Consider Phlebas is a space opera of stunning power and awesome imagination, from a modern master of science fiction. The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blooded, brutal, and worse, random. The Idirans fought for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles were at stake. There could be no surrender.

Within the cosmic conflict, an individual crusade. Deep within a fabled labyrinth on a barren world, a Planet of the Dead proscribed to mortals, lay a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Idirans sought it. It was the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictable mercenaries, human and machine, to actually find it - and with it their own destruction.

Violetta es una joven de quince años que huye de México a Estados Unidos con dinero que ha robado a sus padres. Azarosamente desembarcada en Nueva York, sobrevive durante cuatro años a todo tren, gastando montones de dinero en caprichos caros y descabellados. Para mantener semejante tren de vida, acelerado todavía más por el polvo blanco que introduce por su nariz en cantidades generosas, se enseña a enganchar hombres en lobbies de hoteles lujosos.

No sabe, ni le interesa, la cantidad de leyes, límites y preceptos a los que pasa por encima. Tampoco sabe que Nefastófeles, el supuesto rico heredero que la deslumbra, será como una daga clavada en su bella espalda hasta que, ya de vuelta en México, se tope con Pig, y llegue entonces la hora del Diablo Guardián. Pero lo que Violetta sí sabe es que es tiempo de arrojar los dados y cerrar los ojos, casi con ganas de que a todo se lo lleve el diablo; y que, generalmente, eso lo haces sólo cuando de plano crees que ya te va a llevar.

This is not the novel by Franz Kafka! For the novel see The Castle.

The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a science fiction coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence.

Overflowing with all of the majesty and intrigue of medieval glory days, this magnificent New York Times bestseller is a page-turner of passion and loyalty, justice and honor. Beloved storyteller Julie Garwood steps back to the silver-shrouded Highlands of her classic tale The Secret—and hails the return of two unforgettable warriors: Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan.

In the dark days after the death of Richard the Lionhearted, lives and lands would fall into upheaval at the hands of a power-hungry British ruler and his violent minions. One victim of the scourge is innocent Gillian, who is a mere child when the cruel and ambitious Baron Alford slaughters her father and tears her family apart. Alford, determined to recover a jeweled box for the despotic King John, is furious when the precious treasure slips through his fingers—only to be lost for more than a decade.

Now a beautiful young woman, Gillian finds the key to resolving her past in handsome Scottish chieftains Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan. With the cunning and courage of the daring Scotsmen, and with the friendship of a new ally, Bridgid KirkConnell, Gillian at last fights the unscrupulous Baron Alford, laying claim to her home, her family, and her father's reputation.

But in the presence of the mighty warriors, Gillian and Bridgid discover that desire can be a weapon of conquest... betrayal can slay trust in a heartbeat... and the greatest risk of all is surrender—to the deep emotions of unexpected love.

In the city of Imardin, where those who wield magic wield power, a young street-girl, adopted by the Magician's Guild, finds herself at the centre of a terrible plot that may destroy the entire world...

Sonea has learned much at the magicians' guild and the other novices now treat her with a grudging respect. But she cannot forget what she witnessed in the High Lord's underground room - or his warning that the realm's ancient enemy is growing in power once more. As Sonea learns more, she begins to doubt her guildmaster's word. Could the truth really be as terrifying as Akkarin claims, or is he trying to trick her into assisting in some unspeakably dark scheme?

H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines has entertained generations of readers since its first publication in 1885. Following a mysterious map of dubious reliability, a small group of men trek into southern Africa in search of a lost friend and a lost treasure, the fabled mines of King Solomon. Led by the English adventurer and fortune hunter Allan Quartermain, they discover a frozen corpse, survive untold dangers in remote mountains and deserts, and encounter the merciless King Twala en route to the legendary hoard of diamonds.

This thrilling saga of elephant hunter Allan Quatermain and his search for fabled treasure is more than just an adventure story. In its vivid portrayal of the alliances and battles of white colonials and African tribesmen, King Solomon's Mines brings us the world of extremes, of the absurdly tall tales and of the illogical loyalty between disparate people that still informs this part of the world.

The final novel of Hermann Hesse, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, The Glass Bead Game is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literature. Set in the 23rd century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and scientific arts, such as mathematics, music, logic, and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).

Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels.

A collection of poems composed by Nobel Prize-winning writer T.S. Eliot between 1909 and 1935.

A shocking scientific discovery. A conspiracy of staggering brilliance. A thriller unlike any you've ever read....

When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory—a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery—a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all.

For maverick LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal...because the murdered man was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who had fought side by side with him in a hellish underground war. Now Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit. Pitted against enemies inside his own department and forced to make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, Bosch goes on the hunt for a killer whose true face will shock him.

The Lusiads is one of the greatest epic poems of the Renaissance, immortalizing Portugal's voyages of discovery with an unrivalled freshness of observation. This new translation marks the quincentenary of Vasco da Gama's voyage via southern Africa to India.

At the center of The Lusiads is Vasco da Gama's pioneering voyage in 1497-98. Camoes, the first major European artist to cross the equator, captures the novelty and fascination of that original encounter with Africa, India, and the Far East.

The poem's twin symbols are the Cross and the Astrolabe, celebrating a turning point in mankind's knowledge of the world. It speaks powerfully of the precariousness of power and the rise and decline of nationhood, threatened from without by enemies and from within by loss of integrity and vision.

This edition is complemented by an illuminating introduction and extensive notes.

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

Cover illustrator: Peter de Sève

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dear reader,

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

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

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

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Praise for The Lords of Discipline:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A superbly controlled satire (The Washington Post)

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

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

Joyously madcap (Publishers Weekly)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Social Capital is a comprehensive introduction to the concept of social capital, which defines the intangible resources of community, shared values, and trust that we rely on in everyday life. The term has gained significant traction across the social sciences due to the diverse contributions of Pierre Bourdieu in France, and James Coleman and Robert Putnam in the United States, and has become a central explanation for the observed decline in social cohesion and community values in Western societies.

The book not only delves into the theoretical aspects of the subject but also examines the empirical work that has been conducted to understand its workings. Moreover, it discusses the impact social capital has had on policy-making, particularly within international organizations such as the World Bank and the European Commission.

With its clear and thorough approach, this fully revised third edition of Social Capital offers valuable insights into changing policy perceptions of social capital, its relationship with the internet and economics, and its resilience during challenging times. Complete with guides for further reading and a list of the most important websites, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in the intersection of sociology, politics, and social policy.

The Story of Lucy Gault is a brilliant, subtle, and moving story of love, guilt, and forgiveness by the highly acclaimed author William Trevor.

The Gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s Ireland. However, the threat of violence forces the parents of nine-year-old Lucy to decide to leave for England, her mother's home. Lucy cannot bear the thought of leaving Lahardane, their country house with its beautiful land and nearby beach, and a dog she has befriended.

On the day before they are to leave, Lucy runs away, hoping to convince her parents to stay. Instead, she sets off a series of tragic misunderstandings that affect all of Lahardane's inhabitants for the rest of their lives.

"You can't trust anyone who sleeps with the monsters." That's what I've always said. That's what I've always believed. But now I'm the one sharing a bed with the Master Vampire of the City. Me, Anita Blake. The woman the vampires call the Executioner. From part of the solution, I've become part of the problem. So it hits close to home when an arsonist begins to target vampire-owned businesses all over town -- an arsonist who seems to want to destroy more than just property. It's the monsters who are in danger now. And it's up the the Executioner to save them from the inferno...

Circus of the Damned, now in trade paperback for the first time, introduces a rogue master vampire who hits town, and Anita finds herself caught in the middle of an undead turf war. Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of the city, wants her for his own - but his enemies have other plans. To make matters worse, Anita's heart takes a hit when she meets a stunningly handsome junior high science teacher named Richard Zeeman. They're two humans caught in the crossfire - or so Anita thinks.

Struggling to care for her sick father and raise her teenage children alone, a divorced mother spends the weekend at a North Carolina inn, only to meet a former surgeon running from his past. Adrienne Willis is 45 and has been divorced for three years, abandoned by her husband for a younger woman. The trials of raising her teenage children and caring for her sick father have worn her down, but at the request of a friend and in hopes of respite, she's gone to the coastal village of Rodanthe in North Carolina to tend the local inn for the weekend. With a major storm brewing, the time away doesn't look promising...until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At 54, Paul is a successful surgeon, but in the previous six months his life has unraveled into something he doesn't recognize. Estranged from his son and recently divorced, he's sold his practice and his home and has journeyed to this isolated town in hopes of closing a painful chapter in his past. Adrienne and Paul come together as the storm brews over Rodanthe, but what begins between them over the weekend will resonate throughout the rest of their lives, intertwining past and future, love and loss.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton offers a sexy, suspenseful novel of human—and inhuman—passions, as vampire hunter Anita Blake must repay a favor to a man almost as dangerous as the ancient evil she's about to face...

Edward is a hit man, specializing in monsters, vampires, shapeshifters, anything and everything. There are people like Anita who do it legal, but Edward doesn't sweat the legalities, or, hell, the ethics. He's an equal opportunity killer. Anita may be one of the few friends that Edward has, but it’s like being friends with a tame leopard. It may curl up on the foot of your bed and let you pet its head, but it can still eat your throat out...

Ryan Bingham's job as a Career Transition Counselor—he fires people—has kept him airborne for years. Although he has come to despise his line of work, he has come to love the culture of what he calls "Airworld," finding contentment within pressurized cabins, anonymous hotel rooms, and a wardrobe of wrinkle-free slacks.

With a letter of resignation sitting on his boss's desk, and the hope of a job with a mysterious consulting firm, Ryan Bingham is agonizingly close to his ultimate goal, his Holy Grail: one million frequent flier miles. But before he achieves this long-desired freedom, conditions begin to deteriorate.

With perception, wit, and wisdom, Up in the Air combines brilliant social observation with an acute sense of the psychic costs of our rootless existence, and confirms Walter Kirn as one of the most savvy chroniclers of American life.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is the original classic by Beatrix Potter. First published by Frederick Warne in 1902, it endures as Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tale. It tells the story of a very mischievous rabbit and the trouble he encounters in Mr McGregor's vegetable garden.

Re-originated in 2002 to mark the centenary of publication, bringing it closer to the original edition, six illustrations were restored, four that were removed in 1903 to make room for endpapers and two that have never been used before, Beatrix having initially prepared more illustrations than could be accommodated in the original format.

Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood.

With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder. She launched the now vast merchandise programme by patenting the very first Peter Rabbit doll in 1903. The product range continues to grow today with licences around the world including baby clothing and bedding, nursery decor products, and collectables. Upon her death, Beatrix Potter left 14 farms and over 4000 acres of Lake District farmland to the National Trust so that the place that she loved would remain undeveloped and protected for future generations to enjoy.

Today Beatrix Potter's original 23 tales are still published by Frederick Warne, alongside a wide range of other formats including baby books, activity books, and gift and sound books. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is number one in Beatrix Potter's series of 23 little books.

Three Junes is a luminous first novel by Julia Glass, set across the picturesque landscapes of Greece, Scotland, Greenwich Village, and Long Island. The story intricately traces the lives of a Scottish family as they navigate through the complex tapestry of love, encompassing its joys, longings, fulfillments, and betrayals.

In June of 1989, Paul McLeod, a newspaper publisher and recent widower, embarks on a journey to Greece. Here, he falls for a young American artist, reflecting deeply on the complicated truths of his marriage. Fast forward six years, and Paul's demise brings his three grown sons and their families back to their ancestral home in Scotland. Fenno, the eldest son and a wry, introspective gay man, narrates the unexpected family reunion. Far removed from his structured life as a bookseller in Greenwich Village, Fenno faces a series of revelations that threaten his carefully built defenses.

Another four years pass, and in yet another June, a chance meeting on the Long Island shore reunites Fenno with Fern Olitsky, the artist who once captivated his father. Now pregnant, Fern grapples with her past guilt while contemplating her future, redefining what family means to her.

In prose rich with compassion and wit, Three Junes paints a haunting portrait of love’s redemptive powers, offering readers a profound look into the intricacies of family and the enduring bonds that tie us together.

All the King's Men is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. Its title is drawn from the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It is commonly thought to have been loosely inspired by the real-life story of U.S. Senator Huey P. Long, who was assassinated in 1935.

Warren won the Pulitzer Prize for All the King's Men in 1947. The novel has received critical acclaim and remained perennially popular since its first publication. It was rated the 36th greatest novel of the 20th century by Modern Library, and it was chosen as one of Time magazine's 100 best novels since 1923.

All the King's Men portrays the dramatic and theatrical political rise and governorship of Willie Stark, a cynical populist in the 1930s American South.