When Columba and Janetta Pilgrim think it unwise to leave their ancestral home after their brother suffers a fatal fall only days after talk of selling it, and Roger Pilgrim barely escapes two nearly fatal "accidents," Miss Maud Silver is called in to look into the case. Views: 645
Ijon Tichy is an ordinary space traveler whose extraordinary curiosity leads him to the very fringes of science. Their plans are grandiose, the bargains they make too often Faustian, for the ends these scientists pursue concern humanity's greatest and most ancient obsessions: immortality, artificial intelligence, and top-of-the-line consumer items.
By turns philosophical, satirical, and absurd, Lem's stories follow Ijon's adventures as both an observer of--and participant in--strange experiments. Faulty time machines, intelligent washing machines, suicidal potatoes--Ijon Tichy navigates them all with common sense and in so doing shows why he endures as one of Lem's most popular characters. Views: 645
Over a year at Whipsnade Zoo we encounter a typically absurd cast - including Albert the lion, who's a dab hand at ventriloquism, and Teddy the brown bear, with whom the young Durrell sings duets. This is a charming account of Gerald Durrell's first job as a student keeper in WhipsnadePark in 1945. With notebook and pen in hand, the eager young Durrell observes his co-workers and animal charges alike. Whether getting dirty mucking out the buffalo enclosure or attempting to cajole a jitter-bugging gnus into a transportation crate, life at the zoo is certainly never boring. Views: 645
The complete text of Faulkner's third novel, published for the first time in 1973, appeared with his reluctant consent in a much cut version in 1929 as SARTORIS. Views: 645
Classic pulp crime thrillers from the 1940s and 1950s. In their time, the Hank Janson novels, with their sleazy covers and no-holds-barred tales, were a guilty pleasure for millions of readers, but incurred the wrath of the establishment! Accused was the most heavily scrutinised book of all in the infamous Hank Janson obscenity trials at the Old Bailey in the mid-1950s, and as a result was effectively banned from British bookshops. Now readers can judge for themselves whether or not this absorbing tale of sadistic cruelty, illicit passion and violent murder really was obscene! Views: 645
Betsy Canning is dissatisfied with life. She has always taken pains to be healthy, popular and well-treated, but despite her wealth, her comfortable homes and beautiful children, happiness eludes her. The problem must lie, she thinks, in her marriage to Alec, and a neat, civilised divorce seems the perfect solution. But talk of divorce sparks interference from family and friends, and soon public opinion tears into the fragile fabric of family life and private desire. Alec and Betsy's marriage will not be the only casualty, and in this newly complicated world, happiness is more elusive than ever. Views: 645
The stories of Milly-Molly-Mandy and her friends have charmed generations of children since their first publication in 1928. Milly-Molly-Mandy lives in a tiny village in the heart of the countryside, where life is full of everyday adventures. Whether she is dressing up, going for a picnic or cooking dinner, you're sure to have fun when Milly-Molly-Mandy is around!Perfect for reading aloud, these seven stories will bring back happy memories for parents and grandparents and will introduce younger readers to an enduringly popular heroine and her friends little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt. Gloriously illustrated with Joyce Lankester Brisley's original line drawings, Milly-Molly-Mandy & Co is a truly special gift to treasure.
The adventures of a little English girl and her friends as they play dress-up, cook dinner, and take part in a film being made in their village. Views: 645
ReviewPraise for ‘Roseanna’:‘The writing is elegant and surprisingly humorous – if you haven’t come across Beck before, you’re in for a treat.’ Guardian‘I have never read a finer police story.’ Los Angeles Times‘The decalogue about the Swedish Chief Inspector Martin Beck created by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo during the 1960s and 1970s are indeed classic police fiction. They changed the genre. Whoever is writing crime fiction after these novels inspired by them in one way or another.’ Henning Mankell‘If you haven’t read Sjowall/Wahloo, start now.’ Sunday Telegraph‘Their mysteries don’t just read well; they reread even better. Witness, wife, petty cop or crook – they’re all real characters even if they get just a few sentences. The plots hold, because they’re ingenious but never inhuman.’ New York TimesReviewPraise for ‘Roseanna’:‘The writing is elegant and surprisingly humorous – if you haven’t come across Beck before, you’re in for a treat.’ Guardian‘I have never read a finer police story.’ Los Angeles Times‘The decalogue about the Swedish Chief Inspector Martin Beck created by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo during the 1960s and 1970s are indeed classic police fiction. They changed the genre. Whoever is writing crime fiction after these novels inspired by them in one way or another.’ Henning Mankell‘If you haven’t read Sjowall/Wahloo, start now.’ Sunday Telegraph‘Their mysteries don’t just read well; they reread even better. Witness, wife, petty cop or crook – they’re all real characters even if they get just a few sentences. The plots hold, because they’re ingenious but never inhuman.’ New York Times Views: 645
Luane Devore's days are numbered. All her neighbors in the declining seaside resort town of Manduwoc want her dead. Some, like her young husband Ralph and his girlfriend Danny, want the thousands of dollars she keeps hidden under the mattress she spends her days resting on. Others want her to stop her malicious gossip--some of which could ruin lives.
Told from multiple perspectives, The Kill-Off tells the story of a woman not long for this earth--but who will finally take matters into their own hands, and when? THE KILL-OFF was the basis of Maggie Greenwald's critically acclaimed film of the same name. Views: 644
Celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Caldecott Medalist Ezra Jack Keats’s vibrant retelling of the popular African American folk ballad in this beautiful hardcover edition.
Have you heard the tale?
John Henry was born with a hammer in his hand. He was taller and stronger than anyone around. When men started talking about laying railroad tracks across the prairies and deserts, and right through the mountains, John Henry knew he and his hammer had to be a part of it. And drive those spikes he did! Then came the day when a challenge was announced: Who could dig a tunnel through a mountain faster—John Henry and his hammer? Or a steam drill? Views: 644
Hercule Poirot is determined to solve an old husband and wife double murder that is still an open verdict! Hercule Poirot stood on the cliff-top. Here, many years earlier, there had been a tragic accident. This was followed by the grisly discovery of two more bodies -- a husband and wife -- shot dead. But who had killed whom? Was it a suicide pact? A crime of passion? Or cold-blooded murder? Poirot delves back into the past and discovers that 'old sin can leave long shadows'. Views: 644
Jane and Malcolm Gray's marriage is characterized by sexual unhappiness and the growing apathy they both feel toward one another. When Jane is confined to bed rest while pregnant with their second child, Malcolm realizes he must escape, leaving Jane in the care of her dear friend and cousin, Lucy, and Lucy's husband James. After Jane gives birth, Lucy and James alternate nights with her, and it is during this time alone together that Jane and James fall in love, beginning an affair as marked by guilt as joy. Through Jane's struggle to reconcile her relationship with James with her friendship with Lucy, Margaret Drabble gives us an intimate look at a woman caught between the claims of sexual awakening, maternal love and friendship. Views: 644
