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Showing 1 - 20 of 1081 items
By Nora Roberts, Ruth Langan, Patricia Potter. 1990
Roberts reintroduces the MacGregor family, when a young widow falls for wounded minuteman Ian MacGregor. Another story explores the conflicting…
emotions of relatives and sweethearts divided by the Civil War. Lastly, a rancher's daughter and a former town troublemaker are reunited. Some descriptions of sexBy W. E. B Du Bois. 2023
In The Quest of the Silver Fleece there is little, I ween, divine or ingenious; but, at least, I have…
been honest. In no fact or picture have I consciously set down aught the counterpart of which I have not seen or known; and whatever the finished picture may lack of completeness, this lack is due now to the story-teller, now to the artist, but never to the herald of the Truth. —Author's Note from The Quest of the Silver Fleece W. E. B. Du Bois considered his first novel, The Quest of the Silver Fleece, to be an "economic study" of the post-Reconstruction relationship between the North and the South, but this first foray into fiction proves itself to be much more than that. Filled with literary realism, social commentary, and romance, Silver Fleece chronicles the love story between Zora, a free-spirited Black girl from a Southern swamp, and Bles, a Black man educated in the North. The couple must find a way to unite and overcome the racist Alabama town in which they live and, through working with the titular silver fleece (cotton), create an economic community that would help the rural Black community become self-sufficient. Controversial and provocative at the time of its publication, Du Bois's debut novel is a cutting and thorough examination, and condemnation, of America's views on race both at the time of the novel's publication and the time in which it is set. As a sociologist and civil-rights leader, Du Bois was uniquely positioned to bring the themes of racism, prejudice, and racial equality found in The Souls of Black Folk, which he had published just before Silver Fleece, to a larger audience that had not read his nonfiction titles. The Quest of the Silver Fleece is a rousing and beautiful work of fiction from one of America's most important intellects, and it continues to inspire conversation and debate around systemic racism in America todayClassic haunted house ghost stories curated by world-renowned filmmaker and horror genre expert John Landis.This beautifully presented, highly collectible anthology…
features ghost stories that have enthralled, terrified and inspired readers decade after decade. Some are relatively well known; others are long-lost treasures, awaiting rediscovery.The selection includes tales of terror by Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft, and Percival Landon; studies of creeping dread by Edgar Allan Poe and Henry James; short, sharp shockers by Ambrose Bierce, M.R. James and Lafcadio Hearn; and comedic masterpieces by Oscar Wilde and Saki.Mr. Landis' own introduction explores each tale's fascinating impact on the contemporary horror genre.Step inside these ghost-ridden repositories of supernatural evil, if you dare..."The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." H. P. LovecraftBy Mary Jo Putney, Joanna Bourne, Patricia Rice, Jo Beverley, Nicola Cornick, Anne Gracie, Susan King, Cara Elliott. 2012
&“Eight authors celebrate Christmas in Regency England in this heart-warming anthology . . . each second chance is a sweet gift for the…
reader.&” —Publishers Weekly Unwrap the most romantic of Regency delights in this sparkling holiday collection . . . Christmastime in England—a time for passionate secrets, delicious whispers, and wicked-sweet gifts by the fire. From a spirited lady who sets out to save her rakish best friend from an unsuitable engagement, to a bold spy who gets the unexpected chance to win the woman he&’s always loved, to a vicar&’s daughter who pretends to be a saucy wench, these holiday tales will make you curl up in front of the fire for a memorable season of mischief and mistletoe . . . &“Confections that charm and delight, like the holidays themselves.&” —RT Book Reviews &“Touching, gently funny, satisfying, and short enough to be read in one sitting, each story in this delectable anthology is a holiday treat.&” —Library Journal &“A collection of historical fiction romances set around the Yuletide season. This was a delightful collection and while I had favorites I can honestly say I enjoyed each and every tale by these talented authors.&” —Caffeinated Book ReviewerThe third volume of a celebrated translation of the classic Chinese novelThis is the third volume in David Roy's celebrated…
translation of one of the most famous and important novels in Chinese literature. The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P’ing Mei is an anonymous sixteenth-century work that focuses on the domestic life of Hsi-men Ch’ing, a corrupt, upwardly mobile merchant in a provincial town, who maintains a harem of six wives and concubines. The novel, known primarily for its erotic realism, is also a landmark in the development of the narrative art form—not only from a specifically Chinese perspective but in a world-historical context.Written during the second half of the sixteenth century and first published in 1618, The Plum in the Golden Vase is noted for its surprisingly modern technique. With the possible exception of The Tale of Genji (ca. 1010) and Don Quixote (1605, 1615), there is no earlier work of prose fiction of equal sophistication in world literature. Although its importance in the history of Chinese narrative has long been recognized, the technical virtuosity of the author, which is more reminiscent of the Dickens of Bleak House, the Joyce of Ulysses, or the Nabokov of Lolita than anything in earlier Chinese fiction, has not yet received adequate recognition. This is partly because all of the existing European translations are either abridged or based on an inferior recension of the text. This translation and its annotation aim to faithfully represent and elucidate all the rhetorical features of the original in its most authentic form and thereby enable the Western reader to appreciate this Chinese masterpiece at its true worth.Replete with convincing portrayals of the darker side of human nature, it should appeal to anyone interested in a compelling story, compellingly told.The fifth and final volume of a celebrated translation of the classic Chinese novelThis is the fifth and final volume…
in David Roy's celebrated translation of one of the most famous and important novels in Chinese literature. The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P’ing Mei is an anonymous sixteenth-century work that focuses on the domestic life of Hsi-men Ch’ing, a corrupt, upwardly mobile merchant in a provincial town, who maintains a harem of six wives and concubines. The novel, known primarily for its erotic realism, is also a landmark in the development of the narrative art form—not only from a specifically Chinese perspective but in a world-historical context.This complete and annotated translation aims to faithfully represent and elucidate all the rhetorical features of the original in its most authentic form and thereby enable the Western reader to appreciate this Chinese masterpiece at its true worth.By Kate Chopin. 2022
Now recognised as a pioneering exploration of gender freedom, from an era when female agency was rare and shocking.Written in…
the late Victorian era, The Awakening features a young woman who flings aside the norms of society and rejects her role as wife and mother. She abandons her family for a hedonistic and contrarian lifestyle before eventually committing suicide. The novel deals with the issues of interracial marriage and contains passages of overt sexuality, both of which contributed to the widespread outcry upon its original publication in 1899. Today it is seen as a portent of the future and admired for its direct and naturalistic style.Flame Tree 451 presents a new series, The Foundations of Feminist Fiction. The early 1900s saw a quiet revolution in literature previously dominated by male adventure heroes. Both men and women moved beyond the norms of the male gaze to write from a different gender perspective, sometimes with female protagonists, but also expressing the universal freedom to write on any subject whatsoever. Each book features a brand new biography and a glossary of literary terms.By Martin R. Delany. 2022
New edition of Delany's classic pre US Civil war slavery tale which follows an escaped slave who tries to ignite…
insurrection against the de-humanizing institutions of depravation.New edition with a new introduction. Delany's tale of Blake, an escaped slave in the era before the US Civil War, depicts the harrowing detail of life under slavery and offers a call to action for resistance. Casting beyond the misery of slavery, Delany's novel, located in the Southern United States and Cuba, demonstrates that alternatives are possible if only widespread insurrection could be ignited. A new title in the Foundations of Black Science Fiction series.FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and robots, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales, ancient and modern gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. The Foundations titles also explore the roots of modern fiction and brings together neglected works which deserve a wider readership as part of a series of classic, essential books.By W.E.B. Du Bois. 2022
Du Bois' foundational investigation of social justice and civil rights by means of essay, poetry, prayer and short science fiction.A…
new edition with a new introduction, Du Bois' radical text is a rare statement of values formed around the vision of a collective life, where the humanity of black women and men is treated with dignity and equality. He expresses his themes through a series of literary forms: polemic essay, spirituals, poetry and short science fiction, each of which forms a pulse of social justice from a time when a true understanding of intersections between poverty, work, racism and feminism was rare. A new title in the Foundations of Black Science Fiction series.FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and robots, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales, ancient and modern gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. The Foundations titles also explore the roots of modern fiction and brings together neglected works which deserve a wider readership as part of a series of classic, essential books.By Flame Tree. 2024
The Victorian era brought an explosion of literature to the minds of the reading public with famous writers lending their…
talents to ghastly tales set in castles, mansions, lonely streets and long dark lanes.A fantastic new companion for late-night scares as the nights draw in. Chilling ghost stories from the era of the fireside tale, a series of dark and foreboding missives from the masterful pens of Charles Dickens, E.F. Benson, Algernon Blackwood, Sabine Baring-Gould, Vernon Lee, Edith Nesbit and the master of all, M.R. James.FLAME TREE 451: From myth to mystery, the supernatural to horror, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.By Flame Tree. 2024
Atmospheric, chilling and often witty tales from the storytellers of ancient and modern phantom appearancesFrom the misty air of the…
highlands, to the reekie streets of Edinburgh's underground city, comes an entertaining selection of classic and mysterious Scottish ghost stories, including &‘The Screaming Skull of Greyfriars&’, &‘Mary Burnet&’, &‘Wandering Willie&’s Tale&’ and &‘Glamis Castle&’, from the pen of John Buchan, Elliott O&’Donnell, Margaret Oliphant, Robert Louis Stevenson, Walter Scott and more. From myth to mystery, the supernatural to horror, fantasy and science fiction FLAME TREE 451 offers tales, myths and epic literature from the beginnings of humankind, through the medieval era to the stories of imagination and dark romance of today.By Flame Tree. 2024
A new, lyrical collection of famous stories and the less well-known.A collection of characteristically playful yet philosophical Irish ghost stories…
from authors such as Oscar Wilde (The Canterville Ghost), Sheridan Le Fanu (The Child That Went With The Fairies, Stories Of Lough Guir), Charles Maturin (extracts from Melmoth the Wanderer), Lord Dunsany ('The Sword of Welleran') and Fitz-James O'Brien ('The Diamond Lens', 'What Was It?').FLAME TREE 451: From myth to mystery, the supernatural to horror, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.By George Eliot. 2015
A man becomes a recluse when he&’s accused of a crime he did not commit Silas Marner is a skilled…
weaver working long hours in London for a Calvinist sect that does not appreciate him. When the congregation&’s funds are stolen, Silas is framed for the theft and excommunicated. Presumed guilty, abandoned by the love of his life, evicted from his modest home, and humiliated by the men he called his brothers, Silas wanders north to a small village in England&’s bucolic countryside. Forsaking contact with humanity, he throws himself into his work, caring for little other than the constant movement of his hands and the stack of money he is slowly amassing. But fate sees it fit that Silas should lose his newfound wealth and gain the companionship of a young orphan, an experience that proves more valuable than any currency. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. &“I think Silas Marner holds a higher place than any of the author&’s works. It is more nearly a masterpiece; it has more of that simple, rounded, consummate aspect which marks a classical work.&” —Henry JamesBy Arthur Conan Doyle. 2014
Holmes and Watson unravel a mystery so exotic it stretches to the very ends of the British Empire After months…
without a case, the world&’s greatest detective is aimless, his only stimulation the daily injection of his drug of choice. &“Which is it to-day?&” asks a disapproving Watson—&“morphine or cocaine?&” For a mind as finely tuned as Holmes&’s, the dull routine of existence will not suffice. Thankfully for Holmes&’s health and Watson&’s anxiety levels, a beautiful young woman soon calls at 221B Baker Street. Ten years ago, Mary Morstan&’s father, a captain of the 34th Bombay Infantry, disappeared from a London hotel. Four years thereafter, Mary began to receive large, lustrous pearls in the mail—one per year, always delivered on May 4. Now, six pearls later, Mary is finally about to meet her anonymous benefactor and asks Holmes and Watson to accompany her for safety&’s sake. The crime they uncover—in which a royal treasure, a diabolical double cross, and a man-eating crocodile all play a part—is one of the most thrilling tales Arthur Conan Doyle ever wrote, and a crucial chapter in the Sherlock Holmes saga. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.Thirteen tales of crime and intrigue, including the remarkable story of Sherlock Holmes&’s return from the deadIt has been three…
years since Sherlock Holmes, locked in a fierce struggle with his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, disappeared over the edge of the Reichenbach Falls. The world has mourned his loss greatly, no one more so than his good friend and partner in the arts of detection, Dr. Watson. Imagine Watson&’s shock, then, when an elderly book collector he bumps into on the street turns out to be none other than the master sleuth himself. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Sherlock Holmes did not die in Switzerland—he vanquished his greatest foe and set a trap for every other would-be mastermind foolish enough to attempt to match wits with the world&’s greatest detective. From the astonishing revelation in the opening paragraphs of &“The Adventure of the Empty House&” to the motiveless murder at the heart of &“The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez&” to the kidnapping that sets in motion the plot of &“The Adventure of the Priory School,&” these thirteen classic stories are among the most entertaining and endlessly clever entries in the canon of Sherlock Holmes. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.By Arthur Conan Doyle. 2014
The immortal Sherlock Holmes solves eleven unforgettable mysteriesThese stories, originally published in the Strand Magazine, follow Holmes from the astonishing…
heights of his deductive powers to the bottom of a treacherous gorge in Switzerland. &“Silver Blaze,&” a case that famously hinges on the &“curious incident of the dog in the night-time,&” finds the detective employing his singular imagination to locate a missing racehorse. In &“The Greek Interpreter,&” Holmes and his brilliant older brother, Mycroft, team up to put an end to a diabolical extortion scheme. And, most notoriously, criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty makes his first appearance in &“The Final Problem,&” a story that begins with the discovery of a secret criminal organization overtaking England, and ends on a cliff overlooking the Reichenbach Falls. With a heavy heart, Dr. Watson tells the world what no one wants to hear: Holmes and his archenemy have plunged to their deaths together, locked in mortal combat. This legendary collection, which Arthur Conan Doyle intended to bring a fitting end to the Sherlock Holmes saga, also includes &“The Musgrave Ritual,&” &“The Reigate Puzzle,&” &“The Crooked Man,&” and &“The Resident Patient.&” Each of these eleven stories is now recognized as a masterpiece of crime fiction, and a clear indication that the peerless sleuth was not yet ready to leave the stage for good. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.By Oscar Hijuelos. 1989
When it was first published in 1989, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love became an international bestselling sensation, winning…
rave reviews and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that changed the landscape of American literature returns with a new afterword by Oscar Hijuelos. Here is the story of the memorable Castillo brothers, from Havana to New York's Upper West Side. The lovelorn songwriter Nestor and his macho brother Cesar find success in the city's dance halls and beyond playing the rhythms that earn them their band's name, as they struggle with elusive fame and lost love in a richly sensual tale that has become a cultural touchstone and an enduring favorite.By Grethe Bøe. 2024
Get ready to be thrilled by a brand new heroine, Ylva Norvahl.Fighter pilot Ylva Norvahl has returned to her hometown,…
Bodø, in Norway's frozen north where tension is escalating across the border with Russia. NATO has launched the "Arctic Blizzard" excercise, mobilising 60,000 soldiers, many of them American.All it takes is one false move to trigger a major political crisis, or even a war.When her plane is forced down over Russian territory, Ylva and the veteran U.S. Major John Evans must race against time across a frozen landscape to avoid capture by the Russian Spetsnaz special forces in pursuit. Complicating their journey is Evans' involvement with an American military contractor Titans Security which has its own agenda across international frontiers.As the hunt closes in, Ylva uses her local Sami knowledge to survive in the excruciating cold, and her family history reveals dark secrets of its own in this geopolitical game of chess.Finalist for the Romantic Novelist Association's 'The Romantic Saga Award 2023' for A Mother's WarNorth Yorkshire, 1941.It's been two years…
since war broke out and the dangers of war are becoming ever more real for the Calvert-Lazenby family. With Raven Hall requisitioned as a maternity hospital, Rosina is rushed off her feet helping to care for the new young mothers and barely has the time to worry about young sergeant Harry who has been posted abroad. Until foreboding news arrives . . .Meanwhile, against Rosina's wishes, eighteen-year-old Connie decides to leave school and move to Scarborough to train as a carpenter's apprentice, sharing a flat with her friend Stella and the mysterious Valentine. Valentine is enigmatic and Connie would love to get to know her better, but little does she know how things will get much worse for them both . . .Nowhere is safe in wartime.Praise for Mollie Walton:'Mollie Walton captures your attention from the very first page and doesn't let go!' Diney Costeloe'A Journey. Compelling. Addictive' Val Wood'Feisty female characters, an atmospheric setting ... A phenomenal read' Cathy Bramley'Evocative, dramatic and hugely compelling. I loved it' Miranda DickinsonBy J. P O’Connell. 2024
Romance, intrigue, and dangerous ambitions combine to create the perfect escape: welcome to the beautiful Hotel Portofino on the magical Italian Riviera. …
***NOW A MAJOR TV DRAMA*** It is the summer of 1927 and Hotel Portofino is prospering under Bella&’s stewardship. As the season begins, Bella is keenly looking forward to her son Lucian&’s imminent arrival and the chance to discuss with him her plans to convert the hotel&’s basement into a spa. But then Bella&’s husband Cecil turns up unannounced, Over the course of several hot weeks in the middle of the Italian summer, Bella is forced to confront the reality of her relationship with Cecil and to decide to what extent she is prepared to go against social convention to get what she wants. As she welcomes her guests, old and new, an anonymous visit from a travel guide inspector threatens to make or break the hotel&’s future.Enjoy a new season at Hotel Portofino, a heady historical drama set during the 1920s. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and The Durrells.