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A Certain Ambiguity: A Mathematical Novel
By Gaurav Suri, Hartosh Singh Bal. 2010
While taking a class on infinity at Stanford in the late 1980s, Ravi Kapoor discovers that he is confronting the…
same mathematical and philosophical dilemmas that his mathematician grandfather had faced many decades earlier--and that had landed him in jail. Charged under an obscure blasphemy law in a small New Jersey town in 1919, Vijay Sahni is challenged by a skeptical judge to defend his belief that the certainty of mathematics can be extended to all human knowledge--including religion. Together, the two men discover the power--and the fallibility--of what has long been considered the pinnacle of human certainty, Euclidean geometry. As grandfather and grandson struggle with the question of whether there can ever be absolute certainty in mathematics or life, they are forced to reconsider their fundamental beliefs and choices. Their stories hinge on their explorations of parallel developments in the study of geometry and infinity--and the mathematics throughout is as rigorous and fascinating as the narrative and characters are compelling and complex. Moving and enlightening, A Certain Ambiguity is a story about what it means to face the extent--and the limits--of human knowledge.The Woman on the Bridge: the poignant and escapist historical novel about fighting for the people you love
By Sheila O'Flanagan. 2023
THE NO. 1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER'Utterly captivating . . . a story of love, war and how women will fight…
for the people they love' Cathy Kelly'A riveting rollercoaster of drama, tragedy, triumph and love' Patricia Scanlan 'Unputdownable, full of poignancy, warmth and real and relatable women' Kate ThompsonDublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people fall in love amongst events that will bring tragedy and tough choices as they fight for a better future.In a country fighting for freedom, it's hard to live a normal life. Winnie O'Leary supports the cause, but she doesn't go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She's not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it. Joseph's family shelter fugitives and smuggle weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come? Ireland's tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O'Flanagan's grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.PRE-ORDER Sheila O'Flanagan's new contemporary novel, THE HONEYMOON AFFAIR! Coming April 2024. Readers love Sheila's books'Do I rejoice when a new Sheila O'Flanagan book hits the shelves? I do' Roisin Meaney'One of my favourite authors' Marian Keyes'Sheila writes with such verve and positivity and emotional intelligence' Veronica HenryThe Woman on the Bridge: the poignant and escapist historical novel about fighting for the people you love
By Sheila O'Flanagan. 2023
THE NO. 1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER'Utterly captivating . . . a story of love, war and how women will fight…
for the people they love' Cathy Kelly'A riveting rollercoaster of drama, tragedy, triumph and love' Patricia Scanlan 'Unputdownable, full of poignancy, warmth and real and relatable women' Kate ThompsonDublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people fall in love amongst events that will bring tragedy and tough choices as they fight for a better future.In a country fighting for freedom, it's hard to live a normal life. Winnie O'Leary supports the cause, but she doesn't go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She's not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it. Joseph's family shelter fugitives and smuggle weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come? Ireland's tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O'Flanagan's grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.PRE-ORDER Sheila O'Flanagan's new contemporary novel, THE HONEYMOON AFFAIR! Coming April 2024. Readers love Sheila's books'Do I rejoice when a new Sheila O'Flanagan book hits the shelves? I do' Roisin Meaney'One of my favourite authors' Marian Keyes'Sheila writes with such verve and positivity and emotional intelligence' Veronica HenryThe Tortoise in Asia
By Tony Grey. 2015
Based on a popular legend in Gansu, the far western province of China, The Tortoise in Asia recounts the exploits…
of Marcus, a young Roman centurion schooled in the Greek classics who, after a devastating loss in a battle with the Parthians, is taken prisoner, marched along the Silk Road, and pressed into service as a border guard on the eastern frontier. After a daring escape, Marcus has many adventures working with the Hun army as a mercenary. Throughout this harrowing journey, Marcus learns about Chinese philosophies, uncovering the startling similarities between these philosophies and those of Greece.The Woman on the Bridge
By Sheila O'Flanagan. 2023
A stunning historical novel from multi-million-copy bestselling author Sheila O'FlanaganDublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people…
are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy - and the hardest of choices.In a country fighting for freedom, it's hard to live a normal life. Winnie O'Leary supports the cause, but she doesn't go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She's not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.Joseph's family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come?Ireland's tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O'Flanagan's grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.Readers love Sheila's books'Do I rejoice when a new Sheila O'Flanagan book hits the shelves? I do' Roisin Meaney'One of my favourite authors' Marian Keyes'Sheila writes with such verve and positivity and emotional intelligence' Veronica Henry(P)2023 Headline Publishing Group LimitedThe Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts: A Graphic Novel
By Issai Chozanshi. 2013
A visually thrilling graphic novel adaptation of classic martial arts parables on swordsmanship and strategy—written by a real-life samurai …
The Demon&’s Sermon on the Martial Arts is a classic collection of martial arts tales, written by the eighteenth-century samurai Issai Chozanshi. Featuring demons, insects, birds, cats, and numerous other creatures, the stories here may seem whimsical, but they contain essential teachings that offer insight into the fundamental principles of the martial arts. This graphic novel version based on Chozanshi&’s text brings these tales alive in a captivating and immediately accessible way. Infused with Chozanshi&’s deep understanding of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto, the tales elucidate the nature of conflict, the importance of following one&’s own nature, yin and yang, the cultivation and transformation of ch&’i (life energy), and the attainment of mushin (no-mind). Ultimately, the reader learns in a visually exciting way that the path of the sword is a path of self-knowledge and leads to an understanding of life itself.The 47 Ronin: A Graphic Novel
By Sean Michael Wilson. 2013
A graphic novel depiction of the most dramatic example of bushido—the samurai code—in Japanese historyIn the eighteenth century, forty-seven samurai…
avenged the death of their master in a plot that would take over two years to complete. After succeeding in their mission, the masterless samurai—known as ronin—all committed ritual suicide. The story, which is a national legend, remains the most potent example of Japan&’s deeply rooted cultural imperative of honor, persistence, loyalty, and sacrifice.The historical event has inspired many writers and artists over the years and numerous fictionalized versions and adaptations have emerged. In The 47 Ronin, Sean Michael Wilson has created a historically factual portrait, enhanced by evocative and often lyrical drawings by Akiko Shimojima. While there are other depictions of the story in manga form, this version stands out as being the most accurate and most compelling. Wilson and Shimojima have made the characters nuanced and relatable."Love, suspense, nature and superstition are woven together in this powerful novel" MAJA LUNDE, author of The History of Bees"An…
exquisitely atmospheric novel . . . The Bell in the Lake does what fiction promises: to steal you away to another world and ask you, if unfairly, to leave a little of your heart behind" DEREK B. MILLER, author of Norwegian by Night"Lyrical, melancholy and with beautifully drawn characters, this pitches old beliefs against new ways with a haunting delicacy that rings true." DAILY MAIL"Mytting uses the love story to explore the clash between tradition and modernity" THE TIMES (Historical Fiction Book of the Month)The first in a rich historical trilogy that draws on legend, by a literary craftsman and the author of The Sixteen Trees of the SommeNorway, 1880. Winter is hard in Butangen, a village secluded at the end of a valley. The lake has frozen, and for months the ground is too hard to bury the dead. Astrid Hekne dreams of a life beyond all this, beyond marriage, children, and working the land to the end of her days. Then Pastor Kai Schweigaard takes over the small parish, with its 700-year-old stave church carved with pagan deities. The two bells in the tower were forged by Astrid's forefather in the sixteenth century, in memory of conjoined twins Halfrid and Gunhild Hekne. They are said to hold supernatural powers.The villagers are wary of the pastor and his resolve to do away with their centuries-old traditions, though Astrid also finds herself drawn to him. And then a stranger arrives from Dresden, with grand plans for the church itself. For headstrong Astrid this may be a provocation too far.Talented architecture student Gerhard Schönauer is an improbable figure in this rugged community. Astrid has never met anyone like him; he seems so different, so sensitive. She finds that she must make a choice: for her homeland and the pastor, or for an uncertain future in Germany.Then the bells begin to ring . . ."Rich, sinuous prose . . . a beautiful example of modern Norwegian folklore" GUARDIANTranslated from the Norwegian by Deborah DawkinWith the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union(P)2020 Quercus Editions LimitedThe Last Greek (Commander #2)
By Christian Cameron. 2020
Few writers are better at conjuring up a vision of Ancient Greece' THE TIMES* * * * * * *210BCE.The…
most powerful empires in the world brawl over the spoils of a declawed Greece.Philopoemen has a vision to end the chaos and anarchy that consumes his homeland - to stop the endless wars and preserve the world he loves. He must resist the urge of the oligarchs to surrender to their oppressors and raise an army to defend his countrymen from the all-conquering powers of Sparta, Macedon and Rome.It is the last roll of the dice for the Achean League. The moment Philopoemen has been training for his whole life.The new Achilles is poised to restore the glory of the former empire. To herald a new era.To become the last great hero of Greece.* * * * * * *Praise for Christian Cameron:'One of the finest writers of historical fiction in the world' BEN KANE'The master of historical fiction' SUNDAY TIMES'A storyteller at the height of his powers' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETYA Place to Belong: A gripping, heartwrenching saga set in World War Two Ireland
By Cathy Mansell. 2019
She lost everything in one night. Now she must fight for happiness.Dramatic, emotional and romantic, if you love Lorna Cook,…
Tracy Rees and Jenny Ashcroft, you'll love this gripping and heartwrenching novel from Cathy Mansell, set against the sweeping backdrop of Dublin and rural Ireland in the 1940s. It's 1943 and Ireland has escaped the worst of the war raging in Europe, but life is not without its hardships. When fire breaks out at the convent in Cavan where she has spent the past ten years, orphan Eva Fallon barely escapes with her life.She's offered a bed for the night by Ma Scully, whilst her nephew Cathal, visiting from Dublin, helps battle the blaze. Seventeen-year-old Eva has never known such kindness but she's too proud to take advantage, and finds a job at Blackstock's farm, setting in motion a chain of events that will change her life forever.Amidst tragedy and hardship, the only ray of light is the friendship of Ma Scully and her growing, secret love for Cathal. And through it all Eva clings to her hope that one day she will find a place where she can truly belong.(P) 2019 Headline Publishing Group LtdThe Last Greek (Commander #2)
By Christian Cameron. 2020
Few writers are better at conjuring up a vision of Ancient Greece' THE TIMES* * * * * * *210BCE.The…
most powerful empires in the world brawl over the spoils of a declawed Greece.Philopoemen has a vision to end the chaos and anarchy that consumes his homeland - to stop the endless wars and preserve the world he loves. He must resist the urge of the oligarchs to surrender to their oppressors and raise an army to defend his countrymen from the all-conquering powers of Sparta, Macedon and Rome.It is the last roll of the dice for the Achean League. The moment Philopoemen has been training for his whole life.The new Achilles is poised to restore the glory of the former empire. To herald a new era.To become the last great hero of Greece.* * * * * * *Praise for Christian Cameron:'One of the finest writers of historical fiction in the world' BEN KANE'The master of historical fiction' SUNDAY TIMES'A storyteller at the height of his powers' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETYEchoes of the City
By Lars Saabye Christensen. 2019
A jewel of modern Norwegian literature now hailed as Lars Saabye Christensen's crowning achievement - an intricate and utterly compelling…
narrative."With its tonal nuance and quietly amusing melancholy, Echoes of the City confirms him as one of Norway's finest writers" Guardian"[A] profoundly resonant novel" T.L.S.Christensen is one of Scandinavia's finest and most celebrated storytellers, who has devoted the best part of his career to writing about the city of his birth. As Oslo slowly emerges from a period of crippling austerity, Echoes of the City shows how small, almost imperceptible acts of kindness and compassion, and tiny shifts in fortune, can change the lives of many.At the centre of the novel are Maj and Ewald Kristoffersen and their son Jesper, their lives closely entwined and overlapping with their neighbours' on Kirkeveien. When the butcher's son Jostein is knocked down in a traffic accident and loses his hearing, Jesper promises to be his ears in the world. The arrival of a long-awaited telephone is a major event for Maj and Ewald, and meanwhile their neighbour, recently widowed Fru Vik, tentatively takes up with the owner of the bookshop near the cemetery. The bar at Hotel Bristol becomes a meeting place for all of them - for Ewald and his advertising colleagues, for Fru Vik and her suitor, to the piano playing of hapless Enzo Zanetti, an immigrant down on his luck, who enables Jesper to discover his true passion.The minutes of the local Red Cross meetings give an architecture to the narrative of so many lives and tell a story in themselves, bearing witness to the steady recovery of the community. Echoes of the City is a remarkably tender observation of the rhythms and passions of a city, and a particular salute to the resilience of its women. Translated from the Norwegian by Don BartlettUnder a Pole Star: Shortlisted for the 2017 Costa Novel Award
By Stef Penney. 2016
COSTA WINNING AUTHOR Stef Penney returns to the wild Arctic setting she brought so vividly to life in THE TENDERNESS…
OF WOLVES, in an epic story of ambition, perseverance and love against the odds. Perfect for fans of TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD and THE ESSEX SERPENT. 'A supreme storyteller' Sunday TimesFlora Mackie first crossed the Arctic Circle at the age of twelve. In 1889, the whaler's daughter from Dundee - dubbed by the press 'The Snow Queen' - sets out to become a scientist and explorer. She struggles to be taken seriously but determination and chance lead her back to northern Greenland at the head of a British expedition, despite the many who believe that a young woman has no place in this harsh world of men.Geologist Jakob de Beyn was raised in Manhattan. Yearning for wider horizons, he joins a rival expedition, led by the furiously driven Lester Armitage. When Jakob and Flora's paths cross, it is a fateful meeting. All three become obsessed with the north, a place where violent extremes exist side by side: perpetual night and endless day; frozen seas and coastal meadows; heroism and lies. Armitage's ruthless desire to be the true leader of polar discovery takes him and his men on a mission whose tragic outcome will reverberate for years to come. Set against the stark, timeless beauty of northern Greenland, and fin-de-siècle New York and London, Under a Pole Star is a compelling look at the dark side of the 'golden age' of exploration, a study of the corrosive power of ambition, and an epic, incendiary love story. It shows that sometimes you have to travel to the furthest edge of the world in order to find your true place in it.(P)2016 WF Howes LtdThe Shadow of the Wind: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 1
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2001
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of…
obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax.But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead.Read by Daniel Philpott(p) 2005 Isis Publishing LtdLe Problème Spinoza
By Irvin Yalom. 2019
Amsterdam, février 1941. Le Reichleiter Rosenberg, chargé de la confiscation des biens culturels des juifs dans les territoires occupés, fait…
main basse sur la bibliothèque de Baruch Spinoza. Qui était donc ce philosophe, excommunié en 1656 par la communauté juive d'Amsterdam et banni de sa propre famille, pour exercer une telle fascination sur l'idéologue du parti nazi trois siècles après sa mort ? La plume romanesque d'Irvin Yalom nous plonge au cœur de l'histoire et explore la vie intérieure de Spinoza, inventeur d'une éthique de la joie, qui influença des générations de penseurs, et celle d'Alfred Rosenberg, qui joua un rôle décisif dans l'extermination des juifs d'EuropeBook of the Hopi
By Frank Waters. 1977
Thirty Hopi elders cooperated with the author to describe the Hopis' world view. They shared their legends and rituals and…
the beliefs underlying them. The result is a philosophy much different from those of European culturesFish Have No Feet
By Jón Kalman Stefánsson. 2013
Keflavik: a town that has been called the darkest place in Iceland, surrounded by black lava fields, hemmed in by…
a sea that may not be fished. Its livelihood depends entirely on a U.S. military base, a conduit for American influences that shaped Icelandic culture and ethics from the 1950s to the dawning of the new millennium. It is to Keflavik that Ari - a writer and publisher - returns from Copenhagen at the behest of his dying father, two years after walking out on his wife and children. He is beset by memories of his youth, spent or misspent listening to Pink Floyd and the Beatles, fraternising with American servicemen - who are regarded by the locals with a mixture of admiration and contempt - and discovering girls. There is one girl in particular he could never forget - her fate has stayed with him all his life.Lost in grief and nostalgia, he is also caught up in the story of how his grandparents fell in love in Nordfjordur on the eastern coast, a fishing village a world away from modern Keflavik, at time when the old ways still held sway. Their tragic love affair unfolded against the backdrop of Iceland's harsh nature and unforgiving elements.Fish have no Feet is at once the story of a singular family and an epic of Icelandic history and culture. It offers an unique insight into modern Iceland, and the ways in which it has been shaped by outside influences. A sparkling novel of love, pain, loss and lifelong desire that marries the poetic, elemental style of Heaven and Hell, The Sorrow of Angels and The Heart of Man to a modern frame of reference and sensibility.(P)2016 W F Howes LtdThe Villa: Escape to Sicily with the Number One Bestseller
By Rosanna Ley. 2012
Set against the rugged coast of Sicily, debut novelist Rosanna Ley creates a lush multi-generational story in The Villa; an…
epic journey of love lost, family secrets, the road to self-discovery and the meaning of home and family. When Tess Angel receives a letter informing her she has inherited the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily--she is stunned. Her only link to the small beautiful island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and has not spoken to her family, or of her life there, since. Initially resistant to Tess traveling to her home country, Flavia begins to recount her youth, told in flashbacks as she writes in a journal to Tess of her journey to independence, as well as leaving her legacy of cherished family recipes and secrets. Secrets including a lost treasure rumored to be hidden in the very Villa Tess is staying at. Told in alternating points-of-view between Tess, Flavia, and Tess' teenage daughter Ginny, dealing with her blooming sexuality and filled with questions that she longs to ask her long-absent father.(P)2014 WF Howes LtdThe Angel's Game: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 2
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2008
In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man - David Martin - makes his living by…
writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Then David receives the offer of a lifetime: he is to write a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home...Read by Dan Stevens(p) 2009 Orion Publishing GroupA Few of the Girls
By Maeve Binchy. 2015
'The Irish do love telling stories, and we are suspicious of people who don't have long, complicated conversations. There used…
to be a rule in etiquette books that you should invite four talkers and four listeners to a dinner party. That doesn't work in Ireland, because nobody knows four listeners' Maeve Binchy Maeve Binchy's bestselling novels not only tell wonderful stories, they also give an insight in to how Ireland has changed over the decades, but how people remain the same: they still fall in love, sometimes unsuitably; they still have hopes and dreams; they have deep, long-standing friendships, and some that fall apart. From her earliest writing to her most recent, Maeve's work has included wonderfully nostalgic pieces and also sharp, often witty writing which is insightful and topical. But at the heart of all Maeve's fiction are the people and their relationships with each other. A FEW OF THE GIRLS is a glorious collection of the very best of her writing, full of the warmth, charm and humour that has always been an essential part of all of Maeve's writing.Read by Kate Binchy with an introduction read by Gordon Snell(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group