Bradley Chalkers is the oldest kid in the fifth grade. He tells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls. No one likes him—except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley is sensitive and generous, and knows that Bradley could change, if only he weren't afraid to try.

But when you feel like the most-hated kid in the whole school, believing in yourself can be the hardest thing in the world...

Windmills of the Gods is a classic best-selling thriller that races from the halls of the White House to the romance-filled streets of Paris, and the shady menace of Cold War Bucharest. A young woman, a newly appointed ambassador, finds herself facing unseen and powerful enemies plotting her and her children's destruction.

Mary Ashley, a beautiful and accomplished scholar, has suddenly become the U.S. ambassador to an Iron Curtain country. She is on the glinting edge of East-West confrontation and is about to dramatically change the course of world events if she lives.

Marked for death by the world's most proficient and mysterious assassin, Mary is plunged into a nightmare of espionage, kidnapping, and terror. In this thrilling journey, only two people—both powerfully attractive and ultimately enigmatic men—can offer her help. But one of them wants to kill her.

The action races from Washington D.C. to Buenos Aires, from Paris and Rome to Bucharest, as Mary struggles against her unseen assassins and the apparent treachery of the men she trusts. This is a gripping tale of suspense and international intrigue that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Entranced and terrified, the reader of The Other is swept up in the life of a Connecticut country town in the thirties—and in the fearful mysteries that slowly darken and overwhelm it.

Originally published in 1971, The Other is one of the most influential horror novels ever written. Its impeccable recreation of small-town life and its skillful handling of the theme of personality transference between thirteen-year-old twins led to widespread critical acclaim for the novel.

The book tells the chilling story of the Perry twins, Niles and Holland. They are identical 13-year-old twins, close enough to almost read each other’s thoughts, yet they couldn’t be more different. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please. As the summer goes on, Holland’s pranks become increasingly sinister, and Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother’s actions.

Jeff Bussey walked briskly up the rutted wagon road toward Fort Leavenworth on his way to join the Union volunteers. It was 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff was elated at the prospect of fighting for the North at last.

In the Indian country south of Kansas there was dread in the air; and the name, Stand Watie, was on every tongue. A hero to the rebel, a devil to the Union man, Stand Watie led the Cherokee Indian Nation fearlessly and successfully on savage raids behind the Union lines. Jeff came to know the Watie men only too well.

He was probably the only soldier in the West to see the Civil War from both sides and live to tell about it. Amid the roar of cannon and the swish of flying grape, Jeff learned what it meant to fight in battle. He learned how it felt never to have enough to eat, to forage for his food or starve. He saw the green fields of Kansas and Oklahoma laid waste by Watie's raiding parties, homes gutted, precious corn deliberately uprooted. He marched endlessly across parched, hot land, through mud and slashing rain, always hungry, always dirty and dog-tired.

And, Jeff, plain-spoken and honest, made friends and enemies. The friends were strong men like Noah Babbitt, the itinerant printer who once walked from Topeka to Galveston to see the magnolias in bloom; boys like Jimmy Lear, too young to carry a gun but old enough to give up his life at Cane Hill; ugly, big-eared Heifer, who made the best sourdough biscuits in the Choctaw country; and beautiful Lucy Washbourne, rebel to the marrow and proud of it. The enemies were men of another breed - hard-bitten Captain Clardy for one, a cruel officer with hatred for Jeff in his eyes and a dark secret on his soul.

This is a rich and sweeping novel-rich in its panorama of history; in its details so clear that the reader never doubts for a moment that he is there; in its dozens of different people, each one fully realized and wholly recognizable. It is a story of a lesser-known part of the Civil War, the Western campaign, a part different in its issues and its problems, and fought with a different savagery. Inexorably it moves to a dramatic climax, evoking a brilliant picture of a war and the men of both sides who fought in it.

Until the arrival of Aiken Drum, the 100,000 humans who had fled backward in time to Pliocene exile on Earth knew little but slavery to the Tanu, the humanoid aliens who came from another galaxy. But King Aiken's rule is precarious, for the Tanu's twisted brethren are secretly maneuvering to bring about his downfall.

Worse, Aiken is about to confront a man of incredibly powerful talents who nearly overthrew a galactic rule. He is Marc Remillard. Call him...The Adversary.

A magnificent coming-of-age story steeped in nostalgia, Norwegian Wood blends the music, the mood, and the ethos that were the sixties with a young man’s hopeless and heroic first love.

Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman. 

Set in the medieval fantasy kingdom of Valdemar, this unique and exciting novel continues the story of Talia. Having mastered the powers necessary to become a guardian of the kingdom, she faces the final preparation for her initiation as adviser and protector of the Queen.

Talia could scarcely believe that she had finally earned the rank of full Herald. Yet though this seemed like the fulfillment of all her dreams, it also meant she would face trials far greater than those she had previously survived. For now, Talia must ride forth to patrol the kingdom of Valdemar, dispensing Herald's justice throughout the land. But in this realm beset by dangerous unrest, enforcing her rulings would require all the courage and skill Talia could command—for if she misused her own special powers, both she and Valdemar would pay the price!

One of the most beloved historical fiction novels of all time! Through A Glass Darkly sparkles with all of the extravagance and scandal of a grand and glorious era. As opulent and passionate as the 18th century it celebrates.

Barbara Alderly has loved her husband, the wealthy, charming Earl of Devane, Roger Montgeoffry, since childhood. Set against a French court awash in intrigue, treachery, and debauchery, Barbara must learn to navigate the dark currents of deception, scandal, and betrayal.

Peopled by a cast of unforgettable characters, here is the story of a great family ruled by a dowager of extraordinary power; a young woman coming of age, seeking love in the midst of a storm; her mother, the cruel and self-centered Diana; and of a man haunted by a secret that could turn all of their dreams to ashes...

Through a Glass Darkly is infused with intrigue, sweetened by romance, and awash in the black ink of betrayal. A sprawling escape into 18th century English nobility and one heck of an engaging romantic drama.

Slim MacKenzie is no ordinary man. With eyes the color of twilight, he's been blessed with a psychic gift: premonitions. He's also been cursed, for Slim can see the monsters hiding among us, feeding on our suffering.

And when Slim joins a traveling carnival seeking sanctuary, what he'll find is a hunting ground — with humanity as the prey.

With more than ten million copies sold, Frank Herbert's magnificent Dune books stand among the major achievements of the human imagination. In this, the fifth and most spectacular Dune book of all, the planet Arrakis--now called Rakis--is becoming desert again. The Lost Ones are returning home from the far reaches of space. The great sandworms are dying. And the children of Dune's children awaken from empire as from a dream, wielding the new power of a heresy called love...

Camber was the greatest of the Deryni—that race of men who were gifted with arcane mental powers that set them above normal humans. In later legends, he was to become a figure of mystery, known as both the defender of humanity and the patron saint of dark magic. But now he sought only retirement on his family estates.

His dream of justice and amicable relations between the races had turned to ashes in his mind. The medieval kingdom of Gwynedd groaned under the tyranny of Imre and his sister and mistress, Ariella. Normal humans were savagely persecuted by the king, whose Deryni ancestors had seized the throne from the rightful human Haldane line a century before. Camber could not even save his own son from the murderous treachery of Imre.

When Camber learned that Cinhil Haldane, a descendant of the previous kings, still lived, he realized that the only hope for the kingdom lay in overthrowing Imre and restoring Cinhil to the throne. But Cinhil was a cloistered monk, hidden under his religious name in one of many monasteries, unaware of his heritage, untrained in politics. Could he be persuaded to leave the only life he knew and take on the leadership of a rebellion? And lacking the Deryni powers, could he hope to overcome the magic of the king?

Grimly, Camber set out to locate Cinhil and spirit him from the cloister into a struggle that seemed doomed from the start. And behind came the minions of the king—for Imre was already aware of the plot and bent on destroying all involved in it.

Wizard at Large is an enchanting tale of magical mishaps and adventurous quests. It all began when the half-able wizard Questor Thews announced his plan to restore the Court Scribe, Abernathy, to his human form.

However, the spell took an unexpected turn when Questor sneezed, accidentally unleashing chaos. Where Abernathy had stood, there now appeared only a bottle containing a particularly evil imp, who soon escapes into the world.

Join Ben Holiday, the High Lord of Landover, and his companions as they embark on a thrilling journey to Earth, not only to rescue their friend but also to deal with the mischievous imp wreaking havoc in the Magic Kingdom.

Alongside Ben is his beloved Willow, whose survival depends on returning to her roots, literally. As the story unfolds, Questor Thews, despite his self-doubt and bumbling nature, must summon the courage to save the day.

This delightful installment in the Magic Kingdom of Landover series promises laughter, excitement, and a touch of whimsy, making it a must-read for fans of comedic fantasy and enchanted adventures.

Young Jonathan Joestar's life is forever changed when he meets his new adopted brother, Dio. For some reason, Dio has a smoldering grudge against him and derives pleasure from seeing him suffer. But every man has his limits, as Dio finds out. This is the beginning of a long and hateful relationship!

Patriot Games is filled with the exceptional realism and authenticity that distinguished Tom Clancy's previous bestsellers. This novel places us on the cutting edge of a different type of war — the international battle of terrorism.

It is fall. Years before the defection of a Soviet submarine sends him hurtling into confrontation with the Soviets, historian, ex-Marine, and CIA analyst Jack Ryan is vacationing in London with his wife and young daughter. Suddenly, a terrorist attack unfolds before his eyes. Instinctively, he dives forward to break it up and is shot.

Upon waking in the hospital, he learns whose lives he has saved — the Prince and Princess of Wales and their new young son — and which enemies he has made — the Ulster Liberation Army, an ultra-left-wing splinter of the IRA.

By his impulsive act, Jack Ryan gains both the gratitude of a nation and the enmity of its most dangerous men — men who do not sit on their hate. In the weeks and months to come, Jack Ryan and his family become the targets of that hate.

Elric of Melniboné is a requisite title in the hard fantasy canon, a book no fantasy fan should leave unread. Author Michael Moorcock, already a major player in science fiction, cemented his position in the fantasy pantheon with the five-book Elric saga, of which Elric of Melniboné is the first installment. The book's namesake, the brooding albino emperor of the dying nation of Melniboné, is a sort of Superman for Goths, truly an archetype of the genre.

The youthful Elric is a cynical and melancholy king, heir to a nation whose 100,000-year rule of the world ended less than 500 years hence. More interested in brooding contemplation than holding the throne, Elric is a reluctant ruler, but he also realizes that no other worthy successor exists and the survival of his once-powerful, decadent nation depends on him alone.

Elric's nefarious, brutish cousin Yrkoon has no patience for his physically weak kinsman, and he plots constantly to seize Elric's throne, usually over his dead body. Elric of Melniboné follows Yrkoon's scheming, reaching its climax in a battle between Elric and Yrkoon with the demonic runeblades Stormbringer and Mournblade. In this battle, Elric gains control of the soul-stealing Stormbringer, an event that proves pivotal to the Elric saga.

From the author of the Jack Ryan series comes an electrifying #1 New York Times bestseller—a standalone military thriller that envisions World War 3... A chillingly authentic vision of modern war, Red Storm Rising is as powerful as it is ambitious. Using the latest advancements in military technology, the world's superpowers battle on land, sea, and air for ultimate global control. It is a story you will never forget. Hard-hitting. Suspenseful. And frighteningly real.

When Ellen Lang's husband disappears with their son, she hires Elvis Cole to track him down. Ellen, a quiet and seemingly submissive wife, can't even write a check without him. All she wants is to get him and her son back—no questions asked.

The search for Ellen's errant husband leads Elvis into the seamier side of Hollywood. He soon learns that Mort Lang is a down-on-his-luck talent agent who associates with a schlocky movie producer. The last place he was spotted was at a party thrown by a famous and very well-connected ex-Matador. But no one has seen him since—including his B-movie girlfriend.

At the same time, the police find Mort in his parked car with four gunshots in his chest—and no kid in sight—Ellen disappears. Now nothing is what it seems, and the heat is on. It's up to Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike to find the connection between sleazy Hollywood players and an ex-Matador.

The Eagle of the Ninth is a captivating tale set in Roman Britain, where a young Roman officer embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of the Ninth Legion. This legion had marched into the mists of Northern Britain and never returned.

The story weaves a rich tapestry of adventure and historical intrigue, bringing to life the ancient world and the challenges faced by those who dared to explore beyond the known boundaries. It's a tale of courage, honor, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

T.H White's masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend is an abiding classic. Here all five volumes that make up the story are published in one volume, as White himself always wished. Exquisite comedy offsets the tragedy of Arthur's personal doom as White brings to life the major British epic of all time with brilliance, grandeur, warmth and charm.

He called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever because he dared not believe in the strange alternate world in which he suddenly found himself. Yet the Land tempted him. He had been sick; now he seemed better than ever before. Through no fault of his own, he had been outcast, unclean, a pariah. Now he was regarded as a reincarnation of the Land's greatest hero--Berek Halfhand--armed with the mystic power of White Gold. That power alone could protect the Lords of the Land from the ancient evil of Despiser, Lord Foul. Only...Covenant had no idea of how the power could be used!

Thus begins one of the most remarkable epic fantasies ever written.

David Brin's Uplift novels are among the most thrilling and extraordinary science fiction ever written. Sundiver, Startide Rising, and The Uplift War together make up one of the most beloved sagas of all time.

Brin's tales are set in a future universe in which no species can reach sentience without being "uplifted" by a patron race. But the greatest mystery of all remains unsolved: who uplifted humankind?

As galactic armadas clash in quest of the ancient fleet of the Progenitors, a brutal alien race seizes the dying planet of Garth. The various uplifted inhabitants of Garth must battle their overlords or face ultimate extinction. At stake is the existence of Terran society and Earth, and the fate of the entire Five Galaxies.

Sweeping, brilliantly crafted, inventive and dramatic, The Uplift War is an unforgettable story of adventure and wonder from one of today's science fiction greats.

Meet Sam, the straitlaced computer-science major from Brigham Young University. And then meet Charly, the sparkling, quick-witted girl who steps into his world and turns it upside down.

Their courtship is a never-ending round of ups and downs - literally. On their first date, Charly tricks Sam into taking a Ferris wheel ride, then tells the operator they're engaged! All of this seems to be a little more than Sam can cope with. But he gradually comes to appreciate Charly's point of view.

From the girl who loves to laugh, he learns to do the same. He finds out for the first time what it's like to be really alive. Charly is a story of joy and spontaneity, learning and loving, and, most of all, growing.

Starship Troopers takes place in the midst of an interstellar war between the Terran Federation of Earth and the Arachnids (referred to as "The Bugs") of Klendathu. It is narrated as a series of flashbacks by Juan Rico, and is one of only a few Heinlein novels set out in this fashion. The novel opens with Rico aboard the corvette Rodger Young, about to embark on a raid against the planet of the "Skinnies," who are allies of the Arachnids.

We learn that he is a cap(sule) trooper in the Terran Federation's Mobile Infantry. The raid itself, one of the few instances of actual combat in the novel, is relatively brief: the Mobile Infantry land on the planet, destroy their targets, and retreat, suffering a single casualty in the process.

The story then flashes back to Rico's graduation from high school, and his decision to sign up for Federal Service over the objections of his father. This is the only chapter that describes Rico's civilian life, and most of it is spent on the monologues of two people: retired Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois, Rico's school instructor in "History and Moral Philosophy," and Fleet Sergeant Ho, a recruiter for the armed forces of the Terran Federation.

Dubois serves as a stand-in for Heinlein throughout the novel, and delivers what is probably the book's most famous soliloquy on violence, and how it "has settled more issues in history than has any other factor." Fleet Sergeant Ho's monologues examine the nature of military service, and his anti-military tirades appear in the book primarily as a contrast with Dubois.

Interspersed throughout the book are other flashbacks to Rico's high school History and Moral Philosophy course, which describe how in the Terran Federation of Rico's day, the rights of a full Citizen (to vote, and hold public office) must be earned through some form of volunteer Federal service. Those residents who have not exercised their right to perform this Federal Service retain the other rights generally associated with a modern democracy (free speech, assembly, etc.), but they cannot vote or hold public office.

In the next section of the novel Rico goes to boot camp at Camp Arthur Currie, on the northern prairies. Five chapters are spent exploring Rico's experience entering the service under the training of his instructor, Career Ship's Sergeant Charles Zim. Camp Currie is so rigorous that less than ten percent of the recruits finish basic training; the rest either resign, are expelled, or die in training.

At some point during Rico's training, the 'Bug War' has begun to brew, and Rico finds himself taking part in combat operations. The war "officially" starts with an Arachnid attack that annihilates the city of Buenos Aires, although Rico makes it clear that prior to the attack there were plenty of "'incidents,' 'patrols,' or 'police actions.'" Rico briefly describes the Terran Federation's loss at the Battle of Klendathu where his unit is decimated and his ship destroyed.

Eventually, Rico decides to become a career soldier and attends Officer Candidate School, which turns out to be just like boot camp, only "squared and cubed with books added." Rico is commissioned a temporary Third Lieutenant as a field-test final exam and commands his own unit during Operation Royalty; eventually he graduates as a Second Lieutenant and full-fledged officer.

The final chapter serves as more of a coda, depicting Rico aboard the Rodger Young as the lieutenant in command of Rico's Roughnecks, preparing to drop to Klendathu as part of a major strike, with his father (having joined the Service earlier in the novel) as his senior sergeant and a Third Lieutenant-in-training of his own under his wing.

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.

Aerin could not remember a time when she had not known the story; she had grown up knowing it.It was the story of her mother, the witchwoman who enspelled the king into marrying her, to get an heir that would rule Damar; and it was told that she turned her face to the wall and died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son.Aerin was that daughter.But there was more of the story yet to be told; Aerin's destiny was greater than even she had dreamed--for she was to be the true hero who would wield the power of the Blue Sword...

Beautiful and headstrong, Irene Beltrán works as a magazine journalist—a profession that belies her privileged upbringing and her engagement to an army captain. Her investigative partner is photographer Francisco Leal, the son of impoverished Spanish Marxist émigrés. Together, they form an unlikely but inseparable team—and Francisco quickly falls in love with the fierce and loyal Irene.

When an assignment leads them to a young girl whom locals believe to possess miraculous powers, they uncover an unspeakable crime perpetrated by an oppressive regime. Determined to reveal the truth in a nation overrun by terror and violence, each will risk everything to find justice—and, ultimately, to embrace the passion and fervor that binds them.

This profoundly moving tale of romance, bravery, and tragedy by New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende brings to life a country ruled with an iron fist—and the men and women who dare to challenge it.

It is the now-classic story of two fathers and two sons and the pressures on all of them to pursue the religion they share in the way that is best suited to each. And as the boys grow into young men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother, and a link to an unexplored world that neither had ever considered before. In effect, they exchange places, and find the peace that neither will ever retreat from again...

In 1914, a room full of German schoolboys, fresh-faced and idealistic, are goaded by their schoolmaster to troop off to the 'glorious war'. With the fire and patriotism of youth, they sign up. What follows is the moving story of a young 'unknown soldier' experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches.

James A. Michener’s masterly chronicle of South Africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness. From the Java-born Van Doorn family tree springs two great branches: one nurtures lush vineyards, the other settles the interior to become the first Trekboers and Afrikaners.

The Nxumalos, inhabitants of a peaceful village unchanged for centuries, unite warrior tribes into the powerful Zulu nation. And the wealthy Saltwoods are missionaries and settlers who join the masses to influence the wars and politics that ravage a nation. Rivalries and passions spill across the land of The Covenant, a story of courage and heroism, love and loyalty, and cruelty and betrayal, as generations fight to forge a new world.

The Agony and the Ecstasy is a compelling portrait of Michelangelo that brings both the artist and the man to life with exquisite detail and narrative skill. This biographical novel explores Michelangelo's dangerous, impassioned loves, and the divine fury from which he created some of the world's most extraordinary art.

Irving Stone masterfully captures the essence of Michelangelo's life, delving into his struggles, his triumphs, and the relentless pursuit of perfection that drove him to craft works such as the David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Through Stone's vivid storytelling, we are transported into the heart of the Renaissance, experiencing the fervor and the genius that defined an era.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures.

The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course and structure, characters, and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.

Dagon and Other Macabre Tales is a collection of some of the most intriguing and eerie stories penned by the legendary H.P. Lovecraft. This volume brings together tales of horror, the supernatural, and the bizarre, each woven with Lovecraft's unique style and imagination.

From the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of the cosmos, Lovecraft's stories delve into the unknown, exploring themes of madness, ancient gods, and the fragility of human sanity. Dagon, the titular story, immerses readers in a chilling narrative of a mariner's encounter with a monstrous sea deity.

With its blend of gothic horror and cosmic dread, this collection is a must-read for fans of the macabre and the mysterious. Arkham House Publishers, Inc. has ensured that this edition reflects the author's original vision, making it a treasured addition to any horror aficionado's library.

Thieves' World is a delightful fantasy anthology with a unique twist. Set in the same mystical town, this collection features a series of different stories penned by various authors. Each tale unfolds in the vibrant and bustling town, offering a rich tapestry of adventures, characters, and magic.

This anthology, edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, invites readers to explore the intriguing world where every street and alleyway holds a new tale waiting to be discovered. Dive into stories that intertwine seamlessly while standing strong on their own.

This is the first collection of the popular comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life.

Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit ist auf den ersten Blick zugleich ein Seefahrerroman, ein Roman über das Abenteuer und die Sehnsucht danach und ein Entwicklungsroman. Doch hat Sten Nadolny die Biographie des englischen Seefahrers und Nordpolforschers John Franklin (1786-1847) zu einer subtilen Studie über die Zeit umgeschrieben: die Langsamkeit als eine Kunst, dem Rhythmus des Lebens Sinn zu verleihen.

Wie bei einem Palimpsest erscheint hinter den Sätzen eine andere Schrift, hinter der Prägnanz und Redlichkeit der Aufklärung verbergen sich Humor und Traurigkeit der Romantik. Von Kindheit an träumt John Franklin davon, zur See zu fahren, obwohl er dafür denkbar ungeeignet ist: Langsam im Sprechen und Denken, langsam in seinen Reaktionen mißt er die Zeit nach eigenen Maßstäben.

Zunächst erkennt nur sein Lehrer, daß Johns eigenartige Behinderung auch Vorzüge hat - was er einmal erfaßt hat, das behält er, das Einzigartige, das Detail begreift er besser als andere. John Franklin geht zur Marine, erlebt den Krieg und das Sterben. Beides trifft ihn um so furchtbarer, als er innerhalb des von ihm kaum begriffenen, chaotisch schnellen Geschehens einzelne Vorgänge wie in Zeitlupe ablaufen sieht. Er träumt von friedlicher Entdeckung, will die legendäre Nordwestpassage finden.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is the story of two women in the 1980s: gray-headed Mrs. Threadgoode telling her life story to Evelyn, who is in the sad slump of middle age. The tale she tells is also of two women—of the irrepressibly daredevilish tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth, who back in the thirties ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama.

This Southern kind of Cafe Wobegon offered good barbecue and good coffee and all kinds of love and laughter, even an occasional murder. As the story unfolds, readers are transported to a time and place where the past's warmth colors the present.

Once and Always, one of Judith McNaught's most masterful and moving love stories, powerfully brings to life the fiery passion of a free-spirited American beauty and a troubled English lord.

Suddenly orphaned and alone, Victoria Seaton sails the vast ocean, eager to reclaim her heritage at Wakefield, the sumptuous English estate of a distant cousin, the notorious Lord Jason Fielding. Bewildered by his arrogance yet drawn to his panther-like grace, she senses the painful memories that smolder in his eyes. When he gathers her at last into his arms, arousing a sweet, insistent hunger, they wed and are embraced by fierce, consuming joy -- free from the past's cruel grasp. Then, in a moment of anguish, Victoria discovers the treachery at the heart of their love... a love she had dreamed would triumph not just once, but always.

At forty-three Jeff Winston is tired of his low-paid, unrewarding job, tired of the long silences at the breakfast table with his wife, saddened by the thought of no children to comfort his old age. But he hopes for better things, for happiness, maybe tomorrow ... But a sudden, fatal heart attack puts paid to that. Until Jeff wakes up in his eighteen-year-old body, all his memories of the next twenty-five years intact.

If he applies those memories, he can be rich in this new chance at life and can become one of the most powerful men in America. Until he dies at forty-three and wakes up in his eighteen-year-old body again ... and again in a continuous twenty-five year cycle each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, make a fortune - or remedy past mistakes.

A novel of gripping adventure, romance, and fascinating speculation on the nature of time, Replay asks the question: "What if you could live your life over again?"

The Leopard is a story of a decadent and dying aristocracy threatened by the forces of revolution and democracy. Set against the political upheavals of Italy in the 1860s, it focuses on Don Fabrizio, a Sicilian prince of immense sensual appetites, wealth, and great personal magnetism. Around this powerful figure swirls a glittering array of characters: a Bourbon king, liberals and pseudo liberals, peasants and millionaires.

Anywhere But Here is a moving, often comic portrait of wise child Ann August and her mother, Adele, a larger-than-life American dreamer. As they travel through the landscape of their often conflicting ambitions, Ann and Adele bring to life a novel that is a brilliant exploration of the perennial urge to keep moving, even at the risk of profound disorientation.

The story begins when eleven-year-old Ann August and her mother Adele abandon their home in Wisconsin, leaving behind the two people Ann loves most: her grandmother Lillian and her cousin Benny. Mother and daughter are on the road to California, where Adele hopes to launch a star career for Ann in Hollywood.

Their relationship has always been close, but volatile, and frivolous Adele is the cause of all Ann's worries: whether she's hoping to get rich, trying to attract a new husband, or spending too much money on clothes. As they drive across the parched American landscape in search of a better life, theirs is a journey of discovery—of new possibilities and of their respective dreams of each other.

London is poised on the brink of World War II. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place.

Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son.

Since his first appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. Now, in two paperback volumes, Bantam presents all fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Conan Doyle’s classic hero - a truly complete collection of Sherlock Holmes’s adventures in crime!

Volume I includes the early novel A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the eccentric genius of Sherlock Holmes to the world. This baffling murder mystery, with the cryptic word Rache written in blood, first brought Holmes together with Dr. John Watson. Next, The Sign of Four presents Holmes’s famous “seven percent solution” and the strange puzzle of Mary Morstan in the quintessential locked-room mystery.

Also included are Holmes’s feats of extraordinary detection in such famous cases as the chilling The Adventure of the Speckled Band, the baffling riddle of The Musgrave Ritual, and the ingeniously plotted The Five Orange Pips, tales that bring to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn cabs, fogs, and the famous lodgings at 221B Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes earned his undisputed reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time.

This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.

And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.

And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies...

John Merrick had lived for more than twenty years imprisoned in a body that condemned him to a miserable life in the workhouse and to humiliation as a circus sideshow freak. But beneath that tragic exterior, within that enormous and deformed head, thrived the soul of a poet, the heart of a dreamer, the longings of a man.

Merrick was doomed to suffer forever—until the kind Dr. Treves gave him the first real home in the London Hospital, and the town's most beautiful and esteemed actress made possible Merrick's cherished dream of human contact—and love.

Mary Ingles was twenty-three, happily married, and pregnant with her third child when Shawnee Indians invaded her peaceful Virginia settlement in 1755 and kidnapped her, leaving behind a bloody massacre. For months they held her captive. But nothing could imprison her spirit.

With the rushing Ohio River as her guide, Mary Ingles walked one thousand miles through an untamed wilderness no white woman had ever seen. Her story lives on—extraordinary testimony to the indomitable strength of one pioneer woman who risked her life to return to her own people.

Olivia dreamed of a sun-filled love, a happy life. Then she entered Foxworth Hall...

V.C. Andrews' thrilling new novel spins a tale of dreadful secrets and dark, forbidden passions—of the time before Flowers in the Attic began. Long before terror flowered in the attic, thin, spinsterish Olivia came to Virginia as Malcolm Foxworth's bride. At last, with her tall handsome husband, she would find the joy she has waited for, longed for.

But in the gloomy mansion filled with hidden rooms and festering desires, a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread... an evil that will threaten her children, two lovely boys and one very special, beautiful girl. For within one innocent child, a shocking secret lives... a secret that will taint the proud Foxworth name, and haunt all their lives forever!

Thomas Bernhard is one of the greatest twentieth-century writers in the German language. Extinction, his last novel, takes the form of the autobiographical testimony of Franz-Josef Murau. The intellectual black sheep of a powerful Austrian land-owning family, Murau lives in self-exile in Rome. Obsessed and angry with his identity as an Austrian, he resolves never to return to the family estate of Wolfsegg.

But when news comes of his parents' deaths, he finds himself master of Wolfsegg and must decide its fate. Written in Bernhard's seamless style, Extinction is the ultimate proof of his extraordinary literary genius.

This boxed set includes four novels from the Earth's Children series: The Mammoth Hunters, The Valley of Horses, Clan of the Cave Bear, and Plains of Passage. Dive into the prehistoric world and follow the adventures that unfold in this captivating series.