Under The Jaguar Sun

A couple on an epicurean journey across Mexico are excited by the idea of a particular ingredient, suggested by ancient rituals of human sacrifice. Precariously balanced on his throne, a king is able only to listen to the sounds around him - sure that any deviation from their normal progression would mean the uprising of the conspirators that surround him. And three different men search desperately for the beguiling scents of lost women, from a Count visiting Madame Odile's perfumery, to a London drummer stepping over spent, naked bodies.

Three senses-taste, hearing, and smell-dominate the lives of the characters in these witty, fantastical stories. But the senses, promising the fulfillment of desire and an exit from the self, only lead back to their source: the savoring palate, the listening ear, the smelling nose. "A sumptuous small gem of a book" (Publishers Weekly). Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Published for the first time in English, a final collection of essays by the renowned fabulist writer tours the visual world through explorations of subjects ranging from cuneiform and antique maps to Mexican temples and Japanese gardens. Original.

The complete collection of “nimble and often hilarious” short stories exploring the cosmos by the acclaimed author of Invisible Cities (Colin Dwyer, NPR). Italo Calvino’s beloved cosmicomics cross planets and traverse galaxies, speed up time or slow it down to the particles of an instant. Through the eyes of a “cosmic know-it-all” with the unpronounceable name of Qfwfq, Calvino explores natural phenomena and tells the story of the origins of the universe. Relating complex scientific and mathematical concepts to our everyday world, they are an indelible and delightful literary achievement. Originally published in Italian in three separate volumes—including the Asti d’Appello Prize-winning first volume, Cosmicomics—these thirty-four dazzling stories are collected here in one definitive English-language anthology. “Trying to describe such a diverse and entertaining mix, I have to admit, just as Calvino does so often, that my words fail here, too. There’s no way I—or anyone, really—can muster enough of them to quite capture the magic of these stories . . . Read this book, please.” —Colin Dwyer, NPR

This lyrical tour of a variety of habitats offers young readers vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the hot season under the blazing sun. When the sun is shining brightly, people put on sunscreen or scurry inside to cool off. But how do wild animals react to the sizzling heat? Journey from your neighborhood to a field where an earthworm loops its long body into a ball underground, to a desert where a jackrabbit loses heat through its oversized ears, to a wetland where a siren salamander burrows into the mud to stay cool, and to a seashore where a sea star hides in the shade of a seaweed mat. Constance R. Bergum's glowing watercolors perfectly capture the wonder of a hot, sunny environment.

"The posthumously published collection Hermit in Paris draws together an array of Italo Calvino's autobiographical writings that provide an illuminating and unexpectedly intimate portrait of one of the postwar era's most inventive and fascinating writers. In these pages, Calvino recounts his experiences in Italy's antifascist resistance, pays homage to his influences, traces the evolution of his literary style, and, in one of the book's most humorous and entertaining sections, provides a wry commentary on his travels in the United States in 1959 and 1960"--

Imprisoned in a box, Atl waits for death. He is not afraid. Anger burns too deeply within him. Then, unexpectedly, he is released. Released to deliver an urgent message. But it is not the mission that sets him running. It is the sudden chance for freedom. Nothing can stop this Jaguar Warrior. Not even the one who hunts him. Jaguar Warrior is a thrilling page-turner for younger readers by award-winning Australian author Sandy Fussell. Set in ancient Aztec times, this historical adventure novel is about a slave boy trying to protect his people from Spanish invasion, while avoiding being sacrificed himself. It was a Notable Book at the 2011 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards. For more junior fiction reads check out Sandy’s other books, Polar Boy and the Samurai Kids series. “From the opening pages to the climax, Jaguar Warrior will have your heart thumping. The hunt throughout is expertly paced and well-balanced with character reveals and historical information … Fussell has a special prowess in recreating bygone civilisations and filling them with realistic, thought-provoking characters so the past leaps into life. She did it in her Samurai Kids series and achieves it well in Jaguar Warrior.” The Sun Herald “What a page-turner: Aztec blood sacrifices, a ravenous crocodile, feisty companions, secret passages and a heart-stopping pursuit. Indiana Jones move over! … It is not only the fascinating details of Aztec life in Mexica and the Spanish invasion of that civilisation that hold the reader captive – Atl and Lali are resourceful and engaging and their lively bickering provides welcome touches of humour as a counterpoint to their terror. Fussell manages to integrate facts without ever breaking the tension of the narrative. Atl and the Captain speak alternatively, their voices vivid and compelling. The language is poetic yet riveting.” Magpies magazine “Fussell, a gifted writer, has again created outstanding characters and a suspenseful, informative and well-crafted storyline.” Good Reading magazine “A gripping historical novel for children, set in Aztec times … Set in a well-researched, thoroughly believable world, this is a thrilling adventure which will appeal to upper primary and secondary readers. Brilliant.” Aussie Reviews

Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials, where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys. “Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.” As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all—they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years. Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn't worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten. But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed—for fame, glory, and their own survival.