Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets and human lives.

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her.

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure and re-education looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Twelve Years a Slave is a compelling memoir by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was cruelly kidnapped and sold into slavery. Born in New York, Northup was lured to Washington, D.C. with the promise of a lucrative job, only to be drugged, beaten, and sold into slavery. He spent the next twelve harrowing years of his life in captivity on a Louisiana cotton plantation.

Northup's narrative provides a vivid and detailed account of slave life, from the brutal conditions he endured to the rare moments of kindness he received. His story sheds light on the slave markets of Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, as well as the daily routines and hardships faced by slaves in the Southern United States.

This powerful autobiography is not only a personal account of survival but also a crucial historical document that offers insight into one of the darkest periods in American history.

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world. When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

Dragons. Right. Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales, and sixteen-year-old Elena Watkins was no different. Until the night a fairy tale killed her father.

Now Elena’s in a new world and a new school. The cutest guy around may be an evil dragon, a Prince wants Elena’s heart, and a long-dead sorcerer may be waking up to kill her. Oh. And the only way Elena’s going to graduate is on the back of a dragon of her own.

Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales. Now it’s time for Elena to believe – in herself.

The First Phone Call from Heaven tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out.

An allegory about the power of belief—and a page-turner that will touch your soul—Albom's masterful storytelling has never been so moving and unexpected. Readers of The Five People You Meet in Heaven will recognize the warmth and emotion so redolent of Albom's writing, and those who haven't yet enjoyed the power of his storytelling, will thrill at the discovery of one of the best-loved writers of our time.

The Living is a mesmerizing evocation of life in the Pacific Northwest during the last decades of the 19th century, penned by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard.

This novel is a vivid narrative saturated with the themes of violence, hardship, and triumph. It paints a picture of pioneer life navigated by European settlers and Lummi natives, interwoven with tales of gold miners, friendly railroad speculators, doe-eyed sweethearts, and shifty card players.

Set in the rough settlement near Bellingham Bay, which would become the town of Whatcom, the story captures the essence of the era with its rich tapestry of characters and events. From hermits paying debts in sockeye salmon to miners tracking gold-bearing streams, the lives of these vital, ruddy men and women are brought to life.

As settlers pour in to catch the boom the railroads bring, the novel unfolds the intimate, murderous tale of three men: Clare Fishburn, John Ireland Sharp, and Beal Obenchain. Their lives intersect with the dramatic backdrop of social changes, including the expulsion of Chinese workers from the region.

The Living is not just a historical account but a tale full of adventure and timeless human experiences that will stay with you long after you close the book.

Fruzzles sure look different than us, but deep down we all have a lot in common. We see others with great talents and we wonder what ours will be. Everyone of us has a special talent to discover and Fruzzles are no different.Meet "Brown" Fruzzle and follow along as "Wizard" Fruzzle helps him to explore the many different talents. See if you can help Brown figure out what his talent is and find out if he ever discovers it.Bonus: After you read the story, go back and see if you can find all the swirls, beginning with the town. The answer is on the copyright page."Fruzzle's Mystery Talent" is an adorable fantasy children's book, written especially for children 3-10 year old kids. This Fruzzle book is great as a bedtime story or any other time. In addition, this book has life lessons like teaching the child to not give up and dealing with self esteem issues (explaining that we are all special in our own way). You will find it is also filled with bright and cheerful illustrations. Happy reading and we hope you enjoy. We also welcome reviews. Thank you.This book is suitable as a read aloud book for preschooler at bedtime or as a self-read children's book for older children.

The story that began with Unwind continues.

Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the Graveyard, the last safe haven for AWOL Unwinds. But for the first time, they’re not just running away from something. This time, they’re running toward answers, in the form of a woman Proactive Citizenry has tried to erase from history itself. If they can find her, and learn why the shadowy figures behind unwinding are so afraid of her, they may discover the key to bringing down unwinding forever.

Meanwhile, Cam, the rewound boy, is plotting to take down the organization that created him. Because he knows that if he can bring Proactive Citizenry to its knees, it will show Risa how he truly feels about her. And without Risa, Cam is having trouble remembering what it feels like to be human.

With the Juvenile Authority and vindictive parts pirates hunting them, the paths of Connor, Lev, Cam, and Risa will converge explosively—and everyone will be changed.

He is a Legend. She is a Prodigy. Who will be Champion? June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

He's mine, and I'm his. Our love is all-consuming, powerful, imperfect, and real...

In the international bestseller REAL, the unstoppable bad boy of the Underground fighting circuit finally met his match. Hired to keep him in prime condition, Brooke Dumas unleashed a primal desire in Remington "Riptide" Tate as vital as the air he breathes... and now he can't live without her.

Brooke never imagined she would end up with the man who is every woman's dream, but not all dreams end happily ever after, and just when they need each other the most, she is torn away from his side. Now with distance and darkness between them, the only thing left is to fight for the love of the man she calls MINE.

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

The Book of Occult narrates the thrilling journey of Peter Ashton, who, following a dark past involving an occult ritual gone wrong, embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of a mysterious book and its enigmatic author. This quest leads him into a perilous race against time and powerful adversaries, unlocking esoteric wisdom that has been hidden and disputed for thousands of years.

Peter's journey takes him from Paris to Los Angeles, where he encounters a Professor and an English Auctioneer who assist him in verifying the book's authenticity and origins. He discovers that the book is the last unpublished work of the 19th century French occultist, Eliphas Levi, a revelation that plunges him into a world of mystical conspiracy.

As Peter delves deeper, he finds himself the target of a former American government agent turned dark mystic, a cult leader offering him power, and extremists desperate for the book. A chance meeting with a beautiful gypsy woman offers hope and insight, leading him to a Spanish mansion with more revelations than he could have imagined.

Can Peter unlock the secret wisdom before it's too late? Or will he be seduced by the deadly forces that once tempted him?

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

Frequent reports of honor killings, disfigurement, and sensational abuse have given rise to a consensus in the West, propagated by human rights groups, that Muslim women need to be rescued. Lila Abu-Lughod boldly challenges this conclusion.

An anthropologist who has been writing about Arab women for thirty years, she delves into the predicaments of Muslim women today, questioning whether generalizations about Islamic culture can explain the hardships these women face, and asking what motivates particular individuals and institutions to promote their rights.

In recent years, Abu-Lughod has struggled to reconcile the popular image of women victimized by Islam with the complex women she has known through her research in various communities in the Muslim world. Here, she renders that divide vivid by presenting detailed vignettes of the lives of ordinary Muslim women and showing that the problem of gender inequality cannot be laid at the feet of religion alone.

Poverty and authoritarianism—conditions not unique to the Islamic world, and produced out of global interconnections that implicate the West—are often more decisive. The standard Western vocabulary of oppression, choice, and freedom is too blunt to describe these women's lives.

Do Muslim Women Need Saving? is an indictment of a mindset that has justified all manner of foreign interference, including military invasion, in the name of rescuing women from Islam, as well as a moving portrait of women's actual experiences and the contingencies with which they live.

Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive. The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off.

Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape. Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we’ve been asking since these characters were introduced: “What happened between Tristan and Danika?”

DANIKA
Even love couldn’t cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons. I struggled. I yelled and screamed. I scratched and kicked. I fought like hell, but even the most determined fighters have to stop before they break.

TRISTAN
She was the one. If I’d ever had a doubt, I didn’t now. She was the one I’d be thinking about, longing for, until I took my last breath. If I lost her tomorrow, I’d pine for her like a lovesick fool. This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life.

This book is intended for readers 18 and up.

A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed—and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.

Collects autobiographical, illustrated essays and cartoons from the author's popular blog and related new material that humorously and candidly deals with her own idiosyncrasies and battles with depression.

What do we do when life lurches out of balance? How can we reconnect to one another and to what's sustaining, when evil and catastrophe seem inescapable?

These questions lie at the heart of Stitches, Anne Lamott's profound follow-up to her New York Times-bestselling work, Help, Thanks, Wow. In this book, she explores how we find meaning and peace in these loud and frantic times; where we start again after personal and public devastation; how we recapture wholeness after loss; and how we locate our true identities in this frazzled age.

We begin, Lamott says, by collecting the ripped sheets of our emotional and spiritual fabric and sewing them back together - one stitch at a time. It's in these stitches that the quilt of life begins, and embedded in them are strength, warmth, humour and humanity.

An internationally bestselling phenomenon: the darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives - all over the course of one meal.

It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse - the banality of work, the triviality of the holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.

Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

Tautly written, incredibly gripping, and told by an unforgettable narrator, "The Dinner" promises to be the topic of countless dinner party debates.

Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

She's about to walk on the wild side . . .

While filling the display case in her bakery, the bell over the door sounds, and Tessa O'Hara looks up to see the man of her dreams. Within thirty seconds, he asks her out for a beer. But after four months of dating, she discovers he's an undercover DEA agent—and he's investigating her possible role in her ex-husband's drug business.

For Tess, this means their relationship is over. Brock disagrees. He's committed to his anti-drug mission, but he's fallen in love with the beautiful woman who's as sweet as her cupcakes—and he'll do anything to win her back.

Standing between Tess and Brock are their own exes, one of them a drug lord who's determined to get what he wants. Now, as danger threatens, can Brock break the rules he's lived by and let loose his wild side to protect the woman he loves?

The rules are clear—until they're broken. Lauren Layne puts a New Adult spin on Pygmalion, also the inspiration for Pretty Woman, and gives the classic love story its edgiest twist yet.

"Who knew that pretending you're not falling for someone would be so much more difficult than pretending that you are?"

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she's pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn't exactly Ethan Price's type, either. He's probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund... or does he?

As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie's a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan's brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.

But when Stephanie steps into Ethan's privileged world, the "acting" begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating "them." And Stephanie faces a question she's too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?

In a small village in the Sologne, fifteen-year-old François Seurel narrates the story of his relationship with seventeen-year-old Augustin Meaulnes. Impulsive, reckless, and heroic, Meaulnes embodies the romantic ideal, the search for the unobtainable, and the mysterious world between childhood and adulthood.

This classic French novel, written by Alain-Fournier, captures the essence of youthful dreams and the bittersweet journey of growing up. Join Meaulnes on his quest for the "domain mystérieux," and explore themes of adventure, love, and the passage of time.

The orphan girl Pollyanna moves in with her strict aunt in New England. Despite a difficult start, Pollyanna's exuberance and positivity affect everyone who meets her, and she spreads joy and love wherever she goes. But when tragedy strikes, Pollyanna finds her optimistic attitude tested, and she must learn to find happiness again.

A heartwarming tale that has become one of the most loved children's stories of all time, Eleanor H. Porter's 1913 best-seller—the first in a long series of Pollyanna novels by the author and other writers—is a beautiful story with a powerful moral message.

Lily is a photojournalist in search of the "animal people" who supposedly haunt the city's darkest slums. Hank is a slum dweller who knows the bad streets all too well. One night, in a brutal incident, their two lives collide--uptown Lily and downtown Hank, each with a quest and a role to play in the secret drama of the city's oldest inhabitants.

The animal people walk among us. Native Americans call them the First People, but they have never left, and they claim the city for their own. Not only have Hank and Lily stumbled onto a secret, they've stumbled into a war. And in this battle for the city's soul, nothing is quite as it appears.

Buffy is unwillingly recruited by the demon Illyria and a mystical council to take down the Siphon—for good. He is on the loose again, and a danger to all remnants of magic! Meanwhile, back home the loss of magic has begun to affect those closest to Buffy.

Collect issues #16-#20 of Season 9.

Rude Bitches Make Me Tired is an always sensible and mildly profane etiquette manual for the modern age. Celia Rivenbark addresses real-life quandaries ranging from how to deal with braggy playground moms to wondering if you can have sex in your aunt's bed on vacation to correctly grieving the dearly departed (hint: it doesn't include tattoos or truck decals).

This book will provide answers to all your mannerly questions as Celia discusses the social conundrums of our day and age, including:

• Navigating the agonies of check splitting ("Who had the gorgonzola crumbles and should we really care?")
• The baffling aspects of airline travel (such as "Recline Monster" and other animals)
• The art of the visit (always leave them wanting more . . . much more)
• Gym and locker etiquette (hint: no one wants to talk to you while you're buck naked)
• Office manners ("Loud talkers, cake hawkers, and Britney Sue's unfortunate cyst")

Good manners have never been so wickedly funny!

Never, ever cry...

Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean.

Then, Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly, her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea.

Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth...and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

The Selection Series 0.5, 1-2 Box Set by Kiera Cass brings together the first two books in the captivating The Selection series, along with a prequel novella. This collection offers readers a chance to dive into a world of glamorous gowns, high-stakes competition, and unexpected romance.

The series follows America Singer, a young woman from a humble background, who is thrust into a fierce competition for the heart of her country's prince. As she navigates the trials of the Selection, America must balance her growing feelings for the prince with her love for a man from her past.

Readers will enjoy the blend of romance, drama, and political intrigue that Kiera Cass masterfully weaves into this unforgettable series.

Throughout the ages, gods have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future. The only hope for these ravaged worlds is for Thor to unravel the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher!

In the distant past, Thor follows the bloody wake of murdered gods across the depths of space. In the present, the Thunder God discovers a forgotten cave that echoes with the cries of tortured gods...and is shocked to find himself among them! And thousands of years from now, the last god-king of a ruined Asgard makes his final stand against the God Butcher's berserker legions.

As three Thors from three eras race to stop the God Butcher, the full extent of his vicious scheme takes terrifying shape! Collecting: Thor: God of Thunder 1-5.

Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from RITA finalist and bestselling author Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, "about last night" is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she's made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go... in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family's banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

Livro fundamental da literatura brasileira, o romance Grande Sertão: Veredas, de João Guimarães Rosa, publicado em 1956, foi escolhido pela Folha de S. Paulo, pela revista Época e por várias associações internacionais como um dos 100 maiores livros da literatura universal do século XX.

"Viver é muito perigoso", diz a todo momento o protagonista dessa história, Riobaldo, esse Fausto sertanejo. E é preciso mesmo uma boa dose de coragem para seguir nessa "travessia" rosiana, que, depois de vivenciada, é pura compensação e prazer.

JOÃO GUIMARÃES ROSA nasceu em Cordisburgo, Minas Gerais, em 1908, e é um dos mais importantes escritores brasileiros de todos os tempos. Sua primeira obra foi Magma, um livro de poemas - publicado postumamente apenas em 1997 - com o qual obteve prêmio da Academia Brasileira de Letras. Estreou para o público, de fato, em 1946, com Sagarana, que se tornaria um marco em nossa literatura. Mas sua consagração definitiva viria dez anos depois com o romance Grande Sertão: Veredas. Eleito para a Academia Brasileira de Letras em 1963, só tomaria posse m 1967, morrendo três dias depois.

Millions of young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his lively companions as they journey through the magical land of Prydain. First published more than thirty years ago and translated into twenty different languages, Lloyd Alexander's beloved series has become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.

Now for the first time the Chronicles are available in one eBook collection that includes a stunning new map of Prydain by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt.

Sherman Alexie’s darkly humorous story collection weaves memory, fantasy, and stark reality to powerfully evoke life on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The twenty-four linked tales in Alexie’s debut collection—an instant classic—paint an unforgettable portrait of life on and around the Spokane Indian Reservation, a place where “Survival = Anger x Imagination,” where HUD houses and generations of privation intertwine with history, passion, and myth.

We follow Thomas Builds-the-Fire, the longwinded storyteller no one really listens to; his half-hearted nemesis, Victor, the basketball star turned recovering alcoholic; and a wide cast of other vividly drawn characters on a haunting journey filled with humor and sorrow, resilience and resignation, dreams and reality.

Alexie’s unadulterated honesty and boundless compassion come together in a poetic vision of a world in which the gaps between past and present are not really gaps after all.

Kurôzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in everything from seashells and whirlpools in water to the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father and the voice from the cochlea in our inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurôzu-cho are pulled ever deeper into a whirlpool from which there is no return!

In this humorously irreverent take on zombies, Ax Handel is a present-day nineteen-year-old pizza delivery guy with a short fuse who is determined to take control of his wildly unpredictable life. His comical attempts to make sense of his relationships with his outrageous family members usually end up in disaster. Suddenly, his life changes—possibly for the better—when zombies stumble out of a nearby cemetery. Life has never been easy for Ax and his mother, and they refuse to be scared off by a horde of the dying impaired. Without any help from Ma, whose hard-living, heavy-metal past has left her strangely sympathetic to the plight of the zombies, or his volatile ex-girlfriend, Zenobia, who's certain he's a head case, or even his zoned-out fugitive father, it’s up to Ax to protect his little town of Karbunkle and what little he owns, while getting revenge on some bad-mannered, lumbering stiffs.

Mavis was born to be a songbird. Her parents named her after one, a bird with a distinctive song worthy of poetry. With her wings clipped by circumstance, Mavis spent six years of her life grounded and her dream of soaring flight almost forgotten. Unexpectedly, Mavis discovers she has a choice: accept a life that is ordinary or be among the one percent that shine. It is a long way to the top in the Australian music industry and more than a name needs to change in order to succeed. It is a gruelling challenge with exhausting demands and subtle traps for the uninitiated. Can Mavis make it? Can she build a better life for herself and her son? Can she have it all?

Every generation that has faced life's challenges and who has tried to find the balance between career, parenthood, and having it all will find resonance with the themes of discovery, triumphing against the odds, reinvention, disparate families, parenting, friendship, and the nature of love; themes that resonate with all ages.

Life Song is a joyfully triumphant confection that resonates with layers of interest. The core of this novel centres on Mavis Mills' resolve to be in charge of her life and captain of her creativity. It is a story that celebrates the power of belief in oneself and of friends and supporters. In terms of its chick-lit appeal, Life Song ticks all the boxes. It is a blend of wry humour and vivid storytelling and the outcome is satisfying without being cloying. There is sizzle but no awkward sex scenes to navigate. Relationships are deftly drawn and realistically portrayed reflecting the passion with which people live life. The story draws from three generations of women who learn to make their own brave, sometimes foolish, sometimes late-applied choices to achieve a better life. Male characters are as diverse and complex as the female characters. Life Song is a story which can be read as an adventure with a wonderfully funny, distinctly visual narrating style. It can also be reflected on as a snapshot of Australian lifestyle and culture in the 1990s. The author has some great insights about the emergence of women who lead their own bands. This is the sort of novel that delights on a day when the sofa calls. Its appeal is universal.

The originality, concentrated power and ‘fierce indignation’ of his satirical writing have earned Jonathan Swift a reputation as the greatest prose satirist in English literature. Gulliver’s Travels is, of course, his world renowned masterpiece in the genre; however, Swift wrote other, shorter works that also offer excellent evidence of his inspired lampoonery. Perhaps the most famous of these is A Modest Proposal, in which he straight-facedly suggests that Ireland could solve its hunger problems by using its children for food.

Also included in this collection are The Battle of Books, A Meditation upon a Broomstick, A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operations of the Spirit and An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity in England. This inexpensive edition will certainly be welcomed by teachers and students of English literature, but its appeal extends to any reader who delights in watching a master satirist wield words as weapons.

Just One Year is the compelling companion title to the much-lauded Just One Day and follows Willem's transformative journey towards self-discovery and true love.

Picking up where Just One Day ended, Just One Year tells Willem's side of the story. After spending an amazing day and night with Allyson in Paris that ends in separation, Willem and Allyson are both searching for one another. His story of their year of quiet longing and near misses is a perfect counterpoint to Allyson's own as Willem undergoes a transformative journey, questioning his path, finding love, and ultimately, redefining himself.

The narrative takes readers on a global trek, from the Netherlands to Mexico, and then to India, crafting not only a star-crossed romance but also an inspiring tale of personal growth and adventure.

I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder's past remained a mystery. He is haunted by the little girl he let walk away from him, and he has spent his entire life searching for her. He had hoped that he would finally gain closure and be able to rid himself of his guilt the moment they were reconnected. But he could not have anticipated that the exact opposite would occur, and even more guilt and regret would be thrust upon him.

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends with it. In Losing Hope, readers will learn what was going on inside Holder's head during all those moments that left him feeling hopeless and see whether he can perhaps gain the peace he desperately needs.

Pulitzer Prize–winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee, a leading cancer physician and researcher, selects the year’s top science and nature writing from journalists who dive into their fields with curiosity and passion. This collection delivers must-read articles from a wide array of fields, showcasing the brilliance and diversity of contemporary science and nature writing.

When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world's most powerful internet company, she feels she's been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users' personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency.

As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company's modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can't believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world--even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public.

What begins as the captivating story of one woman's ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.

The perfect gift for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent, this boxed set of the paperback editions of James Dashner's New York Times bestselling series includes The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone. Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out—and no one's ever made it through alive. Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying: Remember. Survive. Run.

With what should have been the greatest heist of their career gone spectacularly sour, Locke and his trusted partner, Jean, have barely escaped with their lives. Or at least Jean has. But Locke is slowly succumbing to a deadly poison that no alchemist or physiker can cure. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmage offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him or finish him off once and for all.

Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body - though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean's imploring - and the Bondsmage's mention of a woman from Locke's past: Sabetha. She is the love of his life, his equal in skill and wit, and now, his greatest rival.

Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha - or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.

All Tom's friends really are superheroes. There's the Ear, the Spooner, the Impossible Man. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding, the Perfectionist was hypnotized (by ex-boyfriend Hypno, of course) to believe that Tom is invisible.

Nothing he does can make her see him. Six months later, she's sure that Tom has abandoned her. So she's moving to Vancouver. She'll use her superpower to make Vancouver perfect and leave all the heartbreak in Toronto.

With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane in Toronto. Tom has until the wheels touch the ground in Vancouver to convince her he's visible, or he loses her forever.

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren — a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Sophie Foster thought she was safe. Settled into her home at Havenfield, surrounded by friends, and using her unique telepathic abilities to train Silveny--the first female alicorn ever seen in the Lost Cities--her life finally seems to be coming together. But Sophie's kidnappers are still out there. And when Sophie discovers new messages and clues from the mysterious Black Swan group, she’s forced to take a terrifying risk—one that puts everyone in incredible danger.

As long buried secrets rise to the surface, it’s once again up to Sophie to uncover hidden memories—before someone close to her is lost forever. In this second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must journey to the darkest corners of her luminous world in a sequel that will leave you breathless for more.

This classic romance novel tells the true story of the love affair that changed history—that of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in the vibrant 14th century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets—Edward III, the Black Prince, and Richard II—who ruled despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance, John of Gaunt, the king’s son, falls passionately in love with the already married Katherine. Their well-documented affair and love persist through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption. This epic novel of conflict, cruelty, and untamable love has become a classic since its first publication.