Modern irodalom

Trees sleep at night. Google searches for 'How to put on a condom' peak at 10.28pm. There is no word for time in any Aboriginal language. Scotland has 421 words for snow. Emoji is the fastest growing language in history. Astronauts wear belts to stoptheir trousers falling up. The name Donald means 'ruler of the world'. Tanks are exempt from London's Congestion charge. The anti-spam industry is worth more than the spam industry. Florida has more bear hunters than bears. Selfies kill more people thansharks. Two-thirds of deaths in the world go unrecorded. On each anniversary of its landing on Mars, the Curiosity rover hums 'Happy Birthday' to itself. Nostalgia was classified as a disease by the Royal College of Physicians until 1899. 1 in 3 childrenpretend to believe in Santa Claus to keep their parents happy. Black coffee drinkers are more likely to be psychopaths. When you blush so does the lining of your stomach. Quidditch, Digestive biscuits and overdrafts were all invented in Edinburgh. Theworld's only Cornish pasty museum is in Mexico. Nobody knows why the Oscars are called the Oscars. Las Vegas hosts an awards ceremony for people who make awards. In 2015, America's 'National Hero Dog Award' was won by a cat. A group of unicorns is calleda blessing.If there are any facts you don't believe, or if you want to know more about them, all the sources can be found on www.qi.com

'AN AMBITIOUS, PERCEPTIVE NOVEL' GUARDIAN'A WONDERFULLY IMAGINATIVE WRITER' WASHINGTON POSTA fugitive train loaded with the plunder of a doomed people. A dazzling jewelled pendant in the form of a stylized peacock. And three men - an American infantry captain in World War II, an Israeli-born dealer in art stolen by the Nazis, and a pioneeringpsychiatrist in fin-de-siecle Budapest - who find their carefully-wrought lives turned upside-down by three fierce women, each locked in a struggle against her own history and the history of our times. And at the centre of Love and Treasure, nested likea photograph hidden in a locket, a mystery: where does the worth of a people and its treasures truly lie? What is the value of a gift, when giver and recipient have been lost - of a love offering when the beloved is no more?In an intricately constructed narrative that is by turns funny and tragic, thrilling and harrowing, with all the expertise and narrative drive that readers have come to expect from her work, Waldman traces the unlikely journey, from 1914 Budapest topost-war Salzburg to present-day New York, of the peacock pendant whose significance changes - token of friendship, love-offering, unlucky talisman - with the changes of fortune undergone by her characters as they find themselves caught up in the ebb andflow of modern European history.Spanning continents and a hundred years of turbulent history, encompassing war and revolution, the history of art, feminism and psychoanalysis, depicting the range of human feeling from the darkness of a shattered Europe to the ordinary heartbreaks of acontemporary New York woman, Love and Treasure marks the full maturity of a remarkable writer.

Taking both inspiration and naming convention from Ray Bradbury's R Is for Rocket and S Is for Space, Gaiman's first YA anthology is a fine collection of previously published short stories. Although Gaiman's prose skill has improved markedly since theearliest stories included here, one constant is his stellar imagination, not to mention his knack for finding unexpected room for exploration in conventional story motifs. Jill Dumpty, sister of the late Humpty, hires a hard-boiled detective to look intoher brother's tragic fall

Travis Parker has it all: a good job, loyal friends and his dream home in North Carolina. The last thing hes looking for is a serious relationship. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door.

The scorching new thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train.A Slow Fire Burning twists and turns like a great thriller should, but it's also deep, intelligent and intensely human. - Lee ChildOnly a clairvoyant could anticipate the book's ending - New York TimesWith the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers worldwide in The Girl on the Train and Into the Water, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting story of deceit, murder, and revenge.When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim's home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recentdeath of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are - for different reasons - simmering with resentment. Who are, whetherthey know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?

Being trained by the Assassin's Guild in Ankh-Morpork did not fit Teppic for the task assigned to him by fate. He inherited the throne of the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi rather earlier than he expected (his father wasn't too happy about it either), butthat was only the beginning of his problems...PYRAMIDS (THE BOOK OF GOING FORTH) IS THE SEVENTH DISCWORLD NOVEL - AND THE MOST OUTRAGEOUSLY FUNNY TO DATE.

Sei anni fa ebbi un incidente col mio aeroplano nel deserto del Sahara. Qualche cosa si era rotta nel motore, e siccome non avevo con me né un meccanico, né dei passeggeri, mi accinsi da solo a cercare di riparare il guasto. Era una questione di vita odi morte, perché avevo acqua da bere soltanto per una settimana... Potete immaginare il mio stupore di essere svegliato all'alba da una strana vocetta: Mi disegni, per favore, una pecora?... E fu cosi che feci la conoscenza del piccolo principe. Asettant'anni dalla pubblicazione negli Stati Uniti del libro, Il Piccolo Principe c divenuto un long seller internazionale, un testo che ha fatto innamorare milioni di lettori nel mondo. Eta di lettura: da 8 anni.

Kafka meets The Thick Of It in a bitingly funny new political satire from Ian McEwanThat morning, Jim Sams, clever but by no means profound, woke from uneasy dreams to find himself transformed into a gigantic creature.Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous life he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain - and it is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing must get in his way: not theopposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy.With trademark intelligence, insight and scabrous humour, Ian McEwan pays tribute to Franz Kafka's most famous work to engage with a world turned on its head.

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love. When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one winter morning he is catapulted back to the brief time they spent playing together as children. Their uniquespark is instantly reignited. What comes next is a story of friendship and rivalry, fame and creativity, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, ultimately, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

The Center for women's reproductive health offers a last chance at hope - but nobody ends up there by choice.Its very existence is controversial, and to the demonstrators who barricade the building every day, the service it offers isno different from legalised murder. Now life and deathd ecisions are being made horrifyingly real: a lone protesterwith a gun has taken the staff, patients and visitors hostage. Starting at the tensest moment in the negotiations for theirrelease, A Spark of Light unravels backwards, revealing hourby urgent hour what brought each of these people - thegunman, the negotiator, the doctors, nurses and women whoh ave come to them for treatment - to this point.Perfect for reading groups and word of mouth engagement.Picoult has loyal fans around the world - 25 million copies inprint in 35 countries.

Roger Brown igazán a szerencse fiának tűnik: ő Norvégia legsikeresebb fejvadásza, gyönyörű feleségével egy pompás házban élnek. Ám a luxus életmódot Roger műkincstolvajként igyekszik bebiztosítani, s mellékállásában igen ügyesnek bizonyul. Amikorfelesége galériájában megismerkedik valakivel - aki egyrészt tökéletes jelölt az egyik általa kínált magas állásra, másrészt a művészettörténet egyik legkeresettebb képének a tulajdonosa - Roger úgy érzi, élete nagy lehetősége köszöntött rá. Készülnikezd eddigi legmerészebb betörésére. Ám a vadászból csakhamar vad lesz, üldözöttje egy rémálomba illő ellenfélnek.LIE.Clever, wealthy, married to a beautiful woman: Roger Brown has it all. And his sideline as an art thief keeps him busy when his job as a corporate headhunter gets dull.STEAL.Then his wife introduces him to Clas Greve. Ambitious and talented, he's the perfect candidate for a top job Roger needs to fill - and the priceless painting he owns makes him the perfect target for a heist.MURDER?But soon Roger finds out that there's more to Greve than meets the eye, and it's not long before the hunter becomes the hunted...

A new 'signature edition' of Agatha Christie's thriller, featuring the return of Superintendent Battle. Luke Fitzwilliam could not believe Miss Pinkerton's wild allegation that a multiple murderer was at work in the quiet English village of Wychwood --or her speculation that the local doctor was next in line. But within hours, Miss Pinkerton had been killed in a hit-and-run car accident. Mere coincidence? Luke was inclined to think so -- until he read in The Times of the unexpected demise of DrHumbleby...

Introducing Paul O'Rourke: New Yorker, dentist and reluctant non-believer. Modern life disappoints him, and love never solves any of his problems. Then someone steals his identity and starts impersonating Paul online. A cruel invasion of privacy, thereal

HARRY IS OUT OF HIS DEPTH.Detective Harry Hole is meant to keep out of trouble. A young Norwegian girl taking a gap year in Sydney has been murdered, and Harry has been sent to Australia to assist in any way he can.HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO GET TOO INVOLVED.When the team unearths a string of unsolved murders and disappearances, nothing will stop Harry from finding out the truth. The hunt for a serial killer is on, but the murderer will only talk to Harry.... BUT HE MIGHT JUST BE THE NEXT VICTIM.Appearing in English for the first time, The Bat is the legendary first novel from the worldwide phenomenon Jo Nesbo.

When Elise Morceau meets the writer Constance Holden, she quickly falls under her spell. Connie is sophisticated, bold and alluring ? everything Elise feels she is not. She follows Connie to LA, but in this city of strange dreams and razzle-dazzle, Elisefeels even more out of her depth and makes an impulsive decision that will change her life forever.

She escaped. She survived. But for how long? A gripping novel of suspense, passion andtransformation from international numberone bestseller Nora Roberts - the world's greatest storyteller.When the shots rang out in the shopping mall, Simone Knox knew what to do. Shelter in place. That's what they taughtyou to do in the event of a mass shooting. So on thatt errible, hot summer day in 2005, Simone was lucky. Sheescaped death. But she would never be the same again.Someone has been watching all the survivors of the DownEast Mall massacre. They have spent years perfectinga plan to finish what was started that day. Now that Reedand Simone have found each other, they are in more dangerthan they can possibly imagine - from a killer who will not, and cannot stop.SHELTER IN PLACE is a gripping new standalone, with NoraRoberts' trademark blend of psychological suspense, passionand heart.

Two sworn enemies. One failing hotel. Love is the last thing they need... It's the busiest time of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when sworn enemies Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel's front desk,they have no choice but to put their differences aside. The hotel won't stay afloat without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest's lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management this might fix everything. With four rings still sittingin lost property, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel - and their jobs. As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future.Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

Third book of the original and best CITY WATCH series, now reinterpreted in BBC's The Watch'The work of a prolific humorist at his best' ObserverThe Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . .____________________'Sorry?' said Carrot. If it's just a thing, how can it commit murder? A sword is a thing' - he drew his own sword

When Mariah White catches her husband with another woman, her life starts to fall apart. And when her daughter, Faith, begins to confide in an imaginary friend, Mariah's own brush with insanity starts to take on a darker meaning.Then Faith appears to start performing miracles, and all at once the situation is spiralling beyond Mariah's control. Is Faith truly seeing God? Or is she just a troubled young girl seeking refuge from her parents' divorce?When it comes to matters of faith, it's hard to know who to believe . .

An extraordinary insight into life under one of the world's most ruthless and secretive dictatorships - and the story of one woman's terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom.As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal communist regime. Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famineof the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. Given the repression, poverty and starvation she witnessed surely her country could not be, as she had been told the best on the planet?Aged seventeen, she decided to escape North Korea. She could not have imagined that it would be twelve years before she was reunited with her family.She could not return, since rumours of her escape were spreading, and she and her family could incur the punishments of the government authorities - involving imprisonment, torture, and possible public execution. Hyeonseo instead remained in China andrapidly learned Chinese in an effort to adapt and survive. Twelve years and two lifetimes later, she would return to the North Korean border in a daring mission to spirit her mother and brother to South Korea, on one of the most arduous, costly anddangerous journeys imaginable.This is the unique story not only of Hyeonseo's escape from the darkness into the light, but also of her coming of age, education and the resolve she found to rebuild her life - not once, but twice - first in China, then in South Korea. Strong, brave andeloquent, this memoir is a triumph of her remarkable spirit.

WELCOME TO CARAVAL, WHERE NOTHING IS QUITE WHAT IT SEEMS . . .Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game isover, and her sister disappears forever.

A woman is killed by a poisoned dart in the enclosed confines of a commercial passenger planeFrom seat No.9, Hercule Poirot was ideally placed to observe his fellow air passengers. Over to his right sat a pretty young woman, clearly infatuated with the man opposite

Framed in the doorway of Poirot's bedroom stood an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. Theman's gaunt face stared for a moment, then he swayed and fell.Who was he? Was he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what was the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a world of international intrigue, risking his life touncover the truth about 'Number Four'.

The truth can shatter everything . . .When the Harrington family discovers an abandoned baby deep in the woods, they decide to keep her a secret and raise her as their own.But within days a body is found in the grounds of their house and their perfect new family implodes.Years later, Sylvie, seeking answers to nagging questions about her life, is drawn into the wild beautiful woods where nothing is quite what it seems.Will she unearth the truth?And dare she reveal it?

A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth, has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding andexact her revenge.Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world, where she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides hertime by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage andwho she has resented for years.Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful and manipulative. He's on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren's help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, aswell as confronting all the horrors she thought she had left behind.The spellbinding new fantasy from the Queen of Faerie Holly Black, author of the Folk of the Air series.

You probably know someone like Shay Miller. She wants to find love, but it eludes her. She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end. She wants to belong, but her life is becoming increasingly isolated. You probably don?t know anyone like theMoore sisters. They have an unbreakable circle of friends. They live a life of glamour and perfection. They always get what they desire. Shay thinks she wants their life. But what they really want is hers.

Fourth book of the original and best CITY WATCH series, now reinterpreted in BBC's The Watch'Generous, amusing and the ideal boarding point for those who have never visited Discworld' Sunday TelegraphThe Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . ._________________'Neighbours... hah. People'd live for ages side by side, nodding at one another amicably on their way to work, and then some trivial thing would happen and someone would be having a garden fork removed from their ear.'When the neighbours in question are the proud empires of Klatch and Ankh-Morpork, those are going to be some pretty large garden tools indeed. Of course, no-one would dream of starting a war without a perfectly good reason...such as a 'strategic' pieceof old rock in the middle of nowhere.It is after all every citizen's right to bear arms to defend their own. Even if it isn't technically their own. And even if they don't have much in the way of actual weaponry. As two armies march, Commander Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch facesunpleasant foes who are out to get him... and that's just the people on his side. The enemy might be even worse.