Little Book Of Revenge

A darkly comic recollection of a country that no longer exists, and a lyrical examination of the importance of taking a stand when it counts. Set against a backdrop of horrific world events, this is narrative non-fiction at its best. To a young boy growing up poor but happy in an industrial town in Serbia, politics means many national holidays that result in parades, piglets roasting on a spit, and getting to see both his hard-working parents at the same time. An observant child, Dragan Todorovic quickly learns the power of words. Even before he can read or write, he is mesmerized by the squiggles made by the grownups around him and diligently recreates them in the notebooks he carries with him always. He also learns that reciting naughty limericks usually yields some chocolate. This love of words eventually takes Dragan to Belgrade, as editor for a cultural magazine. He hopes to inspire and support the young and innovative artists of the time, but soon discovers that naughty articles do not yield the same results as limericks, and he finds himself constantly clashing with the system. His many questions get only one answer: he is drafted into the army. Dragan survives his tour of duty, but his return to Belgrade is unsettling. Everything is changing, rapidly. Friendships are collapsing, conversations are guarded, nothing is as it seems. Bit by bit, the country he knows and loves is being torn apart. Filled with great characters and poignant and often hilarious stories, The Book of Revenge is a superb duet of a citizen and his country, a universal exploration of just what it is that inoculates the human spirit from dangerous ideologies and toxic nationalism.

Cold honesty, grudging acceptance, and sweet revenge: facing down the demons in small-town New Hampshire.

After the humiliating events on the 4th of July, Gemma's trying to grapple with the fact that Hallie knew her true identity all summer, and that she was the one who stole Teddy from her. Gemma vows revenge, but things immediately get more complicated than she planned. Her dad forces her to get a job, and the only one she can find involves scooping ice cream all day. Ford, Gemma's longtime crush, has arrived in the Hamptons, and is cuter than ever. Josh is refusing to speak to her after finding out she lied to him. And to top it all off, Teddy is back in the picture, and closer to home than Gemma would like. Gemma and Hallie find themselves locked in an escalating revenge cycle involving everything from strawberry syrup to stolen identities. But just when Gemma thinks she has the upper hand, the biggest bombshell of all is dropped. And it's one that threatens to change her life forever.

"It's not just Murakami but also the shadow of Borges that hovers over this mesmerizing book... [and] one may detect a slight bow to the American macabre of E.A. Poe. Ogawa stands on the shoulders of giants, as another saying goes. But this collection may linger in your mind -- it does in mine -- as a delicious, perplexing, absorbing and somehow singular experience." -- Alan Cheuse, NPR Sinister forces collide---and unite a host of desperate characters---in this eerie cycle of interwoven tales from Yoko Ogawa, the critically acclaimed author of The Housekeeper and the Professor. An aspiring writer moves into a new apartment and discovers that her landlady has murdered her husband. Elsewhere, an accomplished surgeon is approached by a cabaret singer, whose beautiful appearance belies the grotesque condition of her heart. And while the surgeon's jealous lover vows to kill him, a violent envy also stirs in the soul of a lonely craftsman. Desire meets with impulse and erupts, attracting the attention of the surgeon's neighbor---who is drawn to a decaying residence that is now home to instruments of human torture. Murderers and mourners, mothers and children, lovers and innocent bystanders---their fates converge in an ominous and darkly beautiful web. Yoko Ogawa's Revenge is a master class in the macabre that will haunt you to the last page. An NPR Best Book of 2013

Sink into the joyous bestselling novel from Elizabeth Buchan about new beginnings and rediscovering the person you once were Rose Lloyd was the last to suspect that Nathan, her husband of over twenty years, was having an affair, and that he was planning to leave her. But the greatest shock was yet to come: his mistress was Rose's colleague and friend, Minty. Left alone in their once-happy family home, where she and Nathan had brought up their children, Rose started thinking - about the man she'd married, and how well she really knew him. About the carefree yet studious girl she had been before she met him. Twenty years ago she had to make the choice between two very different lives. Could she now recapture what she nearly chose back then, a life where she put herself first? Revenge of a Middle-Aged Woman is the compelling and heart-warming novel from bestselling author Elizabeth Buchan. Praise for Elizabeth Buchan: 'Gorgeously well-written - funny, sad, sophisticated' Independent 'Beautifully observed, with the insight and humour that one has come to expect from the author' Times 'Compelling, compassionate, and aglow with moments of laugh-or-cry humour' Mail on Sunday 'Buchan is a cut above the rest' Sunday Mirror

Anger is toxic to our mental and physical health, it increases stress levels, anxiety and the risk for illnesses such as heart disease. But we can choose to release this anger and toxic energy by harnessing the spiritual powers of forgiveness. True forgiveness is not about the feelings of others; it is actually about you. It's about freeing yourself from whatever has hurt you and not letting it weigh you down anymore. Forgiveness is a joyous gift that anyone can use, and empirical research has shown that when we are better at forgiveness we experience lower levels of depression and anxiety. With the simple practices contained within this Little Book, you can bring more inner peace to your life. The Little Book of Forgiveness is a beautifully illustrated guide filled with strategies and guidance on the art and power of forgiveness, using tools such as mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, creativity, relaxation and compassion to help you find true harmony with the world. CONTENTS INCLUDES: Chapter 1 - Acceptance Chapter 2 - Empathy Chapter 3 - Acknowledgment Chapter 4 - Meaning Chapter 5 - Perspective and Gratitude