Emily Starr never knew what it was to be lonely--until her beloved father died. Now Emily's an orphan, and her mother's snobbish relatives are taking her to live with them at New Moon Farm. She's sure she won't be happy. Emily deals with stiff, stern Aunt Elizabeth and her malicious classmates by holding her head high and using her quick wit.

Things begin to change when she makes friends, with Teddy, who does marvelous drawings; with Perry, who's sailed all over the world with his father yet has never been to school; and above all, with Ilse, a tomboy with a blazing temper. Amazingly, Emily finds New Moon beautiful and fascinating. With new friends and adventures, Emily might someday think of herself as Emily of New Moon.

Book four in Frank Herbert's magnificent Dune Chronicles--one of the most significant sagas in the history of literary science fiction.

Millennia have passed on Arrakis, and the once-desert planet is green with life. Leto Atreides, the son of the world's savior, the Emperor Paul Muad'Dib, is still alive but far from human. To preserve humanity's future, he sacrificed his own by merging with a sandworm, granting him near immortality as God Emperor of Dune for the past thirty-five hundred years.

Leto's rule is not a benevolent one. His transformation has made not only his appearance but his morality inhuman. A rebellion, led by Siona, a member of the Atreides family, has risen to oppose the despot's rule. But Siona is unaware that Leto's vision of a Golden Path for humanity requires her to fulfill a destiny she never wanted--or could possibly conceive.

Twelve-year-old Matt is left on his own in the Maine wilderness while his father leaves to bring the rest of the family to their new settlement. When he befriends Attean, an Indian chief's grandson, he is invited to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and go on to a new life?

Although he faces responsibility bravely, Matt is more than a little apprehensive when his father leaves him alone to guard their new cabin in the wilderness. When a renegade white stranger steals his gun, Matt realizes he has no way to shoot game or to protect himself. When Matt meets Attean, a boy in the Beaver clan, he begins to better understand their way of life and their growing problem in adapting to the white man and the changing frontier.

Elizabeth George Speare’s survival story is filled with wonderful detail about living in the wilderness and the relationships that formed between settlers and natives in the 1700s.

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter tells the thrilling adventure of Ronia, born during a thunderstorm in Matt's castle amidst a band of robbers. The castle, located over the mountain, buzzes with joy for the spirited little black-haired daughter. As Ronia grows, she learns to dance and yell with the robbers, finding her true solace alone in the forest.

Her life takes a turn when she befriends Birk, the son of Matt's arch-enemy. Their friendship ignites the worst quarrel ever between the rival bands, placing Ronia and Birk right in the middle of it. Through their adventures, Ronia and Birk explore the magical forest, learning about friendship, bravery, and the challenge of standing up for what they believe in.

I am Johannes Verne, and I am not afraid. This was the boy’s mantra as he plodded through the desert alone, left to die by his vengeful grandfather. Johannes Verne was soon to be rescued by outlaws, but no one could save him from the lasting memory of his grandfather’s eyes, full of impenetrable hatred.

Raised in part by Indians, then befriended by a mysterious woman, Johannes grew up to become a rugged adventurer and an educated man. But even now, strengthened by the love of a golden-haired girl and well on his way to making a fortune in bustling early-day Los Angeles, the past may rise up to threaten his future once more. And this time only the ancient gods of the desert can save him.

In this classic novel, James A. Michener brings his grand epic tradition to bear on the four-hundred-year saga of America’s Eastern Shore, from its Native American roots to the modern age. In the early 1600s, young Edmund Steed is desperate to escape religious persecution in England. After joining Captain John Smith on a harrowing journey across the Atlantic, Steed makes a life for himself in the New World, establishing a remarkable dynasty that parallels the emergence of America. Through the extraordinary tale of one man’s dream, Michener tells intertwining stories of family and national heritage, introducing us along the way to Quakers, pirates, planters, slaves, abolitionists, and notorious politicians, all making their way through American history in the common pursuit of freedom.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a gripping story that explores the themes of injustice and mob hysteria. The narrative unfolds around the murder of a young aristocrat, Santiago Nasar, which puts an entire society—not just a pair of murderers—on trial.

A man returns to the town where this baffling murder took place 27 years earlier, determined to get to the bottom of the story. Just hours after marrying the beautiful Angela Vicario, Bayardo San Roman returned his bride in disgrace to her parents. Her distraught family forced her to name her first lover; and her twin brothers announced their intention to murder Santiago Nasar for dishonoring their sister. Yet, if everyone knew the murder was going to happen, why did no one intervene to stop it? The more that is learned, the less is understood, and as the story races to its inexplicable conclusion, the reader is left pondering the complexities of human nature and societal norms.

Malevil is a gripping tale of survival and resilience. After a devastating nuclear holocaust ravages the Earth, a group of survivors find refuge in the depths of a castle in the south of France. This is not just a story of survival, but of the reconstruction of civilization itself. The survivors, led by Emmanuel Comte, transform the castle of Malevil into a beacon of hope and a new beginning.

The novel delves into various themes such as religion, politics, and the role of leadership in rebuilding society. It also explores the dynamics of a mini-community, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of starting anew in a world that has been reduced to ruins.

The narrative is a fascinating blend of post-apocalyptic fiction and robinsonade, where the characters must navigate the complexities of human nature and societal structures in their quest to rebuild what was lost. This is a story of hope, courage, and the indomitable spirit of humanity.

Among sentient animals and humans, the hardheaded and hard-shelled wizard Clothahump searches across dimensions for a wizard to defeat looming armies of Plated Folk. Jonathan-Thomas Meriweather, a part-time wannabe rock guitarist and janitor, makes magic with his well-worn rock repertoire on his duar instrument. While the lyrics may be righteous, the magic is too often something else.

Snatched through a portal into a land of magic, Jonathan must use a mysterious, multi-string duar to rescue the world he has fallen into before he can return to his own.

Reluctantly, he finds himself teaming up with a semi-senile turtle wizard, a thieving, backstabbing otter, and a bewildered Marxist dragon to rally an army for the war about to come.

The Conquest of Gaul is a captivating account of Julius Caesar's military campaigns between 58 and 50 BC. During this period, Caesar conquered most of the regions now known as France, Belgium, and Switzerland, and ventured twice into Britain.

This narrative provides deep insights into Caesar's military strategy and paints a vivid picture of his encounters with the inhabitants of Gaul and Britain. It offers lively portraits of key characters, such as the rebel leaders and Gallic chieftains.

Moreover, this work can be read as a piece of political propaganda, as Caesar presents his version of events to the Roman public, aware of the impending civil war he would face upon his return to Rome.

Robert Graves begins anew the tumultuous life of the Roman who became emperor in spite of himself. This novel captures the vitality, splendor, and decadence of the Roman world at the point of its decline.

Edgar Allan Poe remains the unsurpassed master of works of mystery and madness in this outstanding collection. Included are sixteen of his finest tales, such as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, William Wilson, The Black Cat, The Cask of Amontillado, and Eleonora.

This collection also features a major selection of what Poe characterized as the passion of his life, his poems - including The Raven, Annabel Lee, Ulalume, Lenore, The Bells, and more, plus his glorious prose poem Silence - A Fable and his only full-length novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.

Legs, the inaugural book in William Kennedy’s acclaimed Albany cycle of novels, brilliantly evokes the flamboyant career of gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond. Through the equivocal eyes of Diamond’s attorney, Marcus Gorman (who scraps a promising political career for the more elemental excitement of the criminal underworld), we watch as Legs and his showgirl mistress, Kiki Roberts, blaze their gaudy trail across the tabloid pages of the 1920s and 1930s.

William Kennedy’s Albany Cycle of novels reflect what he once described as the fusion of his imagination with a single place. A native and longtime resident of Albany, New York, his work moves from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, chronicling family life, the city’s netherworld, and its spheres of power—financial, ethnic, political—often among the Irish-Americans who dominated the city in this period.

Something Wicked This Way Comes, now featuring a new introduction and material about its longstanding influence on culture and genre. For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained.

Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes… and the stuff of nightmares. Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury’s unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes. Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon.

When an army of invading Martians lands in England, panic and terror seize the population. As the aliens traverse the country in huge three-legged machines, incinerating all in their path with a heat ray and spreading noxious toxic gases, the people of the Earth must come to terms with the prospect of the end of human civilization and the beginning of Martian rule.

Inspiring films, radio dramas, comic-book adaptations, television series and sequels, The War of the Worlds is a prototypical work of science fiction which has influenced every alien story that has come since, and is unsurpassed in its ability to thrill, well over a century since it was first published.

8 unabridged cassettes, narrated by Davina Porter.Book Three of the Mists of Avalon series inolves the imaginative retelling of the Arthurian legend, centering around the pagan priestesses of Avalon, who compete for the soul of Great Britain against the rising tide of Christianity."The King Stag" takes the listener deeper into the political/religious rivalry in the years following Arthurs coronation. Gwenhwyfar, in possession of a terrible secret, manipulates her husband to secure his loyalty to the Christian church, while Vivians decision to confront Arthur over his betrayal of Avalon results in tragedy.Behind the scenes, Morgaine arranges the marriage of Lancelet, who has become desperate over the hopeless triangle at Camelot. When Gwenhwyfar hears of his marriage, she vows revenge. Through her own marriage to Uriens of North Wales, Morgaine works to strengthen the cause of Avalon. She returns briefly to the Isle of Mists, only to discover that the time is not yet ripe for her to reign. Book Three concludes with the arrival of young Gwydion (Mordred) on the scene.

The Varieties of Religious Experience is a profound exploration into the psychology of religion by renowned philosopher William James. This work delves into the heart of religious life, not through the lens of organized religion, but through the individual experiences that shape our understanding of the divine.

James presents a pluralistic view, suggesting that religious experiences are the essence of spiritual life. He examines concepts such as conversion, repentance, mysticism, and the human hopes and fears regarding the afterlife. Through a series of engaging lectures, he analyzes the religious experiences of notable figures such as Voltaire, Emerson, Luther, and Tolstoy.

With his characteristic humor and insightful analysis, James challenges readers to question established norms and explore the depths of their own spiritual beliefs. This book remains a cornerstone in the study of the psychology of religion and continues to inspire thoughtful reflection on faith and spirituality.

A Tale of Passion, as its subtitle declares, The Good Soldier relates the complex social and sexual relationships between two couples, one English, one American, and the growing awareness by the American narrator John Dowell of the intrigues and passions behind their orderly Edwardian facade. It is the attitude of Dowell, his puzzlement, his uncertainty, and the seemingly haphazard manner of his narration that make the book so powerful and mysterious.

Despite its catalogue of death, insanity, and despair, the novel has many comic moments, and has inspired the work of several distinguished writers, including Graham Greene. This is the only annotated edition available.

'Nicholas Nickleby' is a vibrant and heart-wrenching tale of young Nicholas left penniless after his father's death. He seeks assistance from his wealthy uncle, only to find him unscrupulous and uncaring. Forced to fend for himself and protect his mother and sister, Nicholas embarks on a journey that introduces him to a cast of extraordinary characters, from the tyrannical headmaster Wackford Squeers of Dotheboys Hall to the eccentric Crummles theatre family.

Charles Dickens, with his signature flair for the dramatic and the absurd, crafts a story that not only entertains but also delivers a fierce critique of social injustice and cruelty. The adventures of Nicholas and the friends and foes he meets along the way showcase Dickens's comic genius and his deep empathy for the underdog.

This edition, published by Penguin, includes original illustrations by 'Phiz', enriching the narrative with visual storytelling that complements Dickens's richly detailed world. An introduction by Mark Ford offers insights into the novel's historical context and its place within Dickens's body of work, making it an essential read for both new and returning readers of Dickens.

With the Old Breed presents a stirring, personal account of the vitality and bravery of the Marines in the battles at Peleliu and Okinawa. Eugene B. Sledge, born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1923, captures his journey from innocence to experience during World War II.

Sledge enlisted out of patriotism, idealism, and youthful courage. However, once he landed on the beach at Peleliu, it became purely a struggle for survival. Based on the notes he kept on slips of paper tucked secretly away in his New Testament, he recalls those long months with brutal honesty, sparing no detail of the unbearable heat, deafening gunfire, unimaginable brutality, and constant fear.

Despite the horrors, Sledge reveals the bonds of friendship formed in battle that will never be severed. His compassion for his fellow Marines, even complete strangers, sets him apart as a memoirist of war. Whether read as sobering history or high adventure, With the Old Breed is a moving chronicle of action and courage.

A stranger walks out of a bar and is later found dead at the wheel of his car. The narrator creates the story of this man — or, rather, two stories, based on the two personae that he has imagined. One of these is named Enderlin; the other, Gantenbein.

Originally published as A Wilderness of Mirrors.

Do you think Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after, and that the three little pigs outsmarted the wolf? Think again!

Premier storyteller Roald Dahl twists the fate of six favorite fairy tales in this picture book edition. Fairy tales have never been more revolting!

Illustrated by Quentin Blake.

The High Queen is an imaginative return to the Arthurian legend as told from its pagan priestesses. This journey continues with Book Two: The High Queen.

Morgaine, finally reconciled to the birth of her son, must relinquish him to her aunt Morgause in exchange for the kept secret regarding his parentage. Arthur marries the timid but dutiful Gwenhwyfar, while ongoing wars with the Saxon invaders continue to rage across the land.

Morgaine, tired of worldly concerns, attempts to return to Avalon, but disappears without a trace somewhere near the end of her journey. In a last bid for peace, Arthur compromises his loyalty to Avalon by carrying the Christian banner into battle.

Gwenhwyfar's inability to conceive has the kingdom despairing of an heir to the throne, while behind the scenes, her love for Lancelet grows more impassioned and desperate.

A Masterful Spiritual Classic

Once upon a time, the residents of the town of Mansoul were tricked into defying their ruler, Shaddai. Their new ruler, Diabolus, brought them great harm. When Shaddai sends Prince Emmanuel, his son, to rescue them, a great battle is fought. Who will emerge victorious—Diabolus or Emmanuel? And what can the inhabitants of Mansoul do to resist the attacks of the evil one?

From the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress comes a powerful allegory about the battle being fought for man’s heart, mind, and spirit. Your soul is under attack from the forces of evil. Through this compelling read, you will learn how to build up your defenses, flood your moat, and prepare for victory in the war against Satan and the forces of darkness!

Book Four finds Morgaine moving closer to the fate that will set her intractably against Arthur—her lover, brother, and now, enemy. Returning to Camelot during the Feast of Pentecost, Morgaine accuses Arthur of compromising the crown and demands that he return Excalibur to her. When he refuses, Morgaine arranges a confrontation between her lover, Accolon, and Arthur in the kingdom of Fairy, resulting in Accolon's death.

Grieving and still without Excalibur, Morgaine makes a hasty retreat to Avalon. When she finally returns to Camelot, it is to retrieve Avalon's Holy Regalia, now being used in a Christian mass. Enraged at this betrayal, Morgaine calls upon the Lady's magic, which results in the mysterious disappearance of the holy chalice, prompting the companions of the Round Table to embark on a 12-month quest to find it.

Events spiral out of control when Lancelet returns, resumes his adulterous relationship with Gwenhwyfar, and is finally exposed. The novel closes with the King Stag's death and Morgaine's long-anticipated return to Avalon.

Laurie was at home, but her boyfriend swears he saw her on the beach with another guy. Her family insists they see her coming and going when she's been out of the house for hours.

Who—or what—is taking over Laurie's life?

When 2001: A Space Odyssey first shocked, amazed, and delighted millions in the late 1960s, the novel was quickly recognized as a classic. Since then, its fame has grown steadily among the multitudes who have read the novel or seen the film based on it.

Yet, along with almost universal acclaim, a host of questions has grown more insistent through the years:
Who or what transformed Dave Bowman into the Star-Child? What purpose lay behind the transformation? What would become of the Star-Child?
What alien purpose lay behind the monoliths on the Moon and out in space?
What could drive HAL, a stable, intelligent computer, to kill the crew? Was HAL really insane?
What happened to HAL and the spaceship Discovery after Dave Bowman disappeared?

Now all those questions and many more have been answered. In this stunning sequel to his international bestseller, Clarke has written what will truly be one of the great books of the '80s. Cosmic in sweep, eloquent in its depiction of Man's place in the Universe, and filled with the romance of space, this novel is a monumental achievement.

Raymond E. Feist's classic fantasy epic, Magician, has enchanted readers for over twenty years. The revised edition was prepared to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its publication, and incorporates over 15,000 words of text omitted from previous editions.At Crydee, a frontier outpost in the tranquil Kingdom of the Isles, an orphan boy, Pug, is apprenticed to a master magician – and the destinies of two worlds are changed forever.Suddenly the peace of the Kingdom is destroyed as mysterious alien invaders swarm the land. Pug is swept up into the conflict but for him and his warrior friend, Tomas, an odyssey into the unknown has only just begun.Tomas will inherit a legacy of savage power from an ancient civilization. Pug’s destiny is to lead him through a rift in the fabric of space and time to the mastery of the unimaginable powers of a strange new magic. Reviews'Epic scope… fast moving action…vivid imagination'WASHINGTON POST'tons of intrigue and action'PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

H.P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale. The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.

This is the collection that true fans of horror fiction must have: sixteen of H.P. Lovecraft’s most horrifying visions, including:

• The Call of Cthulu: The first story in the infamous Cthulhu mythos—a creature spawned in the stars brings a menace of unimaginable evil to threaten all mankind.
• The Dunwich Horror: An evil man’s desire to perform an unspeakable ritual leads him in search of the fabled text of The Necronomicon.
• The Colour Out of Space: A horror from the skies—far worse than any nuclear fallout—transforms a man into a monster.
• The Shadow Over Innsmouth: Rising from the depths of the sea, an unspeakable horror engulfs a quiet New England town.
• Plus twelve more terrifying tales!

Mrs. Mike is a classic and wholesome romantic tale that has enchanted millions of readers worldwide. It brings the fierce, stunning landscape of the Great North to life—and masterfully evokes the tender, touching moments that bring a man and a woman together forever.

Recently arrived in Calgary, Alberta after a long, hard journey from Boston, sixteen-year-old Katherine Mary O’Fallon never imagined that she could lose her heart so easily—or so completely. Standing over six feet tall, with “eyes so blue you could swim in them,” Mike Flannigan is a well-respected sergeant in the Canadian Mounted Police—and a man of great courage, kindness, and humor. Together, he and his beloved Kathy manage to live a good, honest life in this harsh, unforgiving land—and find strength in a love as beautiful and compelling as the wilderness around them.

Anne Rice brings to life the exquisite and otherworldly society of the eighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe.

These men lived as idols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yet shunned as half-men.

As we are drawn into their dark and luminous story, the crowds of Venetians, Neapolitans, and Romans—noblemen and peasants, musicians, prelates, princes, saints, and intriguers—swirl around them.

Anne Rice brings us into the sweep of eighteenth-century Italian life, into the decadence beneath the shimmering surface of Venice, the wild frivolity of Naples, and the magnetic terror of its shadow, Vesuvius.

Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher, arrives in the eerie town of Sleepy Hollow to educate its young minds. However, his life takes a chilling turn as he becomes enamored with a wealthy farmer's daughter and hears tales of the Headless Horseman.

One fateful night, Ichabod encounters a dark, menacing figure riding behind him. The figure carries something unusual in its hands, and the encounter leaves Ichabod's fate a mystery, as he is never seen in Sleepy Hollow again.

This timeless tale, set in 1790, is a captivating blend of horror and suspense, making it a classic read for those who enjoy ghostly legends and historical fiction.

When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove.

Marsh meant to turn down York’s offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve—coupled with the terrible force of York’s mesmerizing gaze.

Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind’s most impossible dream.

Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman’s dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river.

Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those young rebels who are compelled, in spite of extreme danger, to venture illegally into the Zone to collect the mysterious artifacts that the alien visitors left scattered around. His life is dominated by the place and the thriving black market in the alien products. But when he and his friend Kirill go into the Zone together to pick up a &“full empty,&” something goes wrong. And the news he gets from his girlfriend upon his return makes it inevitable that he'll keep going back to the Zone, again and again, until he finds the answer to all his problems. First published in 1972, Roadside Picnic is still widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction novels, despite the fact that it has been out of print in the United States for almost thirty years. This authoritative new translation corrects many errors and omissions and has been supplemented with a foreword by Ursula K. Le Guin and a new afterword by Boris Strugatsky explaining the strange history of the novel's publication in Russia.

T. S. Eliot's playful cat poems have delighted readers and cat lovers around the world ever since they were first published in 1939. They were originally composed for his godchildren, with Eliot posing as Old Possum himself, and later inspired the legendary musical Cats.

These lovable cat poems continue to delight children and grown-ups alike. Eliot's beloved cat poems are a curious and artful homage to felines young and old, merry and fierce, small and unmistakably round.

One of Sidney Sheldon's most popular and bestselling titles, repackaged and reissued for a new generation of fans. Kate Blackwell is one of the richest and most powerful women in the world. She is an enigma, a woman surrounded by a thousand unanswered questions. Her father was a diamond prospector who struck it rich beyond his wildest dreams. Her mother was the daughter of a crooked Afrikaaner merchant. Her conception was itself an act of hate-filled vengeance.

At the extravagant celebrations of her ninetieth birthday, there are toasts from a Supreme Court Judge and a telegram from the White House. And for Kate there are ghosts, ghosts of absent friends and of enemies. Ghosts from a life of blackmail and murder. Ghosts from an empire spawned by naked ambition!

Sidney Sheldon is one of the most popular storytellers in the world. This is one of his best-loved novels, a compulsively readable thriller, packed with suspense, intrigue and passion. It will recruit a new generation of fans to his writing.

Remembrance of Things Past: Volume II delves into the intricate tapestry of Belle Epoque France, unfolding through the profound reflections of its narrator. This volume encompasses The Guermantes Way and Cities of the Plain, capturing the essence of art, time, and memory.

As the narrator grows up, falls in love, and experiences the tumultuous events of the First World War, the narrative mesmerizes readers with its intricate portrayal of human emotions and societal norms. The translation by C. K. Scott Moncrieff, later revised by Terence Kilmartin, has been celebrated for capturing the essence of Proust's monumental work.

This literary masterpiece invites readers into a world where personal experiences are intertwined with historical events, offering a unique perspective on the passage of time and the power of memory.

Cujo is a 1981 psychological horror novel by American writer Stephen King about a rabid Saint Bernard. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982 and was made into a film in 1983.

Set in the Ardennes Forest on Christmas Eve 1944, Sergeant Will Knott and five other GIs are ordered close to the German lines to establish an observation post in an abandoned chateau. Here, they play at being soldiers in what seems to be complete isolation.

That is, until the Germans begin revealing their whereabouts and leaving signs of their presence: a scarecrow, equipment the squad had dropped on a retreat from a reconnaissance mission and, strangest of all, a small fir tree hung with fruit, candles, and cardboard stars.

Suddenly, Knott and the others must unravel these mysteries, learning as they do about themselves, about one another, and about the "enemy," until A Midnight Clear reaches its unexpected climax, one of the most shattering in the literature of war.

Her name was Killashandra Ree. After ten grueling years of musical training, she was still without prospects. Then she heard of the mysterious Heptite Guild on the planet Ballybran, home of the fabled Black Crystal. For those qualified, the Guild was said to provide careers, security, and the chance for wealth beyond imagining.

The problem was, few people who landed on Ballybran ever left. But to Killashandra, the risks were acceptable...

Ancient, ultimate evil threatened the Elves and the Races of Man. For the Ellcrys, the tree created by long-lost elven magic, was dying, losing the spell of Forbidding that locked the hordes of ravening Demons away from Earth. Already the Reaper, most fearsome of demons, was free. Only one source of protection was powerful enough to stop it: The Elfstones of Shannara.

The stones and the right to use them belonged to Wil Olmsford, given him by his grandfather Shea. Allanon, legendary Druid guardian, summoned him from his studies in Storlock to protect Amberle, the elven girl who must carry a seed of the tree to the mysterious Bloodfire, life-source of earth, there to be quickened and to create a new Ellcrys.

While Allanon and the Elves fight a hopeless war against the emerging demons, Wil and Amberle plunge forward in a seemingly impossible quest to find the Bloodfire.

Tout m’avale (…) Je suis avalée par le fleuve trop grand, par le ciel trop haut, par les fleurs trop fragiles, par les papillons trop craintifs, par le visage trop beau de ma mère.

L’Avalée des avalés, premier roman de Réjean Ducharme, s’ouvre sur ces mots crus, douloureux, vibrants, ces paroles d’écorchée vive qui immédiatement nous happent. Tout m’avale, scande la narratrice, et nous voilà, nous aussi, immédiatement “avalés”, pris à la gorge par la douleur vive de cette héroïne qui s’agrippe de toutes ses griffes à l’enfance, alors même que son corps est en train de la trahir.

Elle s’appelle Bérénice, elle a une famille – un père juif, une mère catholique – qu’elle hait, elle a un arbre, un “navire” où elle aime se réfugier. Quand je ne sais plus quoi faire, je m’embarque (…) Larguez les continents. Hissez les horizons. Ici, on part. Et nous partons. Loin sur les ailes de son imagination. Le plus loin possible de sa douleur, de la vie, de la petitesse des humains.

At last, the costly and bitter war between the two Foundations had come to an end. The scientists of the First Foundation had proved victorious; and now they return to Hari Seldon's long-established plan to build a new Empire on the ruins of the old. But rumors persist that the Second Foundation is not destroyed after all—and that its still-defiant survivors are preparing their revenge.

Now two exiled citizens of the Foundation—a renegade Councilman and a doddering historian—set out in search of the mythical planet Earth. . .and proof that the Second Foundation still exists. Meanwhile, someone—or something—outside of both Foundations seems to be orchestrating events to suit its own ominous purpose. Soon representatives of both the First and Second Foundations will find themselves racing toward a mysterious world called Gaia and a final shocking destiny at the very end of the universe!

Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through the world of espionage. James Bond is marked for death by the Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH in this masterful spy thriller.

SMERSH stands for ‘Death to Spies’, and there’s no secret agent they’d like to disgrace and destroy more than 007, James Bond. But ensnaring the British Secret Service’s most lethal operative will require a lure so tempting even he can’t resist. Enter Tatiana Romanova, a ravishing Russian spy whose ‘defection’ springs a trap designed with clockwork precision.

Her mission: seduce Bond, then flee to the West on the Orient Express. Waiting in the shadows are two of Ian Fleming’s most vividly drawn villains: Red Grant, SMERSH’s deadliest assassin, and the sinister operations chief Rosa Klebb — five feet four inches of pure killing power.

Bursting with action and intrigue, From Russia with Love is one of the best-loved books in the Bond canon — an instant classic that set the standard for sophisticated literary spycraft for decades to come.

Look Homeward, Angel: A Story of the Buried Life is a 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe. It is Wolfe's first novel and is considered a highly autobiographical American Bildungsroman. The character of Eugene Gant is generally believed to be a depiction of Wolfe himself. The novel covers the span of time from Gant's birth to the age of 19. The setting is the fictional town and state of Altamont, Catawba, a fictionalization of his home town, Asheville, North Carolina.

Playwright Ketti Frings wrote a theatrical adaptation of Wolfe's work in a 1957 play of the same title.

QB VII is a riveting courtroom drama by Leon Uris, exploring the depths of human nature under the most dire of circumstances. In Queen’s Bench Courtroom Number Seven, famous author Abraham Cady stands trial. In his book The Holocaust—born of the terrible revelation that the Jadwiga Concentration Camp was the site of his family’s extermination—Cady shook the consciousness of the human race. He also named eminent surgeon Sir Adam Kelno as one of Jadwiga's most sadistic inmate/doctors. Kelno has denied this and brought furious charges against Cady.

Sir Adam Kelno has spent his whole life covering up his past. After his political beliefs land him in Jadwiga, Poland’s worst concentration camp, Kelno earns privileges with the Nazis by performing inhumane operations on Jewish prisoners. Now, after rebuilding his name in a British colony and being knighted by the British monarchy, Kelno finally feels safe returning to London. But his past catches up with him when Cady's book names him one of the most sadistic doctors at Jadwiga. Anxious to quell the rumors, Kelno charges Cady with slandering his name. As the court proceedings draw out, Cady must fight to avenge his past while Kelno fights to save his future.

This novel not only delves into the horrors of the Holocaust but also presents a gripping legal battle, making it one of the great fictional trials of the century.

The Lottery and Other Stories collects short stories by Shirley Jackson, including "Like Mother Used to Make," "Afternoon in Linen," "A Fine Old Firm," as well as "The Lottery."

This collection demonstrates Jackson's remarkable range--from the hilarious to the truly horrible--and power as a storyteller. The creeping unease of lives squandered and the bloody glee of lives lost are chillingly captured in these tales of wasted potential and casual cruelty.

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling is a cherished collection that has entertained young and old alike for over a century. These classic tales, rooted in the oral storytelling traditions of India and Africa, feature mischievously clever animals and people. Through these stories, Kipling offers little pearls of wisdom about the pitfalls of arrogance and pride, along with the importance of curiosity, imagination, and inventiveness.

The prose is rhythmic, making these tales perfect for sharing aloud with the whole family. This edition not only includes all of Kipling's unforgettable stories but also features ten stunning watercolors and numerous black-and-white drawings by award-winning artist Barry Moser, bringing this timeless masterpiece brilliantly to life for a new generation of readers.