Empress Of All Seasons

In a deadly tournament to become empress, any may enter but only one will survive, and one competitor doesn't just plan to win, she's going to steal the Emperor's fortune. . . In each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, and you can marry the prince. All are eligible to compete - all except yokai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yokai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari's fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yokai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku.

One girl must compete to become the next empress while keeping her monstrous identity a secret in this Ancient Japan-inspired standalone fantasy.

This rich biography, coinciding with his death centenary, illuminates the remarkable journey of Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848-“1909) situated at the cusp of two centuries and two world views. It traces Dutt's eventful life-from his running away to England at the age of twenty, and being an exemplary ICS officer (the second Indian in the service), to his early retirement and entry into politics, and becoming president of the Indian National Congress in 1899. Dutt's contribution as an economic historian, a translator of Sanskrit epics into English, and a novelist in Bengali, are elaborately discussed and the contradictions in his attitudes to language, to colonialism, and to religion acknowledged. Featuring Curzon, Naoroji, Vidyasagar, Bankimchandra, Gokhale, Sayaji Rao Gaekwad and other luminaries of the national movement, this meticulously researched and elegantly written book captures an extraordinary moment in modern Indian history and will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers.

Emiko Jean’s New York Times bestseller and Reese Book Club Pick Tokyo Ever After is the “refreshing, spot-on” (Booklist, starred review) story of an ordinary Japanese American girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan! Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity...and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess. In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight. Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after? Look for the bestselling sequel, Tokyo Dreaming, out now.

Weave a web of tarot magic, and celebrate the days and nights of power with the magic of tarot and ritual. Perfect for both solitary and group practitioners, Tarot for All Seasons is the only book that combines the ancient wisdom of the tarot with the solar and lunar celebrations of the pagan Wheel of the Year. Discover how to work with seasonal energies throughout the year to improve all areas of your life--relationships, health, finances, and career. The twelve original tarot layouts capture the spirit of the full moon Esbats, waxing and waning moons, and the eight solar Sabbats. Several three-card spreads are also included for further advice and clarification to help you hone your tarot reading skills. Sample readings offer a way to weave a story with the cards, showing how the cards relate to one another and how the same cards can describe diverse situations in various layouts. Ritual creates a sacred space between the worlds, an ideal environment for powerful and magical tarot readings. A list of corresponding scents, magical brews, and candles are included to help you design a personal tarot ritual. The special chapter "A Year and a Day" concludes your journey with suggestions for self-dedication to the magical study of tarot. The seventy-eight cards of the tarot form a unique system for divination, self-discovery, and magic. From the growing darkness of Samhain to the fertility and flowers of Beltane, weave a web of tarot magic as you celebrate the ever-changing world around you and within you. In the following excerpt, author Christine Jette describes the Lady of the Hunt spread. This spread is intended to be used near the time of the waxing moon. Lady of the Hunt In this spread, "project" means any creative endeavor or career/study plan. "Relationship" can be new love, coworkers, family, or friendships. You are the Lady of the Hunt and your question becomes your quest. If you have something specific in mind, ask your question while shuffling the cards. For example, "Tell me what I need to know about my new (love, work situation, etc.)." Breathe deeply and shuffle your tarot deck. When you are ready, lay the cards out in the shape of a waxing crescent moon. Position 1 - This begins your project or relationship: Your life experience, what you bring from the past into the new situation. What brought you to this moment? Position 2 - This shapes your project or relationship: Outside influences, significant events, other people that shape the situation. Position 3 - This is at the center of your project or relationship: The main theme, lesson, opportunity or challenge of the situation. The focus card; all other cards revolve around the center and it carries the most weight in the reading. Position 4 - What your project or relationship needs to succeed: The effort you will make, the "elbow grease" required for your goals and ambitions to be realized, the follow-up too your magical workings on the physical plane. Position 5 - The direction or path of your project or relationship: Where you are headed, the future outlook. Position 6 - Advice card: What is the best course of action to take with this new project or relationship? What do you need to know now? To complete the Maiden reading, you can meditate with the cards, write a journal entry, keep the cards on the altar until the next waxing moon, or simple close. Carry a card or two with you during the day to strengthen the connection between you and your Maiden Spirit's desire. Affirm your personal power to create your destiny: "I awaken to my own creative powers. This, or something better, is manifesting for me now, for the good of all, harming no one, according to free will. So must it be."

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK In this brilliant new novel from Emiko Jean, the author of the New York Times bestselling young adult novel Tokyo Ever After, comes a whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny, and utterly heartwarming novel about motherhood, daughterhood, and love—how we find it, keep it, and how it always returns. One phone call changes everything. At thirty-five, Mika Suzuki’s life is a mess. Her last relationship ended in flames. Her roommate-slash-best friend might be a hoarder. She’s a perpetual disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. And, most recently, she’s been fired from her latest dead-end job. Mika is at her lowest point when she receives a phone call from Penny—the daughter she placed for adoption sixteen years ago. Penny is determined to forge a relationship with her birth mother, and in turn, Mika longs to be someone Penny is proud of. Faced with her own inadequacies, Mika embellishes a fact about her life. What starts as a tiny white lie slowly snowballs into a fully-fledged fake life, one where Mika is mature, put-together, successful in love and her career. The details of Mika’s life might be an illusion, but everything she shares with curious, headstrong Penny is real: her hopes, dreams, flaws, and Japanese heritage. The harder-won heart belongs to Thomas Calvin, Penny’s adoptive widower father. What starts as a rocky, contentious relationship slowly blossoms into a friendship and, over time, something more. But can Mika really have it all—love, her daughter, the life she’s always wanted? Or will Mika’s deceptions ultimately catch up to her? In the end, Mika must face the truth—about herself, her family, and her past—and answer the question, just who is Mika in real life? Perfect for fans of Kiley Reid’s Such a Fun Age, Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years, Mika in Real Life is at once a heart-wrenching and uplifting novel that explores the weight of silence, the secrets we keep, and what it means to be a mother.