Name that book?

[crich70]

Does anyone here remember the name and author of a book that was offered free last year? I think it was around Nov. and it was a collection of his writing about writing. He is an older man as I recall. I had to replace my Kindle Keyboard recently and though I am pretty sure I have the book saved for reloading I can't recall it's name. He offered it free for about a month as I remember it.
edit: Never mind I found it. A worker's write book by Jack Matthews. I had trouble finding it among the copies of the books from my old Kindle that I saved to my netbook's hard drive. If I hadn't had it saved it'd only have cost me $2.99 to buy a copy so at least I wouldn't be out that much money to replace it.

[Rizla]

I read a book over ten years ago in the UK. I think it was called 'Stella.' I thought it was by Ed Mcbain. It is a noir crime thriller about an intellectually / emotionally challenged hit-man who at one point goes undercover to work with a neo-nazi group. I remember that when he is about kill someone, black dots appeared on the body area he would strike. It is set in the USA. The title Stella came from a woman that the main character loves, and who dies of cancer at the end.

I thought it was called Stella and by Ed Mcbain but I can't find the book anywhere. Does anybody know what it is? I'm at a total loss and would very much like to read it again. I suspect now that I have the title wrong, or that it was a UK only title. I got the impression the writer was American.

[Andy_T]

No, it was "Shella" by Andrew Vachss: http://www.amazon.com/Shella-ebook/d...7002435&sr=8-2

Also check out his "Burke" novels about a criminal with a "soft spot" for victims of sexual abuse. What is interesting about Vachss is that he is working as a lawyer specializing in helping abuse victims.

Best regards,
Andy

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Andy_T

No, it was "Shella" by Andrew Vachss: http://www.amazon.com/Shella-ebook/d...7002435&sr=8-2

Also check out his "Burke" novels about a criminal with a "soft spot" for victims of sexual abuse. What is interesting about Vachss is that he is working as a lawyer specializing in helping abuse victims.

Best regards,
Andy

You, sir, are my hero

[eskimo49]

I've been trying to remember the titles of a series of books which I read in the 1960's.

It was about a group of children (weren't they all in those days), who lived on an island (don't think it was all year round), and had a number of adventures. I think the island was in the middle of the River Thames, near London, but they had the right to produce there own postage stamps. One of the children ( I think the youngest) was nicknamed 'Gunner's Mate' and could make explosives using a mixture of saltpetre and sugar, which came in handy for some of their adventures. They also had a motor launch which I think may have been called 'The Cormorant'.

I can't remember any more about the books.

[carpetmojo]

Try :
The Islanders' Strange Holiday
By Gaye Knowles

[eskimo49]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

Try :
The Islanders' Strange Holiday
By Gaye Knowles

Thanks for that, but I don't think that is the book series that I am looking for.

[BenG]

There's Swallows and Amazons but I don't think that takes place near London.

[artifact]

I'm looking for the title and author a SciFi book which has been bugging me for decades that I think went to paperback in the mid '80s. I barely remember the gist of the story, or even if it was a good book, but its tied up in my memories of Herbert's Lazarus Effect (I keep thinking its set on a planet named Pandora) so it might also be an 'H' Author as I was systematically going through the library's paperback SciFi section at that time.

The plot has something to do with giant iguana-like lizards who make spiral patterns. I think they were a menace being eradicated by planetary colonists but at the end of the book the final scene is something like the lizards and their human partners are being welcomed into the galactic federation. I know, not much to go on :P.

[akbkm460]

I'm looking for a book I read a long time ago. It starts out with a rich infertile couple who wants a surrogate. The surrogate is a mother of 4 or 5 kids who likes being pregnant. She is beautiful with blonde hair.. and very old fashioned. The oldest daughter is named Amy. She gives birth to the baby and I think the couple names her Danielle. The surrogate's family is killed when their van goes over a cliff into water (Amy ends up turning up later) The surrogate snaps and goes to find her baby she gave up and does find her. The couple lets her live there until they check legal issues. The surrogate had gone crazy after her family died and she thinks the rich couple spoiled her baby and made her bad. She tries to kill her in the end. I thought it was something like Hush little baby but I have googled that name and looked on amazon and can't find anything like it. I think I read it in the late 80's.

[eskimo49]

Originally Posted by BenG

There's Swallows and Amazons but I don't think that takes place near London.

thanks but Swallows and Amazons takes place in the Lake District in Cumbria England.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by akbkm460

I'm looking for a book I read a long time ago. It starts out with a rich infertile couple who wants a surrogate. The surrogate is a mother of 4 or 5 kids who likes being pregnant. She is beautiful with blonde hair.. and very old fashioned. The oldest daughter is named Amy. She gives birth to the baby and I think the couple names her Danielle. The surrogate's family is killed when their van goes over a cliff into water (Amy ends up turning up later) The surrogate snaps and goes to find her baby she gave up and does find her. The couple lets her live there until they check legal issues. The surrogate had gone crazy after her family died and she thinks the rich couple spoiled her baby and made her bad. She tries to kill her in the end. I thought it was something like Hush little baby but I have googled that name and looked on amazon and can't find anything like it. I think I read it in the late 80's.

Whew! I don't recognize it, but that sounds like Some Book. I'll steer clear of it, when somebody remembers the name.

[alanHd]

Hi, this is a long shot book i'm looking for a Sci fi book i read back in the 80's. the main thing i can remember is that they had space suits/ crafts which were like coffins but from which all appendages could open up reminding me of a stick insect. the suits were like mini battleships.
sorry for the lack of info but you never know. cheers alan

[orlok]

Sounds like something by Heinlein, but it's a long time ago that I read any of his stuff...

[crich70]

I'm thinking of an old Science Fiction that I read when I was young and wondering if it sounds familiar to anyone here. This young boy runs away from home and has a robot companion along for the trip. The robot can only see in black and white at first but then a friendly space captain that they encounter gives the robot a different type of tube in one of its circuits and the robot can then see in color. Pretty much all I can recall of the story at the moment. Not even sure if it's a novel or just a long short story. Does it sound familiar to anyone here?