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The Summoning
by E E RichardsonJustin hasn't ever really believed in the occult, even though his Grandpa Blake is an expert in it and has a house full of curious objects and old tattered books on magic. But when Daniel Eilersen, the class know-it-all, starts acting all high-and-mighty, Justin thinks he can scare him by performing a magic ritual from the ancient book he's stolen from his granddad's study. His friend Trevor, who always goes along with what Justin says and his little sister, Joy, complete the group. It's all about the atmosphere of course and Justin plans to give Eilersen a proper scare, but nothing will actually happen . . .Or will it . . .?On the old tennis court in the park, late one night, the four of them, unaware of the consequences of their actions, summon Dracherion, a malicious and dangerous spirit bent on revenge for being imprisoned in the ancient book by Grandpa Blake, years ago. Things go wrong and Dracherion breaks out of the circle designed to enclose him. The ritual has bound them to Dracherion and Justin, Joy, Trevor and Daniel know that the spirit will try and possess one of them so it can grow in strength and wreak its vengeance. A terrifying struggle follows as Dracherion grows stronger and stronger. It's a race against time to try and find a way of banishing the spirit out of this world. But how do they do that when one of them can't be trusted . . .?
The Sun Book Of Short Stories
by VariousTo celebrate the launch of Quick Reads in 2006, The Sun ran a short story competition called 'Get Britain Reading' in order to find the hidden talent among its ten million readers.It was judged by Sun columnist and bestselling author Jane Moore.The Sun Book of Short Stories contains a selection of the winning entries.They may make you smile, laugh or cry - but all of them are sure to entertain you.
Superloo: Queen Victoria's Potty
by W.C. FlushingSuperloo has an ego as big as a planet, a microchip that belongs to NASA and a mission to rescue its toilet ancestors from the past. In this fourth book, it's off to Victorian times with Finn, his reluctant human helper, to rescue the magnificent musical 1812 Overture Toilet, designed by the great Sir Walter Closet. Along the way Finn gets stuck in a chimney while Superloo ends up at the bottom of the river - but nothing stops our heroes when there's a toilet in peril! A rollicking, rumbustious ride through Victorian times, involving slums, evil factory owners and a great deal you never knew about Victorian potties.All history books should be like this!
Susan Lewis Bundle: Missing/ The Mill House
by Susan LewisThis special 2-for-1 edition features Missing and The Mill House – two powerful and emotionally engaging novels from the Sunday Times bestseller. MissingIt's an early autumn day like any other as Miles Avery drives his wife, Jacqueline, to the station. Nothing remarkable crops up in conversation, nor do either of them appear anything other than their normal selves. At the station, Jacqueline gets out, takes an overnight bag from the back seat, then turns towards the platforms. This is the last anyone sees of her.Three weeks later, Miles calls the police. Enquiries are made, but there is no evidence of her boarding a train, or even entering the station. Very soon the finger of suspicion starts to turn towards Miles, and as dark secrets from the past begin to merge with those of the present, the great love he has been trying to protect is not only revealed but thrown into terrible jeopardy.The Mill HouseJulia Thayne is a valued and loving wife, a successful mother and a beautiful woman. She is everything most other women strive to be. But beneath the surface is a terrible secret that threatens to tear her perfect world apart. Joshua is Julia's husband – a dynamic, devastatingly handsome man with great style, charisma and humour. He is utterly devoted to his wife and children, but as the ghosts of Julia's past begin to move into their marriage, he finds himself losing the struggle to keep them together. Then two telephone calls change everything.Julia moves from London to a remote mill house in Cornwall, determined to break free from the past and save her fractured relationship with Josh. But it is here that she makes her own fatal mistake, and once more her marriage is rocked to its very foundation.
Sweet as Sin
by Felix BaronTrixie, a widow, was petite, curvaceous, wealthy and sexually adventurous. Rolf, a widower, was tall, good-looking, even wealthier than Trixie and had been celibate for far too long. His son and Trixie's daughter made a handsome couple. Both relationships seemed to have been made in heaven, except that Rolf lusted after the daughter as much as he did the mother. Penny, he discovered, only looked pure. Beneath her innocent exterior, she was ten times as kinky as her mother. Penny was sweet, alright - as sweet as sin.
The Sword and the Flame: In The Hall Of The Dragon King, The Warlords Of Nin, And The Sword And The Flame (The Dragon King Trilogy #3)
by Stephen LawheadSometimes the greatest evil lies within. When Prince Gerin, King Quentin's son, is kidnapped, the kingdom is thrown into chaos and Quentin is forced to search inward for faith and hope. But is faith enough? At the dawn of a new era, where religious unrest is rampant and uncertainty of the kingdom&’s future threatens everyone, it takes courage to stand.From an orphaned servant to a war hero, respected leader, and a fierce man of faith, Quentin has slowly transformed into The Dragon King. But even the powerful can fall prey to weakness.?The world is turned upside-down when the dark sorcerer Nimrood--long thought dead after a battle with the previous Dragon King--returns with a fearsome plan.? Shattered by the death of a dear and trusted friend, the abduction of his beloved son, and the loss of his enchanted sword, Quentin finds his faith tested like never before.At the dawn of a new era, where faith clashes and old evils rear their heads, Quentin and his friends must lead the way despite their own flaws and uncertainty. With the fate of the world hanging on by a thread, their decisions slice through religious unrest and restore hope in what is to come.In The Sword and The Flame readers will find:Christian allegory and themesA sweeping Arthurian styled epic fantasy about hope, destiny, and faithCrossover appeal for young adult and adult readersIn?The Sword and the Flame, the final volume of Stephen R. Lawhead's captivating Dragon King Trilogy, the fate of the entire world depends on the outcome of this climactic battle between good and evil.
A Talent for Surrender
by Madeline BastinadoJo Lennox is a woman with a secret. By day she is headmistress of an exclusive private school: by night, a sexual adventurer who loves to dominate and humiliate men. Dan Elliot is a documentary film-maker who uses his looks and charm to persuade his subjects to expose their secrets.When their paths cross, Dan realises how much he has to learn about his own nature and his hidden desires. He becomes her willing pupil, eager to obey and hungry for experience. And Jo assumes the role of his teacher and guide, providing punishment, pleasure and the perverse by initiating him into a world of darkness and extreme submission.
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles and LambAs children, Charles and Mary Lamb took great delight in exploring their benefactor’s extensive library; as adults they began writing children’s books together that also appealed to all generations. In Tales of Shakespeare they wished to bring their favourite plays to life for children too young to read and appreciate Shakespeare’s work. This collection of twenty of Shakespeare’s stories begins with The Tempest, which explores themes of magic, power and reconciliation, and ends with Pericles, Prince of Tyre, an exotic play of love, loss and family ties. Between these two tales are twelve romances and comedies, all written by Mary, and six tragedies, all written by Charles. Each tale is told chronologically and retains much of Shakespeare’s lyricism, phrasing and rhythm. Together, they form a captivating and accessible introduction to the Bard’s work.
A Taste of Honey: A Novel
by Darren ColemanHoney Height learned early in life that her beauty and bedroom prowess are powerful, almost beyond her control. Forced by events that leave her to fend for herself as a teenager, she evolves into a money-hungry vixen as an adult. Using her physical attributes to lead a suspect lifestyle, Honey treats men like toys—good for a while, but always disposable.That is until she meets handsome and charismatic Khalil Graves, an up-and-coming filmmaker who's desperately trying to escape the demons of his painful childhood. Already engaged, Khalil can't seem to shake his attraction to Honey. What he doesn't realize is that he's a pawn in Honey's plan for revenge. Honey's attempt at vengeance quickly unravels, complicated by her possible involvement in a murder and a devious plot to score a payday lucrative enough to free her from her unsavory lifestyle. In A Taste of Honey, Essence bestselling author Darren Coleman delivers another sizzling, drama-filled tale that is sure to take his reputation for delivering page-turners to another level.
Tears at Bedtime
by Andrew Crofts Tom WilsonAt just six years old Tom Wilson fell prey to a predator of the worst sort. David Murphy was supposed to be his carer, instead he lifted his victims from their beds in the dead of night, and Tom was powerless to stop it.Tom endured years of horrific abuse which led to years of silence and self-torture. He grew up to be a troubled man, stumbling through care homes, schools, borstal and eventually prison. The damage that was done to him in those early years had destroyed his life.Then, one day, Tom read a newspaper article which unlocked the terrible memories he'd kept hidden for over forty tormented years. And a painful battle for justice began...
The Tempest
by William Shakespeare'The magic in The Tempest is real ... It contains a great many unanswered questions' Margaret AtwoodA storm rages. Prospero and his daughter watch from their desert island as a ship carrying the royal family is wrecked. Miraculously, all on board survive. Plotting, mistaken identities, bewitching love and enchantment follow as the travellers explore this mysterious place of spirits and monsters, and discover that all is not as it seems. Shakespeare's late, great play is a work filled with marvels, music and strangeness, fully exploiting the power of language and the magic of theatre.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited with an Introduction by Martin Butler
Templar Prize
by Deanna Ashford'"We should not," Edwina protested, all too briefly, before his lips covered hers. She thought she would swoon from the sheer bliss as Stephen's tongue unexpectedly eased its way into her mouth. She clung onto him like a drowning woman as the pleasure overwhelmed her, making a soft entreating sound as he pulled her even closer, crushing her breasts against his muscular chest.'At last free of a disastrous forced marriage, Edwina de Moreville accompanies Princess Berengaria and her betrothed, Richard the Lionheart, on a quest to the Holy Land to recapture Jerusalem from the Saracens. Edwina has been happily reunited with her first and only love, Stephen the Comte de Chalais, one of Richard's most loyal knights but, although their passion for each other is as strong as ever, the path before them will be far from easy.
The Templars: The History & the Myth (Rough Guide Reference Ser.)
by Michael HaagArguably one of the most provocative, puzzling, and misunderstood organizations of medieval times, the legendary Knights Templar have always been shrouded in a veil of mystery, while inspiring popular culture from Indiana Jones to Dan Brown. In The Templars, author Michael Haag offers a definitive history of these loyal Christian soldiers of the Crusades—sworn to defend the Holy Land and Jerusalem, but ultimately damned and destroyed by the Pope and his church. A bestseller in the United Kingdom—the first history of the enigmatic warriors to include findings from the Chinon Parchment, the long-lost Vatican document absolving the Knights of heresy—The Templars by Michael Haagis fascinating reading.
Ten
by Andrej LongoThe Mafia and the Ten Commandments meet in these interlinked short stories about the undebelly of Naples. Ten uncovers the raw heart of a city, telling the stories of ordinary people forced to make extraordinary compromises in a place permeated by crime.We encounter a son who finds that he is capable of a terrible act when faced with his mother’s suffering 'because someone had to do it'; a girl whose only outlet for the horrors of an adult’s abuse is to confide in a stuffed toy; an ancient nightclub singer whose ambition has led him to become a drug tester for a Mafia boss; and Ray-Ban who, during a night of mayhem with his friends, manages to steal the wrong car and pays dearly for it. Each comes to life with painful precision in the hands of Andrej Longo – their fears, regrets, energy and grace. In direct and sometimes brutally raw prose, he conjures a searing new vision of Naples. With the lightest of brush strokes, Longo builds a vivid portrait of a city, its people, and their dreams of escape.
Terror in Minnie Vautrin's Nanjing: Diaries and Correspondence, 1937-38
by Minnie VautrinIn December of 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army marched into China's capital city of Nanjing and launched six weeks of carnage that would become known as the Rape of Nanjing. In addition to the deaths of Chinese POWs and civilians, tens of thousands of women were raped, tortured, and killed by Japanese soldiers. In this traumatic environment, both native and foreign-born inhabitants of Nanjing struggled to carry on with their lives. This volume collects the diaries and correspondence of Minnie Vautrin, a farmgirl from Illinois who had dedicated herself to the education of Chinese women at Ginling College in Nanjing. Faced with the impending Japanese attack, she turned the school into a sanctuary for ten thousand women and girls. Vautrin's firsthand accounts of daily life in Nanjing and the intensifying threat of Japanese invasion reveal the courage of the occupants under siege--Chinese nationals as well as Western missionaries, teachers, surgeons and business people--and the personal costs of violence in wartime. Thanks to Vautrin's painstaking effort in keeping a day-to-day account, present-day readers are able to examine this episode of history at close range through her eyes. With detailed maps, photographs, and carefully researched in-depth annotations, Terror in Minnie Vautrin's Nanjing: Diaries and Correspondence, 1937-38 presents a comprehensive and detailed daily account of the events and of life during the horror-stricken days within the city walls and in particular on the Ginling campus. Through chronologically arranged diaries, letters, reports, documents, and telegrams, Vautrin bears witness to those terrible events and to the magnitude of trauma that the Nanjing Massacre exacted on the populace.
Test Match Special - 50 Not Out: The Official History of a National Sporting Treasure
by Peter BaxterIn 1957 a whole day's play of a Test Match was broadcast on BBC Radio for the first time with the slogan 'Don't miss a ball, we broadcast them all'. This book celebrates 50 years of Test Match Special with anecdotes, behind-the-scenes stories, photos, reminiscences and champagne moments from five decades of top-quality cricket commentary. Sprinkled throughout are 'My First TMS Match' articles by a number of the programme's main contributors, including Jonathan Agnew, Harsha Bhogle, Henry Blofeld, Tony Cozier, Angus Fraser, Bill Frindall, Gerald de Kock, Simon Mann, Vic Marks, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Jim Maxwell, Shilpa Patel, Mike Selvey, Donna Symmonds and Bryan Waddle. Edited by Peter Baxter, the organising brain behind TMS and the programme's producer for 34 years, this is a comprehensive and celebratory account of this most respected and prestigious brand in cricket and an essential read for all fans of the game.
That's Me in the Corner: Adventures of an ordinary boy in a celebrity world
by Andrew CollinsFast approaching his fortieth birthday, Andrew is cornered at a family gathering by the nine-year-old son of his brother-in-law's sister. Having seen him as a talking head on TV, the boy asks, 'What are you?' It is a question so frank and simple that Andrew doesn't have an immediate answer to hand.So, with hilarious self-deprecation, he sets out to retrace how he got to where he is today. Seventeen precarious jobs in seventeen years: from trolley collector at Sainsbury's to high-flying film critic sipping cocktails with Will Smith and Jerry Bruckheimer on a yacht in Cannes. This is Andrew's tale of rubbing shoulders with the world's biggest stars: pissing off Christini Ricci, having his hairstyle mocked by Noel Gallagher, trying not to wake Clive James from his afternoon nap, having his apple pie eaten by Bob Geldof, and somehow stumbling into the next dream job.Along the way, he's been the world's worst gossip columnist, an almost-hip young gunslinger at the NME, a Radio 1 DJ (enduring a hellish Radio 1 roadshow in a car park in Birmingham), an ITV presenter, EastEnders scriptwriter, ghost writer for a major TV personality and much, much more. It charts a world of hedonism, mundanity, towering egos, shallow idiocy and occasional moments of mind-blowing joy. And, of course, being sent shit in a box.
Their Dogs Came With Them: A Novel
by Helena María ViramontesHelena Maria Viramontes brings 1960s Los Angeles to life with "terse, energetic, and vivid" (Publishers Weekly) prose in this story of a group of young Latinx women fighting to survive and thrive in a tumultuous world. Award-winning author of Under the Feet of Jesus, Helena María Viramontes offers a profoundly gritty portrait of everyday life in L.A. in this lyrically muscular, artfully crafted novel. In the barrio of East Los Angeles, a group of unbreakable young women struggle to find their way through the turbulent urban landscape of the 1960s. Androgynous Turtle is a homeless gang member. Ana devotes herself to a mentally ill brother. Ermila is a teenager poised between childhood and political consciousness. And Tranquilina, the daughter of missionaries, finds hope in faith. In prose that is potent and street-tough, Viramontes has choreographed a tragic dance of death and rebirth. Julia Alvarez has called Viramontes "one of the important multicultural voices of American literature." Their Dogs Came with Them further proves the depth and talent of this essential author.
Theology and Families
by Adrian ThatcherThis timely book, by one of the world’s leading theologians in this field, makes a positive theological contribution to present intellectual and practical discussions about families and children. Explores the intellectual and practical debates about the changing nature of family forms, roles and relationships, and how Christian faith and theology can contribute to the thriving of families and children. Considers the causes and consequences of changes to families over recent decades. Utilizes the theological resources that are best equipped to deal with these changes and to shape ethical teaching, ethical practice, moral judgements, and public policies. Develops family-friendly readings of scripture, tradition and doctrine, and moves forward theological treatment of marriage, gender and children.
Think Like a Winner
by Yehuda ShinarYehuda Shinar's secret is simple. To be a winner you need to learn to think like one. Based on scientific research carried out over the last 18 years, Yehuda Shinar has devised a set of winning behaviour principles that can be adapted and applied to any sphere of life. Using practical advice, quizzes, tests and real-life case studies Yehuda shows you how to transform your thought patterns so that whoever you are and whatever you want to achieve, you'll be one of life's winners. From conquering your self-defeating thoughts and winning the respect of others to clinching that promotion at work or winning in love, money and health, this book will give you the advantage over other people, equipping you with the tools you need to be succesful.
This Age We're Living In
by David Wilson'Only two big facts are known for certain: you are on a large spinning rock hurtling through space at about 67,000 mph, and one day your body is going to die. Will a new pair of shoes really help?' Worth's 12th Rule of ShoppingGeorge Worth is a grumpy lifestyle columnist who works in a woman's world. He hates fashion, mobile phones, computers and Young People. At night he goes home to a borrowed Labrador and feelings of guilt about his dead wife.Justin Smith is a Young Person. A bright newcomer, he's always on his mobile to his girlfriend, surfing the Net and keeping abreast of the latest trends.Then comes the day when Justin's girlfriend throws him out and he finds himself having to share a flat with George. As the women around them watch and wonder both men start to work out what really matters among the obsessions and distractions of modern life.Laugh-out-loud funny, moving and revealing, This Age We're Living In is a novel that confronts the big questions: Can shopping solve everything? Why are boxers better than Y-fronts? Are lifestyle writers secretly in the same mess as everyone else? And if life is a journey, who the hell changed all the signposts?
Tilt
by Jean SpracklandJean Sprackland's third collection describes a world in free-fall. Chaos and calamity are at our shoulder, in the shape of fire and flood, ice-storm and hurricane; trains stand still, zoos are abandoned, migrating birds lose their way - all surfaces are unreliable, all territories unmapped. These are poems that explore the ambivalence and dark unease of slippage and collapse, but they also carry a powerful sense of the miraculous made manifest amongst the ordinary: the mating of natterjack toads, ice on the beach ('dream stuff, with its own internal acoustic') or 'the fund of life' in a used contraceptive. Bracken may run wild across the planet 'waiting for the moment/to pounce on the accident/of the discarded match' but there are also the significant wonders of children and the natural beauty of the world they've inherited. Tilt is a collection of raw, distressed and beautiful poems, a hymn to the remarkable survival of things in the face of threat - for every degradation an epiphany, for every drowning a birth.
To Cork or Not To Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle
by George M. TaberIn Judgment of Paris, George M. Taber masterfully chronicled the historic 1976 wine tasting when unknown California wines defeated top French ones, marking a major turning point in wine history. Now he explores the most controversial topic in the world of wine: What product should be used to seal a bottle? Should it be cork, plastic, glass, a screwcap, or some other type of closure still to be invented? For nearly four centuries virtually every bottle of wine had a cork in it. But starting in the 1970s, a revolution began to topple the cork monopoly. In recent years, the rebellion has been gathering strength. Belatedly, the cork industry began fighting back, while trying to retain its predominant position. Each year 20 billion closures go onto wine bottles, and, increasingly, they are not corks. The cause of the onslaught against cork is an obscure chemical compound known as TCA. In amounts as low as several parts per trillion, the compound can make a $400 bottle of wine smell like wet newspaper and taste equally bad. Such wine is said to be "corked." While cork's enemies urge people to throw off the old and embrace new closures, millions of wine drinkers around the world are still in love with the romance of the cork and the ceremony of opening a bottle. With a thorough command of history, science, winemaking, and marketing, Taber examines all sides of the debate. Along the way, he collects a host of great characters and pivotal moments in the production, storage, and consumption of wine, and paints a truly satisfying portrait of a wholly intriguing controversy. As Australian winemaker Brian Croser describes it: "It's scary how passionate people can be on this topic. Prejudice and extreme positions have taken over, and science has often gone out the window."
Toastie Heaven: 100 great reasons to dig out the sandwich toaster
by Karen SaundersAll too often a memory of our distant student past, toasties are the ultimate no-fuss snack, prepared in seconds and ready to eat in just a few minutes. With just a couple of basic ingredients, delicious cheap meals can be made in minutes, providing tasty snacks and sandwiches for every part of the day. With a few added extras, sweet and savoury gourmet toasties can take tired taste buds on an entirely new adventure. Toastie Heaven explores variations from the conventional, to the extravagant, quirky and indulgent. From classic toasties like Tuna, Sweetcorn and Pepper Melt, to vegetarian options like Brie, Redcurrant and Watercress toasties and even sweet desserts like Bread and Butter Pudding Toasties and Toffee Apple Toasties, there is a recipe for everyone. A must-have item perfect for people living on their own, children and students,Toastie Heaven is the ultimate cookbook for anyone wanting quick and tasty snacks with minimum effort and maximum taste.
Too Hot to Handle: True Stories as Told to Madame B
by Ann SummersTen women reveal all to our mysterious hostess, Madame B. Nothing is out of bounds and passion is pushed to its very limit. Under Offer - Sally just can't keep her eyes off the hot estate agent. By the third apartment, Sally can't control her lust any longer and makes him an offer he can't refuse...Backstage Pass - Everyone knows him, the rock star who regularly tops the charts. Ali just has to have him, and blags a backstage pass...Executive Decision - It's the career chance of a lifetime. PA to a gorgeous, jet-setting executive. Amanda wants the job - and him - so badly. Then he asks if she has any 'extra services' to offer. Shopaholic - Zoe's bored with her look. So when a friend recommends personal shopper and stylist Maria, she books in for a session. Maria knows just how to make Zoe feel fabulous - and it all kicks off in the changing room.Coming Up Roses - Kara can't face a day in the office and calls in sick. That's when she notices two attractive gardeners working outside her apartment window. It's hot, they're sweating. So Kara invites them both in for a shower...Filthy Rich - At a salsa club, Jen and Mike meet an older, wealthy couple, who invite them back to their mansion. The place is a millionaire's paradise - acres of land, and a sexy outdoor jacuzzi...Double Fantasy - Identical twins and flatmates Gilly and Annie secretly share their men. So when fit delivery guy Rob turns up with a washing machine, Gilly has her fun on top of it - and then lets Annie take over. Curtain Raiser - Cathy's boyfriend confesses he's always wanted to try a seedy peep show. She's not so sure. But once they're inside the cubicle, Cathy can't get enough.Tunnel Vision - She spots him at check-in, and he's sitting opposite her in first class. He passes her a mobile number. She texts. He texts. And things get steamy...Father Figure - Jane's always fancied her ex-boyfriend's dad. Then she bumps into him at a taxi rank. They share a cab, but they don't even make it indoors...With private indulgences stripped bare for all to see, Too Hot to Handle ensures that nothing remains a secret any more.