"You have lost everything, yes?" Everything? Henry thought; he considered the word. Had he lost everything? Fleeing New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Henry Garrett is haunted by the ruins of his marriage, a squandered inheritance, and the teaching job he inexplicably quit. He pulls into a small Virginia town after three days on the road, hoping to silence the ceaseless clamor in his head. But this quest for peace and quiet as the only guest at a roadside motel is destroyed when Henry finds himself at the center of a bizarre and violent tragedy. As a result, Henry winds up stranded at the ramshackle motel just outside the small town of Marimore, and it's there that he is pulled into the lives of those around him: Latangi, the motel's recently widowed proprietor, who seems to have a plan for Henry; Marge, a local secretary who marshals the collective energy of her women's church group; and the family of an old man, a prisoner, who dies in a desperate effort to provide for his infirm wife. For his previous novels John Gregory Brown has been lauded for his "compassionate vision of human destiny" as well as his "melodic, haunting, and rhythmic prose." With A Thousand Miles From Nowhere, he assumes his place in the tradition of such masterful storytellers as Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy, offering to readers a tragicomic tour de force about the power of art and compassion and one man's search for faith, love, and redemption. "John Gregory Brown is a writer I've long admired, and this new novel is his best book yet. A Thousand Miles from Nowhere is a marvelous depiction of one man's stumbling journey from despair toward a hard-won redemption."-Ron Rash

Miles from Nowhere is the story of Barbara and Larry Savage’s sometimes dangerous, often zany, but ultimately rewarding 23,000-mile bicycle odyssey, which took them through 25 countries in two years. Along the way, these near-neophyte cyclists on their ten-speeds encountered warm-hearted strangers eager to share food and shelter, bicycle-hating drivers who ran them off the road, various wild animals (including an attack camel), rock-throwing Egyptians, overprotective Thai policeman, motherly New Zealanders, meteorological disasters, bodily indignities, and great personal joys. The stress of traveling together constantly tested yet strengthened the young couple's relationship and as their trip ends, you'll find yourself yearning for Barbara and Larry to jump back on their bikes and keep pedaling. Originally published in 1983, Miles from Nowhere has provided inspiration for legions of modern travel-adventurers and writers.

When a stranger shows up and infects almost everyone Matt Tanner knows with the zombie virus that destroyed the world fifteen years prior, he's forced to make a decision: flee with only a handful of survivors, or stay in the mountains and rebuild. But when Matt discovers the stranger was carrying a letter addressed to him from someone he thought he'd never hear from again, he's forced to reconcile demons from the past with the chance for a future with the brother he left behind. Avoiding the withered zombies that roam the wastelands and the flesh-eating humans that stalk the night, Matt struggles to find the balance necessary to keep everyone alive and his own mind sane. But when things go wrong and he watches friend after friend die, can he survive, or will the wastelands consume him, too?

Journey of a Thousand Miles tells the remarkable story of a boy who sacrificed almost everything – family, financial security, childhood and his reputation in China’s insular classical music world – to fulfil his promise as a classical pianist. Lang Lang was born in Shenyang in north-eastern China just after the end of the Cultural Revolution. He began piano lessons at three years old and by age ten had been awarded a place at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In order to continue his studies he moved thousands of miles from home, living with his exacting father in a cramped, shared apartment, while his mother stayed at home to earn the money to pay his fees. At fifteen he moved to the United States to take up a scholarship at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia; by nineteen he was selling out Carnegie Hall. His tutor and mentor Daniel Barenboim was perhaps the first to describe him as ‘extraordinarily talented’; today his assessment is shared by millions. Now in adulthood, Lang Lang tours relentlessly, delighting sell-out audiences with his trademark flamboyance and showmanship. Journey of a Thousand Miles is a tale of heartbreak, drama and ultimately triumph. His inspiring story demonstrates the courage and self-sacrifice required to achieve artistic greatness.

Handscroll; Blue and green ink on silk; 542cm(width)*22cm(height) This painting depicts rolling hills and vast rivers and lakes. The mountains and rocks in the painting are first drawn with the technique of "ink chapping," followed by the application of bright blue and green colors, shading the tops of the peaks with blue and green, showing off layers of green mountains. Water patterns are drawn in the water with fast strokes, providing a contrast to the "boneless" coloring. The painting employs a multi-perspective composition, making full use of distance. Level distances are interspersed, creating an attractive picture with ups and downs.

/MUIR JOHN Originally published in 1916, this book is largely comprised of lightly edited diary entries Muir made during his memorable 1867 trek from Kentucky to Florida. Mixing deft observations of the human condition with lyrical responses to the beauties of the natural world, Muir creates his own stirring "song of the Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Documents the author's traditional childhood north of the Arctic Circle, his education in the continental U.S., and his lobbying efforts that convinced the government to allocate resources to Alaska's natives in compensation for incursions on their way of life.