They had money to last them a few months and a Fiat to take them where they were going, but above all they were equipped with the certainty that by hook or by crook they would reach their destination, and that there would be unanticipated adventures, curious companionship, and sudden illumination along the way. They were not disappointed, and neither will be readers of this luminous travel book fashioned from Bouvier's journals. The two friends support themselves by writing and painting in Istanbul; are spellbound by the brilliance of winter in Tabriz; take a side trip to rebellious Kurdistan; and find ever more ingenious ways to keep their increasingly battered vehicle on the road as they head to Afghanistan. Along the way, they spend wild nights listening to Gypsy musicians, trading poetry with tramps, and entertaining their companions with song and an accordion.A journey through a region of Asia that has since fallen prey to violence, The Way of the World is also a journey toward the self. "You think you are making a trip," says Bouvier, "but soon it is making you—or unmaking you."

    Now, with a historian’s sweep and an insider’s eye for telling detail, Sanger delivers an urgent intelligence briefing on the world America faces. In a riveting narrative, The Inheritance describes the huge costs of distraction and lost opportunities at home and abroad as Iraq soaked up manpower, money, and intelligence capabilities. The 2008 market collapse further undermined American leadership, leaving the new president with a set of challenges unparalleled since Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the Oval Office.Sanger takes readers into the White House Situation Room to reveal how Washington penetrated Tehran’s nuclear secrets, leading President Bush, in his last year, to secretly step up covert actions in a desperate effort to delay an Iranian bomb. Meanwhile, his intelligence chiefs made repeated secret missions to Pakistan as they tried to stem a growing insurgency and cope with an ally who was also aiding the enemy–while receiving billions in American military aid. Now the new president faces critical choices: Is it better to learn to live with a nuclear Iran or risk overt or covert confrontation? Is it worth sending U.S. forces deep into Pakistani territory at the risk of undermining an unstable Pakistani government sitting on a nuclear arsenal? It is a race against time and against a new effort by Islamic extremists–never before disclosed–to quietly infiltrate Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. “Bush wrote a lot of checks,” one senior intelligence official told Sanger, “that the next president is going to have to cash.”The Inheritance takes readers to Afghanistan, where Bush never delivered on his promises for a Marshall Plan to rebuild the country, paving the way for the Taliban’s return. It examines the chilling calculus of North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il, who built actual weapons of mass destruction in the same months that the Bush administration pursued phantoms in Iraq, then sold his nuclear technology in the Middle East in an operation the American intelligence apparatus missed. And it explores how China became one of the real winners of the Iraq war, using the past eight years to expand its influence in Asia, and lock up oil supplies in Africa while Washington was bogged down in the Middle East. Yet Sanger, a former foreign correspondent in Asia, sees enormous potential for the next administration to forge a partnership with Beijing on energy and the environment. At once a secret history of our foreign policy misadventures and a lucid explanation of the opportunities they create, The Inheritance is vital reading for anyone trying to understand the extraordinary challenges that lie ahead.

    An astonishing piece of travel writing and a timely and insightful analysis of Islamic fundamentalism"

    Both urgent and meditative, this literary anthology showcases fiction, memoir, and poetry from a diverse array of voices, including Alexander Chee on scarred bodies, Kimiko Hahn on gustatory memory, and Amitava Kumar on the art of writing immigrant narratives.

    Born into the burakumin -- an outcast class shunned in feudal Japan and still suffering discrimination today -- Nakagami depicts the lives of his people in powerful, sensual prose and stark, sometimes horrifying detail. The Cape is his breakthrough novella about a burakumin community in a small coastal city and their struggles with complicated family histories and troubled memories. Poverty, violence, suicide, and the harsh natural conditions of their home constantly disrupt their lives. Two more early stories, "The Burning House" and "Redhead, " continue these themes, relieved by small moments of profound tenderness.

    Jejuri is a site of pilgramage in author Arun Kolatkar's native state of Maharashtra, and Jejuri the poem is the record of a visit to the town -- a place that is as crassly commercial as it is holy, as modern and ruinous as it is ancient and enduring. Evoking the town's crowded streets, many shrines, and mythic history of sages and gods, Kolatkar's poem offers a rich description of India while at the same time performing a complex act of devotion. For the essence of the poem is a spiritual quest, the effort to find the divine trace in a degenerate world. Spare, comic, sorrowful, singing, Jejuri is the work of a writer with a unique and visionary voice.

    in language that is complex and lyrical.” —The Financial TimesIn the midst of the Iran–Iraq War, an Iraqi journalist is given a tour of a military prison. The Major in charge of the camp informs the writer of what is expected: he is to write a fabricated report about a murder that has occurred in the camp, with the aim of demoralizing Iranian soldiers. Reluctant to write the report, the writer spends a long night talking and drinking with the Major and detailing a work of fiction he is composing about a group of soldiers trapped on a hill, dying of thirst as they battle for a water tank with a group of enemy soldiers perched on the opposite hill. The tank remains undamaged, but neither group has a hope of reaching it without being killed. In a narrative riddled with surreal images, shifting perspectives, and dark humor, Mahmoud Dowlatabadi—widely acknowledged as the most important living Iranian writer—offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the warring countries as he questions the meaning of national identity and does something that has been nearly impossible to do in Iran for the last century: tell a true story.

    An inspirational set showing God's caring love in all circumstances."Adventure, entertaining characters, interesting storylines wrapped in Christian values."If you like clean love stories with each paragraph pulling you into the characters’ lives, this set is for you."Well Written, Wonderful, Godly, Encouraging, Interesting and Educational!’ Juliette Duncan is my favorite fiction writer. Each story provides all of these features, yet each one is unique. And each book is better than the last, IMHO." BOOKS INCLUDED IN THIS SET: Because We LovedSecrets and SacrificeTender LoveForever CherishedBlessings of LoveHer Kind-Hearted BillionaireA Time to Treasure Grab this collection today and be blessed!

    Holiday decorations adorn each room. Trees glittering with ribbons and ornaments, gorgeous wreaths, velvet stockings and pine-scented candles brighten visitors’ stay at this vacation spot dedicated to Christmas all year, every year. The resort offers all the usual enticements plus one unique amenity…love. The little white chapel behind the inn, built by the Christmas family in the 1890s, boasts bell tower bells that toll when couples fall in love. Every year people come to the inn looking for their Christmas spirit. Sometimes they find love too. Will the bells ring again this year?

    That’s how he wants me… It was supposed to be a one-night stand. One night with some guy I picked up at a bar. Totally unlike me, but a girl’s got to have some fun, right? He was hot as hell, all broad shoulders and brooding stares. He whispered dirty words when he took me back to his house and made me his. I thought I’d never see him again, so I told him some lie about how I was an office manager instead of a college student. And then I got to class the next day and found out he’s my professor.  My professor was the hot guy who’d given me the best orgasm of my life. I try to pretend nothing happened, even though I’m dying inside. But then he tells me to come to his office.  He tells me to bend over his desk, because that’s how he likes it… If anyone finds out, he’ll lose his job. And I’ll lose my reputation.  But before that happens, he’s determined to teach me everything I need to know. About pleasing him. Submitting to him. Letting him take what’s his… Even if it ends up costing us everything. Rough Hand by Olivia Chase A standalone romance with a guaranteed HEA from bestselling author Olivia Chase... LEVI I’m no good for her. And she’s probably no good for me, either.  But hell if I don’t find myself wanting her right now. My c*ck is slamming against my zipper at the thought of thrusting my tongue in her mouth, swallowing her moans… She’s so pure that I can almost see the glow of white around her. I’m too wicked, too dirty to touch her.  But there’s something about the way I can feel her emotions pouring from her, like she’s a broken dam spilling over, that makes my chest tight.  I can’t let her break me apart, not when I’ve worked so hard, so long, to keep myself glued together. To be strong and impenetrable.  No, I’ll just keep my distance. Surely that won’t be a problem. Even if she does live right across the street from my shop.  ALEXA I’ve never had this feeling before, this burning need to be around someone as much as I can. When we touch, I want to keep on touching.  When he’s inside me, our limbs tangled together, our sweat-slicked bodies connected in the most intimate way possible, I feel like I’ve found my other half. He’s so scared to open up to anyone. So scared to dig into the things that hurt him in his past. I just want to help him be happy. If only he’d drop all his walls and talk to me, he could let it go and move on. Will I ever be happy with Levi? Right or wrong, I need more.  Jackson by Paige North Meet the Croft brothers. Filthy rich, devastatingly handsome, and sexy as all hell… JACKSON I don’t do slow and easy.  I do fast and hard. I don’t do dates. I do … arrangements.

    But there he is, sexy as ever, sitting at her table. He’s even got a pretty impressive job; security guard to the stars. Wishing her writing career that she always dreamed of had ever taken off, Rachel concocts a plan. What if she can use some of Jayden’s insider information to write a bestselling book? She’ll only have to use him a little bit to get what she needs, what harm can there be? Except she never expected to begin to fall for him again…when she does can she still go through with her plan? Part 2 Max is the carefree younger brother of broken hearted Reid. He tries to keep his sarcasm in check and his jokes on point. Very little could ever get in the way of his jovial mood. Except the assignment Salvatore just gave him. Max’s new long term job is to work security for a pop-up fashion boutique series, which doesn’t sound all that bad if the pop-ups weren’t being opened by the one person he can’t stand - Reid’s ex-girlfriend Hannah. As he expects the two can’t seem to get along, there’s fireworks as usual when they’re around each other as they fight. But soon those fireworks turn from fighting into passion and something that could ruin his relationship with his brother forever. Part 3 Heartbroken after his breakup with Hannah, and confused by his brother’s new relationship with her, Reid has decided that romance isn’t in the cards. Not unless it's truly real. But does that even exist? He’s challenged by his new job from Spotlight, guarding the infamous and gorgeous Jennifer White from her wreck of an ex-boyfriend, also infamous Ian. How can Reid keep her protected from her ex when she is required to keep up appearances with Ian for publicity of their new movie? And what is he supposed to do when he believes that what he feels for her is real, but she’s too tied up with another man? Part 4 As the only female guard at Spotlight, Ireland has her work cut out for her among the boys, but this girl can hold her own. Her newest job is to help protect child star Kelly while she’s at school as there seems to be a stalker on the loose. Until she’s safe, Ireland will be reporting to elementary school every day to watch this spunky little girl. It seems like an easy task, though reliving the memories of her childhood feels haunting, Ireland tries to stay focused. But it’s hard to stay focused when Kelly’s newly single father is just so irresistible. Part 5 Salvatore has never recovered from the pain of his little sister’s unsolved murder when he was only a kid, and that’s why he began Spotlight to begin with. As new information comes to light for the police, her cold case is reopened, and with it all of Salvatore’s wounds. One misstep has landed him in court ordered counseling where he can’t stop fighting with his perky, perfect blonde counselor Ginny. Salvatore has a past he has to deal with and a future he needs to begin to make. If only he could stop fighting with, or kissing, his counselor, maybe he could find a way to work through his pain and see there’s more to the world.

     Sing Me Home by Belle Calhoune: Rain Santos and her best friends are embarking on a ten-week road trip. The first destination is Nashville, where Rain hopes to explore her lifelong singing aspirations. When she comes face to face with her country singer ex-boyfriend, Luke Avery, Rain has to deal with their painful past. Luke Avery is seeking redemption for the pain he caused Rain in their relationship. As the two reconnect and Luke helps Rain with her singing aspirations, they find themselves falling into familiar rhythms. Can true love conquer all? Hitched In Hot Springs by Kristen Ethridge: Bridget Vaughan left a childhood of abuse behind and used the adversity to make her stronger, becoming a multi-millionaire small business coach in the years since she left Treasure Harbor. James Cromberg would do just about anything to help his mom, including leaving the military career he loved in order to come home and help her run her family's historic business and take care of his ailing father. When a woman running away from her past connects with a man who fears his own future, is there a way for them to find their way to a present happily-ever-after? Romancing the Storm by Patrica Pacjac Carroll: Lark Morgan is drifting through life. Even though her father’s advice of trust the Lord and enjoy the journey sounds fun, she’s lost the joy not to mention her job. Cody Merrill has amends to make, but he’s a new man and determined to set things right. As the owner of Storm Rangers, he takes people on adventures to see tornadoes. He loves the storms, but something is missing. Or maybe it’s someone. Journey to Her Past by Angel Moore: Jessica Stinson wants to find the man who left her eight years ago with no explanation. Griffin Renfroe’s world turned upside down when he learned he’d been stolen from the hospital on the day he was born. He made decisions he’s come to regret. When Jessica shows up in Amarillo, he knows convincing her of his love will be almost impossible in the face of his new name – and identity. Can Jessica trust the love she still holds for a man who no longer exists? Restore My Heart: Cassidy Frey’s life falls to pieces in the aftermath of her father’s political scandal. Out of a job and ostracized from her current friends, she jumps at the chance for a road trip with her childhood friends. Joel Kingston’s dream of owning a motel along Route 66 is threatened by a shortage of money, but his discouragement doesn’t stop him from helping a group of stranded motorists. Could a broken-down SUV lead to restoration—of hearts and motels?

    The dowager claims to have seen a corpse on the dining room floor, but all she has to prove it is a bloodied bobble hat. Henry hires the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency. The duke wants the strange matter explained. But the truth of what happened at the Chellingworth Estate is more complex, dangerous, and deadly, than anyone could have foreseen . . .BOOK 2: THE CASE OF THE MISSING MORRIS DANCERHenry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth, is about to marry Stephanie Timbers in a grand ceremony at his Welsh estate. But one of the Morris dancers, who must lead the wedding party through the village, is missing. Along with the troupe’s kit of exquisite sixteenth-century silver bells and engraved sticks. Can the ladies of the WISE Enquiries Agency track him down and save the day?BOOK 3: THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS COOKHenry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth, is terribly worried about some water damage to the priceless books in his library and hires a local book restorer to tackle the repairs. Meanwhile, strange shenanigans are going on at his book shop and Dowager Duchess Althea brings the case to the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency. They come across a valuable book of miniatures which seems to be the work of a famous local artist, who was murdered by her own brother. The WISE women are on the case — and nothing will get in their way . . .BOOK 4: THE CASE OF THE UNSUITABLE SUITORSuccessful businessman and charmer Huw Hughes has his sights set on Annie. But Huw has been widowed three times and the other women of the WISE Enquiries Agency want to know why. Mavis and Carol have to work with Dowager Duchess Althea Twyst to ensure their unsuspecting friend Annie’s safety . . . and possibly protect the lives of other villagers. And of course all this mustn’t disrupt the Duke’s annual croquet tournament! Someone seems to want it to turn out very nasty indeed.Perfect for fans of Stella Cameron, Faith Martin, Agatha Christie, Frances Evesham, Betty Rowlands, or M.C. Beaton.

    0-935906-02-9$5.00 / Javan Press

    Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. In Hong Kong Noir, fourteen of the city’s finest authors explore the dark heart of the Pearl of the Orient in haunting stories of depravity and despair.Brand-new stories by: Jason Y. Ng, Xu Xi, Marshall Moore, Brittani Sonnenberg, Tiffany Hawk, James Tam, Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang, Christina Liang, Feng Chi-shun, Charles Philipp Martin, Shannon Young, Shen Jian, Carmen Suen, and Ysabelle Cheung.From the introduction by Jason Y. Ng & Susan Blumberg-Kason:What will Hong Kong look like in five years, ten years, or thirty years—when the “one country, two systems” promise expires? It’s impossible to foresee. Hong Kong’s future may not be within our control, but some things are. We can continue to write about our beloved city and work our hardest to preserve it in words. When we asked our contributors to write their noir stories, we didn’t give them specific content guidelines other than to make sure their stories end on a dark note. What we received was a brilliant collection of ghost stories, murder mysteries, domestic dramas, cops-and-robbers tales, and historical thrillers that capture Hong Kong in all its dark glory. The result is every bit as eclectic, quirky, and delightful as the city they write about.