I'm in constant search of chasing beauty, chasing hope — I'm not interested in the dark. The celebrated photographer Richard Phibbs, known for his celebrity portraits and iconic ad campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and more, has an unwavering eye for beauty. Many theorists argue that beauty is subjective, a product of individual preference, but the images from Phibbs' archive of work from 1997-2009, edited, sequenced, and collected in Chasing Beauty, may put that argument to rest. The book is a deeply personal labor of love, affirming Phibbs' belief that photographs can change, inspire, and motivate. Alfredo Paredes, one of the creative minds behind Polo Ralph Lauren, approached Phibbs with the idea of making a monograph — with one caveat: Phibbs was to step back and relinquish control. Paredes had a vision in mind of taking Phibbs' aesthetic and selecting images that would realize his unique eye for beauty. The result is a fascinating juxtaposition of photographs that excite, tantalize, shock, and surprise. A delicate and gorgeous rose is followed by the rawness of a dirty rugby player; a pair of horses is set beside a female nude. These combinations highlight undeniable beauty of both natural and human origin, and show us that if you only look beauty can be found anywhere. Sometimes things cannot be expressed in words — that's what is so expressive, emotional, or revealing about a photograph. Just look and enjoy it. It reveals that exact fleeting moment in time — that's all. When I lose my breath a bit, I know that's the picture.

A translation by Robert & Elizabeth Chandler and Olga Meerson of Platonov's dystopian novel. It describes the lives of a group of Soviet workers who believe they are laying the foundations for a radiant future.

You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. In the fey and mortal realms alike, my life is the stuff of royal intrigue and celebrity drama. Among my own, I have confronted horrendous enemies, endured my noble kin's treachery and malevolence, and honored my duty to conceive a royal heir — all for the right to claim the throne. But I turned my back on court and crown, choosing exile in the human world — and in the arms of my beloved Frost and Darkness. While I may have rejected the monarchy, I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAPD baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. My kind are not easily captured or killed. At least not by mortals. I must get to the bottom of these horrendous murders, even if that means going up against Gilda, the Fairy Godmother, my rival for fey loyalties in Los Angeles. But even stranger things are happening. Mortals I once healed with magic are suddenly performing miracles, a shocking phenomenon wreaking havoc on human/faerie relations. Though I am innocent, dark suspicions of banned magical activities swirl around me. I thought I'd left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. I had dreamed of an idyllic life in sunny L.A. with my beloved ones beside me. But it becomes time to wake up and realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever — even if they're magical.

A novel that tells the story of New York city — from the epic, empty grandeur of the New World to the skyscrapers of the City that Never Sleeps, from the intimate detail of lives long forgotten to those lived at breakneck speed.

Tiffany Aching, the young witch from The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith is back in a new adventure featuring Discworld characters both familiar to fans (such as Tiffany, the Wee Free Men, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg) and new (meet Wee Mad Arthur, the Nac Mac Feegle on the City Watch whose only previous appearance was a brief cameo in Feet of Clay and city witch Mrs. Proust — a fabulous Pratchett creation). Oh, and there's a magic book or two, a twist through time, a Cunning Man — and a Giant Man of chalk...

Agent Number 67, nicknamed Pygmy for his diminutive size, arrives in the United States from his totalitarian homeland. An 'exchange student' he is welcomed with open arms by his Midwestern host family. Simpsons-spinoffs, they introduce him into the rituals of postmodern American life, which he views with utter contempt. Along with his fellow operatives, he is planning something big, something truly, truly awful, to bring this big dumb country's fat inhabitants to their knees.

A wonderful new novel from the Carnegie Medal winner. A riotous, wise, and gripping junior Discworld novel. Up on the chalk downs known as The Wold, witches are banned — ever since the Baron's son vanished in the woods. Anyway, as all witches know, chalk is no good for magic. Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching thinks her Granny Aching — a wise shepherd — might have been a witch, but now Granny Aching is dead and it's up to Tiffany to work it all out when strange things begin happening. There's a fairy-tale monster in the stream, a headless horseman and, strangest of all, the tiny blue men in kilts, the Wee Free Men, who have come looking for the new hag. These are the Nac Mac Feegles, the pictsies, who like nothing better than thievin', fightin' and drinkin'. When Tiffany's young brother goes missing, Tiffany and the Wee Free Men must join forces to save him from the Queen of the Fairies. From the Hardcover edition.

Looking out upon the backstreets, the suburbs and the high society haunts of Edwardian London, the delightfully witty and independent spinster Miss Ley surveys a tangled web of lives; she sympathetically observes the struggle under the pressures of convention, and the complex interplay between love and reason. Through Miss Ley's eyes we witness the brief but happy marriage of a dying poet; a woman's adulterous passion for a young rascal, and finally, an honourable man's decision to take virtue to extremes.

In his remarkable book, Jonathan Phillips explores the conflict of ideas, beliefs and cultures and shows both the contradictions and diversity of holy war. He draws on contemporary writings — on chronicles, songs, sermons, travel diaries and peace treaties — to throw a brilliant new light on people and events we thought we knew well. Although the notion of fighting for one's faith fell into disrepute in the Enlightenment, Phillips traces the crusading impulse from the bloody conquest of Jerusalem in the First Crusade and the titanic struggle between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin up to the present day — to George W. Bush's characterisation of the war on terrorism as a crusade.

Ellie Woods spends her days immersed in the escapist pages of the romantic novels she lovingly edits. But her reality is somewhat less rose-tinted. Once upon a time, Ellie had her 'happily ever after' moment when she married her beloved Nick, but fifteen years later her husband's tragic death leaves her alone with their soon-to-become-a-teenager son, faced with a mountain of debt, and on the verge of losing the family home. On the brink of bankruptcy, Ellie finally succumbs to her sister's well-meant bullying and decides to rent out some rooms. And all too soon the indomitable Allegra with her love for all things lavender, Sabine on secondment from Berlin and estranged from her two-timing husband, and unreconstructed lads' mag aficionado Matt enter her ordered but fragile existence — each with their own messy life in tow. And Ellie finds herself forced to step out of the pages of the romantic novels she hides behind, and learn to live — and love — again. Maybe a new chapter is about to begin for them all...

It is one of the more surprising facts about Old England that one can still find families living in the same houses their ancestors built centuries before and on land that has belonged to them since before the Norman Conquest. The Gropes of Grope Hall are one such family... This is a brilliantly funny novel about what happens when the women take charge. The Gropes are an old English family based in Northumberland, separated from the rest of society and as eccentric as they come. It is a line dominated by strong-willed and oversexed women, determined to produce more female heirs regardless of whether their desired partners are willing... At the dawn of the new millenium, timid and gormless teenager Esmond is abducted and lured to Grope Hall by a descendant of the Gropes. Young Esmond is powerless to escape, and his kidnap sets in motion a stream of farcical events that will have readers laughing out loud. Tom Sharpe's trademark humour abounds in this new novel, marking him out once again as an outstanding and unique British storyteller.

«The battle for the control of RJR Nabisco in the Autumn of 1988, which became the largest and most dramatic corporate takeover in American history, sent shock-waves through the international business world and became a symbol of the greed, excess and egotism of the eighties. «Barbarians at the Gate» recounts this two-month battle with breathtaking pace and flair, and transports back to the Wall Street empire before it crumbled, through the boardroom doors, into the midnight meetings, the betrayals, the deal makers and publicity flaks, into a world where — as Nabisco CEO Ross Johnson put it — 'a few million dollars are lost in the sands of time'. Twenty years on, the world is once again recovering from a period of financial extravagance and irresponsibility. This revised edition brings the ultimate business thriller up to date for a new generation of readers.»

Danielle Steel sweeps us from a Manhattan courtroom to the Deep South in her powerful new novel — at once a behind-closed-doors look into the heart of a family and a tale of crime and punishment. Eleven years have passed since Alexa Hamilton left the South behind, fleeing the pain of her ex-husband's betrayal and the cruelty of his prominent Charleston family. Now an assistant D.A. in Manhattan, Alexa has finally put her demons to rest, making a name for herself as a top prosecutor, handling the city's toughest cases while juggling her role as devoted single mom to a teenage daughter. But everything changes when Alexa is handed her latest case: the trial of accused serial killer Luke Quentin. Sifting through mountains of forensic evidence, Alexa prepares for a high-stakes trial... until threatening letters throw her private life into turmoil. The letters are addressed to her beautiful seventeen-year-old daughter, Savannah, whom Alexa has been raising alone since her divorce. Alexa is certain that Quentin is behind the letters — and that they are too dangerous to ignore. Suddenly she must make the toughest choice of all — and send her daughter back to the very place she swore she would never return to: the place where her marriage ended in heartbreak... her ex-husband's world of southern tradition, memories of betrayal, and the antebellum charm of Charleston. Now, while Alexa's trial builds to a climax in New York, her daughter is settling into southern life, discovering a part of her family history and a father she barely knows — from the ice-cold stepmother who stole him away to a fascinating ancestry and a half-sister and half-brothers she comes to love. As secrets are exposed and old wounds are healed, Alexa and Savannah, after a season in different worlds, will come together again — strengthened by the challenges they have faced, changed by the mysteries they have unraveled, and with Savannah now at home in the southern world her mother fled. In this masterfully told tale, Danielle Steel creates a stunning array of contrasts: from the gritty chaos of Manhattan's criminal court system to the seductive gentility of the South, from the rage of a hardened criminal to the tender bond between a mother and daughter — and a loving father who has welcomed Savannah home at last. A novel that will catch you off guard at every turn, Southern Lights is Danielle Steel at her electrifying best.

«In his first collection of short stories, John Grisham takes readers back to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his first novel, «A Time to Kill.» Available in a tall Premium Edition.»

«As the Eleventh Doctor and Amy embark on all-new adventures in time and space, «The TARDIS Handbook» gives you the inside scoop on 900 years of travel aboard the Doctor's famous time machine. Everything you need to know about the TARDIS is here — where it came from, where it's been, how it works, and how it has changed since we first encountered it in a London junkyard in 1963. Including photos, design drawings, floor plans and instruction manuals from different eras of the series, this handbook explores the ship's endless interior, looking inside its wardrobe and bedrooms, its power rooms and sick bay, its corridors and cloisters, and revealing just how the show's production teams have created the dimensionally transcendental police box, inside and out. «The TARDIS Handbook» is the essential guide to the best ship in the universe.»

«Number 1 «New York Times «bestselling author John Grisham takes us back to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his first novel, A Time to Kill.» «This riveting collection of short stories features an unforgettable cast of characters: Wheelchair-bound Inez Graney and her two older sons embark on a bizarre road trip through the Mississippi Delta to visit Inez's youngest son, Raymond-on death row. A hard-drinking, low-grossing divorce lawyer fed up with his wife, his life, and the law plans a drastic escape after an unexpected phone call. A quiet, unassuming data collector sets out to bring down a flashy casino owner with his skill at blackjack-as payback for the theft of his wife. A stalker hunts victims in a retirement home, a lawyer confronts a vengeful adversary from the past, and a young man from a prominent family is driven off by scandal and fear-but finds unexpected redemption on the wrong side of the tracks. Often hilarious, frequently moving, and always entertaining, this collection makes it abundantly clear why John Grisham is our most popular storyteller.»

«The «New York Times» bestseller, now fully updated to include the complete seven-volume series. Who was the real Nicholas Flamel? How did the Sorcerer's Stone get its power? Did J. K. Rowling dream up the terrifying basilisk, the seductive veela, or the vicious grindylow? And if she didn't, who did? Millions of readers around the world have been enchanted by the magical world of wizardry, spells, and mythical beasts inhabited by Harry Potter and his friends. But what most readers don't know is that there is a centuries-old trove of true history, folklore, and mythology behind Harry's fantastic universe. Now, with «The Sorcerer's Companion» those without access to the Hogwarts Library can school themselves in the fascinating reality behind J. K. Rowling's world of magic. Newly updated to include «Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince» and «Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows», «The Sorcerer's Companion» allows curious readers to look up anything magical from the Harry Potter books and discover a wealth of entertaining, unexpected information. Wands and wizards, boggarts and broomsticks, hippogriffs and herbology, all have astonishing histories rooted in legend, literature, or real-life events dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. Magic wands, like those sold in Rowling's Diagon Alley, were once fashioned by Druid sorcerers out of their sacred yew trees. Love potions were first concocted in ancient Greece and Egypt. And books of spells and curses were highly popular during the Middle Ages. From Amulets to Zombies, you'll also learn: — how to read tea leaves — where to find a basilisk today — how King Frederick II of Denmark financed a war with a unicorn horn — who the real Merlin was — how to safely harvest mandrake root — who wore the first invisibility cloak — how to get rid of a goblin — why owls were feared in the ancient world — what really lies beyond the Veil — the origins of our modern-day «bogeyman» and more. A spellbinding tour of Harry's captivating world, «The Sorcerer's Companion» is a must for every Potter aficionado's bookshelf». «The Sorcerer's Companion has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by any person or entity that created, published, or produced the Harry Potter books or related properties.»

«New York Times» bestselling novelist Jennifer Crusie combines fast-paced banter, sexy situations, and unforgettable characters in this delightful romance about two reluctant lovers who couldn't be more wrong about being right for each other. TRUST ME ON THIS Dennie Banks is an investigative reporter chasing down the biggest story of her career. Alec Prentice is a government agent working undercover to catch an elusive grifter. When they meet by accident, it's a case of mistaken identities at first sight. What they don't mistake is the instant attraction they have for each other, an attraction they'll do everything in their power to resist — because Dennie thinks that Alec is running interference for her interview subject, and Alec suspects that Dennie is linked to his swindler. As the confusion grows, so do their feelings for each other, and what begins as a romantic comedy of errors may just end in the love affair of a lifetime.»