This collection of letters forms a fascinating day-by-day account of Steinbeck's writing of EAST OF EDEN, his longest and most ambitious novel. The letters, ranging over many subjects - textual discussion, trial flights of workmanship, family matters - provide an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck, the creative genius, and a private glimpse of Steinbeck, the man.

London, 1860: On the brink of destitution, Dora Damage illicitly takes over her ailing husband's bookbinding business, only to find herself lured into binding expensive volumes of pornography commissioned by aristocratic roués. Dora's charm and indefatigable spirit carry her through this rude awakening as she contends with violent debt collectors, an epileptic daughter, evil doctors, a rheumatic husband, errant workmen, nosy neighbors, and a constant stream of wealthy dilettantes. When she suddenly finds herself forced to offer an internship to a mysterious, fugitive American slave, Dora realizes she has been pulled into in an illegal trade of sex, money, and deceit. The Journal of Dora Damage conjures a vision of London when it was the largest city in the world, grappling with the filth produced by a swollen population. Against a backdrop of power and politics, work and idleness, conservatism and abolitionism, Belinda Starling explores the restrictions of gender, class, and race, the ties of family and love, and the price of freedom in this wholly engrossing debut novel. REVIEWS: "Unfortunately, Starling's debut novel will be her last; she died prematurely last year at the age of 34. Although the plot is a bit too crowded and overworked-a common novice mistake-this historical melodrama artfully evokes the contradictions inherent in Victorian society. When Dora Damage is forced by circumstances-an invalid husband and an epileptic daughter-to take over the family bookbinding business, she is inexorably drawn into a London netherworld she barely knew existed. As if binding pornographic books for a circle of aristocratic clients isn't bad enough, she is also compelled to harbor Din Nelson, a fugitive American slave. Unable to suppress her emotional and physical attraction for Din, she gives into desire and her real education begins."- Booklist

Each working day from January 29 to November 1, 1951, John Steinbeck warmed up to the work of writing East of Eden with a letter to the late Pascal Covici, his friend and editor at The Viking Press. It was his way, he said, of "getting my mental arm in shape to pitch a good game." Steinbeck's letters were written on the left-hand pages of a notebook in which the facing pages would be filled with the test of East of Eden. They touched on many subjects—story arguments, trial flights of workmanship, concern for his sons. Part autobiography, part writer's workshop, these letters offer an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck's creative process, and a fascinating glimpse of Steinbeck, the private man.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A hauntingly beautiful account of a family fractured by war . . . filled with vivid and heartbreaking details.”—The New York Times Book Review NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • “Full of wonderful treasures offered by a unique and spirited father . . . written with serene grace: part memoir, part love story, all heart.”—James McBride, author of The Color of Water In 2005, Dana Canedy’s fiancé, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, began to write what would become a two-hundred-page journal for his son in case he did not make it home from the war in Iraq. He was killed by a roadside bomb on October 14, 2006. His son, Jordan, was seven months old. Inspired by his example, Dana was determined to preserve his memory for their son. A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s fiercely honest letter to her child about the parent he lost before he could even speak. It is also a father’s advice and prayers for the son he will never know. A father figure to the soldiers under his command, Charles moved naturally into writing to his son. In neat block letters, he counseled him on everything from how to withstand disappointment and deal with adversaries to how to behfrave on a date. And he also wrote of recovering a young soldier’s body, piece by piece, from a tank—and the importance of honoring that young man’s life. He finished the journal two months before his death while home on a two-week leave, so intoxicated with love for his infant son that he barely slept. This is also the story of Dana and Charles together—two seemingly mismatched souls who loved each other deeply and lost each other too soon. A Journal for Jordan is a tender introduction, a loving good-bye, a reporter’s inquiry into her soldier’s life, and a heartrending reminder of the human cost of war.

He has stolen Eleanor Fitt's heart, but who was Daniel Sheridan before he became a Spirit-Hunter? In this suspenseful 100-page digital-original romance novella from Something Strange and Deadly author Susan Dennard, Daniel's past—and his first love—will be exposed. With a checkered past like Daniel Sheridan's, landing an apprenticeship aboard the Sadie Queen was just the fresh start he was looking for. But that's the last thing it's been. Teeming with ghosts that plague the crew with horrific nightmares, this ship is more trouble than it's worth to Daniel. Except for Cass. . . . Gorgeous and stubborn to a fault, apprentice pilot Cassidy Cochran is the one thing keeping Daniel on board. Though they started as best friends, their relationship has grown into something more intense. Their stolen, sometimes steamy moments have Daniel feeling something he never thought possible: love. Enlisting the help of a short-tempered Chinese boy named Jie and a Creole gentleman named Joseph, the three attempt to rid the boat of the ghosts—for if they don't, the Sadie Queen will be put out of business. And with Cass's fatally-ill sister in need of expensive medical help, Daniel is more determined than ever to save the ship. But when he discovers that the ghosts are linked to a dangerous curse whose caster wants everyone on board dead, Daniel will come face-to-face with an evil so dark, so wicked, that it will change the course of his life forever. Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

Lay out your strategy for the day, a meeting, or your novel between lines written by a preeminent strategist. Dated to about the fifth century BC, The Art of War is considered the world’s oldest treatise on war tactics. Attributed to Sun Tzu of China’s Zhou dynasty, the book addresses important aspects of warfare, such as planning offenses, military combat, and the use of spies. Influential in Eastern civilization for millennia and in Western culture since its first translation in the 18th century, this book’s teachings have been applied to scenarios as varied as office politics, the Vietnam War, and American football. A Novel Journal: The Art of War infuses new life into a military heirloom by inviting writers to pen their own ideas between the lines of a time-honored book. The entirety of The Art of War, followed by a later version with commentary by British Museum expert Lionel Giles, forms the lines of this journal in tiny type. Whether simply recording the happenings of a day or strategizing for the future, whatever is written in these pages will be in the company of greatness. Packaged with a Svepa cover, brilliant endpapers, colored edges, and matching elastic band, this book is a great gift or collectible for Chinese history buffs or military enthusiasts. And the compact size makes this journal easy to slip into a purse, briefcase, or backpack so you can record and revisit your thoughts on the go.

The provocative Booker Prize winning novel from Nobel laureate, J.M. Coetzee "Compulsively readable... A novel that not only works its spell but makes it impossible for us to lay it aside once we've finished reading it." —The New Yorker At fifty-two, Professor David Lurie is divorced, filled with desire, but lacking in passion. When an affair with a student leaves him jobless, shunned by friends, and ridiculed by his ex-wife, he retreats to his daughter Lucy's smallholding. David's visit becomes an extended stay as he attempts to find meaning in his one remaining relationship. Instead, an incident of unimaginable terror and violence forces father and daughter to confront their strained relationship and the equallity complicated racial complexities of the new South Africa. 2024 marks the 25th Anniversary of the publication of Disgrace