Weird Life

In recent years, scientists have hypothesized life-forms that can only be called "weird": organisms that live off acid rather than water, microbes that thrive at temperatures and pressure levels so extreme that their cellular structures should break down, perhaps even organisms that reproduce without DNA. Some of these strange life-forms, unrelated to all life we know, might be nearby: on rock surfaces in the American southwest, hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, or even in our own bodies. Some, stranger still, might live in Martian permafrost, swim in the dark oceans of Jupiter's moons, or survive in the exotic ices on comets.

Things take a depressing turn at Deadeye Manor after the shocking return of Mr. Weirdie and the Enchantress. Barnacle Melancholy and Garlic are put to the treacherous task of finding a lost family fortune buried somewhere within the manor, only to awaken some vengeful spirits with a diabolical plan all their own. Meanwhile, Miss Emily has decided that disguising her sunny personality as a wretched criminal is the best way to rescue the triplets, only to find herself in a high-stakes roller-boogie contest with her most loathsome enemy. Listen at your own risk, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Could you have survived a single Tuesday in 1850? No toothpaste. No tampons. No antibiotics. No hot showers. No birth control, no aspirin, no anesthesia, no ice in July. Your neighbor is coughing blood, your baby has a fever, and the only thing in the medicine cabinet is a jar of leeches and a bottle of whiskey. Welcome to the good old days. "You Wouldn't Have Lasted a Week" is a laugh-out-loud, wince-out-loud, occasionally jaw-dropping tour of everything your great-great-grandparents lived through — and the astonishingly clever (and sometimes revolting) ways they got by. It's the history...

Ancient Egypt was magnificent, mysterious, highly organized, and occasionally completely ridiculous. For more than three thousand years, pharaohs ruled beside the Nile, priests served gods with animal heads, embalmers prepared the dead for eternity, workers built monuments that still leave engineers arguing, and scribes carefully recorded everything from royal victories to complaints about missing wages. Strange But True: The Weird History of Ancient Egypt explores the strange, funny, fascinating, and sometimes unbelievable stories hiding behind the pyramids. Discover how Hatshepsut became ...

He died believing his own name would be forgotten within a generation. Today it sits on the same shelf as Melville, Hawthorne, and Twain. Howard Phillips Lovecraft spent forty-six years convinced he had accomplished nothing of lasting value. He died nearly penniless in a Providence hospital ward, known to a few thousand readers of pulp magazines nobody expected to outlive the decade. He had no idea that the god he invented in a cheap magazine story would one day be recognized by people who had never read a word he wrote, or that writers, filmmakers, and game designers would spend the next ...

Ancient Rome gave the world magnificent roads, powerful laws, soaring aqueducts—and emperors who argued with the sea, gladiators who became celebrities, sacred chickens employed as military advisers, and public toilets where privacy apparently went to die. In Strange But True: The Weird History of Ancient Rome, the polished marble is pushed aside to reveal the noisy, crowded, funny, brutal, and frequently ridiculous civilization underneath. Meet abandoned twins raised by a she-wolf, rulers who turned government into personal theater, chariot racers who earned fortunes, doctors who ...

Bloomsbury presents Agnes Lives written and read by Hallie Elizabeth Newton "An astonishing debut as mesmerizing as it is unnerving." --Joyce Carol Oates A day-in-the-life debut novel about a fading socialite on the hunt for someone to kill her before her next SoulCycle class. "A tale of...

Life won’t always be calm — but you can be. In a world that pulls you in every direction, Stoicism: The Art of Becoming Unshakeable offers a grounded, modern path back to clarity, resilience, and inner peace. Rooted in ancient Stoic wisdom and written with a warm, contemporary voice, this book shows you how to stay steady when life becomes chaotic, how to respond instead of react, and how to build a life guided by purpose rather than pressure. You’ll learn that becoming unshakeable isn’t about being emotionless or detached — it’s about becoming rooted, present, and deeply ...

“Steve Hudgins is a Horror Meister to reckon with!” VICTOR MILLER – Writer of Friday the 13th If you like quick reads, this is the author for you! Steve Hudgins uses a screenplay/novel hybrid writing style that keeps the descriptive portions of the story brief, allowing the narrative to push forward at an extremely fast pace. IT LIVES IN THE ATTIC A true jigsaw puzzle of horror that comes together before your eyes! On the isolated outskirts of a quaint, charming town, there is a long, lonely gravel driveway. At the end of the driveway stands an ancient, mansard roofed Victorian...

In the next novel in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series by New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, the team faces new and old enemies alike as a bioengineered version of The Black Death surfaces. This program is read by award-winning narrator Ray Porter. Hundreds of...

Britain helped power an industrial revolution with boats that could be overtaken by a determined pensioner. Welcome to the wonderfully peculiar world of narrowboats, where the engine once ate hay, express delivery involved cheese, and getting through a tunnel could mean lying down and walking along the walls. Apparently, somebody considered this a perfectly reasonable working arrangement. Today, narrowboats promise peaceful countryside, pretty bridges, and the pleasure of taking your kitchen somewhere else. Behind that gentle image lies a much stranger history of crowded cabins, fierce ...

Discover the power of being a hot mess with these heartbreaking and hilarious stories of how God uses each "mess" in our lives to bring us closer to Him–showing readers that it's okay to celebrate exactly where they are right now. A lot of people struggle with the concept of being holy. But...

What if the skills you need to survive a zombie apocalypse are the same skills you need to survive middle school? When a zombie outbreak turns Westfield Middle School upside down, thirteen-year-old Max Ramirez discovers that the real challenges aren't always the monsters outside. They're the bullies who make you doubt yourself. The mistakes that make you want to quit. The friendships that get complicated. The fear of being different. With the help of his fearless friends, a surprisingly wise teacher, a former bully, and one extremely chaotic squirrel, Max learns that courage isn't about ...

Most problems can be solved with patience. The rest require a perfectly timed cup of tea and a very stubborn gardener. At sixty-four, former mortician Mary has settled into a peaceful routine on a terraformed colony: pruning her roses and keeping a watchful eye on her neighbor. Boris grows impeccable daffodils and possesses a terrifyingly calm demeanor. Mary is fairly certain he's a retired hitman. Boris has never confirmed this. He has also never denied it. Their quiet cul-de-sac gets a jolt of energy when a clueless neighbor agrees to host an intergalactic exchange student. Twelve-year-...

Cats have spent thousands of years pretending they need us. They began as wild hunters stalking mice around ancient grain stores, then somehow worked their way into Egyptian temples, medieval witch trials, sailing ships, royal households, government offices, railway stations, internet fame, and eventually the warmest chair in your house. STRANGE BUT TRUE: THE WEIRD HISTORY OF CATS follows the bizarre, funny, and surprisingly complicated story of how one small predator managed to become sacred, suspicious, fashionable, famous, scientifically fascinating, and completely impossible to ignore. ...

Are you ready to step into the wonderfully strange and enchanting world of Japan? This book is your ultimate guide to uncovering the hidden, bizarre, and fascinating facts about Japan’s rich culture, quirky history, and unique everyday life. From the bustling streets of Tokyo to the serene temples of Kyoto, 100 Weird Fun Facts About Japan will take you on an unforgettable journey through a country where the unusual is celebrated, and the beautiful is often unexpected! Packed with fun facts, eye-opening insights, and delightful surprises, this book explores the weird, wonderful, and ...

Are You Ready to Dive Into the Amazing World of Axolotls? 100 Fun Facts About Axolotls: Discover the Cute, Smiling, and Amazing Salamanders of the Water takes you on an unforgettable underwater adventure into the fascinating world of one of nature's most unique creatures. From their feathery gills and permanent smiles to their incredible ability to regrow body parts, this exciting book is packed with astonishing discoveries that will amaze kids, teens, and animal lovers of all ages. Whether you're a curious young explorer, a budding scientist, a wildlife enthusiast, or simply someone who ...

Gwenda Merriford keeps to her quiet rhythm in Little Bramble: brewing gentle potions, minding her tiny shop, and sharing easy greetings with neighbors while her ginger cat, Mimsy, trails after her with the sort of dignified supervision only a long-lived feline can manage. Life here is slow, fragrant with herbs, and beautifully content. But the village has been peaceful for quite a while—perhaps too peaceful. Because just as the hedgerows bloom and the honey thickens, an unexpected little visitor arrives with a rather determined purpose… and suddenly the hush of Little Bramble begins to ...

From split-gill mushrooms to duck-billed platypuses, the spectacular science of sexual reproduction and creation of biodiversity on Earth. Let’s talk about sex. Not boring, human sex, but the endlessly fascinating, varied, and complex forms of reproduction in the rest of the natural world...

Emma Mcgraw is slowly making friends at her new school. but when Cynthia calls her weird, Emma is shocked. They are supposed to be best friends! in response, Emma decides that Cynthia’s new name should be bossy pants, and she tells everyone in the class.