Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight

Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight

Gawain lies in bed during the early hours of New Year’s morning, listening to the harsh wind wailing outside the castle. Before the sun comes up, he rises and prepares to depart, putting on his armor and ordering servants to saddle his horse. Despite Gawain’s anxiety, his armor shines as brightly as it did when he left Camelot. He does not forget to tie the lady’s girdle around his waist. The girdle’s green color stands out against the red cloth of Gawain’s surcoat.

Pulphouse Fiction Magazine: Issue #4

Pulphouse Fiction Magazine: Issue #4

The Cutting Edge of Modern Short FictionA three-time Hugo Award nominated magazine, this issue of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine offers up eighteen fantastic stories by some of the best writers working in modern short fiction. No genre limitations, no topic limitations, just great stories. Attitude, feel, and high quality fiction equals Pulphouse. "This is definitely a strong start. All the stories have a lot of life to them, and are worthwhile reading."—Tangent Online on Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, Issue #1Including:"Bigger Than the Monkey" by Robert Jeschonek"The Coyote Equation" by J. Steven York"The Wereyam" by Kent Patterson"The Apple Tart of Eden" by M. L. Buchman"The Dead on Somerset Hill" by Chuck Heintzelman"Home" by Michael Kowal"Peace and Quiet" by Jerry Oltion"Word From on High: A Lucifer Jones Story" by Mike Resnick"For the Love of Killer" by Mary Jo Rabe"Earth Day" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch"Why" by O'Neil De Noux"Ornamental Animals" by Ray Vukcevich"Crossing Over the River" by Sabrina Chase"Graymatters" by David Stier"The Chicken Time Machine" by Valerie Brook"People Person" by Stephanie Writt"The Old Guy" by Annie Reed"Wishful Thinking: A Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Adventure" by Kevin J. Anderson"Minions at Work 2.0: Invasive Species" by J. Steven York

The Sleeping Beauty Picture Book

The Sleeping Beauty Picture Book

The Fairies seven, who loved the land that they the child might bless. Yet one old Fairy they left out, in pure forgetfulness. And at the feast, the dishes fair were of the reddest gold; But when the Fairy came, not one for her, so bad and old, Angry was she, because her place and dish had been forgot, And angry things she muttered long, and kept her anger hot.

THE WANTED

THE WANTED

"‘दिवॉन्टेड’यारॉबर्टक्रेझयांच्यामूळकादंबरीचातितकाचथरारकअनुवाद!एकथरारकिंवाचैनीसाठीतीनतरुणमुलंअठराठिकाणीचोऱ्याकरतात.पैसे,दागिन्यांबरोबरलॅपटॉपहीचोरतात.यातल्याएकालॅपटॉपमध्येअसतेअतिशयमहत्त्वाचीमाहिती.तीउघडझालीतरकाहीउच्चपदस्थांनाफासावरजावेलागण्याचीशक्यताअसते.मगतोचोरीलागेलेलालॅपटॉपमिळविण्यासाठीसुरूहोतोजीवघेणा,थरारकपाठलाग..!चोरीकरणाऱ्यामुलांच्यामागेदोनगुंड,त्यांच्यामागेएकसहृदयीगुप्तहेरआणिपाठोपाठपोलीस...त्यापाठलागातूनकसेखूनहोतातआणितीनतरुणमुलंत्यातूनवाचतातकीनाहीप्रत्येकपानागणिकउत्कंठावाढविणारे,विलक्षणवेगवानकथानक,वाचकजागीचखिळूनराहतोआणिया‘पाठलागातकधीसामीलहोतोहेकळतहीनाही...!"

Maxims and Reflections

Maxims and Reflections

Maxims and Reflections' is as much a reflection of Goethe and what he held true and interesting, as it is a collection of "wise sayings". Some are simplistic, incomprehensible, enigmatic. Some are interesting, and one will see the truth in them upon.

Quatre naissances et un enterrement

Quatre naissances et un enterrement

Conçus par insémination artificielle, trois personnages en quête de leurs origines embarquent pour une histoire extraordinaire. Lydia, Robyn et Dean ne se connaissent pas et mènent des vies diamétralement opposées. Chacun d'eux a toujours eu l'impression qu'il manquait quelque chose à son existence... et pour cause : ils sont en réalité frère et sœurs. C'est en s'inscrivant simultanément sur un site Internet permettant de retrouver les personnes nées d'un même don de sperme qu'ils le découvrent. Ensemble, ils vont comprendre ce que l'amour, la famille et l'amitié signifient vraiment.Parallèlement, leur père biologique, Daniel, qui est atteint d'un cancer incurable, a émis le souhait de rencontrer ses " enfants ". C'est une course contre la montre qui s'engage alors pour les retrouver à temps...

7 best short stories - Spain

7 best short stories - Spain

Spanish literature generally refers to literature written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the state of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects with that of other literary traditions from regions within the same territory, particularly Catalan literature, Galician intersects as well with Latin, Jewish, and Arabic literary traditions of the Iberian peninsula. In this book, the critic August Nemo brings to readers a rich selection of seven short stories by Spanish authors. - The Tall Woman by Pedro Antonio De Alarcon. - The White Butterfly by Jose Selgas. - Maese Perez, The Organist by Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. - Moors And Christians by Pedro Antonio De Alarcon. - Bread Cast Upon The Waters by Fernan Caballero. - First Love by Emilia Pardo-Bazan. - An Andalusian Duel by Serafin Estebanez Calderon. For more books with interesting themes, be sure to check the other books in this collection!

The Truth About Melody Browne

The Truth About Melody Browne

This “touching, insightful, and gripping story” (Sophie Kinsella, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone follows a young woman searching for answers about her mysterious past. When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames.Now in her early thirties, Melody is a single mother, living in the middle of London with her teenaged son. She hasn’t seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but she has no desire to reconnect until one night, while attending a hypnotist show with a date, she faints. When she comes around, she is suddenly overwhelmed with fragmented memories of her life before that fateful fire.Slowly, she begins the arduous process of piecing together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her up and down the countryside, to seaside towns to the back streets of London, where she meets strangers who seem to love her like their own. But the more answers she uncovers, the more questions she is left with, and Melody can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever know the whole truth about her past.Filled with “classic storytelling” (Elle) and unforgettable characters that will stay with you long after the final page, The Truth About Melody Browne is “an absolute must-read” (Cosmopolitan, UK).

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen

When Kay is lured from his home by the beautiful, cruel Snow Queen, his friend Gerda sets out on an epic journey to rescue him. As she searches, she encounters a series of strangers to whom she relays her plight. Charmed by her story and her innocence, each of them helps Gerda, so that at last she is able to find the Snow Queen's icy palace. 

Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey is a hilarious parody of 18th century gothic novels. The heroine, 17-year old Catherine, has been reading far too many “horrid” gothic novels and would love to encounter some gothic-style terror — but the superficial world of Bath proves hazardous enough.

Leaving Time (with bonus novella Larger Than Life)

Leaving Time (with bonus novella Larger Than Life)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply moving, gripping, and intelligent page-turner about a daughter’s search for her mother, Leaving Time is Jodi Picoult at the height of her powers.Includes the novella Larger Than LifeThroughout her blockbuster career, Jodi Picoult has seamlessly blended nuanced characters, riveting plots, and rich prose, brilliantly creating stories that “not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us” (The Boston Globe). Now, in Leaving Time, she has delivered a book unlike anything she’s written before. For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe she was abandoned, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts. Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest: Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons, only to later doubt her gifts, and Virgil Stanhope, the jaded private detective who’d originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers. As Jenna’s memories dovetail with the events in her mother’s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish.Praise for Leaving Time“Piercing and uplifting . . . a smart, accessible yarn with a suspenseful puzzle at its core.”—The Boston Globe “Poignant . . . an entertaining tale about parental love, friendship, loss.”—The Washington Post “A riveting drama.”—Us Weekly “[A] moving tale.”—People “A fast-paced, surprise-ending mystery.”—USA Today “In Jenna, [Jodi] Picoult has created an unforgettable character who will easily endear herself to each and every reader. . . . Leaving Time may be her finest work yet.”—Bookreporter “[A] captivating and emotional story.”—BookPage

Pulphouse Fiction Magazine Issue #16

Pulphouse Fiction Magazine Issue #16

The Cutting Edge of Modern Short FictionA three-time Hugo Award nominated magazine, this issue of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine offers up nineteen fantastic stories by some of the best writers working in modern short fiction. No genre limitations, no topic limitations, just great stories. Attitude, feel, and high-quality fiction equals Pulphouse."This is definitely a strong start. All the stories have a lot of life to them, and are worthwhile reading." —Tangent Online on Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, Issue #1Includes:"The Constipated Author, the Sphincter, and the Holy Shit" by David H. Hendrickson"For All Your Head Needs" by Rob Vagle"Jingle, Waddle, Hop…Penguin Style" by Louisa Swann"Just a Old Lady" by O'Neil De Noux"A Fool and His Money" by Jerry Oltion"An Uncommon Tern of Events" by Johanna Rothman"Over The River" by Ray Vukcevich"To the Grave" by Brigid Collins"Quiet Voices" by Chrissy Wissler"Daffodils Full of Tears" by C.H. Hung"Collision" by Sebastien de Castell"Ways of Counting" by Jim Gotaas"For the Captain, my Captain, Again and Again" by Stephannie Tallent"The Root Canal Tango" by Robert J. McCarter"To Rescue My Best Friend" by Kent Patterson"Advisors at Naptime" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch"Snowman's Chance in Hell" by Robert Jeschonek"Homeless" by Annie Reed"The Steam-Man's Plantation" by J. Steven York

The House We Grew Up In

The House We Grew Up In

From the New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone…OUR HOUSE. OUR FAMILY. OUR SECRETS.Meet the picture-perfect Bird family: pragmatic Meg, dreamy Beth, and towheaded twins Rory and Rhys, one an adventurous troublemaker, the other his slighter, more sensitive counterpart. Their father is a sweet, gangly man, but it’s their beautiful, free-spirited mother Lorelei who spins at the center. In those early years, Lorelei tries to freeze time by filling their simple brick house with precious mementos. Easter egg foils are her favorite. Craft supplies, too. She hangs all of the children’s art, to her husband’s chagrin. Then one Easter weekend, a tragedy so devastating occurs that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear the family apart. Years pass and the children have become adults, while Lorelei has become the county’s worst hoarder. She has alienated her husband and children and has been living as a recluse. But then something happens that beckons the Bird family back to the house they grew up in—to finally understand the events of that long-ago Easter weekend and to unearth the many secrets hidden within the nooks and crannies of home.

Pulphouse Fiction Magazine Issue #8

Pulphouse Fiction Magazine Issue #8

The Cutting Edge of Modern Short FictionA three-time Hugo Award nominated magazine, this issue of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine offers up eighteen fantastic stories by some of the best writers working in modern short fiction. No genre limitations, no topic limitations, just great stories. Attitude, feel, and high quality fiction equals Pulphouse."This is definitely a strong start. All the stories have a lot of life to them, and are worthwhile reading."—Tangent Online on Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, Issue #1Includes"The Hero of Calliope Springs: A Clockwork Cowboy Story" by J. Steven York"Dirt Dancer" by Joslyn Chase"Eternal Flame" by Rob Vagle"Seeing Him for the First Time" by David H. Hendrickson"No Common Scents" by Jim Gotaas"With Light Years Between Us" by Robert J. McCarter"Unfamiliar, Foreign, Outré" by Jerry Oltion"Taking Care of Business" by Mary Jo Rabe"A Night Under the Stars" by Lisa Silverthorne"Pretty Rita" by O'Neil De Noux"Leftovers" by B.A. Paul"Degrading" by Ezekiel James Boston"Thumpman at the Keys" by Kent Patterson"Road Kill: A Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Story" by Kevin J. Anderson"A Warriors Death" by Stephanie Writt"In-Class Assignment" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch"Life, With Cats" Annie Reed"Blackbeard's Aliens" by Robert Jeschonek"Minions at Work: Head Case" by J. Steven York

The Guy Not Taken

The Guy Not Taken

Jennifer Weiner's talent shines like never before in this collection of short stories, following the tender, and often hilarious, progress of love and relationships over the course of a lifetime. From a teenager coming to terms with her father's disappearance to a widow accepting two young women into her home, Weiner's eleven stories explore those transformative moments in our every day. We meet Marlie Davidow, home alone with her new baby late one Friday night, when she wanders onto her ex's online wedding registry and wonders what if she had wound up with the guy not taken. We stumble on Good in Bed's Bruce Guberman, liquored-up and ready for anything on the night of his best friend's bachelor party, until stealing his girlfriend's tiny rat terrier becomes more complicated than he'd planned. We find Jessica Norton listing her beloved New York City apartment in the hope of winning her broker's heart. And we follow an unlikely friendship between two very different new mothers, and the choices that bring them together -- and pull them apart. The Guy Not Taken demonstrates Weiner's amazing ability to create characters who "feel like they could be your best friend" (Janet Maslin) and to find hope and humor, longing and love in the hidden corners of our common experiences.

A People's Future of the United States

A People's Future of the United States

A glittering landscape of twenty-five speculative stories that challenge oppression and envision new futures for America—from N. K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, Jamie Ford, G. Willow Wilson, Charlie Jane Anders, Hugh Howey, and more.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY In these tumultuous times, in our deeply divided country, many people are angry, frightened, and hurting. Knowing that imagining a brighter tomorrow has always been an act of resistance, editors Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams invited an extraordinarily talented group of writers to share stories that explore new forms of freedom, love, and justice. They asked for narratives that would challenge oppressive American myths, release us from the chokehold of our history, and give us new futures to believe in. They also asked that the stories be badass. The result is this spectacular collection of twenty-five tales that blend the dark and the light, the dystopian and the utopian. These tales are vivid with struggle and hardship—whether it’s the othered and the terrorized, or dragonriders and covert commandos—but these characters don’t flee, they fight.Thrilling, inspiring, and a sheer joy to read, A People’s Future of the United States is a gift for anyone who believes in our power to dream a just world.Featuring stories by Violet Allen • Charlie Jane Anders • Lesley Nneka Arimah • Ashok K. Banker • Tobias S. Buckell • Tananarive Due • Omar El Akkad • Jamie Ford • Maria Dahvana Headley • Hugh Howey • Lizz Huerta • Justina Ireland • N. K. Jemisin • Alice Sola Kim • Seanan McGuire • Sam J. Miller • Daniel José Older • Malka Older • Gabby Rivera • A. Merc Rustad • Kai Cheng Thom • Catherynne M. Valente • Daniel H. Wilson • G. Willow Wilson • Charles Yu

Märchen für Kinder

Märchen für Kinder

Hilfe suchend kam einmal eine Frau zu einer alten Hexe und fragte sie, ob sie ihr nicht ein kleines Mädchen verschaffen könnte. „O ja, das soll nicht schwer halten!“ sagte die Hexe. „Da hast du ein Gerstenkorn; das ist nicht etwa von der Art, wie es auf einem Bauernfelde wächst, oder womit die Hühner gefüttert werden. Lege es in einen Blumentopf, dann wirst du etwas zu sehen bekommen!“ „Besten Dank!“ sagte die Frau und gab der Hexe ein Geldstück, ging dann heim, pflanzte das Gerstenkorn, und sogleich wuchs eine große herrliche Blume hervor, die vollkommen einer Tulpe glich, aber die Blätter schlossen sich fest zusammen, als ob sie noch in der Knospe wären. „Das ist eine schöne Blume!“ sagte die Frau und küßte sie auf die herrlichen roten und gelben Blätter, aber wie sie sie noch küßte, that die Blume einen großen Knall und öffnete sich. Es war, wie man nun sehen konnte, eine wirkliche Tulpe; aber mitten in der Blüte, auf dem grünen Blumengriffel, saß ein winzig kleines, blondlockiges Mädchen, fein und lieblich. Sie war nicht größer als ein Daumen, und deswegen wurde sie Däumelieschen genannt.

Fiction River: Superstitious

Fiction River: Superstitious

Superstitions pervade every culture and belief system. Often, the origins of such superstitions elude their practitioners. The seventeen authors in this latest volume of Fiction River create their own superstitious tales in fascinating stories ranging from dark and moody to light and fun, from introspective and thought-provoking to high-ratcheted tension. Distinct and realistic elements of humanity, love, fear, family, friendship, life, and death provide unforgettable experiences that prove we all practice some form of superstition, whether we admit it or not."…fertile imaginations take these ideas to wild and wonderful directions."—Astro Guyz

King Lear

King Lear

Shakespeare’s King Lear challenges us with the magnitude, intensity, and sheer duration of the pain that it represents. Its figures harden their hearts, engage in violence, or try to alleviate the suffering of others. Lear himself rages until his sanity cracks. What, then, keeps bringing us back to King Lear? For all the force of its language, King Lear is almost equally powerful when translated, suggesting that it is the story, in large part, that draws us to the play. The play tells us about families struggling between greed and cruelty, on the one hand, and support and consolation, on the other. Emotions are extreme, magnified to gigantic proportions. We also see old age portrayed in all its vulnerability, pride, and, perhaps, wisdom—one reason this most devastating of Shakespeare’s tragedies is also perhaps his most moving.

Maybe Someday

Maybe Someday

"Nowa książka autorki powieści Hopeless Bestseller „New York Timesa” Drugie miejsce w plebiscycie Goodreads Choice Awards 2014 w kategorii Romans On, Ridge, gra na gitarze tak, że porusza każdego. Ale jego utworom brakuje jednego: tekstów. Gdy zauważa dziewczynę z sąsiedztwa śpiewającą do jego muzyki, postanawia ją bliżej poznać. Ona, Sydney, ma poukładane życie: studiuje, pracuje, jest w stabilnym związku. Wszystko to rozpada się na kawałki w ciągu kilku godzin. Wkrótce tych dwoje odkryje, że razem mogą stworzyć coś wyjątkowego. Dowiedzą się także, jak łatwo złamać czyjeś serce… Maybe Someday to opowieść o ludziach rozdartych między „może kiedyś” a „właśnie teraz”, o emocjach ukrytych między słowami i o muzyce, którą czuje się całym ciałem."