Marie Antoinette: The Journey is a brilliantly written work of impeccable scholarship by one of our finest biographers, Antonia Fraser. This book delves into the life of the iconic eighteenth-century French queen, Marie Antoinette, whose excesses have become legendary.

Marie Antoinette was famously blamed for instigating the French Revolution. However, her journey, beginning as a fourteen-year-old sent from Vienna to marry the future Louis XVI, reveals a woman of greater complexity and character than previously understood. We witness her transformation from an ill-educated girl seeking refuge in pleasure to a magnificent, courageous woman who defied her enemies at her trial with consummate intelligence.

Sent by her mother, Austrian Empress Maria Teresa, to Versailles, Marie Antoinette was expected to further Austrian interests. Yet, she was more inclined towards a philanthropic role, patronizing the arts, especially music. Despite accusations of political interference, Marie Antoinette longed for a family and endured public humiliation before giving birth to her first child.

Antonia Fraser weaves a richly detailed account of Marie Antoinette's poignant journey, drawing on family letters and archival materials. This book avoids the hagiography of some admirers and the misogyny of many critics, providing an utterly riveting and intensely moving narrative.

Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world.

The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubadour Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country's throne.

To the north lies the militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is determined to eradicate the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south.

Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise's lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law sets the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultures. Intertwined is the tale of a young woman troubadour whose role suggests the sweep of the drama to come.

Film's most popular action hero needs a place to heal after his surgery has gone terribly wrong. His fiercely loyal agent finds him just such a place in a luxurious, forgotten mansion high in the Hollywood Hills. But the original owner of the mansion was a beautiful woman devoted to pleasure at any cost, and the terrible legacy of her deeds has not yet died.

There are ghosts and monsters haunting Coldheart Canyon, where nothing is forbidden. This chilling tale takes you on a winding trip down into the hellish depths of Coldheart Canyon, a journey that is wickedly enjoyable and endlessly entertaining.

Explorers on the Moon takes you on an adventurous journey with Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, and the engineer Frank Wolff as they embark on the first manned rocket to the Moon, launched from the Sprodj Atomic Research Centre in Syldavia.

As the rocket ascends, the crew experiences intense acceleration, causing them to faint. Meanwhile, back at the Centre, efforts are feverishly underway to establish radio contact with the spacecraft. The wireless masts stand sentinel in the night sky, waiting anxiously for any sign of life from the crew.

Join Tintin and his friends as they navigate through unexpected challenges, including a near collision with a meteorite and a dwindling oxygen supply. Will they manage to return safely to Earth? Find out in this thrilling installment of the Tintin series.

Nepal Air Disaster — No Survivors. This newspaper headline transforms Tintin’s holiday into an extraordinary adventure. The little reporter learns that his friend, Chang, was in the aircraft that crashed, and that there were no survivors. Nevertheless, the strength of their friendship and some powerful and vivid dreams convince Tintin to set off to rescue Chang, whom he believes is still alive.

Accompanied by his faithful companion, Captain Haddock, Tintin sets out for the site of the crash. The trek through the Himalayas is merciless. Despite several major setbacks and the fact that his companions seem to give up hope, Tintin’s faith is unshakable. Unfortunately, finding Chang is made even more difficult by the presence of the “Abominable Snowman” (the Yeti) — a mysterious, wild beast.

Caroline Fletcher, the daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, is raised in a culture that believes slavery is God-ordained and biblically acceptable. But upon awakening to the cruelty and injustice it encompasses, Caroline's eyes are opened for the first time to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her.

Her journey of maturity and faith will draw her into the abolitionist movement, where she is confronted with the risks and sacrifices her beliefs entail. Emboldened by her passion to make a difference and her growing faith, will she risk everything she holds dear?

Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon - and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.

Cover illustrator: Peter de Sève

Supernova: Akar is a mesmerizing tale penned by the talented Dee Lestari. This novel invites readers on a profound journey to discover the essence of life in the simplest of moments—like a pebble kicked along the road or a leaf fluttering in the wind. Through the eyes of Bodhi, a character who embarks on a spiritual quest, the story unfolds in vivid locales from Vihara Pit Yong Kiong in Pasuruan to the bustling streets of Bangkok.

Bodhi, a child found at the doorstep of a monastery, is nurtured by the wise Guru Liong. His upbringing is rigorous, steeped in discipline and martial arts, preparing him for a life of spiritual purity. As Bodhi ventures beyond the monastery, he encounters a world filled with intriguing personalities, from the charismatic tattoo artist Kell to the enchanting backpacker Star.

The narrative weaves through Bodhi's transformation as he becomes a tattooist, exploring the vibrant backpacker culture in Bangkok and beyond. Each tattoo etched into skin becomes a symbol of freedom and identity. The novel delves into the intricate dance of human connections, the longing for freedom, and the pursuit of life's deeper meanings.

Supernova: Akar is a rich tapestry of adventure and introspection, inviting readers to ponder the mysteries of existence while immersed in a world of cultural diversity and spiritual exploration.

English versions of Sophocles’ three great tragedies based on the myth of Oedipus, translated for a modern audience by two gifted poets. Index.

"Oscar et la dame rose" presents the letters sent to God by a ten-year-old child. These letters were discovered by Mamie Rose, the "dame rose" who visits him at the children's hospital. They describe twelve days in the life of Oscar, twelve days that are quirky and poetic, filled with funny and moving characters. These twelve days might be his last twelve. However, thanks to the strong bond of love formed with Mamie Rose, these twelve days will become legendary.

Paulino da Conceição é um timorense com um terrível segredo. Assistiu, juntamente com a família, à saída dos portugueses de Timor-Leste e a todos os acontecimentos que se seguiram, tornando-se um mero peão nas circunstâncias que mediaram a invasão indonésia de 1975 e o referendo de 1999 que deu a independência ao país.

Só há uma pessoa a quem Paulino pode confessar o seu segredo - mas terá coragem para o fazer?

A vida e tragédia de uma família timorense serve de ponto de partida para aquele que é o romance de estreia de José Rodrigues dos Santos, precursor de grandes êxitos como A Filha do Capitão, O Codex 632 e A Fórmula de Deus.

Um romance pungente onde a ficção se mistura com o real para expor, num ritmo dramático, poderoso e intenso, a trágica verdade que só a criação literária, quando aliada à narrativa histórica, consegue revelar.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is an enchanting tale that captures the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening. It tells the story of two hapless city boys exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China’s infamous Cultural Revolution.

There, the two friends meet the daughter of the local tailor and discover a hidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translation. As they flirt with the seamstress and secretly devour these banned works, they find transit from their grim surroundings to worlds they never imagined.

Welcome to Blackwood Farm: soaring white columns, spacious drawing rooms, bright, sun-drenched gardens, and a dark strip of the dense Sugar Devil Swamp. This is the world of Quinn Blackwood, a brilliant young man haunted since birth by a mysterious doppelgänger, “Goblin,” a spirit from a dream world that Quinn can’t escape and that prevents him from belonging anywhere. When Quinn is made a Vampire, losing all that is rightfully his and gaining an unwanted immortality, his doppelgänger becomes even more vampiric and terrifying than Quinn himself.

As the novel moves backwards and forwards in time, from Quinn’s boyhood on Blackwood Farm to present day New Orleans, from ancient Athens to 19th-century Naples, Quinn seeks out the legendary Vampire Lestat in the hope of freeing himself from the spectre that draws him inexorably back to Sugar Devil Swamp and the explosive secrets it holds. A story of youth and promise, of loss and the search for love, of secrets and destiny, Blackwood Farm is Anne Rice at her mesmerizing best.

They are the Pipers of Cape Breton Island — a family steeped in lies and unspoken truths that reach out from the past, forever mindful of the tragic secret that could shatter the family to its foundations. Chronicling five generations of this eccentric clan, Fall on Your Knees follows four remarkable sisters whose lives are filled with driving ambition, inescapable family bonds, and forbidden love.

Their experiences will take them from their stormswept homeland, across the battlefields of World War I, to the freedom and independence of Jazz-era New York City.

Compellingly written, running the literary gamut from menacingly dark to hilariously funny, this is an epic saga of one family’s trials and triumphs in a world of sin, guilt, and redemption.

The Manth people are at last free to seek their promised land, led by Bowman and Kestrel's mother, a prophetess. But the journey is long and hard, filled with many dangers, enemies, distractions, and temptations. Each of the travelers is preoccupied with his or her own worries.

Bowman is torn between his attraction to Sisi, a former princess, and what he believes is his destiny—to sacrifice himself for the good of the people. Kestrel also feels a pull toward a mission, toward something—but for some reason, she cannot envision her life beyond the journey.

London tracks the history of the English capital from the days of the Celts until the present time. Edward Rutherfurd, a master of epic historical fiction, presents a sweeping novel that spans two thousand years. This vibrant city's long and noble history is brought alive through the saga of ever-shifting fortunes, fates, and intrigues of a half-dozen families, from the age of Julius Caesar to the twentieth century.

Generation after generation, these families embody the passion, struggle, wealth, and verve of the greatest city in the Old World. Experience the invasion by Julius Caesar’s legions in 54 B.C., the rise of chivalry and the Crusades, the building of the Globe theatre, and the coming of the Industrial Revolution. Witness first-hand the lust of Henry VIII and overhear Geoffrey Chaucer deciding to write The Canterbury Tales.

Each episode is a punchy tale made up of bite-size chunks ending in tiny cliffhangers, offering a delightful way to get the feel of London and of English history.

Dear reader,

The word carnivorous, which appears in the title of this book, means meat-eating, and once you have read such a bloodthirsty word, there is no reason to read any further. This carnivorous volume contains such a distressing story that consuming any of its contents would be far more stomach-turning than even the most imbalanced meal.

To avoid causing discomfort, it would be best if I didn't mention any of the unnerving ingredients of this story, particularly a confusing map, an ambidextrous person, an unruly crowd, a wooden plank, and Chabo the Wolf Baby.

Sadly for me, my time is filled with researching and recording the displeasing and disenchanting lives of the Baudelaire orphans. But your time might be better filled with something more palatable, such as eating your vegetables, or feeding them to someone else.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

The Magician's Nephew: When Digory and Polly try to return the wicked witch Jadis to her own world, the magic gets mixed up and they all land in Narnia where they witness Aslan blessing the animals with human speech.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter as they step through the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia. There, they encounter the majestic lion Aslan, the evil White Witch, and embark on an unforgettable journey of bravery and discovery.

In the dark corners of Prague, a crazed couple plots a sinister demise for a kidnapped girl. But justice is swift in the form of a shadowy group called the Night Club. The couple meets an untimely end, and the little girl is saved—just one of many innocent victims rescued by the members of the Club.

It is with this group that Tobias has lived since he was abandoned as an infant, and he, along with his fellow crusaders, helps clear Prague of crime. But when an unforeseen event nearly annihilates the Night Club, Tobias is given up for dead by the survivors. Little do they know that not only is he alive, but he has been reborn as a vampire.

When Tobias awakes to discover his astonishing fate, he finds himself in southeastern Asia aboard a modern-day pirate ship commanded by an immortal madam and her henchmen. Servitude to the evil villainess, however, is not in Tobias's plan; his future remains in Prague where he must continue his quest to punish the guilty. Although first, he must escape...

An intriguing blend of fantasy, horror, and adventure, The Night Club delves into the seedy underworld where good prevails over evil, and justice must be served above all.

Two Hundred Years Together is an abridged version of a significant work by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the acclaimed author known for exposing the horrors of the Stalinist gulag. In this book, Solzhenitsyn, at the age of 84, boldly tackles one of the most sensitive topics of his writing career – the role of the Jews in the Bolshevik revolution and Soviet purges.

The book explores the complex and often taboo subject of Jewish involvement as both perpetrators and victims in the repression of the communist revolution. It delves into the historical context, referencing the 1772 partial annexation of Poland and Russia, which significantly increased the Russian Jewish population. Within its pages, Two Hundred Years Together discusses the Jewish role in the revolutionary genocide and secret police purges of Soviet Russia.

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown.

But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

Mrs. Dalloway is often heralded as Virginia Woolf's greatest novel, presenting a vivid portrait of a single day in a woman's life. Clarissa Dalloway is much more than a perfect society hostess—she is a character of depth and complexity, as she prepares her house for a party and is simultaneously flooded with memories of the past.

The narrative explores the inner experiences of Clarissa, as well as other characters, through Woolf's pioneering use of stream of consciousness. This technique illuminates the enormity found within everyday moments and insists that a life filled with errands and social obligations can be as significant a subject as any grand adventure.

With some of the most beautiful, complex, and idiosyncratic sentences ever written in English, Mrs. Dalloway is recognized as a revolutionary work of art that has influenced the novel as a literary form. It is a moving exploration of life's fleeting beauty, the passage of time, and the inner workings of human consciousness.

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded shops, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on the street without a rooftop Frosty the snowman; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25 they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined.A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that has become part of our holiday tradition.

Sugar, 19, a prostitute in Victorian London, yearns for a better life. From the brutal brothel-keeper Mrs. Castaway, she ascends in society. The affections of self-involved perfume magnate William Rackham soon smell like love. Her social rise attracts preening socialites, drunken journalists, untrustworthy servants, vile guttersnipes, and whores of all kinds.

Guero Davila is a pilot engaged in drug-smuggling for the local cartels. Teresa Mendoza is his girlfriend, a typical narco's morra—quiet, doting, submissive. But then Guero's caught playing both sides, and in Sinaloa, that means death. Teresa finds herself alone, terrified, friendless, and running to save her life, carrying nothing but a gym bag containing a pistol and a notebook that she has been forbidden to read.

Forced to leave Mexico, she flees to the Spanish city of Melilla, where she meets Santiago Fisterra, a Galician involved in trafficking hashish across the Strait of Gibraltar. When Santiago's partner is captured, it is Teresa who steps in to take his place. Now Teresa has plunged into the dark and ugly world that once claimed Guero's life—and she's about to get in deeper...

This is the story of two men who first become friends in 1970s New York, of the women in their lives, of their sons, born the same year, and of how relations between the two families become strained.

First by tragedy, then by a monstrous duplicity which comes slowly and corrosively to the surface.

Cooper says, "I present the actual act of evil so it's visible and give it a bunch of facets so that you can actually look at it and experience it. You're seduced into dealing with it. ... So with Frisk, whatever pleasure you got out of making a picture in your mind based on ... those people being murdered, you take responsibility for it." In unsparingly confessional mode, Cooper leads the reader into a confrontation with what they get out of fantasized scenes of violence. A brilliant novel -- not a genre horror work but, rather, a critique of the power of genre.

Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold is about to join his fearless grandmother on the trip of a lifetime. An International Geographic expedition is headed to the dangerous, remote wilds of South America, on a mission to document the legendary Yeti of the Amazon known as the Beast.

But there are many secrets hidden in the unexplored wilderness, as Alex and his new friend Nadia soon discover. Drawing on the strength of their spirit guides, both young people are led on a thrilling and unforgettable journey to the ultimate discovery.

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was first published in three serialized excerpts in the New Yorker in June of 1962. The book appeared in September of that year and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water.

Carson’s passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century.

Just in time for the holidays, here are Sandra Gulland's three gripping, historical novels based on the epic life of Josephine Bonaparte in one gorgeous package. All are works of historical fiction on a grand scale that recount a stirring, unforgettable love story.

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. traces Josephine's early years as she leaves the exotic, lush, and remote Martinico for the heart of European society. There she meets Napoleon, whose destiny will prove to be irrevocably intertwined with hers.

Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe continues the saga as Josephine awakens to her new life as Mrs. Napoleon Bonaparte and we witness the political intrigues and personal betrayals that result in death, ruin, and victory for those closest to Josephine.

The Last Great Dance on Earth is the triumphant final volume that opens four years into the passionate yet troubled union of Josephine and Napoleon. The tumultuous times will, ultimately, drive them apart, culminating in Josephine's greatest tragedy: her divorce from Napoleon and his exile to Elba.

In the last gasp of youth, Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson is back in Edinburgh. He taps into one last great scam: directing and producing a porn film. To make it work, he needs bedfellows: the lovely Nikki Fuller-Smith, a student with ambition, ego, and troubles to rival his own; old pal Mark Renton; and a motley crew that includes the neighborhood's favorite ex-beverage salesman, "Juice" Terry.

In the world of Porno, however, even the cons are conned. Sick Boy and Renton jockey for top dog. The out-of-jail and in-for-revenge Begbie is on the loose. But it's the hapless, drug-addled Spud who may be spreading the most trouble.

Porno is a novel about the Trainspotting crew ten years further down the line: still scheming, still scamming, still fighting for the first-class seats as the train careens at high velocity with derailment looming around the next corner.

The Lords of Discipline is a mesmerizing novel that sweeps us into the turbulent world of four young men—friends, cadets, and blood brothers. Their days are filled with hazing, heartbreak, pride, betrayal, and ultimately, humanity. We delve deep into the heart of the novel’s hero, Will McLean, a rebellious outsider with his own personal code of honor who is battling into manhood the hard way.

Immersed in a poignant love affair with a haunting beauty, Will must boldly confront the terrifying injustice of a corrupt institution as he struggles to expose a mysterious group known as “The Ten.”

Praise for The Lords of Discipline:

“If you are reading another book when you begin The Lords of Discipline, prepare to set it aside.”—The Denver Post

“A work of enormous power, passion, humor, and wisdom [that] sweeps the reader along on a great tide of honest, throbbing emotion.”—The Washington Star

“Few novelists write as well, and none as beautifully.”—Lexington Herald-Leader

Pat Conroy has created a huge, brash thunderstorm of a novel, stinging with honesty and resounding with drama. Spanning forty years, this is the story of turbulent Tom Wingo, his gifted and troubled twin sister Savannah, and their struggle to triumph over the dark and tragic legacy of the extraordinary family into which they were born.

Filled with the vanishing beauty of the South Carolina low country as well as the dusty glitter of New York City, The Prince of Tides is Pat Conroy at his very best.

An ancient title of respect for women, the word cunt long ago veered off this noble path. Inga Muscio traces the road from honor to expletive, giving women the motivation and tools to claim cunt as a positive and powerful force in their lives.

In this fully revised edition, she explores, with candidness and humor, such traditional feminist issues as birth control, sexuality, jealousy between women, and prostitution with a fresh attitude for a new generation of women. Sending out a call for every woman to be the Cunt lovin' Ruler of Her Sexual Universe, Muscio stands convention on its head by embracing all things cunt-related.

This edition is fully revised with updated resources, a new foreword from sexual pioneer Betty Dodson, and a new afterword by the author.

Dragonflight and Dragonquest are the first two installments of Anne McCaffrey's most popular series about the Dragonriders of Pern. In these epic fantasies, Lessa emerges from hiding after ten long Turns, ready to reclaim her birthright, impress the Dragon Queen, and eventually become Weyrwoman of Benden.

As the deadly Threads begin to turn again, the bold dragonriders take to the air, belching flames that destroy the strands before they touch the ground. These warriors are the last line of defense against the devastating threat.

A series of mystical events begin to unfold as Deja Chanel journeys inside the maze of her imagination, where anything is bound to happen. Her mission is to find her father, Octavius, inventor of the Sole Receptacle—gateway to the mind's eye—and bring him back to consciousness. With his journal in hand, and a thousand-year-old Emergist as her guide, Deja charges onward, taking on physical and mental challenges as she weathers the most whimsical of elements, and the attack of bizarre alien beasts.

But passing through the doorway is only half the battle. Once inside, she discovers there are infinite levels of the human psyche, where one wrong turn could lead to an even more dangerous and fascinating realm of existence.

In the first century A.D., Ovid, author of the groundbreaking epic poem Metamorphoses, came under severe criticism for The Art of Love, which playfully instructed women in the art of seduction and men in the skills essential for mastering the art of romantic conquest.

In this remarkable translation, James Michie breathes new life into the notorious Roman’s mock-didactic elegy. In lyrical, irreverent English, he reveals love’s timeless dilemmas and Ovid’s enduring brilliance as both poet and cultural critic.

Thelonius "Monk" Ellison is an erudite, accomplished but seldom-read author who insists on writing obscure literary papers rather than the so-called "ghetto prose" that would make him a commercial success. He finally succumbs to temptation after seeing the Oberlin-educated author of We's Lives in da Ghetto during her appearance on a talk show, firing back with a parody called My Pafology, which he submits to his startled agent under the gangsta pseudonym of Stagg R. Leigh.

Ellison quickly finds himself with a six-figure advance from a major house, a multimillion-dollar offer for the movie rights, and a monster bestseller on his hands. The money helps with a family crisis, allowing Ellison to care for his widowed mother as she drifts into the fog of Alzheimer's, but it doesn't ease the pain after his sister, a physician, is shot by right-wing fanatics for performing abortions.

The dark side of wealth surfaces when both the movie mogul and talk-show host demand to meet the nonexistent Leigh, forcing Ellison to don a disguise and invent a sullen, enigmatic character to meet the demands of the market. The final indignity occurs when Ellison becomes a judge for a major book award and My Pafology (title changed to Fuck) gets nominated, forcing the author to come to terms with his perverse literary joke.

Percival Everett's talent is multifaceted, sparked by a satiric brilliance that skewers the conventions of racial and political correctness. Erasure is a passionate exploration of identity, authenticity, and the literary world.

A small Georgia town erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it's only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer's twisted work becomes clear.

Sara's ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation—a trail of terror that grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he's got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, for the county's sole female detective, Lena Adams—the first victim's sister—wants to serve her own justice.

But it is Sara who holds the key to finding the killer. A secret from her past could unmask the brilliantly malevolent psychopath... or mean her death.

At 6'6" and 240lbs, Forrest Gump is difficult to ignore. This satire follows him from the football dynasties of Bear Bryant to Vietnam, and from encounters with Presidents Johnson and Nixon to pow-wows with Chairman Mao. It also takes in Harvard University, a Hollywood set, and a NASA mission.

Forrest Gump is line bred out of Voltaire and Huck Finn; its humour is wild and coarse, a satire right on the money. It is not the less honest for being so funny, for bringing the woebegone archangels of our culture and history to judgement. Anyone who doesn't read this book deserves to spend the winter in North Dakota (Jim Harrison)

A superbly controlled satire (The Washington Post)

Rollicking, bawdy... A good time... Poking fun at everything (People)

Winston Groom has created the ideal citizen for the modern world - a perfect idiot (P.J. O'Rourke)

Joyously madcap (Publishers Weekly)

How did pretty, flighty Daisy Devreaux find herself in this fix? She can either go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has chosen for her. Alex Markov, however, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little featherhead with champagne tastes. As humorless as he is deadly handsome, he drags the irrepressible Daisy away from her uptown life and sets out to tame her. Except it won't be as easy as he thinks.

This man without a soul has met a woman who's nothing but heart. Will vows spoken in haste shatter... or offer the promise of love everlasting?

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return is the fascinating continuation of Marjane Satrapi's best-selling memoir, Persepolis. In this heartrending graphic memoir, Satrapi shares her experiences of growing up in Iran during the tumultuous times of the Islamic Revolution.

In 1984, Marjane flees the fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. There, she faces the trials of adolescence, far from her friends and family. Although she soon finds a place among fellow outsiders, she struggles for a sense of belonging.

After graduation, Marjane returns to Iran, confronting the changes both she and her country have undergone during her absence. She feels the weight of her past and what she perceives as her failures in Austria. However, with time, she finds like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university.

Yet, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism in Iran lead her to question her future in her homeland. As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is a raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating depiction of the struggles of growing up, compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home.

Roses for Mama is a captivating story of a young girl who must assume responsibility for raising her younger siblings. Instead of the new life she and her family expected to forge out west, seventeen-year-old Angela is thrust into the role of caring for her three younger siblings after the tragic death of their parents.

With the help of her older brother and a steadfast trust in God, Angela is determined to raise the children as her mother would have wanted. As the youngsters grow, the questions and challenges intensify, leaving Angela feeling trapped and overwhelmed.

Surely no man will ever want a woman who comes with three children in tow. Is this the plan God has for her life? Will she ever find a way to balance her own dreams with the promises she made to her mama?

This heartwarming tale explores themes of family, faith, and the courage to face life's unexpected challenges.

Six strangers are unaccountably seized by nightmares, attacks of fear, and bouts of uncharacteristic behavior. The six begin to seek each other out as puzzling photographs and messages arrive, indicating that the cause may lie in a forgotten weekend stay at an isolated Nevada motel.

Koontz has topped a fine roster of horror and suspense novels with an almost unbearably suspenseful page-turner. His ability to maintain the mystery through several plot twists is impressive, as is his array of believable and sympathetic characters.

With its masterful blend of elements of espionage, terror, and even some science fiction, Strangers may be the suspense novel of the year.

The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

In a heartwarming novel that is destined to become a Christmas classic, acclaimed author Elvira Woodruff tells the story of two orphaned sisters whose lives are forever changed by a magical doll.

Lucy and Glory are orphaned sisters with no real place to call home. Only their memories of a beautiful doll named Morning Glory brighten their bleak lives. When a deadly fever sweeps through the workhouse where the girls live, Lucy and Glory flee to the mean streets of London.

One day, the girls find an old battered doll that Glory senses is their beloved Morning Glory. But Morning Glory is no ordinary doll — the girls learn that she has magical powers that will change their lives in amazing ways.

With the help of the doll, the sisters discover the true meaning of the Christmas spirit.

Journey to a world of ancient magic, breathtaking sensuality, and thrilling time-travel...

Welcome to the world of The Dark Highlander. Crisscrossing the continents and the centuries, this novel is as gripping as it is sensual—an electrifying adventure that will leave you breathless.

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires...

From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit.

When Chloe Zanders, a student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure. Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back into time to medieval Scotland.

Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man.

Welcome to the dark and seductive realm of faerie in Tithe, the first book in the critically acclaimed Modern Faerie Tales series by New York Times bestseller Holly Black. Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.

Kaye has always been able to see faeries where others could not, and her life takes a dramatic turn when she stumbles upon an injured faerie knight in the woods. Choosing to save the strange young man instead of leaving him to die, Kaye's fateful decision will have more dire consequences than she could ever predict. She soon finds herself the center of an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.