The Journal of Arthur Stirling is a novel by author Upton Sinclair, published in 1903. It is written in a first-person perspective, with the main fictional character being Arthur Stirling. Stirling, unknown poet and writer sets out to write his first poem, The Captive. He begins writing a journal to help him further his work as an artist-the novel being the journal. The novel begins with an introduction by a character who calls himself, "S."; Stirling...

With its satirical and semi-journalistic style, Chewing Gum is an existential quest to understand how a society exists beneath a repressive dictatorship. The rhythmic act of chewing relentlessly continues as individuals, time and land turn to waste. In this debut novel, no one escapes the critical gaze of a writer who witnessed first-hand the brutality of Gaddafi's regime. At times downright funny and at times poignantly sad, Chewing Gum depicts the...

Ever hear of a twenty -thousand- year -old roller coaster? How about a moth piloting a commercial flight from Washington to Boston? Fake News or Real Deal? Meet: Lance Mantis, business man. He'd like to reinstate Power Amusement Park to its former glory, but will Communication Station replace it instead? Meet: Larry Leverage, U.S. intelligence agent suspected of counter terrorist activity by The Crockett Organization. Meet: Lucy Lava, Martel...

David Livingstone: The Wayward Vagabond in Africa is an expression of doubt about the raîson d'etre concerning the 19th Century explorers and missionaries in Africa. Led by David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer and missionary, they are said to have come to civilise "backward" Africans, which the author creatively re-imagines, arguing that it is far from the truth. Instead, their actions gave impetus to colonialism proper. In this book the omniscient...

Will's career in New York City politics has fizzled out. When a connected colleague and an ambitious restaurateur ask for his help founding a farm in a neglected part of Brooklyn, he sees an opportunity to reinvent himself like all the picklers, beekeepers, and kombucha brewers he's been reading about. In the Weeds is a cautionary tale and a satire of a time not too long ago when Brooklyn the place became Brooklyn the idea.

'Dan Rhodes is a true original' – Hilary Mantel When the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanes. But the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the ghoul-faced, ageing enfant terrible who wreaks...

"The Great Stupidity" is a witty work of fiction that offers a satirical look at an historic public health crisis. Author Andy Lazris transports readers back in time as the Black Death strikes a small village in France. Village leaders send off a blacksmith's son on a ridiculous quest to cure the disease — and on his journey he encounters many "experts" who "know" how to solve this crisis. A black comedy with 12 songs, the book is an historical...

The Street Singer follows flat-broke New York CIty subway musician, Jason Spirit, as he stumbles into contact with Thaddeus Hoover, the high-powered developer with a plan to build the Barclays Arena and bring Brooklyn a National Basketball Association team - the first major professional sports team since baseball's Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1958. He ends up playing project supporters and opponents against each other as he plots a song he's written...

Hallie Flynn was ready for the perfect senior year, but everything changes at Homecoming when petty rumors spiral out of control. The In Crowd was always who everybody in the Out Crowd dreamed of being. The Out Crowd consisted of everybody else. Isaiah was also expecting a normal senior year. His biggest concern was earning a scholarship for college, but then all the norms evaporated. Gossip piles on top of itself, overwhelming his social life, and...

"Why are you so unhappy?" That's the question that Zeke Pappas, a thirty-three-year-old scholar, asks almost everybody he meets as part of an obsessive project, "The Inventory of American Unhappiness." The answers he receives-a mix of true sadness and absurd complaint-create a collage of woe. Zeke, meanwhile, remains delightfully oblivious to the increasingly harsh realities that threaten his daily routine, opting instead to focus his energy on finding...