The story opens with a seemingly random battle among the many superhumans that inhabited the western world, set ten years ago at the foot of a gigantic tank built and driven by Ragnarok that was on its way to New York City. During the course of this slugfest, the superheroes and supervillains all seem to lose their abilities. Ten years later, Brian McDonald has been told by the teacher to assign the class'' homework assignment, and he chooses to write about what it would be like to be a superhero. On the way home, Brian''s little sister Susie almost gets hit by a bus while riding her bike, but Danny Cooper foresaw it coming and rescued her in the time it took his friend, Colin Wagner, to turn his head twice. At home he ponders over this and comes to the conclusion Danny is a superhero. He confronts his friend about it later and Danny grudgingly reveals his father was Quantum and that he inherited his powers. When Colin gets home he starts to hear things far away, and his mom reveals she and his father were Energy and Titan respectively, two other heroes that were believed to have disappeared. Soon after that a helicopter comes and after a quick chase Colin, his parents, Danny, and Danny''s father are captured and taken to America. Around that time a mysterious man known as Joseph gets broken out of a top-secret prison in Nevada by a man known as Victor Cross. In the airport Colin escapes from his captors and, following his fathers tip, searches for a man known as Solomon Cord, who used to be Paragon. He takes refuge in a shelter where, after a brief standoff, befriends the delinquent Razor. Later he and Colin escape by use of a stolen car when the police arrive. Colin refuses to answer Razor''s questions and they make their escape to New York. Colin finds Cord but, refusing to believe him, Cord shuts his garage door. Colin rips it off, and Cord remembers a bit of Quantom''s prophecy: "He will be strong, that''s how you will know." Colin and Razor meet Cord''s wife and two daughters, one of which Colin falls for. Around that time Danny and the others arrive at Cross'' base, where they are held captive with the newly awakened hero Renata Soliz. Cord takes Colin to the base and they invade it. Soliz and Danny take out most of the guards and Colin get''s captured. Danny runs in, seeing Colin being tested on similar to how he was. Cross enters with Joseph, who reveals himself to be Danny''s father (Paul Joseph Cooper), the real Quantom, and the other to be Facade stuck looking like Quantom. Danny takes a gun and threatens to shoot. Joseph becomes grave and tells him to put it down. Danny replies there are no bullets inside, and Joseph says that doesn''t matter. Danny then slaps him with the butt of his gun. He remembers when he threw a rock at the wall and it seemed to be moving slow but it exploded on the wall as blood spills onto the floor from Joseph''s head.

The Quantum Prophecy

Belinda is a young lady who lives with her aunt, Mrs. Stanhope. Being unwed, Belinda is sent to live with Lady Delacour, whom Belinda considers fascinating and charming. Lady Delacour believes herself to be dying of breast cancer. She hides her emotional distress caused by her impending death and poor relationships with her family from Belinda through wit and charm. The first half of the novel is concerned with the blooming friendship between Belinda and Lady Delacour, which is broken by Lady Delacour''s fear that Belinda plans to marry Lord Delacour, expressed in the line, "I see...that she [Belinda] who I thought had the noblest of souls has the meanest! I see that she is incapable of feeling." Belinda subsequently moves to the home of the Percival family, the embodiment of the ideal family. Once Lady Delacour seeks treatment for her illness, Belinda returns to support her. Upon her visit to the doctor, Lady Delacour discovers her disease is not terminal and reconciles herself with Belinda. She eventually makes a full recovery from her illness.

Belinda

Monty Brewster finds that spending so much money within the course of a year is incredibly difficult, especially with the strict conditions imposed by the executor of his uncle''s will. Brewster is required to demonstrate business sense by obtaining good value for the money he spends, limiting his donations to charity, his losses to gambling, and the value of his tips to waiters and cab drivers. Moreover, Brewster is sworn to secrecy, and cannot tell anyone why he is living to excess. Working against him are his well-meaning friends, who try repeatedly to limit his losses and extravagance even as they share in his luxurious lifestyle. Brewster''s challenge is compounded by the fact that his attempts to lose money through stock speculation and roulette prove to increase his funds rather than decrease them. Lampooned by the press as a spendthrift, he throws large parties and balls and charters a cruise lasting several months to Europe and Egypt for his large circle of friends and employees. Nonetheless, despite his loose pursestrings, Monty repeatedly demonstrates a strong moral character. At one point, he uses his funds to bail out a bank to save his landlady''s account, despite risking his eligibility for the will. At another, he jumps overboard to save a drowning sailor from his cruise even as his rich friends choose not to. Monty''s would-be wife Barbara Drew turns down his marriage proposal early in the year, believing him to be financially irresponsible and bound to a life of poverty, and his attempts to win her back repeatedly fail as Monty''s attention is entirely absorbed by the requirement to spend so much money. At the conclusion of the year, Monty succeeds in spending the last of his funds, which he has meticulously documented, and confesses his love to another woman, Peggy Gray, who has been sympathetic to his lifestyle despite knowing nothing about his challenge. Tragedy strikes the night before Monty''s deadline, as his lawyers inform him that the executor of his uncle''s will has vanished after liquidating all of the assets. Monty convinces himself that he is doomed to poverty, but marries Peggy Gray, who accepts him despite the lack of wealth. Shortly after the wedding, the executor of his uncle''s will arrives to inform him that he has successfully met the challenge and that he had simply come to deliver the money to Monty in person.

Brewster''s Millions

The play comprises three acts: In Act I a poor but aristocratic young doctor named Harry Trench and his friend William Cokane are vacationing at Remagen on the Rhine. There, they encounter fellow travelers: Mr Sartorious, a self-made businessman, and his daughter Blanche. Harry and Blanche fall in love and become engaged. Act II opens with everyone back at home in London: Sartorius, is talking to Mr Lickcheese, whom he employs as a rent-collector, reveals himself to be a slumlord. He discharges Lickcheese for dealing too leniently with tenants. Trench and Cokane arrive to visit, but when Trench discovers that Sartorius makes his money by renting slum housing to the poor, he is disgusted and refuses to allow Blanche to accept money from her father after they are married and insists they must live on Harry''s small income. They break up over this, after a bitter argument. Sartorius reveals that Trench''s income depends on interest from mortgaged tenements and, therefore, is as dirty as the money made by Sartorious, but the lovers do not reconcile: Blanche utterly rejects Harry because of her wounded feelings. In Act III, Trench, Cokane and Lickcheese return to Sartorius'' house to plan a shady business venture (Trench, disillusioned and coarsened by knowing his income is tainted by its source, no longer takes the moral high-ground). In the final scene, notable for its erotic tension, Harry and Blanche reunite. =In performance= http://www.shawfest.com/Home/About-The-Shaw/History Shaw Festival, 2003 On 3 July 2011, a radio adaptation directed by Martin Jarvis was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 starring Ian McKellen as Sartorius, Charles Dance as William Cokane, Honeysuckle Weeks as Blanche, Dan Stevens as Harry Trench and Tim Pigott-Smith as Lickcheese.

Widowers'' Houses

The story takes place in an unnamed school classroom, in the aftermath of a war with an unnamed country. It is implied that a country similar to America has been defeated and occupied. The story opens with the previous teacher leaving the classroom, having been removed from her position and replaced with an agent of the foreign power. The new teacher has been trained in propaganda techniques, and is responsible for re-educating the children to be supportive of their occupiers. During the course of the story, the children are persuaded to abandon their religion and national loyalty. Framing the story is the fact that, while the children have ritually recited a ''Pledge of Allegiance'' every morning, none know what it actually means. The teacher is relentlessly positive about the change, offering the children candy, songs and praise. When asked if the war was won or lost, she responds only that "we won", implying that everyone would benefit from the conquest. Only one student is initially hostile to the new teacher, a child named Johnny, whose father had been arrested and placed in a re-education camp. At first, he defends his father, but when he is rewarded by the teacher with a position of authority in the class, he quickly accepts the new regime and commits himself to not accepting "wrong thoughts". The story takes place over a twenty-five minute span.

The Children''s Story

Blood of the Fold resumes from the preceding novel, Stone of Tears, when Richard Rahl has just reunited with his future wife, Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor, in a place between worlds. Upon returning to Aydindril in the real world he realizes that seizing power for himself is the only way to halt the continuous advance of the Imperial Order through the Midlands. Richard ends the Midlands alliance and the rule of the Confessors, taking control of Aydindril and issuing a demand for unconditional surrender of Midlands nations to D''haran rule. Meanwhile, in the Old World, trouble courses through the Palace of the Prophets. Sister Verna, the newly named Prelate, discovers the former Prelate, Annalina, isn''t really dead, but has fled with Nathan Rahl. The lands of the Midlands must decide whether to surrender to D''Hara or the Imperial Order. In his neverending search for banelings, what the Blood call those with some form of the gift, Tobias Brogan, the Lord General of the Blood of the Fold, captures Kahlan Amnell and Adie and takes them, following the instructions of the Creator, to the Palace of the Prophets. Richard, who finds out his wife-to-be is in the Old World, uses an ancient means of transportation, the Sliph, to travel to her almost immediately. There, fooled by the ability to become invisible, Richard releases the Mriswith Queen, who then flees to Aydindril back through the Sliph. Brought back to his senses, Richard then destroys the Palace of the Prophets to prevent Jagang from receiving the treasures inside, saves Kahlan, and hurries back to Aydindril in the New World, where He discovers the mriswith queen nesting in the Wizard''s keep preparing to hatch a new batch of mriswith in the new world. After smashing her eggs and a difficult battle with her, Richard and Kahlan defeat the Mriswith Queen. They then discover a battle in the City is being lost by Richard''s D''haran army but with his arrival he leads his soldiers to a victory over the Blood of the Fold and the mriswith.

Blood of the Fold

When their father dies, Doctor Thomas Thorne and his younger, ne''er-do-well brother Henry are left to fend for themselves. Doctor Thorne begins to establish a medical practice, while Henry seduces Mary Scatcherd, the sister of stonemason Roger Scatcherd. When Scatcherd finds out that Mary has become pregnant, he seeks out Henry and, in the ensuing fight, kills him. While her brother is in prison, Mary gives birth to a girl. A former suitor offers to marry her and emigrate to the United States to start a new life, but refuses to take the baby. Doctor Thorne persuades her to accept the generous offer, promising to raise his niece. He names her Mary Thorne but, wishing neither to have her illegitimacy made public nor to have her associate with the uncouth Roger Scatcherd, he keeps her birth secret. He tells Scatcherd that the baby had died. After his release, Scatcherd rises quickly in the world as a railway project undertaker. In time, his skills make him extremely rich. When he completes a seemingly-impossible important project on time, he is created a baronet for his efforts. Throughout his career, he entrusts his financial affairs to Doctor Thorne. When Thorne becomes the family doctor to the Greshams, he persuades Scatcherd to loan ever growing sums to the head of the family, the local squire, who has troubles managing his finance. Eventually, much of the Gresham estate is put up as collateral. Meanwhile, Mary grows up with the Gresham children and becomes a great favorite with the whole family. As a result, Thorne feels obliged to tell his friend the squire the secret concerning her birth. Mary falls in love with Frank Gresham, the only son and heir of the squire of Greshamsbury and nephew of the Earl and Countess De Courcy, and he with her. However, his parents desperately need him to marry wealth, in order to rescue them from the financial distress resulting from the squire''s expensive and fruitless campaigns for a seat in Parliament. As Mary is penniless and of low birth, such a marriage is frowned upon by his mother Lady Arabella and the De Courcys. His snobbish mother and maternal aunt bearing the aristocratic De Courcy family name wish him to marry a thirty-year-old, eccentric, intelligent if kind-hearted heiress, Martha Dunstable. He reluctantly visits Courcy Castle and they become friends. He foolishly and playfully proposes. She demurs, knowing that he does not love her, and he tells her about his love for Mary. Sir Roger is a chronic drunkard, and Doctor Thorne tries in vain to get him to curtail his drinking. In his will, he stipulates that bulk of his estate go to his odious, dissolute only son Louis Philippe, but leaves Doctor Thorne in control of the inheritance until the heir reaches the age of twenty-five. Should Louis die before then, Scatcherd stipulates that the estate go to his sister Mary''s eldest child. Thorne is forced to divulge Mary''s history, but Scatcherd leaves the will unchanged. Sir Roger eventually dies of his excessive alcoholism, and Sir Louis inherits his vast wealth. The son proves just as much an alcoholic as the father, and his weaker constitution quickly brings him to the same end, before he reaches twenty-five. After consulting with many lawyers, Doctor Thorne confirms that his niece Mary is the heiress, richer than even Miss Dunstable. Unaware of these proceedings, the more-resolute Frank finally persuades his doting father to consent to his marriage to Mary. When all is revealed, everyone is elated, even Frank''s mother and Countess De Courcy, and their wedding becomes a much talked of event after the marriage of Mr Oriel and Beatrice Gresham, Frank''s younger sister and Mary''s best friend.

Doctor Thorne

Jacen Solo, son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, has escaped from the Yuuzhan Vong with the aid of a Jedi Master from the time of the Old Republic, Vergere. Besides making cryptic references to Jacen''s destiny, Vergere also reveals that she has spent the last fifty years with the Yuuzhan Vong in order to save the living world of Zonama Sekot, as well as to gather intelligence on the Vong themselves. Meanwhile, Han and Leia Organa Solo were visiting the Imperial Remnant, trying to coax it into allying with the New Republic. Though the Remnant''s leader, Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, refuses the offer, he does give them the locations of the Galactic Empire''s old hideaways in the deep core in order to help the Republic''s war against the Yuuzhan Vong. In exchange, the Solos offer information on Yuuzhan Vong technology, especially the yammosks. A new government is forming on Mon Calamari after the fall of Coruscant. Luke Skywalker wants to prevent an anti-Jedi government from forming, so his friends in the Smugglers'' Alliance blackmail the majority of New Republic Senators into voting for Jedi-supporting Senator Cal Omas rather than the anti-Jedi Fyor Rodan. Luke inducts nine Jedi Knights into the new Jedi order he is forming, among them Jacen, his sister Jaina Solo, and the new Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka. The New Republic forces, now assembled on the water world of Mon Calamari, plan their next attack on the Yuuzhan Vong with the aid of the now-retired Admiral Ackbar. However, some elements in the New Republic are desperate enough—the Bothans especially—to make the war against the Yuuzhan Vong one of extermination as well as victory. One method meant to accomplish such a task is through Alpha Red, a biological virus developed by New Republic agent Dif Scaur and Chiss scientists that had been successfully tested to eliminate anyone and anything with Yuuzhan Vong DNA. When word of Alpha Red got out, Vergere was able to infiltrate security and use the chemical compounds she manufactured through the Force, residing in her system, to transform Alpha Red into something harmless. Until Alpha Red can be concocted into something lethal against the Yuuzhan Vong again, it is ruled out as an option to use against the galactic invaders. The success of the operation against Ebaq 9, a long-neglected world on a former Imperial trade route, leads the Yuuzhan Vong into a trap that halts their advance by killing nearly every warrior who went to Ebaq, including Warmaster Tsavong Lah, who died in combat against Jaina Solo. Vergere sacrifices herself to save Jacen from the Vong by plowing a stolen A-wing into Ebaq 9''s surface. In the aftermath of the Battle of Ebaq 9, the New Republic is reformed into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, or the Galactic Alliance for short. The Yuuzhan Vong agent provocateur Nom Anor, who suggested the assault on Ebaq 9, is obliged to give his life for his plan''s failure, but he disguises himself and hides beneath Yuuzhan''tar''s (formerly Coruscant''s) streets.

Destiny''s Way

The Palmer family are going on a trip to the Magpie Islands. During their trip, Mrs. Palmer breaks her ankle and has to leave with Mr. Palmer to go to the hospital in Beaverville, California. They make the decision to leave the kids by themselves. Jonathan and Abby are by themselves when Moose, their dog, starts barking frantically, trying to get Jonathan and Abbys'' attention. The ground starts rumbling and shaking. It then starts to pour down rain on them. For Abby, the situation was difficult due to her accident when she was two years old, leaving her legs partially paralyzed. She uses her walker during the day, and she usually crawls at night. Jonathan and Abby are frightened, but Jonathan tells Abby to not worry and that everything is going to be all right. Abby is distressed, but she tries to calm herself by singing some songs that she knows. The earthquake stops, but the water is very high and there are trees down. The kids get on trees so they can stay afloat on the river. Jonathan and Abby then go down the river to see if they could get to shore.

Earthquake Terror

The book opens with a short summary of the past events of the previous book, The Lost Warrior. Coming to the current time, Graystripe and his traveling companion, Millie, can see Highstones in the distance. As they are traveling through a corn field, a combine pursues them. Graystripe and Millie are separated as they flee from the monster. Graystripe manages to get to a nearby barn, and asks for help from the cats inhabiting the barn. The barn cats agree to help Graystripe find Millie. They find Millie and learn the hard corn leaves cut and damaged Millie''s eyes. Graystripe and Millie are allowed to stay until she recovers. Husker, one of the barn cats explains to the two cats that they used to live in the nearby Twoleg nest (human house). Unfortunately, the Twolegs (humans) died, and a new family moved in. The new residents disliked the cats, so they were chased out. They had lived in the barn ever since. Graystripe and Millie face the pet dogs of the family after they wander into the barn. Millie can speak dog and is able to send the dogs away. The barn cats are amazed by Millie''s ability and she teaches them how to speak dog. A few days later, Millie and Graystripe see a Twoleg kit in pursuit of a frog. She approaches dangerously close to the edge of a pond, almost falling into it. Graystripe manages to catch the child''s attention and lead her away. The Twoleg''s parents are very grateful to the cats. Over time, the Twolegs accept the barn cats as well and even adopt them as their kittypets through a plan of Graystripe''s. The two travelers continue their route towards home. However, when they arrive at the forest, they find the territory is destroyed and ThunderClan is gone.

Warrior''s Refuge

The first part details the competition between Alovisa and Amena, two upper-class young women of disparate wealth, for D''Elmont''s attentions. The narrator specifically mentioned the "custom which forbids women to make a declaration of their thoughts." That women were not permitted to express their affections or choice until a suitor formally proposed marriage is important to both the plot and the theme of the novel. Alovisa writes an unsigned letter to D''Elmont in hopes of eliciting a definite amorous response from him, which inadvertently leads D''Elmont to court Amena. Amena''s father refuses to allow his daughter to continue meeting with D''Elmont without a proposal of marriage, which forces the pair to meet via subterfuge. With the help of Anaret, Amena''s woman servant, two attempts for the pair to meet are made, the second of which sees Amena and D''Elmont alone in the Tuileries at night. The two are compromised by the intervention of Alovisa''s servant, Charlo, who awakens Amena''s household. Amena is eventually conducted by D''Elmont to Alovisa''s residence. Alovisa feigns desire to help the pair by allowing them to meet in her apartment; however, Alovisa agrees with Amena''s father (unbeknownst to Amena) to help ship Amena off to a convent in the countryside. Amena discovers Alovisa''s designs for D''Elmont''s affections when D''Elmont mistakenly slips her one of Alovisa''s letters, which results in her begging to be sent away as soon as possible. D''Elmont, in the meanwhile, has left to receive his brother, Chevalier Brillian. During the course of their conversation, it is revealed that the Chevalier has fallen in love with Alovisa''s sister Ansellina (who resides in Amien). The first part concludes with a mutual decision by Brillian and D''Elmont to marry the sister-pair Alovisa and Ansellina with love, status, and wealth as motivations for the respective matches. Part the Second deals with D''Elmont''s falling in "true" love with Melliora, a girl entrusted in his care. D''Elmont ends up nearly raping the loving but resisting Melliora; meanwhile, D''Elmont''s friend Baron falls in love with D''Elmont''s wife Alovisa. A climax scene leads to the death of the Baron and Alovisa and D''Elmont''s self-exile. D''Elmont ends up in Italy in Part the Third, endlessly yearning for Melliora - who in the meantime has been kidnapped from the convent to which she was sent after Part the Second. In Italy, D''Elmont happens to meet Frankville, Melliora''s brother. D''Elmont helps Frankville flee Italy with his forbidden love Camilla; the two women in Italy who have fallen in love with D''Elmont (Ciamara, the lusty "bad" woman; and Violetta, the chaste "good" woman) both end up dead. The survivors - D''Elmont and Melliora; Frankville and Camilla; Melliora''s kidnapper and Charlotta, a girl he loved before Melliora - all marry.

Love in Excess; Or, The Fatal Enquiry

Fire and Ice begins with Fireheart and Graystripe performing a traditional silent vigil after their promotion to warrior status in Into the Wild. As their first task as warriors, Fireheart and Graystripe are assigned to find and bring back WindClan, which had been driven out by ShadowClan, and bring them home. They succeed, finding WindClan under a tangle of Thunderpaths (probably a highway interchange), and bring them home. Soon after, Bluestar apprentices Cinderpaw to Fireheart, and Brackenpaw to Graystripe. During a hunting patrol, Graystripe almost drowns after chasing a vole onto thin ice, falling in the river separating RiverClan and ThunderClan, but is rescued by Silverstream, a RiverClan warrior. Graystripe and Silverstream fall in love; however, this is against the warrior code, a code of honor that all warriors must follow. Fireheart discovers their relationship, and unsuccessfully attempts to discourage them from seeing each other. Graystripe finally agrees to meet Silverstream only at the full moon at the Gathering, when the four Clans meet to share news. Fireheart, later realizes that Graystripe has not been keeping his promise. Because Graystripe is often gone to see Silverstream, Fireheart takes over training of Brackenpaw, as well as training his own apprentice. Tigerclaw, in his ambition to become leader, sets a trap for Bluestar by the Thunderpath (road), intending to kill her, thus bringing him closer to becoming leader. Instead, Cinderpaw is crippled by the trap. Her leg is broken, and when it heals, she has a permanent limp, preventing her from becoming a warrior. She then trains under Yellowfang to become a medicine cat. Fireheart is reunited with his sister, Princess, a kittypet living in a Twolegplace (a human town). Princess gives Fireheart her oldest kit, Cloudkit, to take into the Clan as a new apprentice. Although Fireheart agrees to accept the kit, his Clanmates, with the exception of Frostfur and Graystripe, are reluctant to accept him because of his kittypet blood. Bluestar allows him to stay, and Brindleface becomes his foster mother. Brokenstar, the former ShadowClan leader, eventually attacks ThunderClan, along with several other exiled ShadowClan warriors. After the battle, the rogues are driven off, with the exception of Brokenstar himself, who is blinded by Yellowfang and is kept as a prisoner. Later, ThunderClan becomes involved in a fight against RiverClan and ShadowClan when RiverClan and ShadowClan unites and tries to drive WindClan out again, and WindClan allies themselves with ThunderClan. When Fireheart is attacked by Leopardfur, the RiverClan deputy, Tigerclaw watches as Leopardfur and Fireheart fight, and does not attempt to help Fireheart. Silverstream attacks Fireheart but releases him; he attacks her but sees Graystripe''s look of dismay, and releases her. Darkstripe witnesses the event and reports it to Tigerclaw. Consequently, Fireheart becomes certain that Tigerclaw is not to be trusted.

Over 8000 Takeaways For Your Brain!

Read - Listen - Learn

The Quantum Prophecy

By Michael Carroll

Belinda

By Maria Edgeworth

Brewster's Millions

By George Barr McCutcheon

Widowers' Houses

By George Bernard Shaw

The Children's Story

By James Clavell

Blood of the Fold

By Terry Goodkind

Doctor Thorne

By Anthony Trollope

Destiny's Way

By Walter Jon Williams

Earthquake Terror

By Peg Kehret

Warrior's Refuge

No Author Listed

Love in Excess; Or, The Fatal Enquiry

By Eliza Haywood

Fire and Ice

By Victoria Holmes