Charlie Thurston

On a surprisingly snowy day in Texas, a young student finds himself braving recess alone…that is, until he spots a new face sitting on the school's Buddy Bench. After a quick introduction, the two spend their recess discovering fun ways to enjoy the snow. By the end of recess, both kids leave the playground with a brand new friend. This sweet story of friendship brings the Buddy Bench's purpose to life.About Buddy Benches: The Buddy or Friendship...

The teenage son of an Appalachian single mother who dies when he is eleven uses his good looks, wit, and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival....

Seventeen-year-old Jazz learned all about being a serial killer from his notorious "Dear Old Dad," but believes he has a conscience that will help fight his own urges and right some of his father's wrongs, so he secretly helps the police apprehend the town's newest murderer, "The Impressionist."

"Following the car accident that ended his football career and left his body scarred, 22-year-old Luke Griffin joins the cast of Endeavor, a new competition-based reality show that pits the tabloids' darlings against one another in tasks of endurance and problem solving. At first, he thrives, effortlessly forming friendships and even a romantic relationship that he thinks will last a lifetime. But Luke has aspirations far bigger than the show's million-dollar...

"Conor O'Toole has never in his life been in a place as casually glamorous as this New England community, a gated world its residents fondly call "The Neck." He's taken a summer job here as a tennis instructor, living in a guest cottage in exchange for lessons and a chance to study for the bar exam, far away from the stress of the tiny Yonkers apartment he usually shares with his diabetic mother. But, grateful as he is for the blissful beauty of the...

"A brilliant debut memoir about a young writer--struggling with depression, family issues, and addiction--and his life-changing decade working for Joan Didion"-- Provided by publisher. As an aspiring novelist in his early twenties, Cory Leadbeater was presented with an opportunity to work for a well-known writer whose identity was kept confidential. Since the tumultuous days of childhood, Cory had sought refuge from the rougher parts of life in the...

"The author of the New York Times bestseller Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep returns with a lively history of the Academy Awards, chronicling the brutal battles, the starry rivalries, and the colorful behind-the-scenes drama."-- From dust jacket flap. "America does not have royalty. It has the Academy Awards. For nine decades, perfectly coiffed starlets, debonair leading men, and producers with gold in their eyes have chased the elusive Oscar. What...

After solving a deadly case in the small town of Lobo's Nod, seventeen-year-old Jazz, the son of history's most infamous serial murderer, travels to New York City to help the police track down the Hat-Dog Killer.

"A queer coming-of-age told with magical realism, Boys of Alabama guides us through 16-year-old Max's first year in America. Conflicted about leaving Germany, Max is in awe of his new 'home' - here, the heat is thick, the food is grossly delicious, and football and religion--seemingly intertwined--permeate everything. While his parents don't know what to make of an American South pining for the 'good ol' days', or the people who live there, shy Max...

"In Renfield County, a cursed madness grips the residents after Lawrence Renfield's massacre, with bloodstained wood repurposed into everyday items unleashing terrifying consequences; through interconnected tales, a young girl uncovers family secrets, a widower connects with his deceased wife, and a father faces haunting monsters in a dizzying maze"-- Provided by publisher.