The rightful emperor is lost to the world, farther from the throne than ever before . . . The lord of the usurper clan has fallen ill, and further unrest looms . . . Shikanoko has withdrawn to the furthest reaches of the country, leaving his allies stranded and the Spider Tribe unchecked . . . Lakes are drying up, rivers receding-have the powers of Heaven abandoned the Eight Islands? The Tale of Shikanoko began with an unusual game of Go, as young Shikanoko's father sat down to an ill-advised match against a tengu. Now, in the last chapter of The Tale of Shikanoko, the stones are arrayed in their final positions on the board. In The Tengu's Game of Go, all are forced to confront the missteps of the past, as the wrath of Heaven weaves tight around its mortal players. Hidden identities are revealed, loyalties are put to their ultimate test, and death appears around every corner. Throughout The Tale of Shikanoko, Lian Hearn has masterfully captured the thrilling danger and beauty of the medieval and magical. In the final installment, Shikanoko risks everything for fate and justice-an exhilarating ending to an unforgettable adventure.

"Centuries old and housands of miles from home". When Emily and Jess Volnik's family inherits a remote, crumbling Scottish castle, they also inherit the Boggart - an invisible, mischievous spirit who's been playing tricks on residents of Castle Keep for generations. Then the Boggart is trapped in a rolltop desk and inadvertently shipped to the Volniks' home in Toronto, where nothing will ever be the same - for the Volniks or the Boggart. In a world that doesn't believe in magic, the Boggart's pranks wreak havoc. And even the newfound joys of peanut butter and pizza and fudge sauce eventually wear thin for the Boggart. He wants to go home - but his only hope lies in a risky and daring blend of modern technology and ancient magic.

From one of our most acclaimed novelists, a  David-and-Goliath biography for the digital age. One night in the late 1930s, in a bar on the Illinois–Iowa border, John Vincent Atanasoff, a professor of physics at Iowa State University, after a frustrating day performing tedious mathematical calculations in his lab, hit on the idea that the binary number system and electronic switches, com­bined with an array of capacitors on a moving drum to serve as memory, could yield a computing machine that would make his life and the lives of other similarly burdened scientists easier. Then he went back and built the machine. It worked. The whole world changed. Why don’t we know the name of John Atanasoff as well as we know those of Alan Turing and John von Neumann? Because he never patented the device, and because the developers of the far-better-known ENIAC almost certainly stole critical ideas from him. But in 1973 a court declared that the patent on that Sperry Rand device was invalid, opening the intellectual property gates to the computer revolution. Jane Smiley tells the quintessentially American story of the child of immigrants John Atanasoff with technical clarity and narrative drive, making the race to develop digital computing as gripping as a real-life techno-thriller. From the Hardcover edition.

"A new star is rising in the fantasy firmament...teems with magic and spine-chilling amounts of skullduggery."–Dave Duncan, author of The Great Game When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows. From the Paperback edition.

Style. Sabotage. Sisterhood. When Cate and Andie Sloane's Upper East Side dad met Stella and Lola Childs's British-model mom, nobody thought a transatlantic relationship would last. But then their parents drop the M-bomb—marriage—and it looks like Cate, Andie, Stella, and Lola are going to be one big happy family. Well, big anyway. Meet: Cate Sloane: She dominates the ninth grade at exclusive Ashton Prep. Tantrum-prone and competitive, Cate would rather wear Laura Ashley every day than be second best at anything. Luckily there's not a rival in sight. Yet. Andie Sloane: Twelve-year-old Andie desperately wants to walk the runway. Her face is flawless, and boys flock to her like love-struck sheep. There's just one leetle problem: She's only 4' 11". But with a new supermodel stepmom, she'll be voguing in no time. Right? Stella Childs: With her take-charge attitude and a closet full of supermodel swag, Stella was the It Girl at her London middle school. She's determined to rule Ashton Prep—even if that means dethroning the current queen bee. Can you say British Invasion? Lola Childs: London boys called gawky Lola "Sticks," but she's got a new mission in Manhattan: boyfriend or bust! With the help of her boy-magnet stepsister, Lola sets her sights on supercute Kyle Lewis. Too bad Kyle's only got eyes for . . . Andie.

New school year, same old problems . . . At Mythos Academy, everyone knows exactly who I am: Rory Forseti, Spartan girl and the daughter of Reapers. Even though I fought alongside my cousin Gwen Frost to save the mythological world from Loki and his evil Reapers of Chaos, I’m still the most hated girl at the academy because of all the horrible things my parents did. I had hoped that this school year would be different, but the other kids just won’t let me forget about my parents. But something strange is going on at the Colorado academy. First, I run into a Viking guy who dislikes me more than most. Then I notice some odd artifacts in the Library of Antiquities. And worst of all, I start hearing rumors about a new group of Reapers who can summon mythological monsters. I might be the most hated girl at Mythos Academy, but I’m also the only one who can save it . . .

Sixteen more short stories of literary adventure fantasy from Beneath Ceaseless Skies, the five-time Hugo Award and seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist online magazine that Locus online calls “a premiere venue for fantastic fiction, not just online but for all media.” Authors include Catherynne M. Valente, K.J. Parker, Yoon Ha Lee, Aliette de Bodard, Seth Dickinson, Mishell Baker, Rich Larson, and Rose Lemberg. Stories include “Blood Grains Speak Through Memories” by Jason Sanford, a finalist for the Nebula Awards, “The Limitless Perspective of Master Peek, or, the Luminescence of Debauchery” by Catherynne M. Valente, a finalist for the Eugie Foster Memorial Award, and “Foxfire, Foxfire” by Yoon Ha Lee and “A Salvaging of Ghosts” by Aliette de Bodard, finalists for the Washington Science Fiction Association Small Press Award.

Before they were the Boxcar Children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden lived with their parents on Fair Meadow Farm Although times are hard, the Aldens are happy—“the best family of all,” Mama likes to say. One day, a blizzard hits the countryside, and a traveling family needs shelter. The Aldens take them in, and the strangers soon become friends. But things never stay the same at the farm, and the spring and summer bring events that will forever change their lives. Newbery Award–winning author Patricia MacLachlan pays loving tribute to the classic novels by Gertrude Chandler Warner in this story of the Alden children’s origins.

*A girl at the end of the world. Two brothers fighting for opposite sides. And a dragon who can save them all... Or set the world on fire.* Trinity's world changed forever the day she stole Emmy's egg. Now she's on the run with the last living dragon and twin brothers from a war-torn future. Connor may have betrayed his mission to kill Emmy, but he'll do whatever it takes to prevent the coming dragon apocalypse. Coddling a temperamental dragon on its way to being the size of a house is no way to keep them safe. But Caleb can't stand to see Emmy trapped and miserable. When a video of Emmy flying over the skies of the Texas Hill Country goes viral, the government closes in--and the future they've risked everything for is about to go up in flames.

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie? A debut psychological thriller you can’t miss! ‘This outstanding debut novel will leave you breathless’ -Bella ‘Brilliant, chilling, scary and unputdownable.’ -Lesley Pearse, bestselling author of Without a Trace ‘This one is 2016’s answer to Gone Girl. Nuff said.’ -Women’s Health UK ‘You’ll love this’ -The Sun "Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. You'd like to know Grace better. But it's difficult. Because you realize that they are never apart. Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or can't meet for lunch, without Jack. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows. Sometimes the perfect marriage is the perfect lie." ‘Behind Closed Doors gives us a glimpse into the realities of a ‘perfect marriage’, with addictive and heart pounding moments guaranteed to have you looking at your friends and neighbours differently.’ -Margaret Madden, Bleach House Library

A California girl born and raised, Mai can't wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, though, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Mai's parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn't know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.

Cat, the halfbreed telepath hero of Catspaw and Psion, joins a research team on Refuge, homeworld of his mother's people, the Hydrans. Immediately, he finds trouble when he helps a Hydran woman escape human pursuers. The decimated Hydran population of Refuge is confined to a bleak "homeland," by a huge corporate state, Tau Biotech. Tau also controls Refuge's one unique natural resource, "Dreamfall." The tangible residue of cast-off thoughts from beautiful, enigmatic "cloud whales," dreamfall forms vast reefs, sacred to the Hydrans, but mere exploitable data to Tau. Caught between Tau and desperate Hydrans who fight to reclaim their world, Cat must somehow forge the ruins of the past into a means to defeat Tau's brutality to save his people--and himself.

A teenager risks everything to protect an abandoned baby in this thriller from the bestselling author of The Face on the Milk Carton. When Kit Innes’s frazzled ex-stepmother, Dusty, leaves her with an unnamed baby boy and a lot of questions, she’s not sure what to do. She’s doesn’t know if the adorable child is even Dusty’s, or if she plans on returning. But when an angry, frightening man comes looking for the baby, Kit decides that the most important thing is to keep him safe—at all costs. With the help of her maybe-boyfriend, Rowen, and his little sister, Muffin, Kit is determined to figure out what’s really going on. But as they attempt to return the mysterious baby to wherever it is he belongs, they discover that he’s part of something that could put them all in incredible danger . . . Filled with mystery and suspense, this riveting story proves why multimillion-copy bestselling author Caroline B. Cooney is a “thriller master” (Publishers Weekly). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Caroline B. Cooney including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

One of the most influential works of modern American fiction is available for the first time as an eBook, featuring a new Author’s Note, as well as an Introduction by Joshua Ferris. Since its publication in 1996, George Saunders’s debut collection has grown in estimation from a cherished cult classic to a masterpiece of the form and inspired an entire generation of writers. In six stories (“CivilWarLand in Bad Decline,” “Isabelle,” “The Wavemaker Falters,” “The 400-Pound CEO,” “Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz,” “Downtrodden Mary’s Failed Campaign of Terror”) and a novella (“Bounty”), Saunders introduces readers to an unforgettable cast of characters struggling to survive in an increasingly haywire world. With original commentary from Joshua Ferris and Saunders himself, this eBook edition is the perfect occasion to discover or revisit a virtuosic, uniquely American voice. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from George Saunders's Tenth of December. Praise for George Saunders and *CivilWarLand in Bad Decline “There is no author I recommend to people more often—for ten years I’ve urged George Saunders onto everyone and everyone. You want funny? Saunders is your man. You want emotional heft? Saunders again. You want stories that are actually about something—stories that again and again get to the meat of matters of life and death and justice and country? Saunders. There is no one better, no one more essential to our national sense of self and sanity.”—Dave Eggers “The debut of an exciting new voice in fiction . . . Saunders’s satiric vision of America is dark and demented; it’s also ferocious and very funny.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times “Not since Twain has America produced a satirist this funny.”—Zadie Smith “George Saunders makes the all-but-impossible look effortless. We’re lucky to have him.”—Jonathan Franzen “An astoundingly tuned voice—graceful, dark, authentic, and funny—telling just the kinds of stories we need to get us through these times.”—Thomas Pynchon “In CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, George Saunders is improvising around a single scary note. Few writers have sounded it with such clarity, boldness, and wit.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “Subversive, hilarious, and emotionally piercing. Few writers can encompass that range of adjectives, but Saunders is a true original—restlessly inventive, yet deeply humane.”—Jennifer Egan “This book is a rare event: a brilliant new satirist bursting out of the gate in full stride, wildly funny, pure, generous—all that a great humorist should be.”—Garrison Keillor “[Saunders has] shades of both Denis Johnson and Raymond Chandler. . . . By turns he’s ferocious, witty, and uproarious, but what makes his fiction memorable is the gravitas of its dark portraiture of America.”—The Boston Globe*

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children's classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

The Sunset Vampire series was awarded Third Place in the Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Paranormal Series of 2012 by the Paranormal Romance Guild. *READER BEWARE - WARNING!* If you're easily offended or turned off by: dominant or assertive female figures, primary love-interest characters that are beta males, or non-traditional relationships between men and women, then you should NOT read the Sunset Vampire Series! Everyone Else: You're in for a real treat that's edgy, unique, and highly satisfying. Welcome to the Sunset Vampire series! When is a bloodthirsty predator the best protection against a psychotic killer? When the predator is both a vampire...and the woman you love. Caleb is bravely overcoming a dark past while having no memory of the beautiful vampire that saved him. Despite a promise to stay away, Katrina is compelled to return to him. However, a vengeful rival from her past has dire plans for both of them. Can one woman's love triumph over another's thirst for revenge? This collectible second edition is a content-enriched version of the original novel that includes a foreword and insightful interview with Jaz Primo, as well as a special bonus chapter containing new, never seen before material! Book #1: Sunrise at Sunset: RevampedBook #2: A Bloody London SunsetBook #3: Summit at SunsetBook #4: Wicked Sunset Book #5: Sunset RisingBook #6: Sunset Burning  (Forthcoming)   

A hidden treasure. A forgotten truth. Cotton Malone is in trouble. His son has been kidnapped and his bookshop in Copenhagen attacked, all because he is the only man alive who knows the whereabouts of the Alexandria link - the means of locating the most important cache of ancient knowledge ever assembled: the legendary Library of Alexandria, which vanished without trace fifteen hundred years ago. Now, Malone is forced to join the search for a forgotten truth hidden within that vast literary treasure - a truth that, if revealed, will have grave consequences, not only for Malone, but for the balance of world power. . .

One of Hardy's most unusual novels, A Laodicean features a heroine torn between the dilapidated aristocratic romance of the past and the energetic technocracy of the modern world. Paula Power's two suitors, a patrician Army officer, and an architect, representative of the new nobility of talent and enterprise & comically illustrates the great social changes that were taking place as Hardy wrote the novel.

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About The Secret of the Island by Jules Verne During the Civil War, the engineer Smith, Neb his servant, the Spilett journalist, the sailor Pencroff and Harbert teenager to escape the southerners holding prisoners, fleeing with a ball. They land in calamity on an uncharted island they baptize "Lincoln Island." This island appears deserted but a mystery hangs over her and shipwrecked feel a benevolent and enigmatic presence. It is a book of great and strange adventures where Jules Verne had fun with his immense talent to tell us this story. Jules Verne (1828-1905) is one of the most recognizable names in Western literature, coming to be known as one of the Fathers of Science-Fiction. Although he studied to be a lawyer and held stock trading jobs, he quickly learned that he had a knack for weaving adventurous stories of travels and expeditions. It didn’t hurt that one of his teachers may have been inventor Brutus de Villeroi, who created the first submarine for the U.S. Navy. Verne wrote about air travel and space travel 50 years before either was possible.

Five Children and It

"We wish you'd get rid of what you've got here, sir," he observed, digging doggedly. "Nothing'll grow right with them here." "Shrubs " said the Squire, laughing. "You don't call the peacock trees shrubs, do you? Fine tall trees -- you ought to be proud of them." "Ill weeds grow apace," observed the gardener. "Weeds can grow as houses when somebody plants them." Then he added: "Him that sowed tares in the Bible, Squire." "Oh, blast your --" began the Squire, and then replaced the more apt and alliterative word "Bible" by the general word "superstition."