Showing results by narrator "Christian Barillas" in All Categories

A psychedelic guru, a magical toad and the dark side of the modern quest for transcendence. 'Entirely mesmerising . . . The Ego Trip is itself a trip' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE 'A one of a kind book. I loved it' WILLIAM FINNEGAN 'Strange and wonderful' SUSAN ORLEAN In 2012, physician Octavio Rettig...

Nerdy and shy, scholarship student Daniel de La Luna arrives at college nervous to meet his golden-haired, athletic roommate, whose Facebook photos depict a boy just like those who made Daniel's school years hell. Sam Morris is not what he had imagined, though. As the two settle into college life they drink tequila under the stars, go on long runs through snow-covered hills, explore freshman nightlife, and inch closer until they find themselves in love.

More than a hundred years into the future, as the US approaches its 400th anniversary, Tomas, a young graduate student, searches for the real identity of one of the cyborgs that maintained American homes. He has been haunted for years by an audio clip of a cyborg named Felipe and is intent on writing Felipe’s biography. In the clip, Felipe can only recite that he was made in America, but Tomas must find out: Where was the Self-made Man really from?

Barton Suggs may be the class brain at school, but thanks to bullies Travis and Kenny, he’s known as “Sluggs.” And no one but Lizzie Hellman wants to be friends with him. After Barton’s dad brings him Slappy in order to help him become less shy, he brings it to school for a presentation. Chaos erupts as Slappy comes to life and wreaks havoc on Barton’s classmates. But Barton isn’t terrified. He’s thrilled! And Slappy soon becomes his new best friend. But when Slappy gets jealous of Lizzie, his evil plans go too far.

When a guy named Martin Nathaniel Munroe II texts you, it should be obvious who you're talking to. Except there's two of them (it's a long story), and Haley thinks she's talking to the one she doesn't hate. A question about a class project rapidly evolves into an all-consuming conversation. Haley finds that Martin is actually willing to listen to her weird facts and unusual obsessions, and Martin feels like Haley is the first person to really see who he is. Haley and Martin might be too awkward to hang out in real life, but over text, they're becoming addicted to each other.

Palmer Sinclair has never needed anyone’s help. A successful loan officer, she’s all work and no play. But when splitting headaches and blurred vision begin to affect her job, she begrudgingly sees a doctor and receives a diagnosis that leaves her shaken to her core and with little time left. Facing an uncertain future, Palmer makes a bucket list, determined to do the things she’d only dreamed of before she goes.

Wherever he goes, the Dreamseller enchants, stirs up trouble, and inspires his listeners to search for the most important thing: the heart of the human soul. Every person he meets is someone who has abandoned their dreams and is struggling through life: a professor who has stopped pursuing his passions; a lonely alcoholic with no family; the elderly who have lost their zest for life. Through his wisdom, the Dreamseller helps them to look into their silent hearts and get to the root of their unhappiness.

What has two eyes, a mouth, and wrinkly green skin? Mark's shrunken head! It's a present from his Aunt Benna. A gift from the jungle island of Baladora. And Mark can't wait to show the kids at school! But late one night the head starts to glow. Because it's actually no ordinary head. It gives Mark a strange power. A magical power. A dangerous power...

One night was all it took to shatter Olive Henderson's world. After a devastating fire at Dunbridge Academy, her life is left in ruins. Then Colin Fantino arrives. As their connection deepens, Olive begins to find hope again—hope for herself, for her future, and for the possibility of love. But Colin is keeping secrets, and when Olive discovers the real reason he was sent to Dunbridge, their fragile bond is put to the ultimate test.

When Victor finds himself getting tested for HIV for the first time, he can’t help but question his entire relationship with Henrique, the guy he has - had - been dating. See, Henrique didn’t disclose his positive HIV status to Victor until after they had sex, and Victor is livid. That’s when Victor meets Ian, a guy who’s also getting tested for HIV. But Ian’s test comes back positive. Though Victor is loath to think about Henrique, he offers to put the two of them in touch, hoping that perhaps Henrique can help Ian navigate his new life.

In this “crisp, engaging, and very smart” (The New York Times Book Review) work, The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book critic digs into books of the Trump era and finds that our response to this presidency often reflects the same polarization, contradictions, and resentments...

She was always ours. Ours to protect. Ours to love. Yet, we were forced to watch as she stepped into another's arms, completely out of reach. We didn't have any regrets in choosing to revive our father's deadly legacy… we knew what threat faced this family and how much danger Presley was in. Regardless of what our family thinks, it was worth it. She was worth it. We'd still burn down the entire world if it meant Presley was finally free of her burden. We'd made amends by allowing her to remain free of us in the process.

I was always told people grew roots where they were planted. But mine developed between the hearts of two brothers. For as long as I could remember, they were my protectors, living on the opposite end of the manor. It was when I turned eight that I realized the truth. The twins were never supposed to protect me. It was the other way around, and I would grow up to be the one who kept our family safe. As time went on, they were forced to watch while I was broken and reshaped into the weapon needed to break us free from the cage our family had been forced into.

In these tense, macabre stories, bodies fall from the sky, perfect nails conceal grisly secrets and violence pulses behind gleaming façades. From hellish visions to obsessive relationships, acclaimed author Agustina Bazterrica takes us to the dark heart of human desires and fears. Shocking, brutal, yet glinting with sharp humour, "Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird" is a breathtaking dive into human monstrousness from a master of contemporary horror.

“This debut has it all: music, books, aliens, adventure, resistance, queerness, and a bold heroine tying it all together. ”—Ms. Magazine Can a girl who risks her life for books and an Ilori who loves pop music work together to save humanity? When a rebel librarian meets an Ilori...

Five students meet in the school cafeteria when they're forced to complete their school community service hours. There's George: the brain. Sara: the loner. Dayara: the tough kid. Nico: the rich kid. And Miguel, the jock. They immediately know that they have nothing in common with each other... even though their school administration has decided that they all belong together.

When the Smithsonian’s Hall of Physical Anthropology opened in 1965 it featured 160 Andean skulls affixed to a wall to visualize how the world’s human population had exploded since the birth of Christ. Through a history of Inca mummies, a preHispanic surgery called trepanation, and Andean crania like these, Empires of the Dead explains how “ancient Peruvians” became the single largest population in the Smithsonian and many other museums in Peru, the Americas, and beyond.

Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a 16th-century Spanish convent, or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.

Nothing exciting happens on the Hill of Dust, in the remote mountains of Mexico in the 1950s. There's no electricity, no plumbing, no cars, just day after day of pasturing goats. And now, without his sister and mother, eleven-year-old Teo's life feels even more barren. And then one day, the mysterious young Esma, who calls herself the Gypsy Queen of Lightning, rolls into town like a fresh burst of color. Against all odds, her caravan's Mistress of Destiny predicts that Teo and Esma will be longtime friends. Suddenly, life brims with possibility.

Aunque se debate cuándo y dónde se originó exactamente la capoeira, una forma de arte que combina las artes marciales, la danza, las acrobacias, la música y la espiritualidad, una cosa es segura: a principios del siglo XX Brasil era el único país en el mundo en el que se jugaba a la capoeira, y era practicada principalmente por personas de ascendencia africana. En 1890, dos años después de que Brasil aboliera oficialmente la esclavitud, el juego fue prohibido.