Frank Baum has been captivating the hearts of the young, and not so young, for over a hundred years.This delightful compilation includes all fifteen books written by L. Frank Baum:The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Marvelous Land of OzOzma of OzDorothy and the Wizard in OzThe Road to OzThe Emerald City of OzThe Patchwork Girl Of OzLittle Wizard Stories of OzTik-Tok of OzThe Scarecrow Of OzRinkitink In OzThe Lost Princess Of OzThe Tin Woodman Of OzThe Magic of OzGlinda Of OzPerhaps there is no better, or fitting, introduction one could give to this compilation than the author's note that Baum himself writes in his very first book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Here he reveals the true intention of his work. Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations. Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" in the children's library; for the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.

    But Ailia's on the verge of discovering that she hasn't even seen the tip of the iceberg that sleeps below...On Winter Solstice Ailia visits her favorite place to ponder: a large cliff overlooking her hometown. On her way home, Eiess and an army of Vikings capture her before attacking the Northlandic Kingdom. After usurping the Northlandic Throne, Eiess immediately suspends the seasons on the darkest and coldest day of the year and begins her preparations for the prophesied battle to end all battles.Princess Lucia, sole heir to the Nothlandic Throne, is taken prisoner by Eiess and is thrown into the castle’s tower. For months, Lucia wastes away, never knowing when this nightmare of beatings, starvation and bitter cold will end. But when she miraculously escapes, she learns that she has a twin sister she must find before Eiess completely destroys the Northlandic Kingdom.Months later, Ailia wakes up in a glacier cave with no memory of how she ended up there. On her way home, a handsome, yet mysterious young man named Soren rescues her from wolves and a dangerous shape-shifter. Ailia is immediately drawn to Soren, thinking she knows him from somewhere, maybe from her dreams of another life? He reveals he is a Sentinor sent by the gods to defeat Eiess and is waiting to be reunited with his soul mate, Lucia, so they together can defeat the Empress.As Eiess continues to amass her forces, Ailia, Lucia and Soren are about to discover that their destinies are intertwined behind a veil of dark secrets and lies. If they are to take back the Northlandic Throne, they must work together and form an alliance.But their mission to overthrow the Empress is stalled when the secrets and lies surface. And when a strong love develops between two, jealousy and duplicity arise between them, causing one of them to betray the others – a betrayal which puts their lives and the lives of humanity in grave danger. WINTER SOLSTICE WINTER is a Young Adult/New Adult fantasy romance set in the Viking Era. With Suspense, Norse paranormal elements and a breathtaking soul mate love story, it's a great read for those who enjoy a page-turning story. This is the first book in its series.

    But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time the twelfth century; the place feudal England; and the subject the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.For the TV tie-in edition with the same ISBN go to this Alternate Cover Edition

    This edition covers everything including his novels, Christmas books, short stories, Christmas short stories, collaborations, non-fiction, poetry, and plays. Also, you can easily navigate through chapters using the linked Table of Contents found at the start of this edition. Purchase this Charles Dickens Collection and treat yourself to the following list of works by this classic British Author: Novels: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (1836-1837) Oliver Twist (1837-1839) The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1838-1839) The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1841) Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty (1841) The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-1844) Dombey and Son (1846-1848) David Copperfield (1849-1850) Bleak House (1852-1853) Hard Times: For These Times (1854) Little Dorrit (1855-1857) A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Great Expectations (1860-1861) Our Mutual Friend (1864-1865) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) The Christmas Books: A Christmas Carol (1843) The Chimes (1844) The Cricket on the Hearth (1845) The Battle of Life (1846) The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (1848) Short Story Collections: Sketches by Boz (1836) The Mudfog Papers (1837) Master Humphrey’s Clock (1840-1841) Reprinted Pieces (1861) The Uncommercial Traveller (1860–1869) Short Stories: The Lamp Lighter (1838) To be Read at Dusk (1852) The Lazy Tour of Idle Apprentices (1857) The Signal Man (1866) George Silverman’s Explanation (1868) Holiday Romance (1868) Christmas Short Stories: A Christmas Tree (1850) What Christmas is as we Grow Older (1851) The Poor Relation’s Story (1852) The Child’s Story (1852) The Schoolboy’s Story (1853) Nobody’s Story (1853) Going Into Society (1858) Somebody's Luggage (1862) Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings (1863) Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy (1864) Doctor Marigold's Prescriptions (1865) Collaborative Works: The Holly-Tree Inn (1855) The Wreck of the "Golden Mary" (1856) The Perils of Certain English Prisoners (1857) A House to Let (1858) The Haunted House (1859) A Message from the Sea (1860) Tom Tiddler's Ground (1861) The Trial for Murder (1865) Mugby Junction (1866) No Thoroughfare (1867) Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Plays: Sunday Under Three Heads (1836) American Notes: For General Circulation (1842) Pictures from Italy (1846) A Child's History of England (1853)

    An unforgettable journey. A beautiful and bloody history. This is Iceland as you've never read it before... Broadcaster Richard Fidler and author Kári Gíslason are good friends. They share a deep attachment to the sagas of Iceland - the true stories of the first Viking families who settled on that remote island in the Middle Ages. These are tales of blood feuds, of dangerous women, and people who are compelled to kill the ones they love the most. The sagas are among the greatest stories ever written, but the identity of their authors is largely unknown. Together, Richard and Kári travel across Iceland, to the places where the sagas unfolded a thousand years ago. They cross fields, streams and fjords to immerse themselves in the folklore of this fiercely beautiful island. And there is another mission: to resolve a longstanding family mystery - a gift from Kari's Icelandic father that might connect him to the greatest of the saga authors. Praise For Fidler & Gíslason.'We already know Fidler is an interviewer of great empathy, now we know he mirrors that skill on the page, too.' Andrew McMillan, The Australian'Kári's descriptions of Iceland are so beautiful that one is tempted to pack up and go there.' Bev Blaauw, Cairns Post

    Icky" "Jemina"

    The book is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society as described by the character Raphael Hythloday who lived there some years, who describes and its religious, social and political customs.

    A tough, bloodthirsty warrior, Robin is more feared than any man in the country. And he becomes a mentor for Alan; with his fellow outlaws, Robin teaches Alan how to fight - and how to win.But Robin is a ruthless man - and although he is Alan's protector, if Alan displeases him, he could also just as easily become his murderer ...

    Amid the carnage and confusion, one Baudolino saves a historian and high court official from certain death at the hands of the crusading warriors and proceeds to tell his own fantastical story.Born a simple peasant in northern Italy, Baudolino has two major gifts-a talent for learning languages and a skill in telling lies. When still a boy he meets a foreign commander in the woods, charming him with his quick wit and lively mind. The commander-who proves to be Emperor Frederick Barbarossa-adopts Baudolino and sends him to the university in Paris, where he makes a number of fearless, adventurous friends.Spurred on by myths and their own reveries, this merry band sets out in search of Prester John, a legendary priest-king said to rule over a vast kingdom in the East-a phantasmagorical land of strange creatures with eyes on their shoulders and mouths on their stomachs, of eunuchs, unicorns, and lovely maidens. With dazzling digressions, outrageous tricks, extraordinary feeling, and vicarious reflections on our postmodern age, this is Eco the storyteller at his brilliant best.

    From the eerie incantations of “The Raven” to the persistent fright of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” his stories and poems are unforgettable explorations of the darker side of life that still offer lessons and insight into human behavior today, making them an integral component of just about any library.   This Canterbury Classics edition of Edgar Allan Poe collects some of his best-known work--from “Annabel Lee” to “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Lenore” to “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and many, many more. With an impressive leather cover, specially designed endpapers, and other all-new enhancements, as well as an essay by a Poe scholar, Edgar Allan Poe is the perfect introduction for new readers and the perfect resource for devoted fans.   Poe's writings were truly original--and this unique book is the perfect look at his uncommon genius.

    Yet Nell is determined to elude the duties and restrictions of matrimony. So when she finds herself pregnant at the age of 17, she refuses to divulge the name of the father and even her childhood friend Martin is kept in the dark.Nell's stepfather Hiram sends Nell to live at the Poor Farm of which he is a governor, to await the day when her baby can be discreetly adopted. Nell is ready to go along with Hiram's plans until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced that the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and the incident prompts her to rethink her decision to abandon her own child to her fate. But the revelations to which her questions lead make her realize that even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to run to.

    Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship. Between them lie not only a wall of stone and barbed wire but also the bitter enmity of two nations at war.Told in the voice of Elias as he looks back upon the long years of his life, About the Night is a timely story of how hope can nourish us, loss can devastate us, and love can carry us beyond the boundaries that hold human beings apart.

    Her biggest issue is trying to figure out why her seemingly normal boyfriend won't sleep with her. Then Jason races into her life. He won't say where he came from or who's chasing him. He's a delicious puzzle, a boy who has no problem using his fists to solve arguments or quoting Plato to justify his actions. Azazel is drawn to him. She's obsessed with finding out his secrets. What she doesn't know is that Jason's secrets are entwined with her own town's secrets. Her friends and family have conspired to use her as a pawn in a violent scheme. Soon, she will have to choose between protecting Jason and staying loyal to everyone she's ever trusted. A story about forbidden love, fate, and free will, Breathless is Rosemary's Baby meets The Da Vinci Code.

    In Gilgamesh, science fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg gives us a vivid portrait of a courageous, lusty, sometimes reckless ruler of men. It is the majestic tale of a man haunted by gods, tormented by his passion for a woman who was his greatest rival, and driven by a thirst for immortality.

    Warned by the Fates of an impending disaster, she must embark on a journey to find a magnificent gold necklace, one said to possess the power to alter the course of history. But even as Freya travels deep into the mountains of Iceland, the country is on the brink of war. The new world order of Christianity is threatening the old ways of Iceland-s people, and tangled amidst it all are two star-crossed lovers who destiny draws them together-even as their families are determined to tear them apart Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Betsy Tobin-s sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.