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類別：青少年小說 (agent
: Jochilee)
MY UNWILLING WITCH GOES TO BALLET SCHOOL
(# 1 of the The Rumblewick Diaries
Series)
《我的主人要上芭蕾舞學校！》 ( 咕噥貓日記系列之一 )
-by Hiawyn Oram
雪碧叔叔可憐我身陷這個麻煩之中，於是給我這本日記，他說：「咕噥，當你不知如何是好的時候，不妨先把它寫下來吧！」所以，我現在就把我的困擾寫下：「我的小女巫主人似乎不想變成一個正牌女巫！」
咕噥是隻受過正規魔法學校訓練的魔法貓，牠的職責便是好好輔佐牠的小女巫主人 ─ 海姬 • 愛姬 ─ 成為一名得體合宜的正規女巫。只是在這一陣子的觀察下，海姬 • 愛姬似乎不願意念咒、不願意騎上掃帚，甚至極力反對嚇唬人類小孩 ─ 這種魔法界的小小樂趣。最近咕噥更發現，牠的小主人在連續五十一次播放一卷人類的芭蕾舞錄影帶後，竟然穿上了那可笑滑稽的蓬蓬裙，嚷著要上呆瓜人類的芭蕾舞學校！這可怎麼辦才好？再不阻止海姬 • 愛姬，咕噥可是會被大人們抓起來火烤到毛都捲起來啊！
一名一心嚮往成為人類的小女巫，一隻焦慮的魔法貓，知名童書作者 Hiawyn Oram 再度為孩子創造了一個充滿幻想與笑聲的綺麗世界。以這兩名角色延伸出的系列 ，包含了數本繪本創作與八本小說系列，這同時也是英國 Orchard Books 出版社即將強打的重點系列。《我的主人要上芭蕾舞學校！》是八本小說系列的第一彈！
Summary
Having watched a video of “ Swan Lake ” 51 times, Haggy Aggy decides to
become a ballerina. She gets into Other Side Ballet School with the help of
a little magic and a lot of wheedling. Unfortunately, the High Hag trixie
Fiddlestick spots her through a window pirouetting with a human boy and
points the finger at RB. To save himself from being hung over a hot
cauldron till his fur curls, he claims she's not there to become a dancer …… she's there to sharpen her
child-scaring techniques. So now all he has to do is PROVE IT.
作者 About the Author
Hiawyn Oram has been writing children's books for more than 20 years, with
more than 60 books published to date, including picture books, poetry,
plays, young fiction, story collections, and the book and lyrics for two
musicals. Her children's television work includes scripts, conception, and
development of several series. She has been the recipient of many prizes
and awards for her work, including being shortlisted for the UK Smarties
Prize for her book, The Second Princess
. She is also the author of Angry
Arthur , Just Like Us ,
A Boy Wants a Dinosaur , Just Dog , and the film Big Cat, Little Cat .
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類別： 小說 / 文學 (agent
: Mingming)
THE GIRLS
女孩們
-By Lori
Lansens
Format: 精裝
, 352 頁 , 2006 年 5 月出版
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本書甫出版 , 即得到各方矚目 , 佳評如潮 . 《精靈之屋》及《春膳》 作者伊莎貝拉 • 阿言得（ Isabel Allende ）特別推薦 :
"I promise: you will never
forget this extraordinary story. Love, connection, loyalty, raw humanity
and much more are the ingredients of this most unusual novel. Lori
Lansens's blend of tragedy and comedy will touch you deeply.
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容我介紹 Rose and Ruby 和您認識 , 她們是姊妹 , 知己密友 … 和連體嬰 .
從生命之始 , Rose 和 Ruby Darlen 就被簡稱為 " 女孩們 ". 她們交朋友 , 談戀愛 , 找工作 , , 愛她們的養父母 ( 兩人出生時即被受驚嚇的未成年母親?棄
), 和追尋夢想 . 但 Darlens 姊妹是特別的 . 迎接 30 歲生日的她們 , 是歷史上活存最久的 頭部相連的連體嬰 .
在兩人第三十個生日的前夕 , Rose 決心寫她的自傳 . 但因為兩人在生活上是如此密不可分 , Ruby 堅持貢獻一些章節 . 然後 Rose 在她的個人電腦打字 , Ruby 則隨性書寫於 黃色便箋簿 . 兩人為其寫作大業建立了一個規則 : 任何一方都不被允許閱讀另一伴的寫作內容 . 兩人一起述說著全世界最年長的頭部連結連體嬰的故事 – 文學性的 Rose 和直言的 Ruby, 兩人對同一件事卻有著截然不同的認知 . 除了兩人的極端健康狀況 , 兩人披露讀者需自我辨認的情感真相 : 失去親人 , 難忘的妥協過程 , 原始的性慾 , 放棄的痛苦 , 和愛的卓越的力量。
作者對枝微細節的描述是如此詳細 , 讀者常忘了這是一本小說 , 並非建立在真人實事 .
Summary
We've
been called many things: freaks, horrors, monsters, devils, witches,
retards, wonders, marvels. To most, we're a curiosity. In small-town
Leaford, where we live and work, we're just ‘The Girls.'”
Rose and Ruby Darlen are closer than most twin sisters. Indeed, they have
spent their twenty-nine years on earth joined at the head. Given that they
share a web of essential veins, there is no possibility that they can be
separated in their lifetime.
Born in a small town in the midst of a tornado, the sisters are abandoned
by their frightened teenaged mother and create a circus-like stir in the
medical community. The attending nurse, however, sees their true beauty and
decides to adopt them. Aunt Lovey is a warm-hearted, no-nonsense woman
married to a gentle immigrant butcher, Uncle Stash. The middle-aged couple
moves to a farm where the girls – “not hidden but unseen” – can live as normal a
life as possible.
For identical twins, Rose and Ruby are remarkably different both on the
inside and out. Ruby has a beautiful face whereas Rose's features are, in
her own words, “misshapen and frankly
grotesque.” And whereas Rose's
body is fully formed, Ruby's bottom half is dwarfish – with her tiny thighs resting on
Rose's hip, she must be carried around like a small child or doll. The
differences in their tastes are no less distinct. A poet and avid reader,
Rose is also huge sports fan. Ruby, on the other hand, would sooner watch
television than crack open a book –
that is, anything but sports. They are rarely ready for bed at the same
time and whereas Rose loves spicy food, Ruby has a “disturbing fondness for eggs.”
On the eve of their thirtieth birthday, Rose sets out to write her
autobiography. But because their lives have been so closely shared, Ruby
insists on contributing the occasional chapter. And so, as Rose types away
on her laptop, the technophobic Ruby scribbles longhand on a yellow legal
pad. They've established one rule for their co-writing venture: neither is
allowed to see what the other has written. Together, they tell the story of
their lives as the world's oldest surviving craniopagus twins – the literary Rose and
straight-talking Ruby often seeing the same event in wildly different ways.
Despite their extreme medical condition, the sisters express emotional
truths that every reader will identify with: on losing a loved one, the
hard lessons of compromise, the first stirrings of sexual desire, the pain
of abandonment, and the transcendent power of love.
Rose and Ruby Darlen of Baldoon County, Ontario, are two of the most
extraordinary and unforgettable characters to spring into our literature.
As Kirkus Reviews puts it, “The novel's power lies in the
wonderful narrative voices of Rose and Ruby. Lansens has created a richly
nuanced, totally believable sibling relationship... An unsentimental,
heartwarming page-turner.” The National Post writes: “Lansens's beautiful writing is
so detailed that it is often easy to forget that the material is not based
on a true story. She captures what it would be like never to sleep, bathe,
go for a walk, or meet friends on your own.”
作者 About the Author
Lori Lansens has
written several films and is the author of the novel Rush Home Road . This
is her second book. She was born and raised in Chatham
, Ontario , and is now a screenwriter
living in Toronto
with her husband and child. Rush Home
Road , her first novel, has been the subject of major
international activity, and has already sold in 11 territories, including
the US , the UK , France , Italy , Sweden , Holland , Denmark , Germany ,
Greece and Spain .
國外書評
"Lansens
overcomes the ‘ick' factor in this
surprisingly moving story... The novel's power lies in the wonderful
narrative voices of Rose and Ruby. Lansens has created a richly nuanced,
totally believable sibling relationship... An unsentimental, heartwarming
page-turner. Quite an achievement."
–Starred Kirkus Review
"It is the true test of a writer's mettle to create a convincing
narrator, and Lori Lansens has done it not once but twice in her remarkable
novel about conjoined twins. The two fascinating protagonists of “The Girls” live their lives together in
every way, and yet nevertheless emerge with beliefs and desires all their
own, and with distinct outlooks on their difficult circumstances. Lori
Lansens is clearly a novelist with a very delicate touch."
–Arthur Golden, author
of Memoirs of a Geisha
“ The Girls , the
year's best book to come out of Canada , possibly the world. There's deep
craft at work here. The Girls communicates
astute insights into the art of the memoir and tackles plot development
that would sink most other writers. Lansens navigates them effortlessly.
Awesome.”
– NOW magazine
"I promise: you will never forget this extraordinary story. Love,
connection, loyalty, raw humanity and much more are the ingredients of this
most unusual novel. Lori Lansens's blend of tragedy and comedy will touch
you deeply.
–Isabel Allende
“A stunner…immensely exciting…a tribute to the
extraordinariness of human consciousness…laced
with delightful comic moments…not
just a sophisticated literary accomplishment but a darned good read.”
– Toronto Star
“Extraordinary…a masterful and sophisticated
duet…a multidimensional
vision of the sisters' lives.”
– Time Magazine
“A compelling read (I
devoured it in one sitting)…Lansens' beautiful
writing is so detailed that it is often easy to forget that the material is
not based on a true story. She captures what it would be like never to
sleep, bathe, go for a walk or meet friends on your own.”
– The National Post
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類別： 非文學，軍事，歷史 (agent
: Jianmei)
TO DARE AND TO CONQUER:
Special Operations and the Destiny
of Nations, from Achilles to Al Qaeda
勇氣與征服：阿契里斯以來的特種部隊和這些國家的命運
- by Derek Leebaert
Format : 精平裝 596 頁 , Little Brown 2006 年 8 月 出版
Summary
三千年前的木馬屠城記是歷史上第一次特種部隊的出擊 , 一次完美的演出 , 成功的攻下了特洛伊城 . 從聖經時代到今日巴格達 , 這些經過特別訓練的精良戰士 , 完成了一次又一次以小搏大的 " 不可能任務 ", 意外的擊破或摧毀了實力強大的對手 . 這是作者 Derek Leebaert 的論點 , 改變了人類歷史軌跡的往往不是傳統的百萬大軍 , 而是一小群勇敢 , 訓練精良的戰士 . 為證明這個論點 , 作者引領我們進入一部由特洛伊至 2003 年攻打伊拉克的西方軍事史 .
本書論及的歷史事件和人物包括了我們熟悉的亞歷山大大帝 , 羅馬帝國 , 也涵蓋了法蘭克王國 , 拜占庭 , 十字軍東征 , 聖女貞德 , 加勒比海的海盜 , 拿破崙 , 美國獨立 , 內戰 , 第二次世界大戰 . 不僅為一本軍事編年史 , 作者交織了各事件當時政治 , 外交 , 科技與文化的訊息 , 為了解西方文明提供了一個不同的切入角度 .
作者 About the
Illustrator
Derek Leebaert 是喬治城大學的教授 , 美國軍事歷史基金會董事 , 並為美國政府顧問 . 前一本著作 , THE FIFTY-YEAR WOUND: How
America's Cold War Victory Shapes Our World, 為暢銷書 .
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類別：社會科學，女性研究 (agent
: Yu-Shiuan)
Locker Room Diaries:
The Naked Truth about Women, Body
Image, and Re-imagining the "Perfect" Body
密室日記：揭開對女性，她們的身體形象，追求完美身型的迷思
- by Leslie Goldman
有哪個女人不曾經歷過一談到自己的身材，就不禁自我懷疑的時刻？有哪個女人不曾暗自想像「要是」她能改變自己的外型，她的生活能就此改觀？女人為什麼對自己如此嚴格？本書作者以自身經歷為跳板，花了五年的時間，訪問來自不同年齡層、社會背景、種族文化，甚至不同體型的女性，分享他們故事，探討為什麼這些女人不約而同自責自己的體型，陷入追逐完美身材的惡性循環中。她們要塑造的不只是自己的身體 (body) ，其實還包括外在的形象 (body image) 。所謂的「密室」對多數女人而言，是一個美好的休憩場所，一個可以放下白天的煩惱的地方，但也是多數女人面對自己缺點，而不禁自我衡量的地方。幸好在這個上鎖的密室，有的女人勇於停止自責，誠實的接受自己，體認到每一條皺紋，每一道橘皮組織，衽娠紋都是女人對自我的界定，使每個女人成為無可取代地可愛人兒。本書作者代領讀者一窺「密室」背後，沈迷於「完美身體形象」的文化，是一本適合任何女人的書。本書還有專屬網站，收錄女性塑身相關話題報導等等。
Summary
"I
wish my thighs were smaller." "If only I could lose ten
pounds." A wake-up call for any woman who has engaged in the "if
only" wishing game, Locker Room
Diaries uses the unique lens of the locker room to reveal what,
exactly, goes into "shaping" not just a woman's body but her body
image. The locker room can be a wondrous retreat, a place to toss aside the
worries of the day, but it is also where our flaws become most apparent-and
where most of us can't help but wonder how we "measure up." Often
dressed in no more than a towel, Leslie Goldman spent five years talking
with women of all shapes and sizes about their body image, from taut
twenty-somethings to heavyset seniors. Why is it, she asks, that almost no
one seems satisfied with her physique? From compulsive workouts to daily
dates with the scale, from bikini waxes to body fat measurements, American
women are swept up in a constant quest for the "perfect" body.
Thankfully, more than one woman reveals how she halted her cycle of
self-loathing and learned to like her body as is . Blending expert opinion with wonderfully
intimate, often laugh-outloud, confidences, Locker Room Diaries will inspire anyone who knows the
highs of exercise to leave the lows of self-esteem behind-and, most
especially, once and for all, to step off that scale!
A riveting
peek behind the locker room door of a beauty obsessed culture that reveals
what women really think about their bodies
作者 About the Author
Leslie Goldman, M. P. H.,
is a women's health and medical writer for the American Medical
Association. A regular contributor for the Chicago Tribune , she also writes for Marie Claire , Health , People , and Redbook
. She lives in Chicago .
延伸閱讀： http://www.lrdiaries.com/other_writings.html
相關報導： http://www.lrdiaries.com/press.html
亞馬遜網路書店讀者予以四顆半星的評價
本書專屬網站： http://www.lrdiaries.com/
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類別： 社會學 / 寫作 (agent
: Annie)
Writing to Change the World
用筆捍衛 ( 暫譯 )
- by Mary
Pipher
在動盪不安的時刻，我們都有話要說！對於希望進一己之力改善世界、想要傳達訊息給世人的讀者，本書是激勵人心的指南，本書 兩大內容，第一部份先談個人所能表達的意見，第二部分是如何用寫作表達。
作者結合實用性的知識與啟發性的評論傳遞寫作藝術的技巧，文中的許多個人奇聞與其他作家的名言摘錄，讀來趣味盎然，文中並提及發人省思的軼事，如 民謠搖滾之父巴布狄倫 (Bob Dylan) 寫 ”Blowin'in the Wind” 這首歌時，沒有預期它會成為 50 年代後許多抗爭引用的聖歌，顯示一個作品對社會的影響。書中引用《 The Year of Magical
Thinking 》作者、國家書卷獎得獎作家 Joan Didion 的文句 ”We write to discover
what we think” ( 書寫過程是一趟發現之旅，尋得的是我們的意念。 )
除了鼓勵讀者寫作， 作者 也反思作家所肩負的監督社會道德的責任。 Pipher 博士身兼作家與心理諮商師雙重身份，文中一篇將美國視為病患 Mr. USA 的診療報告，對山姆大叔有完整的人格分析，並對其心理失衡的狀態提出治療建議，可說是最有趣的寫作範例。
Summary
In these tumultuous times, don't we all want to be heard? Who doesn't want
to transform the world? And who doesn't harbor a secret ambition to write? Writing to Change the World is
intended to help people who have a message they're passionate about to convey
it clearly through writing. Inspired by a course of the same name that Mary
Pipher taught at the University of Nebraska 's National Summer Writers'
Conference, this book encapsulates her years of experience as a writer and
therapist, as well as her extensive knowledge of the craft of writing.
Writing to Change the World combines
practical instruction with inspirational commentary, featuring personal
anecdotes, memorable quotations from other writers, practical how-to
advice, and stories about writers who have transformed society through
their work. In addition to laying out the various steps of the writing
process-brainstorming, writing, revising, and publishing-Pipher gives
advice about specific forms of advocacy writing: op-ed pieces, letters,
essays, speeches, and blogs. She inspires readers to take up their pens,
while reflecting on the writer's responsibilities as a moral agent. This is
a book that really can make a difference!
作者 About the
Illustrator
Mary Pipher, Ph.D.,
is the author of the number-one New
York Times -bestselling Reviving
Ophelia , as well as The
Shelter of Each Other , Another
Country , The Middle of
Everywhere , and Letters to
a Young Therapist . She was a Rockefeller Scholar, and received
the American Psychological Association's Presidential Citation. Currently,
she is a visiting professor in both the English and Psychology departments
at the University of Nebraska .
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