Death's Excellent Vacation

Death's Excellent Vacation PDF Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781101184332
Category : Demonology
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations that are frightening, funny, and touching for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque.

Death's Excellent Vacation

Death's Excellent Vacation PDF Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101189142
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
The editors of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns deliver a new collection-including a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story. New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost-plus Lilith Saintcrow, Jeff Abbott, and more-send postcards from the edge of the paranormal world to fans who devoured Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns. With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations that are frightening, funny, and touching for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque. Learn why it really can be an endless summer-for immortals.

The City of Good Death

The City of Good Death PDF Author: Priyanka Champaneri
Publisher: Restless Books
ISBN: 1632062542
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 448

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Book Description
Winner of the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing, Priyanka Champaneri’s transcendent debut novel brings us inside India’s holy city of Banaras, where the manager of a death hostel shepherds the dying who seek the release of a good death, while his own past refuses to let him go. Banaras, Varanasi, Kashi: India’s holy city on the banks of the Ganges has many names but holds one ultimate promise for Hindus. It is the place where pilgrims come for a good death, to be released from the cycle of reincarnation by purifying fire. As the dutiful manager of a death hostel in Kashi, Pramesh welcomes the dying and assists families bound for the funeral pyres that burn constantly on the ghats. The soul is gone, the body is burnt, the time is past, he tells them. Detach. After ten years in the timeless city, Pramesh can nearly persuade himself that here, there is no past or future. He lives contentedly at the death hostel with his wife, Shobha, their young daughter, Rani, the hostel priests, his hapless but winning assistant, and the constant flow of families with their dying. But one day the past arrives in the lifeless form of a man pulled from the river—a man with an uncanny resemblance to Pramesh. Called “twins” in their childhood village, he and his cousin Sagar are inseparable until Pramesh leaves to see the outside world and Sagar stays to tend the land. After Pramesh marries Shobha, defying his family’s wishes, a rift opens up between the cousins that he has long since tried to forget. Do not look back. Detach. But for Shobha, Sagar’s reemergence casts a shadow over the life she’s built for her family. Soon, an unwelcome guest takes up residence in the death hostel, the dying mysteriously continue to live, and Pramesh is forced to confront his own ideas about death, rebirth, and redemption. Told in lush, vivid detail and with an unforgettable cast of characters, The City of Good Death is a remarkable debut novel of family and love, memory and ritual, and the ways in which we honor the living and the dead. PRAISE FOR THE CITY OF GOOD DEATH “In Champaneri’s ambitious, vivid debut, the dying come to the holy city of Kashi to die a good death that frees them from the burden of reincarnation…. In sharp prose, Champaneri explores the power of stories—those the characters tell themselves, those told about them, and those they believe. . . . This epic, magical story of death teems with life.” —Publishers Weekly “Brimming with characters whose lives overlap and whose stories interweave, Champaneri’s exquisite debut delves into the consequences of the past, and how stories that are told can become reality even when they contain barely a shred of truth. As Pramesh discovers, the bitterness of past wounds can bring hope for redemption and life.” —Bridget Thoreson, Booklist “Lush prose evokes the thick, close atmosphere of Kashi and the intricate religious practices upon which life and death depend. Rumor and superstition hold sway over even the most level-headed people, twisting what’s explainable into something extraordinary—with tragic consequences. . . . The City of Good Death is a breathtaking, unforgettable novel about how remembering the past is just as important as moving on.” —Eileen Gonzalez, Foreword Reviews, Starred Review "Champaneri’s Kashi is teeming and vivid . . . the book frequently charms, and it's as full of humor, warmth, and mystery as Kashi’s own marketplace." —Kirkus Reviews “The City of Good Death is the debut novel of Priyanka Champaneri but it has the confidence of a master storyteller. Drawing on the rich literary traditions of Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, Champaneri’s epic saga will satisfy armchair travelers thirsty for adventure, and sick of looking out their windows.” —Chicago Review of Books "In intricate detail and with remarkable skill, Champaneri writes a powerful tale about the pull of the past and our aching need to understand the mysteries and misunderstandings that thwart our relationships. An atmospheric and immersive debut with a rich cast of characters you won’t soon forget." —Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationery Shop

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes PDF Author: Dan Egan
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393246442
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
New York Times Bestseller Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Award "Nimbly splices together history, science, reporting and personal experiences into a taut and cautiously hopeful narrative.… Egan’s book is bursting with life (and yes, death)." —Robert Moor, New York Times Book Review The Great Lakes—Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior—hold 20 percent of the world’s supply of surface fresh water and provide sustenance, work, and recreation for tens of millions of Americans. But they are under threat as never before, and their problems are spreading across the continent. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is prize-winning reporter Dan Egan’s compulsively readable portrait of an ecological catastrophe happening right before our eyes, blending the epic story of the lakes with an examination of the perils they face and the ways we can restore and preserve them for generations to come.

The Weight of a Piano

The Weight of a Piano PDF Author: Chris Cander
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0525654682
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
USA TODAY BESTSELLER In 1962, in the Soviet Union, eight-year-old Katya is bequeathed what will become the love of her life: a Blüthner piano, on which she discovers an enrichening passion for music. Yet after she marries, her husband insists the family emigrate to America—and loses her piano in the process. In 2012, in Bakersfield, California, twenty-six-year-old Clara Lundy is burdened by the last gift her father gave her before he and her mother died in a terrible house fire: a Blüthner upright she has never learned to play. Now a talented and independent auto mechanic, Clara’s career is put on hold when she breaks her hand trying to move the piano, and in sudden frustration she decides to sell it. Only in discovering the identity of the buyer—and the secret history of her piano—will Clara be set free to live the life of her choosing.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death PDF Author: Caitlin Doughty
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393249905
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
A New York Times and Los Angeles Times Bestseller “Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief.” —Jill Lepore, The New Yorker Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty embarks on a global expedition to discover how other cultures care for the dead. From Zoroastrian sky burials to wish-granting Bolivian skulls, she investigates the world’s funerary customs and expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with dignity. Her account questions the rituals of the American funeral industry—especially chemical embalming—and suggests that the most effective traditions are those that allow mourners to personally attend to the body of the deceased. Exquisitely illustrated by artist Landis Blair, From Here to Eternity is an adventure into the morbid unknown, a fascinating tour through the unique ways people everywhere confront mortality.

Till Death

Till Death PDF Author: William W. Johnstone
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
ISBN: 0786047364
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 349

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Book Description
The bestselling Johnstones turn up the heat in their rip-roaring series when four destination weddings attract a cold-blooded ring of scoundrels, killers, for better and for worse . . . FOUR JOHNSTONE WEDDINGS—AND A FUNERAL If anyone can get a shipment of brides to the church on time, it’s Bo Creel and Scratch Morton. But this time, they’ll have to cross hell and high water to escort four marriage-bound beauties to a remote gold mining town in Alaska. The brides-to-be include a dangerously attractive widow, her sweet-hearted niece, and two of their friends. The roadblocks to the altar include a lecherous saloon owner, a lovesick sailor, and a gang of hired guns. And that’s just for starters . . . The real trouble begins when they reach the Alaskan boomtown. It’s a hotbed of gold and greed, as wild as any Texas frontier. It’s clear to Bo and Scratch that the ladies’ “eligible bachelors” are definitely not as advertised. But—to Bo and Scratch’s surprise—neither are their mail-order brides. Before anyone starts exchanging vows and tossing rice, this gold-hungry wedding party will be swapping lead. And the RSVPs will be RIPs . . . Live Free. Read Hard.

Have Gun Will Travel

Have Gun Will Travel PDF Author: Ronin Ro
Publisher: Main Street Books
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Preeminent rap journalist Ronin Ro exposes Death Row Records: an empire built on greed, corruption, murder, and exploitation. 16 photos.

Dancing with Death

Dancing with Death PDF Author: Jean-Philippe Soulé
Publisher: Jean-Philippe Soulé
ISBN: 0984344829
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 397

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Book Description
“An unforgettable escapade of ultimate danger and discovery…” - Readers' Favorite Fans of Jon Krakauer will devour this gripping tale of adventure, survival, and a search for life’s deeper meaning. Two men, three years, seven countries, 3000 miles… The Central American Sea Kayak Expedition 2000 is an inspiring journey of exploration, endurance, and self-discovery that takes Jean-Philippe Soulé and his traveling partner Luke Shullenberger from Baja California all the way to Panama. During this unfathomably grueling expedition, they face every manner of threat, from sharks, crocodiles, and bandits to stormy seas, malaria, and their own mortality—all in search of a deeper connection to Mother Nature and the indigenous people who revere her most. This riveting memoir of physical and emotional endurance will leave you breathless as you experience their victories, misfortunes and sacrifices. An evocative, gripping narrative coupled with award-winning photographs that is a must-read for those who love travel, outdoor adventure, and cultural exploration—and for the dreamers who've been told they can't, but stubbornly refuse to listen.

Dying to Go on Vacation

Dying to Go on Vacation PDF Author: Marty Cauley
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780692491140
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
What are you waiting for? Is there something you are putting off until tomorrow? What if suddenly all of your tomorrows were taken away? We are all dying, but we live like we have all the time in the world. Dying to go On Vacation is the inspirational retelling of my journey of faith after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. It is a humorous, and sometimes heart breaking, story of positively dealing with why bad things happen to good people and what to do when the world you were building seems to fall apart. Here is what others are saying: "Marty Cauley writes with truth that flows from his heart...something this journey has changed. Although I have always aspired to be as smart as my dear friend...now I hope to be as wise. Learn from his wisdom...it will change your heart." Dr. Laura Early Founding Pastor and Community Developer All God's Children United Methodist Church "Marty Cauley speaks candidly of intrusive illness and the unwelcome journey he and his family now make with cancer as a part of every day. We see in his life the undeniable interweaving of abundant and eternal life in the life he now lives to God before us all. Read this book and give thanks for the life, abundant and eternal, we share in Christ." Hope Morgan Ward United Methodist Bishop, North Carolina Conference "I continue to be inspired by Marty's ability to speak his truth simply, slowly, and beautifully. Thank you Marty for not shrinking from death, but meeting it head-on, with God's love and trust for life now and life to come. One of the best reflections and narratives about life and death I've read in a long time." Rev. P. Drake, Chaplain "I love your description of dying slowly. You put into words of wisdom to love, live, and laugh: )" Donna P., Cancer Survivor "The Psalmist urges us to "teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." In Dying to Go On Vacation, we discover a heart of wisdom in the transparent witness of Marty Cauley. As I read his testimony, I connected his story will crises I have navigated in my own life, and I thought of brothers and sisters who are passing through present storms. I am happy that commend these lessons, which have a life and death urgency, to a wide audience!" Bishop Kenneth Carter United Methodist Bishop, Florida Conference