Benvie Book

A Little Death In Dixie

2010-08-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Blues were born out of need, anger and pride. Murder comes from those same dark places. Memphis has both. One of Memphis' most seductive and notorious socialites has vanished. Either she's off on another drunken escapade or the disappearance is something much more frightening. What begins as an ordinary day's work for Detective Billy Able quickly grows into a complex spider's web of tragedy, mystery, suspicion, and sordid secrets including a few of Billy's own. With the help of Mercy Snow, the estranged sister of the missing socialite, Billy follows a twisted trail of human frailty and corruption to disturbing truths that undermine everything he thought he knew about himself and the people he loves. "Memphis, the Mississippi River, and the underbelly of human nature they're all exposed in the dark brew of this fast-paced Southern Gothic suspense. Page-turning and atmospheric, this tightly-plotted novel turns the screws and sends readers racing to its surprise conclusion." ~Michael Finger, Senior Editor, Memphis Magazine.

Paperback: 298 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (June 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935661906
ISBN-13: 978-1935661900
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

Falling Out Of Fashion

2010-07-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

Falling Out Of Fashion

Magazine junkies who remember the original Jane will devour this cheeky roman à clef by Jane Pratt's former assistant of nine years. Unlike Anna Wintour's alter ego in The Devil Wears Prada, Yampolsky's alter ex-boss is an off-the-rack heroine. Raised on a commune by inattentive hippie parents, Georgia girl Jill White was an outcast at her New England prep school before a predictably eye-opening stint at Bennington. After Jill descends on New York, a succession of magazine gigs leads her to editing Cheeky (i.e., '90s grrrl glossy Sassy) and, eventually, Jill. At that eponymous publication, idealistic Jill goes up against bottom-line obsessed Nestrom Media (a thinly veiled Condé Nast). Fictionalizations of Pratt's personal and professional moments as editor-in-chief add frisson: Sassy's skewering profile of actress Tiffani-Amber Thiessen becomes Cheeky's roasting of "Kelli Hyer-Burke"; there are plenty of other cameos. In the end, Jill comes off as a sometimes selfish but mostly likable woman who gets beat by corporate magazine land. Survivors of the era, however, may question Jill's claim that she "coined the term grunge." (May)

Paperback: 275 pages
Publisher: Kensington (June 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758217013
ISBN-13: 978-0758217011
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces

Sullivan's Justice (Carolyn Sullivan)

2010-07-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Sullivan's Justice (Carolyn Sullivan)

First introduced in Sullivan's Law, Ventura County probation officer Carolyn Sullivan is put to the test again as the body count—and list of suspects—quickly rises in Rosenberg's latest confidently plotted thriller. This 3o-something single mom with a narrow waist and wide-ranging intelligence has a special gift for getting perps to talk, and two days before Christmas, she faces an especially frightening inmate, Raphael Moreno, who decapitated his own mother, killed his sister and decimated a family of five. Though he's not talking, she thinks he had an accomplice. Before she has a chance to fully crack Moreno, however, the plot thickens: late that night, her younger brother, Neil, a meth addict but also a successful artist, calls for help, having just discovered his girlfriend Laurel's body floating in his swimming pool. Though Neil will be considered a suspect, his alibi, a rich, conniving, sexually avid ex-girlfriend who lured him into bed that night, refuses to clear his name. Soon, another woman is murdered just a few blocks from Neil's house, raising the prospect of serial killing, and a full-scale investigation begins to link the homicides to Moreno's case. Thriller enthusiasts will relish the intricate plot, accelerating action and novel climax of this gripping ride.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pinnacle (April 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786016248
ISBN-13: 978-0786016242
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

The Rembrandt Affair (Gabriel Allon)

2010-07-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve.

In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.

Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.

Filled with remarkable twists and turns of plot, and told with seductive prose, The Rembrandt Affair is more than just summer entertainment of the highest order. It is a timely reminder that there are men in the world who will do anything for money.

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (July 20, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399156585
ISBN-13: 978-0399156588
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds

The Line

2010-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Line

In this futuristic debut, Rachel lives with her widowed mother, who is a housekeeper on the Property, an estate that borders the Line, a protective barrier that runs along the U.S. border. After a hostile force, the Korusal, blasted the area with atomic bombs, the Line has been rigidly maintained to keep out the Others: people who were trapped in the bombs’ fallout. Rachel is intensely curious about what life is like in the Away, beyond the Line, and when she finds a message from an Other pleading for help, she jumps into action. Her efforts trigger a series of events that not only compromise everyone on the Property but also reveal dangerous secrets. Hall nicely embeds the history of this repressive future world in a tense narrative that will leave readers intrigued with the mysterious Away. Rachel is an appealing character, and her young voice and the straightforward language make this a good choice for introducing young readers to the science-fiction genre. The abrupt cliff-hanger ending will create demand for the next book in the series. Grades 5-8. --Lynn Rutan

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Dial (March 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803734662
ISBN-13: 978-0803734661
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

2010-07-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Starred Review. Grade 9 Up—Mary knows little about the past and why the world now contains two types of people: those in her village and the undead outside the fence, who prey upon the flesh of the living. The Sisters protect their village and provide for the continuance of the human race. After her mother is bitten and joins the Unconsecrated, Mary is sent to the Sisters to be prepared for marriage to her friend Harry. But then the fences are breached and the life she has known is gone forever. Mary; Harry; Travis, whom Mary loves but who is betrothed to her best friend; her brother and his wife; and an orphaned boy set out into the unknown to search for safety, answers to their questions, and a reason to go on living. In this sci-fi/horror novel, the suspense that Ryan has created from the very first page on entices and tempts readers so that putting the book down is not an option. The author skillfully conceals and reveals just enough information to pique curiosity while also maintaining an atmosphere of creepiness that is expected in a zombie story. Some of the descriptions of death and mutilation of both the Unconsecrated and the living are graphic. The story is riveting, even though it leaves a lot of questions to be explained in the sequel.—Debra Banna, Sharon Public Library, MA

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385736827
ISBN-13: 978-0385736824
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces

The Roar

2010-07-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Roar

Grade 5–8—In a bleak future, humans use terrible chemicals to fight The Animal Plague that causes all of the world's animals to go rabid and renders most of the planet uninhabitable. The population now cowers in overcrowded walled cities. Mika, 12, and his parents live in London in terrible conditions. His twin, Ellie, supposedly drowned a year earlier, but Mika is convinced that she still lives. He's right. The story begins with Ellie and a tiny monkey named Puck fleeing a spaceship in a stolen Pod Fighter. Sadly, their attempt to escape is foiled by the evil Mal Gorman, who has a plan to co-opt the entire first generation of children born after the Plague and make them into an army for his own nefarious purposes. And Gorman has special plans for kids like Mika and Ellie, whose mutations give them unique abilities. To save his sister, Mika will have to win a contest involving simulator battle games and many deadly challenges, using abilities he never knew he had. The story starts fast and never slows down. While the bad guys are a bit stereotypical, the good guys are interesting and realistic. There's a touch of the supernatural, some interesting philosophical questions, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave readers hungry for more. Give this one to readers not quite ready for Orson Scott Card.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: The Chicken House (April 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439925932
ISBN-13: 978-0439925938
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

All The Broken Pieces

2010-07-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

All The Broken Pieces

Grade 6–8—In 1977, 12-year-old Matt Pin lives a fractured life. He is the son of a Vietnamese woman and an American soldier and was airlifted to safety from the war zone. Adopted by a caring American couple, he has vivid and horrific memories of the war and worries about the fates of his mother and badly injured little brother. Matt's adoptive family adores him, and he is the star pitcher for his middle school baseball team, but there are those who see his face and blame him for the deaths of the young men they lost in the war. The fractured theme runs the course of this short novel in verse: Matt's family, the bodies and hearts of the Vietnam vets, the country that is "only a pocketful of broken pieces" that Matt carries inside him. Ultimately, everything broken is revealed as nonetheless valuable. While most of the selections read less like poems and more like simple prose, the story is a lovely, moving one. Use this in a history class or paired with Katherine Applegate's Home of the Brave (Feiwel & Friends, 2007).—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (April 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545080924
ISBN-13: 978-0545080927
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

Boost

2010-07-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Boost

Starred Review. Grade 6–9—Savvy Christopher and her older sister, Callie, each have their own "one thing," and when they move from Arizona to Rhode Island, that's what they rely on to help them adjust. Savvy quickly shows her stuff when, not yet in high school, she is accepted on the elite 18-and-under basketball team. Callie's passion is cheerleading, but stress has caused her to gain weight, and she is devastated to find that she no longer qualifies to be one of the fliers on the squad at her new school. She goes on a strict exercise and diet regime, and Savvy, realizing how quickly her sister is losing weight, brings it to the attention of their parents. They put a stop to Callie's use of over-the-counter diet aids, which does nothing to improve the already strained relationship between the sisters. In October, one of Savvy's basketball games is interrupted by a detective who has been alerted to a bag of steroids in her locker. She insists that they are not her pills, but the fact that she has been on prednisone for a bad case of poison ivy does not help her case. Savvy and her coach are temporarily suspended, and Savvy finds that even close friends regard her innocence with some doubt. As with Mad Cat (HarperCollins, 2005), Mackel has turned a tough subject in the world of teen competitive sports into a highly readable blend of intense action, interfamily relationships, and intrigue. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the controversy surrounding steroid use, and with an appreciation for a talented voice in young adult literature.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Speak (June 10, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142415391
ISBN-13: 978-0142415399
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces

The Other Side of the Island

2010-07-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Other Side of the Island

Starred Review. From Kaaterskill Falls to Intuition, Goodman's fiction proves that she can tackle big subjects with unobtrusively graceful and perceptive prose. Her first YA offering, a dystopian eco-fantasy in which a malevolent Corporation lulls North America's few remaining inhabitants into complacency with memory-altering substances, misinformation, fake skies and a leader named Earth Mother, is a top-notch genre piece—but not her most robust storytelling. Honor is 10 when she and her parents are forcibly brought back from the supposedly uninhabitable North to Island 365; in one of the few but clever twists on convention, it is Honor's parents who actively rebel, and Honor who embraces Earth Mother's laws, at least at first. When her parents are inevitably caught, it falls (predictably) to Honor and another child to rescue them; this plot line depends on coincidence and inconsistencies, but dramatic pacing and otherwise shrewd psychological insight help camouflage these flaws. A subtle frame places an omniscient narrator in an even more distant future; in slyly casting a retrospective eye on her story, the author opens the apparent outcome to the reader's questioning, and this may be the most innovative aspect of her novel. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Razorbill (September 4, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1595141952
ASIN: B001Q3M72Y
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

2010-07-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Starred Review. Grade 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox awakens after more than a year in a coma to find herself in a life—and a body—that she doesn't quite recognize. Her parents tell her that she's been in an accident, but much of her past identity and current situation remain a mystery to her: Why has her family abruptly moved from Boston to California, leaving all of her personal belongings behind? Why does her grandmother react to her with such antipathy? Why have her parents instructed her to make sure not to tell anyone about the circumstances of their move? And why can Jenna recite whole passages of Thoreau's Walden, but remember next to nothing of her own past? As she watches family videos of her childhood, strange memories begin to surface, and she slowly realizes that a terrible secret is being kept from her. Pearson has constructed a gripping, believable vision of a future dystopia. She explores issues surrounding scientific ethics, the power of science, and the nature of the soul with grace, poetry, and an apt sense of drama and suspense. Some of the supporting characters are a bit underdeveloped, but Jenna herself is complex, interesting, and very real. This is a beautiful blend of science fiction, medical thriller, and teen-relationship novel that melds into a seamless whole that will please fans of all three genres.—Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (April 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805076689
ASIN: B003H4REEQ
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces

The Hunger Games

2010-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Hunger Games

Starred Review. SignatureReviewed by Megan Whalen TurnerIf there really are only seven original plots in the world, it's odd that boy meets girl is always mentioned, and society goes bad and attacks the good guy never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, The House of the Scorpion—and now, following a long tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games. Collins hasn't tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less 1984 and rather more Death Race 2000, hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death.Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a credit to Collins's skill at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold, calculating and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner, where Peeta has the grace to be a good loser.It's no accident that these games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects its fear: runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now, reality TV. The State of Panem—which needs to keep its tributaries subdued and its citizens complacent—may have created the Games, but mindless television is the real danger, the means by which society pacifies its citizens and punishes those who fail to conform. Will its connection to reality TV, ubiquitous today, date the book? It might, but for now, it makes this the right book at the right time. What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet, she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch.Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent contest for audience approval. Because this is the first book in a series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered is the central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has given up to survive, but not whether the price was too high. Readers will wait eagerly to learn more.Megan Whalen Turner is the author of the Newbery Honor book The Thief and its sequels, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia. The next book in the series will be published by Greenwillow in 2010.

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition edition (September 14, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439023483
ISBN-13: 978-0439023481
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

2010-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

Starred Review. Gr 7 Up--Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439023491
ISBN-13: 978-0439023498
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)

2010-07-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)

Praise for the Hunger Games series: "Whereas Katniss kills with finesse, Collins writes with raw power." -Time Magazine "Collins has joined J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer as a writer of children's books that adults are eager to read." -Bloomberg.com "Perfect pacing and electrifying world building." -Booklist, starred review "A humdinger of a cliffhanger will leave readers clamoring for volume three." -Kirkus reviews, starred review "Forget Edward or Jacob... readers will be picking sides- Peeta or Gale?" -Publishers Weekly, starred review "Leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment." -School Library Journal, starred review

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 24, 2010)
Language: English

The Losers (Vol. 5): Endgame

2010-07-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Losers (Vol. 5): Endgame

Paperback: 166 pages
Publisher: Vertigo (September 27, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140121004X
ISBN-13: 978-1401210045
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces

The Losers (Vol. 4): Close Quarters

2010-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Losers (Vol. 4): Close Quarters

Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Vertigo (January 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401207197
ISBN-13: 978-1401207199
Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.4 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

The Losers (Vol. 3): Trifecta

2010-07-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Losers (Vol. 3): Trifecta

The adventures of the hard-luck, black-ops band the Losers continue in this third volume. First, continuing to follow the traces left by the elusive CIA ghost known as Max, the Losers land in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Qatar and gather some more first-hand intel about the War on Terror in Sheikdown; then, in Blowback, Aisha solos in Turkmenistan and throws a wrench in some oily works. Finally, Colonel Clay tells the full story of Operation Draw Venomthe debacle that killed the Losers and put them on Maxs trailin The Pass. When it comes to action-packed espionage, this TRIFECTA is a sure thing!

Paperback: 168 pages
Publisher: Vertigo (June 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401204899
ISBN-13: 978-1401204891
Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces

The Losers, Book 2

2010-07-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Losers, Book 2

International action and intrigue explode in the new title that inspired the 2010 Warner Bros. movie.

Collecting issues #13-32 of the hit series, THE LOSERS BOOK TWO finds the hard-luck black-ops band flying from Qatar to Turkmenistan amid oily dealings and flying bullets. Includes a new introduction by Ian Rankin and new cover by Jock.

Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Vertigo (August 10, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401229239
ISBN-13: 978-1401229238
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

The Losers: Book One (Vols. 1 & 2)

2010-07-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Losers: Book One (Vols. 1 & 2)

With the eagerly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures movie The Losers set to reach theaters in April 2010, DC Comics collects the first twelve issues of THE LOSERS -- from the ANTE UP and DOUBLE DOWN TPs -- into a single, explosive volume!

This collection introduces The Losers, formerly an elite U.S. Special Forces unit that served as the covert bloody hand of America until they stumbled across a C.I.A. secret they couldn't ignore. The C.I.A. tried to kill them, but they're about to learn that it takes more than one try to eliminate The Losers.

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Vertigo (February 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401227333
ISBN-13: 978-1401227333
Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces

Wanted

2010-07-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Wanted

What if everything in your life was out of your hands and those around you propelled your fate? Your girlfriend left you for your best friend; your boss gave your job to someone better. What if then, after all this, someone gave you back total control? What if he revealed you were the next in line to join a secret society of super-villains that controlled the entire planet? Mark Millar and J.G. Jones provide a look at one man who goes from being the world's biggest loser to the deadliest assassin alive.

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Top Cow Productions/Image Comics (November 14, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1582404976
ISBN-13: 978-1582404974
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces

Kick-Ass

2010-07-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

Kick-Ass

Have you ever wanted to be a super hero? Dreamed of donning a mask and just heading outside to some kick-ass? Well, this is the book for you - the comic that starts where other super-hero books draw the line. Kick-Ass is realistic super heroes taken to the next level. Miss out and you're an idiot! Wolverine: Enemy of the State's team of Mark Millar (Civil War) and John Romita Jr. (World War Hulk) reunite for the best new book of the 21st century. This title collects Kick-Ass numbered 1-8.

Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Marvel Books (2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0785134352
ISBN-13: 978-0785134350
Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Lost At Sea

2010-07-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Lost At Sea

Raleigh doesn't have a soul. A cat stole it - or at least that's what she tells people - or at least that's what she would tell people if she told people anything. But that would mean talking to people, and the mere thought of social interaction is terrifying. How did such a shy teenage girl end up in a car with three of her hooligan classmates on a cross-country road trip? Being forced to interact with kids her own age is a new and alarming proposition for Raleigh, but maybe it's just what she needs - or maybe it can help her find what she needs - or maybe it can help her to realize that what she needs has been with her all along.

Paperback: 168 pages
Publisher: Oni Press; 2nd edition (July 5, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1932664165
ISBN-13: 978-1932664164
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

2010-07-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old, lives in a cold, unnamed Canadian town, plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-Omb and has a very cute 17-year-old Chinese-Canadian girlfriend, Knives Chau. His "precious little life" is amiably unstructured, and he drifts, happily unemployed, between band practice and time spent with Knives. His relationship with Knives is chaste—walks, chats and hugs—although Knives is getting bigger ideas. "We haven't even held hands," Scott explains. "It's just nice, you know." But then he starts having dreams about Ramona Flowers, a mysterious, equally cute and perfectly legal hipster chick on Rollerblades who delivers books for Amazon.com. Ramona is anything but simple, and O'Malley's tale of adorable slackers in love is transformed into a wildly magically manga–kung fu fantasy adventure. We meet the first of Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends, Matthew Patel, who challenges Scott and his band to a supernatural martial arts duel right out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. O'Malley has crafted a delightfully hybrid comics love story. It's an alt-lit, rock 'n' roll graphic novel with wonderful manga-influenced drawing and a comically mystical plot that manages to capture both the genuine intimacies and serial dishonesties of young love.

Paperback: 168 pages
Publisher: Oni Press (August 18, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1932664084
ISBN-13: 978-1932664089
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim Versus The World

2010-07-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim Versus The World (v. 2)

Starred Review. The first volume of this slacker-manga-action hybrid introduced Scott Pilgrim, a video game–playing regular guy whose love life leads him into irregular trouble. This second book opens with a peek into Scott's past: we see his early romantic troubles and the talentless band that sprang from them. In the present, Scott's new romance with mysterious messenger girl Ramona Flowers sends his former girlfriend, teenage Knives Chau, into a fury that culminates in an all-out kung fu battle between the two. In the surrealist twists that fill O'Malley's work, characters who are introduced in dreams end up playing major parts in the "real" life of the story, and you never know when the meandering lives of these Canadian 20-somethings are going to shift into high-action fight sequences. O'Malley gained acclaim and award nominations for the first Scott Pilgrim book, and he deserves the recognition. The story continued here is delightful, light, clever and surprising. O'Malley takes a manga influence—big eyes, informational inserts and explosions of energy—and throws in pop culture references—a band named the Clash at Demonhead, Ramona's skater turned movie star ex-boyfriend—to create a fresh, grungy style. The narrative jumps, combined with sharp, sardonic dialogue, make this a great oddball tale that captures the energy of a generation. (June)

Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Oni Press (June 15, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1932664122
ISBN-13: 978-1932664126
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness

2010-07-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness (v. 3)

O'Malley's cult-favorite series about a Canadian slacker attempting to defeat his crush-object's seven evil ex-boyfriends is the weirdest, funniest and coolest Western variation on the manga aesthetic to date, and the third volume is even more hilarious than the first two"mostly because O'Malley's running gags are the kind that improve with repetition. At their core, the Scott Pilgrim books are outrageous allegories for coming to terms with a partner's former romantic relationships. This time, Scott's pitted against Todd Ingram, the current boyfriend of his ex, rock star Envy Adams; they battle at a discount department store and a rock club. Unfortunately, Todd's got psychic powers, because he's a vegan ("graduated top of his class from vegan academy and everything"), and he's also a much better bass player. On top of that, Scott's band, Sex BobOmb, can't quite get it together; 17-year-old ninja Knives Chau is still obsessed with him; and the mysterious Ramona Flowers is becoming envious of Envy. O'Malley's story zooms through its slalom-course plot, peppered with delectably witty dialogue, and he pulls in wild ideas and images from manga, role-playing gaming (Ramona's hipster handbag is actually a "subspace suitcase" from which she draws a "large hammer, +2 against girls") and video games. (May)

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Oni Press (May 24, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193266422X
ISBN-13: 978-1932664225
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces