The inspiration for the Jedi knights of Star Wars and the films of Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese samurai have captured modern imaginations. Yet with these elite warriors who were bound by a code of honor called Bushido --- the Way of the Warrior --- the reality behind the myth proves more fascinating than any fiction. In SAMURAI, John Man provides a unique and captivating look at their true history, told through the life of one man: Saigo Takamori, known to many as "the last samurai."
Our understanding of what it means to be a spy has been largely defined by the fictional worlds of Ian Fleming and John le Carré. Gordon Corera provides a unique and unprecedented insight into this secret world and the reality that lies behind the fiction. He tells the story of how MI6 has changed since the end of the Second World War and illustrates the danger, the drama and the moral ambiguities that come with working for British intelligence.
While on leave from her job, police detective Andrea Finch gets an urgent call from her younger brother. Her search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight. FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case.
Leading columnist George Will returns to baseball with a deeply personal look at his hapless Chicago Cubs and their often beatified home, Wrigley Field, as it turns 100 years old. Baseball, Will argues, is full of metaphors for life, religion and happiness, and Wrigley is considered one of its sacred spaces. But what is its true, hyperbole-free history?
Chloe is a magazine editor in London who is embarking on an exciting romance with James, her handsome publisher. Maggie is a freelance magazine writer living in a quaint English village…and she is James's wife. Chloe and Maggie's perspectives on this complicated romantic triangle are told in alternating chapters as the affair progresses.
The body of a disgraced college lecturer is found on an abandoned railway line. In the four years since his dismissal for sexual misconduct, he'd been living like a hermit. So where did he get the 5,000 pounds found in his pocket? Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks begins to suspect that the victim's past may be connected to his death.
Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his new murder investigation team are called to a deadly bombing at historic St. Pancras Station. By fortunate coincidence, Melody Talbot, Gemma's trusted colleague, witnesses the explosion. The victim was taking part in an organized protest, yet the other group members swear the young man only meant to set off a smoke bomb. As Kincaid begins to gather the facts, he finds that every piece of the puzzle yields an unexpected pattern, including the disappearance of a mysterious bystander.
When Mia Durkheim chooses Sophie Diehl, a criminal attorney, as her reluctant divorce lawyer, both women are in for a rollercoaster ride that takes them from the depths of despair to the heights of euphoria as they battle Dr. Daniel Durkheim and his team of shark-like lawyers all the way to the finish line, where a divorce decree is the final prize.
While war creeps through France in 1942, the women of a small French city take matters into their own hands. The group, calling themselves Citadel, sabotages German forces, smuggles in goods, and helps refugees whenever possible. They are also involved in another dark endeavor --- finding an ancient Codex that can possibly resurrect an army of spirits that will protect them and drive out their enemies.
Gabby and Elliott have been happily married for 18 years. She could never imagine how good it would feel to have a handsome younger man show interest in her --- until the night it happens. Matt makes Gabby feel sparkling and fascinating, alive --- something she hasn't felt in years. What begins as a long-distance friendship soon develops into an emotional affair as Gabby discovers that her limits and boundaries are not where she expects them to be.
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from December 19th to January 9th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave and SKYLARK by Paula McLain.
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Coming Soon
Curious about what books will be released in the months ahead so you can pre-order or reserve them? Then click on the months below.
December's Books on Screen roundup includes the films The Housemaid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, 100 Nights of Hero,The Chronology of Water and Not Without Hope; the series premiere of Paramount+'s "Little Disasters"; the season premiere of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" on Disney+ and Hulu; the season finales of HBO's "IT: Welcome to Derry" and Apple TV+'s "Down Cemetery Road"; the midseason finales of "Tracker" and "Watson" on CBS; and the DVD/Blu-ray releases of Karen Kingsbury's The Christmas Ring and Black Phone 2.