And for a disparate, disconnected clutch of wanderers - many thousands of miles apart but linked by a common goal - four parallel journeys are just beginning.Gorych and his driver, rolling through water, sand and snow on an empty petrol tank; the occupant of a black airship, looking down benevolently as he floats above his Fatherland; young Andrey, who leaves his religious community in search of a new life; and Kharitonov, who trudges from the Sea of Japan to Leningrad, carrying a fuse that, when lit, could blow all and sundry to smithereens.Written in the final years of Communism, The Bickford Fuse is a satirical epic of the Soviet soul, exploring the origins and dead-ends of the Russian mentality from the end of World War Two to the Union's collapse. Blending allegory and fable with real events, and as deliriously absurd as anything Kurkov has written, it is both an elegy for lost years and a song of hope for a future not yet set in stone.

    Poems discuss a journey across the ocean, a veterans' cemetery, money, an abandoned collection of dolls, and a man who escapes from his prison cell to commit a murder.

    Includes the stories "Where I Live," "Harrison Bergeron," "Who Am I This Time?," "Welcome to the Monkey House," "Long Walk to Forever," "The Foster Portfolio," "Miss Temptation," "All the King's Horses," "Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog," "New Dictionary," "Next Door," "More Stately Mansions," "The Hyannis Port Story," and "D.P."

    Three Americans, a man and two women, are living together in obvious intimacy. Their habits, strange to the Mexicans, are strangest of all to themselves.When Fern Winters’ attention is caught by movement behind a window in a run-down Greenwich Village apartment building, she can’t suspect that her encounter with the apartment’s occupant will eventually lead her to be come upon in an abandoned chapel, in a tiny mountain village—clutching the bloody machete with which one of the three has been murdered.Going Down is a rarity among novels—brilliantly and poetically written, faultlessly constructed, centered on fully realized people, and yet completely uninhibited in its depiction of startling eroticism.

    But then, Davey's never done what's expected of him.We've seen how prison works from one side of the door�-�now Ronnie Thompson has teamed up with Davey Sommers to tell the story�of what it's like from the other side. BANGED UP is a gritty account of one man's descent into crime�- from small-time dealing to big time.�And it's�about the�realities of being�a 'face' in prison�-�having to keep your fearsome reputation intact, even while you're behind bars. Life inside is revealed in all its gory detail�- the smells, the tastes, the unsavoury company (and that includes the screws). Perhaps that's why Davey thought he'd try his luck and escape rather than serve his time...This is a story of drugs, violence, life on the run and, ultimately, justice.

    Written by the author of Adventures In Capitalism, this title features twists 'n' turns, sex 'n' violence, and glitz 'n' glamour.

    Each twin consists of two books: a specially designed limited edition of one modern classic title and one established classic work. The books in each pair have been carefully selected to provide a thought-provoking combination.Gulliver's Travels: In the course of his famous travels, Gulliver is captured by miniature people who wage war on each other because of religious disagreement over how to crack eggs, is sexually assaulted by giants, visits a floating island, and decides that the society of horses is better than that of his fellow man. Swift's tough, filthy and incisive satire has much to say about the state of the world today and is presented here in its unexpurgated entirety.Atomised: Half-brothers Michel and Bruno have a mother in common but little else. Michel is a molecular biologist, a thinker and idealist, a man with no erotic life to speak of and little in the way of human society. Bruno, by contrast, is a libertine, though more in theory than in practice, his endless lust is all too rarely reciprocated. Both are symptomatic members of our atomised society, where religion has given way to shallow 'new age' philosophies and love to meaningless sexual connections. A dissection of modern lives and loves, it is by turns funny, acid, infuriating, didactic, touching and visceral.

    

    Includes:FIREFLY LANETo the people around them they were known as KateandTully or the Firefly Lane Girls. A single, inseparable unit. Best friends forever. On the surface they were as opposite as two people could be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret home life that is destroying her. Yet they are best friends who swear they'll be there for each other, and for thirty years that promise holds strong—until events and choices in their lives make that promise impossible. More than a coming-of-age novel, this is the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It's about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you—and knows what has the power to hurt you and heal you.FLY AWAYKristin Hannah returns to the world of the unforgettable characters from FIREFLY LANE and asks the question: How do you hold yourself together when your world has fallen apart? This is the story of three women who have lost their way and need each other—plus a miracle—to transform their lives. An emotionally complex, heartwrenching novel about love, family, motherhood, loss, and redemption, it reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. Told with her trademark visceral storytelling and illuminating prose, Kristin Hannah reveals why she is one of the most beloved writers of our day.TRUE COLORSThe Grey sisters had only each other when their mother died years ago. Their stern, unyielding father gave them almost no attention. Winona, the oldest, needs her father's approval most of all. An overweight dreamer, she never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that had been in her family for three generations. Aurora, the middle, is the peacemaker. Vivi Ann, the youngest, is the undisputed star of the family. Everything comes easily to Vivi Ann, her father's love most of all. But when Vivi Ann makes a fateful decision to follow her heart, rather than take the route of a dutiful daughter, events are set in motion that will test the love and loyalties of the Grey sisters. They will be pitted against each other in ways none could have imagined. Secrets will be revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both the family and their beloved town. With breathtaking pace and penetrating insight, Kristin Hannah's has written a novel that's about sisters, vengeance, jealousy, betrayal—and ultimately, what it truly means to be a family.

    She's an American tourist who just happened to stumble into a Celtic Warrior Reality Game. Melissa is certain she has stepped through the magical mist of Scotland - to go back in time. He captures her heart from the first moment they look at each other. For Alexander's six brothers, it's a game of deception as they convince Melissa she is in the 18th century. Along with two hundred and fifty warriors, they battle against the challenging Prince. It's a game of wits, and it's anyone's guess who will win. Alexander, their greatest warrior is smitten, and they are honor bound to keep his secrets.

    The detailed, state-of-the-art information in this edition reflects current procedures and promotes the delivery of comprehensive patient care. This text provides nurses with the tools needed to deliver safe, cost-effective, high-quality patient care.More than 400 contemporary and traditional specialty surgical interventions, in addition to numerous minimally invasive surgical procedures, are explained.Approximately 1,000 full-color illustrations and photos build familiarity with surgical anatomy, procedures, methods and equipment.Places a strong emphasis on patient education and discharge planning, as well as patient safety.Best Practice boxes apply evidence-based practice to perioperative nursing.Sample Plans of Care link interventions to clearly identified outcomes.Research Highlight boxes translate research into practice for patient care.Addresses Emergency preparedness and bioterrorism considerations.Ambulatory, pediatric, geriatric, trauma surgeries, as well as complementary and alternative therapies, are given special attention.History boxes summarize significant historical events related to surgery and perioperative nursing.The latest invasive and non-invasive technological advances related to surgical procedures, including areas such as interventional radiology, are featured.Patient and Family Education boxes offer guidelines for pre- and post-procedural care, side effects and complications, discharge/follow-up care, home care, psychosocial care and referrals.Surgical Pharmacology tables summarize the drugs most commonly used for specific surgical procedures, including generic and trade names, purpose/description and pharmacokinetics.Patient Safety boxes highlight recent JCAHO initiatives designed to prioritize patient safety.Recent OSHA guidelines regarding workplace safety are emphasized.

    Boxed set collecting Poetry For The Beat Generation (1959), Blues and Haikus (1959), and Readings By Jack Kerouac On The Beat Generation (1960), remastered with bonus tracks.

     Her two daughters, from a previous relationship, are now both adult. Jo, ambitious and independent, is pursuing a career as a barrister. Jo’s younger sister is very different. Shelley, just 20, sweet natured, trusting and innocent, still lives at home and works at a local animal clinic. They are a normal, happy family - and then Shelley meets Sam on the street and everything changes. Martha struggles to accept Shelley’s choice of boyfriend as, with increasing anger, she witnesses the erosion of all Shelley’s values under Sam’s influence. When Martha’s efforts to persuade Shelley to give Sam up fail, she decides on a more direct approach. The consequences of her actions are devastating for everyone and change the course of Martha’s life forever. “After I’d gone up to bed that night, leaving Gabe amidst the carnage I had created in the living room, I formulated my plan. But it was pure chance that I met Sam on Putney Bridge some three weeks later and I went ahead with it.”

    But in the hood the Prince Charming are ballers and we dream of living happily ever Rich! Now imagine being swept off your feet and upgraded from a nobody into a ghetto superstar. Imagine a life of nothing but the best; clothes, jewels, whips and homes. Just picture your life as baller's bit*h! Ask yourself how much are you willing to sacrifice to be the hottest chick in the game? When Emerald found her ghetto Prince Charming Dollar he quickly upgraded her into a overnight ghetto superstar. Spoiling her with the hottest whips, the finest clothes, the fliest jewels and an unlimited cash allowance. Emerald represented a baller's chick to the fullest; she lived, breathe and swore by the hustlers anthem Balling! The night Dollar asked Emerald to marry him; she knew all her blood, sweat and spit had paid off. She'd be forever fly; Emerald knew the life of a baller's wife could only get more luxurious. But when a drop goes bad and Emerald back is pushed against the wall. How much will she be willing to sacrifice to stay at the top spot? Come ride along with Emerald while she discovers the truth about being a Baller's bit*h!

    When his plane goes down, the sisters must put aside their differences and pray he comes back in time for Christmas.The Ragged Heiress by Dilly CourtOn a bitter winter's day, an unnamed girl lies dangerously ill in hospital. When two coarse, rough-speaking individuals come to claim her, she can remember nothing. It's a Vet's Life by Cathy WoodmanAlex and Maz are due to get married at Christmas. But as busy country vets, there's little time for each other, let alone arranging a wedding. It's going to take a Christmas miracle to get these two down the aisle.