The Pony That Did Not Die

In his remarkably interesting novel, Howard Sturgis, with a skilful touch, describes life in the rich and self-indulgent aristocratic society. It traces the career of a young man, Sainty, brought up in the midst of great luxury. Indecision of character is the weakness of Sainty. He allows himself to become the prey of a scheming mother and her worthless daughter, and, in spite of the tremendous advantage of his wealth and position, and a strong desire to benefit his fellow-men, he never accomplishes anything. Sainty is the victim of his surroundings; he makes a few ineffectual struggles before the waters of adverse circumstance close over him. Most of the men and women described in "Belchamber" are hard and grasping if not distinctly vicious, and yet the variety shown is endless. The book is extremely well written, showing marked skill in the delineation of character.---Mary K. Ford

The memory of his birthday remained with him as a shifting phantasmagoria of painful images that partook of the nature of a nightmare. To be the principal figure in any pageant must always have a charm for the imagination of youth, if combined with the ability to play the part becomingly; but it is a very different matter for one conscious in every nerve of his own.

This volume is a narrative of Scott's last expedition from its departure from England in 1910 to its return to New Zealand in 1913.

Beginning in Ireland in the early years of the 19th century, the four Foley brothers flee across the country with their father and the large telescope he has stolen. Soon forced apart by the violence of the Irish wilderness, the potato famine, and the promise of America, the brothers find themselves scattered across the world. Their separate adventures unfold in passionate and vivid scenes with gypsies, horse races, sea voyages, and beautiful women. An epic narrative on the meaning of love and home and family, The Fall of Light is a dazzling novel by one of the most promising novelists writing today.

Hailed by David Sedaris as "perfectly, relentlessly funny" and by Colson Whitehead as "sardonic without being cruel, tender without being sentimental," from the author of the new collection Look Alive Out There. Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays is a celebration of fallibility and haplessness in all their glory. From despoiling an exhibit at the Natural History Museum to provoking the ire of her first boss to siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, Crosley can do no right despite the best of intentions -- or perhaps because of them. Together, these essays create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a complex and utterly recognizable character who aims for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is. I Was Told There'd Be Cake introduces a strikingly original voice, chronicling the struggles and unexpected beauty of modern urban life.