“I don’t think I was expecting to read a children’s book with so much concentration, and I also have to admit, with such great pleasure. However, I don’t think this means that I’m entering my second childhood. Leaving aside the fact that the book is well written - putting it purely and simply, I was gripped by the ingenuity of the characters, and by the exciting nature of their experiences. I am glad this first volume is not actually the last, and that we are talking about an entire cycle which is far from its end. You are now about to read the first volume in the cycle of ‘A Frog’s Heart’, while I have already read the second one and I’m preparing for the reading of the third. So I have a serious motive for wanting to encounter the same freshness as I read the rest of it. I do not know what exactly drove the author towards children’s literature, but two things seem clear to me. Firstly, that he has all the gifts of imagination and expression necessary for this genre, so he has an indisputable leaning towards it. Secondly, that he fell upon a genre which has been a stepchild, in our literature, for a good few decades. In recent years, the genre has had a presence for its readers, mainly through translations and re-editing, with original works being immensely rare, if not almost absent. I am glad that, among the few who sought to fill this gap, there is an author so visibly gifted. He is an author who, besides the gifts of imagination and expression already mentioned, has another gift which I consider to be essential – he knows how to introduce that moral dimension without which literature for children cannot be conceived, but he never falls into merely preaching. The moral thesis emerges from the happenings, dialogues and meditations of the characters. This seems to me, as I’ve already mentioned, essential. Nothing drives a child – or even a grown-up – further away from the ethical dimension than a moralising lecture. As far as I know, these stories will be presented to the public in several formulae – as richly illustrated volumes, as comic strips, and – if I understood it correctly – as animated cartoons. This is excellent – since our way of perception differs both according to our ages and according to our personalities; and it is very good to be reached through the means best suited to us. I would not like to conclude before wishing the readers a pleasant read, irrespective of their age and the form of the story for which they’ve opted – book, comic strips, etc. I would also like to wish great energy to the author, so that he can make us glad with as many adventures as possible of his ingenious and charming characters. Had anyone told me, before reading this book, that fleas, rats and even silkworms would seem cute creatures to me, I would have said he didn’t know what he was talking about! Once again, have a pleasant read!“ – Liviu Antonesei

A beautifully packaged edition of one of García Márquez's most beloved novels, with never-before-seen color illustrations by the Chilean artist Luisa Rivera and an interior design created by the author's son, Gonzalo García Barcha. In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is devastated, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs—yet he reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina, he will do so again.

“A thrilling journey. . . . A must-read.” Freida Pinto “How fortunate a thing it is, when life alters you without warning.” Lisa Ray is one of India’s first supermodels. She’s also an acclaimed actor, a cancer survivor, a mother of twins born through surrogacy, a lifelong student, and a person of no fixed address. She is a woman who has lived many lives. And this is her story. Unflinching and deeply moving, Close to the Bone traces Lisa Ray’s serendipitous life, from her childhood in Canada as the biracial daughter of an Indian man and Polish woman, to her rise as a Bollywood star; from her battle with a rare and incurable cancer, to her journey to find identity and belonging, both in the world and in her own body. Transporting and atmospheric, it takes readers across the globe: Toronto in the 1970s, when Lisa was searching for place and purpose; the intense, frenetic streets of Bombay, where, young and unmoored, she became a peer of some of the biggest names in the Bollywood industry; the lush sensuality of Colombo and a film role that changed the course of her career; and in London, where she simultaneously found her footing in drama school and lost herself in an abusive relationship. It is a storied life, and one whose adventures teach Lisa that in the brightest and darkest moments, no matter where she travels to, she can always find her way back home—to herself. At once charming and wise, intimate and gut-wrenchingly honest, Close to the Bone is a revealing travelogue of the soul—a brave and inspiring story of a life lived on one’s own terms.

Frey and Rafi are inseparable . . . two edges of the same knife. But Frey's very existence is a secret. In Impostors, master storyteller Scott Westerfeld returns with a new series set in the world of his mega-bestselling Uglies, a world full of twist and turns, rebellion and intrigue, where any wrong step could be Frey's last

The whole world has fallen in love with this international bestseller - hundreds of thousands of copies have been sold across 25 countries. Now it's Australia's turn to rediscover this jewel of a book on mindfulness. In times of uncertainty, words of comfort are essential, and the stunning overseas sales of this title are testament to its universal appeal. These modern tales of hope, forgiveness, freedom from fear and overcoming pain cleverly relate the timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings and the path to true happiness in a warm and accessible way. Ajahn Brahm was born and raised in the West and in his more than thirty years as a Buddhist monk he has gathered many poignant, funny and profound stories. He has tremendous ability to filter these stories through the Buddha's teaching so that they can have meaning for all sorts of readers. There are many thousands of Australians who don't even know that they need this book yet, but who will no doubt embrace it just as overseas readers have. It is the perfect gift book as there is truly something in it for everyone. 'Ajahn Brahm is the Seinfeld of Buddhism' - Sumi Loundon, editor of Blue Jean Buddha: Voices of Young Buddhists and The Buddha's Apprentices

Monumental epic poem tells the heroic story of Aeneas, a Trojan who escaped the burning ruins of Troy to found Lavinium, the parent city of Rome, in the west.