DIVDIVSwitcher Tess is about to discover her dark side/divDIV Tess is a Switcher, able to change into any creature at will. She believes she has experienced everything her powers have to offer—until she meets Martin, another Switcher, who seems to have a mysterious power over the Dublin rats. Martin has found a use for his gift that Tess could never have imagined. It is dangerous and terrifying, but also exciting, and Tess can’t resist the temptation to explore Martin’s dark and thrilling world. Will she find the strength to resist, or will she be pulled permanently into darkness?/div/div

“A beautifully rendered epic journey . . . . The novel works on many levels and excels at them all.” —New York Journal of Books In this captivating and surprising novel of spiritual discovery—a No. 1 bestseller in India—a young American travels to India and finds himself tested physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Max Pzoras is the poster child for the American Dream. The child of Greek immigrants who grew up in a dangerous New York housing project, he triumphed over his upbringing and became a successful Wall Street analyst. Yet on the frigid December night he’s involved in a violent street scuffle, Max begins to confront questions about suffering and mortality that have dogged him since his mother’s death. His search takes him to the farthest reaches of India, where he encounters a mysterious night market, almost freezes to death on a hike up the Himalayas, and finds himself in an ashram in a drought-stricken village in South India. As Max seeks answers to questions that have bedeviled him—can yogis walk on water and live for 200 years without aging? Can a flesh-and-blood man ever achieve nirvana?—he struggles to overcome his skepticism and the pull of family tugging him home. In an ultimate bid for answers, he embarks on a dangerous solitary meditation in a freezing Himalayan cave, where his physical and spiritual endurance is put to its most extreme test. By turns a gripping adventure story and a journey of tremendous inner transformation, The Yoga of Max's Discontent is a contemporary take on man's classic quest for transcendence.

Before a man becomes a Christian he has many false ideas about God's way of salvation. Spurgeon details these problems one by one and in the process helps not only seekers but doubting Christians too.

What techniques has the Syrian state under Bashar al-Assad used to control the possibility of opposition from Syria¿s Islamic sphere? Addressing this question, the authors of State and Islam in Baathist Syria explore the troubled relations between the regime and the remnants of the Muslim Brotherhood after the 1982 repression, consider the impact of the proliferation of Islamic charities and schools, and examine the discourses of the Damascus ulama during the current uprising.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS SUNDAY INDEPENDENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 'A landmark book by an important new voice in Irish writing' EMILIE PINE THIS HOSTEL LIFE tells the stories of migrant women in a hidden Ireland. Queuing for basic supplies in an Irish direct provision hostel, a group of women squabble and mistrust each other, learning what they can of the world from conversations about reality television and Shakespeare. In another story, a student shares her work with a class only to be critiqued about her own lived experience, and a mother of young twins, living in Nigeria, is at risk of losing her newborns to ancient superstitious beliefs. An essay by Liam Thornton (UCD School of Law) is also included, explaining the Irish legal position in relation to asylum seekers and direct provision. 'Fresh, devastating stories . . . Okorie writes with uncomfortable clarity about things we think we already know' LIA MILLS 'Melatu Uche Okorie has important things to say - and she does it quite brilliantly' RODDY DOYLE

Packed with facts and opinions, crammed with information and including an introductory essay and in-depth discussion of all the major films, this pocket guide to the world of 'slasher movies' is an essential guide for anyone interested in this most disturbing of film genres. Includes a discussion of all the major films and a checklist of stars who got their big break being slashed!