Combining humor and informal language to explore adolescence in middle-class Peru, this edition provides ready points of engagement for young (and not-so-young) adults. The stories and main themes are explained and analyzed through a critical introduction, comprehensive notes and vocabulary prepared by one of the leading international scholars of the author's work.

    Now at your fingertips. The Mahabharata is the world's longest epic. It contains within it numerous fables, anecdotes and pieces of practical wisdom that make up what we today call Indian culture.Two thousand tales from this ocean of Vedic literature are now being retold for your reading pleasure. Crisp, comprehensive, contextual.In this volume you will find stories such as:- The three disciples of Dhaumya the sage- The strange adventures of Uttanka- The tortoise that fought with an elephant over years by a lake- How Sesha came to become the supporter of Mother Earth- Who the second Indra was and how he was 'defeated'And many more. Whether you're a casual reader of mythology or a die-hard fanatic, this is a must-read.

    TRY THIS BESTSELLING THRILLER FOR A SPECIAL PRICE. Conspiracy thrillers don’t come bigger or better than THE KEY – from the author of the bestselling thriller debut of 2011, SANCTUS.Please note that the map in this ebook is best displayed on tablet devicesPage extent: 50 pagesTHE FATE OF MAN IS IN THE HANDS OF ONE WOMANIn the historic Turkish city of Ruin, American journalist Liv Adamsen wakes up in an isolation ward. She knows she entered Ruin’s forbidden ancient Citadel, but remembers only darkness.A strange whisper within says she is `the key': but to what?For the desperate fanatics inside the Citadel, only her return can secure their survival. Charity worker Gabriel Mann, meanwhile, believes Liv could unlock mankind’s most profound mystery.And for a powerful global faction, Liv’s silence – at any cost – is all that matters. Hunted across continents, Gabriel and Liv approach an explosive discovery – one that will tear them apart and change the world forever…

    Every genre and style, from the celebrated No plays to the poetry and novels of the seventeenth century, find a place in this book. An introduction by Donald Keene places the selections in their proper historical context, allowing the readers to enjoy the book both as literature and as a guide to the cultural history of Japan. Selections include “Man’yoshu” or “Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves” from the ancient period; “Kokinshu” or “Collection of Ancient and Modern Poetry,” “The Tosa Diary” of Ki No Tsurayuki, “Yugao” from “Tales of Genji” of Murasaki Shikibu, and “The Pillow Book” of Sei Shonagon from the Heian Period; “The Tale of the Heike” from the Kamakura Period; Plan of the No Stage, “Birds of Sorrow” of Seami Motokiyo, and “Three Poets at Minase” from the Muromachi Period; and Sections from Basho, including “The Narrow Road of Oku,” “The Love Suicides at Sonezaki” by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, and Waka and haiku of the Tokugawa Period.

    Miyake is an older man with an obsession in building the perfect bonfire. He befriends Junko, a young woman who lives with her boyfriend Keisuke and is estranged from her family. Whenever Miyake is going to light a bonfire, he calls Junko to come down and watch it burn; and the two of them have an unusual connection. Junko’s boyfriend, Keisuke, is a musician who lives in the here and now and has difficulty understanding Miyake and Junko’s relationship.Much of the story revolves around a philosophical discussion between Miyake and Junko. It is important to understand that Murakami wrote this story shortly after the Kobe earthquake; and the themes of death, an uncertain future and the larger meaning of life resonate throughout the prose.

    The only foreseeable problem is insuring they applied enough sunscreen to their pasty-white Wisconsinite skin. This is Jayne O’Shea’s plan for her Hawaiian vacation. The one thing, the biggest thing that wasn’t on her agenda was solving any kind of crime. Which means she shouldn’t have told the woman across the street she was a small-town sheriff in her real life. Gemi Kittredge is the top-ranked women’s bantamweight MMA fighter on the island. She’s capable of taking down a man twice her size in under thirty seconds. When Gemi begs for her help, how can Jayne possibly say no?

    "Devdas: " The young boy Devdas has an ardent follower, a little girl Parvati, who is his neighbor's daughter. They grow up together in a class conscious, tradition bound, rural community. Their friendship turns into love as they mature. Will they be able to have their wish fulfilled and unite with each other for the rest of their lives? Which way their fate will take them?"Good Riddance (Niskriti): " Girish is a successful man and both he and his wife are magnanimous. They allow Girish's incompetent and poor cousin and his family to live with them as a joint family. An atmosphere of great love and understanding prevails over the joint family. But, what happens when Girish's younger brother Harish, who is also a successful man and has a wife with western education, joins the family? What events take place and what are the roles played by different family members?"Pundit (Pundit-moshai): " Brindabon was married at a young age, but was soon made by his father to desert his child bride, because of a rumor of scandal about her mother. He grows up to become a self educated and benevolent well to do man, and she grows up to be a beautiful and educated woman in a poor family. After his second wife dies leaving behind a young son, he offers to take her back. But, how she responds? Brindabon gives free education to children of the poor in the village, by teaching them himself, and is called by them as Pundit. But, does that earn him respect from the diehard snobs in the village ortheir compassion in his moment of crisis?"Chandranath: " A rich man marries a poor young woman, not knowing that her mother had a scandal of living together with a man after she became a widow. The girl, because of her humble background and the scandalous secret about her mother, considers herself much inferior to her husband and treats him with servility. How are the husband's feelings towards her? How the marriage blossoms? A kindly old man comes in their life, and what role he plays?"Debt and Payment (Dena-Paona): " Jibananda, a corrupt scion of a landlord family, marries the child daughter of a widow for dowry money and then disappears. He later inherits a large estate when his uncle dies and becomes an oppressive feudal landlord. The girl by turn of events becomes the custodian of a temple in a village, where the landlord owns some property. She is upright, educated, and a leader of the downtrodden. The landlord visits the village, but does not recognize her. The virtuous woman and the depraved man cross their path, and what does it bring to them?

    So he whisks away lovely Poppy O’Brien, determined to convince her to leave him alone. But what he gets is so much more than he ever bargained for…Ultimate CowboyRancher Brody Bloodworth has spent years blaming himself for his brother’s disappearance. If he hadn’t snuck off to be with Julie Whitehead, everything would have been different—and he wouldn’t have pushed her away. Now Julie is back, an FBI agent with a solid lead on his brother. Before long he finds himself unable to keep his hands off her. As he prepares for a showdown with the ruthless kidnappers, Brody knows what’s at stake if he wins. And just how much he’ll lose if he doesn’t….

    Mouthwatering curves with a sassy attitude to match. The one woman in my life who doesn’t cave at my feet. Intelligent. Loyal. Disciplined. She’s the perfect fit. I need a Baby -- an Heir for my Billion-dollar empire.I’m about to seal the most important business deal of my life:1) $250,000 for her to be my surrogate 2) Then I take my baby, and I’ll disappear out of her life Simple. I WISH!! Inappropriate? I’m just getting started… I couldn’t resist getting her knocked up (the old fashioned way). One time changed everything. Now I need so much more… Why shouldn't I seize the happiness staring me straight in the face?

    The darkness is here...3 high school seniors on a field trip sneak away from the rest of the class, and then massive destruction happens.The power is out, their phones aren't working, they can't find their class or others, and debris falling and crashes are happening all around them.Madison, Mason, and Becca must fight to survive in the aftermath, and they don't even know what happened.When normal systems and structures are broken down, the fight to survive becomes even tougher.Will they even make it through the first few nights alive?

    But what of its opposite -- the moment when it becomes clear that things are indisputably over? Dumped is a survey of every type of romantic crack-up, a group of stories full of the hilarity, wisdom, insight, and sometimes, yes, fierce revenges of some of the most memorable broken hearts in recent literature. Dumped sheds light on what can be the toughest part of human relations -- whether newly elucidating the misery we've all endured, or merely reminding us that others have had it far worse -- from the mother in Elizabeth Berg's Open House absurdly attempting to tell her son his father has left, to the betrayed wife in Roald Dahl's "Lamb to Slaughter," who beats her husband to death with a leg of lamb, then cooks it for the police. With contributions from such notable authors as Will Self, Saul Bellow, Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Lorrie Moore, Dorothy Parker, Andre Dubus, and Tobias Wolff, as well as rising stars like Lucinda Rosenfeld and Steve Almond, Dumped spans every variety of romantic catastrophe and every possible response to it; from the wise to the hilarious, the bitter to the bittersweet. This book is the panacea for problems of the heart.

    This collection-- dazzling, diverse, sophisticated-- demonstrates the enormous range of her talent between two camps-- alongside such contemporary issues as mortgage debt and medical error.

    For over 70 years, Aokigahara, Japan has been a source of mystery for both investigators and paranormal researchers. This beautiful stretch of unkempt woodland, while maintaining the illusion of beauty, harbours a secret which few people are willing to acknowledge. Aokigahara, known to many as the Sea of Trees, is the suicide capital of Japan. Every year, hundreds of people visit the forest with no intention of ever leaving. People who no longer wish to be a part of this world find solace in the isolation of Aokigahara, and willingly take their own lives against its backdrop of chaotic forestry. However, the legend of Aokigahara goes a lot further that simply being alluring scenery for suicide. Its lore is rooted in ancient legend, literature and a historical association with death. Its impact on Japanese culture has been so prominent that Japanese officials rarely acknowledge the forest’s existence in an effort to disassociate it from its macabre infamy. But despite this, Aokigahara’s prominence in not just Japanese culture, but world over, cannot be understated.

    Francesca, Kelly, and Kelly's teenage sister Amanda are only meant to spend several hours at the pool together, while their professor parents finish up an afternoon of work at their lush, Oregon college. The younger girls are caught up in hair braiding and Marco Polo, but Amanda is poised on the cusp of an adult realm bursting with cruel secrets. When the girls run into a beautiful, anxious woman and her toddler, Amanda starts to act in ways that may well transform an unremarkable day into a dark turning point in all their lives. By turns enchanting and terrifying, and always bursting with vivid emotion, “Frito Lay” brings us deep into our own childhood memories, reminding us that the dark and sinister were never quite as far away as we might have believed.