Showing results for "The Player" in Literature & Fiction

Max Best is not living his—ahem—best life. His job's a drag, his home's a shooting gallery, his hopes are nil, and lately, even his beloved game of football has devolved from a chaotic, ecstatic delight into a cold, calculating equation complete with stats, tech terms, and mindless lingo. But then Max rescues a mysterious old man from a mugging. "Nick" seems friendly enough . . . until he innocently asks his savior, "Would you sell your soul to be a top football manager?" Naturally, Max says yes, and in that instant, everything changes.

Recovered from a near-fatal assault and rearmed with his embedded football scouting skills, former nobody Max Best has led his Chester men's team up in the rankings and ratings both on the pitch and in the front office. But there's no rest to be had with what's ahead: the FA Cup. Now, they're playing against big-money teams with big talent and even bigger attitudes. And the elite aren't about to let some smart-aleck, fast-talking upstart and his underdog lads make the powerhouse clubs look like fools. Unfortunately for them, that's precisely what Max lives for.

Not too long ago, Max Best was stuck in a dead-end job, trudging from one day to the next and mourning the fact that his burning love of soccer was getting buried in a landslide of cold statistics and intangible tactics. Then, after saving an old man from a mugging, he was "cursed" with the ability to instantly ascertain a soccer player's attributes on sight and use that knowledge to upgrade his own skills. Now he's making a name for himself as an amateur team manager, but it's not enough for him to ditch his dud of a job.

When football fanatic and loveable loser Max Best saved an old codger from a mugging, he never expected to be rewarded with the ability to immediately pinpoint a player's specific skills—and use that knowledge to up his own levels. Ever since that fateful night, Max has devoted himself to the game far more than any mere fan, becoming not only a serious footballer in his own right but a leader both on and off the pitch.

Vereint sein, heißt frei sein. Und für diese Freiheit lohnt es sich zu kämpfen. Cassie Eben noch war mein Leben perfekt und ich mit meiner großen Liebe zusammen, bis der Drogenbaron von Las Vegas mich in seine Finger bekommt. Die Hoffnung auf mein altes Leben wird schnell zunichte gemacht, mein Wille zu kämpfen ist gebrochen. Als ich endlich wieder Jacksons geliebtes Gesicht erblicke, kann ich nicht anders, als mich von ihm abzuwenden. Können wir jetzt noch zurück und da weiter machen, wo wir aufgehört haben, oder ist der Schaden unüberwindbar?

I'm naturally gifted on the field and between the sheets. With flashy cars and enough media attention to put the royal family to shame, I'm the definition of most eligible bachelor. Every man wants to be me, and every woman wants to tame me. Until Camila. The moment I lay eyes on her, I know I have to have her. She wants to keep me at arm's length. I want her naked in my bed. She says I'm bad news. I have three weeks to prove her wrong.

Max Best was on a roll. After climbing the ranks at Chester FC with his burning desire, innate talent, and the "curse" of a sentient heads-up display with knowledge of all things footie, he was named the club's electrifying new director of football. Seizing the opportunity, he saved the day and led the team out of relegation. But that's when someone tried to murder him . . .

Football is a game of steps: Quick steps. Trick steps. Even sneaky, slick steps. Whether you're on or off the pitch, you best know your footing. And for Max Best, that's no problem at all. He has the ability to read players to a T—thanks to the sentient stat-tracking display he received after saving an elderly man in the streets. Now, as director of football for Chester FC, everything's falling into place for Max. His team is climbing the ranks. He's executing great transfers and hired a literal old hand for his brand-new women's team. What could go wrong?

Kurt Vonnegut's first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines. Paul's rebellion is vintage Vonnegut – wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality.

2044. The world of games changed long ago. "Ascension" has become one of the most popular VRMMO games. It is a huge world divided into a hundred Floors, with each Floor a boundless location with its own countries, tribes, and millions of players. The object of the game is to unlock all the gates and conquer the top. Having joined the game, Will Thomson doesn't realize that he is all by himself. Then he accepts the first quest...Cursed Rat: level 46....

One, two, three, four... You want a fight, I'll bring a war. Five, six, seven, eight... I'll even use such pretty bait. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, why... Did you leave me there to die?

He plays the bass with expert fingers. He plays women with intoxicating charm. And he’ll play me with the ease of a virtuoso. Who better to teach me to play than the master himself? I’m his model student, front row, pencil sharp. Pick-up lines? I’ve got them. Free drinks? By the dozen. Kissing? Let me grab my chapstick. But the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that there’s so much I don’t know - like why his touch sets off a chain reaction straight to my nethers…or how I’m certain each kiss is the best I’ll ever have…until the moment his lips take mine again.

I never thought I would see her again… yet here she was at my game, sitting with another man. It was like a slap shot to the heart. Until Willow, the only thing I cared about was playing professional hockey. After our wild and passionate night, I knew she was different, and one night would never be enough. But she walked away, leaving me with an unfilled void. I couldn't stop thinking about her and what we shared. Little did I know she was keeping a big secret. One involving two pink lines.

Romeo and I were happy in love. The future stretched before us brighter than any star in the darkest sky. Now everything is broken. Literally broken. Romeo's entire career is at stake, my entire future is threatened.... And my past? It's coming back to haunt me. To haunt us. Romeo says we're in this together, and right now the only sure thing is us. But how far can a love so new be pushed?

2044. The world of games changed long ago. "Ascension" has become one of the most popular VRMMO games. It is a huge world divided into a hundred Floors, with each Floor a boundless location with its own countries, tribes, and millions of players. The object of the game is to unlock all the gates and conquer the top. Having joined the game, Will Thomson doesn't realize that he is all by himself. Then he accepts the first quest....Cursed Rat: level 46....

Before Raven lies a new ball of questions that he cannot unravel alone. His acquaintance with Niyara makes it clear that the universe is not only a boundless bunch of galaxies but an entire system of thousands of servers connected by a network of teleports, inhabited by many different civilizations. Raven is aware that he is far from undergoing one such trip himself. Instead, he decided to focus on new techniques, old friends, and tasks that still weigh heavily on his shoulders.

From the get-go of the Game, Raven's been through a lot. But in the grand scheme of things, all his ups and downs are just steppingstones to greatness. Knowing this, he keeps pressing on, facing whatever comes his way and never wavering from his core beliefs. But now he's hit another tough choice: to kill or to help? And it's not just anyone; it's about Abenkhriar, the Guard of his Floor and a servant to someone who's not to be crossed.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A #1 STREAMING SHOW The epic enemies-to-lovers hockey romance from Rachel Reid, streaming on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the U.S. "The book that got me into hockey romance." —NPR's Weekend Edition on Heated Rivalry The next three scorching MM hockey...

The demon of madness is dead. Daltaro is saved. And Raven suddenly found something that he had long considered lost. But there are still many secrets and unexpected meetings in his future, as well as the first event in the history of the "game." The test that was prepared for hundreds of millions of players has begun. But are things truly as simple as they seem? The rewards are Influence Points. Once as rare as hen's teeth, they are now being given out like hotcakes. Just like the Teleportation Scrolls that lead to the Tablets. Why the sudden change?

Ascension has become one of the most popular VRMMO games. It is a huge world divided into a hundred Floors, with each Floor a boundless location with its own countries, tribes, and millions of players. The object of the game is to unlock all the gates and conquer the top. Having joined the game, Will Thomson doesn't realize that he is all by himself. Then he accepts the first quest....