In 1970, the first person narrator, a 23-year-old college drop-out by the name of Willie Traynor, comes to Clanton, Mississippi for an internship at the local newspaper, The Ford County Times. However the editor, Wilson Caudle, drives the newspaper into bankruptcy through years of mismanagement. Willie decides to buy the paper spontaneously for fifty-thousand dollars, through money from his wealthy grandmother, and becomes the editor and owner of The Ford County Times. Shortly after this, a member of the notorious and scandalous Padgitt family brutally rapes and kills a young widow named Rhoda Kassellaw. The murderer, Danny Padgitt, is tried in front of a jury and is found guilty. Prior to being sentenced, Danny threatens to kill each of the jury members, should they convict him. Although they do find him guilty, the jury cannot decide whether to send him to life in prison or to Death Row, so Danny is sentenced to life in prison at the Mississippi State Penitentiary. After only nine years in prison, Danny Padgitt is paroled and returns to Clanton. Immediately, two jury members are killed and one is nearly killed by a bomb. Jury member and close friend of Willie, Miss Callie Ruffin, reveals that the recent victims were the jurors who were against sentencing Danny to Death Row. Callie Ruffin is black, and was the first black on a jury trying a white criminal in Ford County. With her husband, she has a family of highly accomplished adult children, who live outside of Mississippi. Convinced that Danny is exacting his revenge, as promised, the judge of Clanton issues an arrest for Danny Padgitt. At Padgitt''s trial, the former lover of Rhoda Kassellaw, Hank Hooten, guns down Danny Padgitt in the courtroom by positioning himself on the balcony. Willie later discovers that the assassin is also a schizophrenic and would often hear the voices of the victim''s children in his head, convincing him to murder Danny and the three jurors who voted against his conviction to Death Row. After nine years of ownership, Willie sells The Ford County Times for 1.5 million dollars. Soon after, Callie Ruffin dies of a heart attack, and the book ends with Willie writing her obituary.

The Last Juror

The book begins with a dive into the journey of an Aboriginal tribe which, in 70,000 BCE, crosses the straits of Sunda toward what will become Australia. It is a chaotic and cadaver-ridden course and a fight against climatic evolution. Through centuries, the odyssey reveals a challenging cohabitation with other species and soon a violent confrontation with white Caucasian newcomers. In an additional contemporary plot, Liz, a young Australian woman, moves to France in search of her lost origins. But behind its postcard appearance, the small Provence village where her mother had lived is not what it seems to be. Somebody tries to drown Liz into the pond near her new house, just before the young woman finds a dead body in this pond. Liz is still far from knowing what or who she will have to fight, what or who has followed her from Sydney, from a past that she did not even suspect. Besides the criminal aspects, the story is a novelistic presentation of the history of humankind, trying to make the reader look at the world differently and make them understand that differences are really relative.

Noir austral

Junka Nimura, a young girl who lives with her mother and her grandmother, is the main character. Her father, who has left her mother, is Junichiro Tokuoka (one of the main characters in .hack//Liminality), and Junka never knew him. In The World Junka plays the female Heavy Axeman named "Carl". She''s been playing the game for quite a long time, and likes to cause trouble, like cheating and PK-ing. Her favourite place is the cathedral at "Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground". One day, she meets Sora, and she seems to like his attitude, but every time they meet, something strange happens to him: he starts screaming and the game goes haywire. As the story progress, Aura appears, and Carl views her as the cause of Sora''s pain and attacks her, at which point the entire game seems to crash. Meanwhile, Junka''s grandmother, Takie, begins to notice about the effect the game is having on her granddaughter''s life. She expresses her concerns to Kyouko, Junka''s mother, telling her that Junka needs a father figure. Back in The World, Orca and Balmung are investigating the strange incidents that have been occurring recently. Orca tells having spotted a strange cat-like PC sitting in town playing with aromatic grass. In another place Junka meets her friend Alph, and tells her about Aura. Later Alph contacts Balmung and Orca. When Sora no longer appears before Carl, she gets desperate, and posts a weird message about Sora on the BBS. This message reaches Mariko Misono (Subaru''s player), who logs into The World for the first time since the events in .hack//Sign. Carl meets Subaru wanting to learn more about Sora. Subaru tells her that Aura isn''t evil; just a very young child who can''t yet control the power she holds, and tells her about An Shouji (Tsukasa''s player). Carl doesn''t understand Subaru and eventually walks away in irritation. Alph is worried about Carl''s behavior; she thinks Carl may be punished for cheating and PK-ing. So she introduces her to one of her friends, Sieg, who tries to talk some sense into Carl, but has little success. Back in the cathedral, Carl meets Sora again. He attacks her, giving her blows that feel real to Junka. Carl believes that Sora has forgotten her and she surrenders, waiting for him to PK her. At this point Aura appears, and Sora goes through some sort of transformation and fires energy at her. Carl is surprised that Aura doesn''t try to defend herself, and asks the girl what she is doing there, and the injured Aura replies that she is there because "Hurting Sora would make Carl sad". Sora stops his attack when Carl calls out his name, and he finally manages to say her name. Carl is really happy, and when Sora is about to continue his attack, she grabs Aura and flees the cathedral with her. Aside from giving their names, the tenth chapter (RE: 2000) is primarily focused on telling about An Shouji''s life after the events in .hack//Sign and her relationship with Mariko Misono, from Mariko''s perspective. An takes Bear''s suggestion and goes to study at a boarding school. Because of this she and Mariko can''t see each other as much as they want, but they talk on the phone and write letters all the time. The chapter also has Mariko thinking back to their second date,The actual word is "ouse" (逢瀬), which translates to: tryst; (lover''s) meeting; (secret) date. Translation retrieved from Jim Breen''s WWWJDIC Japanese-English Dictionary Server on December 8, 2006. with a description of how the two talk while An rests her head on Mariko''s lap, with Mariko stroking her hair.

.hack//Zero

At the opening of the book, the narrator, Rabo Karabekian, apologizes to the arriving guests: "I promised you an autobiography, but something went wrong in the kitchen..." He describes himself as a museum guard who answers questions from visitors coming to see his priceless collected art. He shares the lonely home with his live-in cook and her daughter, Celeste. One afternoon, Circe Berman wanders onto Karabekian''s private beach. When he reaches out to greet her, she catches him by surprise with the forward statement "Tell me how your parents died." He tells her the story and proceeds to invite her back to his home for a drink. After a drink and supper, Karabekian invites her to stay with him, as Paul Slazinger does. After a time, he begins to find her charm "manipulative", as she typically gets her way. Mrs. Berman does not respect his abstract art collection, including works by Jackson Pollock. She explores every inch of Karabekian''s home, constantly asking him questions. The only place that is off-limits to her is the potato barn. The potato barn is the home of Karabekian''s studio and holds his "secret". The barn has no windows, and Karabekian has gone through the trouble of nailing one end shut and immobilizing the other with six padlocks. The secret of the potato barn has enticed collectors to make outrageous offers and to raise suspicions of stolen masterpieces. It is to remain locked until after Karabekian passes away.

Bluebeard

The novel is about Conrad, a young boy, who spends each Thursday afternoon with his uncle, Mr. Ringelhuth. One Thursday — it happens to be the 35th of May — they meet Negro Caballo, who is well-versed in German literature, and at the same time, is the best roller skater in the world. Negro Caballo is a black horse that can speak. Together they enter Uncle Ringelhuth''s huge wardrobe, which stands in the hallway and end up in a series of fantasy lands, starting with the land of Cockaigne ("free entry — children half price"), followed by a mediaeval castle complete with jousting, an upside-down world in which children send bad parents to reform school, a science fiction nightmare city with mobile phones and moving walkways, and a south sea island. On his return to the real world, Conrad writes a school essay about his experiences. The plot device of a magic wardrobe through which protagonists enter magical lands anticipates the similar device used by C.S. Lewis in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The 35th of May, or Conrad''s Ride to the South Seas

Mia Thermopolis is in a royal puddle. Her one and only boyfriend won''t take her to the prom and her 15th birthday is coming up. Her friends try to convince her that he''ll ask her on her birthday and she believes that fantasy. On the day of her birthday, Michael and his band sing a song for her and turn up their amps so that everyone in the school can hear. He earns detention and makes it in time for Mia''s birthday dinner. She receives gifts from her family and Michael that she wouldn''t expect, along with the fact that Michael got her a snowflake necklace which symbolises when they fell in love at the winter dance. At the dinner, disaster strikes. Grandmere''s poodle jumps out of her purse and runs around the restaurant causing a busboy to spill a meal on Grandmere''s suit and getting the busboy (whose name is Jangbu) fired. Then comes the birthday party. Mia and her friends play a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven when her parents are out getting more birthday supplies. In the game she asks Michael to prom but he declines, saying he''d rather go bowling. When it''s Lilly''s turn, she enters the closet with the handsome Jangbu (whom she met while protesting for him), and apparently reaches second base too, Instead of taking her boyfriend Boris into the closet with her, making Boris break down before Mia''s parents arrive and catch them, sending all the guests home. At school, Boris tells Lilly that he loves her so much, he''ll drop a globe on his head if she doesn''t take him back, and on her refusal he accidentally does so, injuring his skull, luckily Mia and Michael stop him from severely bleeding. After school, Tina meets up with Boris to comfort him and they become a couple. Later on, all the busboys in town go on strike after the incident at the restaurant. This ruins the venue for the senior prom, but Grandmere steps in and gives them a place: The Empire State Building. Mia blackmails Lana into letting Michael''s band play at the prom. Michael and his band play at the prom and Michael and Mia reach second base. During the prom Mia''s mother also gives birth to Rocky Thermopolis-Gianini. Jangbu the busboy returns to his home country and leaves Lilly thinking about her decisions in leaving Boris who is now in love with Tina.

The Princess Diaries, Volume V: Princess in Pink

The novel''s setting is the border of Herefordshire, in England, and either Brecknockshire, or Radnorshire, in Wales (there are Black Hills near both). In the early pages we are told the border runs through the very farmhouse: One of the windows looked out over the green fields of England: the other looked back into Wales... Culturally the central characters are Welshmen, with the surname Jones. The story is told through the technique of flashback, and portrays the lives of twin brothers, Lewis and Benjamin Jones, on their isolated upland farm called The Vision. The twins develop a bond that is shown throughout the novel as very special. Lewis is portrayed as the stronger or dominant twin, whereas Benjamin is the more intuitive one, both in appearance and in the tasks which he does around the house. He seems to be constantly drawn to his mother&#39;s side while she is alive. Lewis is the one who wants to break free but Benjamin is forced into the army at the time of the Great War. His efforts are frustrated by his family ties and the indefinable, unbreakable tie to the land. Chatwin also tells the reader of the brutality involved in farming at the time in this area. Amos, the father of the two twins, shows how his day-to-day job has brutalised his once caring and loving attitude, and we see this later in the novel when he hits his wife Mary on the temple with the book she is reading - Wuthering Heights. A jealous man, Amos attacks his wife with the very material that shows her intelligence; he feels threatened by this, feeling that the man is supposed to be the head of the family in all things, and he feels anger because of his limited education. On the Black Hill is a novel which portrays themes such as unrequited love, sexual repression and confusion, social, religious and cultural repression, hate and the historic social values of that era, as is shown when Amos finds out that his daughter Rebecca has become pregnant by an Irishman. His religious fanaticism, social pressure, economic forces and an inability to express love results in him throwing her out of the household, and she is not mentioned in the novel again until the latter part.

On The Black Hill

Elspeth learns from her premonitions, and her cat Maruman''s prophecies, that a keeper from Obernewtyn, a feared institution where Misfits are sent to work, will come to take her there. Soon, when delivering tea to visiting Head Keeper of Obernewtyn, Madam Vega, Elspeth accidentally reveals she is a Misfit, though not to what extent, and is soon despatched to Obernewtyn. Her first few weeks at Obernewtyn are spent in the kitchen, with the cook’s daughter, the favoured Misfit, Ariel, and farm overseer, Rushton, taking an immediate hatred of her. Later reassigned to the farm, an encounter with Matthew and Dameon reveals she is not alone in her particular abilities. Elspeth, plagued by nightmares, begins to feel there is a dark secret underneath their everyday tasks. While working, Elspeth decides to test the range of her telepathic ability, "farseeking", but beyond the boundaries of Obernewtyn, a strange machine, the Zebrakhen, traps her mind. She is only freed by combining her mental strength with another anonymous mind who offers assistance. Asked by Vega to look out for "special" Misfits, her interview reveals the Doctor is a defective simpleton; his "assistant", Alexi, has no interest in Elspeth in his quest to find the "right one". Elspeth and Matthew later deduce that tortuous experiments on their kind are occurring, and they decide to escape. That night, Elspeth sneaks into the Doctor’s office to retrieve a map and compass, but on finding forbidden books and maps from before the Great White, the "Beforetime", she realises they must be searching for something from long ago. She leaves empty-handed. Rosamunde, a friend from Kindraide, arrives at Obernewtyn and coldly informs Elspeth that her brother Jes had discovered he also had mental abilities, but was killed by guards in an escape attempt. Rushton comforts the distraught Elspeth, and asks her why she plagues him. Fearful that someone will soon be after her as well, her group’s escape plans begin in earnest. Elspeth returns a second time to the Doctor’s office, but when Vega, Alexi and Ariel enter, she learns Ariel is part of the Obernewtyn family, and that they are searching for a Misfit to help them find the location of Beforetime weapons. Pre-warned that two councilmen are coming to fetch her for questioning by the Herders, at nightfall she makes to escape but Rushton stops her. He reveals a secret network of drains which gets her safely to the farms. Yet, once there she is lost in a blizzard, until Dominick finds her and locks her in the farmhouse to return later to Obernewtyn. Overhearing a conversation between her captors, she discovers they were to secretly meet with the rebel group, but Rushton has gone missing. Convincing them that her powers can help find him, she makes her way on foot through the blizzard to the far mountains, with Maruman as her guide. Inside the cave network she finds a dying Cameo, who tells her the Beforetime weapons Alexi and Vega are searching for caused the Great White, but they do not know this. She also reveals it is Elspeth’s destiny, as the Seeker, to destroy them. After mourning her death, Elspeth overhears that Rushton, imprisoned in the next cavern, is the true heir of Obernewtyn. Suddenly, she is captured by Ariel, who ties her to a table next to the Zebrakhen machine. Elspeth is forced to hold the diaries of Marissa, the wife of the founder of Obernewtyn, and use her abilities to discover what Marissa was thinking when she wrote them to determine the weapons’ location. Still withstanding the torture, Elspeth mentally enters Rushton’s mind and recognises the voice of her earlier rescuer from the Zebrakhen. Rushton gives his mental strength to her to endure it, but in her despair at their threats to kill him, her resistance breaks and Marissa’s thoughts reveal the map to be carved into the front doors of Obernewtyn. At this point, the Zebrakhan overheats and bursts into flames. Something in Elspeth’s mind cracks and she uses this new power to kill Vega. She falls unconscious as Rushton’s rebel friends rush in. Alexi is killed, but Ariel flees into the night and is believed to have died in the blizzard. Now known to be the legal master of Obernewtyn, Rushton plans to build it into a secret refuge for Misfits.

Obernewtyn

The main character is a little girl named Jackie. She is awakened one night in her bedroom by an unusual smell in the air, and she sets out to find its source. She goes to her parents'' room and discovers her parents smoking marijuana. When she asks what they''re doing, they tell her they are smoking marijuana. Her parents decide to teach her the facts about marijuana. They travel to the farm where the family buys vegetables. The farmer shows her the variety of crops he grows, including some marijuana plants. He tells her about the history of marijuana, and remarks that many people use the drug, including doctors, teachers, and politicians. Following the trip to the farm, they visit their family doctor. The doctor tells Jackie that marijuana has many medicinal uses, and that it can ease pain and help people relax. She emphasizes that only adults should use it, and that it is not for children. Shortly afterward, Jackie sees a group of people smoking marijuana on the street. Two police officers appear and promptly arrest them, to Jackie''s bewilderment. The police officers explain that smoking marijuana is against the law, and that''s why they are arresting the marijuana smokers. One of the officers tells her that “a small but powerful group decided to make a law against marijuana.” She comes to the conclusion that she wants to vote for the legalization of marijuana when she is older.

It''s Just a Plant

The protagonist is Tootle, who is a baby locomotive who is attending train school, hoping to grow up to be the Flyer on the New York-Chicago route. His schoolwork involves such tasks as stopping at red flags and pulling a dining car without spilling the soup. Most important, however, is that he must stay on the rails no matter what...Bill his good friend and teacher tells Tootle that trains are not professional unless they get 100 A+ on staying on the rails no mater what. One day when Tootle is practicing the rule a horse challenges him to a race to the river. Tootle goes faster but loses his race lead to the horse when he turns a curve so he gets off the tracks and ties with the horse. In the days that follow Tootle becomes fond of playing in the meadow and not staying on the tracks and Bill quickly discovers what Tootle has been doing. Not wanting to take away the offer of being a flyer Bill decides a plan with the mayor to put Tootle back on the tracks. One day when Tootle is driving the railroad he hops off the tracks to play in the meadow but sees red flags everywhere in the grasses and he is upset due to having to stop at red flags; trains hate nothing more than stopping. Tootle then sees Bill with a green flag over the railings and having learned his lesson gets back on the track and says that playing in the meadow only brings red flags to trains. In response to the lesson learned the town cheers for him and rewards Tootle the flyer of the route to Chicago. In the days that follow when Tootle becomes elderly he teaches some new locomotives some advice including "Stay on the rails no matter what."

Tootle

Biron Farrill, about to complete studies at the University of Earth, is told by Sander Jonti that his father, a rich planetary leader known as Lord Rancher of Widemos, has been arrested and killed by the Tyranni and his own life may be in danger. On Jonti''s advice, he travels to Rhodia, the strongest of the conquered planets. There he hears rumours of a world where rebellion against the Tyranni is secretly being plotted. Escaping with Artemisia oth Hinriad, the daughter of the Director of Rhodia and his brother Gillbret in a Tyranni spaceship, they travel to the planet Lingane. It is not a part of the Tyranni conquests, but maintains "peaceful" relations with them. There, they meet the Autarch of Lingane (who is revealed to be Sander Jonti, the man who sent Farrill to Rhodia from Earth), who seems to possess knowledge of a rebellion world. With him and his followers, the group travel to the heart of the Horsehead Nebula — they believe that for any rebellion world to exist and not be known to the Tyranni, it must be located in a place like the Horsehead Nebula. The Tyranni spaceship stolen by Farrill is being tracked by a fleet of Tyranni vessels led by Simok Aratap, the Tyrannian Commissioner. With him is the Director, who is shown to be nervous about his daughter''s and brother''s well-being. They keep themselves at a distance for fear of Farrill discovering them until Farrill lands on one planet in the heart of the nebula. The Autarch believes that the planet is the rebellion world. However, there is no sign of life anywhere. When the Autarch and Farrill leave the spaceship to apparently set up a radio transmitter, Farrill faces the Autarch and accuses him of getting his father killed at the hands of the Tyranni. The Autarch affirms the accusation, to which Farrill adds that the Autarch feared his father''s growing reputation. That is why he arranged Farrill''s father''s death. In a fight, Farrill subdues the Autarch with help from the Autarch''s closest secretary, who reveals that he is ashamed of the Autarch for killing a great man like Farrill''s father. Later, as Farrill and the Autarch''s secretary try to explain everything to the rest of the crew they picked up from Lingane, the Tyranni fleet arrives and takes them prisoner. Aratap interrogates Farrill, Artemisia, Gillbret and the Autarch''s secretary in order to ascertain the coordinates of the rebellion world but they do not know where it is. However, the Autarch reveals the coordinates to Aratap. The Autarch''s secretary kills the Autarch with a blaster in anger. While Aratap interrogates Farrill, Gillbret manages to escape to the engine room of the spaceship and short the hyperatomics. Farrill, realising the danger, manages to contact Aratap. The engines are repaired, but Gillbret is injured and later dies. The space jump is made with the coordinates given to them by the late Autarch. However, they find a planetless system consisting only of a white-dwarf star. Aratap lets Farrill and the others go, believing that there is no rebellion world. Aratap makes it clear that he will never to be chosen as Director. Biron and Artemisia are allowed to marry. It is eventually revealed that there is indeed a rebellion in the making, located on Rhodia itself. The Director is its leader; he deliberately took on the persona of a nervous and timid old man to throw off suspicion from himself and his planet. It is further revealed that the Director, who possesses a collection of ancient documents, has searched for, and found, a document that will help a future empire-yet-to-be (likely Trantor) govern the galaxy. This document is ultimately revealed to be the United States Constitution.

The Stars, Like Dust

A tale of bonding sisterhood, this novel is set in Syai, an imaginary Chinese kingdom. Jin-shei is a pledge given by one woman to another, and once accepted can never be broken. This declaration of loyalty transcends social class and normal customs. Through jin-ashu, a unique language passed on from generation to generation of women (inspired by a real example of secret women''s writing, Nü Shu), the lives within the sisterhood continue to intertwine throughout time. The story begins with Tai, daughter of a court seamstress, who becomes jin shei bao of the Little Empress Antian. An earthquake claims the lives of the royal family, leaving an obstinate Liudan, Antian''s younger sister, as the unexpected new Empress. Antian, during her dying moments, binds Tai to look after her sister. Tai is comforted by Yuet, an apprentice healer. A new pledge is made, and Tai finds herself with a new jin shei bao who works tirelessly to bridge the gap between Tai and Liudan. The initial moves are tentative, for Liudan remains insecure throughout her lonely life in the imperial court. During her time of sorrow, Tai is also consoled by her childhood friend Nhia. A club-footed young girl, Nhia grew up in the vicinity of the great temple, and has learned much about the Way. She is a sage with a pure heart who later becomes Syai Chancellor. It is also at the temple that Nhia meets Khailin, to whom she pledges sisterhood. A restless soul, Khailin is actively seeking knowledge about the Way. However, her thirst for information leads her down the path of darker forces. Khailin secretly marries the Ninth Sage Lihui. Within Liudan’s court, an exceptional young Guard trainee named Xaforn is injured and Yuet is summoned to heal her. Xaforn is jin shei bao to Qiaan, binding their lives beyond adoptive sisterhood. Xaforn is protective by nature, while Qiaan is nurturing. Through a series of events, the circle of sisterhood between these young ladies will test their loyalty, determination, courage and bravery. Liudan, in her quest for absolute rule over her empire, declares herself to be Dragon Empress. However, when the existence of Tammary, the late Emperor’s illegitimate daughter with a Traveller, comes to light, Liudan becomes obsessed by her need to maintain her power. In order to protect Tammary, Tai pledges sisterhood and tries to act as the peacemaker. Qiaan is then discovered to be the daughter of Cai, the Ivory Emperor''s concubine, and becomes a pawn of Lihui, who wants to rule as Emperor and overthrow Liudan. An increasingly insecure Liudan resorts to extraction of duties of sisterhood despite mistrusting her sisters who try fervently to bring her back to their fold, to a life with some sense of calm and peace. They fail, and their failure comes with a huge price, as one sister after another dies. The story ends with Tai in her old age, looking back to her youth and reminiscing that her life was joyful yet marred by occasions of unhappiness, a life that was changed by a single promise - Jin-Shei.

Over 8000 Takeaways For Your Brain!

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The Last Juror

By John Grisham

Noir austral

No Author Listed

.hack//Zero

No Author Listed

Bluebeard

By Kurt Vonnegut

The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas

By Erich Kästner

The Princess Diaries, Volume V: Princess in Pink

By Meg Cabot

On The Black Hill

By Bruce Chatwin

Obernewtyn

By Isobelle Carmody

It's Just a Plant

By Ricardo Cortés

Tootle

By Gertrude Crampton

The Stars, Like Dust

By Isaac Asimov

The Secrets of Jin-Shei

By Alma Alexander