven Variations on a Love Story

2012

by Joan Wickersham

The author of the acclaimed memoir The Suicide Index returns with a virtuosic collection of stories, each a stirring parable of the power of love and the impossibility of understanding it. Spanning centuries and continents, from eighteenth-century Vienna to contemporary America, Joan Wickersham shows, with uncanny exactitude, how we never really know what's in someone else's heart—or in our own.


Wickersham's gift is for capturing the habits of mind that lead even smart people to deceive themselves. Her book makes you slow down and listen, and then watch for people to reveal themselves. Elegantly structured, emotionally compelling... Short stories don't get much better than this.

The Reason

2012

by William Sirls

When facing the impossible, will you believe?

Storm clouds gather over a small Michigan town. As thunder shakes the sky, the lights inside St. Thomas Church flicker... and then go out. All is black until a thick bolt of lightning slices the sky, striking the church’s large wooden cross—leaving it ablaze and splintered in two.

When the storm ends—the search for answers begins. James Lindy, the church’s blind minister, wonders how his small congregation can repair the cross and keep their faith in the midst of adversity. And he hears the words “only believe.”

Macey Lewis, the town’s brilliant young oncologist, is drawn to Alex, a young boy who’s recently been diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia. She puts her hope in modern medicine—yet is challenged to “only believe.”

And Alex’s single mom, who has given everything she can to her boy, is pleading with God to know the reason this is happening... to save her son. But she only hears silence and wonders how she can possibly “only believe.”

The Reason is a milestone debut novel, opening with a thunderbolt and never letting up as it introduces us to everyday characters who are wrestling with the questions: Where is God when bad things happen? And does God ignore the prayers of the faithful? The answer each character receives will astound readers while offering an unforgettable call to hope, to change, to... only believe.

Never Seduce a Scot

2012

by Maya Banks

Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft.

But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

I am Morte

2012

by Elyse Draper

A creature that is hated and feared by mankind has fallen in love.

Morte redefines devotion in a timeline spanning many millennia, and landscapes that baffle the senses. At the bedside of a comatose girl, who suffers from terminal burns, Morte spins stories of past lives lived and lost, and tales of love's eternal pursuit for completion.

The Yellow Birds

2012

by Kevin Powers

The Yellow Birds is a groundbreaking novel that delves deep into the costs of war. With profound emotional insight, it explores the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families back home.

"The war tried to kill us in the spring," begins this breathtaking account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year-old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city.

In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces pressing in on every side: insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress from constant danger. Bound together since basic training, when their tough-as-nails Sergeant ordered Bartle to watch over Murphy, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for.

As reality blurs into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him, and Bartle takes actions he never could have imagined. This novel is a powerful exploration of friendship, survival, and the blurred lines of reality in a war zone.

On Dublin Street

2012

by Samantha Young

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare...

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well - until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street, where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he's determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won't be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her... down to the very soul.

The Lost Girl

2012

by Sangu Mandanna

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other,” if she ever died.

Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready. But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra.

And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

2012

by Matthew Dicks

Imaginary friend Budo narrates this heartwarming story of love, loyalty, and the power of the imagination—the perfect read for anyone who has ever had a friend… real or otherwise.

Budo is lucky as imaginary friends go. He's been alive for more than five years, which is positively ancient in the world of imaginary friends. But Budo feels his age and thinks constantly of the day when eight-year-old Max Delaney will stop believing in him. When that happens, Budo will disappear.

Max is different from other children. Some people say that he has Asperger's Syndrome, but most just say he's "on the spectrum." None of this matters to Budo, who loves Max and is charged with protecting him from the class bully, from awkward situations in the cafeteria, and even in the bathroom stalls.

But he can't protect Max from Mrs. Patterson, the woman who works with Max in the Learning Center and who believes that she alone is qualified to care for this young boy. When Mrs. Patterson does the unthinkable and kidnaps Max, it is up to Budo and a team of imaginary friends to save him — and Budo must ultimately decide which is more important: Max's happiness or Budo's very existence.

Narrated by Budo, a character with a unique ability to have a foot in many worlds—imaginary, real, child, and adult—Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend touches on the truths of life, love, and friendship as it races to a heartwarming… and heartbreaking conclusion.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece

2012

by Annabel Pitcher

My sister Rose lives on the mantelpiece. Well, some of her does. A collarbone, two ribs, a bit of skull, and a little toe.

To ten-year-old Jamie, his family has fallen apart because of the loss of someone he barely remembers: his sister Rose, who died five years ago in a terrorist bombing. To his father, life is impossible to make sense of when he lives in a world that could so cruelly take away a ten-year-old girl. To Rose's surviving fifteen-year-old twin, Jas, every day she lives in Rose's ever-present shadow, forever feeling the loss like a limb, but unable to be seen for herself alone.

Told with warmth and humor, this powerful novel is a sophisticated take on one family's struggle to make sense of the loss that's torn them apart... and their discovery of what it means to stay together.

The End of Infinity

2012

by Matt Myklusch

Jack Blank confronts his destiny in this action-packed conclusion to the trilogy. Ever since Jack Blank learned that he came from the amazing country of the Imagine Nation, he's known that his fate could go down two very different paths—he could either be the greatest hero the world has ever known, or its greatest villain.

Now the final battle is here, and it’s time for Jack to discover the direction of his destiny. The action-packed trilogy concludes with more surprises, twists, and adventure than ever—along with the same humor and heart that has brought so many fans to Jack’s story.

If I Should Die Before My Dog—

2012

by Joseph Connolly

If I Should Die Before My Dog— is a thought-provoking checklist for dog lovers who, unfortunately, and with much sadness, can no longer take care of their dog. This book will assist those who want to prepare for their dog's future in an easy-to-use format that will guide them through the process of telling the story of their dog's life, for their pet's Next Guardian.

None of us can predict the future, but in the event situations arise such as death, health impairment, or being left with no other choice but to give them up, this book will be there to assist your beloved pet with the transition from one home to another.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

2012

by Rachel Joyce

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next.

Then one morning, the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn't seen or heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.

Harold pens a quick reply and, leaving Maureen to her chores, heads to the corner mailbox. But then, as happens in the very best works of fiction, Harold has a chance encounter, one that convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. And thus begins the unlikely pilgrimage.

Harold Fry is determined to walk six hundred miles from Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed because, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie Hennessey will live. Still in his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold embarks on his urgent quest across the countryside.

Along the way, he meets one character after another, each of whom unlocks his long-dormant spirit and sense of promise. Memories of his first dance with Maureen, his wedding day, and his joy in fatherhood come rushing back to him - allowing him to also reconcile the losses and the regrets.

As for Maureen, she finds herself missing Harold for the first time in years. And then there is the unfinished business with Queenie Hennessy.

The Probability of Miracles

2012

by Wendy Wunder

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out of hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there.

But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies.

As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance, and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

Edible Delectables

2012

by Amy Wiseman

If you had a second chance at true love, would you risk everything for it?

As an adult, Kara Baker is living her dream of owning a thriving bakery. Unlucky at love, but happy with her life, fate is about to deliver her into the hands of her long lost, but never forgotten, teenage crush.

Will she take a chance and risk her heart?

Kara Baker owns her own bakery. Jason Dietrich is a resident in pediatrics. Their worlds collide when Kara ends up in the hospital for appendicitis.

Book contains sexual situations between consenting adults.

5 Centimeters per Second

2012

by Makoto Shinkai

Based on the Multiple Award Winning Film

Remember a time before cell phones could be found in every pocket? Or when even accessing the world wide web was something only readily available in a library? Back then, letters still filled up postboxes and moments just felt so much more precious when captured on Polaroid film.

Now life seems to move at the speed of light. Our memories are captured and shared with the world on social media platforms. And love, which is already capricious, can feel like it is moving at terminal velocity.

In Makoto Shinkai’s defining work, the internationally renowned director and animator unfolds a love story that is as timeless as it is fleeting. Yukiko Seike’s rendition of this modern classic adds a new level of emotion and intimacy that is unique to its source material.

The Midwife's Apprentice

2012

by Karen Cushman

From the author of Catherine, Called Birdy comes another spellbinding novel set in medieval England. The girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice.

As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat—who renames herself Alyce—gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something from life: a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.

Medieval village life makes a lively backdrop for the funny, poignant story of how Alyce gets what she wants. A concluding note discusses midwifery past and present.

Don't Let Me Go

Sometimes a child knows better...

Grace: Ten-year-old Grace knows that her mum loves her, but her mum loves drugs too. And there's only so long Grace can fend off the 'woman from the county' who is threatening to put her into care. Her only hope is...

Billy: Grown-man Billy Shine hasn't been out of his apartment for years. People scare him, and the outside world scares him even more. Day in, day out, he lives a perfectly orchestrated silent life within his four walls. Until now...

The Plan: Grace bursts into Billy's life with a loud voice and a brave plan to get her mum clean. And it won't be easy, because they will have to confiscate the one thing her mum holds most dear... they will have to kidnap Grace.

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