Oliver Twist, published in 1838 and set in London's Victorian underworld, is a novel of social protest, a morality tale and detective story. The orphan Oliver, Viper Fagan, Bill Sykes, and the Artful Dodger are some of the most memorable characters in all of literature. A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859, is Dickens's great novel of the French Revolution. In it he brings to life a time of terror and treason, when a starving populace rose in fury to overthrow a corrupt and decaying regime. the human story within the Revolution is the duality of the heart, embodied by two of his greatest characters: Charles Darnay and Sidney Carton.Great Expectations, published in 1861, is the story of Pip and the mysterious fortune which falls into his lap. It is both comic and tragic, filled with memories of childhood fairy tales with a twist. One of Dickens' greatest achievements, it is a novel, as Graham Greene comments, filled with secret prose giving us, "the sense of a minds peaking to itself with no one to listen." A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, is his most beloved story, as much a part of Christmas as mistletoe and carolers. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Crachit and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future all occupy a special place in our hearts and memories.(front flap)

    Emblematic of the ongoing tensions between America's expansive democratic promises and its enduring racial realities, Washington often has served as a national battleground for contentious issues, including slavery, segregation, civil rights, the drug war, and gentrification. But D.C. is more than just a seat of government, and authors Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove also highlight the city's rich history of local activism as Washingtonians of all races have struggled to make their voices heard in an undemocratic city where residents lack full political rights.Tracing D.C.'s massive transformations--from a sparsely inhabited plantation society into a diverse metropolis, from a center of the slave trade to the nation's first black-majority city, from Chocolate City to Latte City--Asch and Musgrove offer an engaging narrative peppered with unforgettable characters, a history of deep racial division but also one of hope, resilience, and interracial cooperation.

    James Baldwin, An Original was originally published in Vogue, July 1964. Cover design by Adil Dara.

    These speeches document Malcolm's progression from Black nationalism to internationalism, and are key to both understanding his extraordinary life and illuminating his angry yet uplifting cause.

    In this anthology the authors have edited material not only from his so-called Treatise on Painting but also from his surviving manuscripts and from other primary sources, some of which were here translated for the first time. The resulting volume is an invaluable reference work for art historians as well as for anyone interested in the mind and methods of one of the world’s greatest creative geniuses.“Highly readable. . . . Also included are documentary sources and letters illuminating Leonardo’s career; the manuscript sources for all of Leonardo’s statements are fully cited in the notes. The volume is skillfully translated and is illustrated with appropriate examples of drawings and paintings by the artist.”—Choice“Certainly easier to read and . . . more convenient than previous compilations.”—Charles Hope, New York Review of Books“A chaotic assemblage of Leonardo da Vinci’s writings appeared in 1651 as Treatise on Painting. . . . [Kemp] successfully applies . . . order to the chaos.”—ArtNews

    Should Remi, the first of his tribe to go to university, return to his people? Or should he continue to be a black hermit in the town?

    The whale was once a fearsome predator who ate humans, but was changed by one of his victims.

    Five years ago, Noel dedicated her life to Christ. It was the best decision she’d made in her life. However, August isn’t onboard with his wife’s newfound faith. Noel is at her wits end, trying to convince her husband about the way of the Lord. August is done with his wife pestering him about her faith. They are both hoping for a Christmas miracle – one of peace.

    The extravagant house, the luxury cars, but she has a controlling husband who only gives his doting wife a measly 20 bucks a day! Despite the smile she paints on her face daily… Underneath the polite grin a fire is smoldering. That fire ignites into a five alarm inferno when she finds out her prosperous mate’s filthy little secrets. Trina is a business woman who has her eyes on the all mighty dollar. But she should have kept one eye on her lazy ass boyfriend who seems to be allergic to a job application. She’s put up with a lot of s*#! from him. But the buck stops here-her boyfriend’s free ride halts when his dark lies come to light. These two females are different; yet have several things in common. They both have boys…not men. They’re top notch women who are fed up and pissed. And now it’s time to get even! It’s time to make these men bow down! It’s time to make them drown in their own salty tears! The moment has arrived to bring the pain! You may ask yourself is all that necessary? And the answer is…Hell Yeah! Because MEN ARE BITCHES TOO!

    He was my everything. We knew he would be joining the service when we graduated. Just like his dad and grandfather did before him. So, no matter how much I wanted him to stay, he had to go. He had to leave me. My mom was once in the same situation and she waited her whole life for my dad to come back to us. I saw what she went through and how it destroyed her. I couldn’t do that to myself. So, I ended it with Tank. Tank Emily thinks I will never come back to her. But what she doesn’t realize is, I don’t have a choice. No matter what happens, no matter how far away I go, I’m coming back to her. Where I Belong (Alpha Men, 5) An Alpha Man and BBW, Steamy Sweet Romance Kim I fell for Rich in a picture. He is in my brother’s army unit and twelve years older than me. Although I dreamed about him all the time, I never imagined that we would ever meet… and he would live up to my fantasy. Rich My army brother asked me to check in on his sister. I told him I would and then he gave me her picture. I fell for her just by looking at her, and I knew the minute I saw her, I was where I belong. Do Over (Alpha Men, 6) An Alpha Man, and BBW, Steamy Sweet Romance Madison Jase and I were in love and going to be together FOREVER! And then he had to leave me. I spent the last five years dealing with a broken heart. I tried to move on, I met someone else and we had a baby together. But now, Jase is back and says he’s here to get what is his. Jase I had to leave her. At the time I didn’t think I had a choice. But I worked all this time to get back to her. She thinks since her body has changed and she has a little girl now that I don’t want her. She couldn’t be more wrong and I’m going to prove it to her. I’m going to get my second chance… my do-over. Note: This is a steamy, sweet, SHORT romance. It has a HEA with alpha male and a plus-size woman that makes him hers! If you love short romances with insta love, hot love scenes, and a sweet story, then this one is for you.

     Lacey Luzzi’s rollercoaster of a life has been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. She just never expected the lows to be so… sparkly. After falling on her face during an attempt to follow in her recently-deceased mother’s stripper-boots, Lacey realizes she’s not cut out for life on stage. She sets out on a year-long investigation to find her true family, never expecting she’ll find it with a capital “F.” With a rumbling stomach, a need for money (check engine lights don’t fix themselves!), and a conscience that operates at 78% on a good day, Lacey is sucked into a whirlwind of Family secrets, hard-as-cement cookies, and mysterious, sexy men who unfortunately shoot guns, sometimes aimed at her face. The long-lost-granddaughter of Carlos Luzzi, the Godfather of the Italian Mafia, Lacey accepts her first assignment for the mob: finding fifteen million dollars of ‘the good stuff.’ Even after she enlists the help of her mouthy best-friend and her cousin, a technical genius and social disaster, she finds that going toe-to-toe with the rival Russian mob is more dangerous than expected. No one chooses their Family, but Lacey Luzzi will be lucky if she can survive hers. ** ** Lacey Luzzi: Sprinkled, is a full-length, laugh-out-loud, humorous cozy mystery with a strong female protagonist in the spirit of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, albeit one working for the wrong side of the law… Note: Rated a strong PG-13 for sarcasm and mild language. No graphic gore or sex.

    Oaklayne Plantation is in ruins, a stark reflection of the condition of a once prosperous country and her families who have been torn apart by war. Was anything gained by the deaths of so many Americans? Is all hope for restoration gone?The Reconstruction Era is an often overlooked, but politically charged time in American history. Oaklayne, The Reconstruction presents an engaging mix of heart rending tragedy, sabotage, murder, corruption and intrigue, together with humor, romance, joy, faith, hope and love. Come along with General Adam Layne as he walks the tumultuous road toward rebuilding his live, his family, his childhood home and his country in this historically accurate portrayal of a man who refuses to accept meaningless loss.

     Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection If You Liked School, You'll Love Work.

    

    It is the story of the Monticello Plantation in Virginia, the estate where Thomas Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while enslaving over 400 people on the premises. It is the story of the Whitney Plantation, one of the only former plantations devoted to preserving the experience of the enslaved people whose lives and work sustained it. It is the story of Angola Prison in Louisiana, a former plantation named for the country from which most of its enslaved people arrived and which has since become one of the most gruesome maximum-security prisons in the world. And it is the story of Blandford Cemetery, the final resting place of tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers. In a deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history, How the Word Is Passed illustrates how some of our country's most essential stories are hidden in plain view-whether in places we might drive by on our way to work, holidays such as Juneteenth, or entire neighborhoods—like downtown Manhattan—on which the brutal history of the trade in enslaved men, women and children has been deeply imprinted. Informed by scholarship and brought alive by the story of people living today, Clint Smith’s debut work of nonfiction is a landmark work of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in understanding our country.