Harpers Story Books

"Fizzing with fun. From friendship dramas to family catastrophes, it's a perfect choice for fans of funny!" - Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G Welcome to the hilarious WORLD of Harper Drew... there's a whole lot of DRAMA, but luckily she has tried and tested methods to deal with it! Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries. My name is Harper Drew. I'm using my new journal to take note of all the totally ridiculous things that seem to go on around me with my family and friends. I seem to be the ONLY ONE who sees this all of this stuff for what it is. Completely BEYOND normal. Recently I've been logging Drew Dial Ratings for all the mayhem. On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is someone to SAY or DO something that would be less sensible than (for example) ... a demented camel? First up is the annual Drew trip to France... and while there might not be camels, there are BATS and Llamas - and my brother Troy who is so obsessed with his hairstyle, he won't even go swimming... that's a whole lot of ratings. I'm just hoping I land an invite to Maisie Felix's party when I'm back to distract me from the Drews... for one whole evening! The start of a relatable new illustrated series, all about embracing your family, and finding unique ways to deal with life's dramas.

Tony Hart's life has been quiet lately. He has good friends and a rewarding teaching job. Then the murdered body of another teacher falls into the elevator at his feet, and Tony's life gets a little too exciting. Jared MacLean is a homicide detective, a widowed father, and deeply in the closet. But from the moment he meets Tony's blue eyes in that high school hallway, Mac can't help wanting this man in his life. However Mac isn't the only one with his eyes on Tony. As the murderer tries to cover his tracks, Mac has to work fast or lose Tony, permanently.

A sweeping germ’s-eye view of history from human origins to global pandemics Plagues upon the Earth is a monumental history of humans and their germs. Weaving together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics, Kyle Harper explains why humanity’s uniquely dangerous disease pool is rooted deep in our evolutionary past, and why its growth is accelerated by technological progress. He shows that the story of disease is entangled with the history of slavery, colonialism, and capitalism, and reveals the enduring effects of historical plagues in patterns of wealth, health, power, and inequality. He also tells the story of humanity’s escape from infectious disease—a triumph that makes life as we know it possible, yet destabilizes the environment and fosters new diseases. Panoramic in scope, Plagues upon the Earth traces the role of disease in the transition to farming, the spread of cities, the advance of transportation, and the stupendous increase in human population. Harper offers a new interpretation of humanity’s path to control over infectious disease—one where rising evolutionary threats constantly push back against human progress, and where the devastating effects of modernization contribute to the great divergence between societies. The book reminds us that human health is globally interdependent—and inseparable from the well-being of the planet itself. Putting the COVID-19 pandemic in perspective, Plagues upon the Earth tells the story of how we got here as a species, and it may help us decide where we want to go.

More than an unusual love story, Jonas and the Mountain offers startling insights into the nature of reality. An enlightened eastern mystic. A western psychic who knows everything. And a broken man who falls in love with them both at a holy, magnetic mountain in India. This is a journey into the heart of it all.Jonas has been living a half-life since he lost his marriage, his college English teaching position, and his best friend all at once. Then he hears a voice in his head, and strange poems start to just come to him. These events lead him away from his home in Vancouver, Canada, to the holy mountain of Arunachala in India, where Jonas meets the American guru D whose master was the sage of nondualism, Ramana Maharshi. From D he learns about silence and waking up from the dream. After Jonas's retreat with D ends, he meets an oddly familiar woman and discovers a connection with her that explains the voice and poems and opens up yet another reality. Anamika's unique metaphysical teachings differ from D's-multiple dimensions, partner selves, creativity-and she offers simple expressive arts exercises to bring them home to the characters in the novel and to you, the reader. Jonas seeks to reconcile D's and Anamika's knowledge to find what is true with a capital "T," as he struggles to resolve the pain in his past and the surprising ways it appears in his present.You are invited to journey with Jonas and find your own answers.

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

'Beautifully written' S. A. Cosby Sometimes to find yourself, you have to go back to where you came from. You just might not like what you find. After failing in his new life, Luke decides to go home, back to the one place where he’d once felt he belonged. But that was a long time ago and now he has to face the life that he chose to run away from: The Combine. The gang that his uncle now leads, but which his father still runs from prison. Brutal, unforgiving . . . family. Reunited with his childhood friend Callie and tagging along on jobs with her and her boyfriend Pretty Baby, Luke soon discovers that he might have a place back home after all. When another gang try to encroach on their turf, The Combine and Luke must go to war to save all that they know. But in trying to be someone you’re not, can you ever find out who you really are? Family is everything and blood is love. Praise for Jordan Harper: ‘When I say The Last King of California subverts the stereotypical American Outlaw Mythos, it's the highest praise I can give it. No one is thinking deeper about what crime fiction is than Jordan Harper’ S. A. Cosby ‘Burns bright and fast’ Peter Swanson ‘Darkly irresistible’ Megan Abbott 'Urgent and beautiful' Lauren Beukes 'Fast-paced and gritty' Amy Engel 'Truly astounding' Robin Wasserman 'Easily one of the best things I'll read this year. Visceral and violent. An exploration o family and loyalty. Reads like poetry. Bravo!' Chris McDonald '[A] gripping and emotional journey . . . Authors paint pictures with words, and like the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh's Sunflowers, some of their books are instant masterpieces sure to inspire readers and elicit envy from fellow wordsmiths. The Last King of California is simply that good. Jordan Harper wields words like weapons . . . It is like poetry on the page' BoloBooks Top Read of 2022 'Blistering, brutal, with a big beating (black) heart, The Last King of California confirms Harper as one of the finest writers of noir today, with what's easily a best-of-the-year book' James. D. F. Hannah, Shamus-winning author of the Henry Malone novels