“The Wedding of Zein” unfolds in the same village on the upper Nile where Tayeb Salih’s tragic masterpiece Season of Migration to the North is set. Here, however, the story that emerges through the overlapping, sometimes contradictory voices of the villagers is comic. Zein is the village idiot, and everyone in the village is dumbfounded when the news goes around that he will be getting married—Zein the freak, Zein who burst into laughter the moment he was born and has kept women and children laughing ever since, Zein who lost all his teeth at six and whose face is completely hairless, Zein married at last? Zein’s particular role in the life of the village has been the peculiar one of falling in love again and again with girls who promptly marry another man. It would be unheard of for him to get married himself. In Tayeb Salih’s wonderfully agile telling, the story of how this miracle came to be is one that engages the tensions that exist in the village, or indeed in any community: tensions between the devout and the profane, the poor and the propertied, the modern and the traditional. In the end, however, Zein’s ridiculous good luck augurs an ultimate reconciliation, opening a prospect of a world made whole. Salih’s classic novella appears here with two of his finest short stories, “The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid” and “A Handful of Dates.”

Lonely, depressed, Vermont transplant Mirabelle Buttersfield, who sells expensive evening gloves nobody ever buys at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills and spends her evenings watching television with her two cats. She attempts to forge a relationship with middle-aged, womanizing, Seattle millionaire Ray Porter while being pursued by socially inept and unambitious slacker Jeremy. With more than 340,000 copies in print, Steve Martin's Shopgirl has landed on bestseller lists nationwide including: New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin incredible critical success, this story of modern day love and romance is a work of disarming tenderness.

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. A book told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour, the award-winning author of Hold Still and The Disenchantments, and David Levithan, the best-selling 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.

"Variably genial, cautionary, lyrical, admonitory, terrifying, horrifying and inspiring…A lifetime of thought, travel, reading, imagination and memory inform this affecting account." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Blending history and anecdote, geography and reminiscence, science and exposition, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester tells the breathtaking saga of the Atlantic Ocean. A gifted storyteller and consummate historian, Winchester sets the great blue sea's epic narrative against the backdrop of mankind's intellectual evolution, telling not only the story of an ocean, but the story of civilization. Fans of Winchester's Krakatoa, The Man Who Loved China, and The Professor and the Madman will love this masterful, penetrating, and resonant tale of humanity finding its way across the ocean of history.

Divorcee Jenny MacPartland's struggle to support herself and her two small daughters is not helped by her irresponsible ex-husband. But suddenly a new man steps into her life. Rich, handsome Erich Krueger sweeps her off her feet and off to his mansion in the country. Everything seems to be perfect, and Jenny feels like a fairy-tale princess. But gradually the fairy-tale turns into a nightmare. Something is very wrong in the great house that has slowly, imperceptively, become her prison. Something that threatens her marriage, her life - and her children.

From the author of the critically acclaimed Troll, the new novel from Johanna Sinisalo is full of her trademark style, surreal invention, and savage humor Set in Australasia, this is the story of a young Finnish couple who have embarked on the hiking trip of a lifetime, with Heart of Darkness as their only reading matter. Conrad’s dark odyssey turns out to be a prescient choice as their trip turns into a tortuous thriller, with belongings disappearing, and they soon find themselves at the mercy of untamed nature, seemingly directed by the local kakapo—a highly intellegent parrot threatened with extinction. This is a skillful portrait of the unquenchable desire of Westerners for the pure and the primitive, revealing the dark side of the explorer’s desire—the insatiable need to control, to invade, and leave one’s mark on the landscape. But what happens when nature starts to fight back?

Rachel Sullivan had hoped to learn his secrets but found herself at the mercy of mysterious vampire Donovan O'Roark. Now her sexy captor was about to discover her own desire: to give up her innocence to the man she'd always loved. Book 4 in Maggie Shayne’s Bestselling Wings in the Night SeriesThey Said It Couldn't Happen, but They Were Wrong.Jameson Bryant found her in an abandoned building, half-starved, her face chalk-white yet strikingly beautiful. He knew what she was, but he couldn't resist the power of her violet eyes. Even her warning to stay away only served to draw him closer.But it was too late and had been from the first moment he saw her. With one parting of her lips, the hungry creature of the night took him, body, heart and soul... Nine months later, their tiny dark angel was born...in twilight.Enjoy the special bonus novella "Twilight Vows."Rachel Sullivan was Donovan O'Roark's willing captive, drawn to him by her desire to learn his secrets. Would her curiosity be her salvation or her undoing?Don’t miss a single title in Maggie Shayne’s Wings in the Night series:Twilight PhantasiesTwilight MemoriesTwilight Illusions, with bonus novella “Beyond Twilight”Born in Twilight, with bonus novella “Twilight Vows”Twilight HungerEmbrace the Twilight, with bonus novella “Run from Twilight”Edge of Twilight Blue Twilight, with bonus novella “Before Blue Twilight”Prince of TwilightDemon’s KissLover’s BiteAngel’s PainBloodline, with bonus novella “Vampires in Paradise”Twilight ProphecyTwilight Fulfilled

Earth has transformed overnight: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece and Rome have returned to Earth -- with all their awesome powers intact. War on any scale was outlawed, along with boom-and-bust economic cycles, and prudery -- but no change was more startling than the face of New York, where the Empire State Building has become the Tower of Zeus! In this altered world, William Forrester is an acolyte of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, and therefore a teacher in this case of a totally altered history . . . but the fate that awaits him is a thing even more fantastic than the circumstances we've described!

The darkness is drawing near. For centuries the Alliance has kept their enemies at bay. But the rise of a tyrant in the East has set in motion events few could have foreseen. Strange creatures stalk the shadows and the laws of magic are being sundered. Brothers Christill and Thibalt will learn that their childhood woes are insignificant. Their part in this struggle will shape the fate of all.The tyrant King Zephra has waited nineteen long years to meet his destiny. In the deepest corner of his hidden lair he has finally found a way to break the laws of magic. His malevolent scheme will forever ensnare the world. And the Feldonian nation will be powerless to stop him.Yet destiny comes in twos. For on the very eve of Zephra’s rise to power nineteen years ago, two brothers were kidnapped from their homeland by the savage Miirvkin. Brothers who, growing up amongst their hated foes, are fated to return to Feldom at the turning point of this ancient struggle.Now, whilst strange creatures stalk the shadows, and the darkness encroaches, destinies will clash. Thibalt and Christill will find that they have a larger part to play in the fate of their homeland. Yet the salvation of an entire race will weigh a heavy burden on them.

Win Szczedziwoj is a would- be escapee from society for a few days. Just him and his canoe. But his solitude comes to an abrupt end when his fishing line comes up with a boot - with a body still in it.Win Szczedziwoj, a man known for photographing subjects in the rain, is on a vacation. Just him, his camera, his canoe, and a small, dark lake well away from civilization.That solitude comes to an end when his fishing line drags up a body from the lake. It looks like the usual canoeing accident, but the police suspect murder, and Win is suspect number one (I mean, what are the chances of actually snagging a body with a fishing line?)But Win wants to know why the dead guy was hired as a guide by a couple of men who shouldn't really have needed help. And why everybody at the nearest lodge is so reluctant to talk about anything.Suddenly a remote little lake gets to be a very busy place.

Two monstrous evils. This quiet suburban town of Hampstead is threatened by two horrors. One is natural. The hideous, unstoppable creation of man's power gone mad. The other is not natural at all. And it makes the first look like a child's play.

It was a power game, the old ones would say. Once caught in the glamour of flickering lights, there was no way to notice the danger until it was too late.Human character may be the most difficult to understand topic in the world. I have come across many people with diverse qualities. Some of their qualities are much above average which may put them at par with any great personalities of the world. But the same person may have a worst habit which may put him at par with a criminal behind the bar. In my poems, I am trying to portray some contradictions observed by me in human characters in dealing with people in my day to day life. However, characters are fictitious and far from reality.

"Edwin" is a fantasy short story about a Storyteller who suffers from blank spots in his memory. The problem is when he wakes up one time covered in blood. Read it for free at https://stories.osterin.comSeaside Summers are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series."You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" New York Times Bestseller Lauren BlakelyIN SEASIDE DREAMS...Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She's quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella's prank takes a bad turn and a sinfully sexy police officer appears on the scene.Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he's found the one thing he'd never allowed himself to hope for--or even realized he was missing.After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella's powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden's loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son--even Bella?***READY FOR MORE SEASIDE SUMMERS? Seaside Dreams (Bella)Seaside Hearts (Jenna)Seaside Sunsets (Jamie)Seaside Secrets (Amy)Seaside Nights (Sky)Seaside Embrace (Hunter)Seaside Lovers (Grayson)Seaside Whispers (Matt)***SEASIDE SUMMERS is part of the Love in Bloom big family romance collection. Characters from each series appear in future books. Each book may be read as a stand-alone novel, or as part of the series. Visit Melissa's website for a series guides and checklists.READ THE FULL LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES:SNOW SISTERS: Sisters in Love, Sisters in Bloom, Sisters in WhiteTHE BRADENS (Weston, CO): Lovers at Heart, Destined for Love, Friendship on Fire, Sea of Love, Bursting with Love, Hearts at Play, Promise My Love (novella), Daring Her Love (novella)THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO): Taken by Love, Fated for Love, Romancing My Love, Flirting with Love, Dreaming of Love, Crashing into LoveTHE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD): Healed by Love (Nate), Surrender My LoveRiver of Love, Crushing on Love, Whisper of Love, Thrill of LoveTHE REMINGTONS: Game of Love, Stroke of Love, Flames of Love, Slope of Love, Read, Write, Love, Touched by Love THE RYDERS: Seized by Love, Claimed by Love, Chased by Love, Rescued by Love, Swept Into LoveWILD BOYS AFTER DARK: Logan, Heath, Jackson, CooperBAD BOYS AFTER DARK: Mick, Dylan, Brett, Carson HARBORSIDE NIGHTS: Catching Cassidy, Discovering Delilah, Tempting Tristan***AUTHOR BIOMelissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance--perfect beach reads--with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa's emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented. Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!

In the grand tradition of historical fictional biographies by Robert Graves (I, Claudius), Marguerite Yourcenar (Memories of Hadrian) and Gore Vidal (Julian), THE SECULARY OF A WANDERING JEW - ENVY, brings to light the story of an outsider fated to roam through the ages under the shadows of History.I was a man of my time - a doting father, a devout Jew, a diligent worker, a patriot, or so I believed. But I was destined to be a man for all Time, an immortal.“Who is the man the soldiers are dragging, father?” asked the youngster.“A preacher, I believe.”“But they’re calling him a king, father.” “They’re mocking him, son.”So did I, when I came across this obscure prophet on his way to martyrdom — an encounter that would mold my destiny, force me to question my beliefs, and uproot me from all that I cared for.More than 20 centuries after my birth, I have decided to chronicle my life into a diary — or as I call it, a seculary — of my long haunting existence. You’ll come to know why.Through these journals you are invited to accompany me on an epic journey of an envied, ageless man. An ostracized man, persecuted as the living proof of the divinity of a messiah in whom I never believed. In these pages you will meet some of the protagonists of the age, the ideals and the morality of the times, and learn the real truth behind events that would forever change the fabric of civilization, the very essence of what we are today.

The sound of screeching train brakes.Metal over metal, while those raindrops smash into the window. Slowly falling down.A pink sky burns away the street lights on a road so desolate,and no camera in my backpack.Freeform poetry and 56 selected haiku poems from 2010.There's a fine line between love and hate...~*~Meet Eleanor Fyer, a 16 year old girl. Rich. Snobby. And failing her classes. Now meet Samuel Rose, a 16-year-old boy. Fourth-smartest student in the school, a nerd with a capital N. Thrown together in a completely disastrous start, Eleanor knows for sure that their relationship is bound to become chaotic. Having Samuel Rose as her personal tutor is definitely a mistake.Throw in an obsessive friend, a quirky transfer student, finding assistance in the least likely people, and some awkward situations, who knows how it will end? As new bonds are created, secrets shared, and barriers taken down, maybe their relationship can blossom into something more.

Lori Wick's bestselling Tucker Mills trilogy concludes with Leave a Candle Burning about a widowed physician, Dannan MacKay, who creates a new life for his daughter but longs for the faith to love again

“We’re all going on a… bummer holiday.” A week’s getaway with a best friend each is just what the Hartley kids need – if only that was manageable. The twins have been forced to assume that this maze of tangled kin was sown with good intentions, but they aren’t the only ones for whom the island harbours difficult truths.“We’re all going on a… bummer holiday.” A week’s getaway with a best friend each is just what the Hartley kids need – if only that was manageable. Once again, Harley’s mum has bitten off more than she can chew, and is insisting to digest it with a smile.If Harley can’t remember her uncles and cousin, there’s not a hope for Zak and Kitty. The twins were not long out of nappies on their last encounter, and have been forced to assume that this maze of tangled kin was sown with good intentions, but they aren’t the only ones for whom the island harbours difficult truths.

The search for the Book continues in Momentum, the 3rd installment of Flicker Blue! As the journey leads Jane to unexpected destinations and directly into the path of mortal danger, she learns the heavy cost of her supernatural ability and discovers new secrets of the Curse.A tale of gryphons, snow-dragons, elves, dwarves, dragons and men. An evil elf-mage is haunting the frozen wastelands in the north. Hinfane the tavern-keeper finds unlikely allies in the mysterious creatures that come on the first night of the new moon to collect the mead that she leaves out for them. You can fight an elf, and it seems that you can win. But elves are not so easy to kill... Hwedolyn the gryphon ends up going on a quest, barely believing in the purpose of it himself, not knowing how it will end. This is the first in the Gryphonomicon Gryphon-Dragon histories, a saga that spans generations and tells of the battles between gryphons and dragons and the rise of Aerae, Princess of the North, Empress of the South. An epic heroic fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, David Eddings.

An unarmed Earth Exploration Ship is attacked by unknown aliens with more advanced technology. The other two novellas of the trilogy are 'The Local War' and 'Battle for Homeworld'.This trilogy is an attempt to look at whether space war is possible, and like the previous 4 novels of the Bad Boy cycle makes fun of some accepted Sci-fi ideas. This is not a conventional space war book.After 150 years of peace on Earth the unarmed Interstellar Exploration Ship, the "Highway to Heaven" is attacked without apparent provocation by unknown aliens with much more advanced technology than the Earthmen.This is a self contained book although many of the Characters were first introduced in the earlier books of the Bad Boy cycle, and reference is often made to earlier events.This novella is the first book in the 'War and Space' Trilogy which is an attempt to look more logically at War between space faring races. Because it makes fun of some accepted science fiction ideas, a sense of humour is needed to understand the book.This Novella follows on from the Bad Boy Quadrilogy of novels.

These poems cover a variety of simple things. Most people don't value something unless they have to work for it. I want everyone to value my poetry.People often ask what inspires me to write poetry.I would have to say like many poets we are not creatures of habits, but instead are free spirits full of compassion and mellow drama, and are inspired by things that touch us. For me poetry is therapeutic and a way of cleansing my troubled soul. Purging my emotional suffering into ink on paper allows me to share with others who might be going through the same growing pains most experience in life. Due to the absence of the Deity in our country we are a nation of dysfunctional families, but there are some who still put God first. A family who attends my church is the example of how we as a nation should be raising our children. Having adult children they still unselfishly foster children. They are not a young couple, but have so much to give by opening their home to the least of these precious little ones. I have great admiration, love, and respect for them. Their love is not temporary as they eventually adopt many of these children. More oft than not it is the precious little ones that are the pistons that keep my wheels turning. It is easy to be inspired by a child because they are of a pure heart. Children are easily amused by the simplest things, such as turning a box into a car or perhaps a plane or even a playhouse. It is the smile on the face of a child and their precious busy little hands that give me the most joy. There are no sour grapes in their household, only sweet ones on the vine, because they receive constant nurturing from everyone around them.

In wee hours of morn, a panicked family tries to escape from home where violent flood waters engulf the entire subdivision. "Neighbors' distant, bloodcurdling screams bounce off the water's surface. What must my friends be going through? Suddenly a heavy weight plunges me further down, out of Andrew's arm hold. I am immediately under water. My hands touch a head ramming against my stomach...."During wee hours of morn, a panicked family tries to escape from home where violent flood waters engulf the entire subdivision. While struggling for their lives, the realization of how much they mean to each other dominates terror. "Our neighbors' distant, bloodcurdling screams bounce off the water's surface. Unable to help them, we act as if unaware. What must my friends be going through? Suddenly a heavy weight plunges me further down, out of Andrew's arm hold. I am immediately under water. My hands touch a head, ramming against my stomach. Trying to push it away, against the current, I feel the shoulder then the arms then the back; next, I become entangled with legs as it twirls! ....I continue to push and kick with all my strength. This drowned body is trying to drown me!"