East Asian

'In a Nutshell', the new audiobook series from Naxos AudioBooks, continues with a fascinating history of Afghanistan. For centuries it has been the playground of big powers, from Alexander the Great to the British Empire and the Soviet Union. It has been torn by internal strife and ideological differences, yet Afghans, tribal though they may be, remain a proud nation. Here is a short history, setting the background to the current situation.

On the Eight Sho-Dan of the Second Infestation Era at Kyosian Gunshiho in Dong ShiHo, ShinJi Dobashi, sole male heir to his father's myojie, struggles with the expectations he's met with. Trapped in an unwanted marriage with someone who is abhorrent to him and his own nature, ShinJi wiles his days away writing poetry, composing music and painting, as he dreams of freedom and a chance of leaving his father's Gunshiho so he can return to the Temple and live a scholarly life. One day, after a confrontation with his wife, he watches a crane fly - envying the bird its carefree existence, wishing...

When Ye Pei dreamed of Venice as a girl, she imagined a magical floating city of canals and gondola rides. And she imagined her mother, successful in her new life and eager to embrace the daughter she had never forgotten. But when Ye Pei arrives in Italy, she learns her mother works on a farm far from the city. Her only connection, a mean-spirited Chinese auntie, puts Ye Pei to work in a small-town café. Rather than giving up and returning to China, a determined Ye Pei takes on a grueling schedule.

The emergence of China as a major player on the international stage is one of the most significant developments in contemporary geopolitics - the study of the effects of geography (both human and physical) on international relations. Kang's call for understanding of and engagement with China, rather than containment and confrontation, makes China Rising a "must-listen" for anyone interested in international politics.

The reign of the Sharakhani kings has been broken. Queen Meryam now rules the city. Çeda, meanwhile, has succeeded in lifting the asirim's curse, though it came at a terrible cost. Nalamae was slain in battle against her sister goddess. All is not lost, however. Çeda knows Nalamae will be reborn and so begins a quest to find her. The scheming King Ihsan has been busy as well, mining the legendary Blue Journals for a way to save the city and the desert beyond from certain destruction.

In Jazz-Age Shanghai, Jingwen dances at the cabaret by day and runs errands for a powerful gang by night. But when a mysterious attacker steals faces from her fellow dancers, Jingwen is plunged into a world of powerful businessmen, silver-limbed gangs and vengeful gods as she tries to uncover the culprit.

Leroy Potter is a rich, playboy billionaire, who doesn’t take no for an answer. He lives by the motto that nothing is priceless, and applies that thought to his extravagant lifestyle, including the women he sleeps with. Unlike most men, Leroy doesn’t like seducing gorgeous models or famous actresses, instead he goes after something considered forbidden fruit, married housewives! In his next impossible sexual conquest, Leroy meets with the Chinese Diplomat, Bai Liu and the Indian Diplomat, Anika Patel. Both diplomats are bidding for a factory to be built in their home countries. While ...

In the summer of 2006 Med student Darren Huang meets Taishini refugee Timur Gan. A series of devastating events conspire to bring them together in what is a passionate, whirlwind romance - doomed to end come September. Its echoes, though, and the consequences, will have long lasting effects in the lives of the two young men. Ten years later, an unexpected encounter on a crowded square offers them a second chance, but are they brave enough to take it? And will the choices they now make change the outcome of their fate?