Showing results by narrator "Neil Hellegers" in All Categories

A book that captures the Dirty Old Man of American letters at his fiercest and most vulnerable, on a subject that hits home with all of us. Charles Bukowski was a man of intense emotions, someone an editor once called a “passionate madman.” Alternating between tough and gentle, sensitive and gritty, Bukowski lays bare the myriad facets of love—its selfishness and its narcissism, its randomness, its mystery and its misery, and, ultimately, its true joyfulness, endurance, and redemptive power.

Plunged into the heart of Vedra, the Abyssal Plane of Etera, The Four Horsemen connect with Limos once more. Having reestablished their connection with the cunning Limos, their quest is singular—Desari has found Ilus, her long-lost home, now ensnared in the Fire Region. But revelation comes with its own perils; Ilus is embroiled in a war it is losing, threatening to extinguish its legacy forever.

For several days, a strange and bright new star in the sky above Norway has sown an unyielding sense of foreboding, of agitation, and of fear. Tove, a painter on holiday with her family, has spiraled into a psychosis that stirs her into a flurry of unbridled creativity. Geir, a policeman who has been investigating a grisly triple murder, comes to a sinister revelation he must keep to himself. Nineteen-year-old Line falls in love with the lead singer of a metal band and is lured into a secret and frightening world.

There ain't no rest for the wicked. And new mods don't grow on trees. But it seems enemies do. Gaining power in Artem is hard, but keeping it can be harder. With their budding new corporation and expanding gang territory attracting covetous eyes, the battle is just beginning for Oshbob and Unara. And while it's sometimes hard for an orc to accept, violence isn't always the answer. Oshbob and his band of loyal followers are going to have to be smart and play the game if they're to survive what's coming.

Fresh from their victory in the scavenger hunt, Shane and his team face a new threat: a rival Wishmaster candidate vying for control of their home planet. With alliances shifting and danger lurking in every corner of the Wish Curse Palace, Shane must uncover the true motives of his mysterious relative. Powerful factions move in the shadows, with all of G District in their crosshairs. Shane and his friends must confront their own limitations and make difficult choices.

To save his best friend, he must defeat the best of the best. Despite his heroic efforts, Glenn Graybreaker’s only chance to resurrect his best friend is now to compete, and win, in the prestigious Sandsea Cup. If he and Becka can place highly in this tournament of duels, mazes, and monster battles, Glenn can reach level 15 at the rate the gods demand. Meanwhile, Junior Blazers Leo and Sara remained captives of the mysterious Teacher, a man who is convinced that those who cease to level will face a dark afterlife.

Dive into the relentless tides of the Water Plane of Etera, where survival means more than keeping your head above water. The Four Horsemen, led by Desari, seek refuge and aid in the Water Plane of Etera. She reunites with Irshon, an elemental ally from Desari's past, with vast knowledge and power. Though Limos remains out of reach, his wares and information kept from them when they need it most.

Jarl Beckström has done the impossible. He has changed his class, leveled up, and joined the most elite warband in Norvaask. But in the aftermath of the battle with the draugr, chaos reigns. The Clan Lord has been usurped by his own brother, and the clanhold's armies have been all but devastated. Leadership is needed now more than ever. A change in fortune places Jarl in a position of power, and he struggles beneath the weight of his newfound responsibly.

Raised as Jehovah's Witnesses and frustrated with their parents' repressive rules, Bryan and David Freeman rebelled as teenagers. Encouraged by an acquaintance he met while institutionalized at a reform school, Bryan became a neo-Nazi. Bryan then indoctrinated David, and their flair for defiance took a dark turn. After callously murdering their father, mother, and younger brother, the skinhead brothers took flight across America, with police from three states in hot pursuit.

Dying the first time sucked. Matt's trying to avoid a repeat performance. For Matt, joining Earth's last line of defense was exactly the purpose he needed. Saving the world could be fun—if you don’t mind a little soul-crushing responsibility. But being killed and reincarnated into the battlefield chaos of a 4x game world wasn't what he had in mind. The world map is made out of hexagrams, the units are semi-sentient and his opponents have a head start. As if that wasn't enough, there's no instruction manual for this nightmare.

A landmark short story collection that put the more character-based New Wave science fiction on the map, Dangerous Visions won several prestigious awards and was nominated for many others. This now-classic anthology includes thirty-three stories by thirty-two award-winning authors, over half of whom have won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards.

Famine, known as Petor in his previous life, joins forces with the legendary figures of Conquest, Death, and War. Together, they form the resurrected Four Horsemen, their lives reignited by a devil’s pact. Resurrected in the bowels of a forgotten temple, buried under a city in the midst of a siege, they’ll have to find a way out. The devil’s deals are always double edged, while they breathe once more their cultivation is gone. To recover it, they’ll have to use all of their skills to craft and fight.

You can’t have a good tale of monster hunting without monsters. And sometimes the monsters don’t need to be hunted. Sometimes it’s fun sitting back at minimum safe distance and watching the mayhem.

Jack Zombie is a thrilling post-apocalyptic series that follows a tight-knit group of people as they travel the zombie-ridden wasteland once known as the United States. As you follow Jack and his family, you'll soon discover that nothing can rival a human's will to survive.

Jack Jupiter knows zombies. He's written about them for years. So when Jack's mother passes away in a freak car accident involving a half-eaten deer and a pack of cigarettes, he also knows something's up. Now, Jack and his fiancé, Darlene, are forced to go back to the dreadful town of Woodhaven, Ohio, for his mom's funeral. But what he doesn't know is it might be their funeral, too. A few months before Jack and Darlene's arrival, a mysterious flu-like virus swept through the town, infecting nearly every citizen.

Lunch Lady has villains to fight at school and camp in this action-packed book. First, Dee, Terrence, and Hector come face-to-face with a very special guest on Author Visit Day - but there's something a little off about the world-famous writer. What evil designs does he have on his agenda? Then, the kids take a sigh of relief and are relaxing at summer camp. What evils could befall them there? Of course, there is the legendary swamp monster. Stories say he haunts the camp at night. But that's just a legend. Or is it?

Thealos Quickfellow, a Shae from the kingdom of Avisahn, has left his homeland to learn first hand of the threat of the Bandit Rebellion. His life is forever changed when he meets the mysterious Sleepwalker known as Jaerod. For Thealos himself is one of the keys that can open a door to a Silvan artifact which can tame the forbidden side of the Everoot.

For almost thirty years, Shirley Jackson Award–winning horror author Gemma Files has consistently served up tale after tale celebrating monstrosity in all its forms: the imperfect, the broken, the beautifully alien, and the sadly familiar. Her characters make their own choices and take their own chances, slipping from darkness into deeper darkness yet never losing their humanity—not even when they’re anything but.

There are no victors in war. That's the refrain that goes through Matt Fang's mind. With losses mounting, not just among his units but his Heroes too, Matt is struggling with confidence and the mounting pressure. That's, of course, when a ship is sighted on the horizon; opening up a whole new front. In the final volume of the Magic Kingdom at War series, Matt is about to learn the reason why. Whether it's enough, well... even he's not certain.

I don’t agree with many of the words you’ve used, but I will give you this: They do have a way of looking at you sideways that can be unsettling. So begins a letter from Nathaniel, a PhD candidate who’s recently moved from the east coast to Orinda, California. Nathaniel knows that his brother, Brice, who still lives near their mother in Michigan, couldn’t possibly understand the nuances of his and Cate’s new life: their eclectic community, their work in academia, and the liberal, alternative thinking that shapes the way they’ve handled their fertility issues.