Engelska

As winter comes and the hours of darkness overtake the light, we seek out warmth, good food, and good company. But beneath the jollity and bright enchantment of the festive season, there lurks a darker mood - one that has found expression over the centuries in a host of strange and unsettling traditions and lore. Here, Sarah Clegg takes us on a journey through midwinter to explore the lesser-known Christmas traditions, from English mummers plays and Austrian Krampus runs, to modern pagan rituals at Stonehenge and the night in Finland when a young girl is crowned with candles as St Lucy - a martyred Christian girl who also appears as a witch leading a procession of the dead. At wassails and hoodenings and winter gatherings, attended by ghastly, grinning horses, snatching monsters and mysterious visitors, we discover how these traditions originated and how they changed through the centuries, and we ask ourselves: if we can't keep the darkness entirely at bay, might it be fun to let a little in?

Let a literature professor and a musical theater artist guide you through the Taylor Swift canon from Shakespeare to the Bronte sisters to Robert Frost! Learn what New Romantics has to do with the old Romantics. Get to know the Gothic monsters haunting Midnights. Spot Taylor's many Great Gatsby references. Discover what Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson have in common. And find your new favorite tortured poet! With full-color illustrations guiding you through the literary eras of Dr. Swift (yes, she has an honorary Ph.D.), it s a perfect gift for the Swiftie in your life. Packed with fun facts, entertaining analysis, and literary-themed playlists that fans will love, Taylor Swift by the Book will turn anyone from a Taylor Swift lover into a Taylor Swift scholar.

An all-new collection of winter-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the festive period. <p>There's a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter... It's the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with this winter-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers.</p> <p><strong>INCLUDES THE STORIES:</strong><br/>The Chocolate Box<br/>A Christmas Tragedy<br/>The Coming of Mr Quin<br/>The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest<br/>The Clergyman's Daughter<br/>The Plymouth Express<br/>Problem at Pollensa Bay<br/>Sanctuary<br/>The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge<br/>The World's End<br/>The Manhood of Edward Robinson<br/>Christmas Adventure</p>

Marina [Bok / Inbunden]

<p><strong>The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster's instant #1 <em>New York Times</em>, #1 <em>Wall Street Journal</em>, and internationally bestselling novel, <em>Lightlark</em></strong></p> <p>Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark's seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven't ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla's midst who don't believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.</p> <p>Alex Aster's intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla's memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.</p>

<p><b>This beautiful book presents poems for hopefulness and happiness, with bright, uplifting illustrations from rising star Carolyn Gavin.</b><br/><br/>This book of<b> joyous and uplifting verse</b> is a welcome <b>beacon of hope and happiness in difficult and challenging times, </b>collected together with beautiful illustrations and context for each poem.<br/><br/>We all have days when we find ourselves in need of some positivity. In difficult times, the words of others can lift us up. <b>Bright, joyful art</b> to inspire hopefulness is combined with carefully curated poems, chosen to lift the spirits through the <b>healing power of words</b>.  </p><p> The book is divided into eight sections on the themes of hope, resilience & courage, joy, nature & escape, love, tranquillity, gratitude and comfort. Featuring a diverse range of writers from <b>Oscar Wilde</b> to<b> Emily Dickinson, Robert Louis Stevenson</b> to <b>Maya Angelou</b>, <b>William Blake</b> to <b>Warsan Shire</b>, the selections are accompanied by explanations and illuminating context that reinforce the positive mental health message.  </p><p> Combining uplifting lines of verse and joyful illustrations, this <b>unique book provides a much-needed dose of hopefulness and happiness in turbulent times</b>, whether as a thoughtful gift for someone in need of solace or a resource that can be turned to whenever we need to. <br/><br/>Featuring: Carol Ann Duffy - Percy Bysshe Shelley - Maya Angelou - Emily Dickinson - Kahlil Gibran - Claude McKay - Langston Hughes - William Wordsworth - Emanuel Carnevali - James Weldon Johnson - Anne Sexton - William Ernest Henley - Siegfried Sassoon - David Wright - Ella Wheeler Wilcox - John Greenleaf Whittier - Ada Limón - Denise Levertov - William Blake -  Edna St. Vincent Millay - Oscar Wilde - Rachel Field - John Gillespie Magee Jr. - Armand Garnet Ruffo - Robert Louis Stevenson - Ursula Bethell - John Donne - Paul Laurence Dunbar - Warsan Shire - Naomi Replansky - William Butler Yeats - Toru Dutt - William Cullen Bryant - E. Pauline Johnson - Lady Mary Wortley Montagu - Alfred, Lord Tennyson -  Raymond Carver - Katherine Mansfield - Issa - W.S. Merwin - John Tobias - Ross Gay - Sara Teasdale - Elizabeth Barrett Browning - William Shakespeare - Tim Bowling - Mary Oliver - Christina Rossetti </p>

The Dialogues Of Socrates [Bok / Inbunden]