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.

Haunted by the trauma of a high school classmate’s unsolved murder, Mairead Muller sets off on an art scholarship to rural midwestern Thelemite College in the fall of 1985. There, she finds herself bound to the whims of her unscrupulous benefactress as she is forced to create a new version of each card in the tarot. Little did she know that her years at Thelemite would bind her to an evil greater than anything her imagination could conjure. Was her star-crossed fate a result of dabbling in the darker side of the occult as a child...curses, sigils, fortune-telling, and communications with ...

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...

Florida Man strikes again — and again — and again! From flying alligators to sword fights at laundromats, this outrageous collection brings you 25 unbelievable short stories inspired by real headlines. Dive into a world where the bizarre is everyday news, and chaos lurks around every corner. Logan Carter’s hilarious, jaw-dropping tales capture the spirit of Florida's most infamous characters, blending truth, madness, and a whole lot of gator. Buckle up. It’s going to be a wild ride. Florida Man strikes again — and again — and again! From flying alligators to sword fights at ...

“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...

Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her family and its secrets.

Popular author Dan Gutman has won countless fans with a trademark brand of humor that young readers find irresistible. In this second entry from the My Weird School series, second-grader A.J. gets sent to the office for not doing his homework. But things take an unexpected turn when Mr. Klutz, the skateboarding principal, gives A.J. a candy bar for encouragement.

Disaster reigns when A.J. participates in the school's holiday pageant celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

Something weird is going on! A.J. and his friends are afraid that Ms. Todd, their substitute teacher, has killed their regular teacher and is trying to take over her job. They’re going to have to do the detective work to get the goods on her. But it won’t be easy! Ms. Todd is the weirdest substitute teacher in the history of the world!

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. Hundreds of years after the first waves of the bubonic plague swept...

Award-winning author Dan Gutman delivers the fourth amusing tale from his popular My Weird School series. Even for an art teacher, Ms. Hannah is pretty strange. She wears dresses made out of potholders and collects garbage instead of throwing it out—so her students can use it in their artwork. And now, she’s making A.J. be partners with smelly Andrea. This is going to be the worst art class ever!

What if the key to surviving the chaos of modern life isn't what you know—but what you weirdly know? 1000 Ideas: Weird Life Skills is your essential guide to the strange, specific, and surprisingly useful tricks that most people overlook. From opening a stuck jar with science to navigating social awkwardness like a pro, this book is packed with clever, quirky, and totally practical skills for everyday emergencies and oddball situations. Whether you're defusing tension with a joke, escaping a party without being noticed, or using duct tape to fix way more than you should, these unusual ...

Forget Thanksgiving. The biggest turkey of all is running around Ella Mentry School - Dr. Carbles, the president of the school board. He is grumpier than ever and wants to fire Mr. Klutz. Will A.J. and his friends be able to save their principals job?

Regina Hartley has had enough. The demands of life have taken a toll on her and, no longer feeling equipped to endure the strain, she decides to end it all in watery surrender. But instead of drowning to death, she finds herself being revived on shore by a concerned, handsome stranger. After saving her, the stranger refuses to leave her alone. Regina realizes she doesn’t mind his attention and finds herself more interested in what else life has to offer overall. But after saving her spirit, will the handsome stranger eventually disappear? Gabriel finds himself in the right place at the ...

Mia knows her family is very different than her best friend's. In the 1980s, the coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert is booming. There is plenty of sockeye salmon in the nearby ocean, which means the fishermen are happy and there is plenty of work at the cannery. Eleven-year-old Mia and her best friend, Lara, have known each other since kindergarten. Like most tweens, they like to hang out and compare notes on their crushes and dream about their futures. But even though they both live in the same cul-de-sac, Mia’s life is very different from her non-Indigenous, middle-class neighbor.

This is a peek into various corners of my attic. The memories are piled up in heaps. Have a rummage through.

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 ...

Briarcliff Mansion and the land it occupies are owned by Emory University, which refers to it as its "Briarcliff Campus." Fortune and Folly, in part, illuminates the largely lost story of how the mansion, and the entire surrounding neighborhood, got its name. But in order to understand the mansion, we have to understand the man who built it. Briarcliff Mansion once belonged to a man named Asa Candler, Jr.—also known as Buddie. The second son and namesake of Coca-Cola founder Asa Griggs Candler, Buddie was a wealthy real estate developer of great successes and greater failures.

Miss Small, the gym teacher, is teaching A.J., Andrea, and the gang to juggle scarves, balance feathers, and do the Chicken Dance! Is this any way to stay in shape? Whatever happened to good old dodgeball? In fact, all the grown-ups at A.J.'s school seem to have something wrong with them. What's going on here? What are A.J. and the kids in his class going to do? They've got to convince Miss Small to act her age before the end of the year! Never before has school been this mixed up -- or this much fun.