Nothing To Be Frightened Of

"I don’t believe in God, but I miss him." So begins Julian Barnes’s brilliant new book that is, among many things, a family memoir, an exchange with his brother (a philosopher), a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God and a homage to the writer Jules Renard. Barnes also draws poignant portraits of the last days of his parents, recalled with great detail, affection and exasperation. Other examples he takes up include writers, "most of them dead and quite a few of them French," as well as some composers, for good measure. The grace with which Barnes weaves together all of these threads makes the experience of reading the book nothing less than exhilarating. Although he cautions us that "this is not my autobiography," the book nonetheless reveals much about Barnes the man and the novelist: how he thinks and how he writes and how he lives. At once deadly serious and dazzlingly playful, Nothing to Be Frightened Of is a wise, funny and constantly surprising tour of the human condition.

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

Literary ombudsman John Crace never met an important book he didn't like to deconstruct. From Salman Rushdie to John Grisham, Crace retells the big books in just 500 bitingly satirical words, pointing his pen at the clunky plots, stylistic tics and pretensions of Big Ideas, as he turns publishers' golden dream books into dross.

Part history, part fiction, part memoir, Levels of Life is a powerfully personal and unforgettable book, and an immediate classic on the subject of grief. Levels of Life opens in the nineteenth century with balloonists, photographers and Sarah Bernhardt, whose adventures lead seamlessly into an entirely personal account of the author's own great loss. "You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed." Levels of Life is about ballooning, photography, love and grief; about putting two things, and two people, together, and about tearing them apart. One of the judges who awarded him the Booker Prize described Barnes as "an unparalleled magus of the heart." This book confirms that opinion.

Readers of all ages love Dr. Seuss's spooky and silly story about facing your fears! Featuring over 50 special glow-in-the-dark bonus stickers and a luxe, gift-worthy cover that glows in the dark and has a matte "soft-touch" finish! I was deep within the woods When, suddenly, I spied them. I saw a pair of pale green pants With nobody inside them! What's a pair of empty green trousers doing by itself in the woods? Or riding a bike through town? The narrator of What Was I Scared Of? does not want to find out. The spooky pants give him the creeps! This Seussian gem from The Sneetches and Other Stories shines on its own as it delivers a timeless message about fear and tolerance. Perfect for slumber parties and perusal by flashlight--it comes with a sheet of spooky glowing stickers bound inside as an added bonus!

Scared of the Dark? It's Really Scared of You is a picture book that playfully unpacks a common childhood fear. You may be afraid of the dark . . . but did you know that the dark is actually afraid of YOU? It's true! The dark spends its days hiding from the light in your underwear drawer. The dark thinks you look scary. And the dark may be difficult to see when the sun goes down, but it also has its fair share of redeeming qualities. • A go-to read for kids who are afraid of nighttime • Personifies darkness to help younger readers shift how they see the night • A humorous and soulful picture book by Peter Vegas and acclaimed illustrator Benjamin Chaud Scared of the Dark? It's Really Scared of You reassures the youngest of readers that the dark is more relatable—and appealing—than ever imagined. Fans of the award-winning illustrator Benjamin Chaud will love adding this one to the collection. • A good pick for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of reluctant readers • Resonates year-round as a go-to gift for birthdays, holidays, and more • Perfect for children ages 3 to 5 years old • Great for teachers and librarians who want to teach there are no monsters, just friends • You'll love this book if you love books like Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett, The Dark by Lemony Snicket, and The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Everyone's afraid of something . . .Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.Young children will identify with the little mouse who uses the pages of this book to document his fears - from loud noises and the dark, to being sucked down the plughole. Packed with details and novelty elements including flaps, die-cuts and even a hilarious fold-out map, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett is an extraordinary, award-winning picture book.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • THE BLOCKBUSTER JACK REACHER SERIES THAT INSPIRED TWO MAJOR MOTION PICTURES AND THE STREAMING SERIES REACHER “Explosive and nearly impossible to put down.”—People Two small towns in the middle of nowhere: Hope and Despair. Between them, nothing but twelve miles of empty road. Jack Reacher can’t find a ride, so he walks. All he wants is a cup of coffee. What he gets are four hostile locals, a vagrancy charge, and an order to move on. They’re picking on the wrong guy. Reacher is a hard man. No job, no address, no baggage. Nothing at all, except hardheaded curiosity. What are the secrets that Despair seems so desperate to hide? With just one ally—a mysterious woman cop from Hope—and many enemies, Reacher goes up against a whole town, hunting the rich man at its core, cracking open his terrifying agenda, asking the question: Who has the edge—a man with everything to gain, or a man with nothing to lose?