Great Literature

In the third installment of his acclaimed anthology series, master of crime fiction Lawrence Block has gathered together the best talent from popular fiction to produce an anthology of short stories based on masterpieces of American art. Among the star-studded lineup of writers you'll find Jerome Charyn, Jane Hamilton, Christa Faust, John Sandford, Sara Paretsky, Walter Mosley, Charles Ardai, Barry Malzberg, and Janice Eidus.

Tom's eyes bored into Basil's. "I admire and respect you as a brilliant detective, but I must speak frankly. Your chances of capturing J. J. are practically zero. The obstacles are too many and too great. In my opinion, Basil, you're on an impossible mission!"

Sherlock Holmes —the name immediately brings to mind an image of the great detective sitting in his rooms in 221B Baker street, his fingers steepled before his hawkish nose, his sharp grey eyes focused on the client who has brought a little puzzle for him to solve. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said when one reads the names of the other literary detectives of the time period, sometimes referred to as the rivals of Sherlock Holmes.

In the newest novel by beloved National Book Award finalist Lisa Graff, kids have turned the tables on their parents, and all the rules have been tossed out the window. But does Winnie have what it takes to hold her ground and keep everyone happy? This story, with a pitch-perfect middle grade voice and zany yet poignant situation, is perfect for fans of Sharon Creech, Louis Sachar, and Jack Gantos.

Yanko White Fox is used to expectations. Since he was a small boy, his father has expected him to become a powerful mage and redeem his family’s honor. Even if his heart was elsewhere, Yanko always accepted his responsibility. He’s learned all he can about magic, practiced to become powerful, and fought great evil to free thousands of imprisoned people. But it’s not enough.

Competition is hotter than the pre-heated ovens as The Great British Baking Competition moves into cake week. Amateur baker Poppy Wilkinson has a lot to deal with, from learning she has talents she never knew about, to trying to keep cool and bake under pressure. She’s also trying to track down the secrets of her parentage. Meanwhile, she’s saved from death by a local Border collie who seems to think she’s part of his flock and herds her out of danger.

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

Promoted to the elite Praetorian Guard in the thick of battle, a young legionary is thrust into a seedy world of imperial politics and corruption. Tasked with uncovering a plot against the newly crowned Emperor Commodus, his mission takes him from the cold Danubian border all the way to the heart of Rome, the villa of the Emperor’s scheming sister, and the great Colosseum. What seems a straightforward, if terrifying, assignment soon descends into Machiavellian treachery and peril as everything in which young Rufinus trusts and believes is called into question....

When the CIA needed a fall guy, Dugan was the one it betrayed. Forsaken by those he’d trusted and with nowhere to turn, he’s made it his mission to stop the miscreants who ruined his life before they can destroy anyone else’s. From human-trafficking rings and remorseless hit men to byzantine plots to alter the world order, Dugan must outwit those chartered with terminating him while battling overwhelming odds.

"The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

For six years, Reginald Brooks - slick Disney marketing VP - has pulled off the perfect scam. He has juggled two families without the other one finding out. He stays two weeks in Miami with his wife and two young adult daughters, and the next two weeks in Orlando with his trophy mistress and their young daughter. But when the charade unravels, it’s clear there’s been a lot more pretending than anyone realized. Soon wide-ranging consequences begin to take their toll.

This book is a thoughtfully curated collection of concise summaries and insightful reviews of 100 iconic novels that have shaped the literary world. Whether you're a seasoned reader revisiting beloved classics or a curious newcomer exploring these masterpieces for the first time, this guide offers a roadmap to understanding what makes these works timeless. Each summary delves into the key ideas, themes, and narratives, while the reviews explore the enduring relevance, cultural impact, and emotional depth of these stories, inspiring deeper engagement with the novels themselves. Designed to ...

Basil of Baker’s Street, the masterful mouse detective who studied under Sherlock Holmes, is on his way to a school reunion with his old friends from Ratcliffe College. Along for the trip is his steadfast companion, Doctor Dawson. But all is not well, as they soon learn that the dastardly Ratigan has escaped from prison in London. Could the rat possibly be planning revenge against his old nemesis, Basil himself?

When attorney Marcus Glenwood resigns from his prestigious corporate law firm to retreat to the small town of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and rebuild his life after a devastating personal tragedy, he has no idea that the biggest, most emotionally trying case of his entire career is about to fall into his backyard. It is a fragile and spiritually wounded Glenwood who first meets his distraught clients, Alma and Austin Hall. Their daughter, Gloria, has disappeared in China while investigating the slavelike labor practices of a factory owned by the international giant New Horizons....

Brad Cranston is having a normal Friday afternoon in Shelter Harbor, Michigan when he receives a desperate call from his brother, who disappeared six years ago. Conrad’s message is clear: head south, bring a boat, do not involve the police, and there is a load of money involved - click. After enlisting the service of rookie Private Investigator Allison Shannon - a retired master diver who is haunted by her own demons - the two start to realize that Conrad Cranston has become much more than a lost hiker.

In this special presentation, William J. Bennett presents a selection from his best-selling anthology of stories that has inspired and instructed audiences of all ages from coast to coast. From the Bible to fables to Greek myths, from ancient philosophy to American history to unforgettable words of our nation's leaders, here are the timeless works that will help children understand and develop character - and help adults teach them.

Charming, vibrant, witty and edifying, The Life of Samuel Johnson is a work of great obsession and boundless reverence. The literary critic Samuel Johnson was 54 when he first encountered Boswell; the friendship that developed spawned one of the greatest biographies in the history of world literature. The book is full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization, and paints a vivid picture of 18th-century London, peopled by prominent personalities of the time.

It is July, 67 AD. The brutal, 47-day siege of the rebel stronghold of Jotapata, in Galilee, has ended. The Roman armies of Vespasian destroyed the city and captured the leader of the resistance, Josephus ben Matthias. While being interrogated by the Roman commanding general, Josephus makes a bold prediction; Nero’s reign grows short and, in time, Vespasian himself will rise to become emperor. Intrigued, while also viewing the Jewish general as a great source of intelligence, Vespasian spares his life. He then unleashes a hell storm of fury upon the rest of Galilee and Judea itself.

It’s 1927, and the most devastating flood in American history has swelled the Mississippi River to a width of eighty miles. In an attempt to save a family trapped by the rising water, four men in a tiny rowboat battle the treacherous flow: three are convicts, on loan from the local prison and pressed into service; the fourth, the leader of the team, is driven by his own hidden motives. But to their surprise upon arrival at Ballymore, an ancestral home protected by a high, circular levee, not everyone in the family feels the need to be saved.

Like all great metropolises before it, when a city gets big enough, old enough, it must be born; but there are ancient enemies who cannot tolerate new life. Thus New York will live or die by the efforts of a reluctant midwife...and how well he can learn to sing the city's mighty song.