Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. Ransome is not only a great storyteller, writing from first-hand experience, but each story celebrates eternally valuable qualities of practical knowledge, independence, and initiative. The twelve books are for children or grownups-anyone captivated by a world of sailing, adventure, and imagination. The crew's on holiday for their sixth adventure, and they turn their energies to mining for gold, aided by pigeon messengers Homer, Sophocles, and Sappho. The adventurers comb the nearby hills for a fabled lost claim, while being shadowed by a mysterious figure they dub "squashy hat." Undeterred by drought, sudden brushfires, and the continuing presence of Squashy Hat, the young prospectors persevere in their quest-with surprising results. Full of the dangers and dark adventures of old mines and forgotten claims, Pigeon Post has an irresistible appeal to the persistent explorer in all of us.

"First published in 1936 by Jonathan Cape Ltd.; revised edition published in 1983"--Copyright page.

A hilarious short story about a woman who decides to buy New Zealand Stuck in the dry desert of Single Tree Gully, Australia, in 1840, Mrs C Wentworth dreams of a place deluged with rain. An island to own, and rain. The pigeon post brings word from her husband that he has negotiated with some Maori chiefs to purchase the isle on which she has set her heart. However, politics intervene . . .

It's not easy for a man pushing forty to meet other gay men while living on the outskirts of the Great Xia kingdom. That is, until the perpetually-single Wu Xingzi catches wind of The Peng Society for Gentleman--a top secret club for men to meet each other and perhaps even exchange lewd ink drawings of their personal anatomy via pigeon post. What was once a faraway dream for Wu Xingzi has quickly become his new purpose in life: to collect as many shockingly detailed phallic illustrations as he can! There is just one problem. His favorite specimen belongs, in the flesh, to the notorious Guan Shanjin, a man of ill repute who is intent on thrusting himself into Wu Xingzi's world. Will their encounters become too hot for Wu Xingzi to handle? Or will they find themselves both coming back for more?

Prompted collaborative journal designed to foster deeper connections. Features over 200 unique activities and questions across 3 different levels of emotional depth. This journal is designed to be completed both independently, passing the journal back and forth, and together, either in person or virtually.

Our frequent urban companion, cooing in the eaves of train stations or scavenging underfoot for breadcrumbs and discarded French fries, the pigeon has many detractors—and even some fans. Written out of love for and fascination with this humble yet important bird, Barbara Allen’s Pigeon explores its cultural significance, as well as its similarities to and differences from its close counterpart, the dove. While the dove is seen as a symbol of love, peace, and goodwill, the pigeon is commonly perceived as a filthy, ill-mannered flying rodent, a “rat with wings.” Readers will find in Pigeon an enticing exploration of the historical and contemporary bonds between humans and these two unique and closely related birds. For polluting statues and architecture, the pigeon has earned a bad reputation, but Barbara Allen offers several examples of the bird’s importance—as a source of food and fertilizer, a bearer of messages during times of war, a pollution monitor, and an aid to Charles Darwin in his pivotal research on evolutionary theory. Allen also comments on the literary love and celebration of pigeons and doves in the work of such writers and poets as Shakespeare, Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Proust, and Isaac Bashevis Singer. Along the way, Allen corrects the many stereotypes about pigeons in the hope that the rich history of one of the oldest human-animal partnerships will be both admired and celebrated.