Conn's quest to save his city's magic has become urgent: his power stone is lost and Shadowmen, ruthless assassins, are stalking the city's people. But when Conn blows up Wizard Nevery's beloved home, he is banished by his own master. Determined to return and save Wellmet, he travels to Desh, a glittering city in the desert, home to the Shadowmen and run by a mysterious Sorcerer-King... Sarah Prineas has created a terrific adventure that crosses new magical lands. Conn meets new friends and enemies and his quest to discover the truth about magic takes on exciting twists. The second Magic Thief novel is as un-put-downable as the first.

Since the beginning of time, great leaders have used their power of oratory to win and inspire followers. This book contains over 50 momentous and thought-provoking speeches from a wide range of historical eras and nations and will both inspire readers and give them a greater understanding of the events of the time. Each speech is accompanied by a comprehensive introduction that explains its historical background, why it was significant and what happened as a result. A biography of each speechmaker explains how they came to be standing at the crossroads of history.

Dru has made it to Schola, the leading school where the vampire-fighting Order is based. There she is up against the capricious Anna, the only other female who shares her powers. Dru must unlock the mystery of who betrayed her mother, battle her intensifying feelings for both Graves and Christophe, and try to stay hidden from Sergej's deadly nosferat — bloodthirsty hunters who'll stop at nothing to destroy her.

A diverting and witty crime novel by the renowned author of A YEAR IN PROVENCE.

Salander is plotting her revenge — against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.

Pack life is about order, but Bryn is about to push all the limits, with hair-raising results. At the age of four, Bryn watched a rabid werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by Callum, the alpha of his pack. Now fifteen, Bryn's been living as a human among the werewolves, adhering to pack rule. Little fazes her. But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum's orders she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage.

Tabitha Tumbly, Charlie Vapour, Rusty Chains and friends can't understand why the still-alives in their house are so mean. When Pamela Fraidy gets locked in the attic by a still-alive, the ghosties are determined to make the still-alives like them. But the more friendly they are — hiding under beds and rushing out to read them a bed-time story, rushing down the chimney to say hello, the meaner the still-alives become; they even go so far as to run out of rooms shrieking! When the family start putting nasty garlic around the house and then call in a priest, the ghostie gloves are off: Tabitha and Charlie decide to call in The Ghoul to sort out the still-alives once and for all: But could the terrifying ghoul prove much more than even the ghosties bargained for? The cast of classic characters, brilliant one-liners and a clever plot will delight children and their parents.

It's winter and what better than a ghostly holler-day by the sea? But how are Tabitha Tumbly, Charlie Vapour, Humphrey Bump and the other ghosties to decide between Frighten-on-Sea and Scare-borough? A postcard from their friend Headless Leslie decides for them: Headless is in Frighten and cannot remember how to get home. He wrote the address on the postcard, then he forgot what the address was. 'I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on — which it isn't.' So the friends descend on Frighten and set off on an exciting ghostie caper, involving a haunted Frighten pier, a mysterious phantom magician, a fun fair and an extremely infuriating Headless Leslie.

Pittsburgh was too small for Beryl Wexler. Barely out of high school, she changed her name to Buzz and set off for the bright lights of London. She never looked back. Now she's at the top of her game in the music PR business, looking after the coolest groups on the planet. And for a woman who was forty-two last birthday she certainly keeps up the pace. But her life is about to change. Some twenty-year-old has been given the new Japanese girl band predicted to go stellar, and Buzz is being sidelined. Instead, Buzz gets to tour with the Gorni Grannies, Bulgarian singers of a certain age. These ladies may not be the tantrum-throwing celebs Buzz is used to, but they present other challenges. How to stop Lubka straining yogurt through her knee highs? How to dissuade Kichka from stealing everything not nailed to the floor? Fuelled by copious shots of home-brewed plum rakia, Buzz and Lubka address life's ups and down, until the world tilts and a different future beckons.

Kate McKinnon is thirty-six and mother to five-year-old Toby. She has a small but thriving business catering for private clients. Her life is on an even keel. That is, until she gets a job cooking lunch at the Foreign Office and has her first fateful meeting with Oliver Stapler, Secretary of State. He's powerful and charismatic, but also married and a father and totally out of bounds, yet she falls for him. When a journalist spots them together, he alerts the gutter press. Who cares whether Kate's affair with Oliver is true or not? It's a great story and will shift a ton of newspapers — and destroy several lives in the process.

Glasgow, 1953: the war may be over but the battle for the streets is just beginning. Three crime bosses control the murky streets, but a small-scale con is trying to invade their territory. The balance is shifting. Lennox, a hard man in a hard city at a hard time, finds himself caught in the middle — a dangerous place to be. One night, a body is discovered on the road, his head mashed to pulp, and Lennox is in the frame for murder. The only way of proving his innocence is to solve the crime — but he'll have to dodge men more deadly than Glasgow's crime bosses before he gets any answers. The first in a unique and memorable crime series, Lennox is gritty, fast-paced, mordantly funny and totally compelling.

Oskar and Eli. In very different ways, they were both victims. Which is why, against the odds, they became friends. And how they came to depend on one another, for life itself. Oskar is a 12 year old boy living with his mother on a dreary housing estate at the city's edge. He dreams about his absentee father, gets bullied at school, and wets himself when he's frightened. Eli is the young girl who moves in next door. She doesn't go to school and never leaves the flat by day. She is a 200 year old vampire, forever frozen in childhood, and condemned to live on a diet of fresh blood. John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel is a unique and brilliant fusion of social novel and vampire legend, a deeply moving fable about rejection, friendship and loyalty.

In the last 100 years mankind has split the atom, walked on the moon and broken the sound barrier but... we haven't got any better at making biscuits. The nation's favourite biscuit, McVitie's Chocolate Digestive, was first baked in 1892. This is just one of the fascinating facts you will find in The Nation's Favourite. What is the UK's favourite karaoke song, or wedding first dance song? What is our favourite cereal, painkiller, pet or garden tool? The Nation's Favourite brings together 220 lists which provide the answers to these questions and many more. The result is amusing, surprising and reveals a fascinating picture of the tastes and habits of the UK population.

From the Pyramids of Giza to the Guggenheim, this lively guide explains the key concepts and inventions in architecture clearly and concisely. Exploring the myriad ways in which the built environment is shaped and created, readers will gain a new and informed appreciation for architecture, from the classical orders of Vitruvius — Doric, Ionic and Corinthian — to the to the most recent contemporary trends. Philip Wilkinson offers expert introductions to the most important architectural movements and styles throughout history, as well as describing some of the greatest architects' most important and representative works. So, if you've ever wondered when a building is just a building or art, or want to know more about Gothic vaults, trusses and arches, this is the perfect introduction. Contents: The Orders, Prefabrication, Machine aesthetics, Roman engineering, Beaux Arts, Dymaxion, Romanesque, Arts and Crafts, Alternative architecture, Gothic, Conservation, Functionalism, Renaissance, Skyscraper, Plug-in city, Baroque, City Beautiful, Minimalism, Rococo, Art Nouveau, Brutalism, Palladianism, Secession, Townscape, Neo-Classicism, Art Deco, Postmodernism, Character, Garden city, Contextual design, Taste, Futurism, Hi Tech, The Picturesque, Constructivism, Deconstructivism, The Sublime, Bauhaus, Historicism, Landscape garden, De Stijl, Community architecture, Revivalism, International Style, Green architecture, Restoration, Expressionism, Urbanism, Industrial, Organic architecture, Eclecticism.

Beginning with Ramses III's dramatic defeat of the 'sea people' in 1176 BC — the world's earliest visual record of a naval battle — Fighting Ships tells the story of 3000 years of maritime history through 150 glorious images. From the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans to the coming of the age of sail, here are breathtaking depictions of ancient triremes and Viking longships, the Santa Maria and the Spanish Armada, as well as Henry VIII's giant carracks and the majestic three-decked warships of Louis IV that patrolled the Mediterranean. Arranged chronologically, this sumptuous collection of grand-scale images brings together the earliest carvings on temple walls and the world-famous Bayeux tapestry, with exquisite depictions by the greatest artists, including Tintoretto's The Capture of Constantinople, Brueghel's The Fall of Icarus, Vasari's The Battle of Lepanto in 1571 and Samuel Scott's The Capture of Puerto Bello. Here too are striking portraits of key historical figures, such as Columbus, Raleigh and Drake, alongside ship plans, drawings, engravings and artefacts rescued from the wrecks themselves. Maritime historian Sam Willis recounts famous battles, voyages of conquest and tales of triumph and defeat at sea. He not only reveals the secrets of naval strategy and ship design, but also sheds fascinating light on the lives of the great men that commanded their fleets, as well as on the heroism and hardship of life on board for the ordinary sailor.

When the Sex Pistols swore live on tea-time telly in 1976, there was outrage across Britain. Headlines screamed. Christians marched. TVs were kicked in. Thirty years on, all those words are media-mainstream — bandied about with impunity on TV and in the papers. This is the story of our bad language and its three-decade journey from the fringes of decency to the working centre of a more linguistically liberal nation. Silverton takes a clear, comprehensive and witty look at swearing and the impact of its new acceptability on our language, our manners, and our society. He considers how we have become more openly emotional, yet more wary about insulting others. And how it's seemingly become alright to say and but not or. This is the story of that cultural revolution, written by one who was there at the start, proudly striking some of the first blows in the long struggle for the right to reclaim filthy English and use it.

Join us on an incredible journey to the most spectacular destinations in the world. This once-in-a-lifetime experience surveys every continent on the planet and selects the most spectacular, heart-stirring natural wonders and man-made creations — sights and locations so breathtaking that once seen they are never forgotten. Part reference, part travel guide, Dream Destinations contains a unique combination of inspirational photography, descriptive narrative and travel information: it will inspire and inform in equal measure. The 50 'must-see' sites featured in the book have been carefully selected by acclaimed travel writer Mary-Ann Gallagher. Geographically grouped and presented in easily accessible spreads, these features take you on an unforgettable tour of world's most amazing destinations: from astonishing natural wonders such as the spectacular Northern Lights, the majestic Victoria Falls, and the stunning wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, to the awesome scenery of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. Some of the man-made marvels include the Great Wall of China, St Petersburg, the Darjeeling Railroad, the Forbidden City, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal and many, many more. Packed with travel tips and advice, as well as fascinating facts and descriptions of the world's most memorable locations, Dream Destinations allows the intrepid traveller to plan a trip of a lifetime or simply explore the very best locations around the planet from the comfort of an armchair.

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder — and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

Millennium publisher Mikael Blomkvist has made his reputation exposing corrupt establishment figures. So when a young journalist approaches him with an investigation into sex trafficking, Blomkvist cannot resist waging war on the powerful men behind this lucrative industry. When the journalist and his girlfriend are found murdered in their apartment, Lisbeth Salander's fingerprints are found on the weapon left at the scene. Now hunted by the entire Swedish police force and officially branded a danger to society, she is forced to go undercover. But how can she prove her innocence? With her computer-hacking skills she is anything but the helpless victim.

Salander is plotting her revenge — against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.