Escape to the past and have a blast is definitely my motto as a Canadian young adult author. With a penchant for escapism fiction, Iāve always loved books that pull me into different places and adverse time periods. Enter time traveling and original storytelling. Legends, myths, and mysteries of the unexplained thrill me. A lover of anything arcane and ancient mysteries, I delve into our written past to give my fiction the facts I need to immerse readers into my imaginary universeāone book at a time.
If youāve never heard of Outlander, then my friend, you mustāve been hiding under a rock for the last twenty years. Author Diana Gabaldon weaves an incredible time travel love story that spans three hundred years, with a proposed ten-book series. Filled with mouth-watering descriptions and unforgettable characters, the story begins post-World War Two, as protagonist Claire Randall falls through an ancient standing stone she discovers while vacationing with her husband in Scotland. Unaware that she has arrived in the eighteenth century, Claire is caught in a web of treachery between the Scots and English, and somehow must survive to get back to the standing stone and return home to her century. What Claire doesnāt count on is falling in love with young Scotsman Jamie Fraser, who will do everything in his power to keep her safe, and keep his word to not only his clan, but to her.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ā¢ The first book in Diana Gabaldonās acclaimed Outlander saga, the basis for the Starz original series.
One of the top ten best-loved novels in America, as seen on PBSās The Great American Read!
Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldonās work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion andā¦
After reading The Time Keeper, I found Albom truly has a gift for words. He has a unique brand of storytelling, which made this book flow easily. The tale is original and inspirational. At first, I wasnāt quite sure how to read Albomās prose, but soon I found that I couldnāt put it down. Iād get to the end of one chapter, then was hooked into the next one. Although Albomās spiritual convictions shine through, heās not preachy, and leaves room for his readersā imagination to percolate throughout the story. I loved the way certain myths were introduced into the mixāthe Tower of Babel and Father Timeāto give the story an air of familiarity. All and all, this book is worth the investment of your time, whether on vacation or cozying up on the couch at home.
From the author who's inspired millions worldwide with books like Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven comes his most imaginative novel yet, The Time Keeper--a compelling fable about the first man on Earth to count the hours.
The man who became Father Time.
In Mitch Albom's exceptional work of fiction, the inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years.
Margaret OāKeefe, a horse farm owner, is desperate to save her ancestral property, Needham Forest. When she hears a rumor about a hidden treasure on her land, she plunges into a search that uncovers more than goldāsecrets, betrayal, and danger at every turn.
Caught between her volatile ex-husband, a scandalousā¦
This hilarious Shakespearean-style romantic romp hooked me from the moment the main character, Kenzie en Shareed marries the wrong guy. Filled with faux pas from the get-go, I found the cast of Unintended trying to right wrongs in the most hysterical and sometimes disturbing ways. I also loved the way the pair of imaginative authors created their fantasy world of Ismera. Sprinkled with the nostalgic feeling of Old World Scotland and Britain, coupled with their use of modern-day language to bridge the gap of the past and present, readers of this type of genre (think Outlandermeets a Shakespearean comedy) wonāt be disappointed. This tale ends with a few surprises, leaving me feeling satisfied and ready for the next sojourn to Ismera.
Everything happens for a reason... Four people. Four very different lives. Four tales interwoven. Meet Kenzie en Shareed, the High Clan Chief's daughter who is sent south to fulfill a treaty by marriage only to marry the wrong man; Kadrean Authier, the Crown Prince who must come to terms with his new bride, even if he doesn't much like the idea; Garron D'Arbonne, a noble Lord who has been commanded to marry a cool and aloof princess he doesn't love; and Vivianne Chappelle, a young and ambitious woman who is in love with her abusive father's manservant and must findā¦
Riordan had me at Norse mythology. Love it! Written in the usual tongue-in-cheek humor Iām used to with the authorās style, I loved the way he rebranded Norse myths to fit into the young adult genre heās so famous for writing. It begins as homeless Magnus Chase (cousin to Annabeth from The Lightning Thief) is plucked from the real world (he literally dies) and taken to Hotel Valhalla, where heās put through the gantlet over and over again (and dies many times in the process) until he teams up with an unlikely (and likable) diverse cast of characters who embark on a journey to recover his birthrightāthe Sword of Summer. However, what Magnus doesnāt count on is finding out the truth about who he really is, and his place in Asgard.
All three books in the best-selling Magnus Chase trilogy, collected in a gift-worthy paperback boxed set. Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is on a death-defying quest across the Norse realms, literally. As a resident of the Hotel Valhalla, this son of the god Frey is now one of Odin's chosen warriors. Magnus and his friends, Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, Samirah the Valkyrie, and other heroic characters must use all their wits and special talents in order to defeat fearsome giants, lethal creatures, and meddlesome gods in order stave off Ragnarok. "A whirlwind of myth, action, and wry sarcasm,ā¦
Imagine a bet between the Greek gods Hermes and Apollo who both agree to grant human intelligence to a group of dogs staying overnight in a veterinary clinic. The wager? If the dogs end up more unhappy than humans with their newfound consciousness, then Hermes must bow to a year of servitude to Apollo. The catch? When the dogs find theyāre more capable of complex thought, the pack is split between the old ādogā ways, and those who embrace the change. Not used to human thoughts and feelings, the dogs become divided while struggling between their old familiar world and a strange new one. Though I found this fantasy novel disturbing at times, Alexis proves that you can indeed teach an old genre new tricks.
Winner of the 2015 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize
"[Alexis] devises an inventive romp through the nature of humanity in this beautiful, entertaining read ... A clever exploration of our essence, communication, and how our societies are organized." - Kirkus Reviews
"This might be the best set-up of the spring." - The Globe & Mail
"Andre Alexis has established himself as one of our preeminent voices." - Toronto Star
- I wonder, said Hermes, what it would be like if animals had human intelligence. - I'llā¦
When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown backyard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepersālegendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil BelialāAmanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.
Jera Fowler is hardly excited about having to keep a journal for ninth-grade English class. āWhat can happen in a day?ā she grumps as she chronicles the 1984-85 school year. She doesnāt realize that a single day can be the dividing line between life and death. Forty years later, whileā¦
Dr. Power is promoted to a chair of forensic psychiatry at Allminster University and selected by the Vice Chancellor for a key task which stokes the jealousy of the Deans, and he is plunged into a precariously dangerous situation when there is a series of deaths and the deputy Viceā¦