` How simple this novel is. How subtle. How strong. How unlike any other. It is unique. It is unforgettable. It is extraordinary` Doris Lessing`I`m surprised it isn`t the most famous book in the world` Max Porter, author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers` She was close to the edge now: the ice laid its hand upon her` The schoolchildren call it the Ice Palace: a frozen waterfall in the Norwegian fjords transformed into a fantastic structure of translucent walls, sparkling towers & secret chambers. It fascinates two young girls, lonely Unn & lively Siss, who strike up an intense friendship. When Unn decides to explore the Ice Palace alone & doesn`t return, Siss must try to cope with the loss of her friend without succumbing to a frozen world of her own making. ...

For the first time in English, the psychological thriller debut of No.1 bestselling Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg. Returning to her hometown after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life. Erica conceives a memoir about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their lost friendship. While her interest grows to an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about the small town with a deeply disturbing past. ...

The psychological thriller debut of No.1 bestselling Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg. Returning to her hometown after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life. Erica conceives a memoir about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their lost friendship. While her interest grows to an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about the small town with a deeply disturbing past. ...

The psychological thriller debut of No.1 bestselling Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg. A small town can hide many secrets Returning to her hometown after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems like she`s taken her own life. Meanwhile, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. It`s only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past... ...

The drawing-room was entirely English. The Office of Works had provided deep armchairs, a sofa you could have slept on, though of course nobody had ever done so, & a low glass-topped table. A young English woman arrives in the Polish People`s Republic to visit her older sister, who married a Polish soldier after the war, disappearing into a life behind the Iron Curtain. This award-winning novel of the harsh cruelties & deprivations of life in Communist Poland is told with truth, wit & understanding. ...

Hans Christian Andersen was a master of other literary forms besides the fairy story
- in particular, the novella for an adult
...

Helen Womack has lived in Russia under three Kremlin leaders. In all that time, what has really changed & what remains essentially the same? Better equipped than most Westerners to answer that question, Helen draws not only on her own experience but on the eyewitness accounts of ordinary Russians, who struggled to survive & make sense of the historic changes in their country from 1985 to 2012. Helen saw it all: Gorbachev`s perestroika, Yeltsin`s reforms & Putin`s return to order. She was in Russia long enough to grasp the recurring pattern of its politics. Like the weather, the political climate is cyclical. The thaw offers hope but comes with dangers; the freeze brings stability but also a shut-down. Winter is long & miserable but in the cold & dark lives the seed of spring. ...

” In 2008 the art critic Tom Lubbock was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The tumour was located in the area controlling speech & language, & would eventually rob him of the ability to speak. He died early in 2011. Marion Coutts was his wife. In short bursts of beautiful, textured prose, Coutts describes the eighteen months leading up to her partner`s death. This book is an account of a family unit, man, woman, young child, under assault, & how the three of them fought to keep it intact. Written with extraordinary narrative force & power, The Iceberg is almost shocking in its rawness. It charts the deterioration of Tom`s speech even as it records the developing language of his child. Fury, selfishness, grief, indignity & impotence are all examined & brought to light. Yet out of this comes a rare story about belonging, an `adventure of being & dying`. This book is a celebration of each other, friends, family, art, work, love & language.” ...

The Icealnders, in the Xenophobe guide series; consisting of a range of pocket-sized guides which take a humorous & irreverent approach to a wide range of world cultures. Each guide explores the characteristics of a country’s people in a series of dedicated sections, encompassing nationalism & identity, behaviour, manners, character, obsessions, beliefs & values, leisure & pleasure, culture, custom & tradition, business, systems, health & hygiene, crime & punishment, government & bureaucracy, conversation & gestures & language. Written in a wholly irreverent style, Xenophobes guides attempt to forewarn readers of the main stereotypes & foibles that are associated with individual nationalities. ...

Welcome to the world of baking & decorating! Whether you`ve never picked up a cookie cutter or a piping nozzle before or you`re an experienced baker, this book will show you how easy it is to transform a humble cake, cupcake, biscuit, cake pop, macaron or other baked treat into a stunning creation. Juliet Stallwood runs a bakery specialising in decorated goodies & is renowned for her unique & imaginative designs. For the first time she is sharing her secrets in a book. In Chapter One of The Icing on the Cake, ` Decorate to Indulge`, you`ll find recipes for sweet comforts such as Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes & Raspberry Dust Macarons. Chapter Two, ` Decorate for Love`, revels in the art of romance, including wonderful wedding favours like Kissing Birds Biscuits & a Heart Chocolate Box Cake for your Valentine. Chapter Three, ` Decorate to Celebrate`, gives you recipes for birthday parties, baby showers & festive occasions, including teddy bear & rabbit cupcakes & a Gingerbread House. The book finishes with a flourish in Chapter Four, ` Decorate to Impress`, which is full of extravagant show-off pieces like the Ivory Corsage Wedding Cake & Magnificent Mini Cakes. There are over 50 gorgeous recipes that are completely do-able, all with practical information & clear instructions. Plus, in Chapter Five you`ll find all of Juliet`s ` Best-Kept Secrets`, from tools & equipment to techniques & downloadable templates, making this a must-have book. ...