Adult

A contemporary of Ann Beattie and Tobias Wolff, Frederick Busch was a master craftsman of the form; his subjects were single-event moments in so-called ordinary life. The stories in this volume, selected by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout, are tales of families trying to heal their wounds, save their marriages, and rescue their children.

SECRETS OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR is the compelling chronicle of the warrior monks and their fight to defend the Catholic faith, and of their participation in the efforts to vie for control of the Holy Land with the Muslim armies of Kurdish military genius Saladin and his successors. Informally organized in 1119 to protect pilgrims on their journeys to visit the Holy Land, and officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church in 1129, the medieval Knights Templar grew into an elite fighting force that played a central role in the battles of the Crusades.

Piper Prescott's grand opening of her own spice shop goes awry when the local chef who has agreed to do a cooking demo is found stabbed. Not only did Piper find the body, she handled the murder weapon and doesn't have a witness to her alibi. Desperate to uncover the truth --- and prove her innocence --- Piper enlists the help of her outspoken BFF Reba Mae Johnson to help track down the real culprit.

Ouyang Jidan, a senior member of China's Politburo, and a major Mexican drug lord may be trafficking in something far more deadly than drugs. Jidan is the man who ordered Rebeka --- one of the only people Jason Bourne has ever truly cared about --- murdered. Bourne is determined to avenge her death, but in the process he becomes enmeshed in a monstrous world-wide scheme involving the Chinese, Mexicans and Russians.

Sepp Gregory, a reality-TV hunk and one of People magazine's "sexiest men alive," is on tour to promote his debut novel. The book has hit the bestseller list and is even getting rave reviews from serious critics. Aside from Harriet Post, that is. Determined to pen an expose on the publishing industry, Harriet hijacks the book tour and uncovers the ghostwriter. Reality and "reality" collide, and a tragic accident sends Sepp and Harriet off on a sex-fueled roadtrip through the southwest.

A young, recently separated waitress at H & P’s Diner in sleepy southwestern Virginia, Daisy hears more than her fair share of neighborhood gossip while serving plates of hash and peach cobbler. But when a reclusive old man shows up at the diner one day, only to drop dead a few minutes later, Daisy quickly learns that some secrets are more dangerous to keep than others --- especially when there are money and moonshine involved.

Jude Asher first called on outside forces to change his destiny as a child. Now a wealthy entrepreneur with his star soaring, he's prepared to make his most daring bet ever to reach the pinnacle of earthly power. Jude's twin brother, Thomas, has chosen a different path as a reporter for The New York Times. As much as he's tried to cut himself off from his brother's trajectory, he finds himself drawn back in...and troubled by the secret that only he knows.

As a boy, Melchior is fascinated by stars but has rigid obligations to apprentice with his rug-making father. When his life is radically changed, he is propelled onto a new path full of danger and glory in pursuit of a special star. The journey leads Melchior to reflect on life and death, dreams and duty, and to find unusual reconciliation within his family and with the God he never knew he sought.

Lily Winter's wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when an empty nest arrives, she feels she can no longer fly. But Lily's lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her --- a woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she'd been hiding for decades --- Lily has an identical twin sister who was put up for adoption when they were just babies.

Every year, the story of Christmas is told and retold, but sometimes the very familiarity of holiday traditions causes us to overlook the vital expressions of this meaningful season. ON THIS HOLY NIGHT breathes new life into several aspects of the Christmas story through the voices of six beloved Christian communicators: Max Lucado, Rick Warren, David Jeremiah, John Maxwell, Jack Hayford and Bill Hybels.