Throughout his illustrious writing career, Charles Dickens often turned his hand to fashioning short pieces of ghostly fiction. Even in his first successful work, The Pickwick Papers, you will find five ghost stories, all of which are included in this collection. Dickens began the tradition of 'the ghost story at Christmas', and many of his tales in this genre are presented here, including the brilliant novella 'The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain', which deserves to be as well-known as A Christmas Carol. While all his supernatural tales aim to send a shiver down the spine, they are not without the usual traits of Dickens' flamboyant style: his subtle wit, biting irony, humorous incidents and moral observations. It is a mixture that makes these stories fascinating and entertaining as well as unsettling. To paraphrase the Fat Boy in The Pickwick Papers: Charles Dickens 'wants to make your flesh creep'.This collection brings together all Dickens' ghost stories - twenty in all - including several longer tales. Here are chilling histories of coincidence, insanity and revenge. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Ghost Stories is illustrated by various artists, with an afterword by David Stuart Davies.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
One of BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped our World.Jane Austen's best-loved novel is an unforgettable story about the inaccuracy of first impressions, the power of reason, and above all the strange dynamics of human relationships and emotions.Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is illustrated by Hugh Thomson and features an afterword by author and critic, Henry Hitchings.A tour de force of wit and sparkling dialogue, Pride and Prejudice shows how the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and the aristocratic Mr Darcy must have their pride humbled and their prejudices dissolved before they can acknowledge their love for each other.
Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other - and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.Told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour and David Levithan, the bestselling author of Every Day and co-author of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with John Green), You Know Me Well is a deeply honest story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.
The Complete Alice, including both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, is the ultimate edition of Lewis Carroll's much-loved classic, from the original publisher, Macmillan. Packed full of amazing exclusive extra features from the Macmillan archive and a foreword by Philip Pullman.Lewis Carroll's Alice has been enchanting children for 150 years. Curious Alice, the bossy White Rabbit, the formidable Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter are among the best loved, most iconic literary creations of all time. Macmillan was the original publisher of Alice in 1865 and is proud to remain true to the vision of its creators. This stunning anniversary treasury reproduces every word of Carroll's masterpiece and its equally famous sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. The dreamlike illustrations, colour versions of Sir John Tenniel's originals, were produced in 1911 by celebrated artist Harry Theaker, under the direction of Tenniel himself, and the series completed by contemporary watercolourist Diz Wallis. Curiouser and curiouser! Lively and authoritative non-fiction content draws on Macmillan's rich historical archive to tell the real-life story of how Alice was written and published, making this a perfect gift for fans of Alice young and old.
The stories collected in What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours are linked by more than the exquisitely winding prose of their creator: Helen Oyeyemi's ensemble cast of characters slip from the pages of their own stories only to surface in another.The reader is invited into a world of lost libraries and locked gardens, of marshlands where the drowned dead live and a city where all the clocks have stopped; students hone their skills at puppet school, the Homely Wench Society commits a guerrilla book-swap, and lovers exchange books and roses on St Jordi's Day. It is a collection of towering imagination, marked by baroque beauty and a deep sensuousness.
It is 1913, and Viennese high society is gripped by a mission to find an appropriate way of celebrating the seventieth jubilee of the accession of Emperor Franz Josef. But as the aristocracy tries to salvage something illustrious out of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the ordinary Viennese world is beginning to show signs of more serious rebellion. Caught in the middle of this social labyrinth is Ulrich: youngish, rich, an ex-soldier, seducer and scientist.Unable to deceive himself that the jumble of attributes and values that his world has bestowed on him amounts to anything so innate as a 'character', he is effectively a man 'without qualities', a brilliant, detached observer of the spinning, racing society around him. Part satire, part visionary epic, part intellectual tour de force, The Man Without Qualities is a work of immeasurable importance.
How do you make something out of nothing?Up your game with this masterclass in creative thinking. Combining Dave Trott's distinctive, almost Zen-like storytelling, humour and practical advice, One Plus One Equals Three is a collection of provocative anecdotes and thought experiments designed to light a fire under your own creative ambitions. From the First World War sailor who survived being sunk three times in one day to the one-time 'merchant of death' who made his name a byword for peace, and the gypsy who lost two fingers and then reinvented jazz. From boardroom to battlefield, these stories of unconventional wisdom from one of the world's true advertising greats are a rallying cry for anyone who wants to think differently, stand out and truly innovate.
It's been over twenty years since government assassin Will Robie left his hometown in Mississippi. Now a trained killer used to taking down enemies of the state, he was once remembered by the local residents as a wild sports star and girl-magnet. He left a lot of hearts broken, and a lot of people angry.Now he's back. His estranged father, Dan, who is the local judge, has been arrested for murder and Robie wonders if it's time to try to heal old wounds. A lot of bad blood has flowed between father and son, but Robie's fellow agent, Jessica Reel, persuades him to stick around and confront his demons.Then another murder changes everything, and stone-cold killer Robie will finally have to come to grips with his toughest assignment of all. His family.The Guilty is the fourth thriller in the Will Robie series by David Baldacci, following on from The Innocent, The Hit and The Target.
Danny Deck is on the verge of success as an author, when he flees Houston and hurtles unexpectedly into the hearts of three women: a girlfriend who makes him happy but who won't stay; a neighbour as generous as she is lusty; and his pal, Emma Horton. Ranging from Texas to California on a young writer's journey in a car he calls El Chevy, Danny embarks on a wild ride towards literary fame and an unchartered border country. All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers is one of Pulitzer Prize-winner Larry McMurtry's most vital and entertaining novels, a wonderful display of his ability to recreate the subtle textures of feelings, the claims of passing time and familiar places, and the rich interlocking swirl of people's lives.
Society has a deep fear of ageing. Old age is increasingly viewed as a biomedical problem, something to be avoided at all costs and then vanished away by medicine. Anne Karpf urges us to change our narrative. Exploring how our outlook on ageing is historically determined and culturally defined, she draws upon case studies, old and new, to suggest how ageing can be an actively enriching time of immense growth. She argues that if we can recognize growing older as an inevitable part of the human condition, then the great challenge of ageing turns out to be none other than the challenge of living. One in the new series of books from The School of Life, launched January 2014: How to Age by Anne Karpf How to Develop Emotional Health by Oliver James How to Be Alone by Sara Maitland How to Deal with Adversity by Christopher Hamilton How to Think About Exercise by Damon Young How to Connect with Nature by Tristan Gooley
Love between women crops up throughout literature: from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Charlotte Bronte, Dickens, Agatha Christie, and many more. In Inseparable Emma Donoghue examines how desire between women in literature has been portrayed, from schoolgirls and vampires to runaway wives, from cross-dressing knights to contemporary murder stories. Donoghue looks at the work of those writers who have addressed the 'unspeakable subject', examining whether such desire between women is freakish or omnipresent, holy or evil, heart-warming or ridiculous as she excavates a long-obscured tradition of female friendship, one that is surprisingly central to our cultural history. A revelation of a centuries-old literary tradition - brilliant, amusing, and until now, deliberately overlooked.
A book which inspired the creation of the NHS, The Citadel is a moving story of tragedy, triumph and redemption. With a foreword by Adam Kay, the bestselling author of This is Going to Hurt.When newly qualified doctor Andrew Manson takes up his first post in a Welsh mining community, the young Scot brings with him a bagful of idealism and enthusiasm. Both are soon strained to the limit as Andrew discovers the reality of performing operations on a kitchen table and washing in a scullery, of unspeakable sanitation, of common infantile cholera and systemic corruption. There are no X-rays, no ambulances - nothing to combat the disease and poverty.It isn't long before Andrew's outspoken manner wins him both friends and enemies, but he risks losing his idealism when the fashionable, greedy world of London medicine claims him, with its private clinics, wealthy, spoilt patients and huge rewards.A classic saga by A. J. Cronin, one of the great masters of the genre.
It was midday on December 21st in the Norwegian city of Tromso when the boy was last seen - a tall, blond boy swathed in an anorak and scarf against the Arctic noon. He was not seen again, not until three months later, when Professor Mackenzie's dog started sniffing around in the snow and uncovered a human ear . . . attached to a naked corpse.Nobody knew who he was, or where he had come from. And after three months it was almost impossible to track down the identity of the corpse. But Inspector Fagermo refused to give up - and as he probed deeper into the Arctic city he began to discover a dangerous conspiracy of blackmail, espionage, and cold-blooded murder.Regarded as Robert Barnard's best, Death in a Cold Climate is a scandi detective novel with a captivating mystery at its heart.
For fans of David Sedaris, Tina Fey and Caitlin Moran comes the new book from Jenny Lawson, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Let's Pretend This Never Happened...In Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson regaled readers with uproarious stories of her bizarre childhood. In her new book, Furiously Happy, she explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.As Jenny says: 'You can't experience pain without also experiencing the baffling and ridiculous moments of being fiercely, unapologetically, intensely and (above all) furiously happy.' It's a philosophy that has - quite literally - saved her life.Jenny's first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, was ostensibly about family, but deep down it was about celebrating your own weirdness. Furiously Happy is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways. And who doesn't need a bit more of that?
Shortlisted for the Folio Prize.One long last summer for Dad Lewis in his beloved town, Holt, Colorado. As old friends pass in and out to voice their farewells and good wishes, Dad's wife and daughter work to make his final days as comfortable as possible, knowing all is tainted by the heart-break of an absent son. Next door, a little girl with a troubled past moves in with her grandmother, and down town another new arrival, the Reverend Rob Lyle, attempts to mend strained relationships of his own.Utterly beautiful, and devastating yet affirming, Kent Haruf's Benediction explores the pain, the compassion and the humanity of ordinary people.
There's only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that's her uncle, the renowned painter, Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her once inseparable older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confident, and best friend. So when he dies far too young of a mysterious illness that June's mother can barely bring herself to discuss, June's world is turned upside down. At the funeral, she notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd, and a few days later, June receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn's apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. A the two begin to spend time together, June realises she's not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he might just be the one she needs the most. Tell the Wolves I'm Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.
Christmas at Tiffany's is an exciting, globetrotting story of friendship and romance from Karen Swan.Cassie settled down too young, marrying her first serious boyfriend. Now, ten years later, she is betrayed and broken. With her marriage in tatters and no career or home of her own, she needs to work out where she belongs in the world and who she really is. So begins a year-long trial as Cassie leaves her sheltered life in rural Scotland to stay with each of her best friends in the most glamorous cities in the world: New York, Paris and London. Exchanging grouse moor and mousy hair for low-carb diets and high-end highlights, Cassie tries on each city for size as she attempts to track down the life she was supposed to have been leading, and with it, the man who was supposed to love her all along.Christmas at Tiffany's is followed by the captivating sequel, Summer at Tiffany's.
Titanic Thompson is the rollicking true story of one of the most charismatic characters in twentieth-century America. Travelling only with his golf clubs, a .45 revolver, and a suitcase full of cash, this is the legendary tale of a man who was married five times to five different girls, all teenagers on their wedding day. He killed five men, though he'd say 'they'd all agree they had it coming to them'. He won and lost millions in a time when being a millionaire still really meant something. Filled with fascinating facts and famous faces - Harry Houdini, Al Capone, Lee Trevino, Arnold Rothstein and Jean Harlow all make appearances - this is a brilliant and compelling snapshot of life on the road in freewheelin' America.
There is no honour among thieves . . . Ildrecca is a dangerous city, if you don't know what you're doing. It takes a canny hand and a wary eye to run these streets and survive. Fortunately, Drothe has both. He has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers from the dirtiest of alleys to the finest of neighbourhoods. Working for a crime lord, he finds and takes care of trouble inside his boss's organization - whilse smuggling relics on the side. But when his boss orders Drothe to track down whoever is leaning on his organization's people, he stumbles upon a much bigger mystery. There's a book, a relic any number of deadly people seem to be looking for - a book that just might bring down emperors and shatter the criminal underworld. A book now conveniently in Drothe's hands . . .
The second novel in Jay Kristoff's epic The Lotus War Trilogy, Kinslayer sees an empire fall to its knees and a fledgling rebellion struggle to survive.A shattered empire . . . The threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation's broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion by endorsing a new Shogun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.A dark legacy . . . Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father's death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts. A gathering storm . . . Kage assassins lurk within the Shogun's palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A new enemy gathers its strength. And across raging oceans, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat. The ghosts of a blood-stained past.
A deep knowledge of our natural environment is no longer a vital part of everyday survival, certainly for those of us living in cities and working in weatherproof offices. Unless we have an inherent love of the great outdoors, do we really need to connect with nature? Bestselling author Tristan Gooley believes that real connection, no matter how small, can enrich us as individuals, allowing us to see every living thing in its own intricate network. Offering a host of techniques, he helps us awaken our senses and deepen our understanding of nature's cycles, conflicts and relationships. By cultivating the right mindset we can gain a better appreciation of the world, both indoors and outdoors. One in the new series of books from The School of Life, launched January 2014: How to Age by Anne Karpf How to Develop Emotional Health by Oliver James How to Be Alone by Sara Maitland How to Deal with Adversity by Christopher Hamilton How to Think About Exercise by Damon Young How to Connect with Nature by Tristan Gooley
Death is near, armies are gathered and the future rests on a knife-edgeThe Annurian Empire is losing a war on two fronts - and it's unclear who's in command. Adare is stationed in the thick of battle, calling herself Emperor. However, she can't hold back the nomadic Urghul forces forever. She needs her brilliant general, Ran il Tornja, but will he betray her again?Adare's brother Kaden is the true heir, yet he'll accept a republic to save his divided people. And he faces something more terrible than war. He's unmasked Ran il Tornja as a remnant of an ancient race, one that attempted to destroy mankind. The general now plans to finish what they started. Kaden has also discovered that capricious gods walk the earth in human guise - and their agendas may seal the fates of all.'Deeply satisfying' Kirkus Reviews'A truly epic tale' Fantasy FactionThe Last Mortal Bond is the epic conclusion to the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy by Brian Staveley.
The Providence of Fire by Brian Staveley is the second novel in the epic fantasy series, Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, which began with The Emperor's Blades.War is coming, secrets multiply and betrayal waits in the wings . . .The Empire's ruling family must be vigilant, as the conspiracy against them deepens. Having discovered her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace in search of allies. But few trust her, until she seems marked by the people's goddess in an ordeal of flame.As Adare struggles to unite Annur, unrest breeds rival armies - then barbarian hordes threaten to invade. And unknown to Adare, her brother Valyn has fallen in with forces mustering at the empire's borders. The terrible choices facing each of them could make war between them inevitable.Fighting his own battles is their brother Kaden, rightful heir to the throne, who has infiltrated the Annurian capital with two strange companions. While imperial forces prepare to defend a far distant front, Kaden's actions could save the empire, or destroy it.'Following in the footsteps of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie and the like . . . Brutal, intriguing and continuing to head toward exciting events and places unknown' Kirkus Reviews
The Emperor's Blades is the first novel in Brain Staveley's epic Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series.The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again . . .The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must prepare to unmask a conspiracy. His son Valyn, training for the empire's deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. And after several 'accidents' and a dying soldier's warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can act, he must survive the mercenaries' brutal final initiation. The Emperor's daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father's murderer in the capital. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. Lastly Kaden, heir to the empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God's disciples teach their harsh ways, which Kaden must master to unlock ancient powers. But when an imperial delegation arrives, has he learnt enough to keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?
A small group journeyed through a time-gate into Europe's prehistoric past. Yet this supposedly unspoilt sanctuary holds two alien races locked in combat. In a world where the human-like Tanu have the upper hand, Elizabeth Orme soon encounters trouble. When they find she possesses rare mind powers, they want her for their own. She won't be used as a pawn in a Tanu versus Firvulag war, but Aiken Drum can't wait to get involved. Aiken discovers the Tanu's mind-enhancing torcs have given him his own powerful abilities. And it's not long before he devises a plan to challenge the Tanu's leader - for rule of the Many-Coloured Land itself. But another faction seeks the slaughter of all humans, and he stands in their path. Praise for the series: 'Enchanting and engrossing ... I was captivated' Fritz Leiber, 'Julian May has woven a many-coloured tapestry of exotic adventure' Roger Zelazny, 'An amazing journey from the distant future to the distant past ... high adventure' SFReviews.net
In the 22nd Century, a group of misfits and mavericks are preparing to leave behind everything they have known. Advanced technology has created a one-way time portal to Earth's Pliocene Era - six million years ago. Those seeking a better life are drawn to the promise of a simple utopia, far from the civilised Galactic Mileu. But no one could have predicted the dangers on the other side. For the group will enter the battleground of two warring alien races, exiled from a distant planet. And these races not only have potent mind powers, but seek to exploit and enslave humans for their own needs. The travellers are about to discover that their unspoilt paradise is far from Eden. Winner of the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. 'Julian May has woven a many-coloured tapestry of exotic adventure' Roger Zelazny, 'I was captivated by its glamorous, sinister movement through the misty forests of Earth's true past' Fritz Leiber
Drothe has killed a legend, burned down part of the imperial capital, and unexpectedly elevated himself into the underworld's elite. And as the city's newest 'Gray Prince', Drothe's learning just how good he used to have it.With no time to build support, Drothe is already being called out by other Gray Princes. And when one dies, all signs point to Drothe. Members of the thieves' guilds begin choosing sides, mostly against him, for what promises to be another gang war. Then Drothe is approached by someone who can solve all his problems and also offer him redemption. But the cost may be just too high. Out of options, Drothe's finds himself travelling to the empire's bitterest enemy. He has a price on his head, but one last plan in mind.Praise for Book one: Among Thieves: 'An unalloyed pleasure: a fast moving, funny, twisting tale' Brent Weeks 'A beguiling lively urban fantasy' SFX 'It simply doesn't stop...If you like Brent Weeks or Scott Lynch's work then this is one for you' Fantasy-Faction.com 'A story that entertains from beginning to end' FantasyBookCritic blog
Once the haunt of Jack the Ripper, London's East End is a vibrant mix of history and new ideas, but the trendy galleries of Brick Lane disguise a seedy underside where unthinkable crimes bring terror to the innocent.Artist and young mother Sandra Gilles disappears without trace after leaving her three-year-old daughter, Charlotte, with a friend at the Columbia Road Flower Market. Her lawyer husband, Naz Malik, is devastated - but he's also the prime suspect in a murder investigation. When Naz vanishes shortly afterwards, Gemma James and her partner Superintendent Duncan Kincaid agree to work together again to solve the case before the murderer can get his hands on the real prize, Charlotte.But just as the case grows more dangerous, a personal issue threatens to throw Gemma and Duncan off the trail. In the end, it is up to them to stop a vicious killer and protect the child whose fate hangs in the balance.
A new race of Kinden emerge in The Sea Watch, the sixth novel in the Shadows of the Apt series by Arthur C. Clarke award-winner, Adrian Tchaikovsky.Danger lurks beneath dark waters . . . A shadow is falling over Collegium. Despite the tenuous peace, Stenwold Maker knows that the Empire will return for his city. Even as he tries to prepare for the resurgence of the black and gold army, a hidden threat is working against his people. Ships that sail from Collegium's harbour are being attacked, sunk by pirates. Some just go missing . . . Lulled by the spread of lies and false promises, Stenwold's allies are falling away. He faces betrayal on every side, and the Empire is just waiting for the first sign of weakness to strike. But they are not the only power that has its eyes on Collegium. And even with all their military strength and technology, they may not be powerful enough to stave off the forces massing in the darkness.Continue this immersive epic fantasy adventure with Heirs of the Blade.
When Detective Inspector Gemma James is persuaded by her friend, Hazel, to take a trip to the misty Scottish Highlands, she jumps at the chance. But upon their arrival it becomes clear that Hazel has been concealing a dangerous secret. At their remote B&B the pair encounter Donald Brodie, the owner of a local distillery . . . and Hazel's former lover. Their relationship had ended abruptly years before. Now Donald is convinced he can win Hazel back. But the lovers' reunion yields shocking - and mortal - consequences. Gemma soon discovers that, in this tight-knit community, there is no shortage of murder suspects. And beneath the hospitable surface, there lurks a hundred years of bitter family rivalry waiting to emerge . . . 'As rich and history laden as a tartan plaid . . . this is a pure gem' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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