The amazing true story of how London became home to the Russian super-rich — told for the first time ever. A dazzling tale of incredible wealth, ferocious disputes, beautiful women, private jets, mega-yachts, the world's best footballers — and chauffeur-driven Range Rovers with tinted windows. A group of buccaneering Russian oligarchs made colossal fortunes after the collapse of communism — and many of them came to London to enjoy their new-found wealth. Londongrad tells for the first time the true story of their journeys from Moscow and St Petersburg to mansions in Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Surrey — and takes you into a shimmering world of audacious multi-billion pound deals, outrageous spending and rancorous feuds. But while London's flashiest restaurants echoed to Russian laughter and Bond Street shop-owners totted up their profits, darker events also played themselves out. The killing of ex-KGB man Alexander Litvinenko in London to the death — in a helicopter crash he all but predicted — of Stephen Curtis, the lawyer to many of Britain's richest Russians, chilled London's Russians and many of those who know them.This is the story of how Russia's wealth was harvested and brought to London — some of it spent by Roman Abramovich on his beloved Chelsea Football Club, some of it spent by Boris Berezovsky in his battles with Russia's all-powerful Vladimir Putin. Londongrad is a must-read for anyone interested in how vast wealth is created, the luxury it can buy, and the power and intrigue it produces.

Sure, love is hell. But it's totally worth it. In these supernatural stories by five of today's hottest writers including Melissa Marr and Scott Westerfeld, love may be twisted and turned around, but it's more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all. From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the hard-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking host with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more that ever.

A Christmas themed best seller about Lily and her beloved Blue Kangaroo! It's Christmas Eve, and Lily is excitedly wondering if Father Christmas will come. She has made cards for everyone, helped to decorate the house and put presents under the tree. This one is just for you, Blue Kangaroo! she says. Just for me! thinks Blue Kangaroo. But Blue Kangaroo doesn't have a present for Lily, and he lies awake worrying. Is there anyone who might be able to help?

An internationally bestselling fable about a spiritual journey, littered with powerful life lessons that teach us how to abandon consumerism in order to embrace destiny, live life to the full and discover joy. This inspiring tale is based on the author's own search for life's true purpose, providing a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance and joy. It tells the story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life: following a heart attack, he decides to sell all his beloved possesions and trek to India. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he meets Himalayan gurus who offer powerful, wise and practical lessons that teach us to: Develop joyful thoughts — Follow our life's mission — Cultivate self-discipline and act courageously — Value time as our most important commodity — Nourish our relationships — Live fully, one day at a time.

When Paddington hears that he his going to visit the zoo he is very excited and makes 6 marmalade sandwiches to take with him in honour of the occasion. But at the zoo things don't go to plan. There are some very fierce, not to mention hungry animals there. It is not Paddington they are after though, it is his elevenses!

A literary debut of stark and striking brilliance — a coming-of-age story, set in the remote wilderness of northern Wisconsin. Born mute and able to communicate only by sign, the brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents Gar and Trudy. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomised by Almodine, Edgar's lifelong companion. But when his beloved father mysteriously dies, Edgar blames himself, if only because his muteness left him unable to summon help. Grief-stricken and bewildered by his mother's desperate affair with her dead husband's brother, Edgar's world unravels one spring night when, in the falling rain, he sees his father's ghost. After a botched attempt to prove that his uncle orchestrated Gar's death, Edgar flees into the Chequamegon wilderness leading three yearling dogs. Yet his need to face his father's murderer, and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs, turn Edgar ever homeward. When he returns, nothing is as he expects, and Edgar must choose between revenge or preserving his family legacy!

TRIALS OF DEATH — the fifth title in the compelling and chilling saga of Darren Shan — but the second part in a new TRILOGY, following Darren's initiation into the vampire clan. THE SAGA OF DARREN SHAN BOOK 5 Compelled by his loyalty to Mr Crepsley, Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, agrees to prove his worthiness to the vampire clan by undertaking a series of trials. Each Trial is set by the Vampire Princes to test agility, cunning and intelligence. Failure means death. Whilst their attention is focused on Darren, the vampire clan fail to notice that the vampaneze have infiltrated their mountain stronghold. Who is the traitor helping the vampaneze, and will Darren survive the trials to oust the vampire's greatest foes? Another atmospheric and terrifying tale from the author of Cirque Du Freak.

'Fast paced and compelling, full of satisfying macabre touches — Cirque du Freak explores the powerful fascination of the dangerous and unnatural and also, movingly, the obligations of friendship.' This is what J. K Rowling said about Book 1 of The Saga of Darren Shan. This is Book three in the chilling series by talented young author Darren Shan. When Mr Crepsley is called upon by the Vampire Generals, Darren and the snake-boy, Evra Von, leave the Cirque Du Freak and travel with him to the city. Whilst there, Darren meets Debbie and his life as a Vampire's Assistant fades into the background — until corpes are found. Corpses drained of blood...Suspicious of Mr Crepsley's secretive bahaviour, Darren and Evra shadow him across the city and confront a creature of the night who may be the end of them all...Has Darren made a fatal mistake which will cost him the lives of those he cares for? And can he escape the lure of the Tunnels of Blood?

Vampire Mountain is the fourth title in the gut-wrenching saga of Darren Shan. Darren Shan and Mr Crepsley make a long and dangerous trek to the vampire's stronghold in the mountains. The trek is a test of skill and endurance one which sees Darren's vampire nature develop, and a new understanding of the mysterious blue-robed servants of the sinister Mr Tiny. Gavner Purl makes a welcome return when he joins Darren and Mr Crepsley, but they face more than the cold on their way to the vampire princes — the vampaneze have been there before them...Will Darren's meeting with the Vampire Princes restore is human nature, or turn him further towards the darkness...

This is the sixth title in the saga of Darren Shan — and the final part in a trilogy, following Darren's initiation into the vampire clan. Betrayed by Kurda and reeling from the brutal slaying of Gavner he is branded a traitor and hunted by the clan. Ages 10+.

'We're masters of the macabre...agents of mutations. Lords of the surreal.' THE SAGA OF DARREN SHAN BOOK 2 Darren joins the vampire, Mr Crepsley, as his assistant and they return to the Cirque du Freak. There, Darren makes friends with the snake-boy, Evra Von (who knows what Darren is) and a local boy, Sam, and RV, an eco-warrior and animal lover (who do not). Darren begins to enjoy his life among the Cirque performers as the youngest half-vampire in existence, but he defiantly refuses to drink human blood — the whole idea sickens him — and he tries desperately to cling on to the part of him which is human. Darren comes face to face with pure evil in the form of Mr Tiny, the leader of the Little People who join the Cirque du Freak, and who eat anything — including human flesh. When he discovers animal bones, RV frees the wolf-man from his cage — and no-one could possibly guess how truly terrible the whole effect would be. The Vampire's Assistant follows some of the amazing characters from Cirque du Freak, and also introduces some more who truly blow the imagination.

From one of the greatest living literary imaginations and the celebrated author of FAHRENHEIT 451 comes an all-new collection of effortlessly beautiful tales. Recently described in The Times as 'the uncrowned poet laureate of science fiction' Ray Bradbury has won numerous awards including a Pulitzer Prize special citation in 2007 and an Emmy (R). In this new volume of never-before-published stories, follow a space shuttle crew as they voyage sixty million miles from home, discover what happens when a writer 'with the future's eye' believes his friend to be writing stories aboard a UFO, and listen in on a couple talking themselves backward through time to the moment when they first held hands. This entertaining and gripping collection is a treasure trove of Bradbury gems — eerie and strange, nostalgic and bittersweet, searching and speculative — to delight readers of all ages.

Dean Koontz's compelling and high-concept new thriller is the story of a young man who owes his life to a heart transplant but confronts an imminent and far worse death because of whose heart it was. At 34, Ryan Perry never expected to find himself on a waiting list for a heart transplant, with time running out. So when miraculously he receives a new heart and the transplant is a success, he thinks his troubles are over. A year later, he has never felt so good. But then he starts to get mysterious gifts from an unknown person. He has the feeling he is being watched. $100,000 suddenly vanishes from his bank account, donated to the cardiology department of the local hospital. And then comes a terrifying threat: everything he has — his money, his reputation, his friends, his freedom, and his new heart — will all be ripped away from him. He is promised a nightmare death. In grave danger, alone with his beating heart and its secrets, can Ryan unlock the mystery of the enemy who threatens his very existence? Prepare for the unexpected in this compelling and fast-paced thriller from the master of suspense.

In the futuristic world of Avatar, Jake, a wounded ex-marine, is thrust into an elaborate scheme to mine an exotic planet for its rare and valuable natural resources. Scientists have created Avatars — a body designed to look like the planet's alien inhabitants that have to be operated by a human consciousness. Walking in his Avatar body, Jake finds himself drawn to the planet's way of life. But as the threat of war grows ever closer, Jake finds himself torn between his human roots and the new friends that he wants to protect. This is a stunning, full-colour companion featuring a comprehensive look at the fictional world created for the film, including flora, fauna, planets, and more. Cameron has spent years developing a new technology that allows him to create much more realistic CG environments in incredible 3D. Avatar is shot in 3D with both live-action and virtual cameras, creating an innovative blend of CGI and live-action footage! Visual effects are being created by Oscar-winning SFX house Weta Digital the company behind The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermes scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermes to part with one of these precious bags. With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his 'shoppers' held for ransom; and, the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag 'reserved' bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers. Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result is a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive as its namesake.

This book takes over two dozen of our most beloved Christmas carols and shreds them limb from limb, rewriting them from a zombie's point-of-view. Tiny tots' eyes are no longer aglow — they're in a bowl. And Mommy's not kissing Santa under the mistletoe — she's chewing his face. Nobody — not Rudolph, Old Saint Nick, or even those three Wise Guys who traveled afar — is spared when the undead come knocking.

Get the inside scoop on the new feature film from 20th Century Fox, helmed by the director of Aliens and The Terminator and opening on December 18th. Learn all about how the Avatar world has been created, the creatures that inhabit it, and many other cool facts. Full color.

Fans of James Cameron's Avatar, opening in theaters on December 18th, can recreate their favorite scenes from the movie with these reusable stickers and colorful backgrounds. Full color. Consumable.

It's tough for love-struck Raven to imagine what's keeping her nocturnal boyfriend from returning to Dullsville. So there's only one thing to do — find Alexander. Along the way, Raven can't resist the spot where she feels most at home, the Coffin Club. But when she stumbles upon a secret door in the club, she descends into a dim catacomb — to a hidden hangout where the house drink happens to be type A or B. Drawn to one of its shadowy members, Raven suspects she's in over her head. But exploring the covert club is too tempting, even after coming face-to-face with Alexander's trouble-stirring enemy. Can Raven delve further into the Underworld unbeknownst to Alexander — and also solve the mystery of her true love's own secrecy? Ellen Schreiber's sizzling Vampire Kisses series continues with its darkest installment yet.

Who says dating a vampire is easy? Raven's nocturnal romance with her immortal love, Alexander, is definitely dicey, but even more so with Alexander's meddling half-vamp cousin in town. Claude and his sketchy gang are on the hunt for a stash of blood-filled vials that can turn them into pure vampires. With an old family feud casting a shadow on the search, they'll do anything to get their hands on the vials. Raven and Alexander must swiftly mastermind a plan to outwit them, but will the very lure of the vials create more risk for Raven than she could ever imagine? And deepen her own quandary about the possibility of becoming a vampire?