Mother West Wind\'s Children is a collection of fifteen "Why" stories: Why are Peter Rabbit\'s ears so long? Why does Reddy Fox have no friends? These and more entertaining children\'s stories all feature in this wonderful volume.

Urien's Voyage is an allegorical account of a sea voyage. From the stagnant, teeming waters of the Sargasso to the frozen Arctic, Gide charts in prose the fantastic journey of the Orion and the sexual and moral transformations of those aboard. The temptations, suffering, and surroundings of Urien and his companions are described with an extraordinary profusion of detail, yet the pilgrims can never be sure of the reality of their experiences. The eponymous Urien is, we now know, the young Andre Gide himself. Written under the spell of the great French Symbolist poet Mallarme, the novel is an illustration of both the techniques and the aesthetic credo of the Symbolist movement. Although written early in the career of this key French thinker and Nobel Prize-Winner, Urien's Voyage is now regarded as a significant work, articulating the powerful tension between sexuality and morality that would preoccupy Gide in his better-known later novels.

Originally drawn to the game by his father, Carl Hiaasen wisely quit golfing in 1973. But some ambitions refuse to die, and as the years–and memories of shanked 7-irons faded, it dawned on Carl that there might be one thing in life he could do better in middle age than he could as a youth. So gradually he ventured back to the dreaded driving range, this time as the father of a five-year-old son–and also as a grandfather. “What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he’d never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here’s why I did it: I’m one sick bastard.” And thus we have Carl’s foray into a world of baffling titanium technology, high-priced golf gurus, bizarre infomercial gimmicks and the mind-bending phenomenon of Tiger Woods; a maddening universe of hooks and slices where Carl ultimately–and foolishly–agrees to compete in a country-club tournament against players who can actually hit the ball. “That’s the secret of the sport’s infernal seduction,” he writes. “It surrenders just enough good shots to let you talk yourself out of quitting.” Hiaasen’s chronicle of his shaky return to this bedeviling pastime and the ensuing demolition of his self-esteem–culminating with the savage 45-hole tournament–will have you rolling with laughter. Yet the bittersweet memories of playing with his own father and the glow he feels when watching his own young son belt the ball down the fairway will also touch your heart. Forget Tiger, Phil and Ernie. If you want to understand the true lure of golf, turn to Carl Hiaasen, who offers an extraordinary audiobook for the ordinary hacker. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Carl Hiaasen's Bad Monkey.

The Purple Land is a novel set in 19th century Uruguay by William Henry Hudson, first published in 1885 under the title The Purple Land that England Lost. Initially a commercial and critical failure, it was reissued in 1904 with the full title The Purple Land, Being One Richard Lamb\'s Adventures in the Banda Orientál, in South America, as told by Himself. Towards the end of the novel, the narrator explains the title, "I will call my book The Purple Land. For what more suitable name can one find for a country so stained with the blood of her children?"

There\'s a big mystery brewing among the animals of the Green Forest — and it\'s all because of a strange little creature with no head, legs, or tail that came rolling down a hill and gave Peter Cottontail the fright of his life. What could it be?Young readers and listeners will love finding out about this and other interesting goings-on in the Forest as they learn how Prickly Porky made friends, what made Old Granny Fox lose her dignity, why Old Man Coyote lost his appetite, and more.Written by master storyteller Thornton W. Burgess, this classic combines all the fun of a good story with gentle lessons about wildlife, the environment, and human virtues. It is reset here in large, easy-to-read type, enhanced by six full-page Harrison Cady illustrations that perfectly capture the mood of this charming tale.

Richard Herley's introduction: Here are ten short pieces of non-fiction, some about reading and writing; most have already appeared on my blog. I hope you enjoy them.Years of planning and preparations are finally culminating in the unification of the two countries of Gelendan and Treymayne. The year of Phoenix’s eighteenth birthday will mark the end of their rocky histories of blood-magic and the Order and the beginning of a new era. Being the figurehead of this momentous occasion comes naturally to Phoenix, but unsettling rumors have begun to swirl that portray her abilities in a negative light. Putting these out of her mind, she must act the Princess she is to host the lavish festivities that are her birthday party. While floating down the Great River in their moving celebration, their yacht makes an exciting discovery: They come across another ship, from a far off and unknown empire. With the heralds of the empire within the city walls, it is easy to forget rumors of the Princess reading minds. But when men start getting attacked through a power of the mind, it is more than the Princess’s reputation on the line…The Empire Trilogy is a follow-on to the BloodRunes Trilogy and The Forgotten Trilogy in the Eleventh World Saga, but may also be enjoyed on its own. For more information, please visit LauraRCole.com

'When you have a large collection of animals to transport from one end of the world to the other you cannot, as a lot of people seem to think, just hoist them aboard the nearest ship and set off with a gay wave of your hand.' Gerald Durrell and his wife are the proud owners of a small zoo on the island of Jersey. But there's one thing that's better than a small zoo - a bigger one! So Durrell heads off to South America to collect more animals. Along windswept Patagonian shores and in Argentine tropical forests, he encounters a range of animals from penguins to elephant seals. But as always, he is drawn to those rare and interesting creatures which he hopes will thrive and breed in captivity . . . Told with enthusiasm and without sentimentality, Gerald Durrell's The Whispering Land is an often hilarious but always inspiring foray into the South American wilds.

A plump little meadow mouse is always an inviting target for hungry hunters in the Green Meadows. This certainly should give Danny Meadow Mouse enough cause for concern; but lately, he\'s been worrying about something else — his short tail! In fact, he wants so much to have a different tail that he almost forgets to take care of the one he has.Danny spends much of his time avoiding the likes of Hooty the Owl, who drifts effortlessly above him in the open air; Reddy Fox and old Granny Fox, who stalk him as he races through snow tunnels; Mr. Blacksnake, who silently slithers after him through the grass; and other pesky predators.Youngsters will enjoy reading and listening to the adventures of the plucky vole and his friends as they explore Farmer Brown\'s orchard, the Old Briar-patch, and the enchanting world of the Green Forest. The text has been completely reset in large, easy-to-read type and Thea Kliros has adapted six black-and-white illustrations from the originals by Harrison Cady.

'Do I wish to keep up with the times? No. My wish simply is to live my life as fully as I can' The great American poet, novelist and environmental activist argues for a life lived slowly.

"In Silas House's moving new novel, a pastor wrestles with a crisis not just of faith, but of all the apparent certainties of his life: a crisis of marriage, of community, of fatherhood. This is a novel of painful, finally revelatory awakening, of fierce love and necessary disaster, of the bravery required to escape the prison of our days, to make a better and more worthy life."—Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You When a flood washes away much of a small community along the Cumberland River in Tennessee, Asher Sharp, an evangelical preacher there, starts to see his life anew. He has already lost a brother due to his inability to embrace his brother's coming out of the closet. Now, in the aftermath of the flood, he tries to offer shelter to two gay men, but he's met with resistance by his wife. Furious about her prejudice, Asher delivers a sermon where he passionately defends the right of gay people to exist without condemnation....

Autumn should have been a season of contentment for the inhabitants of the Green Forest. Food was plentiful and all the young creatures born earlier in the year had been taught how to look out for themselves. It should not have been a sad time, but it was — because of the hunters and their long guns!Lightfoot the Deer was especially concerned. "There\'s nothing quite so terrible as being continually hunted," he thought. The handsome creature certainly had cause to worry, as young readers soon learn in this exciting and sensitively written tale by naturalist Thornton W. Burgess. With the opening of hunting season, Lightfoot finds himself pursued by a determined two-legged predator with a deadly weapon; and even with the help of his friends Sammy Jay, Paddy the Beaver, and — unexpectedly — a concerned human, Lightfoot faces constant threats to his survival.Young readers will find this exciting tale of a courageous animal filled with valuable lessons about nature and wildlife. Newly reset in large, easy-to-read type, the story is enhanced by Harrison Cady\'s original illustrations.

The Peril Finders by George Manville FennThe Peril Finders by George Manville Fenn

The Trap is a bleak and uplifting personal allegory of relationship with masculinity, authority, and self.This short horror story is based on a nightmare I had some time back. A young boy encounters a beautiful witch who promises to take away his fears...Excerpt:No one believed him that the monsters were real. His uncle grew frustrated and impatient with the nighttime fears the boy should long have outgrown. His aunt was more sympathetic and well-intentioned, but she dismissed them as being merely nightmares. Only he knew that, at night, the truths always revealed themselves.After the lights went out and all was dark, the silence of his room was broken by quiet scratching and moans. He covered his ears against the screeches, but they grew louder and louder until they filled the air, and he could feel them even in his lungs. Then, when a scream threatened to burst forth from his throat, and he could bear it no longer, there was silence. Not one sound. It was the same disquieting nothingness as in a forest filled with animals that sensed a new predator. The monsters were still, but he knew they were there.He uncapped his ears and glanced at his little sister, asleep in the bed next to his. Quiet and undisturbed, she’d slept through it all. He envied her peaceful slumber; she always looked like an angel.Then, there was another noise. Whispers. “She’s coming,” they said. “She’s coming. She’s coming.”