Amélie jako mała dziewczynka mieszkała w Japonii. Teraz, gdy jest dorosła, postanawia odwiedzić kraj Kwitnącej Wiśni. Udzielając Japończykom korepetycji z francuskiego, chce przyswoić ich język. Choć w czasie pierwszych lekcji z Rinrim, studentem romanistyki, rozmowę zakłócają ciągłe lapsusy i niezrozumiała wymowa, Belgijka i Japończyk zaprzyjaźniają się. Amélie poznając fascynujący i egzotyczny świat, zakochuje się w Rinrim. Obserwuje, jak we współczesnej Japonii nowoczesność miesza się z tradycyjną kulturą. Zauroczona odmiennością przyjaciela i jego kraju, delektuje się pobytem do czasu, aż chłopak poprosi ją o rękę

Halfway into Michael Ondaatje's new novel, Anil's Ghost, there is a scene so quietly devastating that it alone makes the novel worth reading. It is the mid-1980s, and a civil war is raging on the tiny island nation of Sri Lanka. Each day, fresh corpses inundate emergency medical clinics-many of them so mutilated that they are unidentifiable and can only be classified as "disappearances." Anil Tissera, a 33-year-old forensic anthropologist born in Sri Lanka and educated abroad, returns to the island as part of a United Nations human rights campaign to prove that mass murders are taking place. In the hope of identifying the corpses, she takes the unusual step of hiring a local "face painter" named Ananda, who, with mud, soot, paint, and sheer instinct, reconstructs the ghostly visage of one suspiciously disinterred body. Anil then shows the image around the local villages, hoping that it will be recognized. This grisly mask becomes Anil's Ghost, and she raises it high to reveal to the world, and the government of Sri Lanka, that she knows what has been going on. In addition to being his best story yet, Ondaatje's tale is a similarly brave and grisly act of reanimation: It conjures a dark period in Sri Lankan history and reveals how the atrocities directly affect the three main characters. The novel begins with Anil's arrival on the island and builds outward from there. Forty-nine-year-old archaeologist Sarath Diaysena is assigned by the Sri Lankan government to be Anil's official guide, but in spite of his expertise, he never really warms to the role. Sarath wants nothing to do with stirring up trouble. Since his wife's suicide, he has withdrawn into his work, attempting to buffer himself against the horrors being perpetrated all around him. His brother Gamini, a doctor who works in the field clinics, cannot afford the luxury of denial; the grim casualties of war are wheeled into his clinic by the hour. Unlike Sarath, he knows that one day soon he will recognize one of the victims. When Sarath and Anil leave the city for the remote villages where Ministry of Health officials rarely, if ever, go, it becomes all but impossible for Sarath to remain uninvolved. Severed heads are staked out along the roads as a warning to anyone thinking of joining the resistance. Even the reticent Sarath admits that small guerrilla groups can hardly be the cause of such widespread brutality. Gamini, meanwhile, is so overwhelmed with triage and autopsies that he turns to his own supply of pharmaceuticals in order to stay awake. Despite the obvious signs of mass murder, Sarath begs Anil not to continue her investigation. He knows how the government will respond to an outsider who tries to exhume its dirty secrets. But Anil knows that it is this very fear that must be overcome if the murders are to be stopped. When she and Sarath find a person who can help them confirm the age of a body interred in a government-controlled cave, there is no turning back. The remainder of the novel chronicles Anil and Sarath's quest to learn the origins of this body and its identity. Even in the last 20 pages, the novel's crucial questions remain artfully suspended: How much safety is Sarath willing to sacrifice in order to bring these atrocities to light? Will the body be recognized? Will Sarath ever open up to Anil? Will either of them back down when their snooping comes to light? Anil's Ghost is the closest Ondaatje is likely to come to writing a page-turner; many readers will likely devour it in one sitting. But what makes this more than just a thrilling tale, and invites rereadings, is the way Ondaatje textures his characters' interior lives. And this is where we get vintage Ondaatje. Using flashbacks and brilliant set pieces, Ondaatje spreads out their histories before us like a cartographer, and through this careful mapping we feel his characters' pain and disillusionment. There is Anil's growing guilt over having left Sri Lanka before the disappearances began, and her attempt to expiate that guilt by working to bring these events to light. There is Gamini's struggle to keep hope alive after so many bodies have died in his arms. And finally, there is Sarath's judicious approach to each new atrocity, an attitude that mirrors his technique of keeping a close lid on his heart. In Ondaatje's literary universe, it is through loving that we define ourselves, and his characters reveal their essential natures by how they do and do not love. Anil has recently run out on her boyfriend after stabbing him in the arm with a small knife. The face painter Ananda's own wife is numbered among the disappearances. When reconstructing the faces of the missing, he gives each of them a serene portrayal, in the hope that his wife, too, will find peace. Sarath's wife, who killed herself at the height of the disappearances, is a more indirect casualty. At the nexus of these three characters is Gamini. Like Anil, he is living on the edge-giving his life to the cause of helping others-but unlike Sarath, he is willing to risk his heart by trying to find true love. In Ondaatje's previous books, his characters transcended their war-ravaged condition through sexual connection. Here, however, sex is the ground upon which the political battles raging around the characters turn personal, where people learn their fates. Ultimately, what brings home the crushing truth of the atrocities is the extent to which each character gives up on romantic love. Yet in the midst of such emotional decimation, Anil never abandons her struggle to bring the murders to light. Matters of the heart are defined by what we sacrifice. And by risking everything for truth, Anil delivers her most profound expression of love to her reclaimed country. – John Freeman

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist

"Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What the finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet. *** “Kingsolver is giving a new voice to our literature. Animal Dreams solidly establishes Kingsolver as someone who will give her public more than one great book.”-Los Angeles Times Book Review “An emotional masterpiece…A novel in which humor, passion, and superb prose conspire to seize a reader by the heart and by the soul.”-New York Daily News “A well-nigh perfect novel, masterfully written, brimming with insight, humor, and compassion. Kingsolver’s clear, purposeful prose spins the narrative like a spider’s web, its interconnected strands gossamer-thin but tensile, strong. This richly satisfying novel should firmly establish Kingsolver among the pantheon of talented writers.”-Publishers Weekly “One of the year’s best works of fiction.”-Detroit News and Free Press “A glorious tapestry… Animal Dreams is rich fodder for our own sweet, satisfying dreams.”-Denver Post “A fascinating world of myth, memory, and dreams. Following Codi Noline home is definitely a worthwhile journey.”-Dallas Morning News “Barbara Kingsolver gives us the gift of a trip to forgiveness and love through lovingly sensual detail, characters we all know and yet wish we knew better, through evocations of an Arizona landscape both nurturing and mysterious.”-Minneapolis Star Tribune “Kingsolver achieves a fully realized and profoundly moral vision, one that is rooted in the land and our relationship to it.”-San Francisco Chronicle “You’ll treasure Animal Dreams. A beautiful, memorable novel full of scenes and images that linger in the mind.”-TONY HILLERMAN, author of Talking God and Thief of Time “Barbara Kingsolver demonstrates a special gift for the vivid evocation of landscape and of her characters’ state of mind.”-New York Times Book Review “A novel full of aching sadness-as well as joy, humor, insight, and wonderful writing.”-Arizona Daily Star “Animal Dreams literally bursts with life. Its description of how one woman finds her way back from the edge of despair seems absolutely perfect… Animal Dreams leaves the reader filled with wonder and hope.”-Houston Post

Эта книга – сборник произведений английского писателя Джорджа Оруэлла. Самый нашумевший его рассказ «Скотный двор», который по понятным причинам был запрещен к изданию во времена СССР, а также подборка самых ярких эссе открывают читателю интереснейшие моменты из жизни автора. Книга представляет собой неадаптированный текст для чтения. Предназначена для учащихся старших классов языковых школ, вузов, курсов иностранных языков и самостоятельного чтения. Тексты снабжены заданиями на понимание, примечаниями и словарем

Unleashing your inner tigress isn't easy when you're a doormat by nature! Still, after escaping a wretched marriage to a cheating SOB, Dallas party planner Naomi Delacroix isn't about to let another man sweet-talk her into sheathing her protective claws. Not even hunky millionaire Royce Powell, who's hired her to arrange his mother's surprise party. Even if he does make her purr like a kitten with one heated glance… Royce claims he's been in love with her ever since she threw a party for one of his friends a year ago. But if that's true, why is this incredibly eligible CEO currently taking applications for a wife? Despite herself, Naomi is tempted to fill one out. But can her inner tigress believe a man might change his stripes?

Rita Mae Brown's earliest memory is of the soothing purr of Mickey, her family's long-haired tiger cat, who curled up and claimed a spot in her crib. From there, a steady parade of cats, dogs, horses, and all manner of two- and four-legged critters have walked, galloped, and flown into and through her world. In Animal Magnetism, the bestselling author shares the lessons she's learned from these marvelous creatures as well as her deep appreciation for them. Brown readily admits that she prefers the company of animals to people, a trait handed down from her mother. After all, Brown explains, "There's no such thing as a dumb dog, but God knows there are continents filled with dumb humans." In fact, by observing the dogs on her farm, the horses in her stables, and the cats that have helped her flesh out her many novels, Brown has gained better insight into herself and other human beings-one need only look at a chicken coop, she once realized, to see its striking similarity to her mother's clucking and preening group of friends. In hilarious and heartwarming stories, Brown introduces us to Franklin, a parrot with a wicked sense of humor; R.C., a courageous Doberman who defined loyalty and sacrifice; Suzie Q, the horse who taught her the meaning of hard work; Baby Jesus, a tough tiger cat from New York City with sharp teeth to match his attitude; and of course the beloved and prolific Sneaky Pie, who needs no introduction to her legions of fans. In her succinct and personable style, Brown also revisits the very human parts of her life-growing up in the segregated South, dealing with the pain and the loss of those dearest to her, and coming into her own as an adult and as a writer. Every recollection here reveals nature's delight and wonder-and offers solid evidence of the ability of animals to love. As funny as it is poignant, Animal Magnetism shows how these inspiring creatures, great and small, can bring out the best in us, restore us to our greater selves, and even save our lives

Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more

«Post coitum omne animal triste» — «После соития всякая тварь тоскует». Словами из этого латинского изречения названа книга известной немецкой писательницы, лауреата многих престижных литературных премий Моники Марон. «Animal triste» признана «лучшим романом года» и «глубоко эротичной книгой». Сумасшедшая любовь. Слепая любовь. Любовь до гроба. Это, как выясняется, не метафоры. Перед вами самое пронзительное и достоверное любовное свидетельство из всех обнародованных за последние годы. Сойти с ума от любви… Ослепнуть от любви… Умереть от любви… И несмотря на это: «В жизни можно пропустить все, кроме любви»

Ever since he can remember, Animal has gone on all fours, the catastrophic result of what happened on That Night when, thanks to an American chemical company, the Apocalypse visited his slum. Now not quite twenty, he leads a hand-to-mouth existence with his dog Jara and a crazy old nun called Ma Franci, and spends his nights fantasising about Nisha, the daughter of a local musician, and wondering what it must be like to get laid. When a young American doctor, Elli Barber, comes to town to open a free clinic for the still suffering townsfolk — only to find herself struggling to convince them that she isn't there to do the dirty work of the 'Kampani' — Animal plunges into a web of intrigues, scams and plots with the unabashed aim of turning events to his own advantage. Compellingly honest, entertaining and entirely without self-pity, Animal's account lights our way into his dark world with flashes of pure joy — from the very first page all the way to the story's explosive ending

It is the moment every twenty-something must confront: the time to grow up. Adulthood looms, with all it's numbing tranquility and stifling complacency. The end of prolonged adolescence is near. Laura and Tyler are two women whose twenties have been a blur of overstayed parties, a fondness for drugs that has shifted from cautious experimentation to catholic indulgence, and hangovers that don't relent until Monday morning. They've been best friends, partners in excess, for the last ten years. But things are changing: Laura is engaged to Jim, a classical pianist who has long since given up the carousing lifestyle. He disapproves of Tyler's reckless ways and of what he percieves to be her bad influence on Laura. Jim pulls Laura toward adulthood and responsibility, toward what society says she should be, but Tyler isn't ready to let her go. But what does Laura want for herself? And how can she choose between Tyler and Jim, between one life she loves and another she's "supposed" to love? Raw, uproarious, and deeply affecting, Animals speaks to an entire generation caught between late-adolescence and adulthood wondering what exactly they'll have to give up in order to grow up

Vincitore del premio Hugo per il miglior romanzo breve (Novella) in 1983. Nominato per il premio Nebula per il miglior romanzo breve (Novella) in 1983

«Так… Предупреждаю: все, что вы сейчас прочтете, может показаться глупым и даже мелодраматичным. Но это написано не моими руками. Это написано моим сердцем и любовью. Понимаете, что я имею в виду?» Огэст Дж. Бэбингтон, один из авторов этой книги Кинокритик и известный видеоблогер Крис Стакман создал вместе с соавторами совершенно особенную и очаровательную книгу о японской анимации. Внутри вы найдете десятки рецензий и личных историй разных людей про то, как аниме изменило их жизни. Это не просто список самых популярных фильмов (такой можно легко найти в интернете). Это размышления о том, какое влияние оказало аниме на представителей нескольких поколений. От «Призрака в доспехах» до «Твоего имени», от «Ковбоя Бипоп» до «Моего соседа Тоторо», от «Покемонов» до «Наруто», от «Сейлор Мун» до «Тетради смерти» – каждое аниме из этой книги может вызвать волну ностальгии, стать неожиданным открытием, скоротать вам вечер или помочь справиться с трудной ситуацией. «Anime World» о том, что делает аниме не просто развлечением, а настоящим искусством с миллионами последователей по всему миру. Если кто-то из ваших друзей все еще считает аниме «просто детскими мультиками», дайте ему почитать эту книгу. Книга содержит нецензурную брань В формате PDF A4 сохранён издательский дизайн

Już jako mała dziewczynka Tula Backe odkryła, że różni się od innych dzieci. Nie zawsze wykorzystywała swe nadzwyczajne zdolności w służbie dobra, wiedziała więc, że jest jedną z dotkniętych z Ludzi Lodu… Zła moc, nieskończenie potężniejsza od niej, knuła diabelskie plany. Tengel Zły wybrał sobie Tulę jako tę, która miała obudzić go ze snu…