romans, nouvelles, etc

Near-future London. It has become popular for folks to have a small implant that allows one access to a more robust social media experience-- Panopticon-- directly as an augmented reality. Moremi has the implant, and she can see inside the minds and dreams of others. When the British government plans to make the connection procedure compulsory, they promise Panopticon will end human suffering and usher in a perfect world. Orpheus, raised by a neo-Luddite father, questions everything. Orpheus and Moremi uncover the nefarious effects of the technology, but find themselves unable to agree on whether it should be destroyed or continued. -- adapted from back cover.

Brothers Frank and Joe Hardy and their elementary school friends help them track down what they hope is a treasure after they find a mysterious map.

"A modern tale of unexpectedly falling in love and finding your voice, Kiss the Girl is the highly anticipated third installment in the acclaimed and best-selling Meant to Be collection. Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters--together, known as the band Siren Seven--have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she's the girl who has everything. But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour, and Ariel can't wait to spend the summer just living a normal life--part of a world she's only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show. The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It's there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father--and goes with him. Caught between the world she longs for and the one she's left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love, and, somehow, find her own voice?"--.

"Benny Catspaw's perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fianc?e, and his favorite chair. He's not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn't know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he's never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time. How strange - though it's a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what's inside the crate. He's a seven-foot-tall self-described "bad weather friend" named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He'll find Benny's enemies. He'll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn't such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation. In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him."--.

"Margaret Murphy is a weaver of fantastic tales, growing up in a world where the truth is too much for one little girl to endure. Her first memory is of the day her friend Agnes died. No one blames Margaret. Not in so many words. Her mother insists to everyone who will listen that her daughter never even left the house that day. Left alone to make sense of tragedy, Margaret wills herself to forget these unbearable memories, replacing them with imagined stories full of faith and magic--that always end happily. Enter Poor Deer: a strange and formidable creature who winds her way uninvited into Margaret's made-up tales. Poor Deer will not rest until Margaret faces the truth about her past and atones for her role in Agnes's death." --.

Julia Rimini has got a great job as a psychologist and when she met her fiance Marc seven years ago, she knew he was The One. But when Julia's father dies suddenly, her whole world begins to unravel. Marc turns distant and cold, leaving Julia to navigate her grief alone. Then she loses her grandmother, her beloved 'Maminou', too. Sleeping on her best friend's sofa and leafing through endless self-help books, Julia's not exactly where she hoped she'd be at thirty-two. Something has to give. She has to get out of Paris - and fast. Then, a lifeline. Julia accepts a job in a retirement home in Biarritz - her home town. She'll tell no one she's there, not even her mother or sister, despite them now being just round the corner. It's the best establishment in the area, boasting ocean views, sun-drenched days and Basque country living. It will be her refuge. Except Julia isn't the biggest fan of old people. Little does Julia know that this place is home to far more than just stooped backs, pureed vegetables and incontinence pants. Behind its double doors lie broken hearts, lifelong secrets, a budding romance or two and an unflinching zest for life. And Raphael, the grandson of the newest resident, isn't looking all bad, either ...