The Kingfisher

"A young man comes of age amid family secrets and revelations, and transformative magic."--Provided by publisher.

Fat City is a vivid novel of allegiance and defeat, of the potent promise of the good life and the desperation and drink that waylay those whom it eludes. Stockton, California is the setting: the Lido Gym, the Hotel Coma, Main Street lunchrooms and dingy bars, days like long twilights in houses obscured by untrimmed shrubs and black walnut trees. When two men meet in the ring -- the retired boxer Billy Tully and the newcomer Ernie Munger - their brief bout sets into motion their hidden fates, initiating young Ernie into the company of men and luring Tully back into training. In a dispassionate and composed voice, Gardner narrates their swings of fortune, and the plodding optimism of their manager Ruben Luna, as he watches the most promising boys one by one succumb to some undefined weakness; still, "There was always someone who wanted to fight."

History leaps from the page in this completely revised and updated edition of the critically acclaimed Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. From man's earliest history right through to the technological and social revolutions of the current day, this trusted reference provides a one-stop source for research, and is the perfect companion to any study of world history. The encyclopedia is organized chronologically and then thematically within each time period. A timeline runs across the top of each page for context. Each section includes biographies of important people and key features on the art, architecture, and technology of the period. A brand new chapter details modern-day events, such as the fight for equality, the threat of climate change, the COVID-19 crisis, and space exploration and discoveries.With more than 2,000 full-colour illustrations, photographs, and source materials, as well as research-friendly back matter and index, this encyclopedia provides a beautiful, authoritative reference that is essential for any home, school, or library.

30 years ago a superhero tried to save Chicago. Now the city is again under siege, in this gritty, suspenseful, and beautifully written novel from award-winning debut author T.J. Martinson Somewhere in Chicago, a roomful of people have been taken hostage. The hostages will be killed one by one, the masked gunman says on-screen, unless the police will admit that they faked the death of the legendary superhero called the Kingfisher and helped him to give up his defense of the city thirty years ago. Retired reporter Marcus Waters made his name as a journalist covering the enigmatic superhero’s five years of cleaning up Chicago’s streets. Then the Kingfisher died, Chicago resumed its violent turmoil, and Marcus slid back into obscurity. But did the Kingfisher really die? And who would take hostages connected to the Kingfisher's past attempts to clean up the streets? With the help of disgraced police officer Lucinda Tillman and a young hacktivist named Wren, Marcus will explore the city's violence, corruption, and chaos to figure out if the vigilante hero died tragically, or gave up hope and abandoned the city—and for the hostages, the clock is ticking.

Publisher Description

The great myths and legends of the ancient world are explained in this unique and wide-ranging reference with a glossary and more than 600 mythical characters. Full-color illustrations.

_______________________________ THIS SHOCKING CONSPIRACY THRILLER IS A WORK OF FICTION. MOSTLY. _______________________________ What if the President of the United States is a foreign intelligence asset? It’s October 2016. A loud, brash businessman with a history of shady dealings and sexual misbehaviour is a serious contender to win the presidency. Even a porn star’s credible allegations don’t seem to slow him down. But his most dangerous secrets may be hidden behind the former Iron Curtain. Journalist Grace Elliot is dispatched to Europe, hot on the trail of a story so big it could blow up the entire election – if she can stay alive long enough to tell it: The man who might become President was married to a Czech woman with a beguiling and contradictory past, no records, and no history – and who has all the hallmarks of a Soviet intelligence asset. Her codename is Kingfisher. And her mission is almost complete... THE AUTHOR HAS CHOSEN TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS OUT OF CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF HIS OR HER SOURCES.

An illustrated collection of poems, ballads, limericks, riddles in rhyme, and nonsense verse.