The Harlequin Years

Based on the author's series of 12 programmes broadcast on BBC Radio 3, this is an account of the classical music scene in Paris between 1917 and 1929. It notes the currents of these "turbulent waters", as well as the numerous personalities, and a few statistics.

Few decades in the life of any European city have been as rich in musical personalities & achievements as the 1920s in Paris. This book charts a nimble course through this remarkable era, noting currents as well as personalities, telling stories as well as pondering the occasional philosophical problem. Through the whole book runs the double thread spun by Jean Cocteau in his little volume ¿Le coq et l¿harlequin¿: the warp of the traditional French cock being pulled by the weft of the foreign, multicolored harlequinade. The spirited narrative shows that this was also an uncertain time, as the war had cast doubt on old assumptions. Some composers continued with traditional forms, though each brought to them his own highly personal language & syntax. Illus.

Into Anita Blake's world-a world already overflowing with power-come creatures so feared that centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood A Best Of pick and Most Anticipated Sci Fi and Fantasy novel, as selected by Goodreads • Buzzfeed • BookRiot • The Portalist • IO9 • BookBub • SheReads • BiblioLifestyle • Den of Geek • GeekDad “A rich backstory… a highly satisfying ending… All the stars for Chen's warmhearted space-travel story.” –Kirkus, starred review Every family has issues. Most can’t blame them on extraterrestrials. Evie Shao and her sister, Kass, aren’t on speaking terms. Fifteen years ago on a family camping trip, their father and brother vanished. Their dad turned up days later, dehydrated and confused—and convinced he'd been abducted by aliens. Their brother, Jakob, remained missing. The women dealt with it very differently. Kass, suspecting her college-dropout twin simply ran off, became the rock of the family. Evie traded academics to pursue alien conspiracy theories, always looking for Jakob. When Evie's UFO network uncovers a new event, she goes to investigate. And discovers Jakob is back. He's different—older, stranger, and talking of an intergalactic war—but the tensions between the siblings haven't changed at all. If the family is going to come together to help Jakob, then Kass and Evie are going to have to fix their issues, and fast. Because the FBI is after Jakob, and if their brother is telling the truth, possibly an entire space armada, too. The perfect combination of action, imagination and heart, Light Years from Home is a touching drama about a challenge as difficult as saving the galaxy: making peace with your family…and yourself. "With heart and insight...Chen crosses the stakes and imagination of a space opera with the emotional depth and intricacy of a family drama." —Erika Swyler, bestselling author of Light from Other Stars