Becky Brandon is pregnant! She couldn't be more overjoyed — especially since shopping cures morning sickness. But when the celebrity must-have obstetrician turns out to be her husband's glamorous ex-girlfriend, Becky's perfect world starts to crumble.

“[An] elegantly spun yarn... Akunin’s wonderful novels are always intricately webbed and plotted.” –The Providence Journal It is 1877, and war has broken out between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In the treacherous atmosphere of a Russian field army, former diplomat and detective extraordinaire Erast Fandorin stumbles upon his most confounding case. Its difficulties are only compounded by the presence of Varya Suvorova, a deadly serious (and seriously beautiful) woman with revolutionary ideals who has disguised herself as a boy in order to reunite with her respected comrade and fiancé. Even after Fandorin saves her life, Varya can hardly bear to thank such a “lackey of the throne” for his efforts. When Varya’s fiancé is accused of espionage and faces execution, however, she must turn to Fandorin to find the real culprit... a mission that forces her to reckon with his courage, deductive mind, and piercing gaze.

In 1862 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a shy Oxford mathematician with a stammer, created a story about a little girl tumbling down a rabbit hole. Thus began the immortal adventures of Alice, perhaps the most popular heroine in English literature. Countless scholars have tried to define the charm of the Alice books–with those wonderfully eccentric characters the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, the Mad Hatter et al.–by proclaiming that they really comprise a satire on language, a political allegory, a parody of Victorian children’s literature, even a reflection of contemporary ecclesiastical history. Perhaps, as Dodgson might have said, Alice is no more than a dream, a fairy tale about the trials and tribulations of growing up–or down, or all turned round–as seen through the expert eyes of a child.

A tall, yellow-haired young European traveler calling himself 'Mogor dell 'Amore', the Mughal of Love, arrives at the court of the real Grand Mughal, the Emperor Akbar, with a tale to tell that begins to obsess the whole imperial capital. The stranger claims to be the child of a lost Mughal princess, the youngest sister of Akbar's grandfather Babar: Qara Koz, 'Lady Black Eyes', a great beauty believed to possess powers of enchantment and sorcery, who is taken captive first by an Uzbek warlord, then by the Shah of Persia, and finally becomes the lover of a certain Argalia, a Florentine soldier of fortune, commander of the armies of the Ottoman Sultan. When Argalia returns home with his Mughal mistress the city is mesmerized by her presence, and much trouble ensues. The Enchantress of Florence is the story of a woman attempting to command her own destiny in a man's world. It brings together two cities that barely know each other — the hedonistic Mughal capital, in which the brilliant emperor wrestles daily with questions of belief, desire and the treachery of sons, and the equally sensual Florentine world of powerful courtesans, humanist philosophy and inhuman torture, where Argalia's boyhood friend 'il Machia' — Niccolo Machiavelli — is learning, the hard way, about the true brutality of power. These two worlds, so far apart, turn out to be uncannily alike, and the enchantments of women hold sway over them both. But is Mogor's story true? And if so, then what happened to the lost princess? And if he's a liar, must he die?

When 'Virtual Assistant' Jenny Porter's boyfriend accuses her of being impulsive, soft-hearted and unbusinesslike, dashing off to Scotland to sort out a failing mill for one of her clients may not be the best way of proving him wrong. And promising to help run a mobile burger bar before she's even found her feet doesn't help matters. When she finds herself determined to save the mill — whatever her client's wishes — it seems that Henry's accusations may have contained more than a grain of truth. So when Jenny's awkward encounters with the abrasive but disconcertingly attractive Ross Grant develop into something more complicated — just as Henry arrives in Scotland to reclaim her — it's time for Jenny to make some decisions. Should she do the sensible thing and follow Henry back to London? Or is her Highland adventure more than just a fling?

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist who leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school. This heart-breaking, funny, and beautifully written tale, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, is based on the author's own experience and chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he seems destined to live. The book is illustrated in a contemporary cartoon style by Ellen Forney.

On an icy January day the Reykjavik police are called to a block of flats where a body has been found in the garden: a young, dark-skinned boy, frozen to the ground in a pool of his own blood. The discovery of a stab wound in his stomach extinguishes any hope that this was a tragic accident. Erlendur and his team embark on their investigation with little to go on but the news that the boy's Thai half-brother is missing. Is he implicated, or simply afraid for his own life? The investigation soon unearths tensions simmering beneath the surface of Iceland's outwardly liberal, multicultural society. A teacher at the boy's school makes no secret of his anti-immigration stance; incidents are reported between Icelandic pupils and the disaffected children of incomers; and, to confuse matters further, a suspected paedophile has been spotted in the area. Meanwhile, the boy's murder forces Erlendur to confront the tragedy in his own past. Soon, facts are emerging from the snow-filled darkness that are more chilling even than the Arctic night.

«Now in a new edition, «Transmetropolitan» chronicles the exploits of 21st-century outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem, who returns to The City after five years of self-imposed exile.»

Choice ratings you can trust. Exceptional restaurants, hotels, and sights selected to help you make the best choices. Easy planning. Each neighborhood's distinctive attractions are conveniently paired with nearby restaurants. Expert writing, gorgeous graphics. Unique photo-features impart the city's culture, covering Paris's quintessential museum, the Louvre; the best ways to explore the Seine, Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and Versailles; and tips on Parisian style.

«Fodor's helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you're at the helm, Fodor's offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It's like having a friend in France! • Updated annually, Fodor's France 2009 provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook. • Fodor's France 2009 features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime. • If it's not worth your time, it's not in this book. Fodor's discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor's Choice designations, ensure that you'll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in France. • Experience France like a local! Fodor's France 2009 includes unique photo-features that impart the country's culture, covering food and wine, history-rich Versailles, Provence's Lavender Route, magical Mont-St-Michel, and much more! • Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include «Top Reasons to Go» «Word of Mouth» advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls. • 8 page color insert and a full-color pullout map.»

Darkness falls… despair abounds… evil reigns… Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn’t know whom he can trust. Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger. Will the king’s dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life...

One freezing night in Oslo Christmas shoppers gather to listen to a Salvation Army street concert. An explosion cuts through the music, and a man in uniform falls to the ground, shot in the head at point-blank range. Harry Hole and his team have little to work with: no immediate suspect, no weapon and no motive. But when the assassin discovers he has shot the wrong man, Harry Hole's troubles have only just begun. After some exceptionally shrewd detective work, the team begins to close in on a suspected hit man, monitoring his credit card, false passport and the line to his employer. With no money, only six bullets and no place to stay in the bitter cold, the hit man becomes increasingly desperate. He will stop at nothing to eliminate his target. Moving at a breathless pace, The Redeemer is Jo Nesbo's most gripping thriller yet.

This is the first major biography for a generation of a truly formidable king. Edward I is familiar to millions as Longshanks, conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (Braveheart). Edward was born to rule England, but believed that it was his right to rule all of Britain. His reign was one of the most dramatic of the entire Middle Ages, leading to war and conquest on an unprecedented scale, and leaving a legacy of division that has lasted from his day to our own. In his astonishingly action-packed life, Edward defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled across Europe to the Holy Land on crusade; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers, and constructed — at Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris and Caernarfon — the most magnificent chain of castles ever created. After the death of his first wife he erected the Eleanor Crosses — the grandest funeral monuments ever fashioned for an English monarch.

Alex Cross is drawn into a bitter personal battle against corruption, conspiracy and savage violence in a chase that takes him through a vast and uncompromising landscape. When Cross is called to investigate a massacre-style murder scene, he is shocked to find that the victim is an old friend. Angry, hurt and more determined than ever, Cross begins the hunt for the perpetrators of this cruel crime. He is drawn into a dangerous underworld right in the heart of Washington DC that leads him on a life threatening journey to the Niger Delta where heroin dealing, slave trade and oil and gas theft are rife. At the centre of this terrifying world, Cross finds the Tiger, the psychopathic leader of a fearsome gang of killers who are not what they seem. When the Tiger is on the prowl, he shows no mercy to others. But Alex Cross is hot on his heels in a heart-stopping chase that takes him across Africa and finds him not only hunting for a horrific killer but also fighting for his own survival.

From climbing and abseiling to canoeing and a Crazy Bucket Race, the adventure holiday promises to be full of action. There's just one problem as far as Tim is concerned: he is hopeless at sports of any kind. Can Tim survive the horrors of a week absolutely packed with activity? Can his team — the Tigers — be the overall champions? There are some surprises in store for everyone!

Leaping lizards — the Cat and Co. explore the world of reptiles! The Cat in the Hat travels the globe — in his trusty crocodile car — to explore the world of reptiles: lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodilians. Along the way, young readers learn the characteristics shared by most reptiles; basic information about each group; quirky, fun facts about individual species; and much, much more. Cool creatures featured include komodo dragons, chameleons, geckos, cobras, leatherback turtles, frilled lizards — a virtual Who's Who of the World's Most Remarkable Reptiles. Young readers will slither in delight!

Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson's election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. To tell the saga of Jackson's presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama-the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers-that shaped Jackson's private world through years of storm and victory. One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will-or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House-from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman-have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision. Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe-no matter what it took. Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency-and America itself.

DwellStudio — famous for its innovative, inspired, and distinctive home decor designs — makes a stunning Blue Apple Books debut with this accordion board book for baby. Using images from their bestselling children's lines, Dwell invites babies to gaze at a giraffe, a rabbit, or a kangaroo. Babies will coo, and moms will delightfully display these one-of-a-kind books. Bringing up baby... with style!

In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and—even more important—on his writing. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and takes us to places ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvelous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in running.

After more than 30 years of research and teaching, artist Valerie Winslow has compiled her unique methods of drawing human anatomy into one groundbreaking volume: Classic Human Anatomy. This long-awaited book provides simple, insightful approaches to the complex subject of human anatomy, using drawings, diagrams and reader-friendly text. Three major sections — the skeletal form, the muscular form and action of the muscles and movement — break the material down into easy-to-understand pieces. More than 800 distinctive illustrations detail the movement and actions of the bones and muscles and unique charts reveal the origins and insertions of the muscles. Packed with an extraordinary wealth of information, this is sure to become a new classic of art instruction.