Life After God is a compellingly innovative collection of stories that cuts through the hype of modern living. It travels inward to the elusive terrain of dreams and nightmares, exploring themes that resonate deeply with our generation.

Douglas Coupland invites us into worlds we know exist but rarely see, finding rare grace amid our pre-millennium turmoil. As we navigate a culture seemingly beyond God, we confront the beauty and disenchantments of the world that temper our souls.

In a world of commodities and consumerism, where spiritual impulses have nowhere to flow, this book delves into the questions of how we cope with loneliness, anxiety, and the collapse of relationships. It seeks to uncover a new kind of truth for a culture stuck on fast-forward, inviting us to reach the quiet, safe layer of our lives.

According to ancient Black Forest legend, on the Night of the Seventh Moon, Loke, the God of Mischief, is at large in the world. It is a night for festivity and joyful celebration. It is a night for singing and dancing.

And it is a night for love. Helena Trant was enchanted by everything she found in the Black Forest -- especially its legends.

But then, on the Night of the Seventh Moon, she started to live one of them, and the enchantment turned suddenly into a terrifying nightmare...

Stones from the River embarks on a journey into the life of Trudi Montag, a Zwerg—a dwarf—perceived as short, undesirable, and different. This novel delves into the essence of being an outsider and the universal quest for acceptance and belonging. Trudi's story unfolds in a small town, amidst the tumultuous backdrop of World War II, where she becomes a beacon of hope and a sanctuary for those deemed different or in danger.

The narrative explores Trudi's discovery that being different is a secret that all humans share—from her mother, engulfed by madness, to her friend Georg, forced to live as a girl, to the Jews Trudi shelters in her cellar. Ursula Hegi weaves a profound tapestry of emotional power, humanity, and truth, offering a timeless and unforgettable tale.

Kahlil Gibran's masterpiece, The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. Published in 1923, it has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American editions alone have sold more than nine million copies.

The Prophet is a collection of poetic essays that are philosophical, spiritual, and, above all, inspirational. Gibran's musings are divided into twenty-eight chapters covering such sprawling topics as love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, housing, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod is an exhilarating tale of endurance and adventure. Join Gary Paulsen and his team of dogs as they face the brutal challenges of the Iditarod race. This gripping story immerses you in a world where snowstorms, frostbite, and dogfights are just the beginning.

Experience the thrill of moose attacks, the struggle against sleeplessness, and the surreal nature of hallucinations as Paulsen pushes himself and his dogs to their limits. This journey is filled with moments of humor, unexpected camaraderie, and the relentless push to go on.

Winterdance is not just a story about a race; it's a testament to the bond between humans and animals, and the sheer willpower required to survive in the harshest conditions.

Personality Plus offers a fascinating journey into the world of personality types. Florence Littauer provides valuable insights into understanding your unique, God-given personality traits. This book includes a personality profile self-test that reveals the hidden traits influencing your emotions, work performance, and relationships.

Through amusing anecdotes and direct advice, this book guides you to enhance your strengths and address your weaknesses. It's an insightful read for anyone looking to improve their personal and interpersonal skills.

For Tanus, the fair-haired young lion of a warrior, the gods have decreed that he will lead Egypt's army in a bold attempt to reunite the Kingdom's shared halves. But Tanus will have to defy the same gods to attain the reward they have forbidden him, an object more prized than battle's glory: possession of the Lady Lostris, a rare beauty with skin the color of oiled ceder--destined for the adoration of a nation, and the love of one extraordinary man.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set in 1889 largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an attempted murder inspired by the legend of a fearsome, diabolical hound of supernatural origin. Holmes and Watson investigate the case. This was the first appearance of Holmes since his apparent death in The Final Problem, and the success of The Hound of the Baskervilles led to the character's eventual revival.

In this, one of the most famous of Doyle's mysteries, the tale of an ancient curse and a savage ghostly hound comes frighteningly to life. The gray towers of Baskerville Hall and the wild open country of Dartmoor will haunt the reader as Holmes and Watson seek to unravel the many secrets of the misty English bogs.

Only her beloved grandmother, Lady Esther, knew how devastated Taylor Stapleton had been when her fiancé eloped with Taylor's cousin. Now dear Esther — one of London's richest and most formidable matriarchs — lies dying. But first, she was going to help Taylor pull off the scam of the season.

To escape becoming a ward of her unscrupulous uncle, Taylor would wed Lucas Ross, a rugged American rancher. Lady Esther's money would enable Ross to return home to Montana. Taylor had her own urgent reason to go to America... a precious legacy she hadn't revealed to Ross, for they had agreed to part ways once they reached Boston. But as her handsome new husband spoke of life in Montana, Taylor began planning a new future. To Taylor, the wide-open spaces of Montana sounded like paradise....

Long before environmental consciousness became popular, a young nature writer named Opal Whiteley captured America's heart. Opal's childhood diary, published in 1902, became an immediate bestseller, one of the most talked-about books of its time.

Wistful, funny, and wise, it was described by an admirer as the revelation of the life of a feminine Peter Pan of the Oregon wilderness—so innocent, so intimate, so haunting, that I should not know where in all literature to look for a counterpart.

But the diary soon fell into disgrace. Condemning it as an adult-written hoax, skeptics stirred a scandal that drove the book into obscurity and shattered the frail spirit of its author.

Discovering the diary by chance, bestselling author Benjamin Hoff set out to solve the longstanding mystery of its origin. His biography of Opal that accompanies the diary provides fascinating proof that the document is indeed authentic—the work of a magically gifted child, America's forgotten interpreter of nature.

Dance Dance Dance—a follow-up to A Wild Sheep Chase—is a tense, poignant, and often hilarious ride through Murakami’s Japan, a place where everything that is not up for sale is up for grabs. As Murakami’s nameless protagonist searches for a mysteriously vanished girlfriend, he is plunged into a wind tunnel of sexual violence and metaphysical dread. In this propulsive novel, featuring a shabby but oracular Sheep Man, one of the most idiosyncratically brilliant writers at work today fuses together science fiction, the hardboiled thriller, and white-hot satire.

The 21st century was drawing to a close, and metapsychic humankind was poised at last to achieve Unity — to be admitted into the group mind of the already unified alien races of the Galactic Milieu. But a growing corps of rebels was plotting to keep the people of Earth forever separate in the name of human individuality. And the rebels had a secret supporter: Fury, the insane metapsychic creature that would stop at nothing to claim humanity for itself.

Fury's greatest enemy was the mutant genius Jack the Bodiless, whose power it craved. But Jack would never be a tool for Fury... And so it turned to Dorothea Macdonald, a young woman who had spent a lifetime hiding her towering mindpowers from the best mind readers of the Milieu. But she could not hide them from Fury — or from Jack.

Time and again she rejected their advances, unwilling to be drawn into the maelstrom of galactic politics or megalomaniacal dreams. And in the end, no one — not Jack, not Fury, not even the Galactic Milieu — would be a match for the awesome powers of the girl who would come to be called Diamond Mask.

Yeniçeriler kapıyı zorlarken Uzun İhsan Efendi hâlâ malûm konuyu düşünüyor, fakat işin içinden bir türlü çıkamıyordu...

“Rendekâr doğru mu söylüyor? Düşünüyorum, öyleyse varım. Oldukça makûl. Fakat bundan tam tersi bir sonuç, varolmadığım, bir düş olduğum sonucu da çıkar: Düşünen bir adamı düşünüyorum. Düşündüğümü bildiğim için, ben varım. Düşündüğünü bildiğim için, düşlediğim bu adamın da varolduğunu biliyorum. Böylece o da benim kadar gerçek oluyor. Bundan sonrası çok daha hüzünlü bir sonuca varıyor. Düşündüğünü düşündüğüm bu adamın beni düşlediğini düşlüyorum. Öylese gerçek olan biri beni düşlüyor. O gerçek, ben ise bir düş oluyorum.”

Kapı kırıldığında Uzun İhsan Efendi kitabı kapadı. Az sonra başına geleceklere aldırmadan kafasından şunları geçirdi: “Dünya bir düştür. Evet, dünya... Ah! Evet, dünya bir masaldır.”

A collection of beloved poems about women from the iconic Maya Angelou.

These four poems, "Phenomenal Woman," "Still I Rise," "Weekend Glory," and "Our Grandmothers," are among the most remembered and acclaimed of Maya Angelou's poems. They celebrate women with a majesty that has inspired and touched the hearts of millions.

These memorable poems have been reset and bound in a beautiful edition—a gift to keep and to give.

Rooted in a scrupulously accurate reading of scripture, Joshua is a profoundly moving, deeply inspiring book that no reader will ever forget.

Sometimes it happens. After two thousand years, the human race may be given a second chance. When Joshua moves to a small cabin on the edge of town, the local people are mystified by his presence. A quiet and simple man, Joshua appears to seek nothing for himself. He supports himself by working as a carpenter. He charges very little for his services, yet his craftsmanship is exquisite.

The statue of Moses that he carves for the local synagogue prompts amazement as well as consternation. What are the townsfolk to make of this enigmatic stranger? Some people report having seen him carry a huge cherry log on his shoulders effortlessly. Still others talk about the child in a poor part of town who was dreadfully ill but, after Joshua’s visit, recovered completely.

Despite his benevolence and selfless work in the community, some remain suspicious. Finally, in an effort to address the community’s doubts, Joshua is confronted by the local church leaders.

How We Die offers a profound meditation and portrait of the experience of dying. It elucidates the decisions that can be made to allow each person an understanding of death, as well as their own choice of death.

This definitive resource on perhaps the single most universal human concern—death—addresses contemporary issues in end-of-life care. It includes an all-embracing and incisive afterword that examines the current state of health care and our relationship with life as it approaches its terminus.

Sherwin Nuland's masterful work is even more relevant today, discussing how we can take control of our own final days and those of our loved ones.

In Los Angeles, a reporter investigating a series of murders is killed. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a beautiful medical intern suddenly disappears. In Washington D.C. Alex Cross is back to solve the most baffling and terrifying murder case ever. Two clever pattern killers are collaborating, cooperating, competing - and they are working coast to coast.

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts is a disturbing and fiercely beautiful account of growing up Chinese-American in California. The young Kingston lives in two worlds: the America to which her parents have immigrated and the China of her mother's "talk stories."

Her mother tells her traditional tales of strong, wily women warriors - tales that clash puzzlingly with the real oppression of women. Kingston learns to fill in the mystifying spaces in her mother's stories with stories of her own, engaging her family's past and her own present with anger, imagination, and dazzling passion.

As a girl, Kingston lives in two confounding worlds: the California to which her parents have immigrated and the China of her mother’s “talk stories.” The fierce and wily women warriors of her mother’s tales clash jarringly with the harsh reality of female oppression out of which they come. Kingston’s sense of self emerges in the mystifying gaps in these stories, which she learns to fill with stories of her own. A warrior of words, she forges fractured myths and memories into an incandescent whole, achieving a new understanding of her family’s past and her own present.

An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales by Oliver Sacks is a fascinating exploration of the human mind through seven detailed and captivating portraits of neurological patients.

Oliver Sacks, renowned for his blend of scientific rigor and human compassion, takes us into the uncanny worlds of his subjects. These include a surgeon consumed by the compulsive tics of Tourette's syndrome unless he is operating, and an artist who loses all sense of color in a car accident but finds new creative power in black and white.

Among the stories is an autistic professor with a Ph.D. in animal science, who finds the complexity of human emotion so bewildering that she feels "like an anthropologist on Mars."

Through these extraordinary individuals, Sacks explores what it is to feel, to sense, to remember, and to be a coherent self in the world. This book is not just an observation of interesting cases but a profound insight into the nature of human identity and resilience.

Join Oliver Sacks on a journey that challenges our understanding of the human condition and reveals the infinite complexities of the human mind.

Discover a chillingly powerful and prescient dystopian vision from one of Europe's greatest writers. A driver waiting at the traffic lights goes blind. An ophthalmologist tries to diagnose his distinctive white blindness, but is affected before he can read the textbooks. It becomes a contagion, spreading throughout the city. Trying to stem the epidemic, the authorities herd the afflicted into a mental asylum where the wards are terrorised by blind thugs. And when fire destroys the asylum, the inmates burst forth and the last links with a supposedly civilised society are snapped. This is not anarchy, this is blindness.

Saramago repeatedly undertakes to unite the pressing demands of the present with an unfolding vision of the future. This is his most apocalyptic, and most optimistic, version of that project yet.

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star — and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can’t get off his mind or out of his life.

Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat. But nothing’s more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel’s heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion — and a match that can only be made in Heaven.

Mayfair Witches Collection brings together the original trilogy from Anne Rice's bestselling series about the enigmatic lives of the Mayfair witches.

The Witching Hour: Anne Rice demonstrates her spellbinding storytelling, weaving a tale of a great dynasty spanning four centuries of witches. This family, rife with poetry, incest, murder, and philosophy, is haunted by a powerful, seductive being named Lasher who preys on the Mayfair women.

Lasher: At the heart of this novel is Rowan Mayfair, the brilliant and beautiful queen of the coven. She is irresistibly drawn to Lasher, the dark demon whose evil spell she must escape. Rowan's flight, along with their terrifying and exquisite child, forms the core of this extraordinary saga, traversing the globe, moving through time, and intertwining the human and demonic realms.

Taltos: Ashlar believes he is the last of his race until he discovers another Taltos has been sighted. This revelation thrusts him into the haunting world of the Mayfair family, a New Orleans dynasty of witches beset by ghosts, spirits, and their own formidable powers. Ashlar realizes this powerful clan is deeply connected to the Taltos heritage. This mesmerizing novel takes readers on a wondrous journey through centuries, exploring a civilization that is half-human and wholly mysterious, grappling with themes of mortality, immortality, justice, and guilt.

Enter an enchanted, hypnotic world, crafted from the vivid imagination of Anne Rice.

To know things, for us to know things, is bad for them. We get to wanting and when we get to wanting it's bad for them. They think we want what they got. That's why they don't want us reading. - Nightjohn

I didn't know what letters was, not what they meant, but I thought it might be something I wanted to know. To learn. - Sarny

Sarny, a female slave at the Waller plantation, first sees Nightjohn when he is brought there with a rope around his neck, his body covered in scars. He had escaped north to freedom, but he came back—came back to teach reading. Knowing that the penalty for reading is dismemberment, Nightjohn still returned to slavery to teach others how to read. And twelve-year-old Sarny is willing to take the risk to learn.

Set in the 1850s, Gary Paulsen's groundbreaking novel is unlike anything else the award-winning author has written. It is a meticulously researched, historically accurate, and artistically crafted portrayal of a grim time in our nation's past, brought to light through the personal history of two unforgettable characters.

Nooit meer slapen is het meesterlijke verhaal van de jonge geoloog Alfred Issendorf, die in het moerassige noorden van Noorwegen onderzoek wil verrichten om de hypothese van zijn leermeester en promotor Sibbelee te staven. Issendorf is ambitieus: hij hoopt dat hem op deze reis iets groots te wachten staat, dat zijn naam aan een belangrijk wetenschappelijk feit zal worden verbonden. Deze ambitie hangt samen met het verlangen het werk van zijn vader, die door een ongeluk tijdens een onderzoekstocht om het leven kwam, te voltooien.

Nooit meer slapen is een grootse roman over grote dromen.

Roddy Doyle’s witty, exuberant novel about a young boy trying to make sense of his changing world is a captivating tale of childhood and discovery. It is 1968. Patrick Clarke is ten. He loves Geronimo, the Three Stooges, and the smell of his hot water bottle. He can't stand his little brother Sinbad. His best friend is Kevin, and their names are all over Barrytown, written with sticks in wet cement. They play football, lepers, and jumping to the bottom of the sea.

But why didn't anyone help him when Charles Leavy had been going to kill him? Why do his ma and da argue so much, but act like everything is fine? Paddy sees everything, but he understands less and less. Hilarious and poignant, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha charts the triumphs, indignities, and bewilderment of a young boy and his world, a place full of warmth, cruelty, confusion and love.

More than a hundred years ago, Oscar Wilde created this moving story for his children. Now shimmering illustrations, as bejeweled and golden as the Prince himself, give glowing life to the many dimensions of his tale.

His story of friendship, love, and a willingness to part with one's own riches may be more important today than ever before. This enchanting story tells the tale of a majestic golden statue, once a prince, who befriends a compassionate swallow. Together, they embark on a poignant journey of selflessness, sacrifice, and love for humanity.

Wilde's eloquent prose and vivid imagination transport readers to a world where kindness and empathy triumph over materialism and indifference. The Happy Prince is a literary gem that continues to inspire readers of all ages, reminding us of the enduring power of compassion and the beauty that lies within the human heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of American Psycho and Less Than Zero comes a nihilistic novel set in the early eighties that portrays a chilling descent into the abyss beneath L.A.'s gorgeous surfaces.

This time is the early eighties. The characters go to the same schools and eat at the same restaurants. Their voices enfold us as seamlessly as those of DJs heard over a car radio. They have sex with the same boys and girls and buy from the same dealers. In short, they are connected in the only way people can be in that city. Dirk sees his best friend killed in a desert car wreck, then rifles through his pockets for a last joint before the ambulance comes. Cheryl, a wannabe newscaster, chides her future stepdaughter, “You're tan but you don't look happy.” Jamie is a clubland carnivore with a taste for human blood.

Look for Bret Easton Ellis’s new novel, The Shards!

Billy Milligan can be anyone he wants to be... except himself. Out of control of his actions, Billy Milligan was a man tormented by twenty-four distinct personalities battling for supremacy over his body—a battle that culminated when he awoke in jail, arrested for the kidnap and rape of three women.

In a landmark trial, Billy was acquitted of his crimes by reason of insanity caused by multiple personality—the first such court decision in history—bringing to public light the most remarkable and harrowing case of multiple personality ever recorded.

Twenty-four people live inside Billy Milligan. Among them are:

• Philip, a petty criminal
• Kevin, who dealt drugs and masterminded a drugstore robbery
• April, whose only ambition was to kill Billy's stepfather
• Adalana, the shy, lonely, affection-starved lesbian
• David, the eight-year-old “keeper of pain”
• and the Teacher, the only one who can put them all together.

You will meet each in this often shocking true story. And you will be drawn deeply into the mind of this tortured young man and his splintered, terrifying world.

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, celebrated by The Washington Post as “not just a book but a spontaneous act of generosity.” Perhaps no book in this generation has had a more profound impact on our intellectual and spiritual lives than The Road Less Traveled. With sales of more than seven million copies in the United States and Canada, and translations into more than twenty-three languages, it has made publishing history, with more than ten years on the New York Times bestseller list.

Written in a voice that is timeless in its message of understanding, The Road Less Traveled continues to help us explore the very nature of loving relationships and leads us toward a new serenity and fullness of life. It helps us learn how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become a more sensitive parent; and ultimately how to become one’s own true self. Recognizing that, as in the famous opening line of his book, “Life is difficult” and that the journey to spiritual growth is a long one, Dr. Peck never bullies his readers, but rather guides them gently through the hard and often painful process of change toward a higher level of self-understanding.

The Street of Crocodiles in the Polish city of Drogobych is a street of memories and dreams where recollections of Bruno Schulz's uncommon boyhood and of the eerie side of his merchant family's life are evoked in a startling blend of the real and the fantastic.

Most memorable - and most chilling - is the portrait of the author's father, a maddened shopkeeper who imports rare birds' eggs to hatch in his attic, who believes tailors' dummies should be treated like people, and whose obsessive fear of cockroaches causes him to resemble one.

Bruno Schulz, a Polish Jew killed by the Nazis in 1942, is considered by many to have been the leading Polish writer between the two world wars. This volume brings together his complete fiction, including three short stories and his final surviving work, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass.

Illustrated with Schulz's original drawings, this edition beautifully showcases the distinctive surrealist vision of one of the twentieth century's most gifted and influential writers.

El caballero de la armadura oxidada trata de una fantasía adulta que simboliza nuestra ascensión por la montaña de la vida. Nos sentimos reflejados en el viaje del caballero, que está plagado de esperanzas y desesperanzas, de ilusiones y desilusiones, de risas y lágrimas.

Las profundas enseñanzas contenidas en la historia son impartidas con un toque de humor muy sutil. El caballero de la armadura oxidada es mucho más que un libro: es una experiencia que expande nuestra mente, que nos llega al corazón y alimenta nuestra alma.

El libro nos enseña, de una forma muy amena, que debemos liberarnos de las barreras que nos impiden conocernos y amarnos a nosotros mismos para poder ser capaces de dar y recibir amor.

They said she had evil eyes... Eyes that saw what was not meant to be seen. Kaitlyn Fairchild was frightened by her uncanny talent, by the prophetic drawings that isolated her at school. Until she was invited to California, to attend the Zetes Institute with four other psychically gifted students, in return for a college scholarship.

It was a chance to begin again, to belong; a great adventure, with the promise of romance...with Rob, irresistible, yet strangely innocent...with dark, enigmatic Gabriel. Until they learn the truth about an experiment that threatens their sanity, and their lives. All they have is each other, and a perilous psychic link that can save - or destroy - them all...

There is little violent crime in Venice, a serenely beautiful floating city of mystery and magic, history and decay. But the evil that does occasionally rear its head is the jurisdiction of Guido Brunetti, the suave, urbane vice-commissario of police and a genius at detection.

Now all of his admirable abilities must come into play in the deadly affair of Maestro Helmut Wellauer, a world-renowned conductor who died painfully from cyanide poisoning during an intermission at La Fenice.

As the investigation unfolds, a chilling picture slowly begins to take shape—a detailed portrait of revenge painted with vivid strokes of hatred and shocking depravity.

And the dilemma for Guido Brunetti will not be finding a murder suspect, but rather narrowing the choices down to one...

Sent to Carthak as part of the Tortallan peace delegation, Daine finds herself in the middle of a sticky political situation. She doesn't like the Carthaki practice of keeping slaves, but it's not her place to say anything -- she's just there to heal the emperor's birds. It's extremely frustrating! What's more, her power has grown in a mysterious way.

As the peace talks stall, Daine puzzles over Carthak's two-faced Emperor Ozorne. How can he be so caring with his birds and so cruel to his people? Daine is sure he's planning something. Daine must fight the powerful Emperor Mage, knowing that the safety and peace of the realm depend on stopping Ozorne's power-hungry schemes.

Greg thinks there is something wrong with the old camera he found. The photos keep turning out... different.

When Greg takes a picture of his father's brand-new car, it's wrecked in the photo. And then his dad crashes the car.

It's like the camera can tell the future—or worse. Maybe it makes the future!

This is a book you will cherish for a lifetime, for within its pages are the secrets of making all your dreams come true. Based on natural laws that govern all of creation, this book shatters the myth that success is the result of hard work, exacting plans, or driving ambition.

Deepak Chopra offers a life-altering perspective on the attainment of success: When we understand our true nature and learn to live in harmony with natural law, a sense of well-being, good health, fulfilling relationships, and material abundance spring forth easily and effortlessly.

Deepak Chopra is the bestselling author of numerous books and audio programs that cover every aspect of mind, body, and spirit. His groundbreaking books blend physics and philosophy, the practical and the spiritual, with dynamic results.

The Seven Laws of Success distills the essence of Chopra's teachings into seven simple, yet powerful, principles that can easily be applied to create success in all areas of your life. Filled with timeless wisdom and practical steps you can apply right away, this is a book you will want to read and refer to again and again.

Who would have thought that Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet, A.A. Milne's beloved storybook characters, would cause such a stir demonstrating the fundamentals of Taoist philosophy?

A perfect gift for any occasion, these two phenomenal paperback bestsellers are available for the first time in an elegantly packaged boxed set.

Illustrated throughout.

Anna de la Senda is a woman whose very name is a legacy of love; her daughter, Mariela, grows up to embody all its beauty and tenderness. Anna possesses an extraordinary empathy that draws to her a marvelous collection of lovelorn souls, who form a mischievous chorus in the novel and play matchmaker between Anna and a lonely widower. Their meddling takes Anna's life in a direction she could never have imagined, one filled with magic and uncertainty.

While Anna is rediscovering passion, Mariela is encountering it for the first time. Anna wishes to protect Mariela from all worldly disappointments, but she cannot. The cadence of their daily lives is interrupted by loss, ungovernable and haunting, as Anna finds herself torn between the man who wants her badly and the daughter who needs her more.

The Unfastened Heart is a novel about the succor of true friendship and the marvel of true love.

Countless tombstones stand in rows throughout a small community, forming a bizarre tableau. What fate awaits a brother and sister after a traffic accident in this town of the dead? In another tale, a girl falls silent, her tongue transformed into a slug. Can a friend save her? Then, when a young man moves to a new town, he finds the house next door has only a single window. What does his grotesque neighbor want, calling out to him every evening from that lone window?

Fresh nightmares brought to you by horror master Junji Ito.

Systematic Theology offers a comprehensive exploration of biblical doctrines, providing a strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine. It covers centrally important topics such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ.

This book is clear and accessible, with technical terms kept to a minimum, ensuring that it appeals to both the emotions and the intellect. The contemporary approach addresses subjects of special interest to the church today.

Each chapter includes resources for worship and bibliographies that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies, making it a valuable resource for both study and reflection.

The Comedy of Errors is a delightful tale revolving around two sets of twins who are separated at birth by a fierce storm at sea. The pairs include masters (both named Antipholus) and their servants (both named Dromio). Years later, the Antipholus-and-Dromio pair raised in Syracuse accidentally visit Ephesus, where their respective twins reside. This sets the stage for a series of hilarious incidents of mistaken identity, leading to lively plots filled with quarrels, arrests, and a grand courtroom denouement.

Based on a pair of comic dramas from ancient Rome, The Comedy of Errors is a spectacle of pure farce in the spirit of utmost fun and—as the title suggests—hilarious confusion. As one of Shakespeare's earliest dramatic efforts, the play is rich with his trademark conceits, puns, and other forms of fanciful wordplay. This work also foreshadows his later and greatest comedies, offering students and scholars a valuable key to the playwright's development.

Detective Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department has never met anyone quite like Marlie Keen. While he has doubts about her supposed clairvoyant powers, she sees crimes as they're being committed. There is no doubt about how much he desires her.

To Marlie, Dane is all heat and hard muscle, and he makes her body come alive as it never has before. But not even she can foresee that their passion will lead them on a dangerous journey into the twisted mind of a madman who will threaten their happiness and their lives.

From the winner of the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, this mesmerizing, suspenseful, and richly atmospheric tale of time travel draws us into the heart of a heroine we won't soon forget...

The first time Julia Beckett saw Greywethers she was only five, but she knew that it was her house. And now that she's at last become its owner, she suspects that she was drawn there for a reason.

As if Greywethers were a portal between worlds, she finds herself transported into seventeenth-century England, becoming Mariana, a young woman struggling against danger and treachery, and battling a forbidden love.

Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past...until she realizes Mariana's life is threatening to eclipse her own, and she must find a way to lay the past to rest or lose the chance for happiness in her own time.

My ntonia, authored by Willa Cather, is a profound narrative set in the Nebraska heartland. This novel, the third in the Great Plains Trilogy, unfolds through the eyes of Jim Burden, a character whose voice is tinged with affection and admiration.

Readers are catapulted into the diverse experiences of immigrant life, where the bonds of community are both insistent and deep. A cast of compelling characters guides us through this journey: Russian brothers haunted by a tragic memory, ntonia's father who yearns for his homeland, and her mother, whose priorities often seem misplaced. At the core of this pastoral society is the enchanting ntonia, whose free spirit captivates all who know her.

Jim Burden's narrative is one of personal reflection as he remembers his youth and the poignant moments he shared with ntonia. Their relationship, oscillating between platonic affection and a deeper connection, offers a window into ntonia's life, her challenges, and her victories.

The Wheel of Time is a PBS Great American Read Selection now in development for TV. Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world; In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne--and where an unexpected visitor may change the world.... In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta'veren to ta'veren and prepares to march... Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally....And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway...

Shadow & Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume:

The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim.

The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic, and learn the truth about his hidden destiny.

Ursula K. Le Guin said, "Magic stuff . . . a masterpiece . . . the best science fiction I've read in years!"

"One of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century." -- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work. Sword & Citadel brings together the final two books of the tetralogy in one volume:

The Sword of the Lictor is the third volume in Wolfe's remarkable epic, chronicling the odyssey of the wandering pilgrim called Severian, driven by a powerful and unfathomable destiny, as he carries out a dark mission far from his home.

The Citadel of the Autarch brings The Book of the New Sun to its harrowing conclusion, as Severian clashes in a final reckoning with the dread Autarch, fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will forever alter the realm known as Urth.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance.

What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Into the forbidden city of Rhuidean, where Rand al'Thor, now the Dragon Reborn, must conceal his present endeavor from all about him, even Egwene and Moiraine. Into the Amyrlin's study in the White Tower, where the Amyrlin, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, is weaving new plans. Into the luxurious hidden chamber where the Forsaken Rahvin is meeting with three of his fellows to ensure their ultimate victory over the Dragon. Into the Queen's court in Caemlyn, where Morgase is curiously in thrall to the handsome Lord Gaebril.

For once the dragon walks the land, the fires of heaven fall where they will, until all men's lives are ablaze. And in Shayol Ghul, the Dark One stirs...