It's 2020 and children are stuck indoors as the novel coronavirus finds its way into India. A nationwide lockdown is announced and amidst the growing crisis, Ajja and Ajji welcome their grandchildren and Kamlu Ajji into their house in Shiggaon.From stitching masks, sharing household chores, preparing food for workers to losing themselves in timeless tales, the lockdown turns into a memorable time for the children as they enter the enchanting world of goddesses, kings, princesses, serpents, magical beanstalks, thieves, kingdoms and palaces, among others. The myriad stories told by their grandparents become the biggest source of joy, making the children compassionate, worldly-wise and more resilient than ever.Following the trail of the best-selling Grandma's Bag of Stories, India's favourite author Sudha Murty brings to you this collection of immortal tales that she fondly created during the lockdown period for readers to seek comfort and find the magic in sharing and... Views: 295
You are all witnesses to the trials of Vanessa Medina. An arrogant and flawed teenage girl who thought she had the whole world figured out.Until it came crashing down.You are all witnesses to the trials of Vanessa Medina. An arrogant and flawed teenage girl who thought she had the whole world figured out.Until it came crashing down.The experience of Vanessa's story will have the readers wondering what is the "who" in all of us. And what a person is capable of when they reach the breaking point.The Author Winston is a young artist emerging from the mid-west through his poetry and skills as a storyteller. As a child, he was a big literary nerd, thinking Huckleberry and Tom would one day be his actual friends. As a teenager, he fell in love with Elizabeth Bennet. And would ponder nonstop if a rabbit hole could take him to Wonderland.Now that he is an adult he aspires to give readers the same literary experiences. Views: 295
This complete and unabridged collection contains all 23 of Beatrix Potter\'s Tales in one deluxe volume with all their original illustrations. The stories are arranged in the order in which they were first published so they may be read in their proper sequence. A special section at the end of this volume contains four additional works by Beatrix Potter that were not published during her lifetime. Beautifully reissued with a newly designed slipcase and jacket—a truly stunning gift. Views: 295
Life has not been kind to ten-year-old Faris. He has lived at the Grimbaldi Foundation for the Potentially Lacking for as long as he can remember, so long that he doesn’t even have a last name – he’s Faris, just Faris. One magical night an opportunity to escape lands on his window ledge and Faris grabs hold with both hands. (Suitable for ages 7+)Life has not been kind to ten-year-old Faris. He has lived at the Grimbaldi Foundation for the Potentially Lacking for as long as he can remember, so long that he doesn’t even have a last name – he’s Faris, just Faris.One magical night an opportunity to escape lands on his window ledge and Faris grabs hold with both hands. He doesn’t know where or who he will end up with, just that life anywhere but The Foundation has to be better.Join Faris on his first adventure, when he finds out that he is a lot more than a ‘normal’ boy and what friendship really means. Perhaps you will be as surprised as him when you meet his new friends….(Children's book, aimed at readers aged 7+) Views: 295
CHAPTER I THE TRAIN WRECK "Come on, let\'s make a snow man!" cried Bert Bobbsey, as he ran about in the white drifts of snow that were piled high in the yard in front of the house. "That\'ll be lots of fun!" chimed in Freddie Bobbsey, who was Bert\'s small brother. "We can make a man, and then throw snowballs at him, and he won\'t care a bit; will he, Bert?" "No, I guess a snow man doesn\'t care how many times you hit him with snowballs," laughed the older boy, as he tried to catch a dog that was leaping about in the drifts, barking for joy. "The more snowballs you throw at a snow man the bigger he gets," said Bert. "Oh, Bert Bobbsey, he does not!" cried a girl with dark hair and sparkling brown eyes, as she ran along with a smaller girl holding her red-mittened hand. "A snow man can\'t grow any bigger! What makes you tell Freddie so?" "Course a snow man can grow bigger!" declared Bert. "A snowball grows bigger the more you roll it in the snow, doesn\'t it?" "Yes," admitted Nan—Nan being the name of the brown-eyed girl, Bert\'s twin sister. "I know a snowball grows bigger the more you roll it, but you don\'t roll a snow man!" went on the brown-eyed girl. "Ho, ho! wouldn\'t that be funny?" laughed the little girl, whose handNan held. "What would be funny, Flossie?" asked Freddie, and one look at the two smaller Bobbsey children would have told you that they, too, were twins. In fact the four Bobbseys were twins—that is there were two sets of them—Bert and Nan, and Flossie and Freddie. "What would be funny?" Freddie wanted to know. "Tell me! I want to laugh." "Yes, you generally do want to laugh, little fireman!" and Bert Bobbsey laughed himself as he gave his small brother the pet name that Daddy Bobbsey had thought up some time ago. "But, as Flossie says, it would be funny to see a snow man rolling around in the drifts to make himself bigger," went on Bert. "But you said he\'d get bigger if we threw snowballs at him," insistedNan. "And he will," went on Bert. "You see, a snowball gets bigger when you roll it around the yard, because more snow keeps sticking to it all the while. And if we make a snow man and then throw little snowballs at him, these snowballs will stick to him and he\'ll grow bigger, won\'t he?" "Oh, I didn\'t know you meant that way!" and now Nan, herself, began to laugh. Of course Flossie and Freddie joined in, though I am not sure that they knew what the joke was all about, but they were having fun in the snow and that was all they cared for. It was a fine snow storm, at least for the Bobbsey twins and the other children of Lakeport. It was not too cold, and the white flakes had come down so fast that there was now enough snow to make many snow men and snowballs, and leave plenty for coasting down hill. The Bobbsey twins had hurried out to play in the snow as soon as they got home from school, and now they were having fine fun. Snap, their dog, was playing with them, leaping about in the drifts, diving through them, as the Bobbsey twins had seen swimmers dive through waves down at the seashore and Snap would come out on the other side of the drift all covered with white flakes, as though he were a snow dog.... Views: 295
A short, inspirational story, of Peruvian Condors and a young man's journey towards maturity and happiness.Jackson never thought buying a yacht could be so dangerous. A deadly attack at sea leaves Jackson wet and bewildered, fighting for his life. Views: 295
Margaret Mayo is a British writer of over 80 romance novels since 1976. Views: 295
Welcome to Ordshaw.
Don’t look down.
Pax thought she knew the dark side of Ordshaw. A poker pro who hustles bankers and gangsters, she can take care of herself. But she’s about to discover the shadows hide worse things than criminals.
When a thief steals her bankroll, it could cost Pax her home. Following his trail unearths a labyrinthine mystery that could cost Pax her life.
People have disappeared simply for realising what's lurking under Ordshaw.
To get her life back, Pax needs to go much further than that.
Will Pax’s findings put the whole city at risk? Will her new allies prove more dangerous than the monstrous enemy?
Will she even be able to survive another day?
The Sunken City Trilogy collects the first complete arc in the Ordshaw series in one collectible edition, including Under Ordshaw, Blue Angel and The Violent Fae. You’ll love these urban fantasy thrillers, because they’re packed with compelling characters, clever twists and creatures that’ll keep you up all night. Views: 294
Excerpt from The Perambulations of a Bee and a Butterfly: In Which Are Delineated Those Smaller Traits of Character Which Escape the Observation of Larger SpectatorsThe Butterfly\'s anxiety - His Friend regains his Liberty and returns late to the Hive - The butterfly detects flattery in a Gentleman to a Lady, and is alarmed by a hint from his friend as they separate for the Night; The Bees swarm - Their fondness for their Queen - The Bee in waiting - the Butterfly goes into the Country on a party of Pleasure - is overtaken by a storm, and returns in a Stagecoach - An officer exercising his genius in hoaxing his Fellow-travellers - The Butterfly recounts his adventures to his Friend - Their remarks on what passed during his Journey; The Butterfly\'s alarm, and account of a Naturalist - Wasps ensnared in a bottle - A Bee drowning in a Pot of Honey, is extricated by his Friend - Flies - The Bee\'s remarks upon them nearly offends his Friend by comparing them with himAbout the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. Views: 294
Shalimar the Clown is a masterpiece from one of our greatest writers, a dazzling novel that brings together the fiercest passions of the heart and the gravest conflicts of our time into an astonishingly powerful, all-encompassing story.
Max Ophuls’ memorable life ends violently in Los Angeles in 1993 when he is murdered by his Muslim driver Noman Sher Noman, also known as Shalimar the Clown. At first the crime seems to be politically motivated – Ophuls was previously ambassador to India, and later US counterterrorism chief – but it is much more.
Ophuls is a giant, an architect of the modern world: a Resistance hero and best-selling author, brilliant economist and clandestine US intelligence official. But it is as Ambassador to India that the seeds of his demise are planted, thanks to another of his great roles – irresistible lover. Visiting the Kashmiri village of Pachigam, Ophuls lures an impossibly beautiful dancer, the ambitious (and willing) Boonyi Kaul, away from her husband, and installs her as his mistress in Delhi. But their affair cannot be kept secret, and when Boonyi returns home, disgraced and obese, it seems that all she has waiting for her is the inevitable revenge of her husband: Noman Sher Noman, Shalimar the Clown. He was an acrobat and tightrope walker in their village’s traditional theatrical troupe; but soon Shalimar is trained as a militant in Kashmir’s increasingly brutal insurrection, and eventually becomes a terrorist with a global remit and a deeply personal mission of vengeance.
With sweeping brilliance, Salman Rushdie portrays fanatical mullahs as fully as documentary filmmakers, rural headmen as completely as British spies; he describes villages that compete to make the most splendid feasts, the mentality behind martial law, and the celebrity of Los Angeles policemen, all with the same genius.
But the main story is only part of the story. In this stunningly rich book everything is connected, and everyone is a part of everyone else. Shalimar the Clown is a true work of the era of globalization, intricately mingling lives and countries, and finding unexpected and sometimes tragic connections between the seemingly disparate. The violent fate of Kashmir recalls Strasbourg’s experience in World War Two; Resistance heroism against the Nazis counterpoints Al-Qaeda’s terror in Pakistan, North Africa and the Philippines. 1960s Pachigam is not so far from post-war London, or the Hollywood-driven present-day Los Angeles where Max’s daughter by Boonyi, India Ophuls, beautiful, strong-willed, modern, waits, as vengeance plays itself out.
A powerful love story, intensely political and historically informed, Shalimar the Clown is also profoundly human, an involving story of people’s lives, desires and crises – India Ophuls’ desperate search for her real mother, for example; Max’s wife’s attempts to deal with his philandering – as well as, in typical Rushdie fashion, a magical tale where the dead speak and the future can be foreseen.
Shalimar the Clown is steeped in both the Hindu epic Ramayana and the great European novelists, melding the storytelling traditions of east and west into a magnificently fruitful blend – and serves, itself, as a corrective to the destructive clashes of values it scorchingly depicts. Enthralling, comic and amazingly abundant, it will no doubt come to be seen as one of the key books of our time. Views: 294
From the revered teacher and bestselling author of such classic Christian works as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters comes a collection that gathers the best of C. S. Lewis's practical advice on how to embody a Christian life.The most famous adherent and defender of Christianity in the twentieth century, C. S. Lewis has long influenced our perceptions and understanding of the faith. More than fifty years after his death, Lewis's arguments remain extraordinarily persuasive because they originate from his deep insights into the Christian life itself. Only an intellectual of such profound faith could form such cogent and compelling reasons for its truth.How to Be a Christian brings together the best of Lewis's insights on Christian practice and its expression in our daily lives. Cultivated from his many essays, articles, and letters, as well as his classic works, this illuminating and thought-provoking collection provides practical wisdom and direction... Views: 294
Is this the end of class pets?When Fuzzy accidentally gets a kid hurt, he feels awful. But worse — the PTA president demands to get rid of all the class pets!Fuzzy and his friends get to work. A cuteness campaign? Their selfies fall short. A hunger strike? The pets get hungry. Could the PTA president's daughter be the key to staying in their classrooms, or will the pets get thrown out like yesterday's juice box? Views: 294
Leopold is delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. This means that we have checked every single page in every title, making it highly unlikely that any material imperfections – such as poor picture quality, blurred or missing text - remain. When our staff observed such imperfections in the original work, these have either been repaired, or the title has been excluded from the Leopold Classic Library catalogue. As part of our on-going commitment to delivering value to the reader, within the book we have also provided you with a link to a website, where you may download a digital version of this work for free. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience. If you would like to learn more about the Leopold Classic Library collection please visit our website at www.leopoldclassiclibrary.com
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. Views: 294
"I mean, it's not as if I want a father. I have a father. It's just that I don't know who he is or where he is. But I have one." Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove don't appear to have much in common. Ram lives in the Mexican-American working-class barrio of El Paso called "Dizzy Land." His brother is sinking into a world of drugs, wreaking havoc in their household. Jake is a rich West Side white boy who has developed a problem managing his anger. An only child, he is a misfit in his mother's shallow and materialistic world. But Ram and Jake do have one thing in common: They are lost boys who have never met their fathers. This sad fact has left both of them undeniably scarred and obsessed with the men who abandoned them. As Jake and Ram overcome their suspicions of each other, they begin to move away from their loner existences and realize that they are capable of reaching out beyond their wounds and the neighborhoods that they grew up in. Their friendship... Views: 294
