![]() ![]() She has tackled Cixi, one of the significant figures of premodern China, and offers a largely new-and to me, mostly convincing-interpretation. ![]() Now comes Jung Chang, author of the universally acclaimed Wild Swans (1992), a biography of three generations of her family, and, with her husband Jon Halliday, the more critically received Mao: The Unknown Story (2005). But many social scientists still insist that Cixi was a force for the bad. Since then the judgment on Cixi has somewhat altered, so that in general histories, by Jonathan Spence for instance, she is a more rounded figure. A Chinese friend, in high school in Beijing in the 1970s, tells me she was taught that Cixi was a maiguozei, a traitor. Those reformers, we learned, were unlike the ruling Manchus, who had conquered China in 1644 and were struggling brutally to preserve their crumbling empire. In the textbooks of that time, leading American scholars characterized Cixi as cruel, imperious, and opposed to the Westernizing reforms championed by progressive officials, all of whom were Han Chinese. In the mid-1950s, when I was a graduate student of Chinese history, the Manchu Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) was invariably condemned as a reactionary hate figure Mao Zedong was admired. The Dowager Empress Cixi with four eunuchs and Der Ling, a lady-in-waiting, circa 1903–1905 ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It’s the life stories of four male friends who meet in college and remain close for the rest of their lives, following the ups and downs of their careers, their friendships and their families. This is all to say that it has been a long, long time since a book has affected me this deeply, has so consumed my everyday life, has made me feel so simultaneously heartbroken and heart-warmed that I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore. I remember how one day I brought the book with me to Starbucks for a peaceful afternoon read, and how I ended up crying in public and desperately texting a friend to pull me back to reality. I would lie awake at night fretting over the characters, only to be haunted by them in my dreams. I was still in a bit of a daze, showing up to work and holiday events pretending to function normally while inside I was drowning in feels. It was like trying to remove stitches from a freshly sewn wound (I’m sorry for the imagery, but if you’ve read the novel, you’ll know it’s very apt). But every time I sat down to type I just…couldn’t do it. I’ve been wanting to write a review of this hefty, beautiful novel for a couple of weeks now. ![]() ![]() ![]() Ava's father, affectionately known as Chief Bigtree, is AWOL and that leaves Ava, a resourceful but terrified thirteen, to manage ninety eight gators as well as her own grief. Ava's mother, the park's indomitable headliner, has just died her sister, Ossie, has fallen in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, who may or may not be an actual ghost and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, who dreams of becoming a scholar, has just defected to the World of Darkness in a last ditch effort to keep their family business from going under. 1 in the region, is swiftly being encroached upon by a fearsome and sophisticated competitor called the World of Darkness. ![]() The Bigtree alligator wrestling dynasty is in decline, and Swamplandia!, their island home and gator wrestling theme park, formerly no. This novel takes us to the swamps of the Florida Everglades, and introduces us to Ava Bigtree, an unforgettable young heroine. Twelve year old Ava must travel into the Underworld part of the swamp in order to save her family's dynasty of Bigtree alligator wrestling. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So, of course, after hanging out with the adorable Olympia on a comically prolonged road trip, he secretly falls in love with her and she, naturally, secretly falls right back in love with him. Fortunately, Hugh (Ashmont's best friend) sees her tipsy take-off and chases after her to save the day. ![]() However, on the day of the wedding, Olympia imbibes a bit too much brandy, decides the thought of spending the rest of her life with a grown man who has the self-control of a drunk toddler isn't for her, hurls herself out a window, and goes full-on Runaway Bride. ![]() In her family's defense, he really seems to think Olympia is amazing. So Olympia gets pressured by her well-meaning (but broke) family into accepting the offer of marriage from Ashmont, a Duke with a bad reputation as a drunken idiot, best known for ridiculous pranks. Because I'm badass like that and don't bother with pesky things like the correct order.Īnd since this is a romance, you can get away with that and not affect the enjoyment level of the individual stories much, if any at all. I really liked this one, but not quite as much as I did the 2nd book in the series Ten Things I Hate About the Duke, which I actually read 1st. ![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks to Starr Waddell for the amazing editing job and to Varian Krylov for the gorgeous pic for the cover. This horror novel contains: Graphic torture, forced incest, and rape This is a work of fiction. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author Octo(rev )Ħ AUTHOR S NOTE I m going to make you read the warnings, even if you ve read them before, so what follows doesn t take anyone by surprise. If you re reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to your favourite retailer and purchase your own copy. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. The Man Buy This Book Soundtrack Other Books by Bey Deckard About the AuthorĤ Created with Vellum Copyright 2015 Bey Deckard Published by Bey Deckard Edited by Starr Waddell Cover design by Bey Deckard Cover photo by Strangeland Photographyĥ This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. 3 CONTENTS License Notes Author s Note 1. ![]() ![]() ![]() Nothing is what it seems as the killer enacts a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, and the team is sucked into a case even more sinister than they thought.Ĭan Sawyer’s first case with the International Magi Police Organization help her to realize she’s deserving of the redemption offered? And what about her heart? Will she overcome its core of shame to learn she deserves even more than redemption? The team is sent to deal with a series of suspicious deaths, but end up dealing with the community’s entrenched prejudices, an unregistered Magi at its heart. Their first case takes the team to Texas, where members are confronted with more than just Sawyer’s painful past. New beginnings come with new problems, though, and she’s always lived by the belief that she doesn’t deserve of redemption-a painful truth Sawyer has held in her heart for years. Ripped from her life of shadows and secrets, she’s decided to gamble it all and accept a new chapter in her life-one that may lead to a brighter future. ![]() ![]() Sawyer Matthews is a retired and presumed-dead assassin. ![]() ![]() ![]() In this touching and inspirational story, Louis passes on the lessons he and Betty learned, aided by a strong faith in God, as well as many wonderful friends and healthcare professionals.".Louis has written a book for all of us to inspire the best in our human nature under the harshest of circumstances. In Never Quit Until You Win: A Journey of Faith and Medicine, Louis describes his and Bettys journey through the healthcare and insurance system as he learns to be an advocate and caregiver for Betty. But when his wife suffered a massive bi-lateral stroke in 2002, Louis received a crash course in healthcare from the patient and caregivers point of view. ![]() After over forty years working in medical professions ranging from orderly to hospital administrator, Louis West thought he knew all there was to know about the healthcare system. ![]() ![]() ALSO INCLUDED: a sneak preview of the third novel in the Ivy Years series, THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR. ![]() Yet.īLONDE DATE is a 23,000 word novella covering a four hour span of Katie & Andy's night. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of practice with either girls or parties. One: thou shalt not show up for the party without a date. What could go wrong As a sorority pledge, there are commandments that Katie Vickery must live by. So when her roommate sets Andy up to be Katie’s date, he’d be crazy to say no. Blonde Date - The Ivy Years Sarina Bowen Publisher: Rennie Road Books 1 9 0 Summary A blind date. He’s had his eye on Katie since the moment her long legs waltzed into his art history class. She could only hope to get through the evening without her blind date noticing that he was spending the evening with a crazy person.Īndrew Baschnagel is living proof that nice guys don’t finish first. Yet staying home would mean letting him win.Įnjoying herself tonight was out of the question. ![]() She’d rather hide under the bed than attend a party where he'll be. ![]() Even worse, her last encounter with him resulted in utter humiliation. Unfortunately, Katie just broke up with her jerkface football player boyfriend. Two: the guy shall be an athlete, preferably an upperclassman. ![]() What could possibly go wrong?Īs a sorority pledge, there are commandments that Katie Vickery must live by. ![]() ![]() McManus is a young adult thriller author who has achieved number 1 New York Times and international bestseller status. While some students wish to immediately report this to the principal, others are concerned that doing so could result in the confiscation of all phones once more. If they don’t choose truth or dare, a painful truth about them will be told to the entire school. A student will be chosen, and they will be given a specific amount of time to choose between truth and dare. Then, one day, students’ phones receive a mysterious text that sets off a game of truth or dare. The only people who still want to cause trouble are those who want to either get revenge on the last troublemaker or beat him. ![]() Since the school was rocked by scandal and a murder, everyone has (mostly) been able to get their lives back in order. We return to Bayview High, the location of Karen McManus’ dangerous introduction novel, One of Us is Lying. ![]() A game of truth or dare creates a great deal of chaos in One of Us is Next. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Don't miss the brand-new book in the series, Stellarlune, out now! Books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series: Keeper of the Lost Cities Exile Everblaze Neverseen Lodestar Nightfall Flashback Legacy Stellarlune Unlocked Sophie must uncover the truth about the Lost Cities' insidious past, before it repeats itself and changes reality. And with time running out, and mistakes catching up with them, Sophie and her allies must join forces in ways they never have before. The problems they're facing stretch deep into their history. But nothing can prepare them for what they discover. All paths lead to Nightfall - an ominous door to an even more ominous place - and Sophie and her friends strike a dangerous bargain to get there. Maybe even time for Sophie to trust her enemies. The Neverseen have had their victories - but the battle is far from over. But she knows one thing: she will not be defeated. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers. The sixth book in the international bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. ![]() |