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The Beautiful and Damned
From Collins Classics and the author of ‘The Great Gatsby’ comes this razor-sharp satire on the excesses of the Jazz Age. From the author of The Great Gatsby, a tale of marriage and disappointment in the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald’s rich and detailed novel of the decadent Jazz Era follows the beautiful and vibrant Anthony Patch and his wife Gloria as they navigate the heady lifestyle of the young and wealthy in 1920s New York. Patch is the presumptive heir to his grandfather’s fortune, and keeps his equally spoiled wife in comfort while biding time until his grandfather’s death. Patch is unable to hold down any kind of job and spends his days in luxury, indulging in whatever pleasures are available. But as the money begins to fail, so does their marriage. Patch’s gradual descent into alcoholism, depression and alienation from his marriage ultimately lead to his ruin. Fitzgerald’s novel is a remorseless exploration of the horrors of an age of excess and lost innocence. F. Scott Fitzgerald is regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Despite his present popularity, Fitzgerald was often in financial trouble, due to the fact that only one of his novels sold well enough to support the extravagant lifestyle that he and his wife Zelda adopted, and later Zelda’s medical bills. His novel The Great Gatsby has sold millions of copies and remains a continual best-seller.
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The Night Circus
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads:Opens at NightfalllCloses at DawnAs the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as through the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.Le Cirque des RêvesThe Circus of Dreams.Now the circus is open.Now you may enter.The Starless Sea, the magical second novel from the author of the The Night Circus, is available for pre-order now
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Hello, Darkness
The countdown to murder has begun . . . When a caller to a late night radio talk show announces his intention to murder a woman he's kidnapped within seventy-two hours, mayhem ensues. Paris Gibson, the mysterious host of the show in question, finds herself in the spotlight for the first time in years. Who has been abducted? And what is the identity of the caller, known only as 'Valentino'? The clock is ticking and in the midst of the frenzy to track down the missing woman, Paris finds herself working alongside someone she's tried hard to forget: Dean Malloy, the police psychologist who's heading up the investigation. With every hour that passes, the hunt grows increasingly desperate but how significant are the secrets that Dean and Paris conceal in their mutual past? They need to identify Valentino before he can execute his murderous plans . . . and before he can exact vengeance on Paris for trying to stop him.
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The Mayan Secrets
The Mayan Secrets is the exceptional fifth Fargo Adventure novel by Clive Cussler.Mexico, present day: a revelation of precious knowledge from the past has the power to change the course of humanity's future.Treasure-hunting husband and wife team Sam and Remi Fargo are in Central America when they come upon a remarkable discovery - the skeleton of a man clutching an ancient sealed pot. Inside the pot is a well-preserved Mayan book, larger than any previously found by archaeologists.The book contains astonishing information about the Mayans, about their cities, and about mankind itself. The secrets are so powerful that some people would do anything to possess them - as the Fargos are about to find out.Before their adventure is done, men and women will die for the riches contained in the ancient book - and it's just possible that Sam and Remi may be among them . . .With all the breakneck pace, wild imagination and high stakes thrills that Clive Cussler has made his own, The Mayan Secrets proves once again that the World's No.1 Adventure Writer is in a league of his own. It is the latest in the gripping Fargo Adventure series, following the bestselling titles Spartan Gold, Lost Empire, The Kingdom and The Tombs.Praise for Clive Cussler:'Clive Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail'The guy I read' Tom Clancy'The adventure king' Daily Express
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Riley
There were many who said of Riley (as he was almost always known) that in his early life he appeared to be older than his years. With a harsh childhood behind him, he left school with little in the way of knowledge but brimful of optimism, and secure in the knowledge that one of his teachers, Fred Beardsley, had faith in him; although at the time neither of them could have envisaged how the other was to influence the course of their lives. Fred Beardsley, who much to everyone's surprise had become acquainted with and married Louise Barrington, a teacher at his school, within a matter of weeks, ran into Riley while they were on their honeymoon in Paris. Riley said he'd won first prize in a talent competition - hence his presence, with his uncle, in the city for the weekend. In addition, he told the happy couple that as a result of winning the competition he had been offered a 'position' at The Little Palace Theatre in Fellburn. Fred and Louise, who suspected that the 'position' was probably that of a dogsbody, nevertheless encouraged Riley, whom they knew to be an expert mimic. After a time, however, it became clear to them that Riley had actually been appointed assistant stage-manager. And then he surprised them by forming a close friendship with the leading lady, thirty-something Nyrene Forbes-Mason, who he claimed was nurturing his burgeoning talent as an actor. What Riley hadn't told them, however, was that he had great hopes of the relationship developing into something more than friendship... Over the subsequent years, Fred and Louise observed with amazement the rise to fame and fortune of this remarkable lad, as did as did his parents and all those who knew him. As for his relationship with Nyrene, that did indeed change; although the manner in which it progressed was not quite as Riley had planned.
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Rajmohan's Wife
Rajmohan's Wife, first serialized in 1864, marked Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay's debut as a writer. He went on to write fourteen novels in Bengali, including the epochal Anandamath and the verse 'Vande Mataram', which became the national song of India.The beautiful and passionate Matangini, married to a villainous man and in love with her sister's husband, represents the vitality of women who remain strong in the face of brutality and the confining expectations of middle-class society. Bankimchandra's vivid descriptions of the routine of Bengali households provide a revealing portrait of life in the nineteenth century.Rajmohan's Wife continues to be relevant for its universal themes of love and romance and resonates even today for its portrayal of strong women.
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The Path-Breakers
We seem to notice only to types of success. Those achieved by people who have attained demi God status and others from the West, who we blindly try to emulate. How many times do we look at people, close home, who are much like us? People living a life like one we live, with dreams like the ones we have, facing challenges like the ones we do. These people no different from us, are yet, far ahead of us. They have lived a life, which although very similar, is quite different from ours. This book is a collection of real life stories of some extraordinary achievers. They come from all walks of life, from every corner of India, cutting across all age groups. They dared to defy the trend and refused to join the rat race. They have moved away and walked ahead. They have path breakers. Their life and work should serve as an assurance and source of motivation to those who desire to follow their instinct and take the road less travelled.
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The Tunnel of Time
From being tormented by gamblers convinced they see lucky numbers concealed in his cartoons to being mistaken for a Mexican and debarred from attending an invitation dinner on Park Avenue because he is carrying a raincoat to being charged with importing obscene literature into the country because a friend has sent him a copy of Playboy, R.K. Laxman’s experiences could rival the most uncanny adventures of his most enduring creation, the Common Man. In The Tunnel of Time Laxman narrates the story of his life with the same acerbic wit, keen sense of humour and the satirist’s ability to take a whimsical, cock-eyed look at just about anything under the sun that we are so familiar with.
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Across the Line
A tale of borders and beliefs shaped by the games people play 1947 New Delhi. Cyril Radcliffe's hands are clammy, partly from the heat but mostly from the enormity of the task assigned. Mopping the sweat off his brow, he picks up his pen, draws a deep breath--and a dark line. Rawalpindi. A barbaric frenzy of rioters fills the streets, disrupting a game of pithoo between Toshi and her brother, Tarlok, shattering their lives unimaginably. 2008 Rawalpindi. Cricket-crazy Inaya is sneaking out behind her father's back for net practice when she discovers that she is not the only one in her family keeping a secret. New Delhi. Jai accidentally stumbles upon an old, hidden away diary in his kitchen. The date of its last entry: 17 August 1947. As Jai and Inaya's unlikely worlds collide, another story unfolds. A story that started with the drawing of a line. A story that shifts the truth in their lives.
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Best Loved Indian Stories II
An anthology that reveals the immense diversity of Indian literature. The rich and varied body of writing in the Indian languages has grown immeasurably in the last hundred years. This collection of short stories brings together some perennial favoritess from this vast treasure trove, written by acknowledgement masters of the art and sensitively translated. The twenty-three stories included here deal with themes central to modern India: caste, gender politics and emerging changes in the traditional family structure. These are striking vignettes from all parts of the country, evocative of different lifestyles yet reflective of common problems and issues with which we can all identify.
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R.I.P
R.I.P. The Resurgent Indian Patriots. Selfappointed guardians of a nation seething with anger at the endless scams and scandals rocking its very foundation. Vigilantes who vow to stop corrupt politicians and colluding civil servants. Even if it means killing them. Colonel Krishna Athawale and his team of Special Forces officers rally to protect the country from the enemy within. They call themselves the K-Team. And no one is safe from their deadly intent. Hellbent on stopping them is Raghav Bhagat, rogue para commando, gun for hire and Krishna s bête noir. Caught in the crossfire is Vinod Bedi, Special Director CBI. Reena Bhagat, a glamorous news anchor, embittered by her husband s betrayal. And two young boys, Sachin and Azaan, torn apart by the loss of a parent. It doesn t get bigger.
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The Universe In A Single Atom
In this rare personal investigation, His Holiness the Dalai Lama discusses his vision of science and faith working hand in hand to alleviate human suffering. Drawing on a lifetime of scientific study and religious practice, he explores the great debates and makes astonishing connections between seemingly disparate topics - such as evolution and karma - that will change the way we look at the world. While he sees science and faith as 'complementary but different investigative approaches with the same goal of seeking the truth,' the fact is that the two have often been at the root of human conflict for centuries. The Dalai Lama challenges us to see that the benefits of opening our hearts and minds to the connections between science and faith are far preferable to perpetuating the divisive rhetoric that often surrounds them. Now, as we face such troubled and uncertain times, the need has never been greater for this extraordinary man's compassion and wisdom.
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The Code Of The Woosters
‘The prose . . . is so gloriously funny you can relish the book over and over again. ’ The Times (five best British comic novels)‘If you haven’t read PG Wodehouse in a hot bath with a snifter of whiskey and ideally a rubber duck for company, you haven’t lived […] A book that’s a sheer joy to read. ’ Independent (40 books to read before you die)‘To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language. ’ Ben SchottNumber 15 in 100 Greatest Books of All Time list in Daily Telegraph‘There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, “Do trousers matter?”’‘The mood will pass, sir. ’Aunt Dahlia has tasked Bertie with purloining an antique cow creamer from Totleigh Towers. In order to do so, Jeeves hatches a scheme whereby Bertie must charm the droopy and altogether unappealing Madeline and face the wrath of would-be dictator Roderick Spode. Though the prospect fills him with dread, when duty calls, Bertie will answer, for Aunt Dahlia will not be denied. In a plot that swiftly becomes rife with mishaps, it is Jeeves who must extract his master from trouble. Again. ‘To have one of his books in your hand is to possess, by way of a pill, that which can relieve anxiety, rageiness, or an afternoon-long tendency towards the sour. Paper has rarely been put to better use than printing Wodehouse. ’ Caitlin Moran
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Rustom And The Last Storyteller Of Almora
Rustom Iraqiwalla, a once-rich, green-eyed Parsi man, is all set to blow his brains out at his best friend's wedding.Debt-ridden and marked by the mafia, this is the only way he can secure his family's future and atone for all the rotten choices he has made in his life. This extraordinary situation comes by way of his grandfather Fali's last Will that states Rustom shall inherit the family fortune if he kills himself in a public place with the former's eponymous gun.Before he has a chance to shoot himself his best friend Mani convinces him to meet an unlikely saviour in the Himalayan town of Almora - a drugged-out godman belting out strange visions through cryptic stories of love, power and loyalty. Will the last storyteller give Rustom a reason to live, or will his tales push Rustom further into an abyss of unimaginable loss? By turns, dark and humorous, quirky and dead serious, Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora is a scintillating debut about a man ready to embrace death to redeem his life.
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Night Probe
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily MailThe page-turning Dirk Pitt classic from multi-million-copy king of the adventure novel, Clive Cussler.May 1914. Two diplomats hurry home by sea and rail, each carrying a document of world-changing importance. Then the liner Empress of India is sunk in a collision, and the Manhattan-Line express plunges from a bridge - both dragging their VIP passengers to watery oblivion. Tragic coincidence or conspiracy?In the energy-starved, fear-torn 1980s, Dirk Pitt discovers that those long-lost papers could destroy whole nations, throwing him into his biggest challenge yet. Racing against hired killers, he launches his revolutionary deep-sea search craft and faces the horrors of the sea bed to hunt for the documents. 'Night Probe' has begun . . .'Clive Cussler is the guy I read' Tom Clancy'The Adventure King' Daily Express