Books with category 📚 Fiction
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Hinds' Feet on High Places

1985

by Hannah Hurnard

Hinds' Feet on High Places remains Hannah Hurnard's best known and most beloved book: a timeless allegory dramatizing the yearning of God's children to be led to new heights of love, joy, and victory. In this moving tale, follow Much-Afraid on her spiritual journey as she overcomes many dangers and mounts at last to the High Places. There she gains a new name and is transformed by her union with the loving Shepherd.

Included in this special edition is Hannah Hurnard's own account of the circumstances that led her to write Hinds' Feet, and a brief autobiography. Special edition also features a new cover design.

King Ottokar's Sceptre

1985

by Hergé

Tintin finds a lost briefcase and returns it to the owner, Professor Hector Alembick, who is a sigilographer, an expert on seals. He shows Tintin his collection of seals, including one which belonged to the Syldavian King Ottokar IV. Tintin then discovers that he and Alembick are under surveillance by some strange men. Tintin's flat is even bombed in an attempt to kill him. Suspecting a Syldavian connection, Tintin offers to accompany Alembick to Syldavia for research.

On the plane, Tintin begins to suspect his companion. The Alembick travelling with him doesn't smoke and doesn't seem to need the spectacles he wears, while the Alembick he first met smoked heavily and had very poor eyesight. During a layover, Tintin fakes a fall and grabs Alembick's beard, thinking it is false and Alembick is an imposter. However, it is (for Alembick) painfully real. Tintin decides to let the matter drop but then, while flying over Syldavia, it is the pilot of the plane who opens a trap door and Tintin drops out, landing in a haywagon.

Tintin has a hunch that a plot is afoot to steal the sceptre of King Ottokar IV. In Syldavia, the reigning King must possess the sceptre to rule or he will be forced to abdicate. Every year he rides in a parade during St. Vladimir's Day carrying it, while the people sing the national anthem. Tintin succeeds in warning the reigning King, Muskar XII, despite the efforts of the conspirators. He and the King rush to the royal treasure room to find Alembick, the royal photographer and some guards unconscious and the sceptre missing.

Tintin's friends Thomson and Thompson are summoned to investigate but their theory on how the sceptre was stolen proves bad and painful for them. Later on, Tintin notices a spring cannon in a toy shop and this gives him the clue. Professor Alembick had asked for some photographs to be taken of the sceptre, but the camera was a spring cannon in disguise, which allowed him to catapult it out of the castle into a nearby forest.

Searching the forest, Tintin spots the sceptre being found by agents of the neighbouring country, Borduria. Following them all the way to the border, he wrests the sceptre from them. In the wallet of one of the thieves he discovers papers that show that the theft of the sceptre was just part of a major plan for the taking over of Syldavia by their long-time political rival, Borduria.

Tintin steals a Me-109 from a Bordurian airfield (whose squadron is being kept ready to take part in the envisioned "Anschluss" of Syldavia) to fly it back to the King in time. He is shot down by the Syldavians who have naturally opened fire on an enemy aircraft violating their airspace. He manages to make the rest of the journey by foot.

Meanwhile the Interior Minister informs the King that rumours have been spreading that the sceptre has been stolen and that there have been riots against local Bordurian businesses, acts which would justify a Bordurian takeover of the country. The King is about to abdicate when Snowy runs in with the sceptre (which had fallen out of Tintin's pocket).

Tintin then gives the King the papers he took from the man who stole the sceptre. They prove that the plot was masterminded by Müsstler, leader of the Iron Guard, a local political party. The King takes action by having Müsstler and his associates arrested and the army mobilised along the Bordurian frontier. In response, the Bordurian leader pulls his own troops back from the border, though he stresses his own country's "desire for peace" and criticises Syldavia's "strange" behaviour.

The next day is St. Vladimir's Day and Tintin is made a Knight of the Order of the Golden Pelican, the first non-Syldavian to receive such an honour. Further inquiries by the authorities reveal that, in a classic Ruritanian plot device, Professor Alembick is one of a pair of identical twins: Hector Alembick was kidnapped and replaced with his brother Alfred who left for Syldavia in his place.

Tintin and Snowy return home by a flying boat with Thomson and Thompson, who suffer momentary panic when the aircraft appears to be falling into the sea at the end of the flight. The reader is treated to a rare "wink to the camera" from Tintin, who points out their error, and they laugh about it so much that they do indeed fall into the sea as they disembark.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom. In order to gain it, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies—each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt.

Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters, the noble Sheftu, and she starts to believe in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help and her heart, her duplicity is discovered, and a battle ensues in which both Mara's life and the fate of Egypt are at stake.

Plume: précédé de Lointain intérieur

1985

by Henri Michaux

Dès ses premiers livres, Henri Michaux faisait entendre une voix profondément singulière. Et même si la parenté de ces textes avec les récits de Kafka (dans Plume notamment, publié en 1930) peut sembler évidente, leur force tient encore aujourd'hui du miracle : miracle de voir une langue retrouver sa jouvence, miracle de découvrir chaque mot remis à nu, débarrassé de tout artifice, y dévoilant un monde loin des apparences, une réalité secrète et souterraine.

Toute sa vie, Michaux fut un grand solitaire, un aristocrate de la littérature. Mais à peine entrebâillées, les portes de ce Lointain intérieur projettent le lecteur dans un royaume de rêves et de terreurs, dont le fil se déroule suivant la logique implacable du désespoir. Ce monde brutal, pesant, écrase l'homme-plume avec une sauvagerie qui évoque les premiers âges de notre Histoire.

La poésie de Michaux ne s'embarrasse pas de mélodies. Cri, clameur, puis rumeur, gonflements et sursauts, éruptions puis éboulements. Moderne, à l'écart de toutes les modes, Michaux a su demeurer une référence, un pionnier qui n'a pas pris une ride.

The Fourth Protocol

Professional thief Jim Rawlings breaks into the apartment of a senior civil servant and unintentionally discovers stolen top-secret documents. Although one of the most notorious thieves in London, he is enough of a patriot to anonymously send the documents to MI5 so that they might locate the traitor.

In Moscow, British defector Kim Philby drafts a memorandum for the Soviet General Secretary stating that, if the Labour Party wins the next general election in the United Kingdom (scheduled for sometime in the subsequent eighteen months), the "hard left" of the party will oust the moderate populist Neil Kinnock in favour of a radical new leader who will adopt a true Marxist-Leninist manifesto. This includes the expulsion of all American forces from the United Kingdom and the country's withdrawal from and repudiation of NATO.

In conjunction with a GRU general, an academic named Krilov, and a master strategist, Philby devises "Plan Aurora" to ensure a Labour victory by exploiting the party's support for unilateral disarmament. Although it is noted that the strategist, a nuclear physicist and chess Grand Master, has come up with most of the plan's strategy.

Only British agent John Preston stands any chance of breaching the conspiracy. Through plot and counterplot, from bloody back streets to polished halls of power both East and West, his desperate investigation is relentlessly blocked by deceit, treachery, and the most deadly enemy of all... time.

Thinner

1985

by Richard Bachman

Billy Halleck, good husband and loving father, is both beneficiary and victim of the American good life: He has an expensive home, a nice family, and a rewarding career as a lawyer...but he is also fifty pounds overweight and edging into heart attack country.

Robots and Empire

1985

by Isaac Asimov

Long after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Earthman Elijah Baley, Keldon Amadiro embarked on a plan to destroy planet Earth. But even after his death, Baley's vision continued to guide his robot partner, R. Daneel Olivaw, who had the wisdom of a great man behind him and an indestructible will to win.


In this gripping continuation of the famous Robot Series, the universe's future hangs in the balance. The once powerful Spacers may have weakened, but the desire for revenge and destruction remains strong. Dr. Kelden Amadiro is determined to bring total annihilation to Earth, but Lady Gladia vows to stop him at any cost, sealing the fate of Earth and all who live there.

Crash

1985

by J.G. Ballard

In Ballard's hallucinatory novel, the car provides the hellish tableau in which Vaughan, a "TV scientist" turned "nightmare angel of the highways," experiments with erotic atrocities among auto crash victims, each more sinister than the last. James Ballard, his friend and fellow obsessive, tells the story of this twisted visionary as he careens rapidly toward his own demise in an intentionally orchestrated car crash with Elizabeth Taylor. A classic work of cutting edge fiction, Crash explores the disturbing potentialities of contemporary society's increasing dependence on technology as intermediary in human relations.

The Naked Face

1985

by Sidney Sheldon

Judd Stevens is a psychoanalyst faced with the most critical case of his life. If he does not penetrate the mind of a murderer, he will find himself arrested for murder or murdered himself...

Two people closely involved with Dr. Stevens have already been killed. Is one of his patients responsible? Someone overwhelmed by his problems? A neurotic driven by compulsion? A madman?

Before the murderer strikes again, Judd must strip away the mask of innocence the criminal wears, uncover his inner emotions, fears, and desires — expose the naked face beneath...

The Handmaid's Tale

1985

by Margaret Atwood

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now . . .

Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.

The Star Diaries: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy

1985

by Stanisław Lem

Welcome to the incredible adventures of space traveler Ijon Tichy! In a universe filled with bizarre creatures and civilizations, Tichy encounters worlds that satirize science, rationality, theology, and other human pride icons.

Imagine a traveler constantly meeting himself through time jumps, a spy observing the world of robots, and an explorer facing strange beings and civilizations in space. Or a passenger desperately lost in a supernova forest, searching for a way out.

This entertaining novel by one of the world's greatest science fiction authors, Stanislaw Lem, playfully mocks the icons of human pride such as technology, theology, and rational thought. Whether it's curious potatoes eager for space journeys, devout robots, or robots unable to erase humanity's history of massacre from their memories, it's all here in one complete package!

Lonesome Dove

1985

by Larry McMurtry

Lonesome Dove, a Pulitzer Prize-winning classic by Larry McMurtry, is an epic tale that stands as a monument to the last defiant wilderness of America. Set in the late nineteenth century, this novel takes us on an unforgettable journey to the small Texas town of Lonesome Dove.

Encounter a vivid cast of characters, ranging from heroes and outlaws to whores and dignified ladies, as well as Indians and settlers. This narrative is not only a love story and an adventure but also a reflection of the American frontier spirit. With its rich authenticity and beautiful prose, Lonesome Dove invites readers to laugh, weep, dream, and remember.

Through the eyes of the characters—Augustus McCrae and W.F. Call, former Texas Rangers with contrasting personalities and unspoken emotions—we experience the harsh realities and the deep bonds of friendship on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. This grand novel captures the essence of the American dream and the indomitable pioneer spirit.

...And Ladies of the Club

...And Ladies of the Club is a captivating novel that explores the lives of the members of a book club. Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous world, it delves into their personal struggles and relationships.

This groundbreaking bestseller, with over two and a half million copies in print, continues to enchant, enthrall, and intrigue readers. It's a true classic that offers a deep understanding of the characters and their journey through life.

New Grub Street

1985

by George Gissing

New Grub Street by George Gissing re-creates a microcosm of London's literary society as he experienced it. This novel is both a major social document and a compelling story that draws readers into the twilit world of Edwin Reardon, a struggling novelist, and his friends and acquaintances on Grub Street, including the ambitious journalist Jasper Milvain and the embittered critic Alfred Yule.

Gissing brings to life the bitter battles fought out in obscure garrets or in the Reading Room of the British Museum, portraying the conflict between integrity and the demands of the marketplace. The narrative delves into the miseries of genteel poverty and the damage that failure and hardship inflict on human personality and relationships.

The Cider House Rules

1985

by John Irving

Raised from birth in the orphanage at St. Cloud's, Maine, Homer Wells has become the protege of Dr. Wilbur Larch, its physician and director. There Dr. Larch cares for the troubled mothers who seek his help, either by delivering and taking in their unwanted babies or by performing illegal abortions. Meticulously trained by Dr. Larch, Homer assists in the former, but draws the line at the latter.

Then a young man brings his beautiful fiancee to Dr. Larch for an abortion, and everything about the couple beckons Homer to the wide world outside the orphanage...

The Walking Drum

1985

by Louis L'Amour

Louis L'Amour has been best known for his ability to capture the spirit and drama of the authentic American West. Now he guides his readers to an even more distant frontier—the enthralling lands of the twelfth century.

Warrior, lover, and scholar, Kerbouchard is a daring seeker of knowledge and fortune bound on a journey of enormous challenge, danger, and revenge. Across Europe, over the Russian steppes, and through the Byzantine wonders of Constantinople, Kerbouchard is thrust into the treacheries, passions, violence, and dazzling wonders of a magnificent time.

From castle to slave galley, from sword-racked battlefields to a princess's secret chamber, and ultimately, to the impregnable fortress of the Valley of Assassins, The Walking Drum is a powerful adventure in an ancient world that you will find every bit as riveting as Louis L'Amour's stories of the American West.

The Wishsong of Shannara

1985

by Terry Brooks

Horror stalks the Four Lands. The Ildatch, an immemorial book of evil spells, has stirred to eldritch life, sending its foul Mord Wraiths to accomplish at last mankind's destruction.

Once again, Allanon, ancient Druid Protector of the Races, must seek the help of a descendant of Jerle Shannara. Brin, daughter of Wil Ohmsford, born with the magic of the Wishsong, which alone can open a way to the Ildatch, reluctantly joins him on his perilous journey east.

Meanwhile, her younger brother Jair learns that Brin will fail and die, unless he can reach her in time. As Brin walks into the trap the Ildatch has set, Jair must travel through the very heart of evil to reach her.

Bridge of Birds

1985

by Barry Hughart

When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found Master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure.

The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures—and strange coincidences, which were really not coincidences at all. And it involved them in an ancient crime that still perturbed the serenity of Heaven.

Simply and charmingly told, this is a wry tale, a sly tale, and a story of wisdom delightfully askew. Once read, its marvels and beauty will not easily fade from the mind.

The author claims that this is a novel of an ancient China that never was. But, oh…it should have been!

The House of the Spirits

1985

by Isabel Allende

The House of the Spirits, the unforgettable first novel that established Isabel Allende as one of the world’s most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world.

When their daughter Blanca embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

One of the most important novels of the twentieth century, The House of the Spirits is an enthralling epic that spans decades and lives, weaving the personal and the political into a universal story of love, magic, and fate.

The Wheel of Fortune

1985

by Susan Howatch

Take me back to Oxmoon, the lost paradise of our childhood. Take me back to Oxmoon and make it live again!

Oxmoon, the rambling old mansion on a sprawling estate in Wales, has been for generations, the dream, the downfall, and the destiny of the wealthy Godwin family. They are entranced by tales of glittering parties where young lovers waltzed beneath the chandeliers as the orchestra played "The Blue Danube Waltz." They are ensnared by the family legacy of madness, murder, and doomed romance — the disastrous consequences of 19th-century Gwyneth Godwin's scandalous affair with sheep farmer Owen Bryn-Davies.

Discover how these extraordinary people were caught on life's wheel of fortune, how the family legacy pursues all of the Godwins who live and die for the memories and the beauty of Oxmoon.

Cycle of the Werewolf

1985

by Stephen King

The first scream came from the snowbound railwayman who felt the fangs ripping at his throat. The next month, there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her snug bedroom.

Now, scenes of unbelieving horror come each time the full moon shines on the isolated Maine town of Tarker Mills. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure: when the moon grows fat, a paralyzing fear sweeps through Tarker Mills.

For snarls that sound like human words can be heard whining through the wind. And all around are the footprints of a monster whose hunger cannot be sated...

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

1985

by Hilda D. Spear

Wuthering Heights is a classic tale of intense passion, destructive obsession, and the haunting power of love. Set in the wild, rugged Yorkshire moors, this novel explores the turbulent relationship between the enigmatic Heathcliff and the free-spirited Catherine Earnshaw. Their love defies social conventions and transcends time, leading to a series of dramatic events that leave a lasting impact on both their families.

Through its vivid characters and darkly atmospheric setting, the novel delves into themes of revenge, madness, and the supernatural. Emily Brontë's masterful storytelling captures the raw emotions and complexities of human nature, making Wuthering Heights a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate readers.

The Class

1985

by Erich Segal

From world-renowned author Erich Segal comes a powerful and moving saga of five extraordinary members of the Harvard class of 1958 and the women with whom their lives are intertwined.

Five lives, five love stories:

  • Danny Rossi, the musical prodigy, risks it all for Harvard, even a break with his domineering father. Yet his real problems are too much fame too soon—and too many women.
  • Ted Lambros spends his four years as a commuter, an outsider. He is obsessed by his desire to climb to the top of the Harvard academic ladder, heedless of what it will cost him in personal terms.
  • Jason Gilbert, the Golden Boy—handsome, charismatic, a brilliant athlete—learns at Harvard that he cannot ignore his Jewish background. Only in tragedy will he find his true identity.
  • George Keller, a refugee from Communist Hungary, comes to Harvard with the barest knowledge of English. But with ruthless determination, he masters not only the language but the power structure of his new country.
  • Andrew Eliot is haunted by three centuries of Harvard ancestors who cast giant shadows on his confidence. It is not until the sad and startling events of the reunion that he learns his value as a man.

Their explosive story begins in a time of innocence and spans a turbulent quarter century, culminating in their dramatic twenty-five year reunion at which they confront their classmates—and the balance sheet of their own lives.

Always at the center; amid the passion, laughter, and glory, stands Harvard—the symbol of who they are and who they will be.

They were a generation who made the rules—then broke them—whose glittering successes, heartfelt tragedies, and unbridled ambitions would stun the world.

Beyond the Chocolate War

1985

by Robert Cormier

The school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past history. But no one at Trinity School can forget The Chocolate War.

Devious Archie Costello, commander of the secret school organization called the Vigils, still has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates. In spite of this pleasure, Archie is troubled by his right-hand man, Obie, who has started to move away from the Vigils. Luckily, Archie knows his stooges will fix that. But won't Archie be shocked when he discovers the surprise Obie has waiting for him?

And there are surprises waiting for others. The time for revenge has come to those boys who secretly suffered the trials of Trinity. The fuse is set for the final explosion. Who will survive?

The Gods of Mars

After the long exile on Earth, John Carter finally returned to his beloved Mars. But the beautiful Dejah Thoris, the woman he loved, had vanished. Now he was trapped in the legendary Eden of Mars—an Eden from which none ever escaped alive.

Three monstrous white apes sprang into the arena. On her throne, Issus, the living goddess of the First Born, leaned forward in keen anticipation. At length, the apes spied the huddled knot of terror-stricken maidens and, with demoniacal shrieks of bestial frenzy, charged upon them.

A wave of mad fury surged over me. A single blow sent my guard unconscious to the ground. Snatching up his long-sword, I leaped into the arena. The sword whirled and a great ape sprawled headless at the feet of the fainting girls. The other apes were upon me now—but my act had heartened the prisoners, and the cages vomited forth their inmates hot with the lust to kill—doomed men dedicated to revenge upon Issus!

But against each of us were a thousand warriors of the First Born.

If Tomorrow Comes

1985

by Sidney Sheldon

This is a story of intrigue and revenge. Tracy Whitney is young, beautiful, and intelligent - and about to marry into wealth and glamour. Until, suddenly, she is betrayed, framed by a ruthless Mafia gang, abandoned by the man she loves. Only her ingenuity saves her and helps her fight back.

Love's Enduring Promise

1985

by Janette Oke

Tragedy brought them together, but love bound them into a family. Clark and Marty Davis, the pioneer couple thrown together after the death of their first spouses, now preside over a growing number of youngsters in their prairie home.

Together they face the joys and trials of life on a homesteader's farm. Will they be able to find a suitable teacher for the long-awaited new school? Is the "very learned" Eastern preacher going to be able to communicate with the simple people of the West?

And how do Clark and Marty guide their lovely daughter, now grown to womanhood, in her choice of a partner?

Davita's Harp

1985

by Chaim Potok

For Davita Chandal, growing up in New York in the 1930s and '40s is an experience of indescribable joy—and unfathomable sadness. Her loving parents, both fervent radicals, fill her with the fiercely bright hope for a new, better world. But the deprivations of war and the Depression take their ruthless toll.

And Davita, unexpectedly, finds in the Jewish faith that her mother had long ago abandoned both a solace to her questioning inner pain and a test of her budding spirit of independence. To her, life's elusive possibilities for happiness, for fulfillment, for decency, become as real and resonant as the music of the small harp that hangs on her door, welcoming all guests with its sweet, gentle tones.

Shadow of the Moon

1985

by M.M. Kaye

Shadow of the Moon takes readers on an enthralling journey back to the vast, intoxicating romance of India under the British Raj. In this captivating tale, Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress, returns to her beloved India, only to find herself amidst the chaos and passion of a land on the brink of rebellion.

This is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her dedicated protector, who is consumed by an aching desire to possess her. As India erupts into the fiery chaos of the Mutiny, Winter and Alex are thrust together in a desperate and unforgettable struggle for survival.

Filled with the mystery of moonlit palace gardens and the whisperings of passion and intrigue, M. M. Kaye masterfully evokes an era that is both of its time and timeless. This is a saga of desperate, consuming love forged in the fires of a war that threatens to topple an empire.

Nine Tomorrows

1985

by Isaac Asimov

Nine Tomorrows is a captivating collection of nine short stories by the legendary Isaac Asimov. These tales explore the intricate and fascinating realms of science fiction, offering a glimpse into a future that is both intriguing and thought-provoking.

The stories included are:

  • Profession
  • The Feeling of Power
  • The Dying Night
  • I'm in Marsport without Hilda
  • The Gentle Vultures
  • All the Troubles of the World
  • Spell My Name with an S
  • The Last Question (one of Asimov's most often requested stories)
  • The Ugly Little Boy (Asimov's own personal favorite)

Each story delves into themes of technology, human nature, and the unexpected consequences of our actions. Asimov's masterful storytelling and imaginative foresight make Nine Tomorrows a must-read for any science fiction enthusiast.

La Regenta

1985

by Leopoldo Alas

La Regenta is a masterpiece penned by Leopoldo Alas, also known as "Clarín". This novel paints a vivid picture of the bourgeois and urban society, dominated by a decadent nobility, selfish clergy, and political bosses.

The story revolves around Ana Ozores, a representative of this society, caught in the throes of seduction and adultery. Influenced by the naturalist school rooted in Zola and Maupassant, yet still tied to romantic arguments, this work is heralded as the best novel of 19th-century Spain.

Set in the conservative provincial town of Vetusta, Ana, married to a retired magistrate, seeks fulfillment through religion and even adultery. This quest sparks a bitter conflict between a powerful priest and a would-be Don Juan for Ana's body and soul, offering a searing critique of the Church and a frank treatment of societal norms.

In His Steps

This is the inspirational novel that popularized the expression, What Would Jesus Do?


Written by a Congregational minister, it tells of four prominent members of a small town who resolve to undertake no action without first considering Christ's example.


Originally published in 1897, it continues to speak to modern readers.

The Polar Express

The Polar Express is a treasured holiday tradition. This lavish gift set includes a CD audio recording read by Liam Neeson, a keepsake "All Aboard" ornament, and a note from author Chris Van Allsburg.

Awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1986, The Polar Express has sold more than 7 million copies, become a classic holiday movie, and been translated into stage productions that take place across the United States during the holiday season.

Armor

1984

by John Steakley

Felix is an Earth soldier, encased in special body armor designed to withstand Earth's most implacable enemy—a bioengineered, insectoid alien horde. But Felix is also equipped with internal mechanisms that enable him, and his fellow soldiers, to survive battle situations that would destroy a man's mind.

This is a remarkable novel of the horror, the courage, and the aftermath of combat—and how the strength of the human spirit can be the greatest armor of all.

Novel with Cocaine

1984

by M. Ageyev

Novel with Cocaine delves into the depths of an adolescent's cocaine addiction, presenting a Dostoevskian psychological novel of ideas. It explores the complex interplay between psychology, philosophy, and ideology through the story of Vadim, who, after formative experiences at school and with women, succumbs to drug abuse and the philosophical reflections it provokes.

Though the narrative makes little direct reference to the Revolution, it's set against a backdrop where the obsession with addictive forms of thinking resonates with the historical context. The novel critically examines how "our inborn feelings of humanity and justice" can lead to "the cruelties and satanic transgressions committed in its name."

Enchanters' End Game

1984

by David Eddings

The Drive of Prophecy

The quest was over. The Orb of Aldur was restored. And once again, with the crowning of Garion, there was a descendant of Riva Iron-grip to rule as Overlord of the West.

But the Prophecy was unfulfilled. In the east, the evil God Torak was about to awaken and seek dominion. Somehow, Garion had to face the God, to kill or be killed. On the outcome of that dread duel rested the destiny of the world.

Now, accompanied by his grandfather, the ancient sorcerer Belgarath, Garion headed toward the City of Endless Night, where Torak awaited him.

To the south, his fiancée, the princess Ce'Nedra, led the armies of the West in a desperate effort to divert the forces of Torak's followers from the man she loved.

The Prophecy drove Garion on. But it gave no answer to the question that haunted him: How does a man kill an immortal God?

Jitterbug Perfume

1984

by Tom Robbins

Jitterbug Perfume is an epic, which is to say, it begins in the forests of ancient Bohemia and doesn't conclude until nine o'clock tonight [Paris time]. It is a saga, as well. A saga must have a hero, and the hero of this one is a janitor with a missing bottle. The bottle is blue, very, very old, and embossed with the image of a goat-horned god. If the liquid in the bottle is actually the secret essence of the universe, as some folks seem to think, it had better be discovered soon because it is leaking and there is only a drop or two left.

The Camomile Lawn

1984

by Mary Wesley

Behind the large house, the fragrant camomile lawn stretches down to the Cornish cliffs. Here, in the dizzying heat of August 1939, five cousins gather at their aunt's house for their annual holiday ritual. For most, it is the last summer of their youth, filled with the heady exhilarations and freedoms of lost innocence, as well as the fears of the coming war.

The Camomile Lawn moves from Cornwall to London and back again over the years, weaving the stories of the cousins, their family, and friends. They are united by shared losses, lovers, family ties, and the absurd conditions imposed by war as their paths cross and recross.

Mary Wesley presents an extraordinarily vivid and lively picture of wartime London: the rationing, imaginatively circumvented; the fallen houses; the parties; the newfound comforts of sex; and the desperate humour of survival—all evoked with warmth, clarity, and stunning wit. Through it all, the cousins and their friends try to hold on to the part of themselves that laughed and played dangerous games on that camomile lawn.

Beatles

Beatles is a heartwarming and bittersweet novel about four Beatles-obsessed boys from Oslo, born in 1951. As seventh graders, they stand on the brink of adulthood, enthusiastically embracing the future, which seems incredibly bright. Their journey takes us to September 25, 1972, as they navigate the waves of youth rebellion sweeping across Europe, challenging their sheltered existence.

This story captures the essence of post-war Oslo like no other, vividly depicting the upbringing of these young men in the Frogner district. It's a tale of growing up, friendship, and the inevitable changes that come with time.

Job: A Comedy of Justice

After he firewalked in Polynesia, the world wasn't the same for Alexander Hergensheimer, now called Alec Graham. As natural accidents occurred without cease, Alex knew Armageddon and the Day of Judgement were near. Somehow he had to bring his beloved heathen, Margrethe, to a state of grace, and, while he was at it, save the rest of the world...

Magician: Apprentice Volume 1

Collects comic 1-6.

To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. But though his courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, he was ill at ease with the normal ways of wizardry. Yet Pug's strange sort of magic would one day change forever the fates of two worlds. For dark beings from another world had opened a rift in the fabric of spacetime to begin again the age-old battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.

Equus

1984

by Peter Shaffer

Equus is a powerful exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. The story follows Alan Strang, a disturbed youth whose dangerous obsession with horses leads him to commit an unspeakable act of violence.

As psychiatrist Martin Dysart struggles to understand the motivation for Alan's brutality, he is increasingly drawn into Alan's web and eventually forced to question his own sanity.

Peter Shaffer creates a chilling portrait of how materialism and convenience have killed our capacity for worship and passion, and, consequently, our capacity for pain. Rarely has a playwright created an atmosphere and situation that so harshly pinpoint the spiritual and mental decay of modern man.

Equus is a timeless classic and a cornerstone of contemporary drama that delves into the darkest recesses of human existence.

Lieutenant Hornblower

1984

by C.S. Forester

In this gripping tale of turmoil and triumph on the high seas, Horatio Hornblower emerges from his apprenticeship as midshipman to face new responsibilities thrust upon him by the fortunes of war between Napoleon and Spain.

Enduring near-mutiny, bloody hand-to-hand combat with Spanish seamen, deck-splintering sea battles, and the violence and horror of life on the fighting ships of the Napoleonic Wars, the young lieutenant distinguishes himself in his first independent command.

He also faces an adventure unique in his experience: Maria.

The Ordinary Princess

1984

by M.M. Kaye

Princess Amy of Phantasmorania, alongside her sisters, receives various gifts at her fairy christening. However, her unique gift is Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, Amy has brown hair and freckles and prefers adventures over traditional royal activities like playing the harp or embroidering tapestries.

When her royal parents attempt to marry her off, Amy decides to run away. Thanks to her ordinary appearance, she easily blends in as the fourteenth assistant kitchen maid at a neighboring palace. There, much to everyone's surprise, she meets a prince who is just as ordinary and special as she is!

Checkmate

1984

by Dorothy Dunnett

Before George R. R. Martin, there was Dorothy Dunnett... THE PERFECT GIFT for fans of A Game of Thrones. 'She is a brilliant story teller, The Lymond Chronicles will keep you reading late into the night, desperate to know the fate of the characters you have come to care deeply about.' - The Times Literary Supplement

Checkmate is the sixth and final book in the series. It is 1557 and legendary Scottish warrior Francis Crawford of Lymond is once more in France. There he is leading an army to rout the hated English from Calais. Yet while Lymond seeks victory on the battlefield, he is haunted by his troubled past - chiefly the truth about his origins and his marriage (in name only) to young Englishwoman Philippa Somerville. As the French offer him a way out of his marriage and his wife appears in France on a mission of her own, the final moves are made in a great game that has been playing out over an extraordinary decade of war, love, and struggle - bringing The Lymond Chronicles to a spellbinding close.

'A masterpiece of historical fiction' - Washington Post
'Melodrama of the most magnificent kind' - The Guardian

രണ്ടാമൂഴം | Randamoozham

Randamoozham is the masterpiece of the Jnanpith winning writer M. T. Vasudevan Nair. It was translated into English as Second Turn in 1997.

The novel is set as a retelling of the Indian epic Mahabharata, from the perspective of Bhima, the second Pandava.

Winter's Tale

1984

by Mark Helprin

New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake, orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side.

Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the love between Peter Lake, a middle-aged Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn, a young girl, who is dying.

Peter Lake, a simple, uneducated man, because of a love that, at first he does not fully understand, is driven to stop time and bring back the dead. His great struggle, in a city ever alight with its own energy and besieged by unprecedented winters, is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary stories of American literature.

Penmarric

1984

by Susan Howatch

Set against the starkly beautiful landscape of Cornwall, Penmarric is a totally enthralling saga of a family divided against itself. At the center of the novel is the great mansion called Penmarric. It is to Penmarric that Mark Castallack, a proud, strange, and sensitive man, brings his bride Janna—the first act in a tempestuous drama that spans three generations.

This gripping story chronicles the tempestuous clashes between warring sons, wives, and mistresses, and between a house divided against itself. Spanning from the Victorian era to the Second World War, the novel explores themes of conflict, jealousy, infidelity, and betrayal. As Mark and his children struggle to save their home and their aristocratic way of life, they must engage in a bitter fight against greed, ambition, and even murder.

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