Call me Ishtar

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Laini Taylor

**LIFE DOESN'T NEED MAGIC TO BE** *magical.* **(BUT A LITTLE BIT SURE DOESN'T HURT.** Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for her timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her "rabid fairy," her "voodoo eyes" are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to her crush, Mik, also known as Violin Boy, her courage deserts her. Now enough is enough! Zuzana is determined to seize the night, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It's a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter's night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him. *New York Times* bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor brings to life the funny, romantic, and magical first date of fan favorites Zuzana and Mik. Now in print for the first time, featuring breathtaking illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo, this companion tells the story of a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. A perfect love story for new and old fans alike! This description comes from the publisher. *Night of Cake & Puppets* is a novella that takes place during *Daughter of Smoke & Bone*, the first book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

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Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived. But it wasn't always like that. In fact, in the beginning, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the most put upon Viking you'd ever seen. Not loud enough to make himself heard at dinner with his father, Stoick the Vast; not hard enough to beat his chief rival, Snotlout, at Bashyball, the number one school sport and CERTAINLY not stupid enough to go into a cave full of dragons to find a pet... It's time for Hiccup to learn how to be a Hero.

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Brian DeLeeuw

Luke is six. He is a lonely child, but he has one friend, his best friend - Daniel - whom he met in the playground on the day his parents finalized their divorce. Only Luke can see Daniel. They play games together and Daniel watches over Luke; he is there when he first wakes up and there when he goes to sleep. Daniel's first memory is of Luke calling his name in the playground. Daniel is not an ordinary child. Luke's mother spends more and more time in her room, haunted by family memories. She takes Luke and Daniel from New York to a deserted beach town, as winter sets in. Daniel is changing. He feels faint, weightless. Luke seems forgetful of him. Time passes. Luke and Daniel have not seen each other for a long time. Until, one night, Daniel suddenly finds himself standing in Luke's bedroom, woken by the sound of breaking glass. He does not know how much time he has, but he knows how he can be saved. A frightening, gripping tale. This is one of the most fascinating and controlled first novels I've ever read - a sustained performance that hypnotizes and terrifies -- Edmund White. Original subversive, funny, twisted, and toatlly engrossing ... a mind-bending tour de force. I read the last page, flipped back to the beginning, and immediately started it again. -- Chelsea Cain. The relationship between Daniel and Luke is unique in the annals of literature. I haven't been this entertained by a debut novel in years -- Dale Peck.

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Laura Anne Gilman

Manhattan's night life just got weirder…It starts as a simple job — but simple jobs, when you're dealing with the magical world, often end up anything but.As a Retriever, Wren Valere specializes in finding things gone missing — and then bringing them back, no questions asked. Normally her job is stimulating, challenging and only a little bit dangerous. But every once in a while…Case in point: A cornerstone containing a spell is stolen and there's a magical complication. (Isn't there always?) Wren's unique abilities aren't enough to lay this particular case to rest, so she turns to some friends: a demon (minor), a mage who has lost his mind, and a few others, including Sergei, her business partner (and maybe a bit more?).Sometimes what a woman has to do to get the job done is enough to give even Wren nightmares….